ESSNA (European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance) Vice-Chair Suzane Leser has warned that the next two years will be critical to the future of regulation for sports nutrition products in a speech at the 5th International Fresenius Conference in Mainz, Germany.
Speaking at the conference last week, Leser insisted that ESSNA would push for a two year report on regulatory provision for sports nutrition products to be completed on schedule by the European Commission. Leser also asserted that ESSNA will encourage the Commission to ensure “appropriate evaluations” are made of legislation to address the specific needs of sports people and that the issue of specific sports nutrition legislation is closed “once and for all” following completion of the report.
The speech follows a final European Parliament vote in early June to adopt a regulation revising the legal framework covering sports nutrition products. ESSNA has claimed that the vote and the European Commission’s report, will allow analysis of how the specific needs of sports people can be met under general food law.
Suzane Leser, Vice-Chair of ESSNA, said “The European Parliament’s vote is very encouraging, but we must recognise that the European Commission’s report will have enormous implications for sports nutrition products and consumers. The next two years will be crucial.
“We are keen to see a report that resolves issues of sports nutrition legislation once and for all – but while the report must be thorough, it must also be completed on schedule. Any delay will leave the industry and its customers in limbo and draw out what has already been a decade-long debate.”
The European Commission will first define the sports nutrition sector via a market report that ESSNA will engage with closely to ensure its members’ products are fully considered.
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, 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, Glanbia Performance Nutrition and PhD Nutrition.
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 and Affordable Supplements.
