Chaos is soon likely to set in with only one month to go until
tough laws on bioterrorism enter into force in the US at least 90
per cent of foreign and domestic facilities have yet to register
with the FDA.
Daily supplements of antioxidant vitamins and zinc could help more
than 300,000 people at risk for advanced age-related macular
degeneration avoid vision loss over the next five years, according
to results of a new US government study.
Facing up to the current challenging economic climate Danish
ingredients company Chr Hansen last month lifted previous profit
forecasts for the year on the back of decent ingredients growth and
higher exchange rates. Next week at...
The European Commission will plunge €11.7 million into a five-year
project to investigate the treatment of obesity, one of the main
causes of diabetes, it announced today, coinciding with World
Diabetes Day.
Texas-based Carrington Laboratories has unveiled a new look for
product labels and recycled containers to increase brand
recognition for the firm's Manapol brand retail merchandise.
Britain could see obesity levels soar up to 40 per cent or higher
within a single generation unless urgent action is taken,
think-tank the International Obesity TaskForce, warned this week.
Higher raw material costs continue to eat into margins for National
Starch, the starch ingredients arm of ICI, as third quarter figures
bore out last month. It comes as no surprise this week that the
company announced a 'redesign'...
The main active agent in green tea, EGCG, prevents the first step
in HIV infection and could one day be used as a new anti-HIV drug,
suggests a new study this week. Japanese researchers report that
the extract, already believed to...
Mounting scientific evidence for the therapeutic use of probiotics
suggests that these products should be incorporated into
conventional medical practices, concluded a recent meeting of
experts in probiotics.
California's Source Naturals has added a stamdardized yerba mate
extract to its line, targeting the growing weight loss market and
increasing consumer interest in the traditional tea.
European research into the potential carcinogen acrylamide has
received a massive injection of cash to boost the biggest
international project to date on toxic substances formed when food
is heated.
The new owner of supplement maker Rexall Sundown is already reaping
the benefits, with sales at NBTY up by 24 per cent. Other units
also posted strong growth, particularly its European retail
operations.
Canandaigua subsidiary Polyphenolics has expanded the GRAS
affirmation for its MegaNatural Gold grape seed extract and
MegaNatural Gold pomace extract to include food items,
significantly expanding its use in functional foods.
Dietary intake of the antioxidant vitamin C may be associated with
reduced risk for stroke, especially in people who smoke, report
Dutch scientists in a new study. Vitamin E also appears to reduce
stroke risk in smokers, but not in...
Mounting scientific evidence for the therapeutic use of probiotics
suggests that these products should be incorporated into
conventional medical practices, concluded a recent meeting of
experts in probiotics.
Increasing consumer awareness linking high consumption of trans
fatty acids to a rise in the risk of coronary heart disease is
driving the market for alternative ingredients.
Californian firm Earthrise Nutritionals can begin marketing the
dried microalgae spirulina for use in foods, after gaining GRAS
status for the ingredient.
Japan's Yukiguni Maitake Company has received a US patent for the
drying process of the maitake mushroom, which produces an extract
said to scavenge the 'active oxygen' leading to cell degeneration
Eating an antioxidant-rich diet may help protect cognitive skills
from deterioration during old age, according to new animal research
presented at a meeting of neuroscientists in the US this weekend.
Research to be presented today suggests that omega-3 fatty acids,
from either plant or marine sources, can have significant benefits
in reducing risk of heart disease in type 2 diabetes patients
The impact of higher commodity prices on ingredients manufacturers
continues to impact margins. In October figures show that soybean
prices peaked at their highest levels in six years.
Swedish probiotics firm BioGaia has taken over the marketing of its
Reuteri bacteria to the international dairy industry, formerly
managed by Denmark's Chr. Hansen, allowing it to boost revenue from
new dairy customers. It has...
If nothing else, the opening decade of the 21st century will go
down in the annals of time as the period the world went to war over
GMOs. When it comes to genetically modified organisms, passions run
deep and the path to reconciling...
