Nutraceuticals International articles from September 2005

Nutraceuticals International archives from September 2005

AESGP views EMEA Herbal Medicinal Products Committee draft documents.
September 1, 2005... The Association of the European Self-Medication Industry, the AESGP, has published comments on certain working documents of the European Medicines Agency's Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products. The comments of the industry group, which...

Euro HMPC seeks comments on herbals declaration Concept Paper.
September 1, 2005... The European Medicines Agency's Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products has released for consultation a Concept Paper on the declaration of herbal substances/preparations in finished herbal medicinal products. At present, general quality...

Europe's sports/fitness nutrition market fueled by diet-consciousness: F&S study.
September 1, 2005... As mainstream consumers are becoming increasingly fitness and diet conscious, sports nutrition companies are no longer targeting just professional athletes, according to a new report from market consultant Frost & Sullivan. Due to increased...

Belarus' herbal prods development program.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Belarus Cabinet of Ministers has recently approved a national program to develop the processing of herbs and plants in order to produce new products for the nutraceutical and food industries, according to the Interfax news agency. The...

European consumers rely on marketing claims for food choices, says BEUC study.
September 1, 2005... Although most European consumers want to eat healthy diets, they generally rely on marketing claims when choosing what food to buy, according to a survey carried out in five European Union countries, commissioned by the Bureau European des...

Chemical contaminants in supplements - resolving global problem.(testing of contaminants in dietary supplements )
September 1, 2005... The food ingredient and food additive supply chain is now truly global. Dietary supplements can have over 40 components and, regardless of where the supplements are produced, it is highly probable that ingredients will be sourced from a number...

UK's FSA updates list of VIMs for supps.
September 1, 2005... Following the outcry after the UK's Food Safety Authority submitted the list of scientific dossiers for vitamin and mineral sources for use in food supplements for which derogation applies under European Union Directive 2002/46/EC to the...

Advice on vit A from UK agency.
September 1, 2005... Following a review of the evidence on vitamin A undertaken by the independent Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition, the UK Food Safety Authority has issued advice on this agent for people who eat liver regularly and those at risk of...

UK warns against some Indian herbal medicines.
September 1, 2005... The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has said it believes that three ayurvedic medicines being sold in the UK may contain high levels of heavy metals such as mercury, arsenic and lead, and urged consumers not to use them....

EMEA to join talks on ayurveda in the EU.
September 1, 2005... A wide-ranging Joint Action Plan on economic ties has been signed between India and the European Union, which will include working with the European Medicines Agency on issues related to the use of ayurvedic medicinal products in the EU. ...

France plans new drug spending cuts.
September 1, 2005... 360 more drugs are set to be removed from France's reimbursement system on the grounds of low levels of effectiveness, following the revaluation of a total 400 products. The 35%-reimbursed products, with total annual sales of some 400.0...

Scotland OKs Arimidex.(adjuvant treatment medicine for postmenopausal women)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Scottish Medicines Consortium has recommended use in the Scottish National Health Service of AstraZeneca's Arimidex (anastrozole) as adjuvant treatment for postmenopausal women with hormone receptor- positive early invasive breast cancer....

Poor fiscal management blamed for UK NICE guidance take-up failures.(National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence)
September 1, 2005... Implementation of National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidance by UK National Health Service Trusts and Primary Care Trusts is unsatisfactory, claims new research by the Audit Commission, the independent government watchdog,...

MEPs back moves to boost pediatric R&D but are divided over patent extensions.
September 1, 2005... Members of the European Parliament have voted unanimously in favor of the proposed Regulation on Medicinal Products for Pediatric Use. Meeting in Strasbourg, France, they approved, in its first reading (co-decision procedure), the bill passed...

Greece plans to scrap national drugs list.
September 1, 2005... The Greek Health Ministry has published draft legislation seeking to abolish the national prescription drug list, which was established in 1998 to identify which medicines could be prescribed on the national health service and reimbursed by...

Australia "must protect consumers from misleading, unproven info on herbals:" GPs.
September 1, 2005... More often than not, Australian consumers are given misleading or unproven information when buying herbal supplements, especially when most such products are sold by untrained and unsupervised counter clerks at health food stores, says a letter...

Australian child hospital study flags supp risks.
September 1, 2005... A survey of 503 patients at the Melbourne Royal Children's Hospital in Australia has found that 51% were using vitamins, herbal medicines, homeopathy and other alternative therapies. At 19%, the largest number were taking multivitamins,13%...

Australia's A$122M soy products market dominated by milk sector.
September 1, 2005... In Australia, milk is the largest segment in the soy market category, which also comprizes a range of products including tofu, tempeh, yogurts and desserts. The major sales route is via the national grocery market, with total soy sales of...

