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RETAIL The Amazon-Whole Foods deal: price drops, new customer perks and more efficiencies to come Bloomberg.com, Nutraceuticals World, The Washington Post Pricing on bananas, responsibly farmed fish and organic avocados were reduced immediately after the close of the Amazon purchase of Whole Foods Market. The move shows that the company is willing to invest in categories where it wants to compete, according to one analyst. The deal will also provide some additional customer perks, as Amazon and Whole Foods begin to integrate Amazon Prime into the WFMI point-of-sale system. Prices will come down further as Whole Foods gains efficiencies, predicted Fresh Fields Market founder Mark Ordan, who noted that Amazon has the know-how to make shopping a better experience. Read coverage: Amazon cuts prices at Whole Foods as much as 50 percent on first day→ Closing of Amazon and Whole Foods Market acquisition brings perks for consumers→ The man who sold his supermarket to Whole Foods talks about the future of grocery stores→ UNPA NEWS
UNPA Members' Meeting at SSW The 2017 Members' Meeting at SSW will be held Wednesday, Sept. 27, from 8-8:50am, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, South Seas Ballroom H (Level 3). RSVP here. UNPA announces three new Associate members UNPA is pleased to welcome Greenberg Traurig, Marsh USA and Durham Jones & Pinegar to the association. Read more→ Recently posted at unpa.com: NEW! Regulatory and Compliance Update PPT, presented by Larisa Pavlick at the 2017 Capsugel Quality Summit (Member log in required) Washington Update by Patricia Knight and Peter Reinecke, UNPA Senior Political Advisors (Log in required) Updated PCQI FAQ Issues Update conference call (log in) UNPA announces onsite PCQI training Synched PPT/audio file of Jim Thomas' Introduction to Synthetic Biology presentation at the 2017 UNPA Members' Retreat (suggest streaming only; file is VERY large) "Who's your PCQI? An introduction to PCQI." Plus, updated industry events calendar,Member Memos (log in) and UNPA educational archives (log in). RETAIL Vitamin World files for Chapter 11 protectionReuters.com Vitamin World, a seller of vitamins and nutritional supplements, plans to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, hoping to end costly lease agreements for some of its stores, the company’s CEO said on Tuesday. “This action will empower us to move forward as a stronger organization that can and will continue to service our millions of loyal customers with premium offerings via retail and online channels,” said CEO Michael Madden. Read more→ M&A ACTIVITY Unilever purchases Pukka Herbs; Wellnext to buy NeoCell Unilever, Nutraceuticals World Unilever has purchased Pukka Herbs, a fast-growing British tea and herb company. Pukka has sales of approximately $39.1 million and is growing at 30 percent year-over-year. The deal was about scale and sustainability, according to Pukka executives. Sunrise, Fla.-based Wellnext LLC.,a vertically integrated developer, manufacturer and marketer of dietary and nutritional supplements, has acquired NeoCell, a collagen supplement company, based in Irvine, Calif. Neocell says it is confident that Wellnext will provide unique manufacturing, product development, and market expansion capabilities to support its next phase of growth. Read coverage: Unilever acquires Pukka Herbs→ Wellnext acquires NeoCell→ PERSONNEL/E-COMMERCE GNC names Martindale new CEO, partners with Alipay platform to court Chinese nutrition consumers WholeFoods Magazine, Nutraingredients-usa.com Supplement retailer GNC has named former Rite Aid CEO Ken Martindale as its new CEO, replacing interim CEO Bob Moran, who will remain as non-executive board chair. The chain also linked up with Alipay to make its product available to millions of Chinese consumers across the digital payment platform. The plan is part of GNC’s strategy to target Chinese consumers who are keen to buy U.S. health and nutrition products. Read coverage: GNC names Rite Aid exec new CEO→ GNC seals deal with Alipay to drive China e-commerce sales→ NDIs FDA finds Amazon behind surge in NDI notifications for non-supplements; competitors underscore NDI/GRAS issues NaturalProductsINSIDER, Nutraingredients-usa.com A recent spike in NDI notifications for products that don’t meet the definition of a dietary supplement has had FDI officials scratching their heads. The agency eventually figured out that the increase was related to a sales requirement imposed by a large retailer. While FDA did not identify the retailer, a review of the public docket suggests many