All News

Cyvex Nutrition (Milwaukee, WI) will be the exclusive distributor for Chr. Hansen's (Irvine, CA) line of phytonutrients.

Deerland Enzymes (Kennesaw, GA) recently invested in several capital expenditures at its Kennesaw headquarters. These expenditures included improved bulk blending capabilities for both large and small batch sizes, high speed encapsulation capabilities along with a broader spectrum of capsule sizes, a new tableting line to broaden manufacturing capabilities, automated bottling and labeling capacity, and automated inspection equipment.

Next Pharmaceuticals (Salinas, CA) has announced their expanded website, www.nextpharmaceuticals.com. Scientific articles that support their branded proprietary raw materials may now be accessed. The site also addresses product manufacturers. “Next Pharmaceuticals has grown significantly since the company’s inception into the dietary supplement industry and it was time that our website reflected that growth and loyalty to our customers,” said Charles Kosmont, NP CEO.

Devansoy (Rock City, IL) has assumed complete ownership of their soy plant previously jointly operated with Berner Foods (Dakota, IL).

In a partnership with Trees for the Future (Silver Spring, MD), Himalaya Herbal Healthcare (Houston), makers of LiverCare, planted 49,750 trees in the two states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the company’s home country of India.

BI Nutraceuticals (Long Beach, CA) has begun an education program designed to inform the dietary supplement industry about the FDA's (Rockville, MD) ban on the use of both irradiation and ethylene oxide (ETO) as a means of sterilization for raw materials.

A research team at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN) has created an analysis method to detect levels of melamine in the low parts-per-billion in milk and milk powder in about 25 seconds.

AHPA (Silver Spring, MD) announced its paper, “Heavy metal analysis and interim recommended limits for botanical dietary supplements,” on January 20. The paper provides industry with information on successful compliance with current good manufacturing practices (GMP).

Vitiva (Markovci, Slovenia) has opened a subsidiary office in the UK for its natural rosemary extract formulations used for food and beverage preservation.

Horphag Research (Geneva), suppliers of Pycnogenol, has earned the 2008 Frost & Sullivan Health Ingredients Excellence in Research of the Year Award.

In light of the popularity of botanical supplements in Europe, the European Botanical Forum (EBF; Brussels) has released its first fact file detailing the nutritional role of these ingredients. The file aims to correct some commonly-held misapprehensions, and offers an overview of aspects related to the use of these ingredients in food supplements. It includes regulatory and practical information on their current use.

In response to a recent report released by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN; Washington, DC) detailing the regulatory challenges posed by nanomaterials, Andrew Shao of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), released this statement: “Nanotechnology has been used in various products for decades, including drugs, medical devices, cosmetics, conventional foods and dietary supplements. As the prevalence of nanomaterials continues to rise, FDA (Rockville, MD) is examining how to best address this emerging technology in all regulated industries.

A federal judge has ordered infomercial marketer Kevin Trudeau to pay more than $37 million for violating a 2004 stipulated order by misrepresenting the content of his book, “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You to Know About.”

A federal district court has ordered the marketers of three dietary supplements to pay more than $15 million for deceiving consumers about the products’ safety and effectiveness. The court imposed the final monetary judgment and permanent prohibitions against the marketers in December 2008, after granting the FTC's (Washington, DC) motion for summary judgment last June.

FDA’s ability to regulate the safety of dietary supplements using nanomaterials is inadequate due to a lack of information, resources and statutory authority in certain areas, according to a new report released by the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN; Washington, DC).

Ecuadorian Rainforest (Belleville, NJ) has launched an online video titled, “Nutraceuticals 2009,” the company announced on January 9. The video presents the top ingredients of 2008 based on ER sales figures and showcases new ingredients for 2009. The video can be viewed for free at: http://www.intotherainforest.com/blog/

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA; Silver Spring, MD) supported the FDA’s efforts to recall products marketed as dietary supplements that contained undeclared, active pharmaceutical ingredients, AHPA said on January 9.

Robinson Pharma Inc., (RPI; Santa Ana, CA) announced its completion of a surveillance audit for cGMP compliant manufacture of dietary supplements on January 9. The audit was performed by STR (Enfield, CT), a third party testing and auditing firm with a focus on quality systems and analysis.

Responding to recent statements regarding dietary supplement regulation, the Natural Products Association’s (NPA; Washington, DC) CEO, David Seckman, released this statement on January 8:“Increased scrutiny by professional sports leagues on steroid usage, which the NPA commends, has unfortunately also led to increased and unsubstantiated allegations that a "tainted" or mislabeled dietary supplement is to blame when an athlete tests positive for a banned substance.

In a new study, Fuji Health’s (Burlington, NJ) brand of natural astaxanthin extract (AstaREAL) derived from Haematococcus microalgae was detected in the iris/ciliary body of New Zealand albino rabbit eyes 24 hours after ingestion, the company announced on January 6.

Aloha Medicinals (Carson City, NV) announced the construction of a second proprietary nanoparticle manufacturing device, the company said on January 6. Aloha first introduced nano-sized medicinal mushroom products in early 2008.

Responding to the growing popularity of a plant-based sweetener, the U.S. Pharmacopeial (USP; Rockville, MD) Convention today announced it is developing a new standard to be included in the Food Chemicals Codex (FCC) that will help food and beverage manufacturers assure the product’s quality for consumers.

Sabinsa’s (Piscataway, NJ) probiotic ingredient, LactoSpore, received GRAS status after a review of safety and toxicology data by an independent panel of scientists.

On November 21, FTC announced that it is seeking public comments on proposed revisions to the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. The proposed revisions are intended to ensure that testimonials describe typical consumer experiences. FTC will stop accepting public comments on January 30, 2009. Nutritional Outlook spoke with John Feldman, a partner at Reed Smith LLP (Washington, DC), about the proposed changes. Why is FTC considering making changes to the guides?

In a study released on December 18, Scientia (Palo Alto, CA) predicts an annual compound growth rate of 7% through 2012, averaged across all segments of the industry.

BASF Corp. (Wilmington, NC) announced on December 18 that it will close its Wilmington, NC, vitamins manufacturing site by March 31, 2009.

FDA issued a “no objection” letter to the GRAS status of rebaudioside A (Reb A), the stevia extract used in PureVia, PepsiCo’s (Purchase, NY) all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener, PepsiCo announced on December 17.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA; Silver Spring, MD) has petitioned U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP; Rockville, MD) to adopt AHPA’s guidance limits for heavy metals in “orally consumed botanical-containing finished products,” AHPA announced on December 16.

A $7 million settlement has been reached between Airborne Health Inc. (Minneapolis), Florida, and 31 other states, said Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum on December 16.

About 38% of American adults 18 years and over and about 12% of U.S. children 17 years and under use some form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), according to the 2007 National Health Interview Survey.