The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to
consumers not to purchase or consume a herbal product, being
promoted as a natural version of Ecstasy.
Taking a carbohydrate supplement after exercise helps to slow
breakdown of muscle protein, report researchers, clarifying the
role of complex sugars in sports nutrition.
Amerilab Technologies, a contract manufacturer of effervescent
products, has commissioned a new production facility that will
increase its capacity for effervescent tablets by 400 per cent.
The National Food Processors Association (NFPA) has urged the FDA
to introduce a clear framework on qualified health claims to ensure
that food makers making claims properly benefit from the system.
The US-based natural food group Hain Celestial is snapping up
German manufacturer of soy, oat and rice-based drinks Natumi,
expanding its operations in Europe and giving it access to a
non-dairy production facility in the region.
Danish R&D company BSP Pharma will launch its shea butter
ingredient for use in joint health supplements in the US next week,
as the company seeks its first marketing partner for the
scientifically backed ingredient.
The current thinking that oxygen free radicals are responsible for
the development of numerous diseases, including cancer and
arthritis, may be a red herring, says a team of UK scientists.
Herbal and vitamins manufacturer Nature's Sunshine finished 2003 on
a high note, with a significant rise in sales and profits in the
fourth quarter, after a tough year that included the resignation of
its CEO.
Women's use of all medications, including herbal supplements, is
higher than anticipated, and they're unlikely to tell their health
care providers about the medications they take, according to a
University of Minnesota researcher.
US alginate producer International Specialty Products (ISP) will
take on a new range of cellulose ingredients after shaking hands on
a deal with Tawainese manufacturer Mingtai Chemical.
Swedish probiotics developer BioGaia, made significant progress
towards profitability in the past year thanks to a take-off in
higher margin sales in Japan.
Diminished hearing may be a further side effect of
hormone-replacement therapy (HRT), according to a small pilot study
funded by the US National Institutes of Health.
A number of probiotic products available in South Africa do not
live up to the claims on their labels, report researchers in the
February issue of the South African Medical Journal (94:
121-124).
Dosic, the Chinese evening primrose oil supplier, pulled off a 30
per cent climb in European sales last year - with a mature product
in a mature market - by addressing the crux problem for all Chinese
producers targeting Europe.
Eating just 10 grams of dietary fiber from fruits and cereals each
day appears to significantly lower the risk of coronary heart
disease, according to a new study out this week. But vegetable
fiber did not offer any protection, said...
Encapsulated products supplier Balchem will concentrate on
retaining reduced inventory levels this year in an effort to
improve operating efficiency and reduce exposure to the uncertain
economic environment.
The manufacturer of energy drink Gatorade may be about to pay twice
the sum it currently invests in sponsoring the National Football
League, according to reports yesterday.
Countdown to the integration of 10 new member states in Europe this
April begins under the aegis of the Irish presidency. For
manufacturers, a clear understanding of the marketplace in these
countries will be vital to pitching the...
Spearing growth in emerging markets in Asia Pacific, US nutritional
supplements company Reliv International is heading for Singapore
with new operations tipped for opening next month.
Plant sterols, recognised for their cholesterol-lowering power when
added to margarines and other fats, are just as effective in
reducing low-density lipoprotein, or 'bad' cholesterol levels, when
added to orange juice,...
Mark McClellan is to leave his post as Commissioner of the US Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), shortly after implementing the
agency's first ban under the 1994 Dietary Supplement Health
Education Act.
Mineral water fortified with folic acid and a handful of vitamins
can reduce plasma homocysteine levels, a risk factor in
cardiovascular disease, report Finnish researchers this month. In a
separate study on mineral water German researchers...
Royal Wessanen, the Dutch wellness foods producer, had a turbulent
year in 2003, with results shifting from profit to loss. But the
company claims that moderate growth in Europe and the restructuring
of its US operations will have...
US scientists have created purple tomatoes that include
anthocyanins, the antioxidant pigments in red wine believed to
prevent heart disease but not normally found in domestic varieties
of the fruit.
Quality of Life Labs (QOL), the exclusive US distributor of Active
HexoseCorrelated Compound (AHCC), is aiming for a 200 per cent
increase in sales of the medicinal mushroom this year as licence
partners see strong growth in their...