Mixed growth in India's $364M VMS market.
September 1, 2005... The Indian market for over-the-counter vitamins, minerals and tonics for the 12 months to June 2005 is valued at some $364.3 million, according to Nicholas Hall's Insight Asia, August issue. Minerals, the largest category, had turnover of...

Japan makes up 90% Asian tonic drink sales.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... The Asian market for tonic drinks is valued at some $2.1 billion annually, but 90% of sales are generated in Japan, according to Nicholas Hall's Insight. Traditionally, these drinks were marketed exclusively to male executives as a way of...

Consumers redefining health, says new study from HealthFocus Int.
September 1, 2005... USA-based HealthFocus International has now released its long-awaited biannual report entitled: The 2005 HealthFocus Trend Report: National Study of Public Attitudes and Actions Toward Shopping and Eating. According to the study, marketers and...

Chinese moves to fortify foods in move to improve the nation's health.
September 1, 2005... In a bid to improve the health of its citizens, the Chinese government is supporting a nationwide trial on fortified food, according to Yu Xiaodong, director of the Public Nutrition and Development Center under the National Development and...

Health Canada to act on trans fats.(government report on trans fatty acids intake)
September 1, 2005... The government of Canada has said that it welcomes the release of the interim report of the Trans Fat Task Force and is taking action to address its recommendations. This report, it says, provides the government, the public and the food...

Japan's natural drug/ health foods to grow.
September 1, 2005... The Japanese market for 40 drugs and health food products manufactured using natural materials such as a-lipoic acid, Co-enzyme Q10, L- carnitine and branched-chain amino acids will increase to a value of 2,006.2 billion yen ($18.1 billion) in...

Japan's FSC to assess Co-enzyme Q10.
September 1, 2005... Last month, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare asked the Cabinet Office's Food Safety Commission to evaluate the health damage caused by the dietary supplement Co-enzyme Q10. In the wake of receiving a report on adverse...

Vit C has no impact on common cold.
September 1, 2005... Robert Douglas, a researcher at the Australian National University, and Harri Hemila of the University of Helsinki, Finland, say that taking vitamin C does nothing to prevent the common cold, although doing so may shorten its duration, writing...

Folates more effective in limiting Alzheimer's than antioxidants.
September 1, 2005... Adults who eat the daily recommended allowance of folates (B-vitamin nutrients found in oranges, legumes, leafy green vegetables and folic acid supplements) significantly reduce their risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, according to results...

Zinc supps can reduce death in DC children.
September 1, 2005... Giving young children in developing countries a weekly dose of zinc can substantially reduce their risk of illness and death, according to a study published on-line by the UK peer-reviewed journal, The Lancet, on August 23. From 2000 to...

Tocotrienol vs alpha-tocopherol in CVD.
September 1, 2005... Cardiovascular disease is known to be complex and has multiple causes, notes a press statement from US dietary supplements company Carotech. During the past decade, it adds, the health benefits of vitamin E in the prevention of atherosclerosis...

Red wine may lower risk of cataracts.
September 1, 2005... Consumption of red wine could help reduce the risk of cataracts, according to researchers in the Reykjavic Eye Study. which was supported by the New Zealand Association of Optometrists, who have followed the health and diet of a group of...

Chr Hansen launches organic ingredients.
September 1, 2005... Chr Hansen, a global biotechnology firm that produces ingredients for the nutrition, animal health and drug industries, has launched a functional ingredients portfolio for organic products. In the USA alone, this market is growing at about...

Pharming gets Japanese patent for lactoferrin.
September 1, 2005... Pharming Group NV, a Dutch biotechnology firm developing protein therapeutics for unmet medical needs, has been granted a patent on recombinant human lactoferrin (rhLF) from the Japanese Patent Office. The dispensation covers the production...

Calpis to sell drink in China and South Korea.
September 1, 2005... Japan's Calpis says that it plans to market its brand products in China and South Korea to capitalize on rising incomes and growing health awareness, reports NI's local correspondent. Calpis will open an office in Shanghai this month to test...

Correction: Pro.active.(Correction Notice)
September 1, 2005... In the last issue of Nutraceuticals International, we erroneously stated that the new Flora Pro.active beverage launched in the UK was cholesterol-lowering. It is actually a blood pressure-lowering drink. We apologise for this error.

Linnea launches Hormos' HMRlignan.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Locarno, Switzerland-based botanicals and phytochemicals producer Linnea has launched the lignan compound HMRlignan, a patented product developed in Finland by Hormos Medical Corp and manufactured and marketed under license by the former. ...

Cinnulin PF effective in pre-diabetes sufferers.
September 1, 2005... Florida, USA-based Integrity Nutraceuticals International has announced positive results of a recent clinical study on Cinnulin PF, the firm's patented water extract of cinnamon ingredient. The placebo-controlled, double-blind study conducted...

