Gut/digestive health

MEP Harkin on EU health claims:“It is very difficult to know where to go from here”

22-Mar-2012 By Shane Starling

Irish MEP Marian Harkin said the European nutrition industry must look forward after a European Parliamentary committee yesterday rejected a bid to overturn a controversial, 222-strong health claims list.

Chr Hansen signs probiotic stabilisation deal

15-Mar-2012

Danish ingredients supplier Chr Hansen is teaming up with Maryland firm, Advanced BioNutrition, to better stabilise its probiotic strains.

Biofortis unites global nutrition research activity in western France

09-Mar-2012

Nutritional researcher and trial designer Biofortis has opened a new HQ that will centralise its four main operations near the western French city of Nantes.

Introducing nutrikinetics: A new way of performing nutrition research

08-Mar-2012 By Nathan Gray

A new way of performing research in the field of nutrition could one day open a more accurate picture of how the foods and supplements we eat affect our health, and could offer greater insights of how foods are taken in by specific consumer groups – according...

Pre and probiotics in formula could boost infant immunity

06-Mar-2012 By Nathan Gray

The addition of pre and probiotics to infant formula could help to boost immune responses by colonising newborn babies’ guts with a stable population of beneficial bacteria, say researchers.

RCT supports gut health boosting potential of wheat bran extract

06-Mar-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Three weeks of supplementation with a wheat bran extract may beneficially alter markers of gut health, say results of a placebo-controlled cross-over human intervention trial from Belgium.

Global Alliance for Probiotics: There is a “discord” between science and claims

02-Mar-2012 By Shane Starling

The newly formed Global Alliance for Probiotics (GAP) has issued its first public statement, affirming that a complete rethink of probiotic health claim rules is required in the European Union, and forwarding industry rights to take part in that process.

Lallemand targets heartburn with fermented soy

28-Feb-2012

Danish-based Lallemand Health Ingredients (LHI) has launched a fermented soy supplement backed by studies in 600 subjects demonstrating its ability to combat indigestion and heartburn.

Lesaffre submits probiotic ‘intestinal comfort’ health claim to EFSA

22-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

The human nutrition division of French yeast and probiotic specialist Lesaffre says a new probiotic dossier will win Europe’s first ever probiotic health claim due to the existence of, “3-4 proprietary studies”.

Danone launches new global probiotics group to “talk with lawmakers”

22-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

Danone has formed the Global Alliance for Probiotics (GAP) with other sector giants like Yakult, DuPont-Danisco and Chr Hansen as the frustrated industry seeks to win a first European Union health claim.

Convergence ‘megatrend’ will marry soft drinks to dairy in 2012, Rabobank

22-Feb-2012 By Ben Bouckley

Consumer demand for health and wellness beverages worldwide is leading to greater convergence between soft drinks and dairy beverages, according to Rabobank.

UK Dept of Health: ‘Contains glucosamine’ an implied health claim

20-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

The UK Department of Health has indicated nutrition-style claims like ‘contains glucosamine’ or ‘contains probiotics’ will be deemed implied health claims if they are the subject of negative EFSA opinions.

Nestlé invests €50m in 5-year probiotic licensing deal

15-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

Swedish probiotics player BioGaia is welcoming a 5-year, €50.8m extension to a licensing deal with Nestlé for use of its Lactobacillus reuteri probiotic strain in infant nutrition products.

Danone: Characterisation may be least concern for probiotic health claims

06-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

A Danone official has said the resolution of characterisation issues may not be enough to win positive opinions for a batch of probiotic health claims just resubmitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

New probiotic strains will win health claims (but not for 10-15 years): Prof

03-Feb-2012 By Shane Starling

Advances in genomics and understanding the human gut microbiota will lead to the discovery of probiotic bacterial strains that will deliver biomarker-measured health benefits – but it may take 10-15 years, according to a leading researcher.

Cranberry shows urinary tract benefits for children: Study

02-Feb-2012 By Stephen Daniells

A glass of cranberry juice per day may reduce the recurrence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) in children by 43%, suggests a new study funded by Ocean Spray.

US per capita spending on probiotic supplements expected to nearly double by 2016

02-Feb-2012 By Elaine Watson

Per capita spending on probiotic supplements is forecast to almost double over the next five years in the US, according to market researcher Euromonitor International.

