The notion that food consumers are more committed to transparency than are supplement users is not borne out at the retail level, experts from two natural channel retailers say.
Special edition: Transparency in Dietary Supplements
The dietary supplements industry must be transparent about transparency to ensure that it transparency really does make a difference and boost consumer confidence in the products, say industry experts.
Special edition: Transparency in Dietary Supplements
The NY AG’s probe into herbal supplements has done a lot to change the industry conversation over transparency, and some practices by some industry members cannot continue because they jeopardize the entire business community, say industry experts.
An article in a scientific journal that equates the dietary supplement industry’s interaction with regulators to that of the tobacco industry has been called “scurrilous” and “reckless” by industry observers.
Marketing experts agree that the concept of transparency is gaining steam among consumers. Even if shoppers don’t always understand what the word means, the concept isn’t going away.
Record keeping can be the bane of the compliant manufacturer’s existence. The Food Safety Modernization Act will impose further burdens, which can be streamlined with a service being rolled out by Registrar Corp.
The Natural Products Association enters its 80th year as the premier organization dedicated solely to the natural products industry in 2016. For those 80- years, our top priority has been and always will be enhancing, expanding and protecting our members’...
A recent move by the Food and Drug Administration to detain products without examination from foreign firms that have failed GMP inspections is welcome step toward "draining the swamp," said United Natural Products Alliance president Loren...
More specific training for herbalists as a way to bolster professional bona fides could go a long way toward burnishing the herbal industry’s image with the medical community, though it might not mean as much to consumers, a leader educator says.
Alkemist Labs has achieved ISO 17025 accreditation and also announced it has met the AOAC Analytical Laboratory Accreditation Criteria Committee guidelines.
The Natural Products Association has objected to a move by the Environmental Protection Agency that would classify leftover dietary supplements as ‘hazardous waste pharmaceuticals.’
Despite an import ban on the substance, kratom-containing products continue to find their way into the country. In the latest action, the Food and Drug Administration has seized 90,000 bottles at a facility in Illinois.
By Steve Mister, president & CEO, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)
What a difference a year makes! Last January at this time, who in the industry would have predicted the New York Attorney General (AG) debacle in February? Or Senator Dick Durbin’s dietary supplement amendments on the defense authorization bill in May?...
Hawkins Inc. has announced completion of its acquisition of Stauber Performance Ingredients in a cash for stock transaction valued at $157 million. It’s the second time Stauber has changed hands in recent years.
A suggested change in the way USP monographs are titled could help reduce confusion about what precise botanical ingredients are being referred to when certain common names are used, experts have said.
Diversion – the selling of authentic products in invalid markets, like MLM products on Amazon – is on the rise, with the healthcare practitioner and MLM channels most affected, says an expert from packaging specialists Nosco.
A place ought to be found within the regulation of the dietary supplement sector for artisanal herbal companies that might struggle with some of FDA’s more labyrinthine strictures on identity testing, experts say.
Doping scandals in the sports realm have had a hangover effect for dietary supplements, one longtime industry observer asserts. In his view it has created a climate in which decision makers have more easily bought in to the narrative of a dangerously...
An Update on the Quality of Australian and New Zealand Products
By Terri Albert, Kevin Krail, Lalen Dogan, Peter D Nichols and Andrew Sinclair
How does the industry respond when a scientific study comes out that is critical of quality and label claim for an omega-3 fish oil supplement, and, in the opinion of many experts, the research is flawed?
The US Food and Drug Administration has announced the creation of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs (ODSP), elevating the program from its previous status as a division under the Office of Nutrition Labeling and Dietary Supplements.
In an effort to keep up with a changing industry, GOED has published an updated version of the GOED Voluntary Monograph, which sets specifications for omega-3 oils.
By Daniel Fabricant, PhD, Executive Director and CEO of the Natural Products Association
Heading into 2015 I was optimistic about our industry’s ability to win political victories and expand the effectiveness of its grassroots operations. My thinking turned out to be spot on, as we certainly had our work cut out for us this year.
The actions of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have put an unprecedented pressure on the dietary supplement business, especially those companies dealing in herbal products.
