Vitamins & premixes

“It is very old. It survived 2-3 mass extinctions on Earth.”

Portuguese player enters chlorella space

02-Jun-2014 By Shane STARLING

The increasingly busy nutra-algae space has a new player in Portuguese firm Allma which has already bagged ice cream and food concept contracts but is targeting all foods, supplements, cosmetics and feed with a premium version of chlorella.

DSM: Additional research will underpin vitamin E's decisive benefits

02-Jun-2014 By Hank Schultz

Magic bullet syndrome is something that has plagued the dietary supplement ingredient business over the years. While this is often negative for consumers, who put their faith into an overhyped (while still possibly effective) ingredient, it’s not so good...

Experience as a customer helps CEO grow contract manufacturing company

30-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

For a contract manufacturer, formulation expertise, a good story on GMP compliance and robust relationships with ingredient suppliers are all good and necessary things to have.  But none of it replaces good, old service to the customer, said Jonathan...

More than half of supplement users rely on doctors for advice on how to use products, survey finds

28-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

More than half of supplement users rely on their doctors for information on what products to use and how to use them, according to a new survey by the Council for Responsible Nutrition. This places a burden on the part of healthcare consumers to engage...

NIU's Cognitive Health Forum: 'The key is to not have ingredients that stimulate other areas of the body that are not needed for performance'

27-May-2014 By Stephen Daniells

Cognitive health formulations must be driven by mechanisms of action, and with cognition being a lifelong issue with many aspects to consider the possibilities are impressive and continually developing, according to experts at the NutraIngredients-USA...

NutraIngredients-USA Cognitive Health Forum: Today!

22-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Experts from Abbott Nutrition, Standard Process, Nawgan, and Euromonitor will join NutraIngredients-USA for a discussion of the cognitive health sector, from science and claim substantiation, to market sizing and key consumer demographics.

DISPATCHES FROM VITAFOODS Europe 2014

Sustainability? Not so focal for supplements, says palm oil firm

13-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Sustainability is not such an important issue for the supplements industry, because of the relatively low ingredient volumes involved and a difference in industry priorities, Malaysia-based Carotech has said.

ENI CEO: ‘Most prominent companies are starting to work on incorporating non-GMO materials’

12-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

The majority of the leading US supplement companies are working on using non-GMO ingredients in their formulations, said Cal Bewicke, CEO of Ethical Naturals Inc (ENI), as the company launches non-GMO vitamin C.

News in brief

Chromadex reports 97% increase in ingredient sales

09-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

The success and demand for Chromadex’s Niagen-branded nicotinamide riboside ingredient are driving ingredient sales for the Californian company, with more research to be published expected to further boost the ingredient.

Vitamin Shoppe CEO: ‘Fish oil will turn around a little bit based upon some of the things that we’re seeing’

09-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Downturns in the retail of fish oil and multivitamin supplements should turn around as we ‘cycle’ though the negative media, said Tony Truesdale, CEO of Vitamin Shoppe.

Crowd-funding: SmartyPants raises an additional $2.2 million, but how are other supplement start-ups doing?

06-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

SmartyPants Vitamins has just announced that it has closed a $2.2 million second round of financing via CircleUp, bringing their crowdfunding total to $4.7 million, but what separates this company from other supplement entrepreneurs?

Vitamin D deficiency may indicate prostate cancer

05-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Vitamin D deficiency may be an indicator in the diagnosis of aggressive prostate cancer, according to researchers.

SunDaily founder: Existing multivitamins are based on decades-old standards

02-May-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

When a former corporate finance executive and MIT grad’s own growing interest in nutrition and fitness turned to disillusionment with existing supplement offerings, he launched a company dedicated to overhauling the most popular supplement categories...

Standard Process supplements show ‘modest’ benefits for cognitive functioning in healthy older adults

01-May-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements of a Ginkgo biloba plus choline-based formula may produce modest improvements in executive functioning, according to a new study from Standard Process using its Ginkgo Synergy plus Choline products.

Vitamin D levels linked to cancer survival rates

30-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Breast and colorectalcancer patients with higher levels of vitamin D at the time of diagnosis may have better chances of survival and remain in remission longer those who are deficient, according to a scientific review. 

Active duty Marine's energy shot packs mega doses of vitamins

28-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

Battlefield experience in Afghanistan gave Marine Corps Maj. Robert Dyer a good idea of what he wanted in a supplement.  And surving the stress of being a forward air controller in the combat zone helped him weather the stress of launching a new supplement...

