Nutraceuticals International articles from August 2005

Nutraceuticals International archives from August 2005

UK fiasco over European nutritional supplement derogations.
August 1, 2005... On July 12, the long-running saga of the European Union's Food Supplements Directive took two very surprising twists. The first was that the European Court of Justrice went against its Advocate General's opinion and declared the whole...

Insufficient evidence for herbals in AIDS: study.(Acquired immune deficiency syndrome)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... There is insufficient evidence to support the use of herbal medicines in treating HIV/AIDS, a Norwegian study published by The Cochrane Library has concluded. Researchers at the University of Tromso's National Research Center in...

EFSA probes aspartame carcinogenicity fears.(European Food Safety Authority)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The European Commission has asked the European Food Safety Authority to urgently assess a new study from Italy, the first results of which indicate that aspartame, when administered for their entire life span, is linked to an increase in...

Multivits 'fail to prevent infections in elderly".(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Multivitamin and mineral supplements do not appear to prevent infections in older people living at home, according to the results of a study published in the British Medical Journal, August 6 issue. At least 10% of older people have a...

Euro Commission plans "would undermine independence of EFSA".(European Food Safety Authority)
August 1, 2005... Stuart Slorach, chairman of the European Food Safety Authority's Management Board, has condemned a proposal by the European Commission for the re-appointment of executive directors of European Union agencies, claiming that this will compromise...

Cornell Univ, USA, breast cancer educator warns women against herbal supps.
August 1, 2005... In the USA, women who take soy or herbal supplements, such as black cohosh, red clover and ginseng, have been warned to do so with care by a Cornell University expert affiliated with the Program on Breast Cancer and Environmental Risk Factors...

UK's FSA consults on nutrition profiling.(Food Standards Agency)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The UK's Food Standards Agency, on July 27, launched a consultation seeking views on its proposed nutrient profiling model. This has been developed by the Agency to help support the independent UK communications regulator, Ofcom, in its work...

UK FSA recieves 500 food supp dossiers.(Food Standards Agency)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Under the requirements of the European Union Food Supplements Directive 2002/46/EC, the UK Food Standards Agency says it has received more than 500 dossiers from the supplements industry providing information on vitamins and minerals to enable...

Nutrition 21 products get EU derogation.(European Union)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Nutrition 21, a US developer and marketer of chromium-based nutritional supplements, says that it has received "derogation" (approval for continued sale) in more than 17 member states within the European Union for Chromax chromium picolinate...

New food supps legislation in Bulgaria.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Under Ordinance No 47, the sale of food supplements in pharmacies in Bulgaria has been banned effective August 1 this year, according to the Bulgarian Economic Review. Pharmacies may sell existing stocks of supplements until the end of this...

Uzbek flour fortified.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... 48 flour mills in Uzbekistan were scheduled to start fortifying their produce with iron and folic acid by July 29, stated UzReport. They will produce 1.9 million tonnes of fortified flour each year to help combat vitamin deficiency.

US food stamp/supp legislation returns.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... US Senators Tom Harkin (Democrat) and Orrin Hatch (Republican) have re- introduced their Food Stamp Vitamin and Mineral Improvement Act of 2005, which seeks to provide low-income households with the opportunity to use their food stamps to...

Regulate herbals, say US ophthalmologists.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... An editorial published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology in August suggests that herbal and nutritional supplements should be studied and regulated in the same way as prescription medications. Currently, no official standards exist...

Two soy isoflavone menopause supplements fail ConsumerLab/com testing.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... ConsumerLab.com of the USA has reported recently on the quality of dietary supplements used to treat symptoms of menopause, particularly hot flashes. The company has tested a total of 38 products containing soy isoflavones, red clover...

USA's CRN issues white paper on omega-3 fatty acids and heart health.(Council for Responsible Nutrition)
August 1, 2005... The US Council for Responsible Nutrition's Omega-3 Working Group (O3WG) has recently released a white paper highlighting the importance of consuming omega-3 fatty acids, especially EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), for...

"Positive environment" for omega-3s claims.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... There is now a positive regulatory environment and increasing consumer awareness of the need for omega-3, delegates at a press conference convened by Ocean Nutrition Canada, a maker of such products, have been told. The convergence of these...

