Discussions continue within the industry whether some form of pre-market notification could be a valuable modification of existing dietary supplement regulations. But rifts are appearing over whether the implementation of such a system might unfairly...
Mexican carotenoids manufacturing Piveg is expanding to meet a market demand that CEO Roberto Espinoza says will remain strong for the foreseeable future, a demand that he said is bolstered by the company's certifications of quality.
The heat surrounding the NYAG affair may have abated somewhat. But an expert in investigations conducted by the offices of state attorneys general said the episode is far from over.
Is it time to consider new legislation to alter the landscape that DSHEA created for the dietary supplements industry? The issue was raised in a recent public industry forum and met a generally positive reception.
Sales of herbal formula supplements are up almost 13% compared to the same time last year, according to new data from SPINS provided to NutraIngredients-USA.
FoodState, the maker of the MegaFood brand of whole-food vitamins, has long been an advocate of what CEO Robert Craven calls “Transparency with a capital T.” The company has now boldfaced that “T” with a new plan to provide greater visibility into its...
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?
DNA testing experts AuthenTechnologies has announced that it will now test all samples with the most cutting edge Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) platform available – at the same affordable cost and rapid turnaround time.
The NY AG affair has “tenderized” the dietary supplements industry in ways that other issues have not, and made it more vulnerable to other legal and regulatory attacks, said Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
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...
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...
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).
Should the dietary supplements industry look at the actions of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman as a wake-up call? There are many valid reasons to brush off his actions as mere grandstanding, but if for nothing other than political purposes...
The fact that an upcoming workshop on botanical identification methods has sold out quickly demonstrates the industry is increasingly getting serious about improving its performance on GMP compliance, one of the presenters has said.
Supplement manufacturer Nature’s Way has responded proactively to prodding from New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman by instituting a new, more rigorous plant-to-powder supply chain management structure. The first step was a meeting this week among...
Those members of Congress friendly to the dietary supplements industry and their staffs don’t seem overly concerned about the brouhaha stirred up by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. In a recent briefing of members of the Dietary Supplements...
A recently filed citizen's petition asking FDA to extend GMP requirements to ingredient manufacturers met with a cautious but generally positive reception among industry stakeholders. Having ingredient suppliers stand outside this aspect of the law...
The Organic & Natural Health Association has filed a citizen petition with the US Food and Drug Administration to extend the FDA’s current cGMPs (code 21 CFR Part 111) to raw material manufacturers.
In another confirmation of the transitory nature of the NYAG affair, Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage reported stable growth in supplement sales in its half-year earnings results in which the dietary supplement and organic foods retailer saw overall...
The supply end of the dietary supplement sector has come under extraordinary pressures of late. While the NYAG affair has called the integrity of the supply chain into question, demand continues to increase for certain ingredients such as Ayurvedic herbs...
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has agreed to enter into a “dialogue” with the Natural Products Association over his assault on herbal dietary supplements, the organization confirmed in a joint statement today.
‘There is plenty of innovation going on in dietary supplements’ and the NY Attorney General’s investigation is ‘a wake-up call for the retailers’, according to participants of NutraIngredients-USA retailer forum.
As the dust settles in the NYAG affair, the new contours of the industry start to become apparent through the thinning murk. And the message from industry seems to be that those are mole hills, not mountains.
Lower consumer engagement and an inadequate assessment of the impact of prior-year promotions, but not the NY AG’s probe, are responsible for a ‘disappointing’ Q1, said GNC’s CEO Mike Archbold.
By Steve Mister, President & CEO, Council for Responsible Nutrition
We all make mistakes, but how we deal with them and learn from adversity, that’s the measure of a better person. At least, that’s what my grandfather used to say. But these days, it seems that the New York Attorney General (NYAG), faced with the growing...
Special Edition: View from the aisles: The retailers' perspective
The actions of the New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have yet to filter down in a big way to the kind of questions retailers are getting from their customers on supplements. But business executives contacted by NutraIngredients-USA said that...
