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LEGAL Prevagen maker says claims met gold standard, calling suit unjustified Natural Products INSIDER Quincy Bioscience, the maker of Prevagen, said in recent court documents that it met the “gold standard” for corroborating its advertising statements, but still state and federal regulators have sued the company in New York for making false and unsubstantiated claims. The company said its supplement has been clinically shown to “help with mild memory problems associated with aging.” Read more→ UNPA NEWS Registration now open for UNPA's new GMP training course,June 27-28, in Provo, UtahUNPA announces a new, two-day course designed to ensure that your facility handily passes your next FDA GMP inspection or customer or certifier audit. Taught by UNPA's Larisa Pavlick, who has been in more than 200 facilities in her former role as an FDA Inspector with the Denver District Office, this course will cover all aspects of the inspection, with a focus on the key elements of quality: identity, purity, strength and composition. Read more→ Room block closesMay 1for the 2017 UNPA Members' Retreat With the adobe-clad LaFonda on the Plaza as the venue for the 2017 UNPA Members' Retreat, UNPA will welcome more than 100 members to historic Santa Fe, N.M., onMay 22-24. The program offers unparalleled networking and a diverse educational program sure to stimulate all attendees. Room rates are guaranteed untilMay 1, so plan your trip today! Read more→ Register for these upcoming industry events The Practitioner Channel Forum, April 26-28, San Diego, produced by UNPA member Holistic Primary Care. See "UNPA Member Discounts" at right for special offer. NEW! Natural Health Product Research Society of Canada Annual Conference, May 8-11, Vancouver, B.C. UNPA President Loren Israelsen is speaking. CHPA Dietary Supplement Seminar, May 10, N. Bethesda, Md. UNPA is a host of this event, produced by CHPA; Loren Israelsen is speaking. USP Dietary Supplement Stakeholder Forum, June 7, Rockville, Md. Recently posted at unpa.com: NEW! Washington Update: FDA User fees; Health Savings Accounts, by Peter Reinecke and Patricia Knight, UNPA Senior Political Advisors(requires member log in) "An Industry Perspective on Botanical Quality & Compliance," presentation at ICSB 2017 by Larisa Pavlick(log in) 2017 Expo West Members’ Meeting PPT (log in) “New Dietary Ingredients: Enforcement” presentation at 2017 Expo West by Larisa Pavlick FDA Inspections, Part II by Larisa Pavlick, UNPA VP, Global Regulatory & Compliance (log in) FDA Inspections 101 by Larisa Pavlick, UNPA VP, Global Regulatory & Compliance(log in) The PPT presentations from NDI III: Roadmap to a Viable NDI Policy, UNPA member price: $295 Plus, updated industry events calendar,Member Memos (log in) and UNPA educational archives (log in).FINANCIALS Though sales continue to fall, GNC reports positives in Q1 reportNew Hope Network Even though Q1 sales are still down as GNC continues its attempt to reframe itself with customers and investors, the retailer noted increased transaction numbers and customer visits, which has leadership and Wall Street reacting positively. Read more→RETAIL Whole Foods debuts 'new' 365 in Texas; analysts not buying Jana’s overhaul of WFM; vision to go beyond a supermarket part of Whole Foods’ problem?The Shelby Report, Reuters, Wall Street Journal Whole Foods Market announced it will open its first store in a revised and updated "365" format in Texas, with a new location in Cedar Park, near Austin. Meanwhile, some analysts are not buying into Jana Partners' strategy to overhaul Whole Foods. One of those ideas was to move grocery distribution in-house and reduce dependence onits biggest distribution partner, UNFI. WFMI co-founder John Mackey may have helped to change the way Americans eat, but the victory has proven costly, says theWall Street Journal.In thisinterview, Mackey discusses how he is using conventional grocery tactics and working to shed the “whole paycheck” image. Read coverage: Whole Foods to open first 365 Texas storeApril 26→ Jana’s call to overhaul Whole Foods supply chain has few takers→ Whole Foods wanted to be more than a supermarket, and therein lies the problem→OBITUARY Jack Challem, 'The Nutrition Reporter,' remembered for early science-based articlesWhole Foods Magazine Bestselling author and prominent health reporter Jack Challem passed away last week after a battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 66. Born May 29, 1950, Challem gained recognition as 'The Nutrition Reporter'. He will be remembered for many contributions to the natural products industry, including his pioneering work on science-based nutrition reporting. He was the author of more than 20 books, includingFeed Your Genes Right, No More FatigueandThe Inflammation Syndrome. Read more→GLOBAL REGULATORY TGA grants approval to list PACs from whole cranberries; EU system to require e-certification for all organic importsNutraceuticals World, Foodnavigator.com. Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration has granted approval to companies listing PACs content on product labels, but only if they are derived from whole cranberry. The ruling sets a high quality mark for the whole industry. A new system to electronically certify imports of organic products and ingredients has been implemented and promises to tighten traceability, fight fraud and collect reliable data on organic trade in the EU. Read coverage: Australia’s government rules PACS must be derived from whole cranberries→ EU launches electronic tracking system for organic imports→ORGANIC NOSB debates hydroponic status, use of non-organic substances; OTA stalls NOSB plan to strengthen seed requirementsFoodnavigator-usa.com Stakeholders gathering in Denver for the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) meeting this week will take another stab at defining the role of hydroponic production in organic. Curating the National List of non-organic substances that are allowed in certified organic products is also on the agenda and, as such, stakeholders will lobby the board to add and delete several ingredients.The Organic Trade Association, meanwhile, wants to put the brakes on a proposal from the NOSB to strengthen the requirements for use of organic seeds because “a few substantive changes are critical.” Read coverage: Organic status of hydroponics back on the docket at NOSB→ NOSB reconsiders the use of some non-organic standards→ OTA sets high bar for revised organic seed purity standards→RETAIL Natural and specialty sales growth in conventional retail outpaces natural channel for first timeProjectNosh Conventional