Nutraceuticals International articles from June 2007

Nutraceuticals International archives from June 2007

ERNA welcomes scientific and technical guidance from the EFSA.
June 1, 2007... The European Responsible Nutrition Alliance (ERNA) has welcomed the European Food Safety Authority's recently-published scientific and technical guidance for companies preparing health claims dossiers for authorization (NO vol 12, no 5). ...

EAS Claims podcast gives guidance on regulatory changes on health claims.
June 1, 2007... The European Advisory Services (EAS) has laid out key guidance for companies bracing the European Union's Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation in a podcast launched on its web site: www.eas.eu. In a seven-minute interview, entitled...

EFSA executive Koeter explains role of the agency at AESGP meeting.(Herman Koeter, European Food Safety Authority)
June 1, 2007... Under the umbrella heading, Ensuring a proportionate regulatory marketplace for self-care, Herman Koeter, Deputy Executive Director of the European Food Safety Authority gave a comprehensive presentation on the role of the agency in ensuring...

AESGP launches major food supps study.(Association of the European Self-Medication Industry )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... The Association of the European Self-Medication Industry (AESGP) has launched a major new study on the "Regulatory Framework for Food Supplements in Europe" covering the 27 European Union member states as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland...

UK's NICE advises on supplements and fish oil Rxs for heart attack patients.
June 1, 2007... As part of its guidance on post-myocardial infarction treatment, the UK National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE), which advises on products that should be used in the National Health Service, as well as advice on prescription medicines...

Concerns over EU fish oil legislation.
June 1, 2007... The European Federation of Association of Health Product Manufacturers (EHPM) has raised its concerns with the European Commission regarding the impact of the imminent application of new European Union regulation on the certification of fish...

Marine functional food initiative in Ireland.
June 1, 2007... A 5.2 million-euro ($7.0 million) Marine Functional Foods Research Initiative, aimed at establishing Ireland as a leader in the $74.0 billion worldwide market for functional foods has been announced by Noel Dempsey, Minister for Marine...

EU Commission White Paper: proposes efforts to tackle the obesity epidemic.
June 1, 2007... On May 30, the European Commission adopted a White Paper setting out a wide range of proposals on how the European Union can tackle nutrition, overweight and obesity-related health issues, which has been welcomed by food manufacturers and...

US CRN debuts supplements industry-wide public relations lifestyle initiative.
June 1, 2007... The US Council for Responsible Nutrition has announced plans to launch a multi-year, multi-million dollar public relations campaign, under the title "Life...supplemented," that focuses on the 150 million plus Americans who take dietary...

Understanding health claims; FDA report.(Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... A report, titled Experimental Study of Health Claims on Food Packages, which sets out to determine consumers' understanding of health claims - particularly whether they can identify the nutrients for which benefit was claimed, and whether they...

UK's Food Standards Agency recommends mandatory folic acid fortification.
June 1, 2007... The UK Food Standards Agency's Board has unanimously agreed that a form of mandatory fortification of a food with folic acid should be recommended to the country's health ministers (NI vol 12, no 5). This would be as part of a package of...

NPA urges US Supreme Court to clarify standard for diet supplements ban.
June 1, 2007... The USA's Natural Products Association recently filed a "friend of the court" or amicus brief with the Supreme Court that challenges a lower court ruling on the standard used by the Food and Drug Administration to impose a 2004 ban on ephedrine...

Colombian food supp regulation notification.
June 1, 2007... Following the adoption by the Colombian government of a new regulation on dietary supplements last year, the country's government has notified it to the World Trade Organization, reports the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements...

Folic acid fortification should include B12?(vitamin B12 )(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Mandatory vitamin B12 fortification of enriched grain products is long overdue in the USA and Canada says a report in the journal Epidemiology, May edition. Fortification would help provide the 2.4 [mu]g of synthetic vitamin B12 that the US...

