Nutraceuticals International articles from June 2008

Nutraceuticals International archives from June 2008

Cocoa may stop CVD in diabetes sufferers.(Clinical report)
June 1, 2008... Drinking cocoa may impede the development of heart disease in patients suffering from type-2 diabetes, a new survey, reported in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, claims. The study discovered that a diet rich in flavanol,...

Pycnogenol further benefit for diabetes.
June 1, 2008... Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract with various potential benefits for diabetes patients, may also help reduce blood sugar, claims a new study by the University of Arizona, USA, published in the May edition of the journal of Nutrition...

Licorice patch effective against canker sores.
June 1, 2008... A patch containing licorice is an effective treatment for recurrent aphthous ulcers, known commonly as canker sores, says a new study published in the March/April edition of General Dentistry. The new medication is an over-the-counter,...

Tomato anti-carcinogen different to expected.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The acknowledged cancer-fighting properties of the tomato may come from a different source than had previously been thought, according to a new study. Earlier research has shown that tomatoes have a positive effect in combating prostate...

Germany's Cognis posts strong 1st-qtr figures, with sales up 7.1%.(Financial report)
June 1, 2008... In the first quarter of 2008, Germany's specialty chemicals supplier Cognis increased its net external sales to 953.0 million euros ($1.5 billion), up 7.1% compared with the like, year-earlier period. On an organic basis, turnover grew 11.3%....

Cavit Sciences in Alternecare asset purchase deal.
June 1, 2008... Florida, USA-based biotechnology firm Cavit Sciences says that it completed an Asset Purchase Agreement with Alternecare Health Products on May 28, 2008. Alternecare is an innovator and leader in combining rapid home diagnostics with...

EveryKid multi-vits from New Chapter.(New Chapter Inc. provides EveryKid food supplements)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... While whole food, chemical-free nutrition is ideal to a child's healthy growth and development, parents have had a singular choice with children's multi-vitamins: "food supplements" that consist of chemical vitamin isolates, says New Chapter, a...

Nutrition 21 launches Iceland Health.
June 1, 2008... Nutrition 21, a US developer and marketer of nutritional supplements that help consumers manage blood sugar levels, improve cardiovascular health, enhance memory and address chronic joint pain has introduced two new additions to its Iceland...

Changing Times Vits' RecoveryX distributor.
June 1, 2008... US firm Changing Times Vitamins says that it has appointed Bob O'Leary Health Food Distributors as its worldwide distributor of RecoveryX, its product for athletes and active people. The company, trading as Bob O'Leary Sport Science (BOSS), is...

FSANZ strategy on food reg system.
June 1, 2008... Health warnings on packaged alcohol and a draft standard on nutrition, health and related claims were among the issues discussed at the 11th meeting of Australia and New Zealand Food Regulation Ministerial Council held in Melbourne, Australia,...

IADSA's 10 years of achievement.
June 1, 2008... The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) says that this year it celebrates 10 years of helping to shape policies and regulations on dietary supplements across the globe. The association, whose membership...

WGO and Danone launch global campaign to improve digestive health.
June 1, 2008... At end May, on the occasion of World Digestive Health Day (WDHD), the World Gastroenterology Organization (WGO) launched a year-long campaign titled "Optimum Health and Nutrition" focusing on the link between nutrition and digestive health. An...

Australian restrictions on potassium supps.
June 1, 2008... The Australian regulator is considering implementing further restrictions on the sale of supplements (regarded as Therapeutic Products there), containing potassium. Because of safety concerns, a label warning statement is already required...

Vit D deficiency linked to TB.
June 1, 2008... Patients with active tuberculosis are more likely to be vitamin D deficient than the rest of the population. New research, presented at the annual Society for Endocrinology BES meeting in Harrogate, UK, shows that the majority of patients with...

UK FSA encourages clearer food labeling.
June 1, 2008... The UK's Food Standards Agency has revised its labeling guidance for food packaging to help consumers more easily find the information they need. The revision includes suggestions for the use of black type on a white background and retains...

UK's NICE questions use of plant sterols.
June 1, 2008... Along with promoting the use of statin drugs to reduce cholesterol levels in people at high risk of cardiovascular disease, the UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has questioned the use of plant sterols and...

FAO encourages participation in Codex.(Food and Agriculture Organization )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... The Food and Agriculture Organization has introduced an e-learning course to help stakeholders become more active participants in Codex Alimentarius. Titled Enhancing participation in Codex activities, the course will offer an in-depth...