In this new era when the quality of dietary supplements has been called onto the carpet in the mainstream media, a San Diego-based testing firm believes it has a solution. The Banned Substances Control Group now offers an expanded testing suite that...
Steve Mister’s 10 year anniversary as president and CEO of the CRN
The two most positive things to happen to the dietary supplements industry over the last ten years have been GMPs and AERs, says Steve Mister, CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition. And what is the most significant negative thing? The NY AG’s action.
Organic & Natural Health Association became the first trade association to meet with NY AG’s office this week, and is calling for FDA’s current GMPs (code 21 CFR Part 111) to be applied to raw material manufacturers.
The constituents of herbal dietary supplements continues to be a point of confusion and contention among those viewing the industry from the outside and was identified as a key point of industry vulnerability during a session of a recent science conference...
If it results in a stronger, more compliant industry, the Food and Drug Administration is supportive of activities such as those undertaken by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, according to a statement from agency official Cara Welch, PhD.
Mike Archbold, CEO of GNC, has issued an open letter to the industry explaining its position in the wake of industry questions and criticism following the announcement that it had reached an agreement with the NY Attorney General.
By By Douglas F. Gansler, Brian P. Kelly and Leslie L. Meredith
Editor’s note: The recent actions of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman have changed the enforcement landscape of the dietary supplements industry. This guest article from former Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler and his colleagues explore...
With the NYAG investigation cloud hanging over the industry, longtime safety certifier UL has hit on a fortuitous time to debut its new dietary supplement verification program. The label seal launches today at at the Ingredients Marketplace trade show...
The NY Attorney General’s probe into herbal supplements has prompted an uptick in interest about adverse event reporting (AER) but more needs to be done to ensure companies are fully compliant, expert sources tell NutraIngredients-USA.
By Daniel Fabricant, PhD, Executive Director and CEO, Natural Products Association
In the year since I’ve been back in the natural products industry, I’ve made it my mission to turn the tide on the political apathy that has plagued the industry in recent years, and to make it clear that whether you like it or not, if you’re in this...
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has not backed down in his assault on the herbal dietary supplements industry. In fact, he is turning up the pressure. In today’s special edition, NutraIngredients-USA reviews the major milestones in this...
The consensus among trade organizations is that New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s latest move in is his assault on the dietary supplement industry is based on the falsehood that supplements are unsafe and inadequately regulated.
New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman has taken his assault against the dietary supplement industry up another notch with a letter he and 13 other attorneys general have sent to members of Congress asking for an investigation of the herbal supplements...
The NYAG affair has put the simmering pot of adulteration of herbal ingredients back on the front burner. A session at the upcoming Ingredient Marketplace trade show in Orlando will focus on the scope of the issue, on methods of detection and on new adulteration...
A consensus is forming around the deal that GNC entered into with New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman. The deal is being seen as good for GNC’s short term interests but bad for the future of the dietary supplement industry as a whole.
More than 100 members of the Natural Products Association gathered in Washington, D.C., to discuss with their legislators hot topics facing the industry. Talking points included defining organic as non-GMO, gaining flexible spending account coverage for...
Consumers are not turning their backs on herbal supplements in response to the NY AG’s probe, but are shifting to brands they can trust, says Gaia Herbs, with the North Carolina company reporting impressive sales growth year-on-year.
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.
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...
There is a larger anti-supplement agenda in New York State, with key state politicians all seeking greater oversight of supplements, says Jarrow Formulas.
The NY Attorney General’s office investigation into botanical supplements using DNA barcoding was a “...misuse of the technologies” that led to a “...misinterpretation of test results”, says a comprehensive white paper by four analytical experts.
The potential widening of the New York Attorney General affair means more class action lawsuits could be filed in states whose AGs have joined in a coalition with NY AG Eric Schneiderman, an expert says.
