The case for mandatory product listing and the arguments against it

​​TOP STORY
The case for mandatory product listing and the arguments against it Controversy swirls around whether dietary supplement brands should be required to register the products they have on the market with FDA. Two attorneys, Scott Bass of Sidley Austin LLP and Will Woodlee, of Klein, Kaplan & Becker LLP, debated the risks and benefits of a mandatory product registry at the recent CRN/ACI Annual Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Forum on Dietary Supplements. Read more→

UNPA NEWS
Rocky Mountain Dietary Supplement Forum offers discount to UNPA members
NEW! The UNPA-sponsored Rocky Mountain Dietary Supplement Forum, Sept. 26-27, in Boulder Colo., is offering a 10 percent registration discount for UNPA members. The annual conference will focus on "What’s new in the dietary supplement industry for 2019." To receive the discount, enter "UNPA" in the field titled “Admin Only” on the registration page.

REGULATORY
FDA seizes 300,000 products from manufacturer with history of lead contamination FDA has seized $3.5 million worth of adulterated dietary supplements from manufacturer Life Rising Corp., in Illinois. The seizure is a follow-on action to an administrative detention order issued in May.

DIRECT SELLING
Natura’s Avon acquisition creates the first Latin American beauty powerhouse Natura’s acquisition of Avon for $2 billion in stock was significant not only because of the magnitude of the deal, but because it created the first-ever, major Latin American multinational. Natura has been fast expanding its global footprint in recent years with acquisitions of The Body Shop and Aesop.

2019: The year direct selling as we know it changed forever In this commentary, Brett Duncan of Strategic Choice Partners noted that at this year’s U.S. DSA Annual Meeting, companies and executives were more open to anything and everything than ever before and talking about the changes already here.

ANALYTICAL TESTING
Is the tide changing on FDA’s scrutiny of contract labs? In this opinion piece from Nutraingredients’ Stephen Daniells, he asks if FDA is starting to take a closer look at the third-party contract laboratory space. A recent warning letter suggests maybe it is.

CBD/HEMP
U.S. hemp-based CBD industry to reach $6 billion by 2025 The potential legalization of edible CBD could have a major impact on the U.S. CPG industry, particularly for the snack and confectionery category, according to Nielsen, which predicts the U.S. hemp-derived CBD market could be a $6 billion industry by 2025, when considering legalized sales of food and beverage products containing CBD from hemp.

NPA works with Rep. McNerney to file CBD regulation amendment in Congress Rep. Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., filed an amendment to modify the House Agriculture appropriations bill to include funds that would enable FDA to undertake the appropriate processes and set a safe level of CBD.

GLOBAL REGULATORY
Nootropics and SARMs seized in Australia as TGA continues investigation into unlicensed health products The growing popularity of nootropics and sports nutrition supplements is leading to a boom in unlicensed products being sold online, with Australia's Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) recently seizing a raft of items.

EFSA declares chia seed powder variants safe for supplement use Partially defatted chia seed powders are safe for use in food supplements, according to a scientific opinion by the European Food Safety Authority, which included two chia powder types from whole seeds in the decision.

APAC MARKET
APAC’s food, beverage and nutrition acceleration: Five developments for Chinese firms to tap into The wider Asia Pacific and Middle East region contain a host of opportunities for food, beverage and nutrition brands, but navigating the complexities of multiple markets with different consumers, trends, regulatory environments, and economic conditions can be a challenge

Swisse and Biolsland lead the pack for brands imported to China as Australia secures number one status Swisse and Biolsland took the top spots for imported brands in China last year, with Australia named the number one exporter to China, according to statistics gathered by the China Chamber of Commerce of Medicines and Health Products Importers and Exporters.

PARTNERSHIPS
Life3 Biotech, Temasek Polytechnic partnership to maximize yields and boost food security A new partnership between Singaporean agri-tech R&D firm Life3 Biotech and Temasek Polytechnic is aiming to maximize the use of microalgae rich in protein and omega-3 for functional foods.

MEDIA WATCH
Taking on the New England Journal of Medicine: Q&A with Theodore Dalrymple Turning a critical eye on a journal sometimes decried by the supplement industry as a soapbox for the pharmaceutical industry, Theodore Dalrymple read the New England Journal of Medicine for a year. The retired doctor, interviewed here, delves into his criticisms in a new book, "False Positives: A Year of Error, Omission and Political Correctness in the New England Journal of Medicine."

OMEGA-3s
Success of Amarin trial could jumpstart further omega-3 research The recent success of an omega-3 drug trial should help to reinvigorate research into these ingredients’ effects, especially at higher dosages, said one of the field’s prominent experts, Willian S. Harris, Ph.D., of the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota.

Softgel suppliers have found ways to handle tricky marine oils Marine oils, such as fish and krill oil, are not the easiest to encapsulate for a major reason: they are prone to oxidation. Softgel suppliers discuss their strategies for handling these tricky ingredients and minimizing oxidation at all costs.

BRAIN HEALTH
No brainer: Report pans cognition supplements much to industry dismay A Global Council on Brain Health report has come under fierce criticism by the industry after the report found no convincing evidence to recommend dietary supplements for brain health in healthy older adults.

GLYPHOSATE
Ingredient suppliers are joining the 'Glyphosate Residue Free' certification bandwagon Increase in demand for the “Glyphosate Residue Free” certification has been extreme, according to Henry Rowlands, director and founder of The Detox Project, a certifying organization launched in May 2017. The certification attests that a product has gone through analysis for levels of glyphosate, a weed killer used on crops genetically engineered to resist it.

GMOs
Unapproved genetically modified wheat found in U.S. again A wheat strain showing signs of glyphosate resistance “was found growing wild in the northwestern United States for the fourth time since 2013.” USDA has thus far not approved the growth of genetically modified wheat, and prior cases of GM wheat detection have never been traced to a particular source.

UNPA MEMBER COMPANY NEWS
Nu Skin Enterprises adds Disney executive to board of directors Nu Skin Enterprises announced the addition of Laura Nathanson to NSE's board of directors. Nathanson is currently Disney Advertising Sales executive vice president of revenue and operations.

Alkemist Labs and Nutrasource collaborate on THC compliance