US study finds high vit E intake from supps.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... 11.3% of US adults consume at least 400 IU of vitamin E per day, although this level of intake has no clear clinical benefit, says a study in the Annals of Internal Medicine, July 19, issue. Vitamin E supplements at this level of intake may...

US FTC action against Xenadrine EFX sellers.(Federal Trade Commission)
August 1, 2005... The US Federal Trade Commission has filed a federal district court complaint charging Robert Chinery Jr, Tracy Chinery and their company, RTC Research & Development, with making misleading claims for the dietary supplement Xenadrine EFX. Its...

Vegetarians and seniors warned over vit B12.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... B12 deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the developing world and possibly in the USA as well, reports the August issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Sometimes, the only symptoms of a B12 deficiency are subtle cognitive...

Canada bans sale of Indian ayurvedics.
August 1, 2005... Health Canada has banned, with immediate effect, the sale of some Indian ayurvedic drugs because it says they contain high levels of metals such as lead and mercury as well as arsenic. These substances pose grave health risks, the Canadian...

Iran's herbal exports.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Iran exported 30,573 tons of herbal medicines worth around $125.0 million in the last Iranian year (March 21, 2004-March 20, 2005), according to the IRNA news agency. Both figures are understood to be higher than in the previous year, but...

NZASA says Splenda ads misleading.(New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority )
August 1, 2005... The New Zealand Advertising Standards Authority has upheld a complaint against US health care major Johnson & Johnson for misleading marketing practices in advertisements for its artificial sweetener Splenda. "This complaint is on the basis...

IADSA agrees support program for Codex views on vitamin and mineral food supps.(International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations)
August 1, 2005... Following more than 10 years' of discussion and deliberation, the Codex Alimentarius Commission, on July 4, finally agreed the Guidelines for Vitamin and Mineral Food Supplements (NI vol 10, no 7). Importantly, these Guidelines create a...

How cancer-preventing foods work; UIC study.(University of Illinois at Chicago)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Unraveling the biochemical mechanism by which functional foods may combat cancer has been the subject of research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, which is published in the July issue of the Proceedings of the National academy of...

Bilberry extracts: new validated HPLC method from Italy's Indena.(high performance liquid chromatography )
August 1, 2005... Milan, Italy-headquartered Indena has developed and validated a high- performance liquid chromatography method that allows the identification and the direct quantification of all bilberry anthocyanins, both in plant material and in extracts....

An overview of Chinese TCM research and market for such products.(Traditional Chinese medicine)
August 1, 2005... In China, researchers at colleges and pharmaceutical companies nationwide have been seeking to identify the effective compounds in the ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine for many years, according to Yang Xiuwei, head of the...

China to boost research on TCMs.(traditional Chinese medicine)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... China has included research into traditional Chinese medicine into the country's basic research program. The Ministry of Science in Beijing has said it will invest 52.0 million renminbi ($6.4 million) in the period to 2006 to support the...

Yerba Mate touts benefits of YM drink.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Paraguay-headquartered Yerba Mate for Life has highlighted the natural health benefits of the consumption of its yerba mate beverage, a tea- like drink originating from South America. According to the firm, research has demonstrated that...

Biotest Labs launches Farenheit ad campaign.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... US dietary supplement group Biotest Laboratories has launched a multi- million-dollar advertising campaign to publicize the market introduction of Farenheit, which the firm says is the first fat-loss product designed to reverse the natural...

GNC to sell HSG's Shugr products.(General Nutrition Centers)(Health Sciences Group )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The USA-based Health Sciences Group says that General Nutrition Centers, the country's largest specialty retailer of dietary supplements, is to start selling its Swiss Diet Shugr products. The group says that Shugr is the first,...

DSM and Lipid Tech in weight-loss alliance.(DSM Food Specialities)(Lipid Technologies Provider AB )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Dutch group DSM Food Specialities and Lipid Technologies Provider AB have entered into an agreement for the joint sale and marketing of a new weight-management ingredient in a product branded as Fabuless by the former and as Olibra by the...

FiberGel expands Z-trim weight-loss line.(FiberGel Technologies)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... FiberGel Technologies, a subsidiary of Circle Group Holdings, has launched its new non-genetically-modified weight-loss products oat Z- trim and soy Z-trim, which add to its existing Z-trim range. The firm claims that Z-trim, for which it holds...

