With the finalization of the cGMPs (Good Manufacturing Guidelines)
for the dietary supplement industry scheduled for this winter, the
American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has decided to preempt
any problems which could arise...
The doping scandal surrounding Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and
Ekaterini Thanou has again brought supplements under media scrutiny
after Greek authorities uncovered large quantities of supplements
containing ephedrine, banned...
Changing economic conditions in eastern Europe are boosting sales
and demand for vitamins and dietary supplements, offering major
opportunity for foreign entrants to the market and suppliers of
novel ingredients.
The FDA yesterday announced its plans for the next six months - one
priority being to finalize the GMP (Good Manufacturing Guidelines)
for the dietary supplement industry by the winter.
A new non-profit body, set up to help regulate the dietary
supplement industry in the US, was unveiled at the National
Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) 2004 show, which closed on
Sunday in Las Vegas.
The highly splintered nature of Europe's food supplement industry
is being underlined by the divergent reactions to forthcoming new
legislation, designed to harmonise trade across all member states,
writes Dominique Patton.
Investigations into the dumping of shrimp on the US market has
caused major price rises in the joint health ingredient
glucosamine, a shrimp derivative. But if prices stabilise at these
levels, they could make higher quality glucosamine...
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, meeting in Geneva this week, has
endorsed draft guidelines on vitamin and mineral supplements that
recommend basing maximum levels of nutrients on safety rather than
the RDA.
The majority of US citizens are still not sure which dietary
supplements they should be taking, according to a national survey
released today by San Diego based Life Force International (LFI), a
manufacturer of liquid whole food natural...
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has joined the growing
swell of support for the dietary supplements industry to develop an
appropriate reporting system for serious adverse events.
Lets have some self-policing before it's too late, was the cry from
one New York lawyer after yesterday's hard-hitting hearing on
dietary supplements in the house committee on energy and commerce,
writes Philippa Nuttall.
Little evidence supports either the safety or efficacy of
nutritional supplements in helping to improve diabetes-related
conditions despite strong public interest in natural therapies,
according to the head of a government-funded...
Thirteen popular multivitamin products failed a ConsumerLab test
because of lead contamination, lower ingredient levels than stated,
and/or inability to fully break apart for absorption, writes Wai
Lang Chu.
Industry leaders in the dietary supplement industry are to form a
coalition to preserve and drum up support for the Dietary
Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA).
The industry can expect sustained scrutiny of the safety of their
products, warned an FDA official at SupplySide yesterday, and while
the agency is not expecting to take an ephedra-type action in the
near future, it has numerous ingredients...
New figures published today reveal nearly half of young children
and almost a third of adolescents in the United States have used a
dietary supplement, potentially increasing the health risks that
have been associated with alternative...
AXM Pharma and Sunkist Growers have entered into an agreement that
grants AXM exclusive rights to use the Sunkist brand name and
trademark for its vitamin and vitamin supplement products in China.
Dietary supplement marketers, including those behind the
controversial SeaSilver product, are to pay millions in consumer
redress in the latest wave of charges against false claims.
The health benefits of green tea dovetail into sleep as researchers
in Japan find an amino acid located in green tea could improve
slumber in young men, writes Lindsey Partos.
Targeting dietary supplement manufacturers in the US, Canada and
Indonesia, Zila Nutraceuticals launches anticipated new 'enhanced'
natural vitamin E onto the market.
Almost 80 per cent of consumers are 'extremely' or 'very' satisfied
with the supplement brands they have used, according to a new
survey by ConsumerLab, which also reveals the brand names rated
most highly by consumers.
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.
FDA's ephedra ban, scheduled for publication tomorrow, carries
broad implications for the entire dietary supplement industry, says
the National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA).
Greater integration of research and further emphasis on continuing
evaluation of programs will inform the revised strategy of the US
office of dietary supplement, which this week released its plans
for the next five years.
Consumer and health and safety will be a key priority for the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2004, stressed the US government
body in a white paper released last week.
Trade association the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has
hired the prestigious lobbying firm Bergner, Bockorny, Castagnetti
& Hawkins to help it campaign on legislation issues,
increasingly important for the industry.
Lobby groups are stepping up the effort to fight a bill recently
introduced by US senators, which seeks to add considerably to the
government's current regulation of the dietary supplement industry.
US nutritional product supplier Perrigo continues to make inroads
into the European brand vitamin market this week, acquiring the
privately-held Peter Black Pharmaceuticals for $13 million.
A supplement containing vitamins and minerals may help to slow the
progression to death of some of the 40 million people infected with
HIV worldwide, according to a new study.
A group of senators yesterday introduced a resolution urging the
FDA to immediately remove all ephedra-containing supplements from
the market. Industry continues to encourage a decision taken on the
science and not the politics.
The Codex committee charged with supplements and foods for special
uses has agreed to abolish the 100 per cent RDA measure for setting
maximum levels of vitamins and minerals, as proposed in a draft
guideline.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition is urging the USDA to
incorporate advice on consistent use of multivitamins in its review
of the Food Guide Pyramid.
Legislation that would significantly increase the costs of
marketing herbal dietary supplements was introduced in the House of
Representatives last week, designed to better prevent adverse
events caused by herbal ingredients.
An overview of the Korean market for nutraceuticals suggests that
it is growing by 20-30 per cent annually, representing a
significant opportunity for foreign companies.
Dietary supplement industry members will today testify before the
Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation in a
hearing designed to size up the effectiveness of DSHEA.
The Office of Dietary Supplements has released the latest issue of
the 'Annual Bibliography of Significant Advances in Dietary
Supplement Research' for the year 2002, featuring several studies
on vitamin E supplements and...
The dietary supplement industry trade associations AHPA, CHPA, CRN,
NNFA, and UNPA have declared their support for legislation
introduced on Thursday that would require steroid hormone
precursors such as androstenedione to be listed...
The Chinese herbal aristolochic acid, banned in several countries
for causing kidney failure and cancer, is readily available from
websites, according to a US researcher, revealing the growing
threat to the supplement industry from...
The SupplySide West show begins today with a packed seminar
schedule delivered by National Institutes of Health researchers,
ahead of the main exhibition opening tomorrow.
Chromium picolinate supplier Nutrition 21 has filed for a partial
summary judgment on its suit against InterHealth Nutraceuticals,
which it alleges uses misleading advertising for its chromium
products.
In an upbeat joint address at the Council for Responsible
Nutrition's thirtieth annual conference last week, chairman Byron
Johnson and president Annette Dickinson stressed the value of
science for health claims, the need to...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed to amend its
regulation on declaring botanical ingredients in dietary
supplements to incorporate by reference the latest editions of two
books.
