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Coronavirus-Related Free Trade Blocks Placing Strain On EU Food Supplements Supply Chain

 
• By David Ridley

Exclusive: How are import/export restrictions both within and outside the European Union affecting the food supplements industry supply chain? HBW Insight speaks to Food Supplements Europe and the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations to find out. 

Demand - Supply
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COVID-19-related free trade barriers within and outside the European Union Single Market may lead to supply chain issues for food supplement manufacturers, according to Food Supplements Europe’s director of Regulatory and Scientific Affairs, Patrick Coppens.

While EU manufacturers were currently managing to meet the increased demand for food supplements – especially vitamin C and immunity-boosting products – the strain put on the region’s supply chain by EU Member State import and export restrictions may

Global Picture? Its Complicated

HBW Insight also spoke to the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations’ (IADSA’s) executive director, Simon Pettman, about the impact of the coronavirus on the global food supplements supply chain.

“It’s a diverse picture,” Pettman reported. “There are wide variations across countries and companies.” 

“While some may be managing to continue to produce, they may be facing issues with distribution,” he continued. “For others, obtaining raw materials ingredients may be difficult. In some countries, companies are also facing challenges due to the limitation on sales channels.”

IADSA member associations, such as FSE, were working with national authorities to try to overcome these barriers where they occurred, Pettman noted, but were limited by the challenges that these authorities themselves faced “given the extreme stress they are being put under by the crisis

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