Taisho launches Kampo drugs in Thailand.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Tokyo, Japan-based Taisho Pharmaceutical says it has begun marketing two over-the-counter Kampo medicine-based products, Pabron Cold and the stomach agent Taisho Kampo, in Thailand, reports Japan's Corporate News. According to the firm, the...

Melatonin slows cancer but is little used.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Despite growing evidence that melatonin significantly improves risk, survival and performance status in patients with advanced cancer, it continues to be overlooked as a therapeutic option because it lacks US regulatary approval and requires...

Heart health benefit for women from vit E, demonstrated in largest trial to date.
August 1, 2005... The results of a new study involving nearly 40,000 healthy women - the longest and largest trial ever conducted on vitamin E - have found that this supplement significantly reduced the risk of death from cardiovascular disease - the number one...

Japan's Fuji to meet US astaxanthin demand.(Fuji Health Science)
August 1, 2005... Fuji Health Science, a US subsidiary of Fuji Chemical Industry Co of Toyama, Japan, says that it has successfully completed a New Dietary Ingredient notification to the Food and Drug Administration under the Dietary Supplement Health and...

AOAC approves beta-carotene method.(analytical method for testing beta carotene approved)
August 1, 2005... AOAC International, a US not-for-profit association for the validation of analytical standards, has announced the approval as an AOAC Official First Action for a method for the analysis of dietary supplements for beta-carotene. The method was...

GRAS status for DSM's Teavigo.(Generally Recognized as Safe)(DSM Nutritional Products)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Teavigo (epigallocatechin gallate), a pure and natural green tea extract from DSM Nutritional Products, has achieved Generally Recognized as Safe status in the USA, which the company says will enable it to expand its product development...

Gero Vita debuts Cholester-Watch.(Gero Vita International )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... US firm Gero Vita International has launched Cholester-Watch, a cholesterol support formula with phytosterols as the main ingredient to help reduce the risk of heart disease. The company notes that the US Food and Drug Administration has...

Ayurvedic drugmaker to launch 12 new products.(Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Ayurvedic drug maker Vaidyaratnam Oushadhasala plans to introduce about 12 new products annually, according to company assistant general manager T Unnikrishnan, who told Pharmabiz of India that the group's focus on blending traditional...

Coca Cola launches FullThrottle in Canada.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Coca Cola, the world's largest beverage company has launched FullThrottle, a unique blend of energizing elements including taurine, caffeine, niacin (vitamin B3), B6, and riboflavin (vitamin B2). The drink has no aftertaste and is formulated to...

Unilever launches Flora pro.active mini-drink.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Consumer goods giant Unilever has launched a cholesterol-lowering healthy lifestyle supplement mini-drink in the UK under its Flora pro.active brand. The active ingredient in the drink is AmealPeptide, also known as Lactotripeptide, a...

Oishi to expand range of Thai products.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The Thai division of the Oishi group is to introduce a series of "health snacks and beverages" beginning with longan-based health drinks, according to the chief executive Tan Passakornnatee. Longan is closely related to the lychee and is...

SS Pharmaceutical improves OTC vit B.(over the counter )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Japan's SS Pharmaceutical says that it has improved its over-the-counter formulation of vitamin B, Lolan BB, which it will put on sale from August 10, reports JCNnetwork. The preparation also contains vitmain C and biotin, in addition to B2, B6...

Political outcry over Danone/Pepsi rumors.
August 1, 2005... Rarely has there been such a political and public outcry over rumors of a potential takeover bid as that witnessed during July over suggestions that US firm PepsiCo was planning to make a bid for France's leading yogurt, food and drinks...

YaSheng boosts US beta carotene output.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... China's YaSheng Group, which has a US base in Redwood City, California, says that it is raising its beta carotene output 10% to supply the American market. The firm has registered with the Food and Drug Administration and expects to import the...

EC clears PAI's buy of Chr Hansen business.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Following Chr Hansen Holding A/S of Denmark' deal with France's PAI Partners for the sale of its ingredients business, Chr Hansen (NI vol 10, no 5), the acquisition has received approval from the European Commission, other competition...

