Nutraceuticals International articles from January 2003

Nutraceuticals International archives from January 2003

Cadbury to buy Pfizer's Adams for $4.2B.(Cadbury Schweppes PLC to acquire Adams Confectionery from Pfizer Inc.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Cadbury Schweppes has emerged as the buyer for Pfizer's Adams confectionery division, which includes the world's second-largest chewing gum business. The UK-based group has agreed to pay $4.2 billion for Adams in a deal which brings in leading...

Boots chairman and CEO depart.(Steve Russell, John McGrath to leave Boots Company PLC)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... In the UK, retail pharmacy chain Boots has started the search for new senior managers after chief executive Steve Russell and chairman John McGrath both announced plans to leave the company. The departures come at a time when Boots has...

Novartis N&S operation in France to double.(Nutrition et Sante to integrate Novartis AG's nutraceuticals, food businesses)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Novartis' Nutrition et Sante business in France is set to double in size through the integration of all the Swiss parent's food and nutraceuticals activities (NI vol 7, no 12). N&S, based at Revel in the Haute-Garonne region, will see its...

Ethypharm, Conba link up for improved TCM.(Ethypharm, Conba Pharmaceutical to develop traditional Chinese medicines)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... French drug delivery specialist Ethypharm has entered into a collaboration with Conba Pharmaceutical of Shanghai, China, for the development of a new generation of traditional Chinese medicines. Ethypharm will apply its oral controlled-release...

NBTY back on acquisition trail with purchase of Netherland's De Tuinen.
January 1, 2003... NBTY, a leading US manufacturer and marketer of nutritional supplements, has signed a letter of intent to purchase the De Tuinen chain of health food stores in the Netherlands for some 16.5 million euros ($16.6 million). The Dutch chain, which...

RiceX makes first foray into Europe.(RiceX Co. signs distribution agreement with Kreglinger)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The RiceX Company, a US firm specializing in the manufacturing of rice bran-based functional food ingredients, has entered into a distribution agreement with Belgian trading and transportation firm Kreglinger which marks its entry into the...

NZ consortium making progress on milk research.(LactoPharma Research Consortium receives government funding for milk research)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... LactoPharma Research Consortium, which has recently been awarded up to NZ$44 million ($23 million) in grants by the New Zealand government, has reported progress in its research into the biomedical benefits of milk, reports NI's local...

Cognis nine-month 2002 sales up 1%.(financial data for chemical company Cognis)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Cognis of Germany reported in early December that its sales in the first nine months of 2002 were 2.41 billion euros ($2.53 billion), representing a rise of just 1% over the same period last year. Earnings before income tax, depreciation and...

Ireland's Glanbia sets up nutrition unit.(Glanbia Nutritionals)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Irish food company Glanbia has set up a new business unit to integrate the group's international nutrition business under one management structure. The new organization will be known as Glanbia Nutritionals and will develop Glanbia's...

Loders Croklaan sale.(Unilever Group sells edible oils business to IOI Corporation Bhd.)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Unilever has completed the sale of its Netherlands-based edible oils business Loders Croklaan, best known in the nutraceutical industry for its conjugated linoleic acid products, to Malaysia's IOI Corp Berhad. The sale is part of Unilever's...

Elite buys Pharma-Green.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Israeli food manufacturer Elite Industries has acquired Pharma-Green, which imports and markets health and functional foods, for $4.6 million. Pharma-Green developed the Energy brand, which encompasses a variety of products, including cereal...

Vitamin Shoppe sold in $300M deal.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The merchant banking unit of USA-based Bear Stearns has acquired Vitamin Shoppe Industries from FdG Associates, a group of privately- held equity firms, for an estimated $300 million. Vitamin Shoppe, a supplier and direct marketer of...

Arkopharma boosts capacity, new plant.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... France-based Arkopharm, Europe's leading producer of phytotherapeutic (plant based) products and the creator of Phytobronz, an antioxidant used to protect skin against sun damage, says it is set to introduce an expansion program intended to...

Mark ahead in plan to reorganize firm.(Mark Nutritionals)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... USA-headquatered Mark Nutritionals, whose brands include the Body Solutions range of weight loss products, says that it is taking large strides towards restructuring itself under its Chapter 11 Reorganization program. Mark said that recent...

Nu Skin to open 100 outlets in China.
January 1, 2003... The USA's Nu Skin Enterprises says that it will commence the opening of over 100 retail outlets across mainland-China commencing January 8. The moves marks NSE's entry into the Chinese market and the company has spent some $80 million over...

Solid results posted at Nutra International.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Nutraceutical International Corp of the USA has reported that net sales for the fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30, 2002, reached $29.3 million, a rise of 19.1% compared with the like, year-earlier period, while net income was up 47.4%...

