Coronavirus: CDC warning; Sharpee Q&A; vitamin demand in Singapore; supply chain impact

TOP STORY
Coronavirus: CDC warning; Sharpee Q&A; vitamin demand in Singapore; supply chain impact Federal health officials starkly warned this week that the new coronavirus will almost certainly spread in the United States, and some lawmakers questioned whether the nation is prepared. Companies in the dietary supplement industry are trying to get out ahead of the potential outbreak providing information about the coronavirus and what to do if you suspect you have the virus. The NOW Health Group's Rick Sharpee, Ph.D., director of science and nutrition, who is  an expert on discovery and characterization of bovine coronavirus provides an informative Q&A. Meanwhile, in Singapore, the Covid-19 virus has sparked a sudden spike in demand for vitamin C and multivitamins, according to a major retailer in the city state. Could it happen here?
Read coverage:
C.D.C officials warn of coronavirus outbreaks in the U.S. →
Coronavirus Q&A with Dr. Rick Sharpee→
Coronavirus in Singapore: Vitamin demand jumps five-fold in two weeks for supermarket chain→

UNPA President Loren Israelsen is a featured speaker for the Feb. 27 (today!) webinar sponsored by UNPA member TraceGains to discuss the impact to the ingredient supply chain in China due to the the coronavirus outbreak there that starts at 11am MST. You can register for free here.

​UNPA NEWS
WEDNESDAY AT EXPO WEST
RSVP for UNPA's Expo West Members' Meeting, March 4 in Anaheim 
Members’ Meeting: 8-9am
Open House/Meet & Greet: 9-10am
Plan to join your fellow UNPA members at the association’s annual members' meeting at Natural Products Expo West—the meeting is open to all UNPA members and invited guests, and there is no charge to attend. RSVP here.

WEDNESDAY AT EXPO WEST
Hide & Seek: Surviving the onslaught of hidden GMOs
Join UNPA and four other leading organizations for this update on the threat of genetic engineering to the supplement and food/beverage supply chain, Wednesday, March 4, right after the UNPA Members' Meeting. On the agenda: the threat to 'organic' and 'natural,' new consumer data from the Non-GMO Project, and an industry action plan. No charge to attend. RSVP here.

DISCOUNT ENDS SATURDAY!
Early-bird discount extended for annual Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit, May 27, in Washington 
This fifth annual, one-day summit hosted by UNPA, AHPA, CHPA, CRN and NPA provides an intensive deep dive into pressing and topical federal regulatory issues of ultimate importance to the dietary supplement industry. Topics at this year's event include hemp/CBD, DSHEA 2.0, NDI/GRAS and much, much more. UNPA members receive discounted registration using the code AssociationMemberEarlyBird, and early-bird rates now runs through Feb. 29. Click here for more information.

UNPA IN THE NEWS
Trades back CBD bill, eye broader cannabinoid inclusion
Feb. 24 | NaturalProductsINSIDER

Helping end users understand delivery systems innovation key facet of its effectiveness Feb. 20 | Nutraingredients-usa.com

UNPA: WHERE IN THE WORLD?
UNPA President Loren Israelsen is a featured speaker for the Feb. 27 (today!) webinar sponsored by UNPA member TraceGains to discuss the impact to the ingredient supply chain in China due to the the coronavirus outbreak there that starts at 11am MST. You can register for free here.

Larisa Pavlick, VP, Global Regulatory & Compliance, was in New York City today to take part in a Good Housekeeping/Prevention magazine "CBD Summit." You can watch coverage from our friends at Organic and Natural Health Association here.

REGULATORY
NDIs for dietary supplements: How to proceed in 2020 More than three years after the release of FDA’s draft guidance on NDIs, the guidance has not yet been finalized, and most industry concerns regarding the draft remain. It is unclear whether finalization of the guidance is near, and we suspect that challenges surrounding the future regulatory status of hot-topic ingredient hemp cannabidiol (CBD) for use in foods and supplements will further affect FDA’s timeline.

HEMP/CANNABINOIDS
USDA Report: Economic viability of industrial hemp in the United States--A review of state pilot programs A new report on CBD from USDA’s Economic Research Service seeks to predict its long-term economic viability by documenting outcomes and lessons learned from the current State Pilot programs and examining legal, agronomic, and economic challenges that may affect the transition from the pilot programs to economically viable commercial production. The agency also announced the approval of five hemp production plans under the U.S. Domestic Hemp Production Program for the states of Washington and Wyoming and for the Otoe-Missouria Tribe, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and the Santee Sioux Nation.
 Trades back CBD bill, eye broader cannabinoid inclusion Several trade associations expressed support for a bill introduced last month in the U.S. House of Representatives that would allow CBD to be marketed in dietary supplements and conventional food, but they acknowledged challenges getting a standalone bill passed in Congress. UNPA’s Loren Israelsen says the bill clarifies the situation but also expressed support for a “comprehensive solution to all constituents in hemp.”
 National Advertising Division refers Cannapure’s ad claims to FTC The Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division recently announced that it has referred several advertising claims made by Grade A Nutraceuticals to FTC for further review and “possible enforcement action,” stemming from advertisements for the company’s CBD oil supplement, CannaPure CBD Oil.
 Natural Products Expo West trend preview: Hemp/CBD innovations The hemp CBD market continues to evolve at warp speed. Brands are rolling out every delivery format available to supplements. Read about some notable new entrants to be found at Natural Products Expo West 2020.

