Nutraceuticals International articles from November 2007

Nutraceuticals International archives from November 2007

Health Food Manufacturers Assoc gets legal opinion on maximum levels.
November 1, 2007... New legal advice obtained exclusively by the UK-based Health Food Manufacturers' Association has delivered a major boost to those companies and organizations campaigning for the continued availability of higher potency vitamin and mineral...

France consults on borderline food/supps.(French food authority)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The French food authority (DGCCRF) has opened a national consultation on the interpretation of the definition of food supplements (defined by Directive 2002/46/EC), and in particular the borderline with conventional foods. The DGCCRF is...

UK to update on trans fatty acids.
November 1, 2007... The UK's Secretary of State for Health, Alan Johnson, has asked for the Food Standards Agency's advice on the evidence in relation to trans fatty acids (TFAs) and whether or not they should be restricted. The Agency has been asked to...

Supps should not be subject to nutrient profiling.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Food supplements should be exempted from nutrient profiling, the relevant trade organization has said, as the European Food Safety Authority prepares its opinion on the system's feasibility (NIs passim). The European Federation of...

EC launches healthy cooking/eating day.
November 1, 2007... The Health Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, has launched the "European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking," which aims to encourage healthy eating amongst children, with a view to tackling the rising childhood obesity levels in Europe. Across...

EFSA updates on evaluations of nutrient sources in food supplements and food.
November 1, 2007... The European Food Safety Authority has issued an update on the evaluation of nutrient sources in food supplements and food. During 2005, the EFSA says it received approximately 500 dossiers relating to nutrient substances added to food...

Differing rules confuse EU botanicals market.(European Union)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Complex national rules can become a relative minefield for companies marketing their botanical products across different European Union member states markets, an industry consultant has said. Patrick Coppens, food law manager at Brussels,...

ILSI explains its Functional Foods Task Force activities and progress.(International Life Sciences Institute)
November 1, 2007... The International Life Sciences Institute, a global network of scientists devoted to enhancing the scientific basis for public health decision-making, has established a group on functional foods, and explains its objectives. The Functional...

Significant advances in dietary supps research highlighted in US ODS report.
November 1, 2007... Studying the risks and benefits of dietary supplements has always posed unique challenges to researchers. To potentially support conclusive recommendations, these studies must enroll thousands of people and follow them for years. Additionally,...

NPA submits view on cGMPs to US FDA.(Natural Products Association)(United States. Food and Drug Administration)(current Good Manufacturing Practices)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The US Natural Products Association has submitted its comments to the Food and Drug Administration surrounding the use of, and forthcoming guidance on the Interim Final Rule regarding the IFR as it relates to the current Good Manufacturing...

US FTC stops international spamming enterprise that sold bogus Hoodia.
November 1, 2007... Spammers must stop sending unwanted and illegal e-mail messages about hoodia weight-loss products and human growth hormone anti-aging products that the US Federal Trade Commission alleges do not work. At the FTC's request, a district court...

NIH study illustrates children's vitamin consumption habits in the USA.
November 1, 2007... A US National Institutes of Health study is calling for individual and national estimates of children's nutrient intakes to account for the consumption of dietary supplements. Published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatrics &...

New foundation to advance US FDA.(Food and Drug Administration)(Reagan-Udall Foundation)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The US Food and Drug Administration has announced that it is seeking nominations from patient and consumer advocacy groups, professional scientific and medical societies, and industry trade organizations to serve on the board of directors of...

Around $71,000 of dietary supplements seized at US FDA's request.
November 1, 2007... At the request of the US Food and Drug Administration, Marshals in the USA last month seized on approximately $71,000 of goods from FulLife Natural Options, of Boca Raton, Florida, which were being marketed and distributed as Charantea Ampalaya...

US FDA expresses concerns on herbal gripe water which contains a parasite.(United States. Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The US Food and Drug Administration has warned people not to consume Baby's Bliss Gripe Water, apple flavor, with a code of 26952V and expiration date of October 2008 (shown as "10/08" on the label), distributed by MOM Enterprises of San...

IADSA says health claims based only on human intervention studies unrealistic.
November 1, 2007... Basing health claims only on evidence from human intervention studies is not feasible, the International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) has warned as Codex prepares to discuss its draft recommendations on the...

Japan reclassifies L-citruline as gen food.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has announced the approval of L-citruline, previously classified as a "non-drug," as a general food material, but not as a food additive. A daily maximum intake of the substance level has not,...

US CRN petitions FDA on cGMP, asking for exemption of 100% identity testing.
November 1, 2007... The US Council for Responsible Nutrition has written to the Food and Drug Administration with comments regarding the Good Manufacturing Practices Interim Final Rule (IFR): Petition to Request an Exemption from 100% Identity Testing of Dietary...

Omega fatty acids feature at Asia conf.
November 1, 2007... Research presented at the Third Asian Congress on Pediatric Nutrition in Beijing, China, provides strong support for fatty acid intake during pregnancy, infancy and early childhood. Of particular focus were the omega-3 fatty acid,...