Multivitamin startup offers formulas targeted to different times of day

25-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

Different approaches have been taken to differentiate the multivitamin sector over the years.  Formulas that target specific populations, like men, women or kids, or different delivery systems like gummies have all been tried.  Now comes a new idea: ...

Vemma makes changes to business model in response to Italian ruling

25-Apr-2014 By Hank Schultz

The network marketing sector has come under renewed scrutiny with the news that Vemma Nutrition, a multilevel marketing comany that markets beverages based in part on mangosteen juice, has been sanctioned by an Italian regulatory body for being a pyramid...

Krill oil (plus B vitamins, soy and rosemary) relieves PMS: Pilot study

25-Apr-2014 By Nicola Cottam

Krill oil supplementation can relieve pre-menstrual stress disorder (PMS), according to a small pilot study.

Special Edition: Sports Nutrition

Swisse Wellness on US sports nutrition sector: ‘We think there’s an opportunity in this space to make a big impact’

24-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Changing consumer attitudes to health and similar consumption levels in the US and Australia give Swisse Wellness an opportunity to excite consumers with a new sports nutrition range that is not just focused on the muscle men and gym junkies, says Ulrich...

Punching holes in pop-science theory: Whole grains may cut inflammatory biomarkers in obese kids

22-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Consuming whole-grain-rich foods for six weeks may slash levels of inflammatory biomarkers in overweight children, according to findings published in Molecular Nutrition & Food Research.

Advancing nutritional epidemiology to a whole new level? NIH scientists publish metabolomics biomarkers to study diet-disease associations

21-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Scientists from the National Cancer Institute at the NIU have reported metabolomic biomarkers for a variety of foods and vitamins, which, if validated, could become biomarkers in large cohorts to study diet-disease associations.

BASF vitamin production returns to normal after fire

16-Apr-2014

BASF’s vitamin A and E production is close to resuming normal service after a fire ripped through its German plant on March 12.

Is dietary supplement use more prevalent than previously thought?

15-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

As many as 69% of American adults may be users of dietary supplements, with up to 53% being regular users, says a new review that gives greater numbers than those reported in National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES).

Largest ever human clinical study using tocotrienols for neuroprotection

Vitamin E tocotrienols show brain health benefits

14-Apr-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of a natural full spectrum palm mixed tocotrienol complex may protect against the progression of white matter lesions in human brains, says a new study from Malaysia and the UK.

Science short

Study: Vitamin A form shows breast cancer prevention potential

09-Apr-2014 By Shane Starling

A vitamin A form called retinoic acid that is commonly found in sweet potatoes and carrots, can help turn breast cells showing cancerous potential back to a healthy state, researchers have found.

science short

Low & fat-free milk shows osteoarthritis benefits for women

07-Apr-2014

Low & fat-free milk consumption can reduce the likelihood of osteoarthritis (OA), researchers at Brigham & Women’s Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts have found.

“Which way up was the umbrella? Did this review collect knowledge or shield us from it?”

BMJ vitamin D research attacked: 'un-nuanced', 'flawed', 'irresponsible'

07-Apr-2014 By Shane STARLING

The ‘umbrella’ review of vitamin D studies that found a myriad of health links for the sunshine vitamin were unconfirmed in the scientific literature, has been criticised for containing too many flawed studies that warped the overall findings.

BMJ: Vitamin D benefits unconfirmed – even bone density

04-Apr-2014 By Shane STARLING

Vitamin D’s health links including its ability to boost bone density are not backed in the scientific literature, the British Medical Journal has found after an extensive review of published studies on the nutrient.

FAO: Nutrient deficiencies, stunted growth affect Europe and central Asia

03-Apr-2014 By Shane Starling

Few may go hungry but vitamin and mineral deficiencies and health problems like growth stunting in children are widespread among the 53 countries of Europe and central Asia, according to the FAO.

Blendhub boosts supply chain transparency

02-Apr-2014 By Sarah Hills

Premium Blendhub has created a new centre that offers a fully transparent management model of the raw materials in food powder blends, to help customers optimise their supply chain.

InsideTracker CEO: ‘The one-size-fits-all intervention approach to nutrition makes no sense - Personalization is the future’

31-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

It may have been said before, but the future of nutrition is through personalization, especially for athletic individuals who want to achieve the optimal and not just normal levels, says Rony Sellam, CEO of Segterra, the company behind InsideTracker.

