Panel Focus on Regulatory Pathways for CBD
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Natural Products Association (NPA) today announced a panel featuring the top experts in the field of CBD, and the regulatory pathways for the product in the new marketplace. The panel, “How to Prepare for a Regulatory Pathway,” will feature Grace Bandong, Scientific Strategy Leader Contaminants for Eurofins Scientific; Daryl Sullivan, Chief Science Officer for Eurofins Scientific; Erin Williams, Senior Policy Analyst Industrial Hemp Program Manager for the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services; and former State Senate Majority Leader Curt Bramble.
“A lot of people have questions about the regulatory pathway for CBD products, and this has obviously been something that we have been heavily invested in as an organization. We’re excited to bring this panel together and hear from the experts about where we are now, and where we are going, said Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., NPA President and CEO. “We have a great program in place, and we are confident that attendees are still engaged and have the same access to the world’s leading experts in the natural products industry. This is also an excellent opportunity for the industry to make a direct investment back into the industry, with 100 percent of profit going directly to education and advocacy initiatives.”
Grace Bandong is the Scientific Strategy Leader for Contaminants for Eurofins Food Integrity and Innovations. Grace has spent over 25 years in the food and supplement industry specializing in contaminants analysis and risk assessments. Over the years, Grace has developed contaminant testing programs that support supplier verification for food manufacturers and recently, the hemp industry. Grace has developed a process for a hazards based chemical risk assessment of ingredients that has been used by companies to respond to global regulatory requirements. She is an expert on the analysis of risk assessments of contaminants in food. Grace is an active member of AOAC and is currently on the Executive Board of the AOAC Pacific Southwest section. She is also on the Technical Committee of the US Hemp Authority and a member of the HIA’s Sampling and Analytical Task Force. Grace received her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of the Philippines and her M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Houston.
Erin Williams has been with the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) for over 14 years. She has served in a variety of roles, including Dispute Resolution Specialist and Policy and Planning Coordinator for the agency‚ Division of Consumer Protection. She is currently a Senior Policy Analyst in the Office of Policy, Planning, and Research and serves as the Regulatory Coordinator. Ms. Williams has coordinated work to administer the Virginia Industrial Hemp Law since its enactment in 2015. Additionally, she oversees the Industrial Hemp Grower, Dealer, and Processor Registration programs.
Curt Bramble is a master at bringing people to the table and crafting consensus between opposing factions. He has worked to find principle driven solutions with successful outcomes in protecting unborn children, defending local control of education, demanding government transparency, establishing a state energy policy, reducing and reforming Utah’s tax structure, preserving the caucus system, reforming RDA’s, addressing comprehensive immigration policy, and protecting our God-given rights. He was instrumental in CBD legislation, ethics legislation, strengthening GRAMA legislation for more open government, and continues to lead out on issues that have kept Utah one of the Best Managed States in the nation for over 10 consecutive years.
The Big Natural
November 30-December 1
Offering two days of industry-driven, educational sessions, workshop programming, case studies and interactive discussions. Plus, there will be ample time for networking and benchmarking. The Big Natural will bring together industry leaders, innovators and government officials who will share insights that will educate, empower and spark innovative ideas to drive the industry forward.
- Industry-specific educational sessions developed by you to address your most pressing business and regulatory concerns as an industry such as probiotic regulatory hurdles with Amy Smith from DuPont Nutrition.
- Executive-level speakers who will provide in-depth discussion of real-world challenges/issues as well as practical lessons you can take back to your company and implement across your operations after hearing presentations from Rich Cleland of FTC and Robert Durkin from AGG, but formerly Deputy Director of FDA’s ODSP.
- Focus on business innovation, finance, investment and global market opportunities relevant to the natural products space with David Thibodeau from Wellvest Capital.
- Breakout sessions that will explore discrete issues faced by business unit and department heads spanning regulatory, compliance, legal, marketing and business functions
Open to both NPA Members and Non-Members, The Big Natural will attract a diverse cross-section of senior executives spanning the C-suite as well as department leadership within the Retail, CPG, Natural, Health Foods, Supplements and Investment sectors with budget and/or human capital responsibility in the following areas:
- Strategy & Product Development
- Legal, Regulatory & Compliance
- Digital Initiatives, Branding, Marketing and Advertising
- Merchandising, Distribution & E-Commerce
- Analytics and Big Data
- Customer Experience and Customer Service
- Business Development & Finance
- Quality & Scientific Affairs
- Probiotics and Novel Ingredients
- Medical/Functional Foods
- Sports Nutrition
- Defining Natural
