US: NJ State Assembly bill that restricts supplements to minors advances
A New Jersey State Assembly Bill aims to prohibit the sale of certain dietary supplements to minors.
A.1848 intends to restrict access to two broad categories of products—weight loss and muscle building—by mandating retailer-imposed age restrictions that sponsors of the bill assert cause eating disorders.
Commenting on the bill, Daniel Fabricant, PhD, president and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA), said that “once again, state legislators are ignoring science and common sense.
"Despite failing to identify a single dietary supplement that causes eating disorders, Assemblyman Conaway and his Trenton cronies failed their constituents by advancing legislation that cripples public health," Dr. Fabricant said. "Consumers deserve access to products that support their overall health and wellness.
“Unfortunately, today in Trenton, the freedom of choice took a significant blow today. We are urging all wellness advocates to email and call their New Jersey state representatives urging their opposition to A1848 when the bill comes before the entire State Assembly.”
Read the full report on NutraIngredients-USA.
UK: Guidance on caffeine in supplements issued amid safety concerns
The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued new guidance to ensure the safe consumption and production of food supplements containing high levels of caffeine in response to growing health risk concerns.
The agency, alongside Food Standards Scotland (FSS), is warning consumers to be cautious of their total caffeine consumption, advising that caffeine levels in supplements should be carefully calculated alongside other sources, such as coffee, tea and energy drinks.
A tragic incident in the UK prompted the guidance, where a professional trainer died after mistakenly ingesting a lethal dose of caffeine powder. His miscalculation led him to consume an amount equivalent to up to 200 cups of coffee.
In light of this, the FSA conducted a survey that showed that fewer than half of respondents said they check dosage instructions on supplements, and 20% admitted they do not read supplement labels at all. Research reveals many consumers lack knowledge of caffeine levels in food supplements.
To read the full article, click HERE.
Japan: Fatigue, anxiety, bad skin top health concerns among Japanese aged 18 to 34
A new consumer survey conducted by Suntory found that fatigue, anxiety and bad skin conditions were the most common health issues for Japanese aged 18 to 34.
The online survey collected from 423 men and 441 women.
Among men, the most common health issue raised was feelings of anxiousness and being easily depressed—a point brought up by 32.3% of the respondents. Fatigue (29.2%) and feeling sleepy (28%) were the second and third most mentioned concerns.
Suntory said it would use the survey results as a reference for its future activities.
Read more on NutraIngredients-Asia.
ICYMI: How phytomedicine became dietary supplement in the U.S.
NutraIngredients-USA also published an in-depth historical perspective on efforts in the early 1990s by European and American phytomedicine manufacturers to facilitate the entry of products into the U.S. market as over-the-counter botanical drugs.
This effort, however, met with inaction, and not long after botanicals were inked into the definition of dietary supplements.
NutraIngredients-USA's Asia Sherman provides a valuable historical account on how herbs subsequently found their way into the legal definition of dietary supplements.
Read the full article HERE.