Men's Health

Supplement survey underscores key trends, need for consumer education

01-Oct-2019 By Danielle Masterson

The Trust Transparency Center (TTC) released their findings from the 2nd Annual National Supplement Consumer Survey on Emerging Ingredient Categories.

Bias inherent in company funded research calls value of evidence into question, critic maintains

01-Oct-2019 By Hank Schultz

The results of company funded research are so predictable that the value of the studies is greatly reduced, a prominent critic of the practice says.

Huel moves into retail availability with Sainsbury’s to stock RTD products

01-Oct-2019 By Will Chu

Functional food firm Huel reveals details of an agreement with Sainsbury's to stock its nutritionally complete meal on supermarket shelves for the first time.

Italy follows Denmark in proposing amino acid purity values in food supplements

01-Oct-2019 By Will Chu

Italian food authorities issue guidance on the purity of amino acids in dietary supplements becoming only the second European country to do so in moves intended to guarantee consumers ‘a high level of protection’.

Dietary supplement use more popular than ever: CRN study

30-Sep-2019 By Danielle Masterson

The widespread use of dietary supplements among adults of all ages is on the rise.

Polaris announces DHA-rich algal oil now approved for EU sale

24-Sep-2019 By Will Chu

Polaris is now permitted to sell its concentrated, purified algal omega-3 oil throughout Europe as the French firm receives official authorisation.

Israel champions personalised nutrition in FoodTech incubator launch

17-Sep-2019 By Will Chu

An Israeli collaboration of investors, food and beverage manufacturers are launching a FoodTech incubator focusing on improving food’s nutritional value as well as advancing personalised nutrition.

EFSA expresses concern over thyroid effects of Moringa leaf extract

17-Sep-2019 By Will Chu

A technical report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) details safety concerns the Agency has for placing leaf powder of Moringa stenopetala on the market as a traditional food (TF).

UK NHS to limit probiotic, vitamin & mineral prescriptions in cost-cutting proposals

16-Sep-2019 By Will Chu

Probiotics, vitamins and minerals are under scrutiny by the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) as a governing body proposes their removal from a list of routinely prescribed remedies.

EFSA finally establishes safe sodium and chloride values after ten years

12-Sep-2019 By Will Chu

The European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) finally publish dietary reference values (DRVs) for sodium and chloride marking the culmination of a decade’s work by the Agency’s nutrition scientists.

BAPP publishes Saw Palmetto Berry extract lab guidance document

11-Sep-2019 By Stephen Daniells

The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) has published a new Laboratory Guidance Document (LGD) on Saw Palmetto Extract to help industry stakeholders better identify adulterants.

Case report: Poor diet made teenager go blind

04-Sep-2019 By Nikki Hancocks

A 'fussy' eater's poor diet caused him to go blind at the age of just 17, according to a case report published in Annals of Internal Medicine.

Poland proactive in setting maximum vitamin and mineral limits

27-Aug-2019 By Will Chu

Poland’s Ministry of Health sets the country’s maximum intake values for vitamin and minerals for its populations in a move that attempts to address a lack of European harmonisation on this matter.

Does Europe’s supplements sector have a QC problem?

21-Aug-2019 By Shane Starling

Europe’s food supplement sector makes some of the world’s best, but QC issues around stability and blends threaten its standing, with only 10% of finished products bothering to conduct end-product stability testing, according to an industry player.

ASA rules vitamin and mineral–containing hair supplements breach ad code

16-Aug-2019 By Will Chu

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) rules that claims made about a range of hair products and food supplements are misleading and unsubstantiated.

Researchers examine performance, recovery effects of a prebiotic + protein food bar

14-Aug-2019 By Adi Menayang

Carbohydrate-loading is a popular way for athletes to energize and recover. New study suggests that different types of carbohydrates may have different effects.

EDITOR'S SPOTLIGHT: Science & Regulation

EU supplement law ‘among world's strictest,’ as study finds two thirds adulterated

14-Aug-2019 By Will Chu

An industry group declares the EU legal framework for food supplements ‘among the strictest in the world,’ in response to a study that finds almost two-thirds of supplements contain pharmacological active substances or plant toxins.