Wyeth baby formula recall in Philippines.
June 1, 2007... The Philippines Bureau of Food and Drugs has ordered the recall of millions of cans of US health care major Wyeth's baby formula, which it said may have been contaminated at a warehouse during a powerful typhoon last year, reports the...

Good Manufacturing Practice for Supplements reviewed.
June 1, 2007... 2007 is becoming the year of Good Manufacturing Practice for the dietary supplements industry. In the USA, the Food and Drug Administration is now likely to publish the long-awaited GMP guidelines for supplements after a long delay. In the...

Innovative approach from WHO tackles malnutrition in the community.
June 1, 2007... Innovative approach from UN bodies to tackle malnutrition in the community An innovative approach is showing progress in addressing severe acute malnutrition, which affects an estimated 20 million children under the age of five worldwide....

IADSA urges firms for supplements survery.
June 1, 2007... Dietary supplement companies are being encouraged to take part in a global survey, which is aimed at measuring the world's nutrition market and identifying new trends. Organized by the Nutrition Business Journal with the assistance of the...

India to have new food regulatory body.
June 1, 2007... Speaking at the inauguration of the International Conference on Food Regulations organized by the Confederation of Indian Industries, the Indian Health Minister, Ambumani Ramadoss, announced that a single body to address food regulatory issues...

Thai tax plan suspended.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Following representations from the Thai Health Food and Supplements Association (HFSA) and the IADSA, which explained both benefits of dietary supplements and international tax practices (NI vol 12, no 2), the Excise Tax Department of the...

Changes in Japanese supplements regs.
June 1, 2007... The latest decisions on dietary supplement ingredients by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare have been reported by the International Federation of Dietary/ Food Supplements Associations (IADSA), based on information from the Japanese...

Omega-3 fats lower blood pressure.
June 1, 2007... It is a well-known fact that foods containing omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce the risk for heart disease. But a new study published in the June issue of the on-line medical journal, Hypertension, says a diet rich in foods that contain...

Glanbia's Prolibra aids body composition.
June 1, 2007... A new report by Glanbia Nutritionals confirms that its Prolibra has been clinically proven to have a significant impact on fat loss and muscle mass retention. In the 12-week double-blind, placebo- controlled study, researchers found that adults...

Rosemary extract cuts visceral fat in mice.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... In a preclinical study in mice, conducted by chemical trader Nagase and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, those fed on a diet including a herbal extract of rosemary had less visceral fat - between 20% and 40% lower - and live...

FSANZ mulls changes to food laws, invites public comment.
June 1, 2007... Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) is inviting comment on proposed changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - regulations that apply to all food sold in Australia and New Zealand. Among the changes being contemplated...

Australia Gatorade launch under fire.
June 1, 2007... At the launch of its "world first" sports drink specifically targeting children under 13, Gatorade has drawn fire from Australian nutritionists and dentists, who say sugary and acidic beverages are contributing to childhood obesity and poor...

Red wine reduces prostate cancer risk.
June 1, 2007... Men who drink an average of four to seven glasses of red wine each week are only 52% as likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer as those who do not drink red wine, reports the June 2007 issue of Harvard Men's Health Watch. In addition, red...

Calcium cuts weight gain in postmenopause.
June 1, 2007... Postmenopausal women who supplement their diet with calcium and vitamin D may gain less weight than those who do not, according a report published in the May 14 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine, which also found that the benefit was...

Grapes protect against diabetes in rodents.
June 1, 2007... A new study published in the May edition of the Journal of Nutrition shows that consuming grapes protected against the destruction of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, significantly reducing the incidence of diabetes in laboratory...

Chromax shows better absorption profile.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... US supplements giant Nutrition 21 says that a new human clinical study shows that its Chromax chromium picolinate product is significantly better absorbed by the body than other forms of chromium. The results of the study, conducted by Ohio...

