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Summary

Many thanks to all who participated at the 4th Annual Nutrition and Lifestyle Conference, which took place in Brussels on 23rd and 24th February 2010.

Organised by Forum Europe with the support of EAS & CIAA, this high level & interactive conference focussed on EU nutrition regulation, examining how successful it has been to date and where the regulatory balance may lie in the future.

For more details about the Nutrition and Lifestyle Conference 2011, please visit www.nutrition-lifestyle.eu.

Speakers include

Robert Madelin

Director General, DG SANCO

European Commission

Catherine Geslain Lanéelle

Executive Director

EFSA

Pamela Bailey

President & CEO

Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA)

Renate Sommer MEP

Rapporteur- Consumer's Proposal

European Parliament

Lyn Trytsman-Gray

Chair

CIAA Diet Task Force

This one and a half day interactive conference will bring together top level speakers from industry, regulators, EU institutions and NGOs to engage in a pro-active and progressive debate on the current and future trends relating to obesity and nutrition within Europe, and explore the relationship between nutrition regulation and the improvement of dietary habit and promotion of a healthy lifestyle. Focussing on issues such as nutritional labelling, the nutrition and health claims regulation, nutrient profiling and advertising to children it will discuss where the balance lies between self-regulation and legislation and between allowing consumers to make an informed choice, and the imposing of a healthy lifestyle.

Topics to be explored include:

* How successful has the EU health platform been in tackling obesity?
The EU Platform for Action on Diet, Physical Activity and Health was launched in 2005 with the aim of reversing the rise in obesity, particularly among children. Almost 5 years on, with a new Commission imminent, how successful has the platform been to date, and where does it need to go from here? What impact has it had on obesity in Europe and are the 200 plus pledges made as a direct result of the platform evidence that the self-regulatory approach is working, or have the targets been too easy to achieve? What should now be the next phase?

* Front of pack food labelling – From discussion to decision
Lack of clarity on front of pack labelling is arguably leading to confusion amongst consumers, and may also affect industry competitiveness. The Commission’s draft Recommendation on food information to consumers is currently going through the European Parliament, so now seems a good time for the arguing to stop, and a decision made on a unified food-labelling scheme. Where does the balance lie between allowing consumers to make an informed choice, and the imposing of a healthy lifestyle? What is the most effective labelling system, or is the real solution a hybrid of the two? Are there sound reasons for alcoholic beverages to be excluded from the regulation?

* Regulating Advertising to Children – The carrot or the stick?
The Food and Drink industry currently has a self-regulatory system on advertising to children, with the Commission’s powers limited to merely ‘naming and praising’. European and international regulators are set to decide next year whether the current system is working or if there is a need to introduce a more regulatory based approach. Has the pattern of advertising to children changed since the industry pledges in 2007? Have industry codes of conduct gone far enough and how well is the current system working to identify which foods are covered by the measures? Would new regulation at this stage be positive, or would it instead undermine the efforts already being made by industry?

* The Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation
What impact could nutrient profiling criteria have on new product development & reformulation? What is likely to be included on the final list of permitted health claims, and what is not?

* Nutrient Profiling – Moving Beyond Claims?
Nutrient Profiling is only being discussed within the confines of the nutrition and health claims directive, but there are those who say that once an EU-wide consensus on profiles has been achieved, why not use it also in other legislative areas such as front of pack labeling, advertising to children etc.? Would this be appropriate & to what extent would it be feasible? How might the EU’s industrial competitiveness be affected? What impact will the EU nutrient profiling system have on countries outside Europe?