Unilever Bestfoods is to extend its Flora Pro-Activ brand into
yoghurt and milk in an attempt to meet consumers' growing demand
for health-driven food products.
Anglo-Dutch consumer products group Unilever said today it would
sell its edible oils unit Loders Croklaan Group to Malaysia's IOI
Corporation for €217 million in cash.
A low-fat, high-fibre diet rich in fruit and vegetables has no
preventive effect on prostate cancer, according to a study by
researchers at the US-based Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.
However the team point out the study's...
Canadian company Forbes Medi -Tech yesterday reported profitable
second quarter and first half results, making significant
improvements on losses reported last year. The good news was a
result of the one-time C$6.1 million gain from...
Danish oils and fats company Aarhus Oliefabrik reported a drop in
operating income to DKK93m (€12.5m) for the first six months of
2002, down from DKK 125m (€16.8m) for the same period last year,
but still saw a slight improvement...
An independent committee of experts set up to advise Britain's Food
Standards Agency yesterday issued a consultation document on the
maximum levels of vitamins and minerals that are safe to consume.
The supplement industry said...
A chemical isolated from a weed that grows in the western United
States kills the cells of an aggressive brain cancer that affects
some children, researchers at John Hopkins have found. Further
developments could however be hindered...
Pomegranate producer, Pom Wonderful, claims that its brand of
pomegranate juice has higher free radical scavenging activity, and
greater polyphenol content than red wine, cranberry juice and green
tea.
In anticipation of final approval by the European Parliament of the
proposed Directive relating to food supplements, the European Union
Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) has issued its first opinions
regarding the tolerable upper...
Mothers who take vitamin supplements before and during pregnancy
may reduce the risk of their baby developing neuroblastoma, a type
of cancer which affects the nervous system, report US researchers
in September's Epidemiology.
Eating soy foods on a regular basis - especially during adolescence
- might lower the risk of breast cancer, according to preventive
medicine researchers at the University of Southern California.
Researchers are still seeking to understand...
California-based nutritional supplements supplier Hauser has sold
its Shuster Laboratories division to Specialized Technology
Resources, a private company, for around $7.7 million (€7.81m) in
cash.
A US subsidiary of German health ingredients business Degussa
BioActives said it has filed an order for prompt action on a case
it brought earlier this year against sports nutrition company
Muscle Marketing USA.
Japanese health ministry officials are launching a series of
measures to prevent further health scares after the problems caused
by dieting aids imported from China.
Taking a combination of folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin B6 over
a six-month period can help prevent the recurrence of blocked
arteries in patients who have undergone coronary angioplasty,
according to a study published this week.
Chromium-based supplement maker Nutrition 21 reported revenues of
$3.8 million for the fourth quarter and fiscal year ended 30 June
2002, compared to $5.3 million for the comparable period a year
ago.
Dutch food company Wessanen reported sales of €1,449.5 million for
the first half of 2002. Business in Europe has been positive, but
Tree of Life North American produced disappointing results, said
the company.
German researchers have found traces of the cancer-causing chemical
acrylamide, in coffee, although not in as high concentrations as in
fatty foods such as potato crisps, french fries or bread.
Two thirds of HIV patients are using therapies such as
multivitamins and Chinese herbs which could have serious negative
consequences, according to research from the US.
Nutraceutical Clinical Laboratories International said it has sold
its majority interest ownership in American Medical Specialties,
effective from 1 August 2002.
Caffeine could one day be used to cure skin cancer, according to US
scientists who have found that the stimulant combined with an
extract from green tea can kill cancer in mice. More research will
be required to find out whether the...
Canada's Health Food Association (CHFA) has called the national ban
on the sale of kava products 'completely unacceptable', and urged
the health department to follow the cautionary labelling practice
of the US.
Researchers in Australia claim that drinking beer can be just as
good for your health as red wine. In a study on male volunteers,
the scientists found that antioxidant levels increased after
drinking red wine and beer, but less so...
US-based Natural Health Trends said it has signed an agreement with
NuEworld.com which will see the marketing company merge with
Natural Health Trend's subsidiary, Lexxus International.
Pregnant women who eat more of a key fatty acid found in fish give
their babies better chances of mature brain development, finds a
new study in the September issue of the American Journal of
Clinical Nutrition.
Experts meeting in the US last week concluded that there is still
no evidence that soy and garlic supplements have any health
benefits. One speaker questioned the claim that soy and isoflavones
are a viable alternative to HRT.
Archer Daniels Midland has been awarded its fifth and sixth patents
for the use of concentrated isoflavones in combination with other
plant-derived phytochemicals.
Children who avoid drinking cows' milk are twice as likely to
fracture bones than their milk-drinking counterparts, according to
researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand. The
researchers advise children who do not...
Canada's national health department last week issued a stop-sale
order on all products containing the herb kava after a safety
assessment concluded there is insufficient evidence to support
their safe use.
New research published this week could help scientists to explain
the role of magnesium in regulating blood pressure. US scientists
show how magnesium activates microscopic ion channels in the
membrane of a cell, important in blood...
A medical expert has said that the recent calls to review the
herbal supplement ephedra are "unfounded". Dr Steven Karch claimed
that the health reports logged by Metabolife contain 'insubstantial
information'.
The leading Canadian vitamin manufacturer Jamieson Laboratories has
announced its first acquisition - ProMedis, a company specialising
in weight management.
ConsumerLab has released details of the first nine products to pass
its "Athletic Banned Substances Screening Program". The programme
was set up at the request of the United States Olympic Committee.
Shaklee Corporation has introduced Stress Relief Complex, a dietary
supplement claimed to help provide prompt and effective relief from
everyday stress, without causing drowsiness.
Internet websites promoting 'alternative' cures for cancer can
seriously harm patients who follow their advice, according to an
editorial published in the British Journal of Cancer this
week. And some are in fact dangerous,...
Coffee, tea and chocolate all contain chemicals that could
eventually form the basis of new drugs to combat cancer and heart
disease. Scientists at UCL in London report on their findings in in
the August issue of the Journal of Biological...
Following news of a 12 per cent drop in net sales for Weider
Nutrition's fourth quarter, the chief executive promises new
product launches and heavy marketing support for its sports
supplements.
US researchers are developing a marijuana-derived synthetic
compound to relieve pain and inflammation without the mood-altering
side-effects associated with other marijuana-based drugs.
Scientists believe that the drug could eventually...
Scientists in France claim to have found differences in the 'good
cholesterol' of red wine drinkers which could account for the
drink's beneficial effects against cardiovascular disease. For the
first time, the new...
Beverage company Leading Brands is to end its distribution
agreement with Energy Brands for Glaceau Vitamin Water and Go-Go
Passion Energy Drink. The company cited strong competition in the
vitamin-enhanced drinks sector as a major...
US retailer The Vitamin Shoppe has signed a multi-year agreement
with information provider Healthnotes to use its applications both
online and in-store.
A new study published in JAMA today has provoked worried responses
from supplement manufacturers and trade bodies in the US. The
research shows that gingko biloba has no beneficial effect on
memory and related mental functions of...
Further evidence to suggest that almonds could benefit our health
hit the press this week as scientists in Canada report that almonds
significantly lowered bad cholesterol levels in a study of people
with high cholesterol.
Australian natural food ingredients maker Clover Corp has teamed up
with the Food Spectrum Group to enhance the marketing and
development of its dietary supplements.
While many cancer patients may seek alternative remedies to
alleviate symptoms, new research demonstrates that some herbals can
prevent synthetic drugs from working. St John's wort may reduce the
effectiveness of the chemotherapy...
