Microbiome modulation

Chr Hansen plans to re-submit probiotic for 13.5 claim

Chr Hansen plans to re-submit probiotic for 13.5 claim

By Jess Halliday

Chr Hansen is anticipating a negative opinion on its 13.1 health claim submission for its BB12 probiotic this week, due to lack guidance from EFSA when it was made, and plans to re-submit under 13.5.

EFSA health claims panellist edits probiotic claims book

EFSA health claims panellist edits probiotic claims book

By Shane Starling

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claim panellist, professor Seppo Salminen, has co-edited a book investigating probiotic science and health claims, with a focus on regional differences.

Gut health academics will express their negative opinion of the NHCR to MEPs and local MPs in coming weeks

Probiotic academics turn up political health claim heat

By Shane Starling

A recently established group of global gut health academics is sending letters to Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) as well as national government politicians as the group attempts to alter the application of a regulation it says is, “killing...

Microwarriors takes a 'pro' position on 'the power of probiotics'

Probiotics documentary reaches out to health professionals

By Shane Starling

A recently completed documentary about probiotics is being welcomed by the probiotics community with Danisco, the world’s biggest probiotics supplier saying it provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the microorganisms among the medical fraternity.

BioGaia has been investing in clinical research in 2010

Swedish probiotics player sales surge 16%

By Shane Starling

Swedish probiotics supplier and product manufacturer BioGaia has seen sales increase 16 per cent in 2010 to €27.77m from €23.08m in 2009, with after-tax profit increasing 31 per cent year-on-year to €5.35m.

Could NCCAM's probiotic position influence other agencies and regulators?

P-Day: Could US research save probiotics in Europe?

By Shane Starling

European probiotic researchers are welcoming last week’s commitment to probiotic study by a major US government health and nutrition agency, with biomarker development a real possibility.

It would appear pharma giant Pfizer has gargantuan supplement ambitions as it buys Danish player, Ferrosan

Pfizer acquires Danish food supplements operation

By Shane Starling

Pfizer has acquired the consumer healthcare business of Danish firm Ferrosan for an undisclosed fee in what the pharma giant says, “is an excellent strategic fit that strengthens our presence in dietary supplements”.

Analysts: DuPont Danisco buy-out may end in fire sale

Analysts: DuPont Danisco buy-out may end in fire sale

By Shane Starling

Analysts are saying Danisco could be carved up by its new owner DuPont, which they suggest is most interested in the Danish company’s enzymes for biofuels and that the food side of the business may be jettisoned.

Probiotic encapsulation patent opens formulation potential

Probiotic encapsulation patent opens formulation potential

By Shane Starling

Belgian probiotics player Vésale Pharma has applied to the European Patent Office (EPO) for a probiotic microencapsulation technology patent that can deliver probiotics into new blends such as high-dose vitamin C supplements.

European nutrition science will go on, but will it earn health claims?

Special edition: Outsourcing

CROs (slowly) piece together EFSA's health claim science puzzle

By Shane Starling

In the second part of this special series on global outsourcing trends NutraIngredients explores how the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) is impacting activity in the contract research organisation (CRO) sector.

Austrlians are embracing personalised nutrition

Australian consumers warm to nutrigenomics

By Shane Starling

The mainstreaming of functional foods has created an increasingly sophisticated nutritional landscape that is leading into food choices being driven by genetic expression, according to new market research.

Synbiotics may protect kids from asthma: Danone study

By Stephen Daniells

Supplements containing a mix of probiotic bacteria and prebiotic fibers reduced the prevalence of asthma-like symptoms in children at risk of the condition, says a new study from the Netherlands.

Industry is finding the EU health claims system hard to swallow

Are health claims making your business sick?

By Shane Starling

2010 has been another tough year for the European functional food and supplements industries as health claim rejections have continued to flood in, leaving some in a state of high anxiety, fear and dread. Others are just mildly annoyed at a situation...

The gut feeling is good between Probi and Institut Rosell as they extend probiotic link

Canadian Institut Rosell agrees probiotic deal with Probi

By Mike Stones

French Canadian company Institut Rosell has agreed a seven-year partnership with Swedish probiotic research and the development firm Probi covering dietary supplements based on its bacterial Lp299v strain.

