Health claims regulation across Asia and the European Union will come under the spotlight at an upcoming workshop hosted by international food and nutrition policy consultancy EAS.

The workshop ‘The Practical Implications of Claims Regulations and key steps to successfully accessing markets in Asia & Europe’, will guide companies through the current rules for health claims in key Asian markets and Europe.

Taking place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Tuesday November 18, the event will also highlight the current and future opportunities and challenges for claims made on products in key Asian markets and across the European Union. 

Leading the workshop Daniel Tsi, Regional Director of EAS Asia, and EAS Europe Adviser Miguel da Silva, will give an overview of global regulatory developments, health supplements and functional foods classification, and health claims and authorisation procedures in major Asian markets such as China, Taiwan, and Malaysia, and the European Union (EU).

“The current regulatory environment in Asia alone is diverse and challenging both for companies and regulatory authorities,” said Dr Tsi. “Participants at the workshop will get a clear picture of the different regulations and practices in key Asian markets and the European Union, and find out how to ensure their functional nutritional products avoid the common pitfalls when launching products in these markets.”

Dr Tsi will give an overview of the growing trend towards health claims regulation in the Asian region, highlighting developments at Codex Alimentarius level and health claims legislation in the United States. He will also discuss the  status and future development of claims regulation within the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

With Europe being the first region to harmonise nutrition and health claims regulations, Mr da Silva will clarify the EU framework, from the different types of claims, their definitions and conditions of use, and the role of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in their authorisation. He will also address the many lessons learnt so far from the European regulations and provide guidance on how some of the challenges could be avoided in future.

For the full workshop programme or to register for the event, visit www.eas.asia, or email carissachin@eas.asia.