TOP STORY Mandatory dietary supplement product registration coming, DSHEA co-author says Mandatory product registration could soon become a reality for dietary supplement companies, according to industry attorney Scott Bass, who helped draft the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. Bass says that mandatory product listing not only makes sense for industry but is also likely to happen in the near future. The registry Bass has in mind would require companies to submit a list to FDA of all the products they are selling in the market, which should then enable the agency to better enforce against bad actors and illegal products. Read more→ UNPA NEWS
FSVP training in Sandy, Utah, Sept. 20-21 If you import ingredients for food or dietary supplement use, click on the link above to see if you should attend this FSMA-based training session to ensure regulatory compliance! This two-day training will be held Sept. 20-21 in Sandy, Utah. The 2Q18 UNPA Asia Report The 2Q18 issue of the UNPA Asia Report, a 16-page mini-magazine published in Asiaceutical Insights, distributed in China and Asia, is now available for viewing and downloading. Recently posted at unpa.com:
M&A ACTIVITY United Natural Foods looks to grow with $2.9 billion Supervalu acquisition United Natural Foods (UNFI), which is Whole Foods Market’s primary supplier, is buying Supervalu Inc. for about $2.9 billion, including debt. With the deal, UNFI lessens its reliance on Whole Foods, a relationship that has been shrouded in uncertainty ever since Amazon acquired the natural grocer. Eurofins announces the successful closing of the acquisition of Covance Food Solutions Eurofins Scientific announced the closing of its transaction for Covance Food Solutions from LabCorp. Covance provides product integrity, food safety, product development and consulting solutions for end-use segments that span the lifecycle of food, beverage and dietary supplement products. Johnson & Johnson acquires supplement company Zarbee’s Naturals In its first foray into the supplement realm, Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. has acquired Zarbee’s Inc., a manufacturer of dietary supplements and OTC remedies. TRADE NPA: Trump tariffs will impose burden on small ingredient businesses, consumers The Trump administration’s proposal to impose tariffs on key ingredients for nutritional supplements and vitamins will cause disproportionate economic harm to U.S. interests and increase costs for small businesses and consumers, the Natural Products Association saidin a letter to United States Trade Representative Robert E. Lighthizer. FINANCIALS USANA tops $300 million in sales for quarter USANA Health sciences has reported record revenue in its 2Q, driven largely by results in mainland China. GNC reports drop of 9.4 percent compared to last year’s Q2 GNC saw same-store sales decrease slightly and consolidated revenue decline 9.4 percent in 2Q18. Comparable sales in domestic company-owned stores, including GNC.com, decreased 0.4 percent. PARTNERSHIPS Japanese investments to further Thorne’s testing, functional beverage developments The recent investment from Kirin and Mitsui group will enable Thorne Research to complete its transformation from a practitioner channel supplements specialist into a more multifaceted wellness company, according to a company executive. Nektium casts botanical net in wider waters with Phytonet deal Spanish botanical ingredients firm Nektium has announced a distribution agreement with Phytonet in a move that looks to expose its portfolio to a wider international audience. CBD/HEMP/CANNABIS World's first non-cannabis CBD oil is high on hops While the CBD craze consumes Colorado, CBD remains illegal in many American markets. But there is a loophole for CBD that is not derived from cannabis. And the Peak Health Foundation took advantage of that loophole to create the first Real Scientific Humulus Oil, a CBD oil derived from the kriya brand humulus plant. Liquid Gold: CBD beverage sales boom as operators focus on taste and packaging Water-soluble CBD is driving a boom in beverages infused with cannabinoid. Operators say the beverages are opening doors to new retail outlets, but that selling the products requires a new approach. See page 70 (upper left corner) of this online magazine. HHS secretary could legalize CBD supplements The strategy could—at least theoretically—salvage the future of a budding industry selling cannabidiol (CBD) in dietary supplements by reaching for a lifeline with the very leviathan that stands in its way: the federal government. But some regulatory experts are skeptical. GLOBAL REGULATORY Italian Competition Authority clamps down on misleading supplement labeling The Italian Competition Authority is to examine online sales of dietary supplements after businesses were accused of labeling irregularities anda failure to notify the country's Ministry of Health. POLICY WHO clarifies adolescent nutrition measure with supplementary guidelines The World Health Organization has made available a set of guidelines that call for action to improve adolescent nutrition via targeted supplementation and antenatal nutritional care. PRACTITIONER CHANNEL Practitioner brand moves to shut down unauthorized resellers Practitioner brand Designs for Health has moved to aggressively protect its brand from what it says are unauthorized resellers. It’s a problem that has plagued the industry for years, the company says. SPORTS NUTRITION Sports, doping and supplements: Where do authorities, clubs and leagues stand? Everyone is against doping, but those at the heart of sports and athletics can do more, argues Luca Bucchini, Ph.D., managing director of Hylobates Consulting, in this commentary. SUPPLY CHAIN Optimal