TOP STORY Pyridoxamine petition illustrates regulatory chasm between dietary supplements, pharmaceutical industries NaturalProductsINSIDER A citizen petition filed with FDA concerns whether an ingredient can ever be marketed as a dietary supplement if it was previously the subject of publicized drug trials. At issue is pyridoxamine, a member of the vitamin B6 family, which has long been considered out of bounds because it was under investigation as a drug. Industry is arguing that new circumstances warrant a change. Read more→ UNPA NEWS
Are you PCQI compliant? Register today for PCQI trainings in Phoenix and UtahRegistration is open for two Preventive Controls Qualified Individual (PCQI) trainings, April 10-12 in Phoenix, and June 5-7 in Lehi, Utah. Both sessions meet FDA's PCQI training requirements. Learn who must comply, course agenda and additional information at the UNPA website. Practitioners show increased engagement with botanicals, supplementsThis excerpt from the first issue of the UNPA Asia Report highlights Holistic Primary Care’s 2016 practitioner survey with key findings on why practitioners are embracing non-pharmaceutical alternatives in their practices and their changing views on supplements. Interested in the China market? Read the UNPA Asia Report today!Access the most recent UNPA Asia Report, a special section inside of Asiaceutical Insights, published in China by Herbridge Media. Recently posted at unpa.com:
FemaLife nutrition to stop selling Super Flora Probiotic after referral of NAD inquiry to FTCFemaLife Nutrition said that it has permanently discontinued all challenged advertising claims for the company’s Super Flora Probiotic dietary supplement following an inquiry by the National Advertising Division and referral to FTC.FINANCIALS Nature’s Sunshine looks forward to China sales to boost bottom lineNature’s Sunshine has emerged from a cloud cast by a software implementation issue and a delayed entry to the Chinese market to post a moderately positive year-end earnings report.M&A ACTIVITY EU approves €54 billion Bayer-Monsanto dealThe European Commission has approved Bayer’s proposed acquisition of Monsanto, with the German pesticide supplier committed to selling off certain parts of its business as part of the agreement.MLMs Protecting Utah’s direct sellers from pyramid fraudAn op-ed in the Desert News by Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah, stresses the importance of the MLM business model to the Utah economy and notes the reason she is supporting legislation to protect MLM entrepreneurs is that these sellers deserve to know the difference between a legitimate direct-selling business and a pyramid scheme.PARTNERSHIPS GNC unveils aggressive expansion plans for India with Guardian dealThe supplement retailer is rapidly expanding its presence in India after securing a major deal with pharmacy chain Guardian. GNC intends to increase its presence in multiple channels including e-commerce, retail and distribution. Dupont expands microbiome research program, adds second partnership with fermentation specialistDuPont Nutrition & Health announced it is partnering with the Center of Food and Fermentation Technologies to explore new processes for producing “next generation” probiotics. GLOBAL REGULATORY Spanish supplement decree promotes 'legal certainty' but ads to lack of EU harmonizationNew Spanish limits on the amount of non-vitamin and mineral nutrients added to food supplements will provide clarity for businesses over their legal status but add to the lack of uniformity throughout member states. 'Carb Blocker': U.K. agency rules against product’s name and social media adsThe U.K. Advertising Standards Authority has ruled that a tweet and Instagram post advertising Protein World’s ‘Carb Blocker Capsules’ did not adhere to European nutrition health claims legislation, warning the company that the product name “Carb Blocker” cannot be used in advertising.RETAIL Whole Foods promises to keep local touch at Supplier SummitRoughly 200 suppliers met with Whole Foods Market this week in Austin, Texas, to clear the air amid growing tensions over merchandising costs and other changes that were in place before the Amazon acquisition.PRODUCT TESTING Strengths and vulnerabilities in natural products testingThe contract lab landscape is rapidly changing with pressure from law makers, acquisitions, method advancementsand consumer demands, according to Elan Sudberg of UNPA member Alkemist Labs. TECHNOLOGY Cargill launches EverSweet fermented steviol glycosidesEverSweet, a next-generation Reb D and Reb M sweetener from Cargill and Evolva produced via genetic editing-based fermentation is now available in commercial quantities. They are also exploring whether other high-intensity sweeteners can be produced in the same way. Walmart may be building drone army of robot bees to pollinate cropsWalmart has quietly filed a patent for robot bees that could be used to pollinate crops just like real bees—suggesting that the discount retail giant could be branching out into farming.BOTANICALS Ashwagandha monographs provide quality control guidanceMonographs on Withania somnifera, made available from the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia and the American Botanical Council, provide insight for ingredient buyers on key issues around this adaptogenic botanical. Eight drivers of the mushroom ingredient marketThe rising popularity of medicinal mushrooms is opening up new avenues of growth for savvy manufacturers, but these avenues can be fraught with pitfalls and risk for the unprepared. Ginger set to become next big digestive health ingredient, companies at Expo West sayAs demand for ginger in the digestive-health category grows, companies such as Naturex and UNPA member OmniActive Health Technologies say that the ingredient could see the same kind of sales growth as fellow trending botanical turmeric. Evaluating the efficacy of AyurvedaResearchers are evaluating the benefits of Ayurvedic botanicals on health—and making impressive discoveries.SPORTS NUTRITION Can microbiome science and probiotic development drive sports nutrition