CRN, Virgo Publishing Host Webinar on Supplement Claims

WASHINGTONThe Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and Virgo Publishing announced details for the second of three planned Webinars in 2010. Dietary Supplement Claims in the Retail Environment: Roles and Responsibilities of manufacturers and retailers is set for Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2010, from 2 to 4 p.m. EDT.

The Webinar, moderated by Andrew Shao, Ph.D., senior vice president, scientific and regulatory affairs, CRN, will provide attendees with a better understanding of the legal requirements regarding claims made by retail sellers at the point of sale. Speakers will also explore a manufacturers responsibility with regards to compliance with both state and federal advertising guidelines in the retail settings and give examples of industry best practices.

Speakers will include Anne Maher, a food and drug attorney at Kleinfeld, Kaplan & Becker LLP; Donna DiDomenico, director of training and development, the Vitamin Shoppe; Dick Laurin, senior corporate counsel, Mannatech Inc.; and Gregory Fortsch, a senior attorney in the Bureau of Consumer Protection at FTC. Topics to be addressed will include insights on legal obligations for both the manufacturer and retailer; the retailer and direct seller perspectives in implementing policies that help sales personnel stay within the framework of government regulation; and the regulator perspective in understanding the laws and their limits.

The registration fee$149 for CRN members and $199 for non-membersis a per registration site fee, meaning multiple people may participate in the Webinar from a single site, such as a companys conference room. This fee also includes unlimited access to the on-demand recording of the Webinar for 90 days. In addition, a promotional discount of $25 will be offered to participants taking more than one CRN/Virgo Webinar in 2010.

These Webinars mark a continuation of a Webinar partnership between CRN and Virgo that began in 2007. The first Webinar of 2010, Dietary Supplement Safety: Understanding the Role of Adverse Event Report in Product Recalls, was held May 3, 2010. The third and final Webinar of 2010 will be held on Nov. 4, with topics and speakers still to be determined.

Feedback from Webinar participants has been very positive and we are pleased to be able to continue this series of educational Webinars, said Judy Blatman, senior vice president, communications, CRN. Given the recent Hearing on Capitol Hill that focused, in part on retailer claims, this Webinar is particularly timely and were fortunate to have expertsincluding someone from FTCwilling to share their expertise with the rest of the industry.

Further details on the speakers, the agenda, and registration information are available from Natural Products INSIDER online.

CRN, founded in 1973, is a Washington, D.C.-based trade association representing dietary supplement manufacturers and ingredient suppliers.  In addition to complying with a host of federal and state regulations governing dietary supplements in the areas of manufacturing, marketing, quality control and safety, our 70+ manufacturer and supplier members also agree to adhere to additional voluntary guidelines as well as CRNs Code of Ethics.

Virgo Publishing produces the SupplySide Trade Shows and Conferences, the Focus on the Future Trends & Strategy Forum, Nutrilearn.com and InsideCosmeceuticals.com; and publishes Natural Products INSIDER, Natural Products Marketplace and Food Product Design magazines. Virgo Publishing also publishes CULINOLOGY for the Research Chefs Association.