Nutraceuticals International articles from October 2007

Nutraceuticals International archives from October 2007

Stakeholders opposed to introduction of fees for EFSA authorization files.(European Union. European Food Safety Authority)
October 1, 2007... The European Food Safety Authority has now published a review of the comments received in response to its public consultation on the advisability and feasibility of the EFSA charging fees for processing authorization files on health claims (NIs...

UK's FSA sees speedier access to healthier eating as web takes up traffic light system.(Mysupermarket.com)(Food Standards Agency )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The UK Food Standards Agency has welcomed the decision by price comparison web site Mysupermarket.com to use front-of-pack traffic light labeling to enable shoppers to compare the nutrient content of foods at the click of a mouse. The...

Novel food applications reviewed by UK's FSA on glucosamine and lycopene.
October 1, 2007... The UK Food Standards Agency says it has consulted on an application to use glucosamine HCl in a range of foods, including smoothies and sports drinks by the food group Cargill. Its advisory committee has concluded that a further assessment is...

Nutra news from around EuropeECJ overrules German garlic decision.(European Court of Justice)
October 1, 2007... In the face of Germany's current practice to classify garlic supplements as medicines, the recent European Court of Justice Advocate General's opinion that the intended use of garlic supplements is not indicated or recommended for treating or...

Proposed revisions to European Union law and novel foods - by Peter Berry Ottaway.
October 1, 2007... The European Union law on novel foods and ingredients is over a decade old, having come into effect on May 15, 1997. As the food industry is well aware, this legislation has resulted in a severe brake on product innovation with only a handful...

Senior regulators give guidand on accessing Russian supplements market.
October 1, 2007... Officials from Russia recently held an expert training session in Washington DC, USA, for dietary supplement companies to discover and master the country's regulatory approval processes. The workshop, organized by the International Alliance...

EFSA to further evaluate study on food colors and behavior.(Report)
October 1, 2007... Scientists at the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have completed an initial consideration of new research commissioned by the UK Food Standards Agency on food colors and hyperactivity in children and have decided a further detailed...

UK complementary medicine claims: "useless or dangerous" or "waste of money".
October 1, 2007... The UK government's review of legislation covering tailored herbal medicinal treatments is encouraging the publication of studies of their effectiveness. The Postgraduate Medical Journal has published research from the Peninsula Medical School...

Update on France's food supplements decree.
October 1, 2007... Details of the implementation of France's March 2006 decree on food supplements have emerged and will be discussed by the French dietary supplement association (Syndicat de la Dietetique et des Complements Alimentaires - SDCA) by a working...

More US consumers see themselves as regular users of dietary supplements.
October 1, 2007... Consumers' use of dietary supplements has remained fairly consistent this year, with 68% of American adults saying that they take such products compared to 66% last year (NI vol 11, no 10), according to a new on-line survey conducted by...

CRN campaign to address major knowledge gap in $21B supplement industry.
October 1, 2007... The US Council for Responsible Nutrition has announced that it is sponsoring significant new research among health care professionals - through a campaign dubbed "Life...supplemented" to better understand their personal use of dietary...

US beverage industry delivering by cutting calories in schools; down 41%.
October 1, 2007... Calories from beverages shipped to schools in the USA have dropped 41% across America thanks to the beverage industry's progress implementing the National School Beverage Guidelines, reports the American Beverage Association. The significant...

US FDA expresses concerns about "sugar free" products' claims.(United States. Food and Drug Administration)
October 1, 2007... The US Food and Drug Administration has expressed its concerns about the number of products it has seen that contain claims regarding the absence of sugar, such as, "sugar free" but that fail to bear the required disclaimer statement when these...

FDA clears health claim for Palatinose.(United States. Food and Drug Administration)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... The US Food and Drug Administration has authorized a non-cariogenic (ie, a product that does not stimulate tooth decay) health claim for the carbohydrate sweetener isomaltulose (marketed by German firm Palatinit GmbH as Palatinose, which the...

NAD recommends Irwin Naturals amends "Green Tea Fat Burner" claims.
October 1, 2007... The USA's National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus has recommended that Irwin Naturals, which markets the "Green Tea Fat Burner" dietary supplement, modify or discontinue certain claims for the product. ...

Media to be liable for misleading ads?
October 1, 2007... In what is seen as a major shift in policy, the US Federal Trade Commission many soon hold media companies liable for preparing and running allegedly deceptive advertisements for someone else's products or services, warns the American Herbal...

India plans to establish Ayush medical products export inspection agency.
October 1, 2007... The government of India is to establish an export inspection agency covering traditional Ayush medical products, including Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha, to solve the problem of these medications being rejected due to claimed metal toxicity and...

Australia's Quick Serve Restaurants agree to reduce trans fats and saturated fats.
October 1, 2007... A roundtable of Australian Quick Serve Restaurant Industry representatives has reported on its progress in removing artificial trans fatty acids from their products. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health and Aging, Senator...

Regulators in various countries clamp down on unsafe "party pill" ingredient.
October 1, 2007... Regulatory authorities around the world are taking aim at products containing the ingredient N-benzylpiperazine, which are often sold as dietary supplements, as fears grow about the health risks they pose to the public. It could be argued...

