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TOP STORY Tests of CBD oils reveal three surprise chemicals, one big problem A study released last month found that samples of CBD oils from one popular manufacturer contained potentially dangerous chemicals not listed in company materials, including a synthetic cannabinoid and a chemical generally found in cough syrup. Read more→ UNPA NEWS
FSVP training: Less than a month away! This course, Feb. 19-20, in Lehi, Utah, is designed to help participants understand the role of food importers under the Foreign Supplier Verification Programs (FSVP) rule, part of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The training covers the FSVP requirements for dietary supplements, including for raw materials distributors, manufacturers and processors importing components and for those importing finished products from foreign suppliers. RSVP for Expo West Members' Meeting and Open House, March 6 RSVP for UNPA's annual Expo West Members' Meeting and Open House and Meet & Greet, Wednesday, March 6, from 8-10am, at the Anaheim Hilton & Towers Avalon Ballroom. No charge to attend and morning refreshments will be served! LEGISLATION Massachusetts bill to limit certain dietary supplement sales to minors resurfaces Massachusetts Rep. Kay Kahn, a Democrat from the Boston suburb of Newton, refiled a bill in January that would restrict sales of certain weight loss and muscle building dietary supplements to minors, requiring retailers to post dire warnings of potential injuries and even death, as well as placing these supplements behind the counter. It would require retailers to limit access to weight loss and muscle building supplements to any consumer under the age of 18. HEMP/CBD A win for CBD: South Dakota Senate bill classifying CBD oil as illegal amended Following pushback from the public and hemp activists about the generalized classification, a South Dakota Senate committee amended a bill that would have scheduled CBD as a controlled substance. According to a report in the Rapid City Journal, the updated wording specifically schedules Epidiolex–the FDA-approved CBD oil prescription drug used to prevent seizures–as a controlled substance, rather than scheduling cannabidiol in general. CBD concentration matters Supplement brands should ensure their CBD products have appropriate claims and don’t overemphasize the CBD concentration. Hemp, CBD in pet supplements weaves same tangled web as in products meant for humans CBD products are all the rage in the pet supplement world. But these products occupy the same legal limbo in this realm as they do in supplements meant for humans, experts say. U.S. hemp acreage tripled in 2018 over previous year, says Vote Hemp Compared to the previous year, the number of acres of hemp grown in the United States in 2018 more than tripled, according to Vote Hemp’s 2018 U.S. Hemp Crop Report. The report also noted that, from out of nowhere, Montana has overtaken Colorado, Kentucky and every other state to be the top hemp grower in the country. LEGAL NPA files amicus brief in Schwabe, Nature's Way suit to prevent 'dangerous precedent' in claims substantiation The Natural Products Association filed an amicus brief in the legal case Sonner vs. Schwabe North America, Inc. and Nature’s Way Product LLC being heard by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in California. Private litigant Kathleen Sonner’s complaint, dating back to 2015, alleges that there is no scientific evidence that supports claims that Ginkgo biloba products benefit mental sharpness, memory and concentration. PARTNERSHIPS Parabel and CK Ingredients reach distribution agreement to commercialize lentein in Canada Parabel USA Inc. has finalized a distribution agreement with CK Ingredients, a raw materials supplier, for the commercialization of Parabel’s branded Lentein plant protein in the Canadian marketplace. Lentein is derived from water lentil, Lemnoideae, which the company says has the highest level of essential amino acids of any plant-protein. Algaia and Gelymar to distribute jointly in U.S. through AIDP French company Algaia, S.A., and Chilean firm Gelymar, S.A., have formed a new long-term commercial development agreement for their strategic partnership. Algaia will continue to represent Gelymar in Europe, and both companies will use a joint commercialization channel in the U.S., marketing their products in North America through AIDP Inc., which currently serves as Algaia’s U.S. distributor. CHINA REGULATORY Domestic dominance: 98 percent of China’s health food filing approvals go to home-grown firms Ninety-eight percent of the approved health food filings in China over the last 18 months went to domestic companies, according to a Chinese regulatory consultancy CIRS Group. Chinese authorities to consider the use of cigarette-style labeling for health foods The Chinese authorities will examine the existing cigarette-style labeling system as a new model for labeling health food this year. GLOBAL REGULATORY DSM receives EC backing in extending algae-derived omega-3 oil use DSM has been granted an extension by the European Commission that permits the use of Schizochytrium sp. oil as a source of omega-3 fatty acid for use in foods, including supplements, infant and sports nutrition products. SPORTS NUTRITION The top regulatory considerations for sports nutrition companies From differing state laws to use of CBD in sports supplements, attorney Rick Collins shares his thoughts on today’s top regulatory considerations for the sports nutrition industry. One of the key issues is the attraction of 'healthy-lifestyle' type consumers into the sports nutrition sphere, which has fueled rapid growth in the category but could also serve to dilute its message, according to Euromonitor International. Why Tom Brady’s new sports nutrition line makes him a real Super Bowl hero It would be easy to root against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in Sunday's Super Bowl—if Brady weren't a natural products practitioner with an impressive line of clean sports nutrition products. INDUSTRY MAHO announces separation from NPA The Mid-American Health Organization (MAHO), a 15-state regional trade association committed to supporting the independent retail stores within the natural products industry, has announced its separation from the Natural Products Association (NPA) but notes it will work for the future success of both organizations. PROBIOTICS Everyone wants a slice of the ‘awesome’ microbiome pie Nearly every company in the food and nutrition industry wants to get a piece of the microbiome pie, but collaboration is usually the key to success, says analyst Harini Venkataraman, Ph.D., of Lux Research. PRODUCT LABELING What’s healthy at the grocery store? Shoppers are often confused, survey finds Health-oriented consumers are drowning in a sea of information from fitness professionals, nutrition bloggers, scientific studies and social media alike—and it’s causing notable shifts in