Potential lifeline for probiotic yogurt claims

02-Feb-2012 By Rick Pendrous

Loopholes in the law may save probiotic yogurt manufacturers from having to remove products from sale when the new EU nutrition and health claims legislation comes into effect.

Health claims register enters European Parliament as veto calls rise

31-Jan-2012 By Shane Starling

Paola Testori Coggi, the director general of the EC’s Health and Consumer Health Directorate (DG Sanco), yesterday presented a health claims register containing 222 approvals and about 2000 rejections to a European Parliament (EP) committee, as lobbying...

Probi sales jump 17% in 2011 as supplements market shines

25-Jan-2012 By Shane Starling

Swedish probiotics supplier Probi has turned in healthy annual figures with sales up 17% to SEK94.4m (€10.67m) in 2011 from SEK80.4 (€9.90m) in 2010.

Sugar coated probiotics have increased survival and can reduce infection: Study

24-Jan-2012 By Nathan Gray

A sugary outer coating produced by probiotic bacteria could help them to survive in the good and may also offer clues to how they block some bacterial infections, say researchers.

Italy publishes probiotics guidelines

23-Jan-2012 By Shane Starling

The Italian Ministry of Health has revised probiotic characterisation, labelling and claim guidelines that may open claim-making around the idea of microflora balance.

Prune rejection provokes piqued UK MEP into prune eating rumpus

20-Jan-2012 By Shane Starling

UK Liberal Democrat MEP, Sir Graham Watson, has challenged European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy, John Dalli, to a prune eating contest in an adhoc, non-double blind, non-placebo controlled trial to demonstrate the digestive health benefits...

Academics attempt to bridge probiotic science and marketing gap

18-Jan-2012 By Shane Starling

“Currently, there is a gap between the point where the biomedical science ends (with the publication of a paper in a scientific journal) and the point where the business begins (with the claim for a health benefit).”

Blueberry & broccoli may boost bowel health

13-Jan-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Adding blueberries or broccoli to the diet may shift the balance of bacteria colonizing the gut, and improve inflammation associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), suggests new data from a mouse study.

Modified probiotics may protect against food borne illnesses: Study

10-Jan-2012 By Nathan Gray

Modified probiotics could help to reduce the risk of food borne infections such as Listeria by blocking the bacteria from entering the body in the gut, say researchers.

Fiber-rich vegetarian diet leads to better gut microflora profile: Study

09-Jan-2012 By Stephen Daniells

Consuming a vegan or vegetarian diet results in different profiles of gut microflora, with lower levels of potentially pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli, says a new study.

Disptaches from Microbiota 2011

IPA co-founder: EU probiotic approach is “dirty pool”

23-Dec-2011 By Shane Starling

Jarrow Rogovin, never a man to mince his words, says it is high time the IPA and other trade groups stepped up to the plate to defend a sector that has been under regulatory siege on both sides of the Atlantic for several years.

Beneo: Prebiotic health claim rejections have put prospects “on hold”

21-Dec-2011 By Shane Starling

The second part of this exclusive interview sees Beneo executive board member, Yves Servotte, explaining the cooling but not crushing effect of EU prebiotic health claim rejections on its inulin-chicory business.

Beneo board: “Let us not forget that functional food responds to a clear demand of the consumer”

20-Dec-2011 By Shane Starling

In the first part of this exclusive interview, Beneo Group executive board member, Yves Servotte, explains how European Union health claim rules have informed strategic thinking at one of Europe’s biggest and most vocal ingredient vendors.

Dispatches from Microbiota 2011

Genomics fires Microbiota 2011 to new heights

15-Dec-2011 By Shane Starling in Paris

Mapping the microbiome and the increasing sophistication of gene sequencing and analysis have in just a few years completely changed the research landscape for microbiota, and looks set to answer many to-date unresolved ‘mechanism of action’ questions.

Krill oil shows colitis potential: Rat study

09-Dec-2011 By Nathan Gray

A diet supplemented with krill oil helps to improve the markers of colitis and IBD in a rat model of the disease, say researchers.

Dispatches from FIE 2011

Beneo: “We need to have a new future now”

05-Dec-2011 By Shane Starling from Paris

Today the European Commission meets to decide whether or not to send the controversial European Union health claims register to the European Parliament – now is no time to abort the process says European ingredients giant, Beneo.