Bayer completes Sagmel acquisition.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Germany's Bayer HealthCare (BHC) says that its Consumer Care Division has successfully closed the acquisition of the over-the-counter brand portfolio and related assets of the USA-based Sagmel (NI vol 13, no 3). Beginning June 3, the Sagmel OTC...

Kirin links with Acecook in Vitnam.
June 1, 2008... Japan's Kirin Beverage and Acecook of Vietnam plan to jointly launch soft drinks and functional beverages in Vietnam by the end of this year. The two firms will initially outsource production before their joint plant starts operations in the...

Japanese firms expanding ginger use.
June 1, 2008... The Japanese have always used ginger, shoga or myoga, as a condiment, in herbal medicines, or as fresh shoots, but preserved ginger was usually imported mainly from China. Ginger has now achieved a new status as a health drink or tonic for...

DSM Nutritional's UK plant back on stream.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... DSM Nutritional Products has fully recovered from the fire at the lipid (ROPUFA) plant in Heanor, UK, which had knocked out production and gave the company a supply crisis for the ROPUFA oils (n-3 and n-6) for more than a year. The production...

EU playing role in international regulatory trends.
June 1, 2008... Europe is fast becoming the world's leading exporter of regulation as authorities in many countries increasingly look for models on which to base their legislation, a food policy expert has said. Speaking at the Vitafoods International...

US FDA asks for recall of Xiadafil VIP, an "all-natural" product for ED.
June 1, 2008... The US Food and Drug Administration has requested that SEI Pharmaceuticals, of Miami, Florida, recalls all Xiadafil VIP Tabs sold in eight tablet bottles or blister cards of two tablets because these products contain a potentially harmful,...

AHPA wants FDA OTC, supps clarification.
June 1, 2008... The American Herbal Products Association has requested that the Food and Drug Administration clarify its policy on over-the-counter drug- dietary supplement combination products following the recent launch of Bayer Healthcare's new "analgesic...

Codex Alimentarius - its role in international trade - by Peter Berry Ottaway.
June 1, 2008... Over the past few years, Nutraceuticals International has reported on Codex Alimentarius meetings where issues of relevance to the supplement and nutraceuticals industries have been discussed. Even though there are fairly regular references to...

Mexican dietary supps regs reviewed.
June 1, 2008... Regulators, academics and industry representatives came together in Mexico last month to share different views and models on dietary supplement regulation. Mexican and European Union regulators and experts came together at a workshop on...

Baby milk makers attack UK govt.
June 1, 2008... The baby food industry in the UK has attacked a government recommendation that labels of powdered infant formula should carry warnings that the contents are not sterile and the simple steps required to reduce risks. Contamination with...

Prostate herb useful but has drawbacks.
June 1, 2008... fetto is a herb, approved in Germany by Commission E, for use in treating prostatic complaints and irritable bladder. Men have been taking saw palmetto for many years to alleviate inflammation of the urinary tract, bladder, testicles and...

Huifeng Bio-Pharma updates on business.
June 1, 2008... Huifeng Bio-Pharmaceutical Technology, a Chinese developer and producer of plant extracts and pharmaceutical raw materials for use in pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food production, released an update on its business , saying that, in the...

Pharmavite says it is in full compliance with USA's new GMPs for supplements.
June 1, 2008... More than 150 million Americans take dietary supplements annually, helping create a $24.1 billion industry. On June 25 this year, the US Food and Drug Administration will begin enforcing Good Manufacturing Practices regulation for dietary...

BENEO-Remy raises prices 40% in the face of market evolution.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... BENEO-Remy, a leader in the production and sales of rice derivatives and part of the German Sudzucher group, announced a 40% price increase on its range of rice starches and flours. This is due to unprecedented escalating rice demand which is...

Nordic Naturals settles patent dispute.
June 1, 2008... Nordic Naturals, JR Carlson Laboratories and Metagenics have announced that they have agreed to dismiss the patent infringement suit filed by Nordic Naturals on May 2, 2007 in the US District Court for the Northern District of California. ...

Suntory plans 7B yen supps investment.
June 1, 2008... Leading Japanese beverage group Suntory is planing to invest a total of 6.0 billion yen ($58.0 million) to expand production and sales of health supplements in Southeast Asia, according to the Nikkei Weekly. The company is setting its...

Herbalife sued.
June 1, 2008... The Law Offices of Christopher Grell have filed a law suit against Herbalife in the Superior Court of the State of California (case BC392373, dept. 48) on behalf of a 29-year-old woman who acquired acute liver problems after taking Herbalife...

Forthcoming meetings/events.( American Society of Pharmacognosy)(Conference news)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Natural Products with Pharmaceutical, Nutraceutical, Cosmetic and Agrochemical Interest, is the subject of a joint meeting of associations, including the American Society of Pharmacognosy. It will be held August 3-8 at the Athenaum...

