Nutraceuticals International articles from May 2005

Nutraceuticals International archives from May 2005

Delays in EU legislation - continued uncertainties on products.(European Union)
May 1, 2005... The incredibly long delay in the harmonization of European Union food legislation is now having a serious impact on both the short- and long- term market planning for the nutraceuticals and supplements industries across Europe. The...

EU DHA patent ruling for Martek.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Martek Biosciences says that it has received a favorable decision from the Appeal Board of the European Patent Office relating to one of its European DHA patents, covering primarily production processes and human and animal food uses. The...

Finland: food supps ingredient derogation.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Plans for Finland to derogate vitamins and minerals and ingredients thereof not listed in Annexes I and II of the European Union Food Supplements Directive have recently been published on the web site of the country's National Food Agency. ...

MEPs drop "healthy" food label need.(Members of the European Parliament )
May 1, 2005... Members of the European Parliament on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee, on April 21, adopted the report by Adriana Poli Bortone (UEN, Italy) on nutritional health claims made on foods by 30 votes to 15 (NI vol 10, no 2)....

EP: no compromise on claims proposal.(European Parliament)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The European Parliament's Environment Committee has been unable to reach a compromise on the controversial "claims"proposal. It will now be up to the new Parliament to adopt a position later this year, comments the Brussels, Belgium-based...

Denmark first to debut vit D campaign.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Recent nutrition guidelines advise that people living in Nordic regions, particularly the elderly and dark-skinned immigrants, are at risk of vitamin D deficiency and an intake of 5mcg-7.5mcg per day for two-60 year olds and 10mcg a day for...

71% of Americans aged 50+ use alternative meds, says study; more research needed.
May 1, 2005... 71% of US adults over age 50 use some kind of alternative medicine such as herbal medicine, a new study has found. While previous research has been limited, this appears to be a higher rate than occurs within the general population, said...

FDA ban on ephedra struck down in court.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Judge Tena Campbell of the US state of Utah's Federal District Court has ruled the Food and Drug Administration has failed to prove that ephedra at low doses is dangerous and that, without such proof, it lacks authority to ban the ingredient...

US MyPyramid failing to engage the young, less affluent and minorities, poll shows.(dietary supplement guidelines )
May 1, 2005... 52% of Americans say that they are "not likely" to follow the recommendation of the new US Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines and Food Pyramid, entitled MyPyramid, to consume at least nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day,...

IoM study calls for changes in WIC program to implement nutritional advances.(Institute of Medicine)
May 1, 2005... The Institute of Medicine of the US National Academies has proposed a number of changes to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, to encourage participants to eat more whole grains, fruits and vegetables,...

Cargill sees opportunities to impact rising health costs through functional foods.(Cargill Health & Food Technologies )
May 1, 2005... The USA's food and beverage manufacturers can positively impact today's rising health care costs by developing products that address specific health and lifestyle issues, according to Cargill Health & Food Technologies president Ted Ziemann....

US NAS gives calcium intake guide.
May 1, 2005... The USA's National Academy of Sciences recommends that individuals consume 500mg-1,300mg of calcium daily but, according to the US Department of Agriculture, all age groups fall short on getting the calcium that they need each day. About...

Govts, UN slam vitamin-maker's HIV/AIDS claims; TAC goes to court.
May 1, 2005... The World Health Organization, the United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS and UNICEF, the UN Children's Fund, have condemned as "wrong and misleading" an advertising campaign promoting the benefits of vitamin therapy over antiretroviral treatment...

25%+ of health supps in China "are fake".(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The China Health Care Association has reported that more than 25% of health supplements sold in China are counterfeit and make false claims. Over a quarter of the 767 fake products found, in an examination of 2,951 supplements sold through...

Australian tea-tree oil: EU safety concerns.
May 1, 2005... Growing European Union concerns about the safety of Australian tea tree oil's medicinal uses have prompted emergency talks in Canberra about future prospects for the local industry. A spokesman for the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer...

Serious herb/vitamin reactions in Australia.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Common vitamins and herbs are causing life-threatening reactions in dozens of Australians every year, according to a Therapeutic Goods Administration report, entitled Serious adverse drug reactions. This shows that people taking ill-advised...

