The Council for Responsible Nutrition convened for its annual conference just as the news was announced that recently confirmed Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Lester Crawford had resigned.

Speculation on this development?s impact was a common theme during the Palm Springs, Calif., event. Attendees listened with a sense of déjà vu as Barbara Schneeman, Ph.D., director of FDA?s Office of Nutritional Products, Labeling and Dietary Supplements, noted in her presentation that good manufacturing practices would remain a priority for the agency with an expected release of a GMP document before year?s end.

In his state of the industry address, new CRN President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Mister noted that Crawford had promised GMPs for dietary supplements ?by the end of the year? at last year?s conference. ?He just didn?t tell us which year,? Mister said. He urged FDA to release the final rule with rigorous quality standards that will create a level playing field for the industry.

Analyst and author Phil Lempert updated attendees on industry trends, noting that consumers want great value in the form of either cost savings or high-quality products or services. Companies today, he said, must market to how consumers feel—not to their age. ?You must meet their needs with products that work and have real science behind them,? he said. Looking ahead, Lempert said the trends to watch are the growing importance of glycemic index diets and the impact of high fuel prices. ?Americans are more nervous about money than ever,? he said.

At the conference, CRN also honored industry experts and elected new board members. Winners of this year?s CRN Apple award were Ed Croom, Ph.D., of Indena USA Inc; Joy Joseph, formerly of Pharmavite LLC; and John Hathcock, Ph.D., of CRN. Newly elected board members included David Eckert, Cognis Nutrition and Health; Steven Furcich, Archer Daniels Midland Co.; Richard Godfrey, Swiss Caps USA Inc.; Edwin Kamauoaha, Pharmanex LLC; Bill Van Dyke, B&D Nutritional Ingredients Inc. Int?l.; Ted Ziemann, Cargill Health & Food Technologies; Kristen Blanchard, Nutramax Laboratories; and Don Stannek, Linnea Inc.

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXVI/number 11/p. 12