individuals who submitted a notice to sell their products on Amazon. Meanwhile, a tussle between ChromaDex and Elysium is highlighting the curious dance between NDI notification and GRAS affirmation as a way to bring products to market. ChromaDex has filed a petition with FDA alleging that Elysium is using material in its supplement, Basis, that does not have an NDI notification on file. ChromaDex has filed a notification for its Niagen ingredient, which Elysium once used. Read coverage: Amazon contributes to surge in NDIN, FDA finds many incomplete, not supplements→ ChromaDex, Elysium fight highlights glitches in NDI and GRAS processes→ LEGAL Final defendants settle with FTC, Maine in deceptive ads case Nutraceuticals World The final three of nine defendants sued for deceptively marketing dietary supplements will settle charges the FTC and the State of Maine filed in February 2017. The agencies charged the defendants with using deceptively formatted radio infomercials and print ads with fictitious endorsers to pitch products they claimed would improve memory and reduce back and joint pain. Read more→ PATENTS Krill wars 2.0: Rimfrost claims patent office ruling invalidates Aker claims Nutraingredients.usa.com A ruling by the U.S. Patent and Trademark office has reignited the krill wars, with Norwegian company RimFrost AS claiming the rulingcould invalidate all the claims relating to two patents held by its rival Aker Biomarine AS. The ruling concerns patents that formed the basis of an action against Rimfrost that was pursued by Aker in U.S. District Court. Read more→ LEGAL ‘Natural’ suits back on the rise with still no guidance from FDA The Washington Post Lawsuits related tonaturalfood labeling were down in 2016 but appear to be back on the rise this year, with 19 so far—compared to 27 such suits in all of last year. They include a class-action lawsuit against Sargento that alleges its “natural” cheeses aren’t natural because the cows that produce the company’s milk eat genetically modified feed. Industry is still waiting for FDA to further define or provide guidance on “natural” and how it can be used on product marketing and packaging. Read more→ REGULATORY Irish company Amarin seeks to shut out synthetic omega-3 manufacturers, distributors FDALawBlog Amarin has broken significant ground in food and drug law over the past several years with victories in court against FDA and others. It is now aligning itself with the FDC Act and years of related FDA interpretations as it turns its sights on a new target: synthetic omega-3 oil manufacturers and dietary supplement distributors; and in a new forum -- the U.S. International Trade Commission. The company is seeking to shut these producers out of the omega-3 game with respect to products that resemble its VASCEPA (icosapent ethyl). Read more→ UNPA MEMBER NEWS Adam Adelmann joins Capstone as VP of sales Capstone Nutrition Ogden, Utah-based Capstone Nutrition, a non-branded contract manufacturer of health and dietary supplements, has announced the appointment of Adam Adelmann as vice president of sales. Adelmann brings to Capstone more than 20 years of sales experience with a significant background in the nutraceutical industry, including nearly 10 years at Capsugel, where he most recently served as national sales manager in its Consumer Health and Nutrition division. Read more→ PROTEIN RESEARCH Study finds 'impure' equals 'pure' when it comes to protein Nutraingredients.com Expensive and energy intensive methods to purify protein may not be necessary because 'impure' proteins can perform as well as, or even better than, pure ones for functionality,a two-year Wageningen University-led project has found. Read more→ LEGISLATIVE In ‘repeal, replace’ debate on Affordable Care Act, the role of supplements may gain ground Nutritional Outlook As Congress continues tinkering with its proposed replacements for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a.k.a. Obamacare—the question lingers: What role should supplements play in a debate that touches upon not just our health, but our responsibility to our fellow citizens, the budget, and the economy as a whole? As healthcare costs keep rising, the search for new ways to stay healthy is leading consumers to the supplement aisle. The article includes commentary by UNPA member Holistic Primary Care’s Erik Goldman. Read more→ GLOBAL REGULATORY South African legislation predicted to slow growth; Australia's TGA publishes draft of third path to market Nutraingredients.com, Nutraingredients-asia.com Changes in South Africa’s legislation on vitamins and dietary supplements appear to