Nutraceuticals International articles from May 2002

Nutraceuticals International archives from May 2002

EU Commissioner Byrne rejects criticisms of food supplement Directive.
May 1, 2002... European Commissioner for food and consumer safety David Byrne has rejected criticism of the proposed European Union Directive on food supplements (NI vol 7, no 4). Comments have been made that the aim is to ban food supplements and that the...

Sustained changes for homeopathic medicines necessary in EU pharma regs, says ECHAMP.
May 1, 2002... The European Commission's review of pharmaceutical legislation should give an answer to the demands of new technological developments in pharmaceuticals, and prepare the legal and regulatory framework for an enlarged European Union. But at the...

UK meeting mulls herbal medicines Directive as MCA seeks comment.
May 1, 2002... A meeting sponsored by the UK's Council for Responsible Nutrition and botanicals firm Indena, to raise awareness of the implications of the European Commission's Traditional Herbal Medicines Directive (NI vol 7, no 3), has heard calls for UK...

Denmark to fight EU over functional foods.
May 1, 2002... Danish Food Minister Mariann Fischer Boel has said the government will fight European Union proposals to harmonize regulations on functional foods, according to local newspaper Politiken. "As long as professors and scientists can't decide...

Heinz health campaign courts controversy.
May 1, 2002... US food company Heinz has started a controversial marketing campaign for its canned foods in the UK entitled "five a day the healthy way," in reference to current guidance that says consumers should strive to eat at least five portions of fruit...

Czech Republic bans dietary supplements.
May 1, 2002... The Czech Agricultural and Food Inspection Authority has reportedly banned the sale of Nikorol, Arthrin and Masclione dietary supplements sold by Neways CZ, as they are said to contain higher-than-permitted levels of mercury, lead and cadmium,...

Latvia stops private Herbalife prod sales.
May 1, 2002... The Latvian authorities have banned the distribution by private persons in the country of health foods produced by Herbalife, the US company in the throes of an ownership change (see page 17), on the grounds that this violates Latvian...

CIS/Russia buy $25M vitamins from USA.
May 1, 2002... The Commonwealth of Independent States imported $25 million worth of vitamins from the USA in 2001, according to BISNIS, which is part of the US Department of Commerce. The bulk of the US exports, worth $18.1 million, were delivered to...

Red Bull under fire again in Ireland.
May 1, 2002... Irish Minister for Health and Children Michael Martin has threatened to take action again, should the manufacturer of the Red Bull energy drink continue to make claims about its effects. He told the Irish Mirror newspaper that he is angry that...

Fake supplements scam in Eire?
May 1, 2002... Peter Foster, who has already been convicted of fraud in Australia and the UK, is believed to have resurfaced in Ireland, where he is said to have set up a fake dietary supplements sales scheme, reports NutraIngredients.com. According to...

Ireland checking food supps for vCJD link.
May 1, 2002... The Food Safety Authority of Ireland is investigating whether gelatin used in food supplements, which may contain animal by-products, could cause variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. The investigation which, reportedly, has received the backing...

Bulgarian medical herbs cultivation?
May 1, 2002... Farmers in Dobrich in north-eastern Bulgaria are considering growing highly-profitable medicinal herbs, according to the Bulgarian Telegraphic Agency. This follows a cooperation agreement signed recently between the Dobrich district and the...

Personal health care driving European functional food market, says Mintel.
May 1, 2002... The functional food market is booming due to greater interest in personal health care, according to a new report from consumer market research firm Mintel. It states that the European market for functional food is ranked third in the world by...

EU Food Supplements Directive - the real work has not yet begun.
May 1, 2002... The final adoption of the European Directive on Food Supplements, now expected to be in June 2002, will not be the end of a long-running saga, as many seem to believe, but the start of the real work. To date, most of the discussion on the...

How US FDA and FTC approach claims made for functional foods.
May 1, 2002... The terms "functional foods, nutraceuticals, phytofoods, vitafoods," etc have come into use in the food industry to describe foods with particular health-related benefits, but are not recognized by the US Food and Drug Administration or its...

CSPI criticizes Quorn's meat substitute, despite recommending it as "best bite".
May 1, 2002... The USA-based Center for Science in Public Interest has urged the Food and Drug Administration to prohibit "deceptive labeling" of a recently- launched, fungus-based meat substitute being marketed by UK-based Marlow Food, a division of...

