Extracts from the Ayurvedic herb Sphaeranthus indicus may reduce levels of inflammatory biomarkers and support cardiovascular health, says a new study.
New software from Vision Critical aims to help large consumer packaged goods companies protect their market share from nimble startups by facilitating a two-way dialogue with consumers in real time online.
Food ingredients produced using ‘synthetic biology’ techniques – such as Evolva's vanillin, which is made from genetically engineered baker’s yeast - do not qualify for the Non-GMO Project Verified stamp, says the Non GMO Project.
A combination of Lactobacillus salivarius LS01 and Bifidobacterium breve BR03 may help balance the immune system in people with allergic asthma, says a new study from Italy.
Sales of energy shots are slumping as their medicinal taste and less favorable position as a supplement drive consumers to reach for energy drinks, which many shoppers consider safer, according to new research from Mintel Group.
Health Canada’s Natural and Non-prescription Health Product Directorate (NNHPD) has confirmed the clinical efficacy of Gelita’s Verisol collagen peptide for improving skin physiology.
While there are several challenges involved in the nano-delivery of vitamins and nutrients in functional foods, such systems have ‘considerable potential’ within the food industry, says an expert in oral delivery systems.
Executives are aggressively defending Whole Foods Market’s high prices, even as they tout the potential cost-savings for the consumers at the retailer’s newly named value chain.
The dawn of inexpensive, rapid genetic sequencing has opened up new avenues for explaining the connection of the gut to the brain. With this new understanding of the precise makeup of the gut microbiome, medical science, and by extension the probiotic...
Select strains of Bifidobacteria may positively impact cognition in anxious lab animals, says a new study from Ireland that deepens our understanding of the gut-brain axis.
Supplements of zeaxanthin with or without lutein may boost macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and visual processing speed in young adults, says a new study.
The Natural Algae Astaxanthin Association (NAXA) is aiming to rekindle its momentum with the naming of a new president. Longtime industry insider Scott Steinford, who is also president of the recently formed CoQ10 Association, has taken the job, effective...
Evidence continues to mount that the gut microbiome affects gut health in a number of ways, one of which appears to be by inducing the nervous system to send signals to the brain via the vagus nerve and other pathways. Can the makeup of this microbial...
Lots of new hires and promotions recenty, with notable appointments at Nutri-Force Nutrition, Aker BioMarine, NattoPharma, PLT Health Solutions, IRI, Unigen and NAXA.
Securing supply chains in the face of wildcrafting uncertainty presents no new challenges, experts in the field have said. The fable of the ant and the grasshopper applies: plan ahead, and you’ll come out ahead.
The United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA) has announced that innovation-driven biotech company InQpharm has joined with an executive-level membership.
Recent heavy storms and flooding in Texas have impacted the algae production facility of Qualitas Health, but the company has already implemented an ‘emergency action plan’ and expects to be operating at expanded capacity by the end of the year.
A study detailed at the Probiota Americas gathering in San Diego showed how supplementation of Bacillus coagulans combined with protein decreases muscle damage and boosts recovery post exercise. And it’s the first study that directly links probiotics...
The AOAC International has endorsed the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Program, following a unanimous vote by the AOAC Board of Directors in April.
In the wake of the New York Attorney General affair, one question that has been raised is whether barriers to entry in the US market are too low, and give bad actors too much room to maneuver. But an expert on the supplement trade in Europe says barriers...
Wildcrafting as an herbal raw material sourcing method deals from time to time in species that are, or could be, endangered. But it is the wildcrafters themselves who might be endangered, experts familiar with the practice say.
The American Botanical Council has released an in-depth look at the history and implications of the New York Attorney General affair on the organization’s website. The 9,500-word article, containing 71 references, is the most detailed look at the situation...
Supplementing enteral nutrition with a probiotic strain may reduce the risk of bowel tissue death and other serious health risks in premature infants, says a systematic review.
Combining the amino acid L-citrulline with reduced glutathione may boost nitrite and NO levels more than L-citrulline by itself, says a new study from Kyowa Hakko.
Increased intakes of fermented foods may be associated with fewer symptoms of social anxiety, particularly for people at higher genetic risk, says a new study.
Pfizer Consumer Healthcare has become the latest entrant to the gummy vitamin area with the launch of a Centrum gummy line. It’s an attempt to line up with consumer’s changing lifestyles and tastes, the company says. And it’s not the end of innovation...
Matts Johansen has been appointed CEO of krill major Aker BioMarine with a mandate to “to continue to develop one of Norway's most exciting biotechnology companies into a solid and predictable company”.
Abbott Laboratories has filed an international patent for a process it says allows it to produce better-tasting powders with improved nutrient content.
Europe, and especially Germany, has historically been a hotbed of herbal lore, science and product development. The American Botanical Council recently tapped into this knowledge in a more fundamental way by adding Joerg Gruenwald, PhD, to its advisory...
The Natural Products Association and the Council for Responsible Nutrition are rallying support against amendments to the Department of Defense 2016 spending bill to limit military access to dietary supplements. The spending bill is considered by some...
Diet-health inferences that rely on memory-based dietary intake surveys such as USDA’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) are “essentially meaningless”, argues a new study highlighting consistent disparities between what - and how...
How do probiotic researchers and suppliers best communicate with customers? And what should they be trying to tell them, anyway? Having a clear picture of what gut and blood parameters a dietary intervention is meant to affect and having a clear mechanism...
Sales of chewing gum are climbing again after several years of stagnation, likely due to evolving tastes and eating patterns, in addition to new product launches, according to IRI Worldwide.
An article in late March in The New York Times called the efficacy of omega-3s into question, citing a number of older equivocal studies. Rather than get down into the trenches on this one, a leading spokesperson in the field said it’s time for the industry...
It’s no secret the peer review system that is supposed to subject academic research to rigorous scrutiny before publication is not perfect, but a [mock] German professor has revealed just how much of a joke it often is.
Nestlé has filed an international patent for an infant nutrition product with casein protein, which it said could be used to prevent metabolic syndrome disorders later in life.
The Netherlands is looking at whether legislation on vitamin A should be changed after a report calculated how much could be ingested from supplements.
It may not have hit prime time yet, but it’s only a matter of time before hemp is as big as chia in the US food and beverage market, predicts the co-founder of one snacking company determined to put the protein-packed seed on the map.
Grain companies are working with Denver-based MycoTechnology to explore how mushrooms’ filament-like roots or ‘mycelium’ could help create new value-added opportunities in the cereals market by transforming the nutritional profile of wheat and other grains.
The question of the presence of gluten in probiotics made a splash recently with the release of a study that found some trace of the protein in a number of top-selling brands. It’s a question of process, not an issue with ‘contamination’ per se, said...
An extract from Dahurian larch with potent antioxidant activity is safe for use as a supplement ingredient, according to a new toxicological study. This Russian nutraceutical is already commercially available in the US and boasts over 169 studies to support...
38 ‘developed’ nations delivered 54% of functional food and supplement and other health & wellness (HW) product sales in 2014, but these same nations will account for only 14% of growth between now and 2019.
According to one prominent executive, for the probiotics industry, the fallout from the NYAG affair should be fairly straightforward: Make sure you know how to do what you’re supposed to do in the first place. Identify and count, it’s as simple as that.
The Attorneys General for New York and Indiana have urged the US Food and Drug Administration to immediately enhance its oversight of dietary supplements by reforming current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs).
