FDA and FTC to address key industry concerns at CRN Conference

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition will present key regulatory officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Trade Commission as featured speakers during its annual symposium for the dietary supplement industry, The Conference, taking place Oct. 21–24 in Palm Springs, Calif., the association annuonced Monday. 

 

FDA’s Ted Elkin, director of the agency’s Office of Analytics and Outreach, will discuss the role of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition in assuring that the dietary supplement and functional food products on the market are not only safe for consumers but also deliver on the health benefit claims on the label. Elkin will highlight agency priorities including the enforcement of Good Manufacturing Practices for dietary supplements and the implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act, particularly as it applies to ingredient suppliers for dietary supplements.

 

FTC’s Mary Engle, associate director of the Division of Advertising Practices, will discuss the commission’s role in policing potential untruthful, misleading or unsubstantiated consumer advertising, particularly related to health benefit claims for dietary supplements and functional foods. She’ll provide insight regarding FTC’s application of the “credible and reliable scientific evidence” standard for substantiation, a hotly debated topic among industry stakeholders, consumer advocacy groups and regulators. 

 

Both speakers will address attendees during the morning of the first full day of The Conference (Thursday, Oct. 22).