As we enter the twilight days of 2015 the editors of NutraIngredients-USA become a reflective bunch. A lot of things happened this year, and here is our top 10 of most important events of the year…
Increased scrutiny of dietary supplements by the media, regulators and legislators is an opportunity to talk about quality and authenticity and should not be a concern, says the President of NBTY Americas.
The American Botanical Council has released a Laboratory Guidance Document on black cohosh in an attempt to help industry stakeholders better identify this frequently adulterated botanical.
The five main trade associations have signed a letter to members of Congress requesting that the FDA’s Division of Dietary Supplement Programs be elevated to an ‘Office’.
A recent study highlighting potential quality issues in select probiotic products raises a concern, says the International Probiotics Association, which also welcomed further development of the appropriate quality control techniques.
Beefing up supply chain management has been a mantra in dietary supplement industry meetings over recent months. For that to be most effective, it needs to include a consideration of supply partners’ business practices, experts say.
The recent coordinated crackdown by federal regulators on the dietary supplement industry shined a harsh light on supply chain vulnerabilities. Finding the sort of fraudulent ingredients mentioned during Tuesday’s news conference is complicated by the...
The USPLabs case demonstrates the tools investigators and prosecutors can bring to bear when looking into the dealings of a dietary supplement company, a former prosecutor says.
Dietary supplement trade associations have universally welcomed the Department of Justice’s nationwide sweep targeting more than 100 makers and marketers of dietary supplements for alleged fraudulent ingredients and illegal claims.
The Department of Justice announced a criminal indictment of sports supplement maker USPLabs and several of its executives at a news conference in Washington, DC today as part of a nationwide sweep targeting more than 100 makers and marketers of dietary...
Despite pressure on the industry to rapidly adopt some form of DNA testing, the old question still remains: Methods must be fit for purpose for the products being tested. Attendees at a recent industry event were told that there’s still no quick answer...
The mounting pressure on supply chain verification means it’s time for more companies in the dietary supplements industry to consider building and staffing their own labs, said NOW Foods exec Aaron Secrist.
GNC laid out a blueprint for the dietary supplement industry for a quality initiative including pre-market product registration at a meeting last week in Salt Lake City. The initiative builds upon GNC’s agreement with the NY AG office and is meant to...
A warning letter issued last month to dietary supplement firm Sound Healing Arts illustrates what’s wrong with the current enforcement picture at FDA, says an industry observer.
The decision in the Bayer Corp. contempt case has important implications for the dietary supplement industry, say attorneys Steven Shapiro and Marc Ullman in this guest article:
Former FDA official Dr Joshua Sharfstein, MD, has proposed a new paradigm for the regulation of dietary supplements. The underlying shift would be a move from an attitude of “benefit versus risk” to one of “access with safety.”
There’s a new player in the GMP audit sector, with the United States Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) expanding its verification services to include a new GMP audit program for dietary supplement and dietary ingredient manufacturers.
The Board of the Council for Responsible Nutrition has adopted the proposal to move forward with a registry of dietary supplements, which could be a relatively quick process if an existing database can be ‘massaged’ to fit the criteria.
Costa Mesa, CA-based Alkemist Labs is adding Next Generation DNA Sequencing to its arsenal of testing capabilities, in response to customer demand for the technology.
GNC’s stock value took a significant hit following the release of disappointing third quarter earnings. The company finds itself between the rock of investigations by state attorneys general and the hard place of a turnaround effort that is proving more...
With the increasing emphasis on GMP compliance, companies like ProcessPro, a Minnesota-based provider of software solutions for manufacturers, has seen an increasing demand for its services.
The shifting landscape of dietary supplements and increasing scrutiny by the media, regulators and consumers is driving the need for greater transparency and quality, says BASF’s human nutrition business director.
The lawsuit filed by the Oregon Attorney General raises overall risk for the supplements industry and could mean that a number of niche ingredients could disappear from the market, experts said.
Complying with the paperwork required by full GMP compliance has proved to be a headache for dietary supplement companies. Procedures automation firm Instant GMP can help.
