Dr Steven Newmaster, a botanist at the University of Guelph (UG) in Canada, has been cleared of misconduct by a university investigation committee despite “many shortcomings” with his work and “a pattern of poor judgement”.
Once again FDA has denied Bayer’s request to approve a health claim linking vitamin D to the reduced risk of multiple scleroris on the grounds that the available scientific evidence does not meet the agency’s high standards for support.
New leadership at NSF's AuthenTechnologies unit will 'more closely align' it with the organization's 'core scientific testing and research services', and will help to better define where DNA testing is best used, the division's...
New year, new leadership—DNA testing specialist NSF AuthenTechnologies announced the appointment of Dr. Jesse Miller, director of applied research at parent company NSF International, as the company’s new leader.
A recent review that did not find a statistically significant link between industry sponsorship of studies and positive outcomes points to the conundrum faced by the developers of dietary ingredients, said one expert. Companies are supposed to research...
From breakthrough studies to controversial hypotheses, it has been a fascinating year for science for dietary supplements. In this special gallery we review the top science headlines from 2015.
Like many areas of nutrition research, probiotic and prebiotic science relies on strong collaboration between academic experts and businesses. But there are some who say such links create biased science.
By Steve Mister, president and CEO, Council for Responsible Nutrition
When I was a child, it seemed I could never get through an entire game of Candyland with my older brother. He kept changing the rules in the middle if his player started to fall behind. Don’t you hate it when someone changes the rules midstream?
From breakthrough studies to controversial hypotheses, it has been a fascinating year for science for dietary supplements. In this special gallery we review the top science headlines from 2014.
Randomized, placebo-controlled trials are a straitjacket for nutritional science, making FTC’s hardening stance an increasing burden on industry, experts said at the recent CRN conference. The approach poses ethical quandaries and may even have statistical...
A unique collaboration of experts worked together to identify an adulterant in the chondroitin supply and the industry took note, but still some suppliers are not using the right methods and that’s a concern, says the president of Synutra International.
Having more than one research organization involved in a study is not necessarily uncommon, but having clearly defined roles so that the integrity of the data remains intact and the results can be trusted is crucial, experts say.
A new meta-analysis has found that current evidence does not support the notion that calcium supplements increase the risk of heart disease in elderly women. The study reaffirms the safety and importance of the nutrient, says the Council for Responsible...
A new study comparing the bioavailability of several curcumin formulations is generating debate among suppliers, with questions raised about active and non-active metabolites.
From breakthrough studies to controversial hypotheses, it has been a fascinating year for science for dietary supplements. In this special gallery we review the top science headlines from 2013.
Seven webinars. Brand and supplier insights. Regulatory analysis. Market analysis. Marketing analysis. Science. You had better put this in your diary...
From the scientific controversy around DMAA to a major resveratrol research fraud scandal, plus all the latest developments in gut health, omega-3 and vitamin science; 2012 has been an eventful year for research in the health and nutrition arena.
The Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) has awarded a contract for method optimization and validation for the testing of MSM (methylsulphonylmethane) to Blaze Science Industries and Tampa Bay Analytical Research.
Food giant PepsiCo has joined a private-public research project in the Netherlands that is investigating how nutrition affects muscle function in athletes and the elderly.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claims panel has given short shrift to an appeal by a Malta-based start-up urging it to revise a 2009 rejection of the prebiotic potential of the company’s proprietary Bimuno formulation.
As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) prepares final guidance on Investigational New Drugs (INDs) a leading trade group has warned of the damaging effect on nutrient research that could follow if the application of INDs is not modified from the current...
Increasing regulatory pressure around the globe is focusing attention on supporting the efficacy of ingredients and products. Dr Jay Udani, CEO of Medicus Research, gave us his 5 secrets for clinical trials success.
The US food and supplements industry has taken a skeptical stance to a new report that recommends the same scientific approach is used to evaluate health claims on foods and supplements as on drugs and medical devices.
Swiss-based Lonza, the world’s biggest L-carnitine supplier, has responded to claims made by a Maryland-based medical professor in the LA Times that L-carnitine may not boost energy levels in healthy populations by highlighting positive research in the...
Companies active in the probiotics field are aiming to expand scientific knowledge of the relationship between probiotics, gastrointestinal microbiota and the body, with two new $50,000 research grants.
A new report that calls for fewer restrictions on the use of health claims in Canada has been criticized as being “superficial” and not grasping the intricacies of the Canadian and US food legislative frameworks.
A UK company has been told to amend advertising for a hoodia gordonii product for which claims were being made that it could reduce calorie intake, lose weight, boost mood, act as an aphrodisiac and more.
Three European cranberry extract suppliers have formed a new association with the explicit aim of clarifying standards governing the manner in which proanthocyanidins (PACs) content is communicated to consumers.
Good science and ethical behavior of industry professionals are set
to be recognized by a new award that looks set to enhance the
credibility of the US dietary supplements industry.
Bisphenol A (BPA), known as the 'gender bender' chemical, leaches
into liquid baby formula from the linings of cans at levels
dangerous to infant health, according to new research published
yesterday by a US environmental...
Here we go again. Industry-sponsored studies into the nutritional
benefits of food and drink products are biased. Don't believe
anything that has an industry sponsor.
Nutrition studies of beverages funded solely by industry are four
to eight times more likely to report favourable conclusions for the
sponsors than studies with no industry funding, say researchers
from the US.
In the food and nutrition world, science is king. So when journals
do not force scientists to fully disclose financial support and
potential conflicts of interest, they are not helping anyone.
Consumers fail to distinguish between different levels of health
claims permitted on foods, reducing the impact of all claims, say
researchers at the Federal Trade Commission.
The supplements industry needs to anticipate potential crises and
act strategically to shape the climate - before the climate shapes
the industry, said Steve Mister, president of the CRN at the annual
conference last weekend.
The words clinical trial or scientifically proven on a label carry huge cachet. But behind the claims of scientific evidence, consumers expect a base level of rigour in ensuring thatfood or personal care products actually deliver the benefits they claim.
One cannot envy the chief executive faced with a scientific study
that casts doubt over the efficacy or safety of his core product.
But avoiding a sales slump, media vilification and even charges of
fraud means squaring up to such...
Creatine serum producer Muscle Marketing USA (MM) has hit back at
Degussa BioActives with a counterclaim arguing that Degussa's
creatine powder is 'totally ineffective'. The German company moved
swiftly to shrug off...
Researchers at a Dutch university claim to have developed a model
that predicts how cheese will change when a force is applied to it.
The new model will help to predict how cheese will be damaged
during the packaging or transportation...
Australian research company Prana Biotechnology has revealed
successful interim results of its Alzheimer's drug PBT-1,
Iodochlorhydroxyquin at the 7th International Geneva/Springfield
Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy...
