Nutraceuticals International articles from March 2007

Nutraceuticals International archives from March 2007

EFSA pre-guidance on health claims dossier.
March 1, 2007... The European Food Safety Authority has issued "pre-submission guidance" on applications for the authorization of certain health claims, and this has been welcomed by the European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers...

Italy re-approves Black cohosh.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Following its initial safety concerns on the use of black cohosh for consumers with liver disorders, the Italian Ministry of Health has officially re-approved the food supplement use of the product (rizoma of Cimicifuga racemosa) on the...

France allows free sale of herbal food supps.
March 1, 2007... The French dietary supplements association SYNADIET says it has recently received official confirmation from the Health Directorate (DGS) that medicinal plants which are listed in the pharmacopoeia but do not appear in the list of "toxic"...

European Botanical Forum proposes regs model for botanicals in food supplements.
March 1, 2007... Experts from the European Botanical Forum have recently developed a safety evaluation model which they hope will be used in the future regulation of botanicals under European Union food law. The model, which was recently featured in Annals...

UK's MHRA warns on heavy metals in AMs.
March 1, 2007... The UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) says that it has been made aware of at least six cases of heavy metal poisoning in the last three-four years associated with the use of Ayurvedic medicines. In most of these...

UK public strongly supports "traffic light" food labeling over other systems.
March 1, 2007... The UK public overwhelmingly supports "traffic light" food-labeling rather than the system adopted by much of the food industry (NIs passim), says Adam Brimelow BBC News, health correspondent, commenting on a new survey from the consumer group...

FSA thanks FPB for pointing out omission.(Forum of Private Business)
March 1, 2007... The Forum of Private Business, a UK pressure group fighting on behalf of private businesses, says it has been thanked by the UK Food Standards Agency for pointing out the omission of advice on the legal duty of companies to demonstrate...

Chemical contamination of supplements, still a major EU problem.
March 1, 2007... Over the past few years there has been much discussion and millions of words written about European Union legislation affecting nutraceuticals and supplements. There has been the legislation on novel foods and ingredients, now 10 years old; the...

USA's organic sellers to test for GMOs.
March 1, 2007... Two leading US organic and natural food retailers and wholesalers, Whole Foods Markets and United Natural Foods, have said they will test their entire private-label organic and natural food lines to ensure products contain no...

Nutri-Con campaign to expose VIMs fraud.
March 1, 2007... On the eve of the Natural Products Expo West convention, the US Organic Consumers Association has launched a new public health and truth-in- labeling campaign called Nutri-Con: The Truth About Vitamins & Supplements. Through public education,...

FDA Acting Commissioner discusses functional foods at world conference.
March 1, 2007... Acting Commissioner of the US Food and Drug Administration Andrew von Eschenbach told the recent Food Safety World Conference and Expo that "part of our responsibility in presenting important health information about the foods we eat requires...

Doctors urged to ask about use of herbals.(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has urged doctors and health care practitioners to ask patients about their use of herbs in an effort to foster communication on the issue. The AHPA's president, Michael McGuffin, spoke at the...

$7B US market for omega-3 beverages.
March 1, 2007... The meteoric rise in the use of omega-3 fatty acids-enhanced foods and beverages is chronicled in a new study titled Omega 3 Fatty Acids and the US Food and Beverage Market, from market research publisher Packaged Facts. This shows that the...

US health and wellness industry sales top $91 billion in 2006, says NMI study.
March 1, 2007... Retail sales within the US. consumer packaged goods health and wellness industry reached $91.10 billion in 2006, representing growth of around 15% over 2005. These findings are part of the Natural Marketing Institute's annual Health & Wellness...

AHPA shares vision on industry issues.
March 1, 2007... The president of the American Herbal Products Association, Michael McGuffin, has identified the internal and external challenges facing the industry in the latest installment of the NPI Executive Interview series currently posted on-line at...

Bill to eliminate GST in natural health products introduced in Canada.
March 1, 2007... A private Member's Bill that would eliminate the Goods and Services Tax on natural health products has been introduced in the Canadian Parliament by James Lunney, Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Alberni. After presenting his legislation,...

Health Canada warns on using EMPowerPlus supplement and prescription medicines.
March 1, 2007... The regulatory agency Health Canada has said that it is updating Canadians about adverse reaction reports that it has received concerning the use of EMPowerPlus, a vitamin mineral supplement, promoted for serious medical conditions. Health...

Australia moves on trans fats, considers health claim for foods low in these.
March 1, 2007... Worldwide concerns regarding the potential averse health effects of trans fats, particularly those derived from partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils, has resulted in the USA, Canada and certain European countries either placing limits on...

