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.
At this time of year, many of us take advantage of the changing calendar and assess where we are as an industry. Typically, this exercise is a broad-based reflection evaluating a variety of topics. This year a group of leading industry experts were asked...
What are the health concerns of consumers today, and how can dietary supplements help? This year, our special editions included in-depth coverage on bone and joint health, anti-aging, sports nutrition, and pre- and probiotics. This is part of a series...
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...
‘Smart’ gut bacteria that can improve the fermentation process? Super-efficient microorganisms that can turn empty calories into complete nutritional food?
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...
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.
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.
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.
Supplements containing epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) from green tea may increase energy expenditure and impact metabolic rates, and help with weight management, says a new meta-analysis.
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.
Requiring NDI notifications on almost every new product will create a situation in which few companies will be able to comply with the new draft guidance, the United Natural Products Alliance said.
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.
Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) is frustrated with bureaucratic delays to the New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) draft guidance, and is calling on the FDA to quickly finalize the document.
Swisse Wellness chief executive Radek Sali will step down on December 31 as Hong Kong-listed Biostime International takes full ownership of the Australian firm.
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.
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.
The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) has appointed former FDA official Larisa Pavlick to the newly created position of Vice President, Regulatory & Compliance.
News that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a qualified health claim about high amylose maize resistant starch as a weapon in the fight against type 2 diabetes will start a much-needed conversation about the fiber, say experts.
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...
A study out of the University of British Columbia, Kelowna, suggests that targeted email reminders were effective in increasing the recipients’ calcium intake.
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.
Supplements are sourced from many parts of our planet. This year, we dedicated some of our in-depth coverage to ingredients from the land: Minerals, botanicals, and the ancient South Asian system of Ayurveda. This is part of a series of our special edition...
A year after the NY AG probe on botanical supplements, big calls for transparency came from both consumers and the industry. This year, we dedicated some of our in-depth coverage to transparency post-Schneiderman, as well as trends in contract manufacturing....
The Council for Responsible Nutrition has urged the Food and Drug Administration to broaden the definition of dietary ingredients in its NDI draft guidance and to step back from requiring filings on new finished products.
Probiotics consumption may have advantageous effects on mental health by lessening the psychological symptoms of perceived stress, depression and anxiety, according to a new systematic review and meta-analysis.
Once considered primarily as a supplement for fiber and omega-3s, flax increasingly is appearing in more packaged foods with marketing claims extolling its health benefits and unique cooking properties.
Supplementation with an extract from French oak wood may support liver function by boosting the elimination of toxins, says a new pilot study from Italy.
Comments on FDA’s NDI guidance have flooded in, and several themes have emerged. Commenters observed that the guidance will stifle competition, is overburdensome and will contribute little to the overall safety of dietary supplements.
OmniActive Health Technologies has announced that its OmniLean Salacia Extract has received self-affirmed GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) notification by an expert panel.
Consumer interest in healthy eating is at an all-time high, and in many ways food and beverage manufacturers are rising to meet this demand by cutting calories from across their portfolios and offering more better-for-you options -- but the Center for...
Care/of is one of the many personalized nutrition start-ups that popped up this year. The concept is straightforward: The platform recommends three to four of 30 widely recognized supplements to users after filling a questionnaire, and provides an option...
Adding omega-3 supplements to a calorie-controlled diet may combat the chronic inflammation associated with obesity by boosting specialized pro-resolving mediators derived from DHA, says a new study European scientists.
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...
Some proponents of botanicals such as kratom or CBDs have chafed under regulatory restrictions that have forestalled wider acceptance and availability. But the full market is potentially available for those companies willing to go through accepted channels,...
OmniActive Health Technologies, Ltd. and Kemin Industries, Inc. have settled their legal disputes and will cross license ‘use patents’ on lutein, zeaxanthin and their isomers.
In an effort to smooth out financial results, Mannatech is focusing on new products and its adding an e-commerce platform in China to its direct sales efforts.
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...
As 2016 draws to a close, we highlight the top seven most-read APAC food and nutrition trends stories, featuring exclusive market and consumer insights from Japan, South East Asia, India, Australia and China.
A recent presentation to FDA that was well received made the case that simple changes in fermentation media would not result in the creation of a New Dietary Ingredient.
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.
Interest in lifestyle medicine is exploding, but personalized nutrition and health companies need to keep the science ahead of the marketing, and customization needs to be within the context of strong evidence, says Dr David Katz.