People on the move.
June 1, 2008... - Texas, USA-based nutritional supplements company Mannatech has named Wayne Badovinus as its chief executive. Mr Badovinus, who joins the firm from private equity group JH Partners, has over 40 years of consumer brand experience. -...

St John's wort has little effect in ADHD.
June 1, 2008... Children and teens with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who were treated with the herb St John's wort did not have any greater improvement in ADHD symptoms compared to those who received placebo, according to a study in the June...

Benfotiamine "little better than snake oil".
June 1, 2008... A popular vitamin supplement is being advertised with claims that are demonstrably untrue, as revealed by research published in the open access, pier-reviewed journal BMC Pharmacology. The product, benfotiamine is a synthetic derivative of...

USA's CRN and ANPA collaborate with Japan's NNFA to share legislation news.
June 1, 2008... With aging baby-boomers beginning to face health challenges that could increase the cost of quality health care, three leading associations have announced a collaboration to facilitate the sharing of regulatory and legislative information...

EAS workshop highlights global nutrition and health claims regulations.
June 1, 2008... Companies and regulators from Asia's food and nutrition sector met in Singapore in June for an informative tour of nutrition and health claims regulations in Asia, the European Union and the USA. The first seminar, which took place at the...

USANA CEO in bid to take group private.(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... USANA Health Sciences, which specializes in nutritional and weight-management products, could very soon be going private if an offer to buy the company from its present chief executive is accepted. The offer to take over the firm has been...

Martek profits up but have shares peaked?(Financial report)(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Martek Biosciences Corp has posted yet another strong set of financials for the fiscal second quarter ended April 30, 2008, as revenues reached $90.7 million, an increase of 18.3% compared with the year-earlier period. Net income was $9.2...

NBTY wins auction to buy Leiner Health, upping its offer price to $371 million.
June 1, 2008... US nutritional supplements firm NBTY is going to acquire Leiner Health Products in a deal valued at around $371.0 million, plus assumption of certain liabilities, after it won an auction for the troubled firm. NBTY's winning bid is considerably...

Overcoming trade barriers across EU.
June 1, 2008... Makers and traders in food supplements learnt valuable tips for overcoming trade barriers across the European Union at a Free Trade Initiative workshop organized by European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers (EHPM)....

USA and China outline progress on food and feed safety accord.
June 1, 2008... US Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt has signed a Joint Progress Statement with Li Changjiang, Minister of the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection, and Quarantine (AQSIQ) of China. The document outlines...

US FDA warns firms and individuals to stop selling fake cancer "cures".
June 1, 2008... Warning Letters have been sent to 23 US companies and two foreign individuals marketing a wide range of products fraudulently claiming to prevent and cure cancer, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA also warns North American...

AHPA slams JAMA St John's wort report.
June 1, 2008... The newly-published Journal of the American Medical Association study that finds St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) comparable to placebo for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in children and adolescents (see page xx), has several...

US Dietary Supplements Caucus discusses role of such products in sports nutrition.
June 1, 2008... The US Congressional Dietary Supplement Caucus, in cooperation with the two leading trade associations representing the dietary supplement industry, the Council for Responsible Nutrition and the Natural Products Association, have recently...

US DSEA merges with NPF for stonger group.(Dietary Supplement Education Alliance )(Natural Products Foundation )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... In a move that will strengthen efforts to focus the USA's attention on the benefits provided by dietary supplements and other natural products, the Natural Products Foundation has announced that the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance has...

British shun prescription medicines for natural products, study finds.(Report)
June 1, 2008... People in the UK are increasingly turning their backs on prescription medicine, instead using natural remedies, according to a new report. 61% of the British questioned said they would rather use natural products to ease certain illnesses such...

ETP/Food for Life revized Plan.(European Technology Platform )(Brief article)
June 1, 2008... Marking another key milestone in its work programme, the European Technology Platform (ETP) Food for Life presented the revised Implementation Plan to all stakeholders and prepared its future activities. The gathering of opinion leaders, public...

France leads way in nutraceuticals and functional foods investment.
June 1, 2008... France is now a leading destination for investment in the nutraceutical and functional-food industry. This new sector combines the traditional agri-food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. The French functional-foods market was valued at...

Public meeting views EU food labeling.
June 1, 2008... A public hearing was organized late June to discuss the role of food labeling in the fight against obesity. The hearing, titled Efficient food labeling in fighting obesity, took place on June 11, and was organized by the European Parliament...