Last week saw the first shipments of VSL#3, a probiotic food
ingredient marketed by Questcor Pharmaceuticals. VSL#3 is a
preparation of eight highly concentrated species of live
freeze-dried lactic acid bacteria which are said to...
Trials are to begin soon in six countries on a herbal preparation
created by scientists in India to establish its efficacy in
treating hepatitis B. If the trials are successful, the herbal
remedy could be launched in other countries.
The Council for Responisble Nutrition has become the second US
supplement association to issue voluntary warning labels about the
potential health risks of kava kava following a similar move by the
American Herbal Products Association...
A new supplement containing zeaxanthin, a nutrient which is thought
to slow or even prevent macular degeneration, has been launched by
the US group ZeaVision. Macular degeneration is a leading cause of
blindness in people over the...
Forbes Medi-Tech remains bullish about its prospects for the future
despite the failure of the Novartis-Quaker Oats joint venture which
was meant to promote a range of foods containing Reducol, the
cholesterol-cutting ingredient developed...
Next Pharmaceuticals has launched Relora, an ingredient derived
from natural plant extracts, which it claims is a safe and
effective alternative to kava.
Consultancy firm Arthur D. Little (ADL) claims to have developed
the first drink brand to contain soluble dietary fibre which
reduces blood cholesterol levels and which also meets consumers'
taste requirements.
A lack of sodium in the first two weeks of life can have a major
effect on the development of the brains of premature infants. These
are the findings of a recent study by doctors at Guy's Hospital in
London published in the March...
A joint venture between US-based Unigene Laboratories and China's
Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group will begin selling injectable
calcitonin in China for the treatment of osteoporosis as of 1
April.
Americans consume around 14-15 grams of dietary fibre per day, far
short of the recommended 25 grams. This has led to a range of fibre
supplements, the newest of which is FiberChoice from CNS.
Algry Quimica, the Spanish company which claims to be the leading
European manufacturer of choline ingredients for nutraceuticals and
infant formulas, has said it is on the verge of launching its USP
choline bitartrate and USP choline...
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has been quick to
react to the announcement earlier this week by the FDA that
consumers should be wary of using the herbal supplement kava kava
because of possible liver damage. The...
The Scottish Organic Producers Association (SOPA) yesterday
announced that the country's organic farmers would benefit from a
grant of £100,000 over two years from Scottish Enterprise. The
money will be used for a number of projects,...
Martek Biosciences Corporation is to buy docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
producer OmegaTech, giving it a further foothold in the growing
market for fortified foods. Martek said it would become the world
leader in fermentation-derived DHA...
The US market for energy supplements is estimated to be worth more
than $1.2 billion (€1.37bn) in retail sales in 2001, and while
young, male consumers are the target audience for most energy
supplement producers, market research...
Omega Protein Corporation, the leading producer of Omega-3 fish oil
and specialty fish meal products in the US, has reported net
profits of $3.9 million (€4.5m) for 2001, a welcome return to the
black after losses of $16.7 million...
After a year of discussion and deliberation, the Omega-3 Working
Group of the US-based Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has
approved a draft voluntary monograph for omega-3 EPA and DHA. The
document will now be circulated for...
A supplement made from the herb black cohosh has been found to be
an effective alternative treatment to oestrogen for women suffering
from the menopause.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition explored the connections between nutrition and the
risk of developing benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in a large
group of male health professionals. Benign...
The Ther-Rx subsidiary of US-based KV Pharmaceuticalhas launched
PrimaCare, a new prescription nutritional supplement with essential
fatty acids for pre- and post-natal women.
The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP), established by former President Clinton,
said most alternative treatments "have not yet been
scientifically studied and found to be safe and...
Joshua Tree, the former construction company which recently
completed the acquisition of American Health & Diet Centers
(AHDC), has released three new weight loss products designed to
meet demand for dieting products in the summer...
