Health Food Manufacturers’ Association Case Study

Client Profile and Issue

The HFMA is the UK’s leading national trade association for manufacturers and distributors of a wide range of natural health products including food supplements, herbal remedies, organic and whole-foods, aromatherapy products, sports nutrition, slimming products, and other specialist items.

The members of the HFMA have been threatened by a series of national and European regulatory developments that impose additional burdens upon manufacturers and limit not only the ingredients that may be used in products, and the levels at which they may be present, but also the comments which manufacturers and retailers are permitted to make in their advertising, promotional and marketing material, including on their web sites.

Our Strategy

Our approach has been to position the HFMA both in the UK and in Europe as a powerful voice of the sector and to ensure that it punches above its weight in the corridors of power in Westminster, Whitehall and Brussels. By sustained and intensive lobbying, both nationally through the HFMA officers and locally through its individual members, the profile and impact of the Association’s campaigns have been increased. Active involvement with Parliamentarians both in Westminster and in the European Parliament was initiated and developed to position the HFMA as the source of authoritative information, comment and advice on the regulation of the sector.

Parliamentary Questions, Motions, debates, delegations to Ministers, meetings at 10 Downing Street, lobbying visits to the European Parliament, meetings as the European Commission, and a willingness to challenge regulatory decisions in the High Court and the European Court of Justice have all been key elements of the strategy.

Outcome

Today, the HFMA is the first port of call for regulators, officials and politicians seeking advice and information about the impact of new regulation on the specialist products sector. Its interests are now placed much higher on the agenda when new regulations are being considered, and the HFMA is continually in dialogue with all those whose decisions impact upon its members’ interests. Firm and robust commitments have been achieved both from the UK Government and from the European Commission about the way in which legislation will in future be developed and implemented.