Butterbur extracts role as hay fever therapy.
September 1, 2005... The largest clincial trial so far conducted using Butterbur extract to treat intermittent allergic rhinitis (hay fever) shows that it is as effective as a commonly-used antihistamine (Sanofi-Aventis' Telfast 180; fexofenadine). The results were...

Beer components radioprotective.
September 1, 2005... Research using mice and human vascular cells by Japan's National Institute of Radiological Sciences and Tokyo University has confirmed that administration of beer components such as beta-pseudouridine, melatonin and glycine have radioprotective...

Omega 3, 6 in ADHD.
September 1, 2005... Fish oil rich in omega 3 and 6 fatty acids may improve attention spans and could help children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, according to researchers at the University of South Australia and the Commonwealth Science and...

Biodar's vegetarian- friendly BetaCote 10VB.
September 1, 2005... Israeli specialist microencapsulation firm Biodar is set to expand its beta carotene line with the addition of new product BetaCote 10VB, a synthetic beta-carotene-based nutritional beadlet. The compound is manufactured from gelatin-free...

Quixtar adds Nutrilite Brainiums DHA.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... USA-based health and beauty retailer Quixtar will add to its Nutralite vitamin and supplement range with a new pro-duct, Nutralite Brainiums DHA. The company says that the compound is a source of omega-3 fatty acids, namely docosahexaenoic and...

Steven Seagal launches energy drinks.
September 1, 2005... Growth in the health beverage market in the last few years has been enormous, with an increased emphasis on pers-onal health and nutrition. A recent addition to the sector is Lightning Bolt energy drink, produced by USA-based, Steven Seagal...

Hain and Heritage sign US deal.(Hain Celestial licensing agreeements with Stremicks Heritage Foods)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Organic food and personal health care company Hain Celestial, headquartered in New York, USA, has announ-ced the signing of licensing agreements with Stremicks Heritage Foods, a family-owned and operated distributor of organic products based in...

Seven Seas to extend Multibionta range.(Multibionta Activate dietary supplement introduced)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... UK vitamin and supplement developer Seven Seas says that it plans to extend its Multibionta brand with the rel-ease of a new probiotic multivitamin supplement. The new product, called Multibionta Activate, is a combination of multivitamin...

Angle support new Provexis health drink.
September 1, 2005... UK-headquartered technology commercialization firm Angle Consulting has announced that one of its key long-term investments, nutraceutical specialist Provexis, has confirmed that it intends to launch a new health drink in January 2006. The...

PharmaNutrients gets CLA patent.(conjugated linoleic acid)
September 1, 2005... PharmaNutrients, an R&D-based supplier of proprietary, science-based nutritional ingredients, has been awarded patent no 6,927,239 by the US Patent and Trademark Office. Entitled Methods and Compositions for the Attenuation and/or Prevention of...

Tate & Lyle debuts Carb Optimizer.
September 1, 2005... Tate & Lyle, a global leader in renewable ingredients, has launched Carb Optimizer 30 Yogurt Base Ingredients, which it says is a new solution for low-fat, low-calorie, low-sugar yogurts in the USA. This is one of the firm's Rebalance System...

7-Eleven enters functional arena.
September 1, 2005... With the diet pendulum swinging between low-carb/high-fat and low- fat/high-carb in the past few years, consumers are taking a more balanced approach to diet and nutrition, says USA-headquartered convenience retailer 7-Eleven. Add to that an...

Japan's Taiyo names NZ/Australia agent.(Taiyo Kagaku Company Ltd distribution agreements with Ingredient Resources)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Japanese company Taiyo Kagaku has appointed local Ingredient Resources as its master agent for Australia and New Zealand. Taiyo is a leader in nanotechnology emulsion systems for the alternative health care, food and beverage sectors. According...

Cargill wins bidding war for Degussa unit.
September 1, 2005... Germany's Degussa AG has agreed to sell its food ingredients operations to US food giant Cargill for 540.0 million euros ($670.0 million. The transaction, which has attracted several other bidders and has been swathed in secrecy since Degussa...

Blackmores' 2004/5 profit rises 26%.
September 1, 2005... Australian vitamin and supplements firm Blackmores has reported a 26% rise in its financial year 2004-5 net profit to A$11.7 million ($9.0 million) on sales up 16% to A$134.4 million. Chairman Marcus Blackmore, whose family interests own 32% of...

VRI Bio signs deal with Sanitarium.
September 1, 2005... Sydney, Australia-based probiotics manufacturer VRI BioMedical has signed a collaboration agreement with vegetarian food company Sanitarium to develop a range of functional foods based on the freeze-dried culture of the former's patented strain...