ChromaDex trims loss, reports $65 million in orders for Niagen ingredient

28-Mar-2014 By Hank Schultz

ChromaDex Corp. further trimmed its loss to 4 cents a share as it continues to capitalize on its Niagen ingredient, the company announced as it reported its final fiscal year 2013 results.

Vitamin Angels premieres online documentary to broaden its message

26-Mar-2014 By Hank Schultz

Vitamin Angels, a nonprofit organization that has delivered millions of servings of vitamin A and other vitamins to at-risk children and mothers worldwide, has premiered an online documentary that shows some of the communities the organization serves...

Chromadex CEO: ‘We think Niagen has a much bigger market, like omega-3’

26-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

The potential of nicotinamide riboside, the next generation vitamin B3, goes beyond dietary supplements, into functional food and beverages, medical foods, infant nutrition and more, says the CEO of Chromadex.

BASF fire affects vitamin A and E supply

25-Mar-2014

A major fire due to a technical issue on March 12 at a BASF plant in Germany will close the plant for a month or more and affect supply of vitamins A and E.

Folic acid: The double-edge sword of the golden micronutrient

21-Mar-2014

Folic acid is backed to deliver important health benefits in the scientific literature and by regulators – but is over-consumption a real problem? asks Robert Verkerk, PhD, the founder, executive and scientific director of the Alliance for Natural Health...

Special edition: Innovations in Delivery Systems

NanoSphere Health CSO: ‘We’re revolutionizing the way of delivering nutrients’

20-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Disruptive technologies to produce natural nano-sized nutraceuticals could ‘revolutionize’ how dietary supplements deliver their benefits, with smaller most definitely better for enhancing bioavailability and bio-efficacy, says the CSO of NanoSphere Health...

Special edition: Innovations in Delivery Systems

Gummy vitamin market still has ‘great’ potential: Pharmavite

20-Mar-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

In the continued effort to appeal to consumers loathe to swallow pills every day, supplement manufacturers have ventured into everything from melts and powders to confectionery-type supplement forms such as chews and gum. A few years into its foray into...

Vitamin D may reduce inflammatory markers for obese women, but only if you take it

19-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of vitamin D may reduce levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of chronic inflammation, in obese and overweight women, but only if the women take the supplements every day, says a new study.

Carotech’s Tocomin & Tocomin SupraBio joins the Non-GMO Project Verified ranks

17-Mar-2014

The Non-GMO Project has verified Carotech’s Tocomin and Tocomin SupraBio natural full spectrum palm tocotrienol complex.

Gut bacteria to battle vitamin A deficiency: Could probiotics be modified to produce beta-carotene?

14-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Research backed by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation could offer a new solution to the problem of vitamin A deficiency by creating modified gut bacteria, researchers told NutraIngredients.

US FDA upholds approval of Lallemand vitamin D2 baker’s yeast

13-Mar-2014 By Kacey Culliney

The US Food and Drug Administration has upheld its authorization of Lallemand’s enriched yeast after investigating objections from AB Mauri.

Healthy eating may reduce the risk of preterm delivery: Population data

11-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

A healthy diet packed with fruit, vegetables, and omega-3 rich fish could help to reduce the risk of pre-term babies, according to new research.

Vitamin D may boost heart’s ability to respond to a stressor

10-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of vitamin D may improve the heart’s response to a stressor, says a new study from Canada with implications for healthy people and those at high risk of cardiovascular mortality.

Vitamin D linked to better breast cancer patient survival

10-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Breast cancer patients with high levels of vitamin D in their blood are twice as likely to survive the disease as those with lower levels, new research has suggested.

Calcium and vitamin D may improve cholesterol in postmenopausal women

06-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Supplementation with calcium and vitamin D after menopause could help to improve women's cholesterol profiles, according to new research.

Vitamin B5 derivative may slash bad cholesterol by 11%: Study

03-Mar-2014 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements containing branded pantethine ingredient Pantesin, a vitamin B5 derivative, may reduce LDL and total cholesterol by 11% and 6%, respectively, according to a new study.

Vitamin D may have direct effect on brain development, social behaviour and autism

27-Feb-2014 By Nathan Gray

Vitamin D could have a 'critical influence' levels of serotonin in the brain and may directly effect social behaviours associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), according to new research.

Vitamin D deficiency linked to compromised immune function: Study

26-Feb-2014 By Nathan Gray

Seniors who are deficient in vitamin D also tend to have compromised immune functions including inflammation and biomarkers for heart disease, according to new research.