The recent change in legislation makes health claims available to savvy marketers of functional food ingredients provided these claims can be backed by scientific-based evidence. This presents a wealth of opportunity for companies wishing to differentiate their products from those of their competitors. Additionally, a new frontier may be explored for producers of dietary supplement ingredients and one that is by no means small. However, it is important to thoroughly understand the regulatory framework and properly plan the project prior to taking action.
Since not all health claims are created equal, it is possible to embark on a lower threshold health claim first where one may already have a good portion of the supportive information in-house and it is more likely to go unchallenged by the competent authority. Together with the expertise of an experienced consultant one can manage the project and its milestones towards developing higher levels of recognition and/or additional health claims.
This strategy clearly decreases risks. It facilitates timely marketing of the product enabling gained equity in the branded product, and a stake in invaluable market-share early in the product’s lifecycle. Furthermore, given the risks involved in forging full-speed ahead, effective management and allocation of resources on the outset can impede unnecessary bleeding of economic resources and time.