Canada's Natural Health Firms Unaware of Rules

OTTAWA - Mar 29/04 - SNS -- Canada's natural health industry is surprisingly unaware of rules and regulations governing the products they import and sell, according to the latest Statistics Canada survey of the sector.

Only 84% of companies surveyed involved in the manufacturing or importing of natural health products were aware of the new Natural Health Product Regulations that came into effect on January 1, 2004.

The Natural Health Products Survey, conducted on behalf of Health Canada, surveyed 931 firms, of which 328 were involved in the manufacturing or importing of natural health products for sale in Canada.

Of the 328 companies, 54% were involved in manufacturing raw materials to be used as inputs into natural health products; 72% manufactured or contracted out the manufacturing of finished products; and 40% directly imported natural health products.

Plant, plant material, alga, bacterium, fungus or non-human material ingredients and extracts or isolates of these ingredients accounted for more than two-thirds of all single active-ingredient natural health products manufactured and imported for sale in Canada, followed by vitamins and minerals.

Products with a combination of active ingredients accounted for 17,685 natural health products manufactured and 4,190 products imported for sale in Canada.

Of companies aware of the new Natural Health Product Regulations, 74% planned to submit natural health product licence applications for their products, 17% were unsure at the time of the survey and 9% had no plans to submit applications.

According to information supplied by the companies surveyed, 14,897 natural health product license applications are expected to be submitted prior to December 31, 2004. Another 21,343 are expected after 2004.

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