High aluminium levels found in matcha tea samples, warns German government agency

05-Aug-2019 By Will Chu

Investigations by The German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) finds a selection of matcha tea samples to be high in aluminium, exceeding levels set by the European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA).

NEWS IN BRIEF

MHRA provides update to IV nutrition supply issue

31-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has stepped in to ensure the safety of patients using total parenteral nutrition (TPN) bags supplied by Calea UK.

Italy reports a raft of supplement products containing erectile dysfunction drugs

30-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

Italy’s National Institute of Health reports a number of products currently available on the Italian market that consumers should avoid due to the detection of erectile dysfunction drugs.

Austrian authorities find contamination and labelling issues in dietary supplements

30-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

Austrian authorities reveal the presence of active pharmaceutical ingredients in a sample of dietary supplements and cosmetic products in spot checks that assess different distribution channels.

Italy rejects contamination as hepatitis cause citing ‘individual susceptibility’

29-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

Italy’s National Institute of Health concludes that the hepatitis cases linked to the consumption of curcumin-containing supplements was due to “individual susceptibility” or “pre-existing alterations.”

Editor's Spotlight

‘Unselfish’ microbe communities work together to acquire nutrients, study finds

24-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

Scientists reveal why microbes shun a "survival of the fittest" approach when acquiring nutrients, instead choosing to cooperative strategy that ensures the balance and stability of a bacterial population.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Food jelly supplement recalled after traces of erectile drug found

23-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

Belgium’s Federal Agency for the Safety of the Food Chain (FASFC) is recalling a jelly food supplement from pharmacies after test revealed the presence of the pharmaceutical sildenafil citrate.

Failure of industry-led salt reduction policy led to increased CVD deaths, study claims

22-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

According to a new study, changes to food and nutrition industry scrutiny led to slowdown in salt reduction initiatives resulting in increased numbers of stomach cancer, stroke and heart disease.

Irish government’s VAT plans for supplements now meet tax approach hurdle

22-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

After a number of delays, Ireland looks set to tax food supplements much to the dismay of industry groups, although the latest stumbling block appears to be which tax rate should the government apply.

Malnutrition progress ‘too slow’ as Africa and Asia shoulder burden, says UN report

17-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

A United Nations (UN) report says progress made on eradicating malnutrition is too slow to achieve the 2025 and 2030 global nutrition targets as Africa and Asia continue to bear the brunt of food insecurity.

French nutrition guide to tackle chronic diseases in young, elderly and mothers

11-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

The French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) looks to prevent chronic disease by publishing updated nutritional guidance for children, elderly and pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Facebook tweaks platform to ‘relegate’ misleading nutrition claims

08-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

Facebook is to address misleading nutrition, health and fitness claims that have blighted its platform after accusations the company is a source of fake news and “inaccurate articles”.

Supplement regulation delay puts consumers ‘in jeopardy,’ insists Romanian industry group

08-Jul-2019 By Will Chu

The Romanian Association of the Self-Care Industry (RASCI) expresses frustration with the country’s delay in approving food supplement regulation saying it “jeopardises” the safety of its consumers.

Robertet launches tech to encapsulate powdered essential oil for supplements

28-Jun-2019 By Will Chu

Natural ingredient producer Robertet has revealed an encapsulation technology, which uses the prebiotic inulin as a carrier, transporting essential oils into powders for improved absorption.

No brainer? Report pans cognition supplements, much to industry dismay

18-Jun-2019 By Will Chu and Nikki Cutler

A Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) report has come under fierce criticism by the industry after it found no convincing evidence to recommend dietary supplements for brain health in healthy older adults.

Turmeric turmoil: Adulteration and contamination issues touted as hepatitis cases hit nineteen

10-Jun-2019 By Will Chu

As the number of hepatitis cases linked to turmeric-containing supplements reaches 19, ongoing concern is giving way to speculation as to the cause of the outbreak and its repercussions on the industry.

