GOED Exchange Hosts Sustainability, Claims Sessions

SALT LAKE CITYGOEDS first GOED Exchange will offer sessions on omega-3 sustainability and health claims, both with panels of experts who will discuss issues facing processors, refiners, manufacturers, distributors, marketers, retailers and supporters of products containing eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). GOED Exchange is set for Jan. 13 and Jan. 14 at Salt Lake City's Marriott City Center.

Slated for Thursday, Jan. 13 from 1:30 to 4 p.m., the session "Sustainability of EPA and DHA Sources" will feature Dr. Michael Crawford, director of the Institute of Brain Chemistry and Human Nutrition at London Metropolitan University; Dr. Simeon Hill, a senior scientific officer at the British Antarctic Survey and member of the international treaty organization CCAMLR (Commission for Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources); Kees Lankester, board member of the Marine Stewardship Council and founding director of Scomber fishery and ocean wildlife consultancy; and Andrew Jackson, technical director of the International Fishmeal and Fish Oil Organisation. 

"As research into the human health benefits of omega-3s broadens, so will the global demand for EPA- and DHA-rich products," said Adam Ismail, executive director of the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED). Sustainable sources of EPA and DHA will therefore be essential to ensure a long-term supply of these important nutrient sources. Having four of the world's leading omega-3 sustainability authorities converge on one panel is a first for the industry, and we're pleased that the GOED Exchange will provide an opportunity for the industry to have a direct, two-way dialogue with these experts."

Set for Thursday, Jan. 13 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. the Exchange session "Omega-3 Claims: Risk, Substantiation and Enforcement" will feature esteemed panel members Devin Domond, an attorney with the U.S. Federal Trade Commission; Gary Coody, national health fraud coordinator at FDA; and Nigel Baldwin, senior scientific and regulatory consultant and director, Europe for Cantox Health Sciences International.

"The scientific support for substantiating claims associated with EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids seems to grow daily," Ismail said. Still, using claims that are regulatory-compliant allows companies to avoid legal repercussions, potential consent orders, and the costs and damaged public reputation that can result. Attendees of the GOED Exchange will leave with a better understanding of how to optimize their consumer health message while complying with the current regulations in the United States, Asia and Europe."