Last week’s big news included the 90-day pause in U.S.-China tariffs, EFSA concluding that Clostridium butyricum TO-A is safe for use as a novel food, Blackmores Q1 sales growth and our announcement of the new Nutra Healthspan Summit.
U.S & China: Dietary supplements industry welcomes 90-day tariff pause
American dietary supplement trade associations welcomed the pause in tariffs between the United States and China announced on May 12, but some cautioned against calling the news a return to business as usual.
According to a White House statement, the 145% U.S. tariff rate on Chinese imports will be reduced to 30%. China will cut levies on U.S. imports from 125% to 10%. These are meaningful cuts for a U.S. supplement industry that imports 80% of raw ingredients for supplements from China.
“Any movement toward rolling back tariffs—particularly those involving China—is a welcome development for many companies in our industry,” Jeff Ventura, vice president of communications at the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) told NutraIngredients. “Supplement companies have already made significant adjustments to their supply chains in response to the initial tariff rollouts earlier this year, and today’s announcement adds a measure of optimism that we may be turning a corner.”
Graham Rigby, American Herbal Products Association president and CEO, said that while the pause offers short-term relief it doesn’t stop the broader changes already set in motion.
“Some companies may rush to fill halted deliveries during this period while other companies that restructured supply chains in response to tariffs will likely maintain diversified sourcing strategies as the future of U.S.-China trade policy remains uncertain and subject to sudden shifts,” he said.
“As the U.S. works to rebalance its trade relationship with China, our industry stands ready to grow, innovate and meet global demand,” said Dr. Daniel Fabricant, president and CEO of the Natural Products Association (NPA). “This deal moves us closer to a stronger, more resilient, and fair global trade environment.”
EFSA confirms safety of novel Clostridium probiotic strain
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded its scientific evaluation of Clostridium butyricum TO-A, confirming it is safe for use as a novel food.
Dr. Jérôme Le Bloch, head of scientific affairs at FoodChain ID and an expert in food ingredient authorization, said the decision represents “a significant opportunity for the probiotic sector.”
“C. butyricum is not only effective in supporting digestive health and immunity, but emerging research also suggests potential benefits for conditions like asthma and mental health,” he told NutraIngredients. “There is therefore an opportunity to propose new products, with higher C. butyricum concentrations of up to 3.2 x 10(8) CFU/day for adults.”
“We’re now waiting for the final decision from the European Commission, but it’s likely to be authorized under the conditions proposed by EFSA,” he added.
C. butyricum TO-A is a butyrate-producing bacterium that is primarily used as a probiotic. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that is widely reported as being beneficial for gut health, with research showing it may improve diarrhea, constipation and other gastrointestinal disturbances.
A recent study on C. butyricum TO-A found that the probiotic strain efficiently produces butyrate utilizing lactate and acetate, and could therefore be an efficient butyrate supplier in the intestinal tract.
The research was carried out by Japan-based probiotic and pharmaceutical manufacturer TOA Biopharma, which submitted the application. The company planned to market the novel food as supplement for the general population, excluding infants under the age of three months.
Blackmores Q1 sales increase almost 8%
The Australian brand, which is owned by Japan’s Kirin Holdings, announced its revenue grew in all its major markets, with a 7.7% increase year-on-year to AUD$162 million (US$103.9m) for the first quarter.
The biggest growth came from the Southeast Asian and South Korean markets, where revenue climbed 15.9% from AUD$36 million (US$23.1m) to AUD$42 million (US$26.9m).
Australia and New Zealand followed with a 6.1% increase in revenue, from AUD$68 million (US$43.6m) to AUD$72 million (US$46.2m).
However, normalized operating profit were impacted by rising raw material costs, with the brand’s profit decreasing 23.4% from AUD$12 million (US$7.69m) to AUD$9 million (US$5.77m).
According to NutraIngredients-Asia, fish oil was one of the raw materials affected by the price increase.
Save the date for the Nutra Healthspan Summit
NutraIngredients announced it will host a new event to bridge the science and business of nutritional interventions for boosting healthspan and improving cellular aging: The Nutra Healthspan Summit.
Slated for Nov. 12-13 in London, the inaugural Nutra Healthspan Summit will bring together international stakeholders, including brands, product developers, researchers and investors for two days of cutting-edge insights, panel discussions, expert-led roundtables, curated 1-1 meetings and an all-new start-up competition that will feature some of the most innovative early-stage companies disrupting healthspan and longevity.
The 2025 Nutra Healthspan Summit will cover a range of topics, including:
- The State of the Market: The business of aging and how brands can enter and succeed in the growing longevity market.
- Hallmarks of Aging: Exploring and measuring the biological pathways behind aging and advances in the modeling of aging.
- Next-Gen Bioactives: Assessing the state of science for ingredients like NR, NMN, urolithin A, spermidine and many more.
- Microbiome & Immunosenescence: Investigating how the gut drives healthy aging and cognitive resilience.
- Longevity & Skin Health: The intersection of cosmeceuticals, bioactives and visible aging.
- Investor Insights & Start-up Disruption: Spotlighting early-stage innovation and what investors are really looking for.