Probiotic trial research review finds Bifantis able to claim IBS symptom efficacy.
November 1, 2007... A new analysis of randomized, controlled trials evaluating probiotics in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome has found that Bifantis, Bifidobacterium infantis 35624, the sole ingredient in Align, manufactured by Procter & Gamble, is the...

Asia impacting global nutrition policy.
November 1, 2007... Global policies are increasingly affecting how food products should be formulated, which claims can be made for them, and even whether products can be advertised, an industry expert has said. Speaking about an upcoming workshop being...

Canada issues new vits/mins monograph.
November 1, 2007... Health Canada, the Canadian regulatory authority which governs dietary supplements and health foods, as well as medicines, has published a new multivitamin/mineral monograph for natural health products. The new monograph will help to make...

Probiotics play critical role in pediatric health health and immunity, symp hears.
November 1, 2007... Probiotics have become such a trend in consumer food products that their scientific evidence and clinical benefits may often be overlooked. But probiotics, or "good bacteria," deserve attention from pediatric clinicians, said presenters at a...

Grapes in diet reduce heart failure risk.
November 1, 2007... New results presented at the Second International Symposium on Human Health Effects of Fruits and Vegetables in Houston, Texas, USA, last month showed that a grape-enriched diet improved cardiac function, prevented enlargement of the heart and...

New data links folic acid to higher cancer rates, casts doubt on supplementation.
November 1, 2007... Two recent commentaries appearing in the November issue of the journal Nutrition Reviews revealed that the introduction of flour fortified with folic acid into common foods was followed by an increase in colon cancer diagnoses in the USA and...

VN/14-1 cuts tumor size in cancer models.
November 1, 2007... UK-based charity Cancer Research UK says that, in animal studies, VN/14-1, a compound that blocks the breakdown of vitamin A-derived retinoic acid, brought about a 50% reduction in the size of transplanted prostate tumors. Researchers at the...

Medical benefits of blackberry extract.(Four Tigers)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... American Association of Pharmaceuticals Scientists researchers at the University of Kentucky, USA, and the company Four Tigers are developing three new products using extracts from the blackberry. A study presented for the first time at the...

Chondroitin sulfate shows significant promise in the treatment of synovitis.
November 1, 2007... Barcelona, Spain-based Bioiberica has been instrumental in investigating the link between synovitis and osteoarthritis. In its compilation of study data, it has been concluded that synovitis may be present from the onset of the OA pathology and...

Yingxia harvesting rice aimed at diabetics.
November 1, 2007... China Yingxia International, a developer and provider of health food products in China, says that it has successfully harvested its W3660 breed of rice which is aimed at the diabetes market. Having visited the farms where the rice was...

Probiotics are a hot topic at US conference for gastroenterologists.(Conference news)
November 1, 2007... New research showing that probiotics can benefit health and positively impact the gastrointestinal tract was discussed at a symposium, Probiotics: Applications in Gastrointestinal Health and Disease held in conjunction with the 72nd Annual...

Twinlab launches Liver D-tox Fuel for athletes.
November 1, 2007... Michigan, USA-based Twinlab has launched Liver D-Tox Fuel, a daily liver detoxifying formula that combines L-glutathione and alpha lipoic acid along with the exclusive Purification Matrix formula. Designed with athletes in mind, Liver D-Tox is...

Nutrition 21 debuts Core4Life formula.
November 1, 2007... Nutrition 21, a US developer and marketer of chromium-based and omega-3 fish oil-based nutritional supplements, has announced the availability of a new nutritional supplement, Core4Life Advanced Memory Formula. The product contains a unique...

DSM and Kemin alliance on lutein.
November 1, 2007... Kemin Industries, Kemin Health (the creator of FloraGLO lutein the world's leading lutein brand) and DSM Nutritional Products, the major Dutch supplier of vitamins, carotenoids and nutraceuticals, have strengthened their strategic alliance to...

Abbott's Fruitified ZonePerfect launched.(Abbott Nutrition)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Ohio, USA-based Abbott Nutrition has launched Fruitified ZonePerfect Nutrition Bars, all-natural, antioxidant-packed snacks available in four flavors - apple cinnamon, blueberry, banana nut and orange cranberry. Each bar is a good source of...

InterACTIVE to be distributed in M East.(InterACTIVE Nutrition International Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Ottawa, Canada-based InterACTIVE Nutrition, a subsidiary of Natural Nutrition, has announced the signing of a letter of intent for distributing InterACTIVE Nutrition brand products in nine Middle Eastern countries. This agreement has been...

Unique New Zealand food ingredient gives Italian giant the edge.
November 1, 2007... A New Zealand food ingredient has captured the attention of European and Australian consumers, with its inclusion in unique, high-end products. The ingredient, Glucagel, is manufactured by New Zealand food ingredient company, GraceLinc, whose...

Probi's nine-months sales leap 51%.
November 1, 2007... Swedish probiotic R&D company Probi AB reported net sales of 30.6 million Swedish kronor ($4.x million) in January-September 2007 period, up 51% over the like 2006 figures, with third quarter turnover amounting to 10.4 million kronor. Within...

