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Sales of herbal dietary supplements in the United States jumped nearly 5% in 2009, according to a market report published last Friday in HerbalGram, the quarterly journal of the American Botanical Council (ABC; Austin, TX). ABC...s report, which compiled market research data from Information Resources Inc. (IRI; Chicago), Nutrition Business Journal, and SPINS (Schaumburg, IL), estimates that over $5 billion was made in herbal supplements sales in 2009.

In its latest report on the U.S. vitamins and dietary supplements market, analyst Euromonitor International (www.euromonitor.com) dubbed the industry recession-proof during 2008 and 2009.

The Institute of Medicine (IOM; Washington, DC) has released a report urging FDA to standardize its methods for validating biomarkers used in scientific studies. IOM says that right now, FDA is hampered in its ability to evaluate proposed health claims because it lacks a process for validating biomarkers.

Vitamin A may have a positive effect on adolescent lung function, according to a study in The New England Journal of Medicine'”but only if a mother takes it. From 1994 to 1997, pregnant Nepalese women participated in a placebo-controlled, double-blind, cluster-randomized trial in which they supplemented with vitamin A, beta-carotene, or placebo.

A slow economy and rising healthcare costs have increased consumer interest in dietary supplements. But market-research company Packaged Facts (Rockville, MD) has provided more numbers to ground these general arguments.

Stratum Nutrition’s (St. Louis) Artinia chitin-glucan fiber, targeting arterial and heart health, has been determined safe as a novel food ingredient by the European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition, and Allergies (DNA).

The Dairy Research Institute has been founded by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI; Rosemont, IL) and the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy. The nonprofit institute is designed to help strengthen the dairy industry’s access to and investment in technical research for dairy innovation. It will work with industry, academic, government, and commercial partners to promote precompetitive research.

Ocean Spray’s Ingredient Technology Group (ITG) has launched a new website at www.oceansprayitg.com to provide information on the supplier’s range of fruit and cranberry ingredients.

Martek Biosciences Corp. (Columbia, MD) is restructuring its Winchester, KY, facility to improve capacity and reduce manufacturing and operating costs.

National Enzyme Co. (Forsyth, MO) has acquired Sora Laboratories, an analytical, microbiological, and characteristics laboratory.

PepsiCo announced a four-year partnership with flavors firm Senomyx Inc. (San Diego, CA) to develop and commercialize natural sweeteners and sweetness enhancers. New discoveries will be used to lower the calorie content of future PepsiCo beverages.

FDA has issued a “no objections” GRAS approval for SG95, a new stevia product from PureCircle (Oak Brook, IL).

Ethical Naturals (San Anselmo, CA) has attained self-affirmed GRAS status for ORAC-15M, a grape extract intended to provide antioxidants to supplements and beverages.

XSTO Solutions (Morristown, NJ) announced that its ingredient line produced by Hamari Chemicals Ltd. has been kosher certified by Kosher Certification Service.

Nutraceuticals International (Elmwood Park, NJ) has agreed to distribute more than 900 stock flavors offered by flavor supplier Faerie’s Finest (Hawaiian Gardens, CA).

Herbamed Ltd. (Weizmann Technology Park, Israel) has appointed New Products Plus (NPP; Salt Lake City, UT) its exclusive Western U.S. agent for its Ultrasome coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).

Yantai Dongcheng Biochemicals Co.’s (Yantai, China) chondroitin sulfate has received a Certificate of Suitability (COS) from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare. The certificate indicates that the chondroitin sulfate complies with European Pharmacopeia standards.