Dr. Dickinson's one-hour presentation, "Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Education and Practice in the U.S.," provided a broad overview of public policy, regulatory challenges, good manufacturing practices and certification programs, safety issues, health and structure-function claims, and the rapidly expanding body of scientific research.

In addition to presenting at the VSJ meeting, Dr. Dickinson spoke, along with an official from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, at a seminar sponsored by Japan Health and Medicare, a new industry trade publication, and at a seminar organized by CRN Japan and the Japan Health Food and Nutrition Food Association. Dr. Dickinson also had the opportunity to meet with the head of the Office of Health Policy on Newly Developed Foods at the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to provide an industry perspective on the dietary supplement market in the U.S. and associated regulatory issues.

"I was honored to have been invited back to Japan to share information and discuss issues of mutual interest with my Japanese colleagues in the dietary supplement industry," said Dr. Dickinson. "CRN recognizes the important role that the global market represents for our member companies, and this was a valuable opportunity to share experiences and expertise with our counterparts in Japan."

With a Ph.D. in nutrition and more than 30 years of experience in the dietary supplement industry, Dr. Dickinson is widely acknowledged as an expert in the field of vitamins and minerals. She serves CRN as a policy analyst and specialist in dietary supplement regulation and was recently named to the Food Advisory Committee of the Food and Drug Administration. She is the author of several publications issued by CRN, including the 2002 edition of The Benefits of Nutritional Supplements scheduled to be released this June.

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) is one of the dietary supplement industry's leading trade associations representing ingredient suppliers and manufacturers. CRN members adhere to a strong code of ethics, comply with dosage limits and manufacture dietary supplements to high quality standards under good manufacturing practices.