Ingredient marketing firm SourceOne Global Partners is to
distribute chondroitin sulfate, supplied by China's biggest
supplier Yantai Kangde Biochemical Products, exclusively to the US
market.
US researchers are investigating whether calcium intake, previously
linked to lower weight in girls, could help prevent women from
gaining too much weight when pregnant. They hope to better
understand the link between the mineral...
Different brands of the same herbal products available to US
consumers may vary substantially in recommended dose and listed
ingredients, researchers report in a new study, which appears to
suggest that doctors can do little to assess...
A group of senators yesterday introduced a resolution urging the
FDA to immediately remove all ephedra-containing supplements from
the market. Industry continues to encourage a decision taken on the
science and not the politics.
Sales for speciality ingredients set first quarter results soaring
for US company MGP Ingredients, offsetting a downturn in figures
for commodity ingredients and in the face of higher energy and raw
material costs.
Sales have continued to slide at German chemicals firm Degussa
during 2003 and lower volumes continue to drag down food
ingredients business. A one-off charge to restructure the fine
chemcials unit impacts profits.
SCOLR's controlled release drug delivery technology has been
incorporated into six more nutritional supplements, including
12-hour vitamin C, 12-hour glucosamine/chondroitin/MSM and 8-hour
caffeine. The products could reach the...
Prompted by demand from the Philippines, Danish ingredients company
Danisco has
designed and launched two new citrus fruit flavours onto the Asian
market.
Researchers at Cornell University have shown that the hot beverage
cocoa contains more antioxidants per cup than a similar serving of
red wine or tea and may be a healthier choice.
Five companies have joined the dietary supplement trade association
Council for Responsible Nutrition this month, boosting its
visibility and lobbying power further.
Californian supplement manufacturer Source Naturals is promoting an
improved version of its phosphatidyl serine (PS) soft gels, with
the claim that the product contains the most shelf-stable PS
available.
Canada's Natural Health Products Directorate (NHPD) is backing a
project to research the use of herbal medicines by northern
Quebec's Cree nation to treat diabetes.
Leading Irish food ingredients company Kerry brushed off currency
fluctuations and testing market conditions to post a stable set of
figures for the first six months of the year. The following paper
from Irish stockbroker Goodbody...
New York governor George Pataki this week signed into law a ban on
the sale of all over-the-counter ephedra products in New York
state, the third to ban the herbal.
The Codex committee charged with supplements and foods for special
uses has agreed to abolish the 100 per cent RDA measure for setting
maximum levels of vitamins and minerals, as proposed in a draft
guideline.
Taking supplements of lycopene, the tomato-derived carotenoid
making growing sales in the supplement market, may not be
sufficient to fight against the onset of prostate cancer, say
researchers in a new lab study. Whole tomato powder...
Calorie intake may not be a major factor in causing death by heart
disease, according to a study, which questions the efficacy of
dieting and low-calorie foods marketed for weight loss.
Scientists have developed a new cattle-feed supplement, which
dramatically boosts the content of unsaturated fatty acids over
saturated fats in cows' milk. It could also be used to reduce
saturated fat in meat, suggest the US-based...
An overview of the Korean market for nutraceuticals suggests that
it is growing by 20-30 per cent annually, representing a
significant opportunity for foreign companies.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition is urging the USDA to
incorporate advice on consistent use of multivitamins in its review
of the Food Guide Pyramid.
New research designed to help consumers create customized diets
based on their genetic make-up will create ethical and legal
challenges with serious implications for the scientific and medical
communities, warn international experts.
Pressure in the soy processing market continues to squeeze margins
for food ingredients companies, pushing up prices for
manufacturers. Solae said yesterday it will increase its lecithin
prices by 5-8 per cent.
The US bankruptcy court has approved the sale of supplement
manufacturer Twinlab to IdeaSphere. Twinlab CEO Ross Blechman says
the deal heralds a stronger brand and the potential to reshape the
industry.
Legislation that would significantly increase the costs of
marketing herbal dietary supplements was introduced in the House of
Representatives last week, designed to better prevent adverse
events caused by herbal ingredients.