retailers, such as Ahold, Kroger, WalMart and Target, have been filling their shelves with natural and specialty food items to keep up with growing consumer demand. The strategy is working, according to a new State of the Industry report from the Specialty Foods Association, noting that, for the first time, the conventional sector’s sales in multi-unit and mass merchants outpaced growth in natural and specialty chains. Read more→ANTIOXIDANTS Research supports strong case for carotenoids and eye healthNutraingredients-usa.com, United Natural Products Alliance One of the strongest cases for supplementation can be made for carotenoids and their association with eye health, according to James Stringham, Ph.D., a researcher at the University of Georgia. In the case of macular carotenoids, the effects of these compounds are clear and evidence is mounting. For more information on this topic and the damage that blue light, digital screens and the sun may be doing to our eyes, watch a replay of UNPA's Expert Insights webinar from March 23, “What’s so scary about high energy blue light?” Read coverage: For research backing, carotenoids are king of eye health, expert says→ What’s so scary about high energy blue light? (UNPA member login required)→PROBIOTICS Biggest challenge for probiotics—Communicating advances in efficacyNutraingredients-asia.com The biggest challenge facing the probiotics sector is to spread the word of the potential gains “second generation” products can bring to a broader spectrum of health issues beyond just gut health, according to international expert Nigel Plummer of the University of Surrey, U.K. Read more→TRENDS Capitalizing on medicinal mushroom magicNutraingredients-usa.com As demand for medicinal mushrooms continues to rise, brands are responding with product launches. And the responsible companies, at least, are paying attention to the importance of using fruiting bodies in these products. The greatest demand is in Asia, where mushrooms have long been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, while the global market was noted at $18 billion. Read more→INNOVATION Companies fight pill fatigue with straws; startup uses supplement with protein allergens to fight allergiesNutraingredients-usa.com Dietary supplement companies are racing to meet consumers' 'pill-burnout' demand. A small number of companies are testing to see if consumers will sip their supplements through straws, but can this delivery format go mainstream? The growing prevalence of food allergies has opened up a new business opportunity for a California startup, Before Brands, whose aim is to head off food allergies with measured delivery of tiny amounts of allergenic proteins to infants. Read coverage: Delivery formats: Will consumers sip their supplements? Supplement to offer structured introduction of potential food allergens into kids diets→CLEAN LABEL Clean labels: What companies are doing to address consumer demandNew Hope Network Speakers at Natural Products Expo West discussed innovations in formulations, market demands and potential substitutions for traditional excipients that will satisfy both consumers and producers. In videos from the sessions, presenters discuss the Clean Label project, the impact on supplements and top factors driving the clean label movement. Watch videos→MARKETING New brands strive to make supplements hip; advice for brands looking to engage younger generationsDigiday.com, New Hope Network A class of young supplement brands is"breaking through the clutter and appealing to consumers through targeting and personalization," says marketing agency Ansira. They're doing it with Instagram-worthy branding and minimalist packaging. BBMG shares a combination of trends, insights and design opportunities for brands to spark their creativity and market to new and future generations. The presentation details five aspirations and ways to drive innovation. Read coverage: New companies competing to make vitamin space sexy→ How brands can unleash their humanity and captivate aspirationals→RESEARCH DHA versus EPA; low D, K linked to hypertension; the potential of rose hips; resveratrol helps kids with chemo; Wellmune fights colds; probiotic may prevent gestational diabetesNutraingredients.com, Nutraingredients-usa.com High-doses of DHA may boost the Omega-3 Index more than EPA, says a new study from Université Laval in Québec, the University of South Dakota, and OmegaQuant Analytics LLC. A combination of low levels of vitamins D and K are associated with higher blood pressure and an increased risk of hypertension, according to a new study from EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research at the VU University Medical Center and the University Medical Center in Utrecht. In a new review of recent studies, researchers at San Diego State University outline rose hip extract’s nutraceutical potentials, noting the rich source of vitamins and minerals has been underutilized. Resveratrol is a candidate to help prevent bone-related complications in children during and after chemotherapy, according to researchers in Australia and China. Daily supplements of the baker’s yeast beta-glucan ingredient Wellmune may lead to fewer incidences of upper respiratory tract infection and shorter illness duration, says a new study from the University of Southampton in the U.K. Researchers in New Zealand suggest that daily supplements of the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 may significantly cut risks for pregnant women in developing gestational diabetes. Read coverage: DHA versus EPA: Which omega-3 is better for raising the omega-3 index?→ Low vitamin D, K levels linked to higher blood pressure→ Systematic review: Rose hips underutilized in nutrition→ Resveratrol shows bone health promise for child chemotherapy patients: Study→ Wellmune may reduce duration of colds in older people→ Probiotic may slash risk of women developing gestational diabetes→EARTH DAY Study shows 7 in 10 Americans take global warming seriously, but many also waver in environmental supportMediaPost With Earth Day coming up, a new study from GfK MRI offers perplexing insights on how Americans view climate change. Some 70 percent say they consider global warming a serious threat—a jarring number given that nearly 50 percent of American voters supported President Donald Trump, who has called climate change a “Chinese hoax.” While researchers offer no explanation for this contradiction, the findings also note some wavering environmental commitment. Read more→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. Read more→ Comments are closed.
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