The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) will present key regulatory officials from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) as featured speakers during its annual symposium for the dietary supplement industry, The Conference, taking place Oct. 21–24 at The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, in Palm Springs, CA.
 
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 (CFSAN) in assuring that the dietary supplement and functional food products on the market are safe for consumers and that these products provide the health benefits that are claimed on their labels. Mr. Elkin will highlight agency priorities including: enforcement of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements; implementation of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), particularly as it applies to ingredient suppliers for dietary supplements; and more.
 
FTC’s Mary K. 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. In addition, she will touch on other areas of interest to industry, including implied claims, consumer research, and collaborations between FTC and FDA.
 
Both speakers will address attendees during the morning of the first full day of The Conference (Thursday, Oct. 22).
 
Taking place Oct. 21-24, The Conference: CRN’s Annual Symposium for the Dietary Supplement Industry, is being held in tandem with The Workshop: CRN’s Day of Science, an all-day symposium on Oct. 21. For more information or to register, visit www.crnusa.org/2015events.