Gardenburger petitions the FDA for mycoprotein regulation against Quorn.
May 1, 2002... Following Quorn's launch in the USA, competitor Gardenburger Authentic Foods has petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to regulate the labeling of mycoprotein, which is to be found in Quorn's products (see story above). The actual...

CSPI again urges FDA over functional foods.
May 1, 2002... The Center for Science in the Public Interest has again urged the Food and Drug Administration for guidelines for labeling and safety assessments for functional foods, and has urged the FDA, in light of this market's growth, to take prompt...

Nature's Strength Colostrum "a drug".
May 1, 2002... Malibu Naturals of Akron, Ohio has been warned by the Food and Drug Administration that the therapeutic claims which it has been making for its Nature's Strength Colostrum product cause it to be classified as a drug under section 201(g)(1) of...

Campbell vitamin C labeling incorrect.
May 1, 2002... Campbell Soup Co has received a warning letter from the US Food and Drug Administration concerning the labeling of its Prego Three Cheese Pasta Sauce, which says it contains 25% of the Recommended Daily Intake of vitamin C. However, according...

Antibody-containing eggs "are drugs".
May 1, 2002... Eggs containing antibodies are classified as unlicensed drugs and must not be sold as dietary supplements, the US Food and Drug Administration has told their marketer, OvImmune of Columbus, Ohio. The company had been selling the eggs over...

Olestra complaints to FDA "near 20,000".
May 1, 2002... The Center for Science in the Public Interest has sent the Food and Drug Administration over 200 new adverse reaction complaints from consumers eating snack foods containing the indigestible fat substitute olestra. It says the number of reports...

Growing health consciousness brings green tea drinking to the fore in Japan.
May 1, 2002... Green tea has been associated with Japan over centuries, but trendy young consumers have moved to soft and energy-related drinks in their search for health and fulfilment. However, it appears that there has been a reversal to this trend in the...

76% of Tokyo's health food labels violate law.
May 1, 2002... In Japan, the Tokyo metropolitan government's Bureau of Public Health has checked the labels of 80 health food products bought in pharmacies or drug stores, or by mail order, and found violations of at least one of the country's laws concerning...

US Trade Commissioner urges industry and media to act on deceptive supp claims.
May 1, 2002... US Federal Trade Commissioner Sheila Anthony has called on the dietary supplement industry to set up "more and better" self-regulation in order to combat the deceptive and fraudulent claims being made for such products. Speaking at the...

Biogenics to destroy ephedrine products.
May 1, 2002... Biogenics of St George, Utah, trading as E'OLA International, has signed a consent decree with the US Food and Drug Administration banning it from making "violative" products. These include AMP II Pro Drops, any product containing ephedrine...

UAE, Nigeria view food fortification.
May 1, 2002... Nigeria's Minister of Industry, Chief Kola Jamodu, has called on flour, sugar and vegetable oil producers in the country to fortify their products with vitamin A, according to the Vanguard news service. The Minister said that vitamin A...

China aims to decode TMC's genetic info.
May 1, 2002... China's government has started a program aimed at decoding the genetic information in traditional Chinese medicines and herbal remedies, reports the state-run Xinhua News Agency, and so discover how these traditional products affect the human...

Pakistan popularizing traditional medicines.
May 1, 2002... Pakistan's Health Minister, Abdul Malik Kasi, said last month at a prize distribution ceremony at the Faculty of Eastern Medicine that there is an urgent need to promote and strengthen traditional medicines in the country, reports the local...

WHO/FAO call for Codex comments.
May 1, 2002... The Food Standards Program, developed by the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization and implemented by the Codex Alimentarius Commission, is undergoing in-depth, independent evaluation to meet the needs of the...

India to publish ayurvedic tracts on the Internet in six languages.
May 1, 2002... India has decided to make some of the most important tracts of knowledge relating to the country's traditional ayurvedic medicine available to the international community, initially in six languages, via the Internet. The body of the data comes...

Herbalife acquired by Whitney and Golden Gate in $685 million deal.
May 1, 2002... Herbalife International of the USA has announced that it is to be acquired by private equity firms Whitney & Co and Golden Gate Capital in a transaction valued at approximately $685 million. The agreement calls for each holder of Class A and...

