JULY 30, 2026
Complimentary four-session program will examine current and emerging evidence on choline, lutein and zeaxanthin, nicotinamide riboside, and omega-3 fatty acids, including a hybrid session held alongside CCNFSDU45 in Nuremberg, Germany.
WASHINGTON—The Council for Responsible Nutrition-International (CRN-I), the international arm of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), announced its 2026 symposium series, “Next-Generation Nutrients: Advancing Nutrition Science Throughout the Lifespan.” The four-part program, comprising three virtual sessions and one hybrid session, will examine current and evolving science concerning the roles of selected nutrients in health, resilience, and function across the lifespan. Participation in all four sessions is available at no charge.
CRN-I’s 2026 symposium series includes presentations from internationally recognized experts on the following nutrients:
- Choline, presented in a hybrid format, with in-person and online participation, alongside the 45th Session of the Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Uses (CCNFSDU45) on 5 November in Nuremberg, Germany, with Rima Obeid, Ph.D., M.P.H., Professor in the Department of Clinical Chemistry at Saarland University Hospital, and Emma Derbyshire, Ph.D., Founder and CEO of Nutritional Insight Ltd.
- Lutein and zeaxanthin, presented virtually on 17 November, with Naiman A. Khan, Ph.D., R.D., Professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Elizabeth J. Johnson, Ph.D., FASN, FACN, FICS, Scientist at the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, and Lisa M. Renzi-Hammond, Ph.D., Leonard W. Poon Professor for Innovation in Public Health and Aging and Director of the Institute of Gerontology at the University of Georgia.
- Nicotinamide riboside, presented virtually on 15 September, with Charles Brenner, Ph.D., Professor of Metabolic Regulation at the University of Helsinki, and Mary M. McDermott, M.D., Jeremiah Stamler Professor and Professor of Medicine and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
- Omega-3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA), presented virtually on 20 October, with Danielle Christifano, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Dietetics and Nutrition at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and Philip C. Calder, Ph.D., Professor of Nutritional Immunology at the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.
Nutrition science continues to evolve. While deficiency prevention remains fundamental to public health, research increasingly explores how specific nutrients may support physiological resilience, healthspan, cognitive and visual function, cellular metabolism, and functional capacity throughout the lifespan.
"The CRN-I 2026 Symposium Series brings together leading experts to assess current evidence on key nutrients and examine their significance for nutrition policy and public health," said Luke Huber, N.D., M.P.H., vice president, scientific and global affairs, CRN. "The sessions will distinguish established findings from emerging evidence, identify remaining research questions, and explore how the current science may inform public health and nutrition policy worldwide."
The series is designed for government regulators, academic researchers, healthcare professionals, and nutrition policy leaders, while also offering scientific insights for nutrition industry professionals. All virtual sessions will be held live online, with the 5 November choline symposium offered online to all registrants and in person to Codex delegates attending the CCNFSDU45 meeting in Nuremberg, Germany.
For more than fifteen years, CRN-I has convened scientific symposia for international regulatory, research, and public health audiences. Reports from previous symposia have been published in peer-reviewed journals, including the European Journal of Nutrition and Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology.
CRN-I plans to develop a proceedings publication following the 2026 symposium series, summarizing key themes and scientific discussions from all four sessions, continuing the organization's longstanding contribution to the international nutrition science literature.
Participation is complimentary, and registration information and additional program details are available at the CRN-I symposium website: www.crn-i.org.
About CRN-International
CRN-International (CRN-I) is the international program of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association representing the dietary supplement and functional food industry in the United States. CRN-I works to advance science-based nutrition policy by providing regulators, healthcare professionals, researchers, and other stakeholders worldwide with scientific information on the safety and benefits of dietary ingredients and dietary supplements.