IADSA Celebrates 10th Anniversary

BRUSSELS, Belgium—The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) is celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2008. Since 1998, the organization has grown from 21 associations to more than 50 association spanning 41 countries; IADSA helps represent the dietary supplement sector in the global, regional and national arena, and promotes industry compliance with regulations.

“A number of governments are amending their food regulations over the next five years, so we will have substantial developments and challenges,” said Byron Johnson, chairman of IADSA. “One of our biggest achievements so far is IADSA’s work at the Codex Alimentarius level to ensure that guidelines for maximum levels of vitamins and minerals are based on risk assessment, not recommended daily allowances. When the text was finally adopted in 2005, this target was achieved. IADSA continues to work toward reducing existing barriers by sharing information on regulatory models worldwide with regulatory authorities, national associations and the scientific community.”

On the scientific front, IADSA produces publications each year, which are distributed to key decision-makers worldwide as a reference source for policy development. These include issues such as role of supplements in nutrition policy; the safety of vitamin and mineral supplements; the scientific substantiation of health claims; the safety and risk assessment of various bioactive substances in food supplements; and IADSA’s 2007 publication, “Nutrition, Health Ageing and Public Policy.”

Regionally, IADSA has played an advisory role for authorities in central and Eastern European countries wanting to implement legislation in view of European Union membership, and there is continued focus on the harmonization of supplement legislation across the ten countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).