Professor Tine Rask Licht - Winner of the Danisco Award

The opportunities and obstacles for gut health science

By Nathan Gray

It’s been a bad year for good bacteria: A raft of negative health claims opinions from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has left many in the industry predicting trouble ahead for probiotics and prebiotics in Europe. But Professor Tine Rask Licht,...

EFSA gives thumbs down to pre-submision meetings

EFSA Board: No resources for pre-submission claim meetings

By Shane Starling

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) confirmed at its Board Management meeting last week that the resources do not exist to accommodate meetings between its health claims panel and parties before claim submissions are formally made.

Could pre-health claim submission meetings actually save resources?

Probiotics industry unites over EFSA claims treatment

By Shane Starling

Four groups with an interest in pre- and probiotics will today send a letter to the European Commission and European Food Safety Authority spelling out their ongoing concerns with the European Union health claims system that, to date, has unanimously...

A healthy immune system is proving difficult to define. Is this man's system healthy?

EFSA gut/immune health meeting

ERNA: EFSA must clarify ‘boundaries of immune normality’

By Shane Starling

The high rate of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) immune health health claim rejections is likely to continue unless parameters of a well-functioning immune system can be defined, according to a Brussels-based industry group.

Bischoff: Who will answer the

EFSA gut/immune health meeting

Health claims: Is the idea of disease risk factors, itself diseased?

By Shane Starling

Differentiating between disease risk factors and disease reduction in the way that the 2006 nutrition and health claim regulation does is too arbitrary and needs revision, according to a German nutrition professor. But if such a change is needed, who...

Yakult wants a word with the NDA about its rejected probiotic immunity claim

Yakult: EFSA must recognise cold symptoms

By Shane Starling

Japanese probiotics giant Yakult says its recent EFSA probiotic health claim rejection discounted peer-review validated respiratory tract health measures, and called on the European Commission to facilitate a discussion on the matter.

NDA panelist: Restoring the immune sytem could yield claims

EFSA gut/immune health meeting

NDA panelist offers restored immune system claims hope

By Shane Starling

Restoring a suppressed immune system to full-function could win a health claim, EFSA health claim panelist, Henk van Loveren said at last week’s gut/immune health meeting in Amsterdam.

Danone says there is not enough claims clarity to make a submission for Actimel and other products

EFSA gut/immune health meeting

Danone tells EFSA: Health claims “learning experience” is too costly

By Shane Starling

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has repeatedly emphasised that the 2006 EU nutrition and health claims regulation is a learning experience for everyone involved – from its health claims assessment panel to industry stakeholders, to the member...

EFSA is communicating more but industry may not like what it is hearing

EFSA gut/immune health meeting

EFSA gut/immune function meeting leaves industry wanting more

By Shane Starling

Key members of the European pre- and probiotic industries left Amsterdam frustrated that the majority of their questions about immune and gut health claims remained unanswered after a meeting with the European Food Safety Authority’s health claims panel...

Defining the drug/food borderline is an

EFSA gut/immune health meeting

NDA details the food-drug divide and its “impossible task”

By Shane Starling in Amsterdam

“It’s a critical issue to figure out how to show the health benefits with foods without crossing the borderline into medicines,” European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) NDA health claims panel working group member, Maria Saarela, told NutraIngredients at...

Prebiotic or not prebiotic? That is the question

EFSA health claim opinion

EFSA issues first positive prebiotic opinion – or does it?

By Shane Starling

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued its first positive health claim opinion for a prebiotic with a laxative effect – but it was not achieved via a typical prebiotic effect, according to a leading academic in the area.

Gefilus going global?

Valio set to take probiotic juice global

By Shane Starling

Finnish dairy and ingredients supplier Valio is planning to expand the reach of its probiotic juice Gefilus as interest in the sector intensifies.

Probiotic tea and a muffin anyone?

Probiotic tea and a muffin anyone?

By Elaine Watson

A probiotic strain that can survive being baked, boiled and frozen – opening up a raft of new opportunities in functional foods – is being launched on the UK market.

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