NY AG Eric Schneiderman has extended his investigation into herbal supplements by sending letters to four leading manufacturers demanding detailed ingredient and quality control information on every herbal supplement they sell in his state.
A recently released survey by the National Institutes of Health showed significant shifts in how Americans were using dietary supplements in the years between 2007 and 2012. Those shifts were ranged against results from earlier surveys done in 2002 and...
When trying to source non GMO dietary ingredients for supplements, the inclusion of enzymes presents a special case. There is confusion about the penetration of genetic modification technology into the sector, a confusion that is abetted by the tightly-held...
Nutrasource Diagnostics Inc. is set to launch a cost-effective, evidence-based certification program to test finished products, and the ingredients used to make them. Results allow manufacturers to determine if they contain GMOs or whether GMO’s were...
BlueOcean NutraSciences has signed a joint venture agreement with a Canadian technology firm to bring a slow release tablet form of omega-3s to market using its algal and shrimp oils, the company announced last week. The technology could also be used...
As the issue of mandatory GMO labeling looms ever larger on the radar of the dietary supplements industry, so too looms the question of supply of non GMO ingredients. The main active ingredients in supplements are for the most part of little concern,...
Marketers of cognitive support products experience some common pitfalls, according to experts at NutraScience Labs, the newly constituted marketing arm of Twinlab. Failure to rely on proven ingredients and lack of an omega-3 in the product lineup to provide...
The Federal Trade Commission’s position on the requirement for 2 RCTs in its contempt case against Bayer's Philips Colon Health brand steps far beyond what Congress intended when it passed DSHEA and even contravenes earlier long standing FTC and...
The NY Attorney General's actions are forcing companies to think more deeply about their ingredient testing, which should lead to a faster adoption of effective testing protocols for insuring the purity of chondroitin ingredients, said the CEO of...
Long-term supplementation with NattoPharma’s MenaQ7 vitamin K2 may inhibit age-related stiffening of the artery walls, says study with healthy postmenopausal women.
DGAC: Public and private sectors must work together to achieve a population-wide culture of health
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) – an panel of experts tasked with developing recommendations about what Americans should eat – has submitted its report to the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA),...
Specialty phosphate producer Innophos experienced a sales decline both for its fourth quarter of 2014 and well as for the entire year. Soft market conditions were to blame as well as a continued issue with the supply of purified phosphoric acid (PPA),...
The United Natural Products Alliance has announced a new insurance program designed especially for the needs of the dietary supplements industry. The program takes a detailed look at company operations in the rate setting process and qualifying for the...
Mead Johnson Nutrition plans to boost its US infant formula manufacturing capabilities to supply the e-commerce channels opening up between the US and China.
Black tea may help lower blood pressure for people with elevated levels, says a new study from Unilever R&D that adds to the potential health benefits of the beverage and its constituents.
The Natural Products Association (NPA) is mobilizing a grassroots campaign to maintain the pressure on the NY Attorney General to release the details of the DNA barcoding study used to request the removal of herbal supplements from the shelves of four...
The Food and Drug Administration has issued a warning letter to a coconut oil manufacturer for violations that included making drug claims on specific chemical constituents of the oil.
Twinlab Consolidated Holdings has acquired the book of business of contract manufacturer Nutricap Labs in a deal that will solidify the plan to maintain the company’s in-house manufacturing capacity, Twinlab CEO Tom Tolworthy said.
Supplementation with purified anthocyanins may improve blood lipid levels and lower blood sugar levels in type 2 diabetics, says a new study from China.
Jim Hamilton is expecting an ‘incredibly intriguing future’ for omega-3 and krill, with Neptune Technologies & Bioressources’ new CEO looking to the science to drive future development in the sector.
Clinical data is building around the role of probiotics to aid athletic performance – from recovery to muscle development to immune defense. We spoke to a leading researcher at Probiota in Amsterdam this month…
Cyanotech Corporation has broadened distribution of its finished goods brand Nutrex, helping the company achieve record sales. Streamlined operations have helped the company approach gross profit margins of 50% and in the red-hot astaxanthin sector the...
The New York AG affair has revealed a gulf: While the majority of Americans say they use dietary supplements, few of them understand much about how they’re made, or regulated. This gulf exists among pharmacists and physicians too, a recent survey revealed.
Yakult at Probiota 2015: “We want to be clear that before we invest we need to have some dialogue with EFSA...”
Yakult and leading academics expressed frustration at what they see as unfair and opaque scientific requirements around probiotic health claims in the European Union – but how much is industry to blame and could social media be a data-sharing saviour?
A single dose of nicotinamide riboside (NR) may significantly increases levels of NAD+, which is key to cellular energy metabolism and mitochondrial function, says a new study with healthy human volunteers using ChromaDex’s Niagen NR.
The Federal Trade Commission has received confirmation of its basic positions in its struggle with POM Wonderful over the substantiation on the claims the company has made for its juice and supplement products. But the appeals court ruling offers a shred...
Citing shortcomings in the way the New York Attorney General’s office relied on DNA barcoding in its recent action is all well and good, but having a more proactive method to engage law enforcement authorities and mainstream media figures on issues of...
GNC Holdings reported declining sales in the fourth quarter and for its full 2014 fiscal year. CEO Michael Archbold attributed the declines to changes in pricing, revamping of stores’ product mix and lower manufacturing volume in an effort to match inventory...
Vitamin manufacturing giant NBTY has launched a effort to put a spring into the step of its venerable Osteo Bi-Flex brand with a marketing campaign to raise public awareness of joint health, a category that a recent study has shown to be declining.
Horphag, the company behind the Pycnogenol brand of French Maritime Pine bark extracts, has launched a new ingredient, this time based on French oak wood that it is branding Robuvit.
Rethinking the cutoff thresholds of feeding regimens that malnourished children are put on could help to reduce the rate of relapse, which currently stands at 37%, say experts.
A new twist has developed in the NY AG’s investigation into herbal products as subpoenas have been issued to GNC, Walgreens, Target and Walmart to demand evidence to support the structure-function claims on their labels.
Supplement giant NBTY has formed a scientific advisory council, with its chair Dr David Katz describing it as “cross-disciplinary collaboration [that] is fantastic for industry development, achievement and advancement”.
Usana Health Sciences posted strong fourth quarter results dampened somewhat by a discounting program undertaken to boost sales, the company announced this week. The company continued to show the fastest sales increases in China, while results in North...
It was only a matter of time… Class actions against some of the retailers involved in the recent investigation by the New York Attorney General have been started across the country, from Florida to Illinois, and from Washington to California.
As questions swirl about the applicability of DNA barcoding for testing botanical extracts, other questions involve the reference materials used to test the products.
The dietary supplement industry might eventually come out ahead in the public relations battle over the fallout caused by the actions of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. But that shouldn’t paper over the fact that serious questions about the...
Nestlé and Swedish-based supplier BioGaia have announced the launch of a new toddler formula containing the patented probiotic Lactobacillus reuteri Protectis.
The increased concern about the sustainability of omega-3s supply has given a powerful push to the development of alternative sources, now giving rise to yet another algae supplier. This one has a twist, though; officials with AlgiSys, a development stage...
Win a free place at Food Vision: Uniting nutrition and food. Cannes, France. March 18-20, 2015
The 2015 Food Vision Big Debate will take place on 19 March 2015 during the truly global event for food and drink industry business leaders. It will be a highlight of the Food Vision programme, giving attendees the opportunity to have their say on the...
