The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) has announced that leading nutrition companies Kerry and Fonterra have joined its membership.
Fonterra, a leading global manufacturer of dairy products with an interest in protein-based sports supplements, and Kerry, which has an industry-leading portfolio of taste & nutrition systems and functional ingredients & actives for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets in Ireland, become the latest companies to commit themselves to ESSNA’s core values.
These include adopting the highest safety standards and upholding EU regulations on the content and labelling of sports nutrition products. The addition of Kerry and Fonterra follows Scitec Nutrition and Protein World joining ESSNA in recent weeks and brings ESSNA’s total number of members up to 47, increasingly drawn from across the EU and beyond.
ESSNA is the voice of the sports nutrition industry – in dialogue with regulators, policy makers, the media and consumers and it campaigns in favour of proportionate EU legislation that does not adversely affect the industry.
ESSNA also acts to ‘police’ the industry by monitoring and reporting irresponsible companies that flout EU law and who may put consumers at potential risk from dangerous products. Last month ESSNA adopted a new Code of Practice to strengthen its commitment to regulatory compliance and fair business practice, and which all its members have agreed to abide by.
Dr Adam Carey, Chair of ESSNA, said “ESSNA’s membership has continued to grow rapidly and this is a reflection of a rapidly growing interest from companies in upholding the highest possible standards and protecting consumers from dangerous and illegal products. We are delighted to welcome Fonterra and Kerry – both of which highlight the further expansion of our European reach – to our group; and we are confident that others in the industry will follow their example. Now, more than ever, companies are starting to realise the importance of our industry working together and having a strong, collective voice in Europe.”
He added, “As ever, we remain absolutely committed to setting the highest standards for the industry and to protecting consumers from any harmful products carrying misleading claims.”
Albert McQuaid, Chief Technology Officer at Kerry said “Product integrity in the context of innovation is paramount to Kerry’s global taste and nutrition business. ESSNA’s specific support for reputable brands with legislators, trade bodies and sporting organisations in Europe will be very helpful as we further expand our offering in sports nutrition, one of our key areas of experience and growth. We are delighted to be members.”
Jan-Willem van der Windt, General Manager at Fonterra Europe said “Fonterra is pleased to become a member of ESSNA, the leading European branch organisation in sport nutrition. Our membership fits with our strategy to grow our presence in the European protein and sports nutrition market. Fonterra has a strong presence in the global dairy and sports nutrition market and we are keen to share this knowledge within the alliance in order to further develop the market and regulatory environment.”
ESSNA, 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, CLF Distribution, First Milk, Future Nutrition, Iovate Health Sciences, Kinetica, Mass Nutrition Kostexperten, Maxinutrition, myprotein.co.uk, Natrol, NSF, Prometeus, Sci-MX Nutrition, Sports Supplements, Tropicana Health and Fitness, US Nutrition, USN UK, Volac, Weider Germany, NBTY Europe, BodyBuilding.com, Glanbia Performance Nutrition, PhD Nutrition, CytoSport UK, Future Nutrition, Arla Foods Ingredients, Athlete King Sports Nutrition, BULK POWDERS, Grenade, Vitamin Center, High5, DCC Health and Beauty, Healthspark, MP Bio Science, General Nutrition Corporation, Herbs in a Bottle, Scitec Nutrition, Protein World, Kerry, Medix Laboratoires and Fonterra.
Associate members of the Alliance include HFMA (The UK Health Food Manufacturers’ Association), Weider Publishing, Fitnessboutique, LGC, Cambridge Commodities, Healthy Inspirations Ltd and Nutraveris.