Hain Celestial plans expansion into Asia.
September 1, 2005... The Hain Celestial group, a US manufacturer of natural and organic foods and personal care products, has signed an investment agreement between Singapore-based natural food and beverage company Yeo Hiap Seng, thereby consolidating its intention...

EPO upholds Martek's patent on DHA oils.
September 1, 2005... Martek Biosciences, a USA-based maker of the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid, says that its patent on DHA oil has been upheld by the opposition division of the European Patent Office. The ruling, which covers DHA-rich...

Vital Living implements new QA program.(quality assurance program)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Vital Living, a Phoenix, USA-based developer and marketer of nutraceuticals distributed through health care professionals, has implemented its new, Vital Assure quality assurance program, which employs a more stringent evaluation of all raw...

Cargill's 4th-qtr fiscal-2005 earnings rise 18%.(Cargill Health & Food Technologies )(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... USA-based ingredient and supplement giant Cargill has reported net earnings of $230.0 million for its fiscal fourth quarter ended May 1, representing an 18% rise on the like period of the previous year. For the full fiscal year, the company...

Low-carb product decline hits Natrol.
September 1, 2005... US dietary supplements firm Natrol has posted financials for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005,which show sales decreased 5.2% to $19.6 million. Net income was $291,000, or $0.02 per share, compared to $769,000, or $0.05 per share, for the...

Revenues soaring at Forbes Medi-Tech.
September 1, 2005... Forbes Medi-Tech of Canada says that revenues for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005, more than doubled to just over C$6.7 million ($5.6 million), while net loss was just under C$3.2 million, or C$0.09 per share, an increase of 33.3%...

NutraCea second-quarter loss falls 60%.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... California-based NutraCea, which produces nutritional supplements and related products derived from stabilized rice bran, says that its net losses for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005, decreased 60% to $1.5 million, or $0.04 per share,...

Danisco venture, Profos raises 5 million euros.
September 1, 2005... Profos AG, a Regensburg, Germany-based company that develops products for capturing and detection of bacteria and bacterial components, has raised 5.0 million euros ($6.1 million) in the first closing of its current financing round. Included...

NeutraHealth buys BioCare for L16 million.
September 1, 2005... Nutraceutical investment company NeutraHealth has completed a L16.1 million ($29.3 million) reverse takeover of nutritional supplement company BioCare, its first acquisition since it floated on London's Alternative Investments Market in...

NutraCea eyes Panama for expansion.(economic development)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... US dietary supplement developer NutraCea says that it is seeking joint ventures and strategic alliances in Panama in accordance with its objective of expansion into global markets. Pursuant to its previously-stated plans for Latin American...

Nestle reports 5.2% growth in first-half.
September 1, 2005... Switzerland's Nestle SA, the world's largest food and beverage company, has posted a strong set of financial results for the first half of 2005, with organic growth of 5.2% and sales, in Swiss francs, up 2.4%, on the like, year-ago period,...

Cyanotech bounces back in first quarter.
September 1, 2005... Hawaii-based Cyanotech Corp, which specializes in the development and marketing of natural products from microalgae, has posted a strong set of results for the first quarter of fiscal 2006 ended June 30, 2005, which suggests that the firm has...

Soft VMS market hurts Leiner figures.(Leiner Health Products)(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... Leiner Health Products, which makes private-label vitamins and dietary supplements, has posted results for its fiscal first quarter ended June 25, 2005, which show that sales fell 6.7% to $174.6 million, while net loss was $4.2 million. Losses...

Earnings up 65% at Reliv International.(Brief Article)
September 1, 2005... US nutrition firm Reliv International says that net income rose 65% to just shy of $2 million, or $0.12 per share, for the second quarter ended June 30, 2005, while sales reached $28.5 million, a jump of 19% compared with the like, year-earlier...

Adv Nutraceuticals sees sales soar.
September 1, 2005... Advanced Nutraceuticals has posted its financials for the third quarter ended June 30, 2005, which show that sales from continuing operations, ie not including the divested unprofitable subsidiary ANI Pharmaceuticals (NI vol 9, no 4), increased...

Forthcoming meetings/events.
September 1, 2005... Nutraceuticals & Functional Foods Asia conference is due to take place November 7-8 at the Sheraton Towers Hotel in Singapore. For more information or registration, visit: www.abf-asia.com. Food ingredients Europe and Food Safety & Hygiene...

People on the move.
September 1, 2005... - US developer of custom nutrient premixes Fortitech has appointed Peter Sorensen as managing director of its Fortitech Europe ApS subsidiary, based in Gadstrup, Denmark. Mr Sorensen was previously with Netherlands- headquartered Akzo Nobel....