Long-term weight loss with DSM's Fabuless.
June 1, 2007... A recent clinical trial suggests that daily consumption of yogurt containing Dutch firm DSM's satiety ingredient Fabuless significantly aids weight maintenance after weight loss. The placebo-controlled, double-blind test aimed to investigate...

Folic acid supplement slows cognitive decline.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Research highlighted in the April edition of Nature Clinical Practice Endocrinology & Metabolism shows that low folic acid concentration in serum is a possible risk factor for age-related cognitive decline. Folic acid supplementation is...

Fish oils and vit D lowers risk of AMD.
June 1, 2007... A diet rich in omega-3 oils or vitamin D supplements lowers the risk of age-related macular degeneration, according to data from two separate studies that both appear in the May 15 issue of the Archives of Opthalmology. In one study,...

Vitamin D reduces risk of cancer: US study.(Clinical report)
June 1, 2007... Most Americans and others are not taking enough vitamin D, a fact that may put them at significant risk for developing cancer, according to a landmark study conducted by Creighton University School of Medicine, USA. The four-year,...

Cod liver oil can beat depression!
June 1, 2007... Recent research has highlighted that people who take a daily dose of cod liver oil could reduce the risk by 30% of suffering from the symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression compared to those who do not. This latest research into the...

Folic acid can reduce stroke risk.
June 1, 2007... A new meta-analysis by an international team of researchers has determined that folic acid supplementation can effectively reduce the risk of a first stroke 18%. Published in The Lancet (2007, 369), the meta-analysis, which centered on eight...

CardiaBeat gains novel food status in Europe.
June 1, 2007... Israeli biotechnology company Enzymotec says that its CardiaBeat has received Novel Food approval by the European Commission. This enables immediate sales and distribution of the product in the European Union for both functional foods and...

New intelligent sports drink from Kooz.
June 1, 2007... Maryland, USA-headquartered Kooz Beverage Company has launched a new- generation sports beverage - LOCK+LOAD. This innovative sports drink combines DSM Food Specialties' award-winning casein hydrolysate, PeptoPro, with "smart" time-released...

Nutrabiosys to market natural depression prod.
June 1, 2007... Canadian firm Nutrabiosys has completed an agreement to market, distribute and promote an all-natural antidepressant alternative to prescription drugs. The agreement was negotiated with an unnamed nutraceutical health company with which...

Rye bread expands Reducol range.
June 1, 2007... Kesko Food of Finland has introduced a cholesterol-lowering rye bread with Canadian firm Forbes Medi-Tech's ingredient, Reducol. The product launch further demonstrates Forbes' ability to move quickly into new product markets and allows the...

Coca-Cola boosts health drinks activity with $4.1 billion acquisition of Glaceau.
June 1, 2007... In a bid to boost its position in the fast-growing health drinks market, The Coca-Cola Company has reached an agreement to acquire Energy Brands, known as Glaceau, and its full range of fast-growing, enhanced water brands, including...

MitoPharm files US patents for formulas.(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Seattle, USA-based MitoPharm says that patent applications on its product formulas and their applications have been filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office under the International Patent Convention Treaty. The firm believes its products...

GanedenBC30 licensed by Dr Weil and Twinlab.
June 1, 2007... Consumer health care firm Ganeden Biotech has entered into a supply and licensing agreement with fellow USA-based IdeaSphere, a specialist in vitamins, minerals and other nutrition products, to develop and launch probiotic supplements for Dr...

Bioriginal launches Multi-EFA Plus X range.(Bioriginal Food & Science Corp.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Canada's Bioriginal, an essential fatty acid solutions provider, has launched a new range of condition-specific supplements - the Multi-EFA Plus X range. According to the firm, the new product line combines a selection of high-quality EFAs...

Abbott launches 3 new Similac infant formulas.
June 1, 2007... US health care major Abbott has launched an expanded, line of Similac infant formulas. The latest additions to the range include Similac Sensitive and Similac Sensitive RS both designed to address common feeding problems such as fussiness and...