behavior. Consumers are relying more on labeling to decide whether a given product is healthy, according to an American Heart Association survey. In a bid for simplification, FDA may formulate an icon to be broadly placed on “healthy” food. ORGANICS Organic price premiums dip as demand grows, choices multiply In 2018, organic food and beverages cost roughly 7.5 percent more per unit than non-organic counterparts, which is down from a 9 percent premium in 2014. This is likely due to an increase in organic brands on shelves coupled with rising consumer demand for organic products they can trust. Overall, 88 percent of U.S. households have at least some organic food or beverages in their homes. Organic farmers head to Hill to ensure congressional support for anti-fraud and other measures in farm bill Twenty-two organic farmers will visit more than 40 lawmakers and national agriculture organizations on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, next week to ensure new and existing legislators understand the economic benefits of organic and the sector's challenges. BREXIT Glanbia reveals stockpiling of plants in event of no-deal Brexit The chief executive of Irish nutrition company Glanbia revealed that the firm has begun stockpiling supplies in the U.K. in the likely event of a no-deal Brexit. Brexit confusion: How will sports nutrition be impacted? With Brexit looming ever closer, this video from Foodnavigator takes a look at how experts at the European Sports Nutrition Congress think the process might go—and where the category, and wider industry, may end up in a post-Brexit world. TRENDS Celebrity-led wellness brand debuts via viral camp American World Cup alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn and NBA legend LeBron James are two of the celebrity founders of Ladder, a new wellness company, whose other co-founders are Cindy Crawford and Arnold Schwarzenegger. The company sells direct-to-consumer energy powders and other supplements along with content and guidance. DELIVERY SYSTEMS Are little beads the future of supplements? Capsules filled with little beads are becoming ubiquitous. What’s the appeal? UNPA MEMBER NEWS Metagenics CEO hopes new center will be a model for personalized care Metagenics’ new Personalized Lifestyle Medicine Center will offer outpatient services as well as research the correlations between genes, the microbiome, diet and blood markers to develop therapeutic personalized nutrition programs. NSF updates Contents Certified and Certified for Sport seals NSF International has launched new certification marks for its Contents Certified and Certified for Sport programs to make them more distinguishable. Contents Certified verifies to consumers that the contents have been tested to ensure they do not contain unsafe levels of contaminants, and Certified for Sport verifies that the contents do not contain unsafe levels of contaminants, prohibited substances or masking agents. Whole Foods Magazine: Focus on ‘family’ Under the leadership of Howie and Heather Wainer, a second generation, family-owned business thrives despite bigger competition in a challenging publishing landscape. Read about the perspectives that make the publication shine. PACKAGING Big consumer brands will take their packaging back In a move that harkens back to the milkman model of the 1940s, a packaging program called Loop will soon offer popular products from Nestlé, Unilever, Procter & Gamble and PepsiCo in reusable, returnable containers. Loop will collect a refundable deposit that will then be returned to consumers when they turn in their used containers. The extra cost will be offset through accounting rules that allow companies to depreciate the expense for wear and tear. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Health food and drink must exceed expectations as industry becomes radically transparent Health food and drink and supplement firms must exceed consumers’ expectations in order to retain their trust and stay relevant in an industry quickly becoming 'radically transparent', according to insights and advice from provider EY. MOU PARTNER NEWS Zyomic Technologies offers certified refurbished chromatography instrumentsZyomic Technologies, a global independent instrument sales organization, is offering professionally refurbished instruments (LC, HPLC, HPLC/MS/MS, GC, GC/MS) that are guaranteed to perform to OEM standards. These instruments are often half the price or less of a new instrument. For more information, contact Bill Bodnar, Rocky Mountain sales, bobodnar@zyomictechnologies.com. MARKETING Five key ways to optimize your Amazon listing How to use Amazon's A9 algorithm to maximize returns in the competitive world of online shopping. MARKET RESEARCH Personal nutrition trends: Hands-on with health leads consumers to seek professional advice A new personalized nutrition report disagrees that consumers are turning away from healthcare professional advice, arguing that proactivity in health management is leading them away from lifestyle bloggers and online influencers. RESEARCH Probiotic supplementation may alter structure of HMOs in breast milk Long thought of as predetermined, the composition of breast milk appears to change according to the type of probiotic consumed by the mother-to-be, a JAMA study concludes. Study: More fish consumption and omega-3 supplementation needed A new study published in Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes, and Essential Fatty Acids shows that people likely need to eat more fish and take an omega-3 supplement to reach a cardioprotective omega-3 Index level of 8 percent or higher. Curcumin-fenugreek combo may improve cardiovascular health markers Obese men, who consumed a branded fenugreek fiber and curcumin combination, exhibited improved metabolic markers and cholesterol concentrations compared to a placebo. New study shows spearmint extract may improve performance under stress An exploratory randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Journal of Special Operations Medicine examined the effect of a proprietary spearmint extract containing rosmarinic acid on the physical, cognitive and executive functioning of volunteers from an elite counterterrorism unit following a high-risk tactical operation while sleep deprived for 24 hours. Researchers characterize potential of multifaceted traditional botanical A recent study has found significant analgesic effects and liver protection potential in the leaves of Solanim paniculatum, or jurubeba, a plant of the nightshade family that is found commonly throughout Brazil and is an important part of the indigenous herbarium. Gut-brain Axis: RCT shows gut-friendly probiotic improved migraine symptoms In the largest ever trial of its sort, a probiotic supplement containing 14 strains of “gut-friendly” bacteria has been shown to significantly improve several symptoms of migraine headaches. 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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