A pan-European healthy food and supplements trade group has
criticised the UK's "first professor of complementary
medicine", Edzard Ernst, for taking an "unscientific"
approach in a new book.
Lifelong supplementation with the prebiotics inulin and
oligofructose may extend lifespan by over 30 per cent, according to
a new animal study from France.
The recent food supplements contamination case that led to banning
from competition of a number of Greek weightlifters, would never
have happened in the Netherlands, according to the trade
association there.
Food supplements manufacturers may have to reformulate thousands of
products aimed at both children and adults if calls for bans on the
use of certain artificial colours become reality.
Greece's Olympic weightlifting team is blaming contaminated
Chinese-made food supplements for some of its members being charged
with doping violations.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) expects to process
applications for 1000-2000 health claims, 900 food additives and
2800 flavours in the next 12 months, according to EFSA executive
director, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle.
A UK-based food supplements comparison website has launched today
that rates the 20,000+ products on-market there in a bid to provide
consumers with unbiased purchasing advice.
Finnish pharma player Actavis has launched three ranges of VMS and
herbal products in Bulgaria with more planned as the company
attempts to meet revenue growth targets of 20 per cent by 2010.
Poland has established a government-backed group briefed with
developing criteria relating to the classification of a range of
nutrients under either food or medicine law.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has removed a section
devoted to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) from its
website in a move that has caused consternation throughout the
British CAM community.
Food supplements should be exempt from European nutrient profiling
regulations because their fat, salt and sugar levels are scant
enough not to warrant concern, according to an industry group.
Supplementing the diet of elderly people with the full set of
essential amino acids can boost their lean body mass, strength and
physical function, according to a new study.
The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has requested that the
FDA withdraw its guidance on the labeling of dietary supplements,
suggesting it is unnecessary and potentially misleading for
consumers.
Danisco has today said it has entered into a new licence agreement
with Fonterra for the "long term use" of two probiotic strains,
which will see them added in supplements.
The headlines are sensationalist: twenty-four people have died in a
probiotic trial. Therefore, probiotics may be fatal. Throw those
yoghurt shots away!
A draft document on how to assess the safety of botanicals for use
in food and food supplements has been released by the European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA).
BI Nutraceuticals is seeking to tap potential for its ingredients
for supplements in a high-potential emerging market by signing a
deal which will see its ingredients available in Turkey.
A European wide set of guidelines has been developed by a team of
technical experts to help companies comply with EU laws on
producing and selling supplements.
As the European Food Safety Authority prepares its opinion on the
feasibility of nutrient profiling, the trade organisation EHPM has
asked that food supplements should be exempted from the rule.
Mastertaste is aiming to tap two key trends for food formulation
with it new range of Active Botanicals: natural flavours and
perceived health benefits.
Supplements of folic acid may lower blood levels of arsenic in
individuals exposed to the toxin in contaminated drinking water,
researchers have suggested.
Capsugel has extended its line of supplement capsules by adding a
range of colours to them, which it says will make bland formulas
more appealing to consumers.
An extract from American ginseng berry may reduce blood sugar
levels by 30 per cent and aid weight loss, reports a new study from
the University of Chicago using obese diabetic mice.
Vitatene has been granted permission to market two ingredients in
Australia and New Zealand as supplements, a move which will open up
further horizons for the Spanish company.
The European Court of Justice's opinion to not allow Germany to
label garlic supplements as a medicine has been seen as a fine
example of the intended use principle winning out.
Vitiva is introducing a lutein ester ingredient extracted from
marigold flowers that is being aimed at enabling higher
dosages in dietary supplements in the US and Europe.
Ajinomoto has announced it is introducing its capsinoid dietary
supplement into the US market after being given the green light as
a new dietary ingredient.
With spring turning to summer, retailers are looking beyond
supplements for long-haul flights and hayfever by promoting
ingredients for holiday romance and more.
Sabinsa Corporation is combining the forces of three of its
established patented ingredients in the unveiling of a new weight
management ingredient LeanGard.
A meta-analysis of 68 randomised trials with antioxidant
supplements has reported that vitamins A and E, and beta-carotene
may increase mortality risk by up to 16 per cent, but vitamin C did
not have an effect on mortality and the...
The European Botanical Forum has proposed a model for assessing the
safety of botanicals for use in food supplements – including a
'negative list' of botanics that should not be used due to safety
concerns – which it hopes...
The regulatory status of supplements sold out of the Channel
Islands is under the spotlight in the UK, as a House of Commons
motion urges a strategy to address unfair and illegal competition
to protect consumers and responsible businesses.
EFSA's scientific panel has an opinion that the use of polyethylene
glycol as film coating for food supplements at six grades would not
present a risk at proposed levels, which will be used to inform the
EC's decision on...
A combination of catechins, caffeine, capsaicin and tyrosine were
found to boost heat generation and energy expenditure without any
adverse effects on blood pressure or heart rate, says a new study
from Denmark.
Daily supplements of vitamin K could help to control
anticoagulation in over half the people taking the blood thinning
medication warfarin, scientists from the UK have reported.
Cinnamon dietary supplements in Germany carrying health claims to
reduce blood sugar and help control type-2 diabetes should be
classed as 'medicinal products', and regulated as such, two federal
institutes have said.
A daily high-dose carotenoid supplement restored carotenoid levels
and reduced "overall mortality" of AIDS patients, a group at risk
of low serum carotenoid concentrations said to be predictor of
death, according to new...
Nestlé is tipped as a potential buyer of Novartis' nutritional
supplements unit, rumoured to be up for sale, as the Swiss food
group is aiming to strengthen its position in the health and
nutrition sector.
The Indian Food Safety and Standards Bill 2005 has been signed into
law, promising a significant impact on the Indian dietary
supplement industry, and opening up a potential market of one
billion people for dietary supplement companies...
Taking potassium citrate supplements could boost bone mineral
density by similar amounts as observed with pharmaceuticals, says
new research from Switzerland that is linked to lowering the
acidity of the modern diet.
Naturex is aiming to raise industry awareness of traditional
botanicals sourced from Morocco, ahead of unveiling nine new plants
that could provide dietary supplement makers with a raft of new
formulation options.
The EC yesterday launched a communication on the EU Distance
Selling Directive aimed at preventing rogue traders exploiting
loopholes created by new technologies and eroding consumer
confidence in products commonly sold in this way,...
The effects of calcium supplementation on bone density in healthy
children have been seen to be minimal in a review study that
concludes it to be of limited public health importance - a finding
that could result in consumer confusion...
British kids of Asian origin are eight times more likely than their
white counterparts to be vitamin D deficient, says a new study that
is leading calls for vitamin D supplementation for this at-risk
group.
Taking creatine monohydrate and whey protein supplements just
before load-bearing exercise improves muscle gain and strength than
taking at other times of the day, says Australian research that has
implications outside of the weights...