The conference, which will take place April 24-27, is hosted by the National Center for Natural Products Research (NCNPR) at the University of Mississippi.
“The principal organizer is Dr Ikhlas Khan, and Ikhlas knows everybody who’s anybody around the world that’s related to botanicals or dietary supplements,” Dr Bill Gurley, Principal Scientist in the National Center for Natural Products Research at the University of Mississippi, told NutraIngredients-USA.
“There’s a lot of continuity between each meeting but the topics are usually different… Also some of the hot topics, and that’s what most people like to come to the ICSB to see the movers and shakers have a verbal tête-à-tête, so to speak,” added Dr Gurley, who is a member of the organizing committee.
“There’s probably no other meeting in the world where you can get not only scientists, regulators, industry professionals, and trade association representatives all in the same room and be fairly cordial to each other and discuss things in a respectful manner, but also just cut to the chase and answer some pertinent questions that are usually on everybody’s list.”
The topics for this year include:
- Cultivation, Collection and Post-Harvest Practices to Assure Production of Quality Raw Botanical Materials
- Authentication, Identification and Purity Assessments of Botanical Raw Materials, Ingredients, and Products
- General and Specific Approaches Toward Establishing the Safety, Efficacy, and Quality of Botanicals with Modern Technologies
- International Regulatory Approaches for Safety Assessments and Adverse Event Reporting (AER) for Botanical Products
FDA
The conference is supported by a cooperative agreement between NCNPR and CFSAN at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This means that the FDA presence at the event is significant, providing an opportunity not found at other events.
“You get a chance to bend these people’s ears,” said Dr Gurley. “It’s a rare opportunity. The venue is such that it’s so engaging and welcoming, and most people are willing to talk, even if the topic may be somewhat controversial, they’re more at ease.”
The event is hosted in Oxford, Mississippi, and the “hospitality is always top notch,” added Dr Gurley. “The organizers of the conference go above and beyond the call of duty when it comes to making sure everyone is taken care of. Once you have an opportunity to experience the ICSB, you’ll come back.”
For more information and to register, please click HERE.