be slowing growth in the market, which has recently seeing double-digit growth, but is predicted to slow, according to a recent Euromonitor podcast. Australia’s regulatory agency, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, has released a draft bill covering new supplement laws, including a third approval pathway for higher-level health claims. Trade groups say the bill reiterates the government’s commitment to foster a regulatory environment that is supportive of innovation and competitiveness. Read coverage: Stricter South African regulation of supplements leaves industry in a rut→ New Australian supplement laws edge close with publication of draft bill→ GMOs CFS sues USDA over missed GMO study deadline Natural Products INSIDER The Center for Food Safety has sued agriculture secretary Sonny Perdue and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for missing the July 2017 deadline by which the agency was supposed to finalize a study on QR codes on genetically modified foods that would inform draft rules for the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard. A spokesman for USDA said the agency has received the study and is reviewing it. Read more→ SPORTS NUTRITION Company files suit against competitors using illegal ingredients; research void leaves few products for female athletes Natural Products INSIDER Athletic Xtreme (also known as Nutrition Distribution) has filed lawsuits against two companies for marketing sports supplements for containing SARMs (selective androgen receptor modulators), which FDA has stated are not legal dietary ingredients. The numbers of women participating in sports have increased more than tenfold, but when it comes to the available information for female athletes to support their performance and health, it is, in a word, minimal. The void in female-centric sports nutrition research data has allowed the weight-loss industry to swoop in and masquerade as sports nutrition for women, leaving the door open for well-researched products. Read coverage: More sports nutrition competitor lawsuits over SARMS→ Opportunity in the female-centric sports nutrition market→ SUPPLY CHAIN/PERSONAL CARE Rising demand for natural personal care leads to sourcing crisis WellandGood.com Like food brands, natural beauty brands that use ingredients that grow on trees or vines and are affected by weather, labor and climate, can and do experience sourcing crises—especially as they scale to met the needs of large retailers. For example, after finding success with a serum that contained the Southeast Asian ingredient mangosteen, SkinOwl founder Annie Tevelin couldn’t source enough of the stuff. The lesson learned? Always have a plan B for every ingredient. Read more→ RESEARCH Plant combo for cognition; low PUFAs and schizophrenia; industry critical of B vitamin link to cancer; salacia aids low appetite; probiotics fight infection Nutraingredients-usa.com, Nutraingredients.com, Nutraceuticals World A new cognitive support ingredient—a mixture of rosemary and daylily extracts—is debuting on the market with the support of two randomized, placebo controlled trials from the University of Maryland. Researchers from the RIKEN Brain Research Institute in Japan have found that a lack of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in early pregnancy in mice may lead to schizophrenia-like symptoms in their offspring as adults. An observational study of 77,000 participants in the Vitamins and Lifestyle cohort study reported that long-term use of high dose vitamin B6 and B12 supplements may more than triple the risk of lung cancer in male smokers, but some experts are questioning the conclusions. The CARBS (Carbohydrate, Appetite Reduction, Blood Sugar and Satiety) study at Rutgers University found OmniLean salacia extract supported appetite reduction, satiety and blood-sugar management benefits.A combination of four probiotic strains may shorten the duration of an infection with Clostridium difficile, says a new study from the universities of Wisconsin and Virginia that supports the role of probiotics to counter the most common cause of hospital-acquired infections. Read coverage: Rosemary-daylily combination debuts as cognitive support aid→ Prenatel PUFA deficiency linked to schizophrenia: Animal data→ Statistical chance: Academia and industry cast doubt on B vitamin lung cancer link→ Salacia extract helps curb appetite and manage blood sugar→ Promising: Probiotic combination may shorten C. difficile infections→ 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.Read more→ Comments are closed.
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