To remain cognisant of any changes in the natural products industry, we regularly attend workshops spearheaded by the Health Food Manufacturers’ Association (HFMA). The HFMA is the voice of authority on all-things health food related in the UK. Not only does it wield the power to influence regulators, legislators, and key opinion formers to promote access to high-quality natural health products, but it also ensures compliance with applicable legislation to protect consumer safety.
The HFMA works under age-old codes of practice – for labelling and advertising, GMP, and upper safety levels for supplements – to ensure companies subscribe to the highest standards and deliver quality, safe products to UK customers. The HFMA assumes the chief role of communicating the views of those in the natural health products industry to important influencers and decision makers in the UK and Europe (a significant amount of legislation related to herbal remedies, food supplements, and natural health products now derives from the European Union). Indeed, the HFMA has regular meetings with the UK Government; MP’s from every political party; and enforcement and regulatory bodies, like MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency), FSA (Food Standards Agency), Defra (Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), RD (Regulatory Delivery), the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority), the European Commission, and MEPs.
Besides this, the issues raised by the HFMA are also discussed on adjournment debates, parliamentary questions, motions, and by lobbying peers and MPs in the UK, and MEPs in Europe. What’s more, the association will enlist expert legal advice, seek media support, and liaise with other organisations that share common objectives, too. All things considered, HFMA is clearly the trusted voice of the natural health industry – an association that possesses a wealth of knowledge on designing, manufacturing, marketing, and labelling health food products.
The HFMA’s ‘Clear Check’ course is designed to help companies, like us, navigate the regulatory and bureaucratic minefield that is natural health foods – one of the world’s most complex and thorny industries. Drawing on nearly 50-years of industry know-how and experience, its workshop irons out any complexities surrounding health food labelling. It provides detailed requirements for all the natural products we offer, including food supplements, herbal products, food, and cosmetics. We’ve found this course to be an immensely effective tool to educate us on how best to inform our customers with accurate and reliable labelling, deliver the highest standards of quality, and guarantee product safety.
Bibliography:
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Health Food Manufacturers' Association. (2019). Clear Check - Health Food Manufacturers' Association. Available online: https://www.hfma.co.uk/clearcheck [Accessed 5 Mar. 2019].