Vitamins and supplements on the nutritional agenda for a quarter of Europeans: Survey data

31-May-2019 By Will Chu

More than a quarter of Europeans take a daily vitamin or nutritional supplement as a part of a healthy lifestyle, says a new report.

Supermarket lighting may negatively affect milk nutrient content

29-May-2019 By Will Chu

Lighting found in supermarket dairy cabinets reduce essential nutrients found in milk, such as vitamins A, B2 (riboflavin) and D, according to research from the UK.

Solgar Polska under investigation by Polish authorities over supplement price-fixing

28-May-2019 By Will Chu

Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) is to initiate proceedings against Solgar Polska after the authority accuse the firm of supplement price-fixing within the country.

UPDATE: Hepatitis cases linked to turmeric supplements rumble on as incidences rise to ten

21-May-2019 By Will Chu

Italy’s National Institute of Health reports a further six new hepatitis incidences linked to the consumption of turmeric-based food supplements bringing the total to ten cases.

EC adds protein-rich yeast biomass to the Novel Foods catalogue

16-May-2019 By Will Chu

The European Commission (EC) confirms Yarrowia lipolytica yeast biomass’ inclusion to the Novel Foods catalogue intended as a key ingredient for use in food supplements.

Current methods to develop nutrition guidelines ‘not fit for purpose’ argue researchers

29-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

Nutrition guidelines must ask the right questions and include a degree of complexity to improve their relevance and quality, according to a research team writing in the BMJ.

NEWS IN BRIEF

EFSA advise on safe level for supplemental use of chia oil

26-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) have advised the use of chia oil in food supplements to be safe at a maximum level of two grams per day (g/day) in a ruling that also rejects concerns over contaminant formation.

Consumers interpret nutrition and health claims differently to regulators, says study

08-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

UK, German, Spanish and Dutch consumers appear unable to differentiate between a nutrition claim and a health claim in a study that calls for improvements in communicating the benefits of healthier food choices.

EC report finds ‘limited’ authority controls governing EU e-commerce supplement sales

03-Apr-2019 By Will Chu

Official controls on supplements sold over the Internet remain ‘limited,’ a European Commission (EC) report concludes, with non-compliance mainly related to labelling and health claim requirements.

Hot Right Now: China's health food crackdown, diet's influence on cancer risk, and new gut health developments

28-Mar-2019 By Cheryl Tay

Read about diet's influence on cancer and Alzheimer's risk, China's '100-day operation', and new innovations and research in the gut health space in this round-up of our top five trending stories on social media.

Germany identified as future pacesetter in buoyant European CBD market

27-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

The European cannabidol (CBD) market is set to blossom over the next four years, according to a market intelligence firm, who also predict that Germany’s growth will outpace that of other EU countries.

From the Editor's Desk

Do synthetic ingredients have a place in the ‘natural’ products industry?

22-Mar-2019 By Hank Schultz

Synthesized analogs of botanical ingredients, and ingredients of wholly artificial origin, could have a place in the dietary supplement industry. But if they do, full transparency would argue that they be labeled as such.

German pharma industry group press EU to lay down the botanical law

21-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

Germany's drug industry association the BPI has urged the European Union (EU) to clarify the current situation in which botanical foods and supplements can make unapproved health claims.

Quadram Institute receives EU funding slice to investigate personalised nutrition possibilities

18-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

The Quadram Institute Bioscience (QIB) have secured a slice of a €56.4m EU funding pot to work with nutrition start-ups that include a digital platform delivering personalised nutrition services in Europe.

FAO and GAIN appeal to private sector in nutrition-boosting partnership

14-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN) have detailed a new partnership that aims to increase developing countries’ access to nutritious food.

Seven key supplement trends from Expo West 2019

12-Mar-2019 By Stephen Daniells

We walked and we talked and we took photos, and here’s our list of 7 key trends for supplements from Expo West 2019 in Anaheim.

Ireland’s plans to introduce a food supplement VAT postponed until November

11-Mar-2019 By Will Chu

Ireland’s Revenue Commissioners has postponed plans to tax food supplements until 1 November after industry groups and consumers petitioned the government not to approve the planned increase.