Nutraceuticals International articles from October 2008

Nutraceuticals International archives from October 2008

Ferrosan reports 8% sales growth in 1st half.(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Danish health care firm Ferrosan has reported an 8% increase in revenue to 616.0 million kroner ($117.3 million) for the first six months of 2008, compared to the same period of the year before. Operating profit, before interest, taxes,...

DSM acquires largest stake in Provexis.(DSM Venturing & Business Development)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... DSM Venturing, the corporate venturing unit of Dutch firm Royal DSM, has acquired an equity stake of 29.3% in Provexis, becoming the largest single shareholder. Provexis' lead product is Fruitflow, a bioactive tomato extract that is...

Cognis returns to profit in first-half 2008.(Financial report)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... German specialty chemicals and nutritional ingredients supplier Cognis reported a return to profit for the first half of 2008 after exceptional items dragged the firm to a 17.0 million-euro ($24.2 million) loss in the first half of 2007. ...

DSM to close Chinese citric acid facility.
October 1, 2008... Royal DSM, a life and materials sciences company headquartered in the Netherlands, will close its citric acid manufacturing plant in Wuxi, eastern China by the first quarter of 2009. The closure follows a request from the local government...

Broccoli may benefit people with COPD.
October 1, 2008... According to recent research from Johns Hopkins Medical School, USA, a decrease in lung concentrations of NRF2-dependent antioxidants, key components of the lung's defense system against inflammatory injury, is linked to the severity of chronic...

Oral probiotic good for oral health.
October 1, 2008... Between 1% and 2% of the population suffers from repeated and persistent mouth ulcers and, according to a survey, there are 281 causes of mouth ulcers amongst the 210,737 people who responded to a mouth ulcer web site. However, the predominant...

Vit B may protect brain in old age.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Vitamin B12, a nutrient found in meat, fish and milk, may protect against brain volume loss in older people, according to a study published in the September 9, 2008, issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology....

Genetic variants associated with vitamin B12 identified by US researchers.
October 1, 2008... Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and their collaborators at Tufts University and the National Cancer Institute, USA, have identified a common genetic influence on B12 vitamin levels in the blood, suggesting a new way to...

BENEO-Orafti hikes price of prebiotics.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... BENEO-Orafti, the world leader in production of natural, chicory-derived prebiotics, has said that it will increase prices by 25% on its range of Orafti products. Dominique Speleers, managing director commented: "BENEO-Orafti has strived...

Cognis plant gains ISO certification.
October 1, 2008... The esterification plant of Cognis at the Nutrition and Health Competence Center in Illertissen, Germany, has received the internationally-renowned certificate of quality ISO 22000:2005 from the certification body DQS GmbH. The worldwide...

Numico, Danone to appeal Dutch ruling.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The Netherlands' authority for financial markets, the AFM or Autoriteit Financiele Markten,decided to impose a fine on Numico and Danone for not publishing financial information in a sufficiently timely manner during the day of July 9, 2007, in...

Danone tenders stake in Chinese juice firm.
October 1, 2008... French nutritional firm Groupe Danone has entered into an agreement to tender all of its shares held in the capital of China Huiyuan Juice Group, which is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, to the pre-conditional takeover bid to be...

Unauthorized health prods in Canada.
October 1, 2008... Food and pharmaceutical regulatory body Health Canada is advising consumers not to use any unauthorized health products sold under the brand names Life Choice, Healthy Choice, Doctor's Choice and Your Choice as well as the products without a...

India refutes toxic ayurvedic claims.
October 1, 2008... India's Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) has issued a press release taking strong exception to reports regarding heavy metals in Ayurvedic herbal medicinal products originating from South Asia...

Health Canada's nutra products database.
October 1, 2008... Canada's Minister of Health, has launched a new on-line database that will improve access to information on licensed natural health products. The Licensed Natural Health Products Database will allow for quick and easy searches for more detailed...

