Coronavirus relief package will ease loan process for smaller supplement firms

​TOP STORY
Coronavirus relief package will ease loan process for smaller supplement firms The $2 trillion stimulus packaged passed unanimously by the U.S. Senate this morning will have important implications for the dietary supplement industry that may help companies survive the worst of the coronavirus crisis impacts. Read more→

UNPA NEWS
Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit rescheduled for Sept. 16
The fifth annual, one-day summit hosted by UNPA, AHPA, CHPA, CRN and NPA, originally set for May 27, has been rescheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 16, in Washington, D.C. Registration has reopened, and all existing registrations will be honored. Hotel booking information will be forthcoming. 

FEATURED MEMBER PROFILE
OmniActive's Mariwala: "Disrupt the market through innovation."
UNPA announces a new series of profiles of UNPA members to showcase the work and capabilities of its member roster. Our first offering is a Q&A with Sanjaya Mariwala, managing director of ingredients supplier OmniActive Health Technologies, with U.S. headquarters in Morristown, N.J. The company provides IP-protected, science-backed, branded health-benefit solutions in top categories, including active wellness and physical performance; metabolic health and weight wellness; vision, cognition and mental wellness; and daily energy and productivity performance.

COVID-19
Dietary supplement manufacturers, sales channels must remain open during COVID-19 shutdowns, stakeholders say Dietary supplement manufacturers and natural channel stores that sell the products play an important role in supporting consumers health during this challenging time and should be counted as essential businesses, stakeholders say.
 COVID-19 outbreak exposes supplier’s supplier as manufacturing chain weak leak The impact of the coronavirus on the manufacturing supply chain could affect worldwide revenue to the tune of $14 trillion this year.
 COVID-19 and supply chains, the story so far TraceGains CEO Gary Nowacki shared insights on how the pandemic may affect global supply chains in the nutrition/supplement industry.
 Cardax argues for study of astaxanthin in relation to coronavirus; legal experts question strategy Synthetic astaxanthin product developer Cardax released a white paper and reportedly filed a patent application on the ingredient’s antiviral properties but is being criticized for crossing the disease-claim line.
 Carlson closes shop for remainder of Illinois stay at home order The company said that doing its part to flatten the curve supersedes its production and distribution.
 Mintel shares observations on COVID-19 related consumer changes The level of consumer concern about the COVID-19 pandemic varies drastically among age brackets and other demographic factors, according to surveys Mintel has conducted.
 Financial assistance resources for businesses affected by COVID-19 As the economic impacts of COVID-19 spreads, New Hope Network is compiling a list of resources for businesses in the natural products industry to seek financial assistance.
 5 steps to succeed on Amazon amid COVID-19 Online grocery sales are growing fast, which underscores a longer-term shift toward e-commerce selling.
 A new ethos for capitalism? Do the right thing Capitalism has dominated business thinking and metrics for the last half-century, but as the COVID-19 pandemic is revealing, companies that are committed to people and planet as opposed to the bottom line will be the ones left standing.
 Institute for Natural Medicine to host online dialogue on immune resilience The Institute for Natural Medicine announced that it will host a free, two-part online educational series titled “Building Resilience Naturally: COVID-19 and Beyond."
 Beijing pushes traditional Chinese medicine as coronavirus treatment despite questions over benefits While many scientists are skeptical about its benefits, traditional Chinese medicine is being promoted as a treatment for COVID-19 and has been endorsed by President Xi Jinping.

REGULATORY
FDA gives more time to adverse event reporting in light of coronavirus crisis Dietary supplement companies may store adverse event reports and submit them after the present crisis is past, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said recently. The agency said it anticipates that some companies will have high absenteeism during the coronavirus pandemic or they will have sent some non-essential employees home, which could include regulatory compliance personnel. Companies may store reports they receive without submitting them to the agency throughout the duration.

M&A ACTIVITY
Charlotte’s Web to acquire Abacus Health Products Charlotte’s Web Holdings Inc. and Abacus Health Products Inc. have entered into an agreement in which Charlotte’s Web will acquire all the issued and outstanding subordinate voting shares of Abacus. The acquisition combines Charlotte’s Web and Abacus into the world’s largest vertically integrated hemp-derived CBD company.

FINANCIALS
GNC reports another annual loss in fiscal 2019 earnings report A $441.5 million loan looms over international supplements company GNC as COVID-19 slows the national economy. The company did say it continues to look for refinancing options after effort in Asia failed.

PRODUCT RECALLS
Companies swept up in ABH recall deal with fallout, Amazon de-listings Many brands listed in a massive recall of dietary supplements said the contract manufacturer that issued the original notice produced few, if any, of their products.

HEMP/CANNABINOIDS
Legalization of cannabis in Mexico could be big for U.S. markets Mexico is poised to become the world’s most-populous country with legal marijuana and hemp next month–and unlike its northern neighbor, Mexico is setting nationwide regulations to cover all forms of cannabis, no matter the THC.
 Green Growth Brands closes CBD stores, CEO Horvath resigns Peter Horvath, founder and CEO of Green Growth Brands, has officially resigned, following news that the company would be closing all of its CBD retail kiosks. 
 CBD: The hype is real, but is the science? CBD is everywhere, along with cure-all claims that can’t be fully backed by science. But the evidence does point to numerous beneficial effects on many of the body’s key wellness systems.
 11 CBD products raising the bar in 2020 These innovative new products showcase both the versatility and health benefits of CBD.

