The FNTP (Federation of Nutritional therapists) are set to engage with UK regulators, to raise awareness of the growing need for greater allergen & product compliance scrutiny of all imported food supplements. Read full FNTP Statment here...
We all know that the regulations between international regions can vary greatly. For example, the term “organic” is potentially very different when certified in Europe than it would be in the United States, and thus this term is not universally transferable, the same applies to the terms vegetarian or vegan.
However, as highlighted by a recent release from The FNTP (Federation Of Nutritional Therapists far more worrying is the potential lack of regulatory conformity, needed for the safe distribution of food supplements within the different world territories, in particular, the FNTP are focused on the protection of their practitioner members within the UK.
For example, the regulations surrounding label compliance in the UK would be for “Food Supplements”, yet many imported products describe themselves as “Dietary supplements”, however, there is no such category within the UK regulations. Therefore, these items would most likely be viewed by regulators as non-compliant, which brings into question the key founding principle of many practitioner insurance policies, the need to have carried out basic due diligence. Read the full FNTP Statment here...
There are also many differences between the active ingredients and additives that are authorised for use within UK-compliant food supplements.
However, more worrying than any of these factors is the realisation that products that are promoted overseas as “Allergen Free”, may not be considered as “Allergen Free” in the UK. For example, you may be shocked to learn that “Sesame Seed” is not seen as an allergen in the United States; we all know of the sad events surrounding the fifteen-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, who experienced a fatal allergic reaction to the sesame seed present in a baguette she purchased before boarding her flight in 2016.
Read full FNTP Statement here...
This is one of the key reasons why Conella has always had a policy of getting a third party to review the UK compliance of our product range and our recent addition, of the Arthur Andrew Medical enzymic formulae from the United States.
There is little doubt with these activities, things are set to change within our profession and Conella is once again committed to offering free guidance to naturopathic practitioners as we develop our understanding of our evolving regulatory environment, with guidance on a wide array of health claims made while promoting your products and services online and offline.