Subsidies for Japan's health foods industry.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Subsidies of up to $46.0 million per company are being offered to Japanese firms involved in the manufacturing/marketing of health food products by the Labor Department of Japan's Nigata prefecture, which aims to develop this sector. ...

Malaysia should use herbal extraction technology to leapfrog into biotech.
May 1, 2005... In order for Malaysia to gain a winning advantage in the biotechnology industry, the country needs to change its rules and have a fitting technological platform, according to Rajen M, chief executive of Tropical Botanics Sdn Bhd. Herbal...

Malaysia launches policy for herbals.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... A National Biotechnology Policy was set to be launched in Malaysia at the end of last month by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, according to reports carried by the Bernama News Agency and the New Straits Times newspaper, which...

Japan's nutritional supplements market grows to $11.1 billion; Yamaguchi report.
May 1, 2005... The Japanese market for nutritional supplements has been growing steadily for the last 10 years, despite the overall economic downturn in the country, according to a new report from Paul Yamaguchi & Associates. In 1994, the market was...

FDA health claim warranted for garlic in preventing heart disease, say experts.
May 1, 2005... A panel of international medical and scientific experts on garlic has concluded that there is ample evidence to warrant the granting of an official health claim recognizing the numerous benefits of garlic in the prevention of cardiovascular...

Australian vit industry pushes govt on US FTA.(vitamin industry)(free trade agreement)
May 1, 2005... Australia's Free Trade Agreement with the USA includes provisions that force local pharmaceutical companies to prove their new products do not infringe existing patents, and the Australian vitamin industry is pressing Federal Health Minister...

Indonesia govt slammed on herbals.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... With some 30,000 species of herbal plants, Indonesia ranks second behind Brazil as a producer of herbal plants, according to Peter Saerang, chairman of the Indonesian Herbal Medicine Businessmen Association and president director of PT Nyonya...

Indian state moves on non-licensed supps.(Maharashtra)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Food and Drug Administration in the Indian state of Maharashtra has banned the sale, effective July 1, of all dietary supplements, food tablets or capsules and liquid lozenges prescribed as orals which do not have a license under the Drug...

New Japanese GMP for dietary supps.(Good Manufacturing Practices)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Japan Health Food & Nutrition Food Association has recently announced the start of a new Good Manufacturing Practices approval system for dietary supplements, in response to the Japanese government's call for a self-check system for the...

Safety of CLA in long-term body fat reduction confirmed in landmark study.(conjugated linoleic acid)
May 1, 2005... A two-year study published in the April issue of the Journal of Nutrition concludes that long-term supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (Cognis Nutrition & Health's Tonalin CLA brand was used) is safe and well-tolerated. Furthermore,...

Nutrition 21's Diachrome improves cardiovascular risk factors in type 2 diabetes.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... US firm Nutrition 21 has reported results from a new randomized, double- blind, placebo-controlled multicenter trial which showed daily supplementation with Diachrome, a combination of Chromax chromium picolinate and biotin, significantly...

Soy/fish oils may help prevent heart attacks.
May 1, 2005... Taking daily supplements of fish or soy oil may improve cardiac function and protect against heart attacks in the short term. Study results published in CHEST, the journal of the American College of Chest Physicians (April issue), are the first...

Cognis introduces vegetarian Xangold.(Cognis Nutrition and Health)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Cognis Nutrition & Health of Switzerland has launched its first vegetarian lutein esters beadlet, Xangold 10% GFB worldwide. The product, a natural-source eye health ingredient, also carries kosher, gelatin-free, non-genetically modified and...

Seimovskaya Poultry Farm debuts new eggs.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The Seimovskaya Poultry Farm in Russia's Nizhny Novgorod region has recently started producing "rejuvenating" eggs which contain selenium and vitamin E, according to the RIA Novosti news agency. A television advertising campaign has...

Pepsi starts selling Gatorade in Chennai.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... International drinks giant Pepsi has begun retailing its sports nutrition beverage Gatorade in Chennia, India, reports the Hindu Business Online. The company has kicked off a consumer education and sampling initiative across the top gyms...

Trinity unveils new drinks line.(Trinity Springs Ltd.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Trinity Springs has introduced its new range of nutrient-enriched water products, Trinity Enhanced, at the Natural Products Expo held in California, USA. The drinks have been formulated to "nourish your body and pleasure your palate," according...