USANA Health pushes up EPS guidance.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... USANA Health Sciences of the USA, which specializes in nutritional and weight-management products, says that it expects earnings per share for the fourth quarter ending December 28, 2002, to exceed the company's earlier guidance of...

Revenues start rolling in for NCLI.(Nutraceutical Clinical Laboratories)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The USA's Nutraceutical Clinical Laboratories International, which manufactures preservatives and nutraceutical products, has reported revenues of $1.2 million and $3.8 million, respectively, for the third quarter and nine months ended...

Encouraging first half for Weider.(Weider Nutritional International profits)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Salt Lake City, USA-based Weider Nutrition International says that net sales for the fiscal 2003 second quarter ended November 30, 2002, decreased 15.7% to $64.2 million, while net income was $2.3 million, or $0.09 per share, compared to a net...

DuPont and Bunge set up new soy JV.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... DuPont and fellow US group Bunge, the world's top oilseed processor, have announced plans to form a joint venture, to be called Solae LLC, which "will provide a broad offering of soy-ingredient products." Bunge will receive a 28% interest in...

US FTC sues over "false" weight loss claims.(suit against Mark Nutritionals)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The US Federal Trade Commission has filed suit against Mark Nutritionals, based in San Antonio, Texas, alleging "false and unsubstantiated" claims made for its Body Solutions Evening Weight Loss Formula (Evening Formula). The FTC says the...

US food industry slams FDA plan for "lowest-possible" trans fat label warning.
January 1, 2003... US food industry groups have strongly condemned proposals by the Food and Drug Administration to require the addition of a footnote statement to all nutritional labels containing trans fat information which would warn consumers that "intake of...

Zila's losses increase in 1st-qtr fiscal 2003.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Nasdaq-listed Zila has reported a 72% increase in net loss for the first quarter of fiscal 2003, ended October 31, 2002, despite almost doubling its revenues. Net loss was $1.6 million compared with $927,000, while revenues totaled $20.7...

Nutra Corp profits up at 4th-qtr and year end.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The USA's Nutraceutical International Corp has reported a strong set of results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal-year ended September 30, 2002, on the back of an improved performance from its US and international branded business and a...

Bauer to purchase 33% stake in F3 Fitness.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... USA-based The Bauer Partnership says it has acquired a 33.3% stake in F3 Fitness, the owner of the Fat to Fit nutritional supplement. The Fat to Fit product range is expected to hit the market "in the upcoming weeks" said Bauer, and is...

HSG set to acquire Quality Botanicals.(Health Sciences Group, Quality Botanical Ingredients)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Los Angeles, USA-based Health Sciences Group says that it has signed an agreement to acquire Quality Botanical Ingredients, a purchaser and manufacturer of bulk botanical and nutritional materials for the nutraceutical, pharmaceutical and...

New FDA Commissioner grasps the nettle on health claims.(Food and Drug Administration launches initiatives for food, dietary supplements)
January 1, 2003... The new Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration, Mark McClellan, has moved swiftly to widen the scope for health claims on food products in the American market. At the same time, he is promising "aggressive, comprehensive...

US Pharmacopeia certification for supplements goes public.(dietary supplement packs begin to carry mark of US Pharmacopeia's Dietary Supplement Verification Program)
January 1, 2003... The certification scheme for dietary supplements introduced two years ago by the US Pharmacopeia is now providing reassurance direct to the US public. The first packs bearing the mark of USP's Dietary Supplement Verification Program are...

NEJM slams US dietary supplement industry.(New England Journal of Medicine)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Three articles published in the New England Journal of Medicine (December 19) have delivered a stinging rebuke to the US dietary supplement industry, leveling the accusations that the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 has...

USA consuming twice folic acid target.(results of Food and Drug Administration's fortification program )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Consumers in the USA are taking in more than twice the levels of folic acid originally intended under the fortification program initiated in January 1998 by the country's Food and Drug Administration, according to a report published in the...

SoBe recalls drinks laced with OTC drug.(South Beach Beverage Co. recalls drinks contaiminated with over-the-counter drug)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... South Beach Beverage (SoBe), a division of PepsiCo, has voluntarily recalled as many as 5,700 cases of SoBe Green Tea and 1,500 cases of SoBe Energy in 20-ounce glass bottles after they were found to be contaminated with dextromethorphan, a...

CRN warns on UL, RDA pitfalls.(Council for Responsible Nutrition)
January 1, 2003... Dietary experts in the US should be aware of the numerous pitfalls and variables involved in setting upper levels or recommended dietary allowances for nutrients, warns US industry group the Council for Responsible Nutrition. John...

Energy drinks market in Thailand to grow 17%-20% this year.
January 1, 2003... With more companies entering the energy drink market and heavy advertising and promotion by new brands in Thailand, sales are expected to grow 17%-20% this year, according to Sathit Sathirasrindh, marketing manager of Red Bull Beverage,...

