Last week the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) called for
changes to the way the FDA is implementing regulations against
bioterrorism. Since then, several other food organisations,
including the American Herbal Products Association...
European legislation on health claims could take a significant leap
forward under the new Dutch presidency of the European Union, which
appears to be aiming for the regulation to get its first reading in
the European parliament by...
The European Commission is putting pressure on the Italian
government to amend legislation that effectively prohibits the
marketing of energy drinks in Italy.
The highly splintered nature of Europe's food supplement industry
is being underlined by the divergent reactions to forthcoming new
legislation, designed to harmonise trade across all member states,
writes Dominique Patton.
New Zealand food authorities are looking to change permitted levels
of folic acid and vitamin B12 in foods under a review of the
country's dietary supplement regulations.
China will introduce a new set of dietary supplement regulations
before the end of the year and has welcomed the new guidance issued
by the International Alliance of Dietary Supplement Associations
(IADSA).
Japan is considering proposals for the creation of a new category
of health foods, with claims similar to the 'qualified health
claims' recently approved in the US.
An alliance of sports supplement makers has managed to stall the
launch of a new European regulation that is set to tightly regulate
foods and beverages marketed to sportspeople.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, meeting in Geneva this week, has
endorsed draft guidelines on vitamin and mineral supplements that
recommend basing maximum levels of nutrients on safety rather than
the RDA.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday released a new set of
guidelines for national health authorities on ways to increase the
output of information on alternative and complementary medicines
for consumers.
The European food industry awaits as the European Commission
huddles together to assess possible changes to the current
nutrition labelling rules governing food products, reports
Lindsey Partos. Industry is concerned that amendments...
The annual US Biotechnology Industry Association event started this
weekend in San Francisco with the usual showcase of new
biopharmaceuticals and other technologies. But aside from supplying
the drugs of the future, the biotechnology...
The French food authority AFSSA has approved a health claim for
cranberry juice and powder and its effect on urinary tract health,
in the world's first health claim for the fruit, writes Philippa
Nuttall.
New supplement labels that advise consumers of the possible risks
of high strength vitamins will show European regulators that such
products do not need to be reformulated and can remain on the
market, say UK supplement makers.
UK politicians have called for immediate industry action to counter
the rising numbers of obese in the country, offering food marketers
three years to show significant improvements in product labelling
and formulation, writes Chris...
The UK's medicines regulator is warning consumers about potential
risk from a traditional Chinese medicine called Nu Bao, said to
contain human placenta, deer antler (Corna cervi
pantotrichum) and donkey skin (Colla cori astini)...
Food supplement makers and regulators from new EU member states are
being invited to a conference in Prague next month, designed to
help companies from accession states bring their products in line
with European legislation.
Complaints about supplements and food and drink products in the UK
fell by more than half during 2003, following pro-active action by
the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.
The campaign to protect the UK's supplement industry from the
impact of new EU regulations is getting new attention from
consumers and looks set to become the biggest issue to hit the
sector in years.
The European Commission this week granted approval for several new
foods with added phytosterols, set to significantly expand the
number of cholesterol-lowering foods available in Europe.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to evaluate the
impact on foreign firms of its new laws on food imports, designed
to protect its food supply from bioterrorism.
A new safety test on the herbal kava could help bring it back onto
European markets, according to industry lobbyists meeting recently
with German authorities.
The controversial debate over whether a fatty or sugary food can
carry a health claim has stalled a Europe-wide regulation for
health and nutrition claims and also brought down a proposed law on
fortification.
A panel of scientists in the US has developed a method to assess
the safety of common supplements based on available lab and animal
data, and suggests that this process could be used by regulators to
get round the lack of human clinical...
Australia's medicines regulator has published draft guidelines for
the registration of complementary medicines, which are also
expected to form the basis of rules under the controversial joint
agency with New Zealand.
A novel, healthy oil marketed by an ADM joint venture could soon be
available on the Australian market after food authorities there
concluded it is safe.
A UK initiative has produced more than 80 nutrient function
statements for vitamins and minerals that are well-established by
science, providing the food industry with a useful reference in the
preparation of health claims, writes...
An energy drink marketed to boost mental performance has been
allowed to continue with its claims, after investigation of the
scientific evidence to back up the advertising statements,
writes Dominique Patton.
A survey of infant formula by the UK's food watchdog finds levels
of harmful chemicals, dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) in infant formula have fallen significantly over
the past five years and are generally...
The ATP, the body for professional men tennis players, is warning
its members not to take the electrolyte supplement handed out by
its trainers in the past.
A British brewer has been criticised by the UK's advertising
watchdog for making a series of claims about the health benefits of
beer including suggestions that it could protect against heart
disease.
Famous tennis players including Tim Henman and Andre Agassi have
been asked to join a new task force set up to help players 'manage
the risk' associated with taking supplements.
The Irish health authorities have confirmed they will review their
policy on energy drinks following the decision by the European
Court of Justice to uphold the French ban on Red Bull.
The European Commission is seeking agreement on concrete measures
to halt the decline in global biodiversity at an international
conference which opened in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia this week.
The European court of justice yesterday removed barriers to the
sale of fortified foods and sports supplements in France and Italy,
ruling that the countries' demands for prior authorisation of
products is illegal under European...
Herbal supplements available on the Irish market are still being
irradiated, contradicting European regulations on the practice and
highlighting a lack of traceability on supplement ingredients.
The UK's supplement industry has won the right to challenge the
European Commission in the European court of justice over the
recent food supplements directive, which it claims is unlawful.
The UK's medicines regulators issued proposals yesterday to ban the
Chinese herbal remedy Qian Bai Biyan Pian, as it contain toxins
known to cause serious liver damage.
The UK's Advertising Standards Agency has upheld a complaint
objecting to an advertisement for a creatine supplement, stating
that it was up to 160 per cent more effective than regular
creatine.
Putting paid to media lip-service and the 'wildly false picture' it
has painted, EU Commissioner David Byrne defends European proposals
to clarify health and nutrition claims on food products.
A mineral formed in the waters of the world millions of years ago
could be the next new food supplement, as UK food watchdog sets out
to assess a new application it has received for market approval.