LEGISLATION
ANA seeks to postpone California privacy act enforcement California should delay enforcing the state's sweeping new privacy law until next year, the Association of National Advertisers argues in comments submitted to the state attorney general. The act gives consumers the right to learn what information has been collected about them by companies, have that information deleted, and prevent the sale of that data to third parties.

FINANCIALS
New strategies start to pay for Sprouts Farmers Market For the third consecutive quarter—as well as for FY19—Sprouts reported an 8 percent increase in net sales. Adjusted net income for the fiscal year dropped more than 10 percent, however.
 Sports nutrition struggles: Glanbia  reports rising revenues, but profits take a hit Global nutrition player Glanbia says troubles in its sports nutrition portfolio significantly impacted 2019 profits, but its acquisitions of SlimFast and Watsons helped drive a 16.6 percent growth in revenues.

PRODUCT TESTING
ConsumerLab finds high concentrations of arsenic in cricket protein powder ConsumerLab found that one of the two brands of cricket protein powder it tested, Entomo Farms Cricket Powder, contained a “high concentration of arsenic,” which the company claimed was 780 parts per billion.

M&A ACTIVITY
DSM acquires HMO firm Glycom in €765 million deal Royal DSM has reached agreement to acquire Danish Human Milk Oligosaccharide (HMO) supplier Glycom in a deal worth €765 million.

PARTNERSHIPS
Winclove Probiotics signs psoriasis supplement deal with SkinBio Therapeutics Winclove Probiotics will work with SkinBio Therapeutics in the design and development of a probiotics blend that addresses the symptoms of the skin condition psoriasis.
 GC Reiber Oils partners with Barrington Nutritionals for U.S., Mexico distribution VivoMega omega-3 fish oils, a product of Norway-based fish oil company GC Rieber Oils, will be introduced to the U.S. and Mexico Markets through a recently announced partnership with Barrington Nutritionals.

GLOBAL REGULATORY
New supplement laws proposed to boost innovation and sector growth The European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers has created a manifesto and regulatory proposal detailing significant legislative changes needed in order for the food supplement sector to reach its full potential to aid in healthy aging and disease prevention.
 U.K. identifies path to regulate CBD, U.S. remains in limbo The Food Standards Agency in the U.K. has moved forward with a pathway to regulate CBD and has suggested a daily level at which CBD is safe to consume. In the U.S., however, FDA has raised broad safety concerns and has not committed to a rulemaking that would expressly allow CBD to be lawfully marketed in food and supplements.
 Beijing Internet Court inundated with complaints about health food and food product claims Seven out of 10 online shopping complaints received by Beijing Internet Court between September 2018 and October 2019 were related to food and health food products.

RETAIL
Report: Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, H-E-B top the rankings in supermarket customer satisfaction Customer supermarket satisfaction is stable after slipping one year ago, with Trader Joe's, Wegmans and H-E-B all scoring high points for customer service, quality of food and easy-to-shop store layouts, according to the 2019-2020 American Customer Satisfaction Index.
 Walmart vs. Amazon battle brewing There’s a war ahead. It’s Amazon vs. Walmart, and a lot is at stake. The two companies are now fighting for the heart and soul of the American shopper.

TRANSPARENCY
Supplement industry aligns around quality and transparency The concepts of communication and greater good were all key takeaways from the 5th annual Inside the Bottle Summit produced by Informa Health & Nutrition in Boulder, Colo. The summit is the first step of the annual program and now a global initiative, which will in 2020 reach more than 30,000 professionals across all segments of the industry.

SPORTS NUTRITION
New market research highlights three trends in sports nutrition FrieslandCampina Ingredients and market research firm FMCG Gurus have collaborated on a global report highlighting three distinct trends in the performance and sports nutrition market. They include: the importance of on-the-go foods and snacking; consumers are taking nutrition into their own hands, proactively seeking information from multiple sources; and women are now seen as a clear and distinctive market in their own right.
 Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., on the female athlete: They should be shown grunting, sweating Sports nutrition marketing of the female athlete has come a long way as the industry embraces representing her as strong and powerful rather than skinny and sexy, says Susan Kleiner, Ph.D., founder of High Performance Nutrition, and director of science and communications at Vitargo.