Australia's TGA investigates Blackmores claims.(Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration investigates Blackmores' claims about its vitamin products)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Claims by health products company Blackmores that vitamins prevent cancer, stroke and cardiovascular disease are being investigated by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration for a possible breach of advertising regulations. In...

Israel first to fortify wheat with vit B12.(Israel to add vitamin B12 to wheat)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Israel's Health Ministry has announced that, in future, wheat will be fortified with vitamin B12, making it the first country to do so, according to the Associated Press. Ministry official Dorit Nitzan- Klosky noted that only 60% of Israeli...

FDA allows oral health claim for D-tagatose.(Food and Drug Administration approves Spherix Inc.'s claims for low-calorie sweetener)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The US Food and Drug Administration has allowed Spherix, which makes the sugar D-tagatose, to state that its full-bulk, low-calorie sweetener does not cause tooth decay and may reduce the risk of caries. It has amended regulation 21CFR...

Metabolife 365 "did not cause stroke," says jury.(Metabolife International's ephedra diet product cleared of causing stroke)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A California jury ruled in December 2002 that the ephedra diet product Metabolife 365 did not cause a stroke which paralyzed a man in August 1998, and that the manufacturer, San Diego-based Metabolife International, did not fail to warn the...

EAS in contempt over BetaLean, court rules.(EAS Inc. guilty of issuing false advertisements for BetaLean HP )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... EAS, a Colorado, USA-based supplement manufacturer, has violated the terms of a preliminary injunction which had preventing it from disseminating false and misleading advertisements for its weight loss product BetaLean HP, the US District...

"Alarming" ignorance of VMS labels, regs: US poll.(vitamins, minerals and food supplements)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Most US consumers are misinformed about the extent of government regulation of vitamins, minerals and food supplements, a nationwide survey conducted by Harris Interactive for the International Longevity Center has found. The poll found...

Researchers crack rice genome.(international team of scientists sequences rice genome)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... An international team of scientists has completed the sequencing of the rice genome, considered a pivotal step on the road to developing new strains of the plant with improved nutritional and health properties. In an echo of the human genome...

New Indian policy gives priority status to Ayurveda.(India issues new policy supporting traditional medicine)
January 1, 2003... A new National Policy on Indian Systems of Medicine and Homeopathy - 2002, the first in the country, has pledged to undo the neglect to which this traditional medicine has been subjected for over a half- century by declaring it a priority and...

Echinacea remedies warning in Sweden.(Swedish medical products agency Lakemedelsverket issues warnings about products containing Echinacea)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Natural remedies containing Echinacea, commonly used to prevent and treat colds, are the subject of warnings by the Swedish medical products agency, Lakemedelsverket, which has issued a statement that nutraceutical products with the flower as...

Euro organic acid market.(forecasts for global isoascorbic acid, ascorbic acid, citric acid market)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The global market for isoascorbic acid, ascorbic acid and citric acid is expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2007, according to Business Communications Company. $1.08 billion of this will be accounted for by food applications, and drug and...

Campaign against supplements directive list "counter-productive".(Drain Cleaner and Quicklime Poisons Approved for Food Supplements as Safe Vitamins are Banned)
January 1, 2003... In early-December last year, the Consumers for Health Choice issued a press release in the UK with the title Drain Cleaner and Quicklime Poisons Approved for Food Supplements as Safe Vitamins are Banned. Accompanying this press release was...

UK follows through with kava kava ban.(Medicines Control Agency bans use of kava kava)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The UK Medicines Control Agency has implemented a ban on kava kava, effective January 13, in the wake of numerous cases of liver toxicity linked to the herb. The outright ban follows the voluntary withdrawal of all stocks of kava...

Functional foods are a growing and innovative industry in France.
January 1, 2003... In France, the birth place of Escoffier and generally recognized as the world's leading gastronomical country, "food is becoming functional," according to a study released by the French Technology Press Bureau. French manufacturers are...

Japan's Kao introduces Healthy Econa Mayonnaise, adding to brand range.(Kao Corp.)
January 1, 2003... Kao Corp has found a "magic formula," at least for sales promotion in the health food market, and has entered the Japanese virtually- monopolized mayonnaise market with its Healthy Econa Mayonnaise, the latest of its Econa products. In an...

ADM launches DAG cooking oil in USA.(ADM Kao L.L.C. launches diacylglycerol-based cooking oil)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... US agricultural conglomerate Archer Daniels Midland has reported that ADM Kao, its joint venture with Japan's Kao Corp (see story alongside) has launched a diacylglycerol-based cooking oil, Enova, in the USA. The company expects annual...