Health Canada warns on sleep supplement.
March 1, 2007... The regulatory body Health Canada is advising consumers not to use a product called Sleepees, because it was found to contain an undeclared drug estazolam, which can be habit-forming when used for as little as a few months. Consumers who may...

NZFSA says changes to supplement regulations will help protect consumers.
March 1, 2007... The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is proposing to update decades-old regulations surrounding food-type dietary supplements. At the time when supplements were regulated in New Zealand by the 1985 Dietary Supplements Regulation, most...

Australian bottled water with fluoride.
March 1, 2007... Bottled water may soon contain added fluoride to counter child tooth decay following submissions to the natinal food regulator, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) to reverse its ban on added fluoride, and only allowing...

Next month's IADSA workshop in Japan gathers official momentum.
March 1, 2007... Government officials from the nations of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union, as well as Japan and China are convening in Japan next month for a workshop focused on the evolution of dietary supplement...

Australian controversy over soy-based prods.
March 1, 2007... A report by the Cancer Council of New South Wales, Australia, claims that people with breast and prostate cancers should avoid large amounts of soy-based products, as it was considered this could activate tumors and thus counter the benefits of...

Remifemim cohosh "safer than HRT".
March 1, 2007... Recent studies have linked hormone replacement therapy with major risk indicators for breast cancer, including endometrial thickening, increased breast density, and breast cell proliferation. A new safety study by Hirschberg, et al, on...

International experts from IADSA dispute conclusions of antioxidant review.(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... Experts from the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Association (IADSA)'s international scientific network have raised serious doubts about the evidence to support the negative conclusions of a newly published meta-analysis on...

Nordic Naturals' new omega-3 offering.
March 1, 2007... California, USA-based Nordic Naturals has announced the introduction of its professional exclusive ProOmega-D Liquid. This new high omega-3 fish oil concentrate, rich in added vitamin D, was formulated specifically to address documented health...

Controlling antibiotic effects with probiotic.(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... Antibiotics are integral in the treatment of bacterial illnesses, such as strep throat, as well as most sinus and ear infections, but for two out of 10 individuals, according to a new survey for Florastor, a yeast-based probiotic, these...

"Impressive" benefits with CV Tech's COLD-fX.
March 1, 2007... The American Botanical Council, North America's leading non-profit research and education organization on herbal medicines, reviewed clinical data on the health benefits of CVT-E002, the active ingredient in COLD-fX, and found it demonstrated...

Coffee: the "biggest antioxidant in US diet".
March 1, 2007... Foods and beverages are better antioxidants than antioxidant vitamins, according to research conducted at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, USA, which also found that coffee was the most important phenol-rich food in the typical US...

Svetol cuts BMI and boosts lean mass.(Brief article)(Clinical report)
March 1, 2007... Berkem, a French polyphenols specialist, says that a recent study published in the February edition of the journal Phytotherapie shows that its decaffeinated green coffee bean extract, Svetol, reduced body mass index and increased lean mass to...

Further criticism of antioxidants report.
March 1, 2007... Vitamin studies always seem to stir controversy, but certainly not visions of death, wrote Bernadine Healy for USNews.com. On that score, the recent report on antioxidant vitamins, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association,...

Study shows heart benefit for HMRlignan.
March 1, 2007... Locarno, Switzerland-based Linnea says the results of a new study shows that 7-hydroxymatairesinol (the firm's branded HMRlignan, HMR) ingestion may provide cardiovascular protection by depressing a particular inflammatory pathway. The study,...

Next Pharma's Flavoxine "most exciting new cholesterol-lowerer on market".
March 1, 2007... Flavoxine from Next Pharmaceuticals is the most promising formulation in the natural product industry for lowering bad cholesterol, according to a new study by market research group Frost & Sullivan, which evaluated five competitive products:...

FoodTech debuts Veggie Patch All Natural California veggie burger featuring life'sDHA.(FoodTech International)
March 1, 2007... US company FoodTech International has added DHA omega-3 innovator Martek Biosciences life'sDHA to its already successful line of Veggie Patch All Natural California Veggie Burgers. The Veggie Patch line of vegetarian food selections offers...

Abbott expands Glucerna range.
March 1, 2007... US health care major Abbott Laboratories, through its Ross Products Divisin, has launched an expanded, improved line of Glucerna nutrition products for people with diabetes. Offering better taste, expanded meal and snack options, and new...

AgroLabs debuts exotic juices through Meijer.
March 1, 2007... AgroLabs, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Integrated BioPharma, has introduced its new product line of single-serve, exotic fruit juices under the brand name Bali Island Trading Company and began shipping its product last month to the Meijer chain...

