Personalized nutrition's future to rival plant-based meat, says UBS

TOP STORY
Personalized nutrition's future to rival plant-based meat, says UBS The likes of Nestlé, Apple and 23andMe are spearheading the drive toward personalized nutrition that could see the sector become the next plant-based meat, according to investment bank UBS. The investment firm believes that the benefits food, medical diagnosis, technology and food-delivery services could gain is enough to propel the sector to $58 billion by 2040. Read more→

UNPA NEWS
IN TWO WEEKS!
FSVP training, February 11-12 in Utah 
Do you import ingredients or finished goods? Do you know your obligations under the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs regulation? Join former FDA Investigator and UNPA VP, Global Regulatory & Compliance Larisa Pavlick for this certificate-based training. Click on the title for more information, why you might need to attend and to register.

Expo West Members' Meeting set for 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.

Early-bird discount through Feb. 15 for annual Dietary Supplement Regulatory Summit, May 27, in Washington 
This fifth annual, one-day summit hosted by UNPA, AHPA, CHPA and CRN 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 run through Feb. 15. Click here for more information.

TRADE
Tariffs take their toll on dietary supplements industry Whether intended or not, one consequence of the White House’s current trade policy has been upheaval in the pricing, supply chain, hiring and investment decisions of businesses only tangentially involved in the disputes that sparked the tariff standoff in the first place—including those in the dietary supplement industry.

LEGISLATION
Trade organizations enthusiastic about Washington bill to exempt supplements from taxes A bill introduced this week in the Washington State Senate would exempt dietary supplements from state sales and use taxes.

M&A ACTIVITY
Isagenix international acquires Zija International Isagenix international has announced its acquisition of Zija International, a well-established direct-selling company based in Lehi, Utah, with a line of plant-based product offerings.
 Nestlé expands medical nutrition business Nestlé has entered into an asset purchase agreement with Allergan to acquire the gastrointestinal medication Zenpep. Available in the U.S., Zenpep is a medication for people who cannot digest food properly because their pancreas does not provide enough enzymes to break down fat, protein and carbohydrates.

REGULATORY
FDA approves home blood collection process from Baze, a personalized nutrition company Baze’s at-home blood testing kits assess consumers’ blood nutrient status, which Baze then analyzes using its patented Nutrition Information System to offer nutrition plans and curate supplement subscriptions.

HEMP/CANNABINOIDS
Hemp prices plunge as CBD demand falls short: Cannabis Weekly It may not be apparent when you’re spending $70 on CBD foot cream, but hemp prices are plunging amid a “grossly oversupplied” market, according to the head of the industry’s first price provider.
 Five things USDA got wrong in its hemp proposal Farmers and senators are among those who have raised concerns over various parts of USDA's interim hemp regulations.
 Infinite Product Co:  ‘A lawsuit based on CBD product labeling and marketing is particularly ill-suited for nationwide class treatment’ Emboldened by a recent court ruling in Florida that stayed a CBD-rleated class action on primary jurisdiction grounds (ie., putting the case on ice until the FDA weighs in) multiple brands hit with similar lawsuits are now pushing for stays and referencing the court order in their filings.

RETAIL
Lucky’s Market fields bids for stores from Aldi, Publix Less than a week after disclosing a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, Lucky’s Market unveiled stalking horse bids from Aldi and Publix Super Markets for 11 of its stores.

GLOBAL REGULATORY
U.K. post-Brexit advisory groups warn against divergence from existing EU food standards Three advisory groups have warned the EU government that moving away from European food standards post-Brexit risks diminishing choices and value for consumers.
 Italy adopts decrees setting max THC levels in supplements Italy’s Ministry of Health confirms the maximum level of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) permitted in food supplements is set at 2 mg per kilogram.
 Six traditional Chinese medicinal herbs are allowed for use as food spices but health claims are denied Chinese authorities allowed the use of six traditional Chinese medicinal herbs as food spices, but manufacturers will not be allowed to attach any health claim under this process.
 ESPEN reveals manifesto to boost nutrition training in medical schools The European Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (ESPEN) has revealed a manifesto on nutrition medication, stating that medical students should receive mandatory information about human nutrition.

BOTANICALS
Are investors ready to change their minds about psychedelic drugs? Psychedelic drugs appear to be making the same transition from banned drug to mainstream medicine that cannabis did several years ago–and investors are taking note. There will, however, be a significantly longer path to market for the former as robust clinical trials need to be completed first. 

TCM and healthy aging: Review reveals benefits but also warns of adverse reactions There is evidence that TCM product may alleviate age-related diseases, including type 2 diabetes, but researchers are warning in certain cases, adverse events may occur.

Is turmeric-film packaging the future on supermarket shelves? Researchers in Malaysia have developed a biopolymer film incorporating turmeric oil that stops the growth of a common food fungus and degrades well in soil. The film could provide an environmentally friendly way to extend food shelf life.