Forbes tackles high cholesterol with functional Belgian truffle chocolates.(Forbes Medi-Tech Inc.'s phytosterol products, financial data)
January 1, 2003... A chocolate bar containing Forbes Medi-Tech of Canada's Reducol brand of phytosterols/phytostanols has been shown to have a significant cholesterol-lowering effect in a clinical trial reported in the British Journal of Nutrition (November...

Bayer extends One-A-Day brand in USA.(Bayer AG introduces One-A-Day Weight Smart multivitamins)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Bayer of Germany has introduced a new product in its One-A-Day multivitamin range in the USA which is aimed at people trying to lose weight. One-A-Day Weight Smart contains higher levels of calcium and B vitamins than the regular brand and also...

Reliv rolls out joint support line in Mexico.(Reliv International launches Arthaffect nutritional supplement)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Network marketer Reliv International has introduced its Arthaffect nutritional supplement in Mexico that provides what it describes as an "effective alternative for supporting healthy joint function." Arthaffect was first introduced in the USA...

Wassen unveils new immunity booster.(Wassen International )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... UK-based dietary supplement firm Wassen International has introduced a new immune-boosting product, NutriScience, which combines a broad range of ingredients in a once-daily tablet format. The product contains antioxidant vitamins A, C and E...

RLHH unveils its first retail product range.(Royal London Homeopathic Hospital International)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Royal London Homeopathic Hospital International, the commercial arm of the UK's RLHH, has launched its first range of natural remedies for sale through mass retail channels. The product line includes herbal therapies nutritional supplements...

Ozmoziz enters cosmeceutical fray.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... US skincare company Ozmoziz, best known for its Dark Carrot Oil sunblock range, has launched a new cosmeceutical product, OzRDA, which combines dermatological preparations with nutritional supplements. The range will be promoted through...

AkPharma's Prelief helps in incontinence.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Prelief, a calcium glycerophosphate-based dietary supplement developed and sold by US company AkPharma, has been shown to provide relief to patients suffering overactive bladder in a 58-patient clinical trial. The three-week study randomized...

DMV peptide lowers blood pressure.(DMV International's C-12 Peptide clinical trial result)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Dairy ingredients group DMV International has reported the results of a clinical study conducted at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, which, it says, confirm that its C12 Peptide works effectively at a dose of 3.4g/ day to reduce blood...

L-Carnipure enhances vitamin absorption.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Lonza of Switzerland's L-Carnipure brand of L-carnitine has been shown to increase the intestinal absorption of fat-soluble vitamins in postmenopausal women in studies which form the basis of a newly-issued US patent (No 6,476,010). The...

Nutrition 21's Zeramax works in depression.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The USA's Nutrition 21 has completed a pilot clinical trial which, it claims, provides initial evidence that its Zeramax brand of chromium picolinate can have benefits in individuals suffering from depression. The results of the 15-patient...

Echinacea has no effect on common cold symptoms, says college student study.
January 1, 2003... Echinacea, a commonly-used herbal remedy for cold symptoms, has proved ineffective in a clinical trial involving 148 college students in the USA. The news is a second blow in recent weeks to the reputation of the herb, which has been the...

Herbal COX-2 inhibitor kills cancer cells in vitro.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A herbal supplement based on a number of plants selected for their ability to inhibit the enzyme cyclo-oxygenase-2 has been shown to suppress the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and drive them into programmed cell death in an in vitro...

OleoMed extends product range in USA.(OleoMed America)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... OleoMed, which specializes in supplements formulated on a base of pharmaceutical-grade olive oil, has extended its product range in the USA with the launch of three new supplements, an antioxidant-rich product to combat wrinkles, a sleep aid...

Plant-based iron tops Feosol rival in anemia.(NuCycle Therapy's PhytoIron)
January 1, 2003... An iron supplement developed by US biotechnology company NuCycle Therapy as a treatment for anemia has been shown to have advantages over a rival, existing prescription product. NuCycle's PhytoIron has been found to be as effective in...

Solanova unveils TocoSential vitamin E.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... US firm Solanova, which sells a range of nutritional supplements and health products, has launched TocoSential E, which it describes as "a full-spectrum, 100%-natural source of vitamin E and the most comprehensive blend of vitamin E compounds...

Forthcoming meetings/events.(Calendar)
January 1, 2003... - The Future Food Summit 2003 meeting, organized by Marcus Evans, will be held February 16-18 at Amelia Island in Florida, USA. More details are available at www.futurefoodsummit.com; - The Food and Beverage Xchange's Soyfoods Summit 2003...

People on the move.(multiple appointment briefs)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... - Annette Dickinson has stepped up to become acting president of the US Council for Responsible Nutrition following the departure of former incumbent John Cordaro. Meantime, Byron Johnson has been elected as chairman of the organization,...