All news articles for December 2016

© iStock/marekuliasz

2016: The year of the hammer and the squeeze

By Loren Israelsen, president, United Natural Products Alliance

2016 felt like the year of hammer blows and the squeeze play, with the finale the unpredicted win of Donald Trump as President. I count myself among those who close this year pondering the state of affairs globally, nationally, and personally.

NPA adds 18 members

NPA adds 18 members

By Hank Schultz

The Natural Products Association has announced that it has added 18 new members to the organization recently.

Trump, vinpocetine, hemp:  AHPA looks at 2016 events that will affect 2017

Trump, vinpocetine, hemp: AHPA looks at 2016 events that will affect 2017

By Michael McGuffin, president, American Herbal Products Association

Several events in 2016 will impact the industry in 2017 and future years. The 2016 election results tops that list. Like most other industries in the U.S., the herbal products industry will be closely watching the incoming Trump administration and Republican-controlled...

Photo: iStock/Tamara Kulikova

Omega-3s & Algae: Lessons from 2016’s special editions

By Adi Menayang

We learned that natural channel retailers are getting bored with plain old fish oil, and that there is still a lot of untapped potential in sourcing everything from omega-3s to protein to color from algae. Our in-depth coverage this year explored what’s...

Last year there were European press reports that the ketone drinks were being used by cyclists at the Tour de France, but this was adamantly by the UK-based Sky team accused.

'20 to 30 elite sportspeople/teams' involved in ketone research

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Oxford researchers behind a novel performance-enhancing ketone drink get around an email a day from sports teams hoping to buy the product – and another 20-30 unnamed professional teams have already been involved in research trials with the product.

GNC to overhaul in-store experience in bid to halt sales slide

GNC to overhaul in-store experience in bid to halt sales slide

By Hank Schultz

Supplement retailing giant GNC will hit the reset button on its customer experience by closing all of its corporate-owned stores for one day next week to install new checkout terminals and institute a new pricing structure.

E coli cells after agglutination in presence of cranberry PACs.  Fruit d' Or photo.

Electron microscope used to highlight cranberry activity

By Hank Schultz

The release of microscopic images gives graphic evidence of how research on the characterization of cranberry has borne fruit in helping to elucidate a mechanism of action in inhibiting the action of harmful bacteria.

Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa). Image © iStock/ninoninos

Kratom in sports: Is this a growing issue?

By Stephen Daniells

A new paper in Drug Testing & Analysis calls for increased vigilance from anti-doping testing labs after four samples from athletes in strength sports tested positive in 2015.

© iStock/Yarygin

Bioavailability-boosted CBD hits market

By Hank Schultz

A new form of CBD products that claim greater bioavailability and protection from stomach acid breakdown via a nano droplet technology have hit the market in the US. 

© iStock/Jezperklauzen

IPA recommends expanded grandfathered list for probiotics

By Stephen Daniells

The International Probiotics Association has urged the FDA to expanded the ‘grandfathered list’ of dietary ingredients to include bacterial strains globally recognized as used historically in foods.

NDI draft guidance needs extensive revision, AHPA asserts

NDI draft guidance needs extensive revision, AHPA asserts

By Hank Schultz

The current NDI draft guidance is unlikely to improve compliance or the quality of submissions and should be rewritten. That’s the opinion expressed by the American Herbal Products Association in comments it filed with FDA.

© iStock / winlyrung

Quality and science still strong for omega-3: GOED’s 2016 review

By Adam Ismail, Executive Director, GOED

Overall 2016 has not been a bad year for the omega-3 industry, but it also has not been a strong year and therefore it still feels like we are having to fight for our right to exist. If anything, it appears like the omega-3 industry, which has grown on...

NPA urges FDA to back off in applying food additive standards

NPA urges FDA to back off in applying food additive standards

By Hank Schultz

The Natural Products Association has urged FDA to cease its attempt to apply  food additive standards to dietary ingredients. To do so would create an undue burden on small business, many of which are represented by NPA.

© iStock / Rostislav_Sedlacek

OmniActive self-affirms GRAS for OmniLean

OmniActive Health Technologies has announced that its OmniLean Salacia Extract has received self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) notification by an expert panel.

Collaborations, workshops and continuing outreach: IPA celebrates key achievements

Collaborations, workshops and continuing outreach: IPA celebrates key achievements

By George Paraskevakos, executive director of the International Probiotics Association

In a few months’ time I will be celebrating my two-year anniversary running IPA. Time flies when you are passionate about what you do! From a transition period in 2015 to the significant strides we made in 2016 – we truly are living up to being the Global...

© iStock

Rehab, a Registry, and Steady Progress: The Year that Was

By Steve Mister, President & CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition

In many respects, 2016 will go down as the year that the unexpected and the improbable came to pass. For dietary supplements, however, the year was more predictable with a steady road toward rehabilitating its image tarnished from the prior year’s events...

'How many people know that omega-3 is just chemical nomenclature?' asks Aker Biomarine chief scientist. ©iStock/DavidCarillet

Dispatches from HiE 2016 in Frankfurt

Is the term omega-3 specific enough?

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The term omega-3 doesn’t really mean anything, says chief scientist for supplier Aker Biomarine. 

CBD marketer goes for functional food positioning

CBD marketer goes for functional food positioning

By Hank Schultz

A new marketer of CBD products is hanging its hat on a functional food positioning and restricting claims to other ingredients in the products in an effort to find a regulatory safe harbor.

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