The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) has announced plans to fundamentally expand its remit in what its officers have described as a ‘watershed moment’ for the organisation.
ESSNA has announced that it is to expand on its historic campaigning role to become a trade body for the European sports nutrition sector, while also stepping into the void to police the wider industry’s compliance with EU regulations.
Formed in December 2003, ESSNA’s initial remit was to campaign against EU regulations that would have adversely affected the sports nutrition sector, stifling innovation and limiting consumer choice.
In its new expanded role, ESSNA will assume wider responsibilities, becoming a de-facto voice of the sports nutrition industry in dialogue with regulators, policy makers, the media and consumers. It will also monitor and report irresponsible manufacturers and suppliers who flout EU law for commercial advantage, which in turn might put consumers at potential risk from dangerous products.
Dr Adam Carey, Chairman of ESSNA, said “This is a watershed moment not only for ESSNA but for an industry that to date has been bereft of a representative body. ESSNA has been enormously successful as a campaigning body, and this is a natural step for us to take so that we can continue to represent the needs of the sports nutrition industry. The industry and ESSNA are coming of age.”
He added, “Key to this will be our proactive stance on encouraging compliance to EU regulations. Companies that do not comply with these regulations put consumers at risk and give themselves an unfair advantage over those who quite rightly follow the rules. These companies should be under no illusion that ESSNA will work tirelessly to ensure that their activities are reported to the relevant authorities, and that they will not be allowed to challenge the integrity of the industry as a whole.”
The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance is an alliance of European sports nutrition companies that was formed in December 2003.
Members of the alliance include Adams Food Ingredients, Aminolabs, Body Temple UK, Carbery, CLF Distribution Ltd, First Milk, Garnell Corporation, Iovate Health Sciences, Mass Nutrition Kostexperten, Maxinutrition, myprotein.co.uk, NSF, Prometeus, Sci-MX Nutrition, Tropicana Health and Fitness, US Nutrition, USN UK, Volac, Weider Germany.
Associate members of the alliance include HFMA (The UK Health Food Manufacturers’ Association), Weider Publishing, Fitnessboutique, LGC, Cambridge Commodities, Healthy Inspirations, The Sales and Marketing Partnership, Affordable Supplements.
