EAS Consulting Group has hired Maged Sharaf, Ph.D. as senior director, labeling, cannabis and claims consulting services. He will be responsible for managing and providing label review and claims substantiation consulting services for conventional foods, animal foods, dietary supplements and cosmetics. In addition, he will oversee client projects related to product detentions, NDI submissions and cannabis.

Dr. Sharaf has a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Pittsburgh. He is a well-regarded expert in 21 CFR 111 and 21 CFR 117, facilitates food and dietary supplement label compliance reviews, develops marketing materials for FDA and FTC compliance including claims substantiation and conducts 21 CFR 111 audits, dietary ingredient and product reviews, specifications development, and training services. He is an expert in botanical sciences and regulations, including cannabis.

An EAS consultant for a number of years, Dr. Sharaf also serves as a volunteer expert with the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) in the areas of nomenclature and labeling of official articles in different USP compendia, consolidation and development of safety-focused labeling standards for class and individual monographs and the creation and revision of general chapters to define nomenclature, labeling, and safety-related standards. At the USP, he chairs the Dietary Supplements and Herbal Medicines Nomenclature Joint Subcommittee and is a member of the Nomenclature and Labeling Expert Committee. He also volunteers in as a scientific advisor for the American Herbal Pharmacopeia, reviewer for the American Botanical Council, chair of the international HPTLC Association’s Method Review Committee and its North America chapter, and member of the Specialty Committee of Traditional Chinese Medicines–Pharmaceutical Analysis, World Federation of Chinese Medicine Societies.

Prior to consulting, Dr. Sharaf was the Director of Scientific Business Development at CAMAG Scientific where he developed high-performance thin-layer chromatography applications. He was also the Chief Science Officer for the American Herbal Products Association where was the primary resource for all scientific undertakings of the Association. He was the USP Director of Foods, Dietary Supplements, and Herbal Medicines where he developed USP-NF standards, conceived the Herbal Medicines Compendium, and co-developed the Dietary Supplements Compendium.

He is the author of numerous peer reviewed studies and articles and has conducted scientific presentations and training all over the world.

“We are so pleased to welcome Dr. Sharaf from independent consultant to this new management position. He has been instrumental in assisting EAS clients with very technical and complex regulatory challenges. His knowledge and background make him an asset for all of us,” says Dean Cirotta, President of EAS Consulting Group and Executive Director of Regulatory Affairs for the Certified Group of companies.