InterMed in deal with Biotropics Malaysia.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Germany-based InterMed Discovery, an emerging natural product lead-discovery company, and Biotropics Malaysia Berhad, a group promoting herbal-based products from Malaysia, have entered a long-term strategic collaboration agreement under which...

Cognis starts making vitamin E TPGS.
October 1, 2008... Global specialty chemicals supplier Cognis has started with the production of TPGS (D-alpha Tocopheryl Polyethylene Glycol 1000 Succinate) that meets the market standards in terms of composition and manufacturing technology. The product will be...

Nestle France sets up nutrition foundation.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Nestle France, a subsidiary of the Swiss foods giant, is to set up a nutritional foundation to analyze the role of food and health, in order to develop more balances eating habits. If the French model is successful, it will be expanded to other...

Perrigo acquires JB labs for $44M.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Michigan, USA-based Perrigo Company says that it has acquired JB Laboratories for around $44.0 million in cash. Based in Holland, Michigan, privately-held JB Labs is a contract manufacturer of over-the-counter medicines and nutrition products...

Tozal improves vision in dry AMD patients.(Clinical report)
October 1, 2008... A landmark study at five US university-based research centers found that Atlantic Medical's Tozal supplement enabled patients with dry macular degeneration to improve their vision. Patients in the study's placebo arm, who received the...

Potential for probiotics in managing SIBO.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... A research article published in the August 28 issue of the World Journal of Gastroenterology suggests that probiotics may provide a safer option in controlling small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO), which is currently managed by...

NTP study supports safety of chromium pico.
October 1, 2008... US supplements giant Nutrition 21 says study results released by the National Toxicology Program support the safety of short-term and long-term use of chromium picolinate. Multiple safety trial were performed in animals, including a two-year...

High dietary K2 intake linked to heart health.
October 1, 2008... Lysaker, Norway-based NattoPharma says that a new study demonstrated the association of high dietary vitamin K2 consumption with reduction of coronary calcification in humans. Accepted by the journal Atherosclerosis, the German evaluation...

Sports drinks the fastest-growing sector of Australia's LRBs market, survey shows.
October 1, 2008... The sports drinks sector is one of the fastest growing segments in the liquid refreshing beverages (LRBs) category in Australia, with a growth value of almost 13% in the first half of this year compared with the like period the year earlier,...

US FDA advisory on infant formula.
October 1, 2008... In response to reports of contaminated milk-based infant formula manufactured in China, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued a Health Information Advisory. This is to assure the American public that there is no known threat of...

HealthCastle.com in MyPyramid challenge.
October 1, 2008... HealthCastle.com has partnered with the US Department of Agriculture to help get MyPyramid's critical nutrition guidelines into the hands of those who need it most - the mothers who are often the grocery shoppers, chefs, and nutritional...

Canadian company sued for defrauding US consumers of dietary supplements.
October 1, 2008... US law firm Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen has announced that consumers in 16 US states have filed law suits against Canadian company Wellnx Life Sciences, which markets and sells three dietary supplements throughout the USA, and against its...

US brides-to-be asked for folic acid pledge.
October 1, 2008... In the USA, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition and the Council for Responsible Nutrition jointly launched the Commitment project, an initiative designed to encourage brides-to-be to make a vow of health to their future...

USA's FTC sweep stops peddlers of bogus cancer treatments.
October 1, 2008... The US Federal Trade Commission has announced 11 law enforcement actions challenging deceptive advertising of bogus cancer cures. The FTC has charged the companies with making unsupported claims that their products cured or treated one or more...

China's govt slow to act as 55,000 infants affected by contaminated milk products.
October 1, 2008... China's government delayed action over contaminated milk products for several weeks because it did not wish to allow bad publicity to distract from the Olympic Games, according to the Prime Minister of New Zealand, Helen Clark. The problem...

UK ME sufferers rely on alternative meds.
October 1, 2008... More than a third of UK patients with long-term fatigue conditions like myalgic encephalomyelitis believe that complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are more effective than traditional medicine in treating their illness, research...