USANA terminates deal to sell business to Gull Sub.
May 1, 2002... Salt Lake City, USA-based USANA Health Sciences has terminated plans to sell its business to a new entity, Gull Sub, wholly-owned by Gull Holdings which, in turn, is 100% owned by USANA chairman Myron Wentz (NI vol 7, no 4). Gull holds a 49.5%...

Supplement industry enjoys growth in Japan.
May 1, 2002... Despite the recession in Japan, the country's dietary supplement industry, excluding the functional foods segment, grew 20% to just under 1,000 billion yen ($7.69 billion) in 2001, according to a report in Health Industry News, published in...

Kenya opens mobile herbal medicine facility.
May 1, 2002... A mobile factory to process herbal medicines has begun operating in Kenya, according to the Daily Nation newspaper, which notes that the facility is the only one of its kind in the Common Markets in Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region....

Nutraceutix signs major alliance with ADM as 2001 losses are posted.
May 1, 2002... Archer Daniels Midland and Nutraceutix have signed an exclusive licensing agreement whereby ADM's Nature Health and Nutrition unit will use the latter's CDT (Controlled Delivery Technology) to develop and market dietary supplements. The first...

Gum Tech changing name to Matrixx.
May 1, 2002... The USA's Gum Tech International says it is asking shareholders to approve a change in the company's name to Matrixx Initiatives, to reflect its exit from the functional chewing gum market. Chief executive Carl Johnson said the change "is the...

Sentex to acquire Natunola Health.
May 1, 2002... Canada's Sentex Systems has announced plans to acquire fellow Ontario- based firm Natunola Health. Financial details were not disclosed, but the firms said that the purchase price will be dependant upon the operating results of the latter group...

Perrigo gets NSF approval.
May 1, 2002... The Perrigo Company of the USA says that it is the first company globally to successfully earn the National Sanitary Foundation International Good Manufacturing Practices Registration for vitamin and nutritional supplement production at its...

Lower Q1 earnings for Nature's Sunshine.
May 1, 2002... Nature's Sunshine Products of the USA, which manufactures and markets encapsulated herbs and vitamins, has announced that net earnings for the first quarter of 2002 are anticipated to be approximately 50% below analyst estimates of $0.20 per...

Burcon Nutra raises C$3.3 million.
May 1, 2002... Burcon NutraScience Corp of Vancouver, Canada, is looking to raise over C$3.3 million ($2.1 million) through a private placement, some of the proceeds of which will be used to further refine its protein extraction and purification technology,...

MAF acquires Boulder Bar brand.
May 1, 2002... MAF BioNutritionals, a US company that specializes in whole-food nutraceuticals, has acquired the Boulder Bar Endurance brand for an undisclosed sum. The brand, which is currently being manufactured and sold by the company of the same name, is...

Vitamin sales down 2% at Roche.
May 1, 2002... Roche of Switzerland, which recently announced that it intends to dispose of its vitamins and fine chemicals unit (NI vol 7, no 3), has reported a 2.9% sales decrease (in local currencies) for the first quarter of 2002 for the division....

Disappointing sales for Nestle.
May 1, 2002... Switzerland's Nestle, the world's largest food manufacturing and marketing group, says that consolidated group sales for the first quarter of 2002 increased 10.1% to 21.30 billion Swiss francs ($12.76 billion), helped by the contribution of...

Italy's Aboca opens US subsidiary.
May 1, 2002... Aboca, an Italy-based herbal products company, has opened a wholly- owned subsidiary, Aboca USA, in Seattle, which the firm says will be responsible for sales, marketing and distribution of its products in the USA and Canada. Anna Tucci,...

France's NPC looking to raise 2.4 mill euros.
May 1, 2002... NPC, a French producer of protein-enriched dietary and nutritional products, has launched a share issue which is designed to raise some 2.4 million euros ($2.1 million). Once the operation has been completed, which the firm hopes will attract a...

Danone seeking Evian distributor in USA?
May 1, 2002... Groupe Danone has declined to comment on a report in the Wall Street Journal that it is in talks with either Cadbury Schweppes or Coca-Cola over reaching a distribution deal for the French group's Evian mineral water in the USA.