PREBIOTICS
Popularity of prebiotics expected to continue rising with scientific research As prebiotic mechanisms of action are better understood, formulating possibilities will expand to suit a wider variety of consumers’ needs.

ORGANIC
More farmers convert to organic in 2019, beating previous forecast U.S. farmers harvested nearly 3.3 million acres of certified organic field crops in 2019, driven by 14 percent more organic field crop operations, according to Mercaris, a market data service and online trading platform for organic, non-GMO and certified agricultural commodities.

PEOPLE
Bergstrom Nutrition has new president and CEO Bergstrom Nutrition announced that Adrian Polliack, Ph.D., will be the company’s new president and CEO. For the past four years, Polliack served as CEO of Diatmomix, and he has also worked with Bergstrom previously while running Bridge Biomedical Consulting, in 2015.

PACKAGING
Amcor develops PET container made from 100-percent, post-consumer recycled content resin Amcor announced that it has developed and launched a PET container made from 100-percent, post-consumer recycled content resin, the first of its kind, according to the firm. The clear bottles, available in two sizes, 100 cubic centimeters and 150 cubic centimeters, were created for Ritual, a multivitamin brand.

INNOVATION
Tespo, Güdpod take different tacks to connect to end users Two innovators of delivery systems based on table-top devices are moving in different directions in their quest to connect to consumers. Tespo is harnessing data in a drive to become more connected with end users at home, while Güdpod is focusing on where people work.

APAC MARKET
Bill Gates-backed probiotics firm to start research in Singapore and Hong Kong Evolve BioSystems, the U.S.-based microbiome firm supported by big name investors Bill Gates and Li Ka Shing, will soon embark on local research in the APAC region, namely Singapore and Hong Kong.

COMMENTARY
The 'other' side of the industry creates most of the problems, but has most of the new blood, too There has been a lot of talk over the years about there being two dietary supplement industries. One that plays by the rules, one that doesn’t, but its wise not to forget in that discussion the entrepreneurial drive that made this a thriving industry in the first place, says Nutraingredients-USA’s Hank Schultz.
 Helping end users understand delivery system innovation key facet of its effectiveness Fancy delivery modes that don’t connect well with consumers don’t do much to move the public health needle. Simple, easy to understand improvements might provide more bang for the buck, experts say.

UNPA MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
Whole Foods Market announces 2020 winners of annual Suppliers Awards Whole Foods Market has announced the winners of its eighth annual Supplier Awards, honoring 32 of the company’s suppliers for their outstanding achievements in 2019 and ongoing commitments to quality, environmental stewardship, organic integrity, innovation, purpose and partnership.

MARKETING
How to optimize your Natural Products Expo West social media strategy Here are five ways you can utilize social media to start spreading the word and drive foot traffic to your booth at the show before you’ve even set it up.

MARKET RESEARCH
Grocers see mass-merchandisers as biggest threats in health and wellness category Online retail, natural food stores also cited as strong competitors by respondents to the Supermarket News Whole Health Survey.

RESEARCH
Two trials show promise of novel nutraceutical combination for high blood pressure A combination of plant extracts could help improve cardiovascular health outcomes in people with poorly controlled blood pressure, according to the findings of two new clinical trials, reported together in the Journal of the America Heart Association.
 Botanical extracts may show greater efficacy than antibiotics for Lyme disease Botanical and natural extracts that include black walnut, Japanese knotweed and sweet wormwood, appear to show efficacy against Lyme disease compared to first-line antibiotic treatments.
 Evidence for weight loss herbal supplement branded insufficient A global review of herbal supplements for weight loss has concluded that although statistical differences have been observed there is “insufficient evidence” to recommend any currently herbal weight-loss treatments.
 Antioxidant in mushrooms may relieve features of ‘pregnancy hypertension’ Research from the Department of Pharmacology & Therapeutics at University College Cork, the INFANT Centre at UCC and the University of Liverpool, as well as The Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Biosustainability at Technical University of Denmark, have shown in a rat model that a natural diet-derived antioxidant L-ergothioneine can relieve some of the clinical symptoms of pre-eclampsia. The hope is that the same will be in evidence in humans.
 Natural compound in vegetables helps fight fatty liver disease A new study led by Texas A&M AgriLife Research scientists shows how a natural compound found in many well-known and widely consumed vegetables, such as cabbage, kale, cauliflower and brussel sprouts, can also be used to fight fatty liver disease.
 Cumin essential oil boosts effect of fermented soy milk in diabetes model Fermented soy milk to which cumin essential oil was added improved blood glucose levels and other markers in a rat diabetes model in a study from Iran.

​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.