EFSA assesses risk of Chinese foods.
October 1, 2008... Following recent events in China, the European Commission asked the European Food Safety Authority to provide urgent scientific advice on health risks for European consumers related to the possible presence of melamine in composite foods...

Spain - the new Japan in functional foods?
October 1, 2008... One quarter of Spain's foods are functional, making it one of Europe's most dynamic and successful market, according to a report presented recently to the European Union-funded European Functional Foods Net. Written by Marisa Vidal-Guevara, a...

Genistein can undermine breast cancer treatment.
October 1, 2008... Food science and human nutrition professor William Helferich led a team that found that genistein supplements can interfere with a common breast cancer treatment. Women taking aromatase inhibitors to treat breast cancer or prevent its...

Dark chocolat keeps heart attack risks at bay.
October 1, 2008... An Italian study, the first outcome of a large epidemiological investigation, finds new beneficial effects of chocolate in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. The news is good for chocolate lovers: 6.7 grams per day represent the ideal...

Asia, Europe health claims workshop.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Health claims regulation across Asia and the European Union will come under the spotlight at an upcoming workshop hosted by international food and nutrition policy consultancy EAS. Titled the Practical Implications of Claims Regulations and key...

Why does TCM Gecko have anti-tumor effects?(traditional Chinese medicine)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The incidence and mortality of tumors keep ascending all over the world. Gecko, a traditional Chinese medicine, had a positive effect on malignant tumors in clinical practice reports. However, there was no study on the pharmacological studies...

NBTY expands with Julian Graves buy.
October 1, 2008... US nutritional supplements group NBTY is expanding its operations in Europe through the acquisition of Julian Graves, the UK's largest independent specialty natural food and ingredients retailer. Through its Holland & Barrett unit, NBTY has...

Bond Labs acquires NDS Nutritional.(NDS Nutritional Products)(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Bond Laboratories, best known for its Fusion Energy range of beverages, says it has signed a letter of intent to acquire fellow US group NDS Nutritional Products. No financial terms of the deal have been disclosed. Bond president Eric...

Martek signs deal with Swiss Hero.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Martek Biosciences Corp has signed a multi-year exclusive contract with Hero, to supply the Switzerland-based consumer foods giant with its nutritional oils. Martek will be Hero's exclusive supplier for all of its docosahexaenoic acid...

Mannatech faces action from SEC.
October 1, 2008... US dietary supplement firm Mannatech is facing possible legal action from financial regulators in the country over the dismissal of its accountants last year. The US Securities and Exchange Commission has issued the company with a "Wells...

Senomyx/Solae help taste of soy protein.
October 1, 2008... Senomyx, a US firm focused on using proprietary technologies to discover and develop novel flavor ingredients for the food, beverage and ingredient supply industries, and Solae, the leading US supplier of soy protein for food products, have...

Neptune Krill Oil debuts at Walgreens.
October 1, 2008... Neptune Technologies & Bioressources says its distributor, Schiff Nutrition International. has launched Schiff MegaRed containing Neptune Krill Oil in Walgreens, which represents the largest retail pharmacy chain in the USA with over 6,400 drug...

Valio develops BP and cholesterol lowerer.
October 1, 2008... Finland's Valio has developed a product family with a unique double effect on cardiovascular health. Valio Evolus double effect contains both cholesterol lowering plant sterol and blood pressure lowering milk protein based peptides produced...

Forthcoming meetings/events.(Conference news)(Brief article)(Calendar)
October 1, 2008... Natural Products Expo East will be held October 15-18 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. For details and registration, visit: www.expoeast.com. Health Ingredients Europe/Natural Ingredients is scheduled for November 4-6 at Paris Nord,...

People on the move.
October 1, 2008... - Anglo-Dutch conglomerate Unilever has recruited Paul Polman, currently executive vice president and zone director of the Americas at Swiss foods giant Nestle, to be chief executive. He will replace Patrick Cescau, who will retire after 35...