Natural Health Trends revenues soar.
May 1, 2002... The USA's Natural Health Trends Corp has reported revenues for fiscal 2001 of approximately $24.8 million, nearly 300% up on the figure for 2000, which was primarily due to sales of its Lexxus products, while its eKaire business, which sells...

Natrol posts major loss for 2001.
May 1, 2002... Natrol of the USA says that its fourth-quarter 2001 sales were $14.9 million, down 17.2% compared to the like, year-earlier period. Net loss was $23.0 million versus a loss of $3.0 million, which the firm noted was the result of a charge of $20...

Advanced Plant in pact with Wise.
May 1, 2002... Advanced Plant Pharmaceuticals, a company that develops all-natural dietary supplements, has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with fellow US firm Wise Nutrition, whereby the latter will market its products throughout Central and South...

Naturade happy with progress in 2001.
May 1, 2002... Naturade of the USA has reported results for 2001 that show a 9.4% increase in net sales to $17.1 million, driven by strong demand for its Total Soy brand, protein powders and aloe vera products. Net loss rose 28.6% to $2.7 million or $0.36 per...

Pure World revenues slide in 2001.
May 1, 2002... Pure World has posted 2001 revenues of nearly $18.4 million for 2001, 24% down on the previous year, while net loss leapt 81.1% to $2.9 million. The company said that results were "hurt by the uncertainties after September 11," but added that...

Strong revenue growth at Forbes.
May 1, 2002... Canada's Forbes Medi-Tech notes that phytosterol revenues, including licensing fees, for the five months ended December 31, 2001, were C$3.7 million ($2.4 million), compared with C$5.8 million for the year ended July 31, 2001, which the firm...

Twinlab first-quarter sales decline.
May 1, 2002... Twinlab Corp of the USA has reported net income of $3.7 million, or $0.13 per share, for the first quarter of 2002, compared with a loss of $15.9 million or $0.56 per share for the like, year-earlier period. Sales declined 8.5% to $48.2...

PepsiCo profits up on Gatorade sales.
May 1, 2002... PepsiCo says that earnings before special items rose 14% to $681 million, or $0.38 per share, for the first quarter of 2002, while sales reached $5.10 billion, an increase of 4.9% compared with the like, year-earlier period. The company noted...

IMNI acquires 90% interest in SoySlim.
May 1, 2002... Interactive Multimedia Network Inc says that it has acquired a 90% interest in SoySlim, a New Jersey, USA-based firm, claiming the move is "an integral step to further its entrance into the health and wellness consumer product industry." No...

BioGaia to focus on functional foods.
May 1, 2002... BioGaia AB of Sweden has announced a strategic decision to focus on the human health area, such as functional foods and health care marketing units. The company will also sell its subsidiary, BioGaia Fermentation, change its strategy for animal...

Natural and Cognis in CLA licensing deal.
May 1, 2002... The Norwegian dietary R&D company Natural ASA has signed a memorandum with nutritional ingredients and specialty chemicals company Cognis of Germany for licensing the use of Natural's conjugated linoleic acid in food products, dietary...

Nutri Pharma reports 239% revenue growth.
May 1, 2002... Norway-based Nutri Pharma ASA has reported first-quarter 2002 revenue growth of 239% to 13.4 million Norwegian kroner ($1.6 million), as a result of its joint venture with Nycomed Pharma. The operating loss for the period was 20 million kroner,...

Brown rice deemed a health food in Japan.
May 1, 2002... Rice-eating Japanese have traditionally plumped for the white variety but this attitude may be changing because brown rice is gaining attention as a health food. The Yomiuri newspaper attributes the change in the perception of brown rice...

Calpis unveils plans for non-seasonal Ameal S functional health drink.
May 1, 2002... Calpis Co, a leading Japanese producer of condensed lactic acid drinks, mineral waters and fruit juices, is putting its marketing muscle behind Ameal S, a new functional health drink, to overcome what it describes as a dependence on...

Muller launches Yakult, Actimel rival in UK.
May 1, 2002... Muller Dairy of Germany's UK subsidiary has launched a new extension in its Vitality range of probiotic functional foods in the UK that will enter a sector currently dominated by Yakult and Danone. The Muller Vitality Drink product which, like...