Fire Mountain debuts FIVE O2 drinks.(Fire Mountain Beverage Co)(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Fire Mountain Beverage Co, which develops, markets, sells and distributes branded purified and flavored water, says it has launched its new product, FIVE O2 (Flavor-Infused, Vitamin-Enriched with Oxygen). The beverage is scheduled for an...

ONC meeting to stress omega-3 deficiency.(Ocean Nutrition Canada )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Ocean Nutrition Canada recently held a forum to showcase its MEG-3 omega-3 food and dietary supplement ingredients, and to highlight to key industry leaders the convergence of forces bringing the polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic...

Martek launches Oh Mama! bars in USA.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... The USA's Martek Biosciences Corp says that Oh Mama! nutrition bars, which contain Martek DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), an all-natural vegetarian source of DHA added to infant formula, are now available in over 700 Motherhood Maternity stores...

SKK introduces Menilet 70% Jelly.(Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Sanwa Kagaku Kenkyusho has debuted its Menilet 70% Jelly (isosorbide), an oral, osmotic diuretic approved for the treatment of Meniere's disease. The product helps improve labyrinthine hydrops associated with the condition, according to the...

Viatris CB unveils Osteo-life calcium supp.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Viatris Consumer Brands says that its new chewable once-a-day calcium supplement, Osteo-life, is now for sale in the UK. Osteo-life is available in a fresh fruity blackberry flavor and contains 200IU of vitamin D3 to optimize calcium...

Numico ups holding in Sari Husada to 86.3%.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Dutch nutrition company Royal Numico NV has announced that it will increase its majority shareholding in the Indonesian baby food company PT Sari Husada Tbk to 86.3%, effective July 20. A block of shares equivalent to 5% will be acquired at a...

NutraCea in deal with Bi-Coastal Pharma.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... NutraCea has signed an agreement with fellow US firm Bi-Coastal Pharmaceutical, based in Red Bank, New Jersey, to assist it in pursuing an agreement for significant market distribution of the former's patented stabilized rice bran products...

Cargill to restructure UK sweetener making.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Following a strategic review of its sweeteners and starch operations in western Europe, the UK-based unit of the multinational Cargill group says that it is to restructure its Cerestar sweetener production to more effectively meet customer...

Natraceutical studies building Chinese plant.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Spanish functional foods company Natraceutical is considering building a factory in China, as well as acquiring a rival in the USA after 2007, in order to forge ahead with its international expansion plans. "There are no set plans yet," a...

Spain's Puleva Biotech 1st-half profits fall.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Spanish nutraceuticals company Puleva Biotech has reported a 7% decline to 716,000 euros ($866,000) in its first-half 2005 operating profits, hurt by heavy expenses to promote the firm's new GH-28 probiotics line. The Madrid-based firm said net...

Naturex sales grow 10.1% in first half.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Naturex, a French producer of natural ingredients and extracts for the nutraceuticals and food industries, says that sales for the first half of 2005 were 10.1% higher at constant US dollar exchange rates, reaching 19.3 million euros ($23.3...

Lithuania's Aconitum expands in Europe.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Aconitum, which is Lithuania's only producer of food supplements and homeopathic medicines, is planing to start selling its products in France, the UK, Latvia, Belarus, Slovenia and Poland in the near future, according to the Baltic Business...

Chupa Chups to build new plant in Spain.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Spain's quintessential lollipop maker Chupa Chups, which includes functional and sugar-free ingredients in its products, will invest 25.0 million euros ($30.2 million) to build a new candy factory in San Esteve de Sesrovires, near Barcelona,...

Plussz sale to Maspex?(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Imre Somody, owner of Hungarian vitamins producer Plussz, is reported to have sold his 85% stake in the firm to Maspex, a Polish food manufacturer, according to the Interfax new agency. Maspex has owned a 15% stake in Plussz since 2003 and, if...

Thailand to be Taisho's hub for Southeast Asia.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Thailand is to become the operational hub for Japan's Taisho Pharmaceutical to develop and launch new products in Southeast Asia, according to its president, Akira Uehara, during his recent visit to the country. He said that the decision was...

Chinese JV for Kogame, Itochu and Tingyi.(joint venture )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... A Chinese joint venture between Japanese company Kagome, trading house Itochu and Tingyi, a major local food producer, has been established to manufacture and sell vegetable health drinks beginning in spring next year. This new company...

