Food and Pharma: The Broadening Reach of Regulators

The lines between the pharma and food industries are blurring, presenting a great opportunity for life sciences firms to diversify - as long as they realise that other manufacturers they acquire or partner with are unlikely to have the same regulatory controls in place, writes Peter Muller.

Labeling on food is becoming as important as that for pharmaceutical products - a situation that will increase as regulators challenge manufacturers’ claims and force them to be more transparent. This has implications for life sciences firms that have identified new business opportunities in ‘wellness’ as a complementary revenue stream.

Regulators’ growing interest in food and ‘nutraceuticals’ (also known as ‘functional foods’ - ie. those with added health benefits) reflects growing government interest in helping consumers to make better dietary choices. For packaged food now, companies need to be more consistent, emphatic and transparent about what’s in their products and how this relates to current health advice. In nutraceuticals, the expectation is that companies should not make unsubstantiated claims, and that they provide adequate warnings around portions and doses of active ingredients.

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