Recent Regulation of Nutritional Therapy

In 2001 two of the seven associations representing Nutrition Therapists joined together to form a new organisation called the Nutritional Therapy Council. In 2005 this new organisation removed professional association governance. Whilst participating in the failed Federal Working Group project the organisation declared itself to be the voluntary self-regulator of the Nutritional Therapy profession. In reality they enjoyed the support of only a small yet vocal section of the profession.

The self-styled regulator was simply ignored by most practitioners, whilst some struggled to engage with an increasingly cumbersome and expensive registration process. With the majority of schools and therapists outside the NTC the group posed little threat to the professional reputations and livelihoods of most Nutritional Therapists. In October 2008 this changed.

NTC approached the Health Professions Council with a view to instigating Statutory Regulation for Practitioners of Nutritional Therapy. A successful application will render as a criminal act the practice of Nutritional Therapy by anyone not meeting the criteria as determine by NTC.

Various professional organisations and registers, including the FNTP are now working together to explore a more appropriate option for the regulation of Nutritional Therapy in the UK .