An experimental oestrogen lotion reduced hot flushes by 85 per cent
in post-menopausal women, according to results from a pivotal-stage
trial of the drug Estrasorb.
A new range of organic milk and butter products under the brand
name MU has been launched into the Canadian market by Sunrich
Valley, a newly created division of Stake Technology.
Sumitomo Corporation, one of Japan's leading trading houses, is to
stock a range of nutritious plant-based dairy alternatives produced
by the US group Galaxy Nutritional Foods, and the company said it
expected Japanese sales...
The debate over the safety of the popular herbal supplement kava
kava continued yesterday with the announcement by the US Food &
Drug Adminstration that there was a risk of liver damage associated
with the product.
Cadbury Schweppes, the British confectionery and drinks producer
which owns Dr Pepper and Snapple, has added another US drink brand
to its portfolio via the acquisition of Nantucket Allserve from
Ocean Spray Cranberries and a group...
OBE Beef, the largest certified organic beef supplier in Australia,
and Nippon Meat Packers, an Australian processor, have formed an
alliance to market EU certified organic beef products to the UK and
Europe, Organicts.com reports.
Brassica Tea, developed by researchers at the US Johns Hopkins
School of Medicine, has received much attention since it was
launched as a test product in Colorado two weeks ago.
More Americans than ever are facing the threat of blindness from
age-related eye disease, reveals a new report from the US. Over one
million Americans aged 40 and over are currently blind and an
additional 2.4 million are visually...
A consumer group is accusing the marketer of a fungus-based meat
substitute of "deceptive labelling" and has filed a
complaint with the US Food and Drug Administration, Advertising Age
reports.
Worldnutra this week announced the third annual international
conference and exhibition on nutraceuticals and functional foods to
be held in San Diego, California, November 18 - 20, 2002.
Some sectors of the Scandinavian organic food industry are
approaching maturity, but the organic fresh fruit market continues
to show robust growth, according to a new report from Organic
Monitor. Total sales of organic fruit have...
Health Sciences Group, the Los Angeles-based group which
specialises in investing in companies involved in the health
sector, has signed a letter of intent to acquire the assets and
operations of Quality Botanical ingredients (QBI),...
Calcium supplements have been in the news a lot this week, with
revelations just yesterday that the nutrient is more effective when
combined with phosphorous contrasting with news a day earlier that
calcium supplements can help combat...
Wake Forest University School of Medicine said it has licensed
three soy-related technologies to Physicians Laboratories of
Kernersville, which will use the technologies to develop
nutraceutical products.
Boundaries of science were pushed further recently when scientists,
trying to create alternative food sources for astronauts, revealed
that we could grow meat on demand, without slaughtering fish or
animals, the New Scientist reports...
Children who fail to consume enough magnesium and potassium in
their diets may be damaging the function of their lungs, according
to recent research from the US.
Calcium has long been touted as a major factor in bone health and
the fight against osteoporosis. But now researchers at Creighton
University in the US appear to have shown that calcium may not be
the only factor when it comes to...
Nutra Pharma of the US says it expects to see the first four wound
healing applications of its proprietary herbal extract compound
WD-667 hit the market in the next two months.
Dietary supplements could interact with heart medicines and
increase the risk of adverse reactions, according to the results of
a new study from the University of Michigan. Nearly three-quarters
of heart patients surveyed in the study...
Advicor, the cholesterol control product from Kos Pharmaceuticals,
has been found to be highly effective in controlling the full range
of lipids when compared to two other leading statin products,
according to a new study presented...
Canadian agribusiness group Kenex is to meet with federal agencies
in the US next week to discuss the proposed ban on foods made from
hemp. Kenex has been growing and processing hemp oil, seed and
fibre products in Canada for distribution...
Supplementing the diet with folic acid and zinc can have a
significant effect on improving semen quality in sub-fertile men,
according to recent research from the Netherlands.
A glass or two of orange juice daily could do wonders for our blood
pressure, according to a pilot study conducted at the Cleveland
Clinic in the United States.