Nutrition, healthy aging and public policy - a guest editorial from the IADSA.(Editorial)
October 1, 2007... With aging populations already causing challenges for health and pension costs in most countries around the world, the efforts of governments to make their populations work longer and save more could be derailed, as many workers face the...

Damiana product recall in South Africa.
October 1, 2007... South Africa's Department of Health's Medicines Regulatory Authority has called on several members of the nation's Health Products Association to remove products containing the herbal ingredient Damiana on the grounds that it is a banned...

FSANZ considers further changes to regulations governing sale of foods.
October 1, 2007... Food Standards Australia New Zealand says it is considering a number of further changes to the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code - regulations that govern the sale of food sold in Australia and New Zealand. These changes involve...

Herbal market set to hit $5,000 billion.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Ayurveda is "nature's gift for better health and it is a $20.0 billion market, but Sri Lanka does not even command 1% of this growing market," said Asoka Hettigoda, chairman of the organizing committee for Ayurveda 2007, speaking at the first...

New study finds Concord grape juice has heart health effect not yet noted with red wine.
October 1, 2007... Many studies have suggested that moderate red wine consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health. But what if people would - for what ever reasons - prefer to skip the alcohol? The answer to this problem may be found in laboratory...

Phytopharm initiates stage 3 activities of joint deal for Hoodia with Unilever.
October 1, 2007... Phytopharm initiates Stage 3 activities of joint deal for Hoodia with Unilever Cambridgeshire, UK-based Phytopharm says that it continues to make good progress on its weight management product, Hoodia extract, in collaboration with the...

Specialty and functional soft drinks are gaining sales in Asia and Southeast Asia.
October 1, 2007... Specialty soft drinks are gaining sales in Asia and Southeast Asia, and consumers are now demanding not only varied tastes but also health benefits. The markets with potential in the sector are functional drinks in general, ready-to-drink (RTD)...

South African health supplements market dominated by local players.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... South Africa's market for natural health supplements is currently dominated by local players, although others may be able to tap into this as interest for these grows due to rising uptake of natural health products, according to a report...

Creatine enhances strength in elderly.
October 1, 2007... Lower muscle mass and an increase in body fat are common consequences of growing older. While exercise is a proven way to prevent the loss of muscle mass, a new study led by McMaster University, Canada, professor of pediatrics and medicine Mark...

Low dose red wine in mice fights diabetes.
October 1, 2007... Even relatively low doses of resveratrol, a chemical found in the skins of red grapes and in red wine, can improve the sensitivity of mice to the hormone insulin, according to a report in the October issue of Cell Metabolism, a Cell Press...

Dairy protein helps build muscle.
October 1, 2007... New research presented today at the American Dietetic Association Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo suggests that dairy proteins, especially whey, excel in building muscle and reducing fat, which may help control body weight and curb obesity,...

Grape juice may prevent breast cancer.
October 1, 2007... Grape juice may prevent breast cancer A new study published in the Journal of Medicinal Foods (September) shows that natural compounds in Concord grape juice protected healthy human breast cells from DNA damage. The healthy cells were...

Radical research challenges understanding of the oxidation of vitamin E.
October 1, 2007... Recent research results have challenged the conventional understanding of the oxidation of the "radical scavenger," vitamin E. Cutting-edge analysis methods have revealed that the intermediates commonly believed to be involved in the process do...

China-Biotics launches Shining Probiotic.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Shanghai, China-based China-Biotics, a firm specializing in the manufacture, R&D, marketing and distribution of probioticsm, has launched its newest product, Shining Probiotics Protein Powder, which is being sold in the Shanghai and Changchun...

NutraCea receives first order from Cosway.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... NutraCea, a leader in stabilized rice bran nutrient research and technology, has received an opening purchase order from Cosway Corp, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Berjaya Group Berhad, a publicly-traded, multi-billion dollar conglomerate in...

NN's L-Glutamine cleared in Canada.
October 1, 2007... Texas, USA-based Natural Nutrition's L-Glutamine, a brand owned by its subsidiary InterACTIVE Nutrition International, has been approved by Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate. Both L-Glutamine powder and capsules have been cleared and...

Wellcorps International launches two new supps.(Perspective Cerebral Performance Compound and WOOD)(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Wellcorps International, a California, USA-based formulator and distributor of quality health, wellness, life enhancement information and products, has introduced two new nutritional supplements, Perspective Cerebral Performance Compound and...

Excessive multivits may "risk prostate cancer".
October 1, 2007... About a third of American adults take some type of multivitamin on a regular basis. In nearly every case, the goal is better health, even though there is no firm evidence to support this hope. The absence of benefit is one thing, but the...

Aloe vera helps kidney and UT health; study.
October 1, 2007... Researcher conducted at the Khon Kaen University in Thailand has provided additional confirmation for the strong potential of Aloe vera gel in preventing renal stone formation, reports Aloecorp, part of the South Korean Econet group. Based on...

Canola oil can help meet dietary fat goals.
October 1, 2007... Substitution of canola oil for common dietary fats in the USA would increase compliance with recommended intakes of saturated, monounsaturated and plant omega-3 fats, noted a modeling study published in the October 2007 issue of the Journal of...