Leading supplement retailer GNC will market a new heart health
supplement containing the Cargill phytosterol ingredient CoroWise.
The launch marks the expansion of phytosterols into new application
areas, following approval from the...
Ongoing debate over strategy for the ingredient and juice producer
Ocean Spray Cranberries has damaged the co-operative's credit
rating, and could distract management from focusing on being more
competitive, said analysts this...
Cognis, the speciality chemicals company, suffered a tough year in
the nutritional ingredients market, with a long-awaited surge in
the growth of its natural vitamin E sales undermined by adverse
currency movements.
Irish dairy firm Glanbia is to invest €15 million in a new
innovation centre to develop functional foods and health
ingredients, Ireland's Minister for Agriculture and Food Joe Walsh
revealed yesterday.
High blood pressure patients can significantly reduce their
prescription medication by taking an antioxidant supplement to
improve heart health, show the results of a new clinical study.
Sourdough bread containing select bacteria may be tolerated by
patients with a rare digestive disease that causes gluten
intolerance, say Italian and Irish researchers. The new research
could provide new opportunities for food producers...
Preventing malnutrition and hunger in pregnant women and children
could stop the onset of obesity in later life, finds a study
released last week by the UN-backed Food and Agriculture
Organization (FAO). With an estimated 115 million...
Eating more wholegrain foods could help people reduce their chances
of developing metabolic syndrome, say researchers, analysing the
role of carbohydrates on insulin resistance and the prevalence of
the metabolic syndrome in a large...
Human neural stem cells, exposed in a lab dish to the steroid DHEA,
exhibit a remarkable uptick in growth rates, suggesting that the
hormone may play a role in helping the brain produce new cells,
according to a new study published...
Another milk marketed to help consumers sleep better goes on sale
in the UK this week, where a third of all adults are said to be
affected by sleeping problems.
California's Renaissance Herbs has filed patent revocation
petitions in an Indian court in an ongoing battle over patent
rights for hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the weight loss ingredient
being promoted by the company as an ephedra...
Belgium's Orafti group is investing €165 million in a second
chicory-extraction plant in Chile to respond to fast-growing demand
for inulin and oligofructose.
Exalted of late for their antioxidant health benefits, fruit
berries continue to show growth in a range of food applications.
Fruit ingredients stalwart J.O. Sims has launched a new Canadian
produced berry onto the market marking...
Global sports and energy drinks showed continued growth in 2003,
far outpacing soft drinks in general with a 7 per cent increase,
according to new data from beverage industry analysts Canadean.
Dutch firm Lipid Nutrition has received confirmation from the US
Food and Drug Administration that its Betapol lipid, a human milk
fat replacer, is safe for use in infant formula.
Fish oil capsules are much lower in contaminants than farmed fish,
reports Canadian paper The Globe and Mail and CTV News
today, following results of research commissioned by the news
services last month.
Frutarom Switzerland, the recently acquired Swiss arm of Israeli
flavours group Frutarom, has pulled on synergies from its new
parent to launch a new line of grapefruit flavours, the first in a
range of citrus flavours.
Nutrition 21, specialising in chromium-based nutritional
supplements, almost halved losses in the three months to December
as it shed costs associated with its discontinued Lite-Bites
business and achieved higher pricing for its core...
Global sports and energy drinks showed continued growth in 2003,
far outpacing soft drinks in general with a 7 per cent increase,
according to new data from beverage industry analysts Canadean.
CT-based Competitive Technologies said last week that drugmaker
Wyeth has filed an appeal with the US Supreme Court to overturn a
$58 million patent infringement award granted by a federal court to
the University of Colorado.
Traditional breeding methods have come up with a new soybean oil to
beat the darling of the Mediterranean cuisine - olive oil - on the
heart healthy stakes of monounsaturated fats.
Cod liver oil has been shown to slow the destruction of joint
cartilage in patients with osteoarthritis, report scientists in
Wales, who say it is the first evidence of its efficacy on the
disease in a human trial.
Ingredients giant Danisco moves into the lead in the global
cultures business with its acquisition of the food ingredients arm
of ailing French chemical firm Rhodia.
