Supply Side Wrap Up

Posted By elissa on May 1, 2010 | 4 comments

I’ve spent a solid chunk of the last 48 hours behind the wheel of a (rental) car, so I’m just getting to this part now, even though the show wrapped up on Wednesday. But this was arguably the most interesting day of the three, so it’s worth recounting.

There were two stand-out moments… The first was a talk by Carl Reynolds, a senior advisor in the Division of Dietary Supplement Programs at FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN). His talk concerned GMPs (good manufacturing practices). This might seem like a dull topic, but what compelled my attention was his obvious exasperation – it was written on his face and in his voice. He wasn’t giving a talk to the industry people in the room… he was delivering a lecture, like a harried parent might to an unruly child.

Basically, he was taking the attendees out to the woodshed, for GMP violations that – from my perspective as a (former) food scientist – were fundamental, “everyone-should-be-doing-this-already” kinds of things.  As he recounted it, FDA inspectors have been finding problems with vermin control, inadequate ingredient/product testing and slipshod documentation. The room was packed with industry types, yet there were NO protests – or any indication at all that these folks disagreed with how he was characterizing their operations.

Overall, I found this to be a bit creepy.

The second thing that drew me in was the vendor expo: quite a few manufacturers had booths staffed with reps, who were handing out literature and business cards. I had some interesting chats with folks (this was fun – I’m always up for talking!)… but I was also amused by an interesting “disconnect” on display. I was surrounded  by folks who ostensibly serve the cause of consumer health and fitness, yet junk food was in evidence everywhere.  Industry reps were drinking soda and eating pizza, chips, soft pretzels and ice cream – the Expo Center snack bar appeared to be doing a brisk business.  And while I was there, buffet tables were being set up in several spots in the hall – for serving complimentary hot dogs and tacos.

I took a pass on the junk,  natch… but the whole thing made me smile inwardly.  The natural products and nutraceuticals business is – first and foremost – a business… and the majority of people who get involved in it, do so to make money – not because they’re personally dedicated to health and fitness.  This first hit home some years ago, when I attended the ISSN conference. Although there wasn’t a big industry presence there, a few companies put in an appearance.  So in the course of milling around the poster session, I chatted up a couple of company sales reps who were there to promote a well-known fat loss supplement ingredient.  The irony was that both of them were  quite overweight (one was frankly obese, tbh) and actually had very little knowledge about the clinical studies that were being touted in the product literature they were handing out.

It’s par for the course, I guess. You’d think most companies would want their reps to “walk the walk” – but since they’re among “friends” at shows like this – I guess they don’t feel the need.