A. Historically, automobile and consumer-goods companies have been noticeably quiet on these protection issues.

Mr. Moses said the sanctions had had little impact on many consumer-goods companies that do not have large sales to publicly run institutions like schools and hospitals.

Mr. Verity is being accompanied on his trip by 25 business executives, most representing consumer-goods companies, who are attempting to bring their products to the Japanese.

Mr. Bailey also expects to pick up advertising from high-priced consumer-goods companies outside the fashion business.

A network, the National Four-Color Newspaper Network, exists that allows consumer-goods companies to distribute samples in 28 million newspapers at once.

"Eight out of 10 of our upper-echelon executives take melatonin along on trips," said the chief executive of a consumer-goods company when asked whether his troops used the pill.

On a wintry afternoon at this year's conference, the chief executive of a major American consumer-goods company confided that he drives only A8's at home.

He wanted to take Campbell to "a new level," he said, "vaulting our company into the ranks of the world's renowned consumer-goods companies."

"Retailers already have enough clout to make their views prevail," said Mr. Gossens of Braun, echoing a widespread fear among consumer-goods companies.

After some initial stumbles, the world's largest drug and consumer-goods companies are back with plans to introduce a growing number of these products, known as functional foods.