New supplement made from Mucadine grape skins can help inhibit growth of certain cancers.
October 1, 2007... An antioxidant made from the locally, USA-grown muscadine grape contains the highest available natural concentrations of a compound that has been proven to inhibit the growth of many types of cancer cells. Vinetra is an all-natural dietary...

Morinaga Milk gets self-affirmed GRAS status for its B longum BB536 probiotic.
October 1, 2007... Morinaga Milk (Nachrichten) Industry Co, says that it has attained self-affirmed GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status for its Bifidobacterium longum BB536 probiotic ingredient. After a comprehensive evaluation of research and toxicology...

DVB and Numico in distribution deal.
October 1, 2007... DBV Technologies, a French biopharmaceutical company engaged in the development of non-invasive epicutaneous delivery technology and products, and Netherlands-based nutritional food specialists Numico have entered an exclusive multi-annual...

Yakult launches its probiotic in USA.(Yakult Honsha Company Ltd.)
October 1, 2007... Tokyo, Japan-based consumer products firm Yakult Honsha has announced sales of world-leading beverage, Yakult, in its first mainstream market in the USA. This fall, the probiotic dairy drink will be available at major supermarkets, initially in...

Leiner under pressure as FDA warns of inadequate testing of its products.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Leiner Health Products has endured a tough month as it attempts to respond to warning letters and a facility inspection carried out by the US Food and Drug Administration which suggested that something is very much up at the vitamins seller....

Thai founders of Red Bull set up Nature Max Co to sell dietary supplements.
October 1, 2007... The Yoovidhaya family, which was responsible for creating the renowned energy-drink Red Bull, is looking to diversify into direct sales of food supplements and household products in Thailand with an ambitious goal to become a global brand...

Probi in North America deal with NextFoods.
October 1, 2007... Probi has signed a license agreement with NextFoods for the American market regarding launch of a functional food product containing the former's probiotics. The organic fruit juice range will be launched as shots with substantial investments...

Diabco Life debuts diabetes nutra prod.
October 1, 2007... Diabco Life Sciences, an Indiana, USA-based company, says it has introduced a new clinically-tested nutraceutical product for consumers concerned about the growing health risks associated with diabetes. This new product, Diabatrol, is a...

Chr Hansen offers probiotic stick.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Denmark-based Chr Hansen is now offering easy-to-use probiotic sticks to boost children's immune system. The stick contains BB-12 and LGG - the two best-documented probiotic strains in the world the firm claims. The global retail market...

Nutrition 21 has faith in larger portfolio.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... New York, USA-based supplement developer Nutrition 21 has finally unveiled financials for the fourth quarter ended June 30, 2007 which show that its net loss widened to $8.2 million compared with $3.7 million in the like, year-earlier period....

BioAstin boosts sales at Cyanotech Corp.(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Hawaii-based Cyanotech Corp, which develops and markets natural products from microalgae, has posted its results for the fiscal first quarter ended June 30, 2007, which show that sales increased 5.7% to just under $2.6 million. Net loss widened...

BI Nutra signs up a partner for Mexico.
October 1, 2007... BI Nutraceuticals says that it has chosen Nutraseutica International to be the exclusive distributor for its line of ingredients in Mexico. Nutraseutica International will offer BI's complete library of more than 700 ingredients which...

Martek signs new deal with Abbott.
October 1, 2007... Shares in Martek Biosciences Corp leapt to a 52-week high on the news that US infant formula and dietary supplements specialist Abbott Nutrition has entered into a long-term supply agreement with the firm. The stock climbed to $30.59 on the...

ProNova launches global IPO.(Company overview)
October 1, 2007... Norway-based Pronova BioPharma ASA, a global leader in the research, development and manufacture of omega-3 derived pharmaceutical products, has announced the details of its global initial public offering of 25 million new shares as well as...

Planet Nutrition "a speculative buy".
October 1, 2007... USA-based Planet Nutrition Holdings (PNHD) has been rated as a "speculative buy" with a target price of $.04 a share by Beacon Equity Research. In their report, the analysts note that PNHD is a retailer of products and nutritional programs...

Bayer HealthCare's Citracal buy cleared.
October 1, 2007... Germany-headquartered Bayer HealthCare says that its Consumer Health Division has received the regulatory approvals necessary to acquire the Citracal line of over-the-counter calcium supplements from the US company Mission Pharmacal (NI vol 12,...

Forthcoming meetings/events.(UK Council for Responsible Nutrition )(First International Probiotic Association World Congress)(Codex Committee on Nutrition and Foods for Special Dietary Use )(Brief article)
October 1, 2007... Nutrition, healthy aging and public policy is the subject of a one-day conference on November 6, organized by the UK Council for Responsible Nutrition at the Royal College of Physicians, Regents Park, London, UK. For more information about the...

People on the move.
October 1, 2007... - Richard (Rich) Krause has joined Elan Nutrition, a US manufacturers of nutritional bars, as chief executive after successful leadership of turnarounds and brand rejuvenations in consumer packaged food, consumer durables and industrial...