Botanic Choice brain-boosting supp arrives.(CoQ-10 Plus L-Carnitine)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... In time for the US Brain Awareness Week, March 12-18, Botanic Choice announced a new, natural nutritional supplement that offers dual support to both the brain and the heart, key areas of health concerns for many Americans. The formula,...

Nordic Naturals launches ProOmega D.
March 1, 2007... Nordic Naturals, whose products are sourced in Norway, has introduced its professional exclusive ProOmega-D Liquid in the USA. This new high omega-3 fish oil concentrate, rich in added vitamin D, was formulated specifically to address...

Berg Imports launches DiosVein in USA to improve vascular health.
March 1, 2007... DiosVein, a brand of diosmin was launched into the US supplement and nutraceutical market last month to address vascular health issues by Berg Imports, the US agent and representative for Bioiberica SA and Exquim SA, both located in Barcelona,...

Lactaid and Beano team now introduce FlexN formula for joint discomfort.(FlexNow)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Members of the management team that were instrumental in bringing Beano and Lactaid to millions of Americans for relief from chronic digestive disorders have reunited to bring the next novel dietary supplement to market, FlexNow joint formula....

NutraCea's international expansion plan moves forward with Italy, Mexico deals.
March 1, 2007... California, USA-based NutraCea, which produces nutritional supplements and related products derived from stabilized rice bran, has announced two major agreements which fit nicely with its strategy of expanding its operations outside the USA....

Martek net income falls on restructuring.(Martek Biosciences Corp.)(Financial report)
March 1, 2007... US infant formula and dietary supplements specialist Martek Biosciences Corp has posted a 32.1% fall in net profit for the first fiscal quarter ended January 31, 2007, to $3.8 million, or $0.12 per share, while revenues grew to $70.3 million,...

Whole Foods Market to buy Wild Oats in a deal worth $565 million.
March 1, 2007... USA-based firms Whole Foods Market and Wild Oats Markets have have signed a definitive merger agreement under which the former will acquire Wild Oats' outstanding common stock in a cash tender offer of $18.50 per share, or approximately $565.0...

Mexico sales push up profits at Herbalife.
March 1, 2007... The USA's Herbalife, the nutritional supplements seller which is currently studying a takeover bid (NI vol 12, no 2), has posted a 39% leap in net income for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2006, to $41.7 million, or $0.56 per share....

Fortitech spending heavily on facilities.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... The USA's Fortitech, which develops custom nutrient premixes integrating functional ingredients from a selection of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, nucleotides and nutraceuticals, says that global demand for its products has fueled a $22.0...

Botanical Labs sells brands to Nutra Corp.
March 1, 2007... Botanical Laboratories, a marketer of premium specialty supplement products, has announced the sale of a number of its brands, for an undisclosed sum, to a subsidiary of fellow US firm Nutraceutical Corp. The company said the sale of Zand,...

Reliv hopeful of more growth abroad.(Reliv' International Inc.)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... US nutrition firm Reliv International says its net income for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2006, rose 11.7% to $2.0 million, or $0.12 per share, while sales reached $28.6 million, an increase of 4.2% for the corresponding period in...

Danone Bangladeshi project doing well.
March 1, 2007... Yogurts enriched with vitamin A, iron, iodine and zinc, manufactured by the French company Danone in Bangladesh are proving highly successful in a pilot project, explained Sven Thormahlen, Danone's executive vice president of R&D, speaking at...

Boiron's homeopathic business booms again.(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... French homeopathic drugmaker Boiron is expecting growth of 5% in business this year after experiencing stagnation in 2006. Thierry Boiron, the firm's director general, said sales were set to rise this year compared with a downturn of 0.4% to...

Chr Hansen and Valio strengthen accord.(Valio Finnish Co-Operative Dairies Association)(Chr. Hansen Group A/S)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... Finland's Valio and Chr Hansen of Denmark have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the manufacturing and commercialization of probiotic strains for food supplements but this deal does not change the supply of LGG to Valio's other partners...

Forthcoming meetings/events.
March 1, 2007... The International Perspective on Dietary Supplements Regulation Workshop will take place April 17, 2007 in Yokohama, Japan. This is being organized by the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations (IADSA), in cooperation...

People on the move.(Richard Calvert)(Joseph Zhou)(Tim Bennett)(Brief article)
March 1, 2007... - Richard Calvert has joined the UK Food Standards Agency as director of strategy and resources, replacing Pat Stewart, who is retiring at the end of April. Mr Calvert moves from being finance director at the Department of International...