ORGANICS
Michelob Ultra Pure Gold Super Bowl ad enlists support for organic farms In an upcoming Super Bowl ad, Anheuser-Busch InBev' Michelob Ultra Pure Gold beer will appeal to upscale, health-conscious Americans, who not only drink beer but pay super-premium prices, and who will pay more for an organic brew.

PROBIOTICS
Gut mood-ifiers could drive probiotics market growth Bi-directional communication between the gut and the brain may help regulate mood and behavioral disorders, expanding the market for probiotics.

INTEGRATIVE MEDICINE
Coming of the light: The 2019 Integrator top 10 for policy and action in integrative health and medicine In this year’s selection of the Top 10 for policy and action in integrative medicine, JACM editor John Weeks notes individuals and organizations in the field making positive contributions to shift the medical industry toward a system that focuses on creating health. He also calls out less positive trends, such as the censorship of natural health websites by Google.

PEOPLE
BGG announces new CEO of U.S. subsidiary BGG World has named Bob Capelli CEO of its U.S.-based subsidiary BGG Americas. Capelli will also operate as CEO of Algae Health Science, where he previously served as the executive vice president of global marketing for five years.

UNPA MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
4Life announces new vice president of quality Senior Vice President of Operations Nate Buhler recently named Steve Pederson as 4Life’s new vice president of quality. Underscoring the company’s commitment to quality, Pederson has extensive experience in quality assurance and quality control and is a Certified Quality Engineer licensed by the American Society for Quality.
 New Hope Network to eliminate single-use plastic at Natural Products Expos by 2022 Natural Products Expo exhibitors will be asked to eliminate plastic sampling cups, utensils and other serving vessels on the show floor.
 Sami-Sabinsa Group hosts groundbreaking for pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing unit Sabinsa's parent company, Sami Group, broke ground on a new, $30 million, active pharmaceutical ingredients manufacturing facility in Hassan, Karnataka, India. It's the company's eighth manufacturing facility.
 Trust Transparency Center establishes new forum for single-ingredient issues Consulting firm Trust Transparency Center has announced a new initiative that the firm says will streamline the examination of single-ingredient sourcing issues in the marketplace.

MOU PARTNER NEWS
Herbal experts to collaborate on hemp monograph and therapeutic compendium The American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP) will formally collaborate with the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine & Health Sciences’ (SCNM) Ric Scalzo Institute for Botanical Research. AHP and SCNM share a common desire to foster a high level of integrity and quality in all aspects of botanical healthcare.

MARKETING
The ROI of privacy:  Cisco study finds returns on spend Memo to CFOs and everyone else in the email marketing C suite: Free up that money for privacy technology. Many firms are getting back more than double for every dollar they spend on privacy, according to Cisco’s new global study: From Privacy To Profit: Achieving Positive Returns on Privacy Investments.   

QA: Stonyfield’s Drociak on social influencers While there’s no shortage of influencer marketing debacles, some brands are taking a closer look at their relationships with celebrities, and micro- and nano-influencers. Stonyfield Director of Public Relations Kristina Drociak says, “It’s all about authenticity.”

Seeking perfect 2020 vision? Three lessons from beauty industry CPG companies must go beyond product to deliver services and experiences that are entirely relevant to the individual consumer when it really matters. But in 2020, brands will be expected to go much further by also positively contributing to the environment. Beauty is one industry leading the charge in delivering relevance at scale.

GNC is ‘There For You’ in new ad campaign Health supplements chain GNC is promoting its offerings in a new campaign called, “There For You.” The creative focuses on a GNC sales associate as the expert to help guide customers through their abundance of options.

RESEARCH
'Ethically and morally unacceptable': Reaction to vitamin C for sepsis trial A recent study claiming to disprove the 'Marik protocol' as an effective treatment for sepsis has been slammed by Prof. Paul Marik of Eastern Virginia Medical School, who says the study was rendered void by the futile administration of his protocol.

Can our microbiome accurately identify diseases ... and predict death? Microbiome sequencing is more accurate than full genome sequencing at distinguishing between healthy and ill people and could predict whether you are likely to die in the next 15 years, two new papers suggest.

Vitamin D link to breast cancer cautiously accepted New evidence pointing to the protective role of vitamin D in breast cancer has been met with a lukewarm response from U.K. experts, who take issue with the research’s “moderate quality” and its observational nature.

Cycling test shows BCAA supplementation improves performance parameters A commercially available branched-chain amino acid (BCAA) improved performance parameters in a nine-week placebo controlled study, using a high intensity cycling model. The study was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Saffron extract may protect eyes from damage associated with glaucoma A recently published study demonstrated that supplementation with hydrophilic saffron extract lowered the risk of glaucoma in an animal model.

Algal astaxanthin superior to alternative forms A review published in Functional Foods in Health and Disease compared the efficacy of astaxanthin sourced from algae (Haematococcus pluvialis), synthetic astaxanthin sourced from petrochemicals, and astaxanthin sourced from genetically-manipulated yeast Xanthophyllomyces dendrorhous.

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.