2008 round-up: Top five most read comments

Top of the pops was Stephen Daniells’ comment about stevia, the sweetener that has been on everyone’s lips this year, and could soon be in their stomachs, too, if FDA issues its no objection letter for GRAS status.

Stephen’s comment was in reaction to the citizen’s petition filed by a Washington DC law firm that alleged that stevia has therapeutic benefits and is therefore a drug.

“Positives can always be drawn from all situations, and in this case, whatever the petition’s outcome, there are lessons to be learned,”​ said the comment. “Some industry insiders have said that this move was anticipated months ago, simply because § 301(ll) is something of a loophole. If such things can be anticipated then measures must be made to close the hole before others exploit it.”​

To read “The hour of stevia is nigh”, please click here​.

Get with the program​

Shane Starling’s reality check for the omega-3 bandwagon came in at number 2. Despite endlessly buoyant market predictions for omega-3 products, a closer look at the state of play reveals very few omega-3 functional foods and beverages have moved beyond niche sales levels.

Shane argued that perhaps a juncture has been reached where functional foods companies need to rethink their approach to omega-3 food fortification along with the manner in which these foods are communicated.

To read “Omega-3 reality check”​, please click here​.

Olympics gold​

With his comment piece, “Dietary supplements win Olympic gold”, Shane Starling put voice to the collective sigh of relief from the dietary supplements industry. Shane noted that 90 percent of the 11,000 athletes in attendance at the Games of the 29th Olympiad used dietary supplements of some kind, and there was not a single supplement contamination case.

“The fact its products can be widely used by athletes at an event like the Olympics where World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) scrutiny is at its most intense, is testimony to an industry that has its house in order,”​ said the comment.

To read the full comment, please click here​.

Loving the smell of caffeine in the morning​

The third most popular comment piece on NutraIngredients-USA.com this year was Neil Merrett’s “Waking up to the smell of caffeine”. Neil highlights the concerning lack of a recommended daily amount for the stimulant, stating that neither drink makers nor regulators seem to know at what level “a welcome boost become a threat to health​”.

“With beverage makers at the forefront of a brave new age of energy drinks, ready-to-drink teas and extra strength cappuccinos, the industry must help to encourage responsible caffeine consumption,”​ wrote Neil

To read Neil’s full comment, please click here​.

Pharmaceuticals versus dietary supplements​

Shane Starling’s comment about GlaxoSmithKline's petition to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ban dietary supplements from making weight loss claims. Thousands of our readers clicked on “The GSK weight loss wake-up call”​.

Shane argued that the issue was due to the inadequate or incomplete scientific substantiation, question marks over efficacy, health claim exaggeration, formula contamination and mislabelling that continue to dog the dietary supplements industry despite the best intentions of the 1994 Dietary Supplements Health Education Act (DSHEA) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations enacted last year.

“It's a situation that leaves industry open to the kind of attack GSK has mounted and drives the urgent need for it to get its house in order,”​ said the comment.

To read “The GSK weight loss wake-up call”​, please click here​.