production of astaxanthin ingredients The health benefits of astaxanthin have become more widely known, drawing attention from manufacturers and consumers. Understanding how astaxanthin is produced can help buyers choose the right supply partners to provide high-quality products to consumers. Reliable, responsible astaxanthin suppliers take quality, purity and sustainability seriously. UNPA MEMBER NEWS 4Life appoints new VP of product development 4Life named Tory Parker, Ph.D., as the company’s new VP of product development. Parker comes to 4Life with industry experience that dates back to 2001. Prior to his professional life in direct sales, he taught at Brigham Young University as a full-time assistant professor. Vitamin Shoppe introduces Launchpad to spur innovative vendors The Vitamin Shoppe has announced its new vendor incubation program, Launchpad. Designed to introduce emerging brands and innovative products to The Vitamin Shoppe customers, Launchpad further illustrates the retailer's commitment to incubating the next wave of industry innovators. Standard Process calls for nutrition-focused product ideas for September innovation conference Standard Process has a strong interest in cultivating the flow of new ideas for nutrition-focused novel ingredients, products and technologies, in order to create new products. Areas of interest: personalized nutrition tools and technologies,organic whole food products and unique ingredients targeting inflammation and chronic illness. Deadline for submissions is Aug. 23, and finalists will present at the conference. Sabinsa appoints head of cosmetics sales for the Americas Natalie Martinez has joined Sabinsa as head of cosmetics sales for the Americas. Martinez is a senior sales executive with more than 18 years of experience in the cosmetics, food and nutritional industries. Most recently, she served as senior account manager for Cosmetics Design at William Reed Business Media. NOW launches free flexible-packaging recycling programs through Terracycle NOW has partnered with recycling firm TerraCycle to divert NOW’s flexible packaging from landfills. The NOW Recycling Program enables consumers the opportunity to recycle their toothpaste tubes and flexible food and supplement pouches—items not accepted by most municipal recycling programs. CLINICAL TRIALS Strategies, consideration to speed up clinical trials Clinical studies in general are perceived to be time-consuming. Luckily, the clinical trial industry is mature and, as such, has devised methods for speeding human studies for nutraceuticals. Keeping up education pressure counteracts view that only certain nutrition research is valuable, experts say Ongoing education is required to combat the view by some clinicians that large scale trials are the only source of nutrition wisdom, experts say. INNOVATION Phytonutrient boom: Extraction tech and science-backed NPD will help, says Frost and Sullivan There are significant opportunities in global phytonutrients to develop superior variants and innovative delivery formats through extraction technology advances, according to a report from Frost and Sullivan. SUSTAINABILITY Kraft Heinz, Pepsico launch major sustainability initiatives Given how heavily gens X and Y weigh sustainability in judging brands and products, it’s not surprising that companies across most industries are investing more than ever in sustainability initiatives. Increasingly, that means going beyond recycling, to support a “circular economy” that aims for zero waste at the end of the production cycle.Kraft Heinz and Pepsico announced major expansions of their sustainability efforts. MARKETING Crucial questions to consider before diving into influence marketing Influencer marketing represents one of the fastest-growing methods for online customer acquisition, with two-thirds of marketers planning to increase their spend in this area. And while marketers are reporting significant return on each dollar spent in this sector, that doesn’t mean it’s a fit for every brand. How do I develop strong relationships with influencers? When it comes to finding the best ambassadors for your brand, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. This first installment of the “Ask the Fixer” series showcases three experts who offer advice for building mutually beneficial relationships with the right social media influencers. RESEARCH Battling iron deficiency: RCT data suggests ferrous sulfate is more effective in children Iron-deficient children supplemented with a daily low-dose of ferrous sulfate may see better results than those given iron polysaccharide complex, according to a new RCT. Synbiotic product shown to boost iron uptake for female athletes A recent study shows a synbiotic formulation markedly improved iron absorption in a cohort of collegiate female athletes. Scientists say ginseng compound may have exercise, aging benefits A small study on young adults in the Journal of Ginseng Research suggests that ginseng can affect exercise and perhaps aging. The finding is based not on ginseng itself, but on a particular compound found within it. Curcumin eye drops may reduce loss of retinal cells Eye drops containing a derivative of turmeric may reduce the loss of retinal cells in rats, according to a study led by researchers from University College London and Imperial College London. Paired with exercise, betaine supplementation linked to fat mass reduction in women Female collegiate athletes who ingested a betaine supplement for several days had more decreases in body fat percentage and fat mass than a placebo group in a randomized, controlled trial. 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. Comments are closed.
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