EAS workshop puts spotlight on Asia, Europe and Latin America

International food policy consultancy EAS held a workshop in Singapore in April 2011 and gave companies looking to launch products internationally an in-depth session on the regulations and practices in Asian, European and Latin American markets.

Titled 'Health supplements and functional foods: Secrets of successful regulatory strategies in Europe, Latin America and Asia', the workshop covered the diverse national regulations across Asia for putting products on the market, including do's and don'ts when accessing the Vietnamese market; the challenges of the top five European Union (EU) legislations including the claims regulation; and regulatory developments in Latin America.

EAS Europe food law adviser Elodie Lebastard, and EAS Asia regional regulatory affairs manager Wai Mun Poon led the workshop.

Lebastard guided participants through the EU regulatory maze, covering nutrition and health claims, maximum levels of vitamins and minerals, rules for other ingredients including botanicals, developments on the novel food regulation and food labeling requirements.

She also introduced to them the regulations of the rapidly growing Latin American food supplement market, focusing on Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela and Argentina.

Meanwhile, Poon presented the practical implications of different regulatory systems in China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, including rules for classifications and health claims.

Thach Do, director of external affairs at the Vietnam Association of Dietary Supplements, also gave overview of the Vietnamese regulatory environment for food and dietary supplements, and functional foods.