PARTNERSHIPS
Prinova Europe to distribute Hofseth BioCare marine nutrition Prinova Europe has agree to an exclusive deal to distribute Hofseth BioCare’s marine nutrition products in the EU.
 Blackmores inks deal with Taiwan psychobiotic supplier Bened Taiwanese firm Bened has sealed a deal with the Blackmores group to supply its proprietary probiotics strain PS128.

GLOBAL REGULATORY
Malaysia lockdown: Confusion over whether supplement manufacturing is essential service There is widespread confusion among Malaysia’s dietary supplement industry as to whether it is considered an essential service and production can continue under the country's coronavirus lockdown.

BOTANICALS
Popularity of curcumin continues to drive ingredient innovation Market demand has driven significant innovation in the delivery modes of curcumin, perennially one of the best-selling botanicals. The article looks at offerings from several UNPA members.RETAIL
 Grocery store workers: ‘Heros to the community’ during coronavirus--to get hazard pay U.S. grocery store employees asked for higher pay and reduced hours, and they're getting them. Stocking shelves at a grocery store isn't thought of as a prestigious job, but these last few weeks have shown just how critical these workers are and upped the appreciation factor from the general public significantly.

E-COMMERCE
U.K. led the world in online grocery delivery—until COVID-19 happened Demand for grocery delivery has overwhelmed such services in the U.K., where the delivery system is far more successful and established than it is stateside. But as many people begin making their first online grocery purchases amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, U.S. grocery delivery services have the chance to convert more regular users.

UNPA MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
Applied Food Sciences partners with Victory Hemp Foods Victory Hemp Foods hopes to elevate sales and marketing of its hemp-based ingredients through AFS' research and development.
 NOW Foods petitions White House to stay open NOW Foods has petitioned both the Nevada government and the White House to keep its facilities open in the face of mandatory closures of businesses the nation over.
 How much do we believe in our medicines? Are holistic primary care practitioners recommending cannabis and CBD? Can an optimized immune system help defend against viral infections like COVID-19? Informa Senior Editor Todd Runestad has a provocative discussion with Erik Goldman, editor-in-chief of Holistic Primary Care.
 Amid COVID-19, Sabinsa president rushed home to India In this first in a series of first-person accounts describing the effects of the pandemic on indviduals and businesses, Shaheen Majeed of Sabinsa is rushed home to India from the United States. He discusses his recent travels and the growing pandemic's impact on global commerce.

MOU PARTNER NEWS
ABC Herbal Community Builder Award goes to ‘Fire Cider Three’ The American Botanical Council (ABC) has announced the recipients of its annual Mark Blumenthal Herbal Community Builder Award. Mary Blue, Katheryn Langelier and Nicole Telkes are three herbalists, who became the face of the “Tradition Not Trademark” movement when they were sued for trademark infringement and battled in court to keep the herbal legacy product “fire cider” a generic term.
 GOED to host webinar on omega-3 consumer research The April 30 webinar will highlight the latest research on omega-3 consumer trends, as told through market research spanning 26 countries.

 MARKETING
The COVID-19 playbook: What not to put in emails Want to drive email response during this crisis? Forget everything you learned prior to the past two weeks. That’s the key takeaway from Email Marketing for Sensitive Times, a webinar presented by Jay Schwedelson, president and CEO of Worldata. 
 Email read rates in time of pandemic Brands are turning to email during the COVID-19 crisis, and consumers are reading their messages, but not always in the areas that seem most logical, according to a new study by SparkPost.

MARKET RESEARCH
State of supplements: Key trends driving $48 billion industry Senior Industry Analyst Claire Morton Reynolds presents the latest supplement market data from Nutrition Business Journal.
 Worldwide supplement survey highlights key consumer trends Glanbia Nutritionals surveyed users from across the globe to better understand consumer motive, usage and knowledge gaps.
 4As Research: Consumers want reassuring brand messages about COVID-19 With billions of TV and other media advertising dollars on the line as a result of issues around COVID-19, marketers are sending out reassuring messages—and that, in large part, pleases consumers, according to data from the American Association of Advertising Agencies (The 4As), which says consumers want messages that are “reassuring from the brands I know and trust."
 Consumers already grading how brands respond to crisis While it’s way too early to predict how—or even if—the fast-moving COVID-19 pandemic may change consumer behavior in the long run, new research from GfK finds that they’re keeping a watchful eye on how brands react. And 73 percent say the way companies act during the crisis will affect future purchase decisions.

RESEARCH
Pomegranate polyphenols show conflicting results in strength-training study The polyphenols in pomegranate juice beneficially affected the balance of steroidal hormones among trained weightlifters but did not cut an inflammation marker, a recent study found.
 Polysaccharides from Agaricus bisporus support weight and cholesterol A study recently published in the American Journal of Biomedical Science and Research found that proprietary water-soluble polysaccharides from Agaricus bisporus (H2Oslim by Nutraceuticals Group) may reduce body weight and support lipid parameters.
 Lean male weightlifters need way more protein than current daily recommended values A study published in Oxford University’s Journal of Nutrition found that lean, resistance-trained men with high habitual protein intakes need much greater amounts to maximize whole-body anabolism. The recommendations for this type of protein consumer are several fold higher than other populations.
 Seniors with good vitamin D levels more likely to walk after hip fracture Findings in a Rutgers University-led study that was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggest that a vitamin D deficiency could limit mobility in older adults.
 Leaves of Siberian ginseng and drynariae rhizome stems may enhance cognitive function A combination of two plant extracts, ginseng and rhizoma, could enhance cognitive function in healthy adults, suggests the findings of a new RCT from Japan.

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.