1st markets ex-Japan for Yakult line extension.
May 1, 2002... Yakult Honsha of Japan has launched the first extension to its product line outside Japan with the introduction of Yakult Light in the UK and certain other European countries, such as Belgium. The new product, which corresponds to the Yakult LT...

Mangajo soy drinks.
May 1, 2002... Mangajo Soya Essentials, a range of three new soy-based milkshakes/smoothies which also contain probiotic cultures, has been introduced in limited areas of the UK (London and the south east). The line comes in chocolate, strawberry & rhubarb...

Men's Bread launched in USA by French Meadow.
May 1, 2002... French Meadow Bakery of the USA, best known in the nutraceuticals arena for its Women's Bread line, has extended its range to accommodate the other gender. Men's Bread, made with sprouted fava beans (described on the bread's label as a "natural...

Medifast's soy-based meal for diabetics.
May 1, 2002... Medifast of the USA has launched a line of soy-based meal replacement products for diabetics that includes shakes, bars, soups, oatmeal, chilli and ready-to-drink beverages, in its home market. All the products are low in fat, sugar, calories...

Vitamins C and E cut progression of transplant-associated atherosclerosis.
May 1, 2002... Supplementation of patients undergoing heart transplants with a mixture of vitamins C and E has been shown to lead to a significant reduction in the early progression of transplant-associated coronary atherosclerosis, according to a new study...

n-3 fatty acids prevent risk of sudden death.
May 1, 2002... Men with no prior history of cardiovascular disease, but who have high blood levels of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids from oily fish such as mackerel, can cut their risk of sudden death from myocardial infarction by up to 81%, according to a...

Negative St John's wort study slammed by critics.
May 1, 2002... A study of an extract of the herb St John's wort (LI 160) in moderate- to-severe depression, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (April 10) has found that it was no better than placebo on two primary measures of...

Next Pharma unveils kava alternative.
May 1, 2002... Next Pharmaceuticals has introduced what it says is a safe and effective alternative to kava kava, the calming herb that has been linked to serious side effects (NIs passim). The product, called Relora, is a proprietary blend of patent-pending...

Nutrition 21 to test chromium/biotin combo in diabetes.
May 1, 2002... Nutrition 21 has started a clinical trial of its proprietary combination of chromium picolinate and biotin, Diachrome, in people with type 2 diabetes, that will attempt to gauge both the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the intervention.

Cehmi Nutra launches new sports/anti-aging ingredient.
May 1, 2002... Chemi Nutraceuticals has launched a novel soluble alpha-glyceryl phosphoryl choline specialty product for use in sports nutrition and anti-aging nutritional supplements. The product is suitable for use in powdered mixes, drinks, bars and other...

Questcor launches VSL#3 probiotic in USA.
May 1, 2002... Questcor Pharmaceuticals has started shipping the first batches of VSL#3, a patented probiotic preparation of eight highly-concentrated species of live freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria, in the USA. The firm said it had obtained the rights to...

TalkingRain launches vitamin waters.
May 1, 2002... A new line of enhanced vitamin waters has been introduced in the USA by TalkingRain Beverage Company. The range, called VitaRain, has been launched in regional grocery chains, as well as convenience and club stores, throughout the US north...

Monarch relaunches AllSport energy drink.
May 1, 2002... AllSport Body Quencher, the sports drink purchased by Monarch from Pepsico last year (NI vol 6, no 7), has been relaunched by the Atlanta- based company as a non-carbonated product. The beverage now comes in eight new flavors and offers 33%...

ADL unveils new oat fiber beverages.
May 1, 2002... Management and technology consulting company Arthur D Little says it has developed a series of fresh beverage formulations containing a soluble dietary fiber that, trials have shown, can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Working...

Forthcoming meetings/events.
May 1, 2002... - Natural Products Expo Europe, organized by New Hope Natural Media and Penton Media Europe, will be held June 12-13 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. More details are available on the conference web site (www.expoeurope.com) or by phone on +44...

People on the move.
May 1, 2002... - Danish ingredients giant Danisco is on the lookout for a new chairman following the announcement that Hugo Schroeder will step down later this year; - Paul Coussement has been named chief financial officer at France's prebiotic...