NutraCea not worried about decline in sales E.(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... California, USA-based NutraCea, which produces nutritional supplements and related products derived from stabilized rice bran, says revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007, were just under $2.0 million, a decline of 47.3% compared...

Natrol buys MRI for $8 million in bid to boost its sports nutrition business.
June 1, 2007... US dietary supplements firm Natrol has acquired Medical Research Institute in an attempt to expand its presence in the lucrative sports nutrition field. Under the terms of the agreement, Natrol will initially pay $8.0 million in cash,...

Forbes relies yet again on Reducol revenue.(Forbes Medi-Tech Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Canada's Forbes Medi-Tech has reported a healthy set of results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2007, which show that the cholesterol- lowering phytosterol-based ingredient Reducol is continuing to finance its attempts to break into the...

Founder of Wahaha resigns as chairman as Danone files suit to curb his parallel activities.
June 1, 2007... Zong Qing Hou, founder of the Wahaha drinks company, has resigned as chairman. The firm, which is China's largest drinks manufacturer, is run as a series of joint ventures each 51%-controlled by Groupe Danone. Mr Zong's resignation is the...

Danone reinforces ties with Yakult Honsha.(DANONE Group)(Yakult Honsha Company Ltd.)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... Danone and Japan's Yakult Honsha, the two world leaders in probiotics, have strengthened their relationship with several further senior appointments. Yakult's board of directors will welcome two additional Danone representatives, raising the...

Danone buys Vialat's fresh dairy business.
June 1, 2007... French food and beverage giant Groupe Danone has strengthened its presence in Chile with the acquisition of 70% of the fresh dairy business of local firm Vialat. The acquired business achieved sales of 30.0 million euros ($40.2 million) in 2006...

Proctor & Allan move to food fortification.
June 1, 2007... Breakfast cereals and porridge flour-maker, Proctor & Allan East Africa, is fortifying (boosting nutrients) all its pre-cooked foods to improve market penetration, and also to protect its sales from the imminent entry of multinationals already...

Kenya's Aquamist invests in new plant.
June 1, 2007... Kenyan bottled water company Aquamist Ltd, is spending 100.0 million Kenyan shillings ($1.4 million) on a new factory to process fruit juices. The plant is planned to commence production in July, and will supplement its mineral water and...

Arkopharma quits Paris Bourse.
June 1, 2007... French producer of plant-based medicines, Arkopharma has decided to withdraw from the Paris Bourse after 12 years on the financial markets. The Imarko holding group, which is run by Max Rombi, the founder of the company, and which holds some...

NBTY May sales up 1%.(Financial report)
June 1, 2007... USA-based dietary supplements major NBTY has reported sales of $166.0 million for the month of May, a modest 1% rise on the like 2006 period. Turnover of its largest business,Wholesale/US nutrition, declined 2% to $76.0 million, North American...

No panic at Martek as earnings decrease.(Martek Biosciences Corp.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2007... US infant formula and dietary supplements specialist Martek Biosciences Corp has posted a 10.9% fall in net profit for the second fiscal quarter ended April 30, 2007, to $4.9 million, or $0.15 per share, while revenues grew to $76.7 million, up...

USANA Health Sciences happy to show its credentials and shares keep soaring.
June 1, 2007... Shares in USANA Health Sciences, a Salt Lake City, USA-based company which specializes in nutritional and weight-management products, have been riding at a two-month high, despite a whole host of adverse publicity about some of the firm's...

Forthcoming meetings/events.
June 1, 2007... l Dietary Supplements & Health Foods Market in Thailand 2007, which is organized by Asia Business Forum, takes place on August 30-31 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel in Bangkok. It will cover key industry developments, regulatory updates,...

People on the move.
June 1, 2007... - Lund, Sweden-based probiotics research specialist Probi AB has recruited Michael Oredsson, formerly chief executive of Australian biotechnology firm Biosignal, as chief executive, effective this fall. Prior to his post with the latter, Mr...