PepsiCo to launch Gatorade in China.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... PepsiCo Investment (China) has pledged to enhance its business presence in the Chongqing municipality of China by launching its sports beverage Gatorade, according to the firm's president, Zhu Huaxu. He added in an interview with NI's local...

Fonterra plans more buys in Australian.
August 1, 2005... New Zealand dairy group Fonterra Cooperative says it aims to make further acquisitions in Australia, which now generates around 10% of its income. Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, the firm's chief executive, Andrew Ferrier, said that the...

Law suit against Pan Pharma's ex-CEO.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... In Australia, an A$300.0 million ($229.6 million) damages suit against former Pan Pharmaceuticals chief executive Jim Selim will proceed after a formal mediation session failed, lawyers for both sides have told Federal Court Justice Peter Hely....

Acquisitions by Wimm-Bill-Dann.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Moscow, Russia, headquartered Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC has purchsed a 100% stake in the Experimental Baby Food Plant in the Kursk region of the country. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition was made as part of...

Solbar strengthens position in N America.(Solbar Industries )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... US soy proteins firm Solbar Industries has announced a new market cooperation deal with Ingredients Inc of Chicago. In addition to the former's long-standing distribution channels in the USA and Canada, the company expects Ingredients Inc to...

Reliv Int expands operations in continental Europe, setting-up German operation.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Reliv International, a USA-based international manufacturer and network marketer of nutritional supplements and other products, has announced the opening of its network marketing operations in Germany. This marks the company's first foray into...

PhytoMedical raises $10 million.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Canada's PhytoMedical Technologies, which specializes in the development of plant-derived nutraceuticals, says it has entered into an agreement to raise up to $10.0 million in equity financing from Fusion Capital Fund II, a Chicago, USA-based...

Write-off at Vitamin World hurts NBTY.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... US nutritional supplements giant NBTY says that for the fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2005, sales rose 9.7% to $439.0 million, but net income fell a whopping 38% compared to the like, year-period to $16.0 million, or $0.23 per share. ...

Galaxy plans return to profitability soon.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Galaxy Nutritional Foods, a US firm which produces plant-based dairy alternatives, has posted its full-year figures for the year ended March 31, 2005, which show that net sales increased 23% to $44.5 million. However, operating loss...

Pharmanex drives growth at Nu Skin.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Nu Skin Enterprises says that, for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005, revenues rose 9% to $310.1 million, while net income was up 12.3% on the like, year-earlier period to $22.8 million, or $0.32 per share (plus14%). For the six months,...

Strong earnings growth at USANA.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... USANA Health Sciences, a Salt Lake City, USA-based firm which specializes in nutritional and weight-management products, says that sales reached $82.0 million for the fiscal second-quarter ended July 2, an increase of 22% compared with the...

Mannatech expands Europe operations.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Mannatech, a USA-based international developer of nutritional supplements, as well as topical and weight management products, has announced plans to expand its business in Europe. The Texas-based company says that its UK operation has begun...

ADM signs major soy deal with Acatris.(Archer Daniels Midland )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Archer Daniels Midland has signed a licensing deal with Acatris, a division of the Dutch Royal Schouten Group, which will involve the sale and marketing of soy germ-based isoflavones. ADM acquired the global soy isoflavone business of...

Vital Living signs deal with SkyePharma.(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... Vital Living, the US nutraceutical firm best-known for selling nutritional supplements, has signed an exclusive licensing deal with UK drugmaker SkyePharma whereby the former will develop three pharmaceuticals. The products will be for the...

Forthcoming meetings/events.(Calendar)
August 1, 2005... Food ingredients Europe and Food Safety & Hygiene will take place November 29-December 1, 2005 at the Parc d'Expositions in Paris, France. Registration before October 3 will provide applicants with free access and brochures to both Fi and FSH....

People on the move.(Danisco A/S appoints Tom Knutzen)(Royal Numico appoints Gerrit Keyaerts)(Sabinsa Corp. appoints Hame Persaud )(Brief Article)
August 1, 2005... - Danish food ingredients firm Danisco A/S has elected as its next chief executive Tom Knutzen, currently with the NKT Group. He will join the firm's executive board on February 1, 2006, and take over as CEO on August 31, 2006, on the...