June 18, 2010

Conference Considers Options for US Federal Regulation of Probiotics. On June 14, 2010, The University of Maryland School of Law hosted the first of a series of multidisciplinary meetings being held as part of a Human Microbiome Project ELSI (Ethical, Legal, Social Implications) grant to study federal regulation of probiotics. The project is headed by Diane E. Hoffmann, MS, JD, Associate Dean for Academic Programs and Director, Law and Health Care Program, University of Maryland School of Law. Participants in the conference included members of academia and the scientific research, business, legal and federal regulatory communities, and included two ISAPP board members, Gregor Reid and Mary Ellen Sanders . This initial meeting focused on identifying key regulatory issues and achieving a broad-based understanding of the science relating to probiotics and the current federal regulatory framework for probiotics. Subsequent sessions will focus on attempting to find answers to these questions. The next meeting is being planned for January 2011. June 14 meeting agenda.