EU Commission clears Danone's buy of Numico, but with conditions.
November 1, 2007... The European Commission has approved the proposed $16.8 billion acquisition of the Dutch company Numico by the French Groupe Danone (NI vol 12, no 7), under the European Union Merger Regulation, but with conditions, given that both companies...

Cognis expands sterol plant.
November 1, 2007... Global specialty chemicals supplier Cognis has expanded sterol ester production capacities with a 10.0 million euros ($14.5 million) investment at its plant in Illertissen, Germany. The new facility at the company's international Nutrition &...

Direvo Biotech works with Danisco.
November 1, 2007... Cologne, Germany-headquartered Direvo Biotech AG, a leading company for bioengineered products and processes for industrial and pharmaceutical applications, has announced that an industrial enzyme protein engineering project, in collaboration...

Acquisitions hit Natraceutical's profit.
November 1, 2007... Spain-based nutritional supplements and biotechnology group Natraceutical has reported a sharp decline in profits for the first nine months of 2007, blaming the downturn to costs associated with recent acquisitions. Net profit for the...

Major revenue rise for Nutrition 21.(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... The USA's Nutrition 21, which specializes in chromium-based nutritional supplements, has posted a 171% rise in revenues for its fiscal first quarter ended September 30, 2007, to $12.7 million. Net loss was flat at $4.1 million, or $0.07 per...

Leiner Health sales decrease 36%.(Leiner Health Products Inc.)(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Leiner Health Products has posted its results for the second quarter of fiscal 2008 ended September 29 which reveal a loss of $26.3 million compared to net income of $6.1 million for the year-earlier period. Turnover fell 36.6% to $125.6...

Martek gets boost in Lonza DHA law suit.
November 1, 2007... The patent battle between Martek Biosciences Corp of the USA and Switzerland's Lonza over docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, continues to rage. The latest development saw a US District Court in Delaware enter a permanent...

BioAstin drives sales again at Cyanotech.
November 1, 2007... Hawaii-based Cyanotech Corp, which develops and markets natural products from microalgae, has posted its results for the fiscal second quarter ended September 30, 2007, which show that sales increased 5.2% compared to the like, year-earlier...

Enzymotec expands activities into Japan.(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Israel's Enzymotec and Itochu Chemical Frontier (ICF), a subsidiary of the giant Japanese trading company Itochu, will collaborate in the marketing of the former's products in the Japanese market. This agreement was to be be announced at the...

PureCircle completes deal for stevia.(Ghanzou Julong High Tech Food Industries)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based international food ingredients-maker PureCircle, a producer of naturally extracted food ingredients, has announced a landmark joint venture deal with Ghanzou Julong High Tech Food Industries (GJ), a Chinese...

CHRI in marketing accord with Derentang.(China Health Resource Inc.)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... China Health Resource Inc is enhancing cooperation with fellow China-based Derentang by signing a joint development contract of the Chuan DAR market. According to the contract, CHRI will cooperate with Derentang to establish a Chuan DAR...

Danone to sell stake in China's Bright Dairy.
November 1, 2007... France's Groupe Danone has reached agreement to sell its 20% holding in the Chinese firm Bright Dairy for a consideration of 954.85 billion renminbi ($126.8 million) and to pay the latter 330.0 million renminbi in compensation for terminating a...

NBTY has plans to stay top of the pile.
November 1, 2007... US nutritional supplements giant NBTY has posted figures for the fiscal fourth quarter ended September 30, 2007, that reveal a 6.1% rise in sales on the like, year-earlier period to $496.4 million, while its net income soared 28.8% to $48.5...

Reliv is disappointed with 3rd-qtr showing.(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... US nutrition company Reliv International, which specialises in soy-based supplements, has posted a disappointing set of financials for the third quarter ended September 30, 2007, which saw its net income fall to just over $900,000, or $0.06 per...

Analysts disappointed with Nu Skin results.(Financial report)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... Nu Skin Enterprises, which sells nutritional supplements through its Pharmanex unit, says that, for the third quarter ended September 30, 2007, revenues rose 5.2% to $290.7 million, while net income was $13.5 million, or $0.21 per share, a rise...

New European functional food group, BENEO, established by Sudzucker.
November 1, 2007... Sudzucker AG, Europe's largest sugar producer and a leading German food group, with an annual turnover of some 5.3 billion euros ($7.4 billion), announced on October 30 at Food Ingredients Europe 2007, held in London, UK, the creation of a new...

DSM invests in US probiotics company Ganeden.
November 1, 2007... DSM Venturing, the corporate venturing unit of Royal DSM NV of the Netherlands, has participated in a financing round in Ganeden Biotech, a US probiotics company which markets dietary supplements focused on digestive health. Ganeden's products...

Forthcoming meetings/events.(Conference news)
November 1, 2007... l The Association of the European Self-medication Industry is holding a conference on January 23-24, 2008, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Canary Wharf, in London, UK, with the title: Making Administrative Simplification a Reality for Medicines in...

People on the move.(briefs)(PureCircle)(Alimentary Health)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... - The European Medicines Agency's (EMEA) Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) has re-elected Konsantin Keller (German) as chairman and Ionna Chinou (Greece) as new vice chairperson, with three-year mandates from October 31. -...