22-23 February 2006, Renaissance Hotel, Brussels
At the occasion of its 2006 General Assembly of Members, ILSI Europe has celebrated its 20th anniversary. The almost 100 participants to this lively meeting comprised academic, government and industry experts, as well as representatives from the European Food Safety Authority, the European Commission, other ILSI Branches, and ILSI Europe Staff. Many old friends met again, and new friends were made.
Mr Paulus Verschuren, Chairman of the ILSI Europe Board of Directors, welcomed all and introduced the first session. He stressed the key strength of ILSI and ILSI Europe: bring together different perspectives, and address problems together.
Dr. Marc Horisberger, the first Chairman of the ILSI Europe Board of Directors, gave a stimulating lecture. In his view, the most powerful thing one can have is a powerful idea; ILSI is such an idea. Still, one needs to accept that Thing Take Time (TTT). Not only nowadays but also in the past, every now and then ILSI Europe (candidate) members would question the costs of ILSI Europe. Dr. Horisberger´s perspective in this respect was and is: If you think ILSI Europe is expensive, try ignorance. For a long time the adagio in business was Move west, or rest. ILSI Europe did the opposite, long before the Berlin wall fell. Daring activities were undertaken, e.g. the creation of an Alcohol Task Force, resulting in a book, concise monographs and two meta-analyses. He emphasised that in science there is no great need to be polite, but more than anything a need to be right. Dr. Horisberger concluded by complimenting the professional, competent and smiling ILSI Europe Staff; as they say in China: if you cannot smile, do not open a shop.
Dr. Nico van Belzen, Executive Director of ILSI Europe, showed that there is a trend to have more work published in peer-reviewed scientific journals, and fewer in the ILSI Europe Report series. However, for the first time in ILSI Europe’s history, three Concise Monographs were published in one year.
Prof. Paul Walter, President of ILSI Europe, looked into the future. Transparency will become even more important than it already is. New scares may have to be addressed; e.g. nano-technology seems to have become a scare among Swiss consumers.
The following two speakers looked into the role of science in public health:
Dr. Djien Liem, Acting Director of Science of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), pointed out that EFSA, with its three years of existence, is very young as compared to ILSI Europe. Cooperation is important for EFSA, and ILSI Europe is an important collaborator. reject certain questions.
Dr. Barbara Saunders, Consultant, has worked with consumer organisations during the last 30 years. She shared some interesting perspectives and experiences with women´s associations, the former Scientific Committee on Food, UK Food Standards Agency, and EFSA.
ILSI Europe has a strong ongoing interest to learn and to improve, in order to become more useful for its stakeholders. Therefore, four Working Groups had been formed, and the participants were invited to assume the viewpoint of one of the following stakeholders: academia, governmental organisations, consumers’ organisations, or industry.
Health claims and their substantiation and regulation are of key importance to and have many implications for academia, governmental organisations, consumers’ organisations, and industry. The last session presented different perspectives on this issue.
Dr. Francesco Branca (Nutrition and Food Security, WHO Regional Office for Europe) presented WHO´s European 2nd Foods and Nutrition Plan.
Prof. Peter Aggett (University of Lancashire, UK) addressed the academia experience and role with regards to health claims. By initiating preparations for FUFOSE in 1992 in Rome, ILSI Europe started a chain of activities on health claims. He also praised the ILSI´s uniqueness in bringing together academia, governmental organisations and industry.
Mr. Andreas Kadi (Coca Cola) spoke on behalf of the European food and drink industry (CIAA). He presented implications and opportunities resulting from the current developments around health claims and their regulation.
Finally, Dr. Paola Testori Coggi, Director of Food Safety at the European Commission´s Directorate General Health and Consumer Protection, elaborated on the European Health Claims Regulation.
In the evening of the first day of this General Assembly a lively dinner was held. An amusing lottery allocated companies´ gifts to many of the participants. Dr. Boon Yee Yeong offered a present to ILSI Europe on behalf of ILSI Southeast Asia for the occasion of the 20th Anniversary.