‘Openness’ and ‘better dialogue’ between industry, scientists and regulators were themes of the day as the newly minted European chapter of the International Probiotics Association (IPA-Europe) launched itself with a mini-congress in Brussels yesterday.
From the Gut Microbiota for Health congress in Barcelona, Spain
EU-banned marketing terms like ‘probiotics’ need to be reclaimed and recently reworked definitions and criteria can help win ongoing regulatory and research battles, ISAPP told a microbiota congress in Barcelona on Saturday.
Yakult at Probiota 2015: “We want to be clear that before we invest we need to have some dialogue with EFSA...”
Yakult and leading academics expressed frustration at what they see as unfair and opaque scientific requirements around probiotic health claims in the European Union – but how much is industry to blame and could social media be a data-sharing saviour?
The potential of probiotics to benefit maternal and infant morbidity and mortality is being shown in on-the-ground projects in Africa and elsewhere, according to lifelong researcher, maternal and infant morbidity and mortality, professor Gregor Reid.
Chr Hansen CEO Cees de Jong today praised the Danish enzymes, cultures and colours specialist’s 2012-2013 performance that saw revenues grow 6% to €738m for the year, and highlighted 5% growth in sluggish EMEA as a major achievement.
Irish authorities have clarified the country’s position in regard to probiotic health claims, taking a literal reading of the EU position that the term ‘probiotic’ alone is an implied health claim.
Most consumers know little to nothing about the EU health claim system, the European Food Safety Authority nor why a blanket ban has been imposed on probiotic marketing across the bloc, a functional food marketing expert told a conference this morning.
On a train to Brussels to cover NutraIngredients’ Probiotech and Microbiota two-day probiotic congress, had me wondering of the sector mood now it has had its claims ripped up by the EU’s hardline health claim process.
Giant of probiotic supply, DuPont, is not afraid to admit its European business has been altered by the rejection of probiotic health claims under the EU nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR).
