FDA’s Tave: Opportunity to strengthen DSHEA couldn’t come at a more pivotal time

​TOP STORY
FDA’s Tave: Opportunity to strengthen DSHEA couldn’t come at a more pivotal time With scientific advances and the growth of the dietary supplements industry on one hand and the proliferation of adulterated and misbranded products on the other, the opportunity to modernize DSHEA couldn’t come at a better time, Steven Tave, director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs at FDA, told attendees at this week's International Conference on the Science of Botanicals at the University of Mississippi. He added that the planned initiatives to modernized DSHEA will continue with the recent depart of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb. Read more→

UNPA NEWS
View UNPA's Expo West Members' Meeting presentation
NEW! View and download the PPT presentation from UNPA's 2019 Expo West Members' Meeting on March 6. Access requires member log in.

Expert Insights OnDemand: Highlights of the inaugural Nutraingredients-USA Sports Nutrition Summit
NEW! Highlights from the inaugural Nutraingredients-USA Sports Nutrition Summit, held in San Diego, in January 2019, are now available to view OnDemand. Presenter Stephen Daniells, Editor-in-Chief of NutraIngredients-USA, discusses the state of the sports nutrition market; how formulators can get a quick overview of the state of the science; the white spaces in the market; and cutting-edge technology.

'Insidious: How synthetic biology threatens your natural ingredient supply chain' PPT is now available
NEW! The PPT presentation from the UNPA co-sponsored  session, “INSIDIOUS: How synthetic biology threatens your natural ingredient supply chain,”  presented at Expo West on March 6, is now available for viewing and downloading.

Registration now open for Preventive Controls Quality Individual training, June 26-28 
EARLY BIRD ENDS APRIL 15! UNPA will conduct Preventive Controls Quality Individual (PCQI) training with a focus on hemp and other botanically derived ingredients, June 26-28, in Westminster/Denver, Colo. Registration is now open with a $100 early-bird discount through April 15.
The UNPA Retreat is less than a month away! Register today!
There's still time to register and secure a nearby hotel room. UNPA's annual members' retreat, April 30-May 2, in Charleston, S.C., is less than a month away, and the agenda has been updated with speakers.

REGULATORY
FDA’s Nutrition Innovation Strategy pushes forward with updates to labeling standards of identity FDA will push forward with its Nutrition Innovation Strategy despite the departure this month of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, who championed the initiative as a way to reduce the burden of chronic disease through improved nutrition, according to an agency official.

NDIs at 25: Third time’s a charm The first two attempts to define New Dietary Ingredients (NDIs) under DSHEA crashed and burned. Will hemp and CBD change FDA's thinking?

FDA finds unsafe levels of heavy metals in kratom The American Kratom Association’s (AKA) new certified vendor program has gotten off to an inauspicious start. Kraken Kratom, the first vendor to qualify under the AKA’s Good Manufacturing Standards program, has been flagged by FDA for having dangerous levels of heavy metals in some of its products.

M&A ACTIVITY
Golden Omega-s acquires OmegaTri Chilean omega-3 concentrates manufacturer Golden Omega has acquired OmegaTri AS, the Norwegian developer of an innovative omega-3 compressible powder technology.

LEGISLATIVE
Industry trade organizations establish unified front for dietary supplement lobby day AHPA, CHPA, CRN and UNPA will join forces to advocate for consumer safety and access, industry growth and innovation at this year’s 2019 Dietary Supplement Day on the Hill, taking place June 12 in Washington. The collaborative effort will honor the 25th anniversary of the law that regulates dietary supplements, the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act and the critical mass of support that led to the law’s enactment.

GLOBAL REGULATORY
French authorities issue warning for populations to avoid joint-health supplements Select populations should avoid consuming food supplements containing glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulfate, French authorities warn, after receiving a series of adverse events.

EC report finds ‘limited’ authority controls governing EU e-commerce supplement sales Official controls on supplements sold over the Internet remain “limited,” a European Commission report concludes, with non-compliance mainly related to labeling and health claims requirements.

DSHEA AT 25
What was NPQAA and what role did it play in the successful passage of DHSEA? While much of the focus on DSHEA was on Capitol Hill and the machinations of government, an important behind-the-scenes contribution came from the Natural Products Quality Assurance Alliance (NPQAA). But what was NPQAA and how did it help? Jeffry Bland, Ph.D., of the Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Institute and one of the NPQAA participants, explains.

CHINA
Australia takes the top spot from U.S. for supplement and health food imported into China Australia now accounts for 22.3 percent of all supplements and health foods imported into China, taking the top spot from the United States, which had a 20.4 percent share of the market in 2018.

Daigou and direct-selling clampdown in China are 'growing pains,' but the market will still thrive: HPA The recent slew of crackdowns, regulatory reviews and stricter rules for China’s health food and supplement industry are “growing pains” the industry must overcome, as regulators double down on efforts to promote safety and collect taxes, according to the trade group, Health products Association-China.

PACKAGING
The groundbreaking science which may present the future for sustainable packaging With shoppers increasingly saying 'no' to single-use plastic and the EU last year approving plans to ban single-use plastics by 2021, food companies are at the forefront of combatting the use of these items and packaging wastes.

RETAIL
Sprouts plans 13 new stores in the second half of 2019 Sprouts Farmers Market is set to make its Virginia debut as part of plans to open 13 stores in six states during the second half of 2019, with other Sprouts stores due to open later this year in Bel Air, Md.; Greensboro, N.C.; and Laveen, Ariz.

HEMP/CANNABIS
Senators to financial regulatory institutions: ‘hemp no longer a controlled substance’ Despite the passage of the 2018 farm bill, hemp farmers and producers continue to face challenges accessing banking and other financial services. U.S. Sens. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., requested that four regulatory bodies provide guidance to institutions under their jurisdictions to alleviate any concerns over providing financial services to the hemp industry.

Company setting hemp commodity prices via proprietary platform Setting firm commodity prices will be one brick in the wall of a fully legitimized hemp industry. One company, PanXchange, has set about doing so with a proprietary trading platform.

GMO-based microbial fermentation can deliver CBD with consistent purity at a lower cost, say Demetrix While some natural products brands are only interested in CBD from hemp or marijuana plants, the market for cannabinoids produced via microbial fermentation is potentially huge, as the process delivers higher yields and consistent purity at a “substantially lower cost,” according to Demetrix, a company in this emerging field.

Unilever’s Schmidt’s Naturals to launch hemp-oil deodorants at retailers, including Target, in September Unilever is dipping its toe for the first time ever into the hemp space via subsidiary brand Schmidt’s Naturals. The brand has been working for a year and a half on a hemp-oil deodorant line that will be compliant with FDA regulations, according to CEO Michael Cammarata.

Boomers and millennials alike are buzzing about CBD As CBD oil continues its ascent in the market, a new study by CBD Marketing in Chicago looked at how consumers across three age groups—baby boomers, Gen X and millennials—are talking about their experiences with CBD oil on social media and other online platforms. Understanding consumers’ opinions as represented in these conversations can impact important business decision-making by CBD oil manufacturers and marketers.

​Cannabis: ‘Biggest’ not a brand strategy Early cannabis companies could learn some valuable lessons about marketing and customer acquisitions from the dot-com era. With content marketing, native advertising, word of mouth and social media at everyone’s disposal today, the barriers to reach are significantly less than they were two decades, ago and, with all this noise, inbound strategies have to be accompanied by stronger-than-ever brand differentiation.
COMMENTARY
The shifting politics of nutrition: Time for a national uprising?With the European elections coming up and Brexit debate sending the U.K.'s government into disarray, Peter Wennstrom, business strategist and founder of the Healthy Marketing Team, points out the worrying parallels between politics and nutrition.BOTANICALS
Protecting botanicals from adulterationAdulteration has long been an issue, whether in foods, supplements, medications or other consumer goods. Research, education, communication and testing can play important roles against botanical adulteration.UNPA MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
Nature’s Sunshine appoints Eddie Silcock as executive VP and president of North AmericaNature’s Sunshine Products announced that Eddie Silcock has been appointed executive vice president and president of North America. Most recently CSO from Perfectly Posh, he brings 20+ years of experience to Nature’s Sunshine, including world-class sales expertise, strong leadership, a track record of proven success, as well as experience growing and transforming businesses along with his ability to build high-performance teams.
 4Life announces the appointment of Erik Patterson as VP of North America4Life President and CEO Danny Lee has named Erik Patterson as the vice president of North America. Patterson came to 4Life in July 2018 as director of Southeast Asia. He has more than 25 years of experience in direct sales and international marketing.
 Sabinsa obtains patents for forslean forskohlii extract related to energy balanceSabinsa has received Japanese and Australian patents for “Process and compositions for achieving mammalian energy balance.” The patents define a method of achieving optimal mammalian energy balance using Forskolin, the active compound found in the company’s branded ingredient ForsLean Coleus forskohlii extract, on a particular physiological and developmental stage of the mammalian cellular system.
 Chr. Hansen lends its microbiome knowhow in Lonza biotherapeutics dealChr. Hansen applies its microbiome expertise in the pharma arena as the firm enters a collaboration with Lonza to produce live biotherapeutic products that address a range of gastrointestinal and cardiovascular conditions.
 Sabinsa biotechnology site achieves USP GMP statusThe Sami-Sabinsa Group’s Nelamangala biotechnology site in Bengaluru, India, has been audited by the United States Pharmacopeia and received a GMP compliance certificate on Feb. 25. The certificate recognizes that the site operates GMP quality systems, which meet the requirements set forth in 21 CFR Part 117 Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food, and USP-NF General Chapter <2750> Manufacturing Practices for Dietary Supplements for Dietary Ingredient Manufacturing.
 Emerging regulatory pathways for nutraceuticalsIn this column, UNPA member Windrose Partners LLC and Vanguard Global Associates LLC provide an overview of regulatory considerations for taking new products to market. More specifically, they provide product formulators and marketing personnel with a brief roadmap toward the development of commercially viable products, while achieving regulatory acceptance in the marketplace. MOU MEMBER NEWS
Celebrate the 14th Annual HerbDay with ABC on May 4On Saturday, May 4, the American Botanical Council (ABC) will celebrate the 14th annual HerbDay with a variety of herbal educational activities, including presentations from local and national herbal experts, such as Tieraona Low Dog, M.D. The free HerbDay event occurs at ABC’s headquarters at the historic Case Mill Homestead in Austin, Texas, and  is open to the public.MARKETING
Sentiment analysis delivers on trend innovationSentiment analysis is an exciting tool that continues to evolve as artificial intelligence and machine learning become more sophisticated. It is a precise science that can be used to aid new product development, as well as for marketing and PR.
 Gen Z’s retail eye: They love brick and mortarGiven that they expect ready access to the web via the machines in their pockets, you might think that Gen Z is poised to turbo-charge e-commerce. But recent studies show that while their smartphones keep them very well informed, they are not keeping Gen Z out of brick-and-mortar stores.EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

UNPA member companies have posted the following employment opportunities. To include a job posting, email editor@unpa.com.

No posts this week.MARKET RESEARCH
Consumers interpret nutrition and health claims differently to regulatorsU.K., German, Spanish and Dutch consumers appear unable to differentiate between a nutrition claim and a health claim, according to a study that calls for improvements in communicating the benefits of healthier food choices.RESEARCH
Clinical relevance: Vitamin C backed to shorten ICU staysOral supplementation with vitamin C at an average dose of two grams per day could significantly cut the length of stays in intensive care units, according to a new meta-analysis of clinical trial data.


Carotenoid-rich tomato complex supports UV skin protectionA recent study published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology found that supplementation with a nutricosmetic ingredient called Lycoderm supported skin’s resilience to UV rays. Results showed that supplementation with the tomato nutrient complex significantly protected subjects against UVB-induced erythema formation compared to placebo.
 Experts take issue with researchers’ conclusions that supplements don’t prevent deathMultivitamins don’t extend lifespan, according to the conclusion of a recent population-based study. Industry experts countered that the many confounders in the data make that result tentative at best. Another look at the study from Tufts University found that adequate intake of certain nutrients from foods—but not supplements—is linked to a reduction in all-cause mortality. There was no association between dietary supplement use and a lower risk of death.FDA WARNING LETTERS & GUIDANCES
Current FDA enforcement actions and guidancesKeep 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.