US FTC testifies on food marketing to children and adolescents.
October 1, 2008... The US Federal Trade Commission has testified before two subcommittees of the Senate Appropriations Committee about the results of an FTC study released in July on food marketing to children and adolescents. Before the Subcommittees on...

Branded vs private label infant formulas.
October 1, 2008... PBM Holdings, a global, USA-based supplier of private-label infant formulas, announced today that its presence in Canada is growing as more retailers are looking to offer formulas manufactured in the USA to Canadian parents. Now that thousands...

Gamma Pharma signs China distribution deals.(Company overview)
October 1, 2008... Las Vegas, USA-based Gamma Pharmaceuticals has signed contracts with three major distribution companies in China. The agreements are for the distribution of Gamma's Brilliant Choice Vitamins in Shandong and Zhejiang Provinces and the capital,...

Neptune/MLS join Weider to distrubute.
October 1, 2008... Canada's Neptune Technologies & Bioressources has signed a worldwide alliance with Marine Life Sciences which has entered into an agreement with Weider Global Nutrition for the distribution of dietary supplements and functional food products in...

Ex-NutraCea CEO sets up NanaCea.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... NanaCea, a privately-held manufacturing and internet marketing company, has been set up, together with its web site - www.nanacea.com- to market lifestyle and nutraceutical products made from a specially enhanced stabilized rice bran, by Nana...

Vitamin D added to FDA osteoporosis risk-reduction claim; Coca-Cola petition.
October 1, 2008... As a result of a 2004 petition from the Beverage Institute for Health & Wellness of the Coca-Cola Co KO, the US Food and Drug Administration has amended its osteoporosis risk reduction health claim to reflect the importance of vitamin D, in...

FDA reports lower-than-expected supps AERs.
October 1, 2008... The US Food and Drug Administration has lowered its official estimate for adverse event reports potentially connected to dietary supplements, from 960 to 856 following lower-than-expected actual reports through April. Reporting of serious AERs...

FDA chief views role of nutrition on health.
October 1, 2008... In his most recent personal comments on current issues, US Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach said: "we as patients often assume that a prescription for health involves taking medicines. The drugs that FDA approves...

FDA clears betafiber.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... The US Food and Drug Administration has given its final approval for a heart health claim on a soluble fiber concentrate derived from the whole grain barley. Under the ruling, a product containing a minimum of 0.75 beta-glucan per serving...

Boiron's safe new children's homeopathic medicines for coughs, colds, flu season.
October 1, 2008... The US Food and Drug Administration reopened discussions on October 2 regarding the human error risks of dispensing decongestants, antihistamines and cough suppressants to children, and if these risks are proportional to the estimated benefits...

Omega-3s and the Japanese paradox.
October 1, 2008... Why is it that Japanese men have half the mortality from heart disease as American Caucasians in spite of smoking and having high cholesterol, diabetes and hypertension? The September 2008 Fats of Life and PUFA Newsletter electronic...

Pukka Herbs' plan for health winter.
October 1, 2008... Ayurvedic approach will build health throughout winter months and relieve cold and flu symptoms, says Pukka Herbs, an organic herbal expert, which has unveiled a five-point plan to help people through the coming winter months. Based on the...

Enzymotec expands line with Crill.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... Israeli company Enzymotec has announced the expansion of its line of products for dietary supplements. The new product, Crill, is a phospholipids-based, richer in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) than Krill Oil, offered at attractive prices. This...

Nordic Omega-3 Gummies' USA debut.(Brief article)
October 1, 2008... "Gummies" have taken the world by storm, says Nordic Naturals, a US fish oil company, which has introduced Nordic Omega-3 Gummies, describing it as the "ultimate fish oil gummie" with natural tangerine flavor. Perfect for two-year-olds and up,...

Supplements no better than placebo in slowing osteo knee cartilage loss.
October 1, 2008... In a two-year multicenter US study led by University of Utah doctors, the dietary supplements glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate performed no better than placebo in slowing the rate of cartilage loss in the knees of osteoarthritis patients....