Probiotic ice cream shows oral health potential: Study

01-Dec-2011 By Stephen Daniells

Eating ice cream containing probiotic strains may reduce levels of the bacteria in the mouth responsible for tooth decay, says a new study from India.

European Scientific League for Probiotics launches QC scheme in Belgium

25-Nov-2011 By Shane Starling

The quality of probiotic supplements sold in Belgian pharmacies is set to rise following the establishment of a new voluntary programme to highlight products “consumers can trust”.

Pressure mounts on MEPs to block EU article 13 health claims register

25-Nov-2011 By Shane Starling

Food and supplement industry groups across the European Union are ratcheting up pressure on EU parliamentarians to block the passage into law of a health claims register that is likely to contain more than 2500 general function claim rejections.

Glucans win while Danone and soy industry loses in EU health claims raffle

15-Nov-2011 By Shane Starling

Food, drink and supplement makers across the European Union’s 27-member states are free to make cholesterol-lowering health claims after an oat beta-glucan health claim passed into EU law books yesterday.

EFSA calls for characterisation work as probiotic resubmissions loom

10-Nov-2011 By Shane Starling

EFSA has approached an expert who has already worked with its health claims panel to make a report on the characterisation of probiotic strains – an issue that led to the rejection of 260 out of 300 probiotic health claim dossiers - and most of which...

Bilberries may reduce bowel inflammation, boost gut health

09-Nov-2011 By Stephen Daniells

Consuming dried bilberries may reduce inflammation in the bowels of lab animals, according to a new European study with potential for inflammatory bowel disease patients.

Fugeia and Nestlé team on Brana Vita projects

09-Nov-2011 By Shane Starling

A matter of weeks after it achieved Novel Foods approval for its ingredient Brana Vita, Belgian start-up Fugiea has announced a partnership with Nestlé to develop bran fibre foods.

Probi teams with mystery food giant to win EU probiotic health claim

03-Nov-2011 By Shane Starling

Swedish probiotics supplier Probi has announced an alliance with an unnamed “major multinational” food company that will assist it in its quest to win the first probiotic health claim in the European Union.

Chr. Hansen claims 'solid performance' allows hike in R&D investments

03-Nov-2011 By Jane Byrne

Chr. Hansen’s full-year results are in line with expectations, says an analyst, but positives noted were the suppliers’ expectations for its EBIT margin growth and the better performance for its probiotics division in Q4.

Calcium may enhance probiotic survival in the gut, cut cholesterol levels

28-Oct-2011 By Stephen Daniells

Combining calcium phosphate supplements with probiotic Lactobacillus paracasei may enhance the colonization of the probiotic in the gut, and boost reductions in LDL cholesterol levels, says a new study with humans.

Probiotics may influence carbohydrate metabolism: ‘Elegant’ study

27-Oct-2011 By Stephen Daniells

Probiotic bacteria consumed in a yogurt may not change the host’s gut populations, but they do influence carbohydrate metabolism by the resident microbes, according to an ‘elegant’ new study using identical twins and germ-free mice.

Strawberry extract protects stomach lining from alcohol damage: Rat study

27-Oct-2011 By Nathan Gray

Polyphenols found in strawberries could play a role in reducing the harm alcohol inflicts to the stomach lining, according to new research in rats.

Fugeia wins novel foods approval for wheat bran prebiotic ingredient

24-Oct-2011 By Nathan Gray

The European Commission has granted novel food status to Belgium based functional ingredients company Fugeia NV for its wheat bran product Brana Vita, opening up the use of the ingredient in foods and beverages.

Bad science? ANH presents MEPs with 30 dodgiest EFSA health claim decisions

21-Oct-2011 By Shane Starling

The Alliance for Natural Health International (ANH-I) has mailed MEPs a litany of what it considers the 30 most ‘wayward’ health claim opinions to arise from the European Food Safety Authority’s Parma, Italy headquarters – with a prune-digestion rejection...

Researchers isolate iron as probiotic blocker during active IBD

20-Oct-2011 By Shane Starling

Certain probiotic strains underperform in the presence of iron-rich environments created during the active phase of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), UK researchers have found.

IDF taskforce doubles microbial species on safe list

18-Oct-2011 By Shane Starling

An International Dairy Federation taskforce has updated a 2002 inventory of safe microbial species including some probiotic species – from 112 to 221 – a list the group hopes will allow exemption from EU Novel Foods and US New Dietary Ingredient (NDI)...