gains?Insights gained from developments in microbiome science could have huge potential to boost sports performance through nutrition, with recent findings showing the make-up of our gut bacteria can help shape elite athletic performance and sports recovery.UNPA MEMBER NEWS How fast are you aging: Glow15 shows ways to slow pace"Autophagy" won the Nobel Prize, based on the concept of cellular detoxification that keeps the body looking and feeling young. Naomi Whittel, president of Twinlab and founder of Reserveage supplement companies, has a plan to fire up autophagy and bring renewed vitality to your life. NOW Sports to relabel all products with Informed Sport certificationNOW Foods has begun a relabeling project so that all products in it sport supplement line, NOW Sports, will bear the silver Informed Sport seal, certifying third-party verification. Growth in industry’s size and commitment to quality fuel Alkemist’s expansion, CEO saysAlkemist Lab’s new facility is a result of both a growing industry and a more responsible one, said CEO Elan Sudberg. Sabinsa announces reforestation commitment to Pterocarpus marsupiem cultivationSami-Sabinsa has entered into an ambitious plan in funding cultivation of Pterocarpus Marsupiumin 250 acres in the Seoni and Balaghat regions in Madhya Pradesh, India, for the next ten years. The cultivation will be managed by the reforestation organization Madhya Pradesh Rajya Van VikasNigam Limited. Orrin Hatch, Indena among recipients of AHPA awardsThe American Herbal Products Association presented six awards during its annual member meeting at Expo West, recognizing individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the herbal product industry. Among those recognized were Sen. Orrin Hatch, UNPA member Indena and Informa’s Heather Granato. Delicious Living's 2018 supplement awards honor the best in 27 categoriesThe editors of Delicious Living, New Hope Network's consumer publication, chose what it says are the best supplements in 27 health categories. Among the honorees are UNPA members TwinLab, Nature’s Way and Natural Factors. CAMAG offers new application note for identifying curcuminoids with HPTLCCAMAG, a leader in planar chromatography, has a new application note detailing a method that identifies curcuminoids from Curcuma longa L. by HPTLC fingerprint according to USP DSC 2018. Curcuminoids is a partially purified natural complex of diaryl heptanoid derivatives isolated from turmeric, Curcuma longa L. Curcuminoids is a sum of curcumin, desmethoxycurcumin and bisdesmethoxycurcumin. MARKET TRENDS A powerful backdrop for supplement sales growthVitamins and nutraceuticals sit at the intersection of two important demographic trends that make for a powerful growth outlook: the aging of the population and the move toward healthier and more conscious purchasing decisions among younger consumers. Is low FODMAP poised to be the next gluten free?Pundits are predicting that 2018 will be a growth year for FODMAPS, which has been bubbling under since its debut in Australia as a treatment for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. FODMAPS is becoming as everyday a message in the supermarket as gluten-free, according to a new report from New Nutrition Business.INNOVATION Unique botanical feedstock gives rise to promising prebioticBotanicals are often thought of as powdered ingredients that go into tea-like preparations or find their way into capsules as powders or extracts. But botanical feedstocks can also give rise to other categories of ingredients, such as Prenexus Health’s new ingredient from sugar cane.SUSTAINABILITY IPM Institute of North American debuts sustainability standardWith the success of the Sysco Sustainable / IPM Program, producers have expressed the need to document and report their performance to buyers and others. In response, The Sustainable Food Group is working with the Azzule System and PrimusLabs to develop the Sustainable Food Group Sustainability Standard. Whole Food Market also played a role in developing the standard. MARKET RESEARCH Why ASEAN will be global boom region for supplements and nutrition productsThe vast potential for supplements, functional foods and high-value nutritional products in Southeast Asia has been underlined by a new report, which highlights them as "sunrise industries," namely, ones that are tipped to achieve considerable success. The analyst’s take: Collagen boosts beauty-from-within categoryAnnual sales of collagen supplements reached $98 million in 2017, with continued double-digit growth of 30 percent. Growth in the category is expected to increase again next year as new products enter the market and companiesinnovate in formulas and delivery format.RESEARCH Omega-3 intake linked to lower risk of death and heart disease: Framingham dataOmega-3 Index, but not total cholesterol, is closely linked to overall risk of death and cardiovascular disease, according to new population data from the Framingham Heart Study. Genetic risk: Chondroitin sulphate supplements linked to skin cancer growthChondroitin sulphate could accelerate cell growth in certain types of melanoma in certain genetic groups, a new study from Emory University School of Medicine has suggested. Omega-7 fatty acid anti-inflammatory, metabolic health benefits explored in newly published reviewThe first-of-its-kind review analyzed more than 40 existing studies on the potential immune and metabolic effects of palmitoleic acid. Research indicates that high omega-6 levels can protect against premature deathA new study from the University of Eastern Finland suggests omega-6 fatty acids could help protect against premature death, as well as help keep cardiovascular diseases at bay. Microbiome focus: Many medicines affect our gut bacteria, not just antibioticsWhile the adverse effects of antibiotic use on the human microbiome are well documented, other commonly used medicines may also have a similar impact, warn researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Germany.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. Comments are closed.
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