Global/Image Nutri debuts two products.(Global/Image Nutrition; Diet Java Max Coffee )(Type 2 Health Formula Capsules )(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The USA's Global/Image Nutrition has announced the availability of two new, natural diet products - Diet Java Max Coffee and Type 2 Health Formula Capsules. Diet Java Max is comprised of a blend of quality and carefully-selected coffee...

Pharmanex presents G3 super fruit juice.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Nu Skin Enterprises says that its R&D division, Pharmanex, has launched a fruit juice packed full of nutrients and an exceptionally high amount of antioxidants. Marketed as G3, the firm says that the drink's carotenoid antioxidants are...

DHA and ARA aid infant development.(docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid)
May 1, 2005... Infant formula supplemented with docosahexaenoic acid and arachidonic acid significantly benefits infant development, according to two new studies. One showed benefits to visual acuity in term infants, while the other demonstrated enhanced...

Vits E and C shown to be safe at high dose.
May 1, 2005... 14 leading safety and antioxidant experts have reviewed the available scientific literature on vitamins E and C, from which they conclude that vitamin E is safe for the general population at intakes up to 1,600 IU (International Units) daily...

Red Diamond takes over Nutritional Labs.(Red Diamond Capital; Nutritional Laboratories International.)
May 1, 2005... Nutritional Laboratories International of the USA, a formulator and manufacturer of nutritional supplements based in Missoula, Montana, has effectively been taken over by private equity firm Red Diamond Capital. Under the terms of the deal,...

NutraCea plans to merge with RiceX.
May 1, 2005... California, USA-based NutraCea, which produces nutritional supplements and related products derived from stabilized rice bran, has signed a definitive agreement to merge with RiceX, a manufacturer of the raw material which NutraCea uses. ...

Atkins introduces glycemic-load labelling.(Atkins Nutritionals Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Atkins Nutritionals has launched Net Atkins Count, the first scientifically-validated glycemic-load labeling system, in response to an abundance of scientific research which indicates that a controlled- carbohydrate diet improves glycemic...

Mosaic gives launch date for Noni Chews.(Mosaic Nutraceuticals)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Mosaic Nutraceuticals is planning to launch its Premium Noni Chews, which utilize a patented technology to provide a convenient way to obtain a daily supply of noni, or the Morinda citrifidia plant, on June 30. "We believe that consumers will...

Nisshin Pharma debuts CoQ10.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Tokyo, Japan-headquartered Nisshin Pharma says it will distribute Water- soluble CoQ10 Hard Capsule, a nutritional supplement of coenzyme CoQ10, from April 20. The new product contains high-concentration, water- soluble coenzyme Q10, is easy to...

Nautilus sells SunWater aloe vera water.(Nautilus Mineral Waters of America Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Nautilus Mineral Waters of America, which focuses on the private-label bottled water industry, has kicked off sales of its SunWater, an all- natural aloe vera drink made from spring water and 33mg of ACTIValoe - organically sun-grown aloe vera...

PowerBar adds to women's nutrition line.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... California, USA-based PowerBar has expanded its women's nutrition product line with Powerbar PRIA Complete Nutrition, which is comprised of nutrient-dense bars and shakes specifically designed for females. The new product line, which...

Concern over Splenda marketing claims.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... A recent article by WebMD states that a growing number of experts are questioning claims made by health care giant Johnson & Johnson about its chlorinated artificial sweetener Splenda, which carries the slogan "is made from sugar, so tastes...

Les 3 Chenes nutra sales leap 41%.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Lyon, France-based nutraceuticals manufacturer Les 3 Chenes has reported strong growth in the market for nutritional supplements, slimming products and plant-based "wellness" products. Sales rose 41% last year to 22.7 million euros ($28.7...

Danone sees 5.1% sales growth in 1st qtr.(DANONE Group)
May 1, 2005... France's Groupe Danone has posted a 5.1% sales rise in the first quarter of 2005 versus the same year-ago period although changes in exchange rates had a negative effect of 1.2% while the scope of consolidation negatively impacted revenue 3.1%....

Ukraine's Umam receives $1M credit.(International Commercial Bank)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... The vitamin producer in Umam of the Ukraine has received credit worth $1.0 million from the Kyiv-based International Commercial Bank for the purpose of launching the production of new products, according to the Interfax news agency. The...

