Experts to talk science, regs, challenges and opportunities in immune health

Valued at over $2.3 billion by the Nutrition Business Journal​ (2013 data), the US immune health market is in very good health.

The NutraIngredients-USA Trend in the Immune Health Sector Forum​ will bring together experts from brands, academia and regulatory to answer the most important questions for brand owners in this area, including:

Which ingredients are driving this growth? How do they work and how strong is the science? What claims can be made? Are supplements or functional foods and beverages driving this growth? What do consumers understand? And what’s next for immune support in the US?

The expert panel includes:

Prof. Philip Calder, PhD, Professor of Nutritional Immunology, University of Southampton​

Prof. Calder has broad interests in nutritional modulation of immunity, inflammation and cardiometabolic disease risk. Much of his work has been devoted to exploring the metabolism and functionality of fatty acids with an emphasis on the roles of omega-3 fatty acids. Prof. Calder has won numerous awards for his work and has been Editor in Chief and Associate Editor at the British Journal of Nutrition​.

Refaat Hegazi, MD, PhD, Medical Director, Abbott Nutrition​

Dr Hegazi has worked to understand the correlation of nutrition and immune responses in order to develop therapies that can improve the management of diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders and disease-associated malnutrition. As a medical director at Abbott Nutrition, he works with healthcare professionals, industry experts and patients to conduct clinical research, and provide education that demonstrates the critical role of nutrition therapy in patient treatment plans.  He has authored more than 50 publications and five book chapters and recently joined the faculty of the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

Susan Kleiner PhD, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Vynna, LLC​

Susan M. Kleiner, PhD, is an international columnist and renowned speaker on the subject of High Performance Nutrition, and has consulted with professional teams, Olympians and elite athletes in all sports. She is the co-founder and co-CEO of Vynna, LLC, an evidence-based, female-centric performance nutrition brand. Dr. Kleiner has been a faculty member at several esteemed universities, she has authored numerous academic chapters, articles and scientific manuscripts, and has penned 7 books, including the bestselling POWER EATING, 4th Edition (Human Kinetics, 2014). Dr. Kleiner is a co-founder and fellow of the International Society of Sports Nutrition and a fellow of the American College of Nutrition, a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and The National Strength and Conditioning Association.

Ivan Wasserman, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP​

Mr Wasserman is the Administrative Partner of the Washington DC office of the Manatt law firm. His practice is focused on matters involving the marketing of foods, dietary supplements, cosmetics, drugs, and medical devices.  With extensive experience advising clients on the advertising and labeling of products such as these, which are subject to overlapping jurisdiction of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), he helps his clients develop creative approaches to meeting marketing objectives while staying within the constraints of applicable regulatory frameworks.

The forum will be hosted by Hank Schultz, Senior Correspondent for NutraIngredients-USA.

The event is supported by the following leading nutritional ingredient suppliers:​

Stratum Nutrition:​ A specialty health ingredient supplier empowering product innovation with a portfolio of branded, value-added ingredients developed in collaboration with global partnerships.  Its ingredients are based on consumer need and supported by science. Stratum specializes in condition-specific categories including structural, digestive, and immune health to offer full solutions for human and companion animal nutrition.

Setria (Kyowa Hakko):​ Setria glutathione helps protect cells from the damaging effects of toxins and oxidative stress and plays a role in supporting immune function. Setria has been clinically studied to be an absorbable form of glutathione. Kyowa Hakko USA, Inc. is a world leader in the research and manufacturing of high-quality branded ingredients for use in dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages.

Albion Human Nutrition:​ The premier manufacturer of “Six Stage Chelates”— patented organic mineral amino acid chelates, used in human nutrition products worldwide. Since 1956 Albion has applied its extensive library of research to offer a more effective, bioavailable, and easily tolerated mineral to its solution providers. Placing a great emphasis on proven science, Albion’s research has resulted in an extensive library of peer-reviewed, published studies and over 150 US and international patents from manufacturing processes to food applications.

Wellmune WGP (Biothera):​ Derived from the cell wall of a proprietary strain of baker’s yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae​), Wellmune WGP helps increase the effectiveness of immune cells without over-stimulating the immune system. This makes Wellmune WGP an ideal ingredient for delivering year-round, not merely seasonal, immune health benefits. Biothera is a US biotechnology company dedicated to improving immune health. We manufacture and market patented, natural ingredients for functional foods, beverages and nutritional supplements worldwide.