Asian regulatory scene in spotlight in Hong Kong

Related tags Hong kong Southeast asia

Next week’s Nutracon Asia conference in Hong Kong will include a special one-day workshop on the regulatory state of play for dietary supplements and functional foods in Asia Pacific, giving case studies and showing areas of opportunity.

Rapid changes are taking place in dietary supplement regulation across the region, as newly affluent consumers have more spending power for preventative healthcare products.

In particular, the ten country members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) are striving for regulatory harmony and are making progress so that a first draft of regulation could appear by the end of this year.

The ASEAN countries are Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos, Brunai Darussalam, Cambodia, Myanmar and Singapore.

The regulatory workshop features two Asia-focused speakers from specialist consultancy EAS, as well as figures from the ASEAN secretariat, the Vietnam Food Administration, the Vietnam Dietary Supplement Association, and the Indian Health Food and Dietary Supplement Association, who will share market insights and case studies.

“For companies that are seriously considering entering the Asian market, the understanding of regulation must go beyond regulatory affairs personnel and include marketing and senior management staff,” the organisers say.

The workshop is taking place on 27th August during Natural Products Expo Asia in Hong Kong. More information is available at www.nutraconasia.com.

Although Asia Pacific covers a huge area, with many different cultures and economies, Hong Kong is seen as something of a hub for international commerce. It is accessible from other parts of Asia, and is also geared to the business priorities of the West.

Another industry leader to have identified opportunities in the Asian market is Vitafoods, which recently announced that it will hold its inaugural Vitafoods Asia trade show in September 2011, also in Hong Kong.

Unlike Natural Products Expo Asia, which covers finished products, however, the new show will focus only on ingredients.