Walmark plans $17.1M plant expansion.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Tomas Macura, the chief executive of Walmark, a dietary supplements and pharmaceuticals producer based in the Czech Republic, says that the company plans to invest 400.0 million koruna ($17.1 million) in expanding its production capacities this...

Natraceutical buys Braes for 80M euros.(Braes Group)
May 1, 2005... Spanish functional-foods company Natraceutical has acquired UK rival Braes Group for 80.0 million euros ($102.7 million) as the first step in its international expansion strategy, which envisages future acquisitions or partnerships with...

Dozens of bidders for Spain's Panrico.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... A slew of international private-equity groups including Permira, CVC, PAI Partners, Suala, Carlyle, Advent and Vestar have joined Spanish rivals Vista Capital and Mercapital to bid over 600.0 million euros($770.0 million) each for Spain's...

National Starch and Limagrain collaborate.(National Starch Food Innovation; Limagrain Crales Ingredients.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... UK firm National Starch Food Innovation and France's Limagrain Cereales Ingredients have agreed to collaborate in the field of wholesome, natural ingredient solutions for the food industry. The alliance will combine NSFI's long history of...

Arla/Campina deal off.(Arla Foods Ingredients A.m.b.a. acquires Campina)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Cooperative dairy companies Campina of the Netherlands and Denmark's Arla Foods have called off their talks on a proposed merger.

Strong 1st-qtr start for Numico; sales rise 12%.(Royal Numico)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Dutch group Royal Numico says that it has had a "great start [to 2005] for baby food and clinical nutrition," with net sales growing 12% on a comparable basis (+10.8% actual) to 444.0 million euros ($569.8 million) for the first quarter of...

PAI to buy Chr Hansen's ingredient business.(PAI Partners., Chr., Hansen Group A/S.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... French buy-out group PAI Partners has reached an agreement with Danish firm Chr Hansen Holding to acquire its food ingredients activities. The purchase price is reported to be 1.1 billion euros ($1.4 billion), which is more than the 700.0...

Nestle in deal with India's Avesthagen.(Avestha Gengraine)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Nestle Nutrition, a unit of Switzerland's Nestle SA, the world's largest food and beverage company, and Bangalore, India-based Avesthagen have agreed on an R&D program which aims to validate, through innovative research, the role of nutritional...

Numico close to settling 36 ephedra cases.(Royal Numico)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Netherlands-based baby food and clinical nutrition maker Royal Numico says that it has reached a tentative settlement which, if approved by the courts, will result in the dismissal of 36 ephedra cases in which US firm General Nutrition Centers...

Reducol revenues drive Forbes forward.(Forbes Medi-Tech Inc.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Forbes Medi-Tech of Canada says revenues for 2004 totaled C$17.6 million ($13.9 million), a rise of 23.1% compared with the year before, while net loss plunged to C$8.0 million or C$0.25 a share, from a loss of C$2.1 million, or C$0.09 per...

Vital Living confident it will have good 2005.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... Vital Living of Phoenix, Arizona, USA has reported its financials for 2004 which show that revenues from continuing operations shot up to almost $4.2 million from $498,000 the year before. Net loss was down 4.4% to $26.0 million, or $0.03 per...

Tough 2004 for PacificHealth Labs.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... PacificHealth Laboratories, a US sports nutrition firm based in Matawan, New Jersey, has posted a 25.9% increase in revenues to $6.8 million for the year ended December 2004, while its net loss was $2.5 million, or $0.25 per share, a leap of...

NHT earnings slump.(Natural Health Trends Corp.)(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... US direct-sales company Natural Health Trends, which specializes in multivitamins and mineral supplements, says sales rose 113% to $133.2 million for 2004, but net income was only $1.2 million, or $0.18 per share, down from $4.7 million, or...

Forthcoming meetings/events.(Calendar)
May 1, 2005... l Product Innovation in Functional Drinks - Capitalizing on the growing market for health and wellness beverages, is the subject of a one-day meeting to be held June 23, at the Holiday Inn Regent's Park, London UK. For more details, see...

People on the move.(Brief Article)
May 1, 2005... - Following the acquisition of the health care business of US firm Genencor, Danish company Danisco has announced the following senior personnel changes: Danisco executive vice president Robert Mayer becomes chief executive and chairman of the...