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REGULATORY Hatch urges FDA to withdraw proposed vinpocetine ban Natural Products INSIDER Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, is urging FDA to withdraw its notice in the Federal Register to ban vinpocetine, an ingredient that has been on the market since 1990. Hatch says the effort is an attempt to withdraw a product for reasons other than concerns over public health. He urged the agency to conduct a cost-benefit analysis on the merits for banning a product when safety is not the predicating reason. Read more→ MEDIA
Cranberry industry rejects ‘flawed’ JAMA study; NYT provides biased coverage Nutraingredients.com, New York Times The cranberry industry and academics have “rubbished” a cranberry-UTI study and accompanying commentary published in JAMA this week, saying the research is“misleading”and“suffering from fatal flaws.” Yet these issues didn't keep the New York Times from highly biased coverage. The trial found little reduction in "bacteria plus pyuria" in the subjects, who took a supplement equivalent to 600 ml of cranberry juice. Carol Nicholson, R.N., from UNPA member company International Marketing Co., pointed to the age of the subjects (85+), unknowns about the level of incontinence prior to the study and whether any of the subjects were catheterized, as flaws in the study. UNPA has sent a letter to the editor regarding the Times' reporting. Read coverage: JAMA rejects cranberry for UTI→ The cure for UTIs? It's not cranberries.→ FINANCIALS GNC launches makeover plan; USANA announces 3Q net sales increase; WFMI posts record sales; Sprouts sees sales increase, revenue decline Nutraingredients-usa.com, USANA, Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Markets Citing a badly broken business model, interim GNC CEO Robert Moran announced the launch of “The New GNC” during its 3Q earnings call. The plan will see a focus on technology improvements, customer acquisition and service, new product pipeline and pricing. Posting another quarter of solid growth, USANA Health Sciences Inc. announced net sales of $254.2 million, a 9 percent increase over the prior year, but it did come in below expectations due to softer than expected sales in China. Whole Foods Market reported record quarterly sales of $3.5 billion, with annual sales up 2.2 percent to a record $15.7 billion. Sprouts Farmers Markets reported a 15 percent sales increase in the quarter, but a revenue decrease of $8 million, quarter over quarter. Read coverage: GNC strategy makeover to launch by end of year→ USANA Health Sciences reports quarterly financial results→ Whole Foods Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2016 Results→ Sprouts Farmers Markets Reports 3Q Results→ LEGAL Courts announce mixed decisions in 5-Hour Energy cases Natural Products INSIDER Four years after state attorneys general launched a multistate investigation into the advertising and marketing practices of 5-Hour Energy, judges in Oregon and Washington have issued mixed decisions against Living Essentials, the producers of the supplement. In the Washington decision, the court ruled that press releases were misleading, but the state failed to prove the company violated its Consumer Protection Act. In Oregon where the company was accused of violating unlawful trade practices, the court ruled in favor of the company on several claims. Read more→ INTERNATIONAL TRADE Slow global trade may impact supplements; Russia may be next big supplements market Nutraingredients-usa.com, Natural Products INSIDER A recent report on the downturn in global trade may indicate rough seas ahead for the dietary supplements industry, whichis rapidly becoming an interconnected global enterprise. Consultant Steve Hanson says that trade fluctuations may have more impact on finished goods than ingredients. He also notes the difficulties of the Chinese market will be significant as consumers there shift from buying supplements to getting benefits from foods. Some markets may have more future promise for supplements, according to a report from the U.S. Commercial Services, which suggests that Central and Eastern Europe may produce the most growth for the market at 15 percent. Russia is currently the largest market in the region where sales are expected to grow there as consumers see rising work and life pressures. Read coverage: Slowing global trade, surging online sales: How markets are changing→ Overview of the Russian supplement market→ PEOPLE IN THE NEWS Michael Funk to step down as UNFI chair; Walter Robb steps down as co-CEO at Whole Foods Supermarket News, Whole Foods Market United Natural Foods has announced that its president and CEO, Steven Spinner will take over as chairman of the board, succeeding Michael Funk in December. Funk, a co-founder and former CEO of the company, will remain a director of the Providence, R.I.-based distributor. Walter Robb, co-CEO at Whole Foods for the last six years and a 25-year WFMI veteran, is also stepping down at the end of the year as the chain goes back to a sole CEO role, to be filled by co-founder and former CEO John Mackey. The chain also announced the retirement of 29-year CFO Glenda Flanagan at the end of the company's 2017 fiscal year. Read coverage: UNFI names Spinner chairman→ Walter Robb to exit as co-CDO of Whole Foods Market→ DNA PRODUCT TESTING Next-gen DNA test promising, but immature Nutraingredients.com The hesitancy of the foodborne pathogen testing industry to adopt Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for DNA tests is a signal that the technology is immature and needs further refinement before it can become a standard tool, argue the authors of a recent paper. The paper, published on a portal hosted by AHPA, suggests that while NGS is a powerful and promising tool, it is so sensitive that it can pick up false negatives via the many DNA fragments common in botanical material and may not provide a unified picture of a sample’s quality. Read more→ GMOs GMOs fall short on basic premise of enhanced yield, fewer pesticides The New York Times Fear-based arguments aside, genetically modified crops should be subject to criticism because they aren't living up to their basic promise to produce higher yields and curb pesticide usage, according to a new analysis by The New York Times. It looked at independent, academic and industry data, which showed that there was no discernible advantage in yields. At the same time, herbicide use has increased in the U.S., which has fallen far behind EU countries in reduction of use. Read more→ BUSINESS STRATEGY Industry gets average rating for inclusion of women Nutraingredients-usa.com Female industry leaders note that the supplements sector only rates middle-of-the-road in equality for women, despite the fact that it is an industry that is alternative in nature with many companies having their genesis in the home and with female creators. The industry is behind the times in inclusiveness if you look at women sitting on board seats of companies and trade groups, they say, and may leave the industry out of touch with key consumers and hurt growth. Read more→ PRODUCT INNOVATION Kava extract addresses key safety issues Nutritional Outlook With safety concerns a long-standing problem for the kava market, a new kava extract from Applied Food Sciences in Austin, Texas, is addressing the issues with special focus on top safety concerns in kava production, such as use of incorrect chemotype cultivars, unstandardized harvesting, use of incorrect plant parts and a lack of scientifically validated methods to verify active components. The company has a six-point plan for commercialization and sustainability of the product. Read more→ PERSONALIZED NUTRITION Campbell’s invests in meal delivery service based onpersonalized nutrition Foodnavigator-usa.com Campbell Soup’s is betting $32 million that personalized nutrition might transform the health of the nation, with its investment in Habit, a nutrition and meal-delivery operation that is partnering with systems biologists. The company’s premise is that one-size-fits-all diet advice does not create a path to optimal wellness. Habit’s model assumes that if you give people customized advice based on their individual biology they will embrace it. Read more→ UNPA MEMBER NEWS Sabinsa’s Majeed on the importance of patents New Hope Network In this interview with Sabinsa’s Marketing Director Shaheen Majeed, he discusses the growing importance of patents in today’s natural marketplace. Majeed notes that protecting intellectual property helps keep innovation moving forward. Patents also will help companies defend and protect their discoveries, especially in this era of new NDI notifications. Read/watch more→ Utah group names dōTerra 'International Company of the Year' dōTerra International dōTerra International was name International Company of the Year by the World Trade Association of Utah at its Global Forum. The association, which annually recognizes companies and individuals, attributed dōTerra’s selection to its tremendous international growth and dedication to helping communities around the world. The company, which sources essential oils from more than 40 countries, does extensive global work through its Healing Hands Foundation and Co-Impact Sourcing Initiative. Read more→ MARKET RESEARCH Grocers feel Millennial chill; consumer supplement confidence steady; alternative proteins skyrocket; probiotics to lead market growth Wall Street Journal, Nutraingredients-usa.com, Nutraceuticals World, Nutritional Outlook Young shoppers may be changing the face of retail with their tendency to spread purchases across stores and even channels, including online grocery services, according to new Nielsen statistics. Aging Americans are also spending less on groceries, turning to discount retailers and convenience stores. Results from CRN’s annual survey on dietary supplement usage suggests that usage among young consumers is on the rise at 70 percent, while the over-55 crowd still maintains the highest usage at 74 percent. Consumer confidence in supplements remains high at 85 percent. A new report from Lux Research predicts that the market for alternative proteins is set to grow 14 percent through 2024. The report notes that developers will race to provide new sources and formulations to mitigate the negative impact of the existing protein supply. If the current trends continue, probiotic supplements will be the fastest-growing supplement category in North America through 2021, according to data from Euromonitor. During the next five years, the market will grow 55 percent, outpacing the global market, expected to growth at 38 percent.Read coverage: Grocers feel chill from Millennials→ Confidence, trust in supplements stay high as younger consumer usage grows→ Alternative protein demand set to double by 2024→ Probiotics will be the fastest growing supplement in North American through 2021→RESEARCH Industry studies slightly more favorable; polyphenols fight inflammation; whey protein for heart health; tomato extract lowers cholesterol; mulberry extract aids weight lossNutraingredients-usa.com, NewHopeNetwork, Nutraingredients.com, Nutritional Outlook Researchers say a review and meta-analysis suggests that industry-sponsored nutrition studies may be more likely to have favorable conclusions compared to independent studies. Polyphenols derived from five common foods may be potent weapons against chronic inflammation, according to new research from the University of Liverpool Institute of Aging and Chronic Disease. Whey protein could reduce the risk factors associated with heart disease, according to a new RCT from the University of Reading in the U.K. A new study published in Food and Nutritionsuggests that Cardiomato, a carotenoid-rich tomato extractfrom Lycored, may inhibit oxidation of LDL cholesterol. The study further asserts that whole food extracts are more effective than standalone ingredients like lycopene. A compound extracted from mulberries may play a role in speeding up metabolism and assisting individuals with weight loss, according to a new study from China. Read coverage: Review of industry sponsored studies suggest they’re more likely to have favorable conclusions→ Menu against inflammation→ Whey protein’s heart health benefits demonstrated in RCT study→ Tomato extract may inhibit LDL cholesterol oxidation→ Mulberry extract shows promise as a way to manage weight: Mice study→ Comments are closed.
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