BAPP’s adulterated materials SOP nearing final form

​TOP STORY
BAPP’s adulterated materials SOP nearing final form The Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) is nearing the final stage of its initiative to help the industry keep adulterated materials from turning up in finished goods on the shelf. More than a year ago, BAPP released a draft of a proposed standard operating procedure, detailing procedures for the disposal or destruction of irreparably defective materials. After a comment period, it is now in the revision process and will ultimately offer companies more empowerment for regulating their supply chain. Read more→

UNPA NEWS

NEW! UNPA announces Intentional Adulteration training, Jan. 22 in Lehi, Utah
Did you know that you're responsible for having in place a plan to deal with adulteration of your ingredients and finished goods? It's all a part of FDA's Mitigation Strategies to Protect Food Against Intentional Adulteration (referred to as the IA rule), part of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Developed by the Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance (FSPCA), this intensive, one-day certificate course is the "standardized curriculum" recognized by FDA. Join Ned Mitenius, a 30-year veteran in the food processing industry, who will lead the training. UNPA members receive a $200 discount at registration.

December GMP training in Provo, Utah
Former FDA Investigator and UNPA's VP, global regulatory & compliance, Larisa Pavlick will lead the training, which will provide everything you need to know to make sure your facilities are fully compliant with 21 CFR Part 111 before your next inspection. The training is scheduled for Dec.4-5 in Provo, Utah. Click the title to learn more about the training and to register.

UNPA's FSVP training set for February 2020 in Utah 
Do you import ingredients or finished goods? Do you know your obligations under the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs regulation? Join former FDA Investigator and UNPA VP, Global Regulatory & Compliance Larisa Pavlick for this certificate-based training. Click on the title for more information, why you might need to attend and to register.

REGULATORY
FDA will continue enforcement-discretion policy relevant to certain co-manufacturers under FSMA FDA will be continuing its enforcement discretion policy from 2017 for compliance with certain Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) supply-chain-program requirements applicable to receiving facilities that are co-manufacturers.
 FDA's Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program issues bulletin on biotin A MedWatch Safety Alert, part of FDA’s safety communication system, was just added to the FDA Medical Device Safety webpage, regarding biotin and noting that it may interfere with lab tests.
 FTC tells influencers to disclose paid endorsement, again The fact that FTC is issuing a reminder suggests the agency views current influencer practices as problematic. This ‘double-edged’ nature of social media that can aid the spread of incorrect information can be countered by building communities and improving the way visual content is presented, according to Jovanka Vis, head of knowledge and communication for the Federation of European Nutrition Societies (FENS) in a presentation  at its recent conference.

M&A ACTIVITY
Deerland acquires Bifodan to expand its global footprint Deerland Pobiotics & Enzyme's Scott Ravech will continue as CEO with global oversight of the newly combined company, while Steen Andersen, Bifodan’s CEO, has been named president of Deerland Probiotics and Enyzmes International.

FINANCIALS
Sprouts Farmers Market reports 8-percent sales increase in 3Q and year so far Sprouts Farmers Market announced that its 3Q sales and profit both increased 8 percent over a year ago, while same-store sales rose 1.5 percent as the company opened nine new stores during the 13-week period that ended Sept. 29.

HEMP/CANNABINOIDS
CBD skin care and cosmetics The question related to cosmetics seeking to capitalize on interest in CBD and probiotics is whether these products are actually drugs.

BOTANICALS
Consumer Reports tests echinacea, turmeric; industry decries results as ‘arbitrary,’ ‘reductionist,’ ‘snake oil’ Consumer Reports tested turmeric and echinacea supplements from multiple brands and concluded that several didn’t meet CR’s standards for lead and bacteria levels and that three didn’t contain the levels of key ingredients advertised on the label—findings decried by the American Herbal Products Association and the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
 Sustainable Herbs Program announces inaugural members of advisory group The Sustainable Herbs Program and the American Botanical Council welcome 16 inaugural members to the new advisory group. These highly regarded professionals bring many years of experience working on a wide range of relevant disciplines, including botanical raw-material sourcing and sustainability, regenerative and sustainable agriculture, botany, ethnobotany, ethnobiology, horticulture, pharmacognosy, wild harvesting and herbal medicine. 

PROBIOTICS
30 things we learned at the 2019 IPA DC workshop A booming global market with double-digit growth rates, establishing an adequate intake for dietary microbes and why the impending taxonomic changes to the genus Lactobacillus are like Y2K: These were just some of the topics covered during the fourth annual International Probiotics Association DC workshop.
 Consumers worldwide connect probiotics with gut and digestive health People around the world recognize the benefits of probiotics for gut health, according to new proprietary research from Ganeden BC30, Kerry’s leading probiotic ingredient.

SUPPLY CHAIN
What’s blockchain good for, anyway? For now, not much Although companies, such as Bitcoin, are thriving, a large portion of the companies attempting to build blockchain software into "more complex applications” are hobbled by the underlying technology.

CLIMATE CHANGE
11,000 scientists want you to know we are in a climate emergency A new article from the scientific journal BioScience delves into the urgent need for climate action–and it's signed by 11,258 scientists from 153 countries—endorsing six vital steps that citizens, businesses and governments must take in order to begin undoing the damage of man-made climate change.

POLICY
How Washington keeps America sick and fat In spite of the wealth of evidence linking prevalent health problems to poor nutrition, federal research in this area is largely underfunded.

ORGANICS
Organic Trade Association advances battle to defend organic standards In its motion for summary judgment, the Organic Trade Association stated that USDA acted in an unlawful, arbitrary and capricious way when it killed new organic livestock standards centered around improving animal care and welfare.

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE
Big food is betting on regenerative agriculture to thwart climate change Regenerative agriculture is gaining traction among giants in the food industry, such as General Mills and Danone, but experts warn that they should be held closely accountable to their environmental commitments.

INNOVATION
New company to commercialize avocado compound with anti-obesity, anti-diabetes benefits A new company, SP Nutraceuticals Inc., has sprung up in Canada to commercialize a fat molecule found only in avocados, which has been reported to confer anti-diabetes and weight-management benefits in animal and human studies.

APAC MARKET
Most important currency: Local probiotics clinical studies key in driving BioGaia’s APAC growth Clinical trials involving local population is “one of the most important currencies” for carving out a reputation with APAC’s healthcare practitioners, says Swedish probiotic firm BioGaia.

LATAM MARKET
Trade bloc agreement to enhance nutrition developments in 2020 As 2020 fast approaches, Nutraingredients takes a look at policies, regulations, programs and priorities in the LATAM region that are set to evolve the nutritional space at a regional level.

UNPA MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
Consumers need access to transparent analytical lab results, says Alkemist Labs Transparency is increasingly touted as a goal for the dietary supplement industry and companies following best practices, but this must also include transparency from analytical labs, according to Elan Sudberg, CEO of Alkemist Labs.

PLT Health Solutions reorganizes and adds scientific team of experts PLT Health Solutions has reorganized its scientific team in order to advance its ability to support innovation at consumer product companies. Among the changes, PLT veteran Barbara Davis, Ph.D., RD, will assume the position of head of clinical and regulatory sciences, and Jeremy Appleton, N.D., will join the company as director of medical and scientific affairs.

MARKETING
Is your brand name helping your business or hurting it? No other investment you’ll make in your business will last longer or get used more than your brand name. The most powerful names get noticed, get buzz and get sales because they resonate with consumers on an emotional level.

On the clock: Why marketers should consider TikTok As one of the fastest-growing social platforms, TikTok has become the newest driver of cultural trends, as more brands establish a presence and explore new opportunities on it.

MARKET RESEARCH
Survey: A rising generation of food consumers embrace new food technologies As new food technologies emerge, such as cell-cultured meat and new fermentation-based ingredients, younger generations are more open and quicker to embrace these new technologies.

Life stage nutrition leads consumer segmentation in the era of eating occasions Brands are releasing new products that appeal to life stage nutritional needs, Euromonitor International reveals in its latest evolving trends in food and nutrition report.

Do consumers have certification fatigue? With more and more symbols filling product labels, could consumers be experiencing burnout? New Hope Network’s NEXT Data and Insights team addressed this question in a recent report.

What do CPG brands need to know about the future of private label? As retail continues its fast-paced evolution in both the products people buy and how they buy them, Coresight Research has some data on one of those changes that could be valuable for CPG brands to understand—the growth and trajectory of private label.

RESEARCH
Higher plant protein intake associated with lower risk of death: Japanese population study High plant-protein intake has been associated with lower total- and CVD-related mortality, according to a new study from Japan.

Advances in anti-aging research: How chemistry could hold the key to better health Recent research has unveiled the few biological root causes responsible for nearly every disease of old age. In theory, aging has become "druggable,” which means that a wide range of fatal and degenerative illnesses could soon be cured by treatments that target the identified biological mechanisms. 

Probi trial links probiotics to reduced bone loss A Probi-funded study highlights the link between the use of probiotics and reduced bone loss in post-menopausal women.

Fish oil supplements have no effect on anxiety and depression Omega-3 fats have little or no effect on anxiety and depression, according to a new systematic review from the University of East Anglia.

Delivery system technology shown to enhance CoQ10 absorption A recently published study in the International Journal of Pharmacokinetics demonstrated that AquaCelle, a patented, self-micro-emulsifying, drug-delivery system, when combined with standard CoQ10, increased the absorption rate to  three times that of CoQ10 alone.

​FDA WARNING LETTERS & GUIDANCES
Current FDA enforcement actions and guidances Keep up to date on FDA’s current enforcement actions, including general warning letters, recall information and GMP compliance issues, with this link to FDA's website.

Search and sign up for a variety of FDA Guidances.