The term “natural” is an extremely effective marketing claim that taps into one of the hottest current trends in food and beverage, but because it is not defined, it leaves consumers confused and companies vulnerable to false claims allegations.
Complying with the paperwork required by full GMP compliance has proved to be a headache for dietary supplement companies. Procedures automation firm Instant GMP can help.
The recent Bayer victory in its case with the FTC is a positive for industry, but it is not going to solve all of the industry’s FTC problems, says Dr Daniel Fabricant, CEO and Executive Director of the Natural Products Association.
Proposals to introduce a mandatory pre-market registration of products with the FDA have received a lot of discussion in industry circles, but a voluntary system already exists and is functioning well, says Michael McGuffin, President of the American...
Recent court cases may put the Federal Trade Commission’s penchant for requiring two trials to support health claims into the pending category. But that hasn’t blunted FTC’s increasingly detailed look at the design of the studies themselves, said lawyer...
Blending is the way forward for plant based proteins in sports nutrition and their price stability can help manufacturers, says World Food Processing president Tyler Lorenzen.
The New York Attorney General is now approaching the supplements industry from three directions – commercial, scientific, and legal – says Loren Israelsen. But what does this mean and what’s next?
A positive decision from the FDA on a qualified health claim for omega-3s and blood pressure would be “further justification that EPA and DHA are good for your heart”, says Adam Ismail, Executive Director of GOED.
The attacks on the dietary supplement industry orchestrated by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have had beneficial effect, said American Botanical Council founder Mark Blumenthal. There is no denying the quality temperature is rising.
A new-look International Probiotics Association is creating dialogue with key regulators around the world, and the regulators are starting to turn the corner on how they regulate the friendly bugs, says the association’s executive director.
With about 50% of the industry's facilities inspected, GMP compliance is largely not where the FDA would want it to be, said the Agency's Dr Cara Welch.
The NY Attorney General’s focus on DNA barcoding may actually be making quality worse, says Frank Jaksch, CEO of ChromaDex, and the focus should be on supply chain management and not analytical techniques.
Dutch company Newtricious is bringing a new egg protein hydrosolate ingredient market with data backing its cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits.
Transparency. Traceability. These are the watchwords of the market these days, and branded ingredient supplier PLT Health Solutions is trying to take this bull by the horns with a new program called PLT 360.
The recent decision in the Bayer vs FTC case contains positive lessons and some points of caution for the industry, notably around what you need to substantiate claims and why FTC is not going away, says Steve Mister, President and CEO of the CRN.
Reserveage Organics, a company built first upon the benefits of the antioxidants found in wine grapes, is expanding rapidly into the beauty-from-within category, which founder Naomi Whittel says is finally taking off in the US.
Bringing a new ingredient to market is a marathon, not a sprint. For companies that aspire to have a science-backed ingredient, it requires a careful research plan to elucidate benefits and methods of action in a way that won’t break the bank before the...
The perpetually almost-ready-for-prime-time beauty-from-within is a concept seems finally to be achieving market relevance in the US, and supplement brand youtheory is capitalizing on that wave.
Traceability and sustainability are the new touchstones of the herbal products industry. Gaia Herbs has been at the forefront of this trend, said executive Todd King.
Part 1: One-on-one with the Tea Council of the USA on emerging trends
America may be a nation of black tea drinkers, but increasingly they are reaching for green tea for its health benefits, rich cultural experience and diverse flavor profile, according to a research by the Tea Council of the USA.
Sales of organic are skyrocketing in the U.S. with demand often outstripping supply, but the Organic Trade Association has a plan to bring into balance by 2030 the market growth, acreage growth and farming profitability of organic.
Multifunctional fibers made from fruit and vegetable peals and pulps that would otherwise be thrown away can help manufacturers meet consumers’ growing demand for clean ingredient labels while also reducing food waste.
Two firms that generated a lot of buzz at the IFT show this year were Parabel and Hinoman, which are both selling brand new nutrient-packed ingredients from tiny aquatic plants. But do they have what it takes to give more established players in the plant-based...
NASA is exploring all forms of cutting edge technology, from 3D printing to high pressure processing and more to be able to transition its food system from the International Space Station to a Mission to Mars, says Grace Douglas, PhD.
The New York Attorney General’s investigation has led to attacks on the industry by the mainstream media, so how does the industry deal with the credibility bashing?
Sales of tea in the U.S. are growing quickly as more Americans are drawn to the beverage for its health benefits, rich history and artisanal qualities, according to industry stakeholders.
The understanding of what happens within the human digestive system has always been hampered by the inability to observe that system in action, leave alone the imperfect understanding of one of the major components of the system, the gut microbiome. ...
The immediate future of the probiotics space is clouded by regulatory uncertainty but is buoyed by new science and technology, speakers at the recent Probiota Americas event said.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
Blackmores, the leading supplement brand in Australia, has taken the unusual step of sending a company representative on a two week-long trip to verify the sustainability practices of Aker BioMarine, the world’s largest harvester of krill used to supply...
Outsourcing. It's no secret it can bring big financial and logistical gains. But in an age when traceability and accountability carry increasing value, are we now seeing a shift towards a new concept of insourcing?
The firms that manufacture healthy food and supplement products do much more than just make products – they are integral partners in product development, regulatory compliance and much more…
An trend for outsourcing science and research may be good news for contract research organisations (CROs) and open innovation partnerships, but does it mean that internal R&D is suffering?
The rise of social media has led to a shift in the way consumers view food brands – and the way that food brands interact with their customers, according to experts speaking on the side lines of Food Vision in Cannes.
Nutrigenomics – the idea of optimising nutrition via individualised and/or pooled genetic data – is one that has long promised to revolutionise how we eat – not to mention keeping us healthy and out of hospitals. Are converging technologies about to deliver...
The analytical community should embrace transparency to then allow manufacturers to share that with consumers to build confidence, says Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs.
The recent NY AG probe has kick-started some industry organizations to say self-policing needs to be better, and transparency needs to come to the fore, says Aaron Secrist from NOW Foods.
Qualitas Health, a supplier of a unique polar-lipid structured algal omega-3 ingredient, is now at full scale production and is participating in what an executive calls “the future of omega-3s.”
Mazza Innovation, a producer of botanical extracts, has moved beyond the proof of concept stage and is close to full scale production with its unique water-based extraction technology.
Cargill is “all in on stevia,” according to Scott Fabro, global business development director. At the forefront of this commitment is the company’s Viatech stevia technology, which analyzes the various stevia components separately and reassembles them...
The New York Attorney General’s investigation into herbal supplements has been headline news for over a month, but for every problem there is an opportunity. NutraIngredients-USA caught up with some industry giants to see if there is a silver lining in...
A new, more efficient form of plant-based omega-3s is coming to market in the form of Ahiflower, the branded name of a special strain of an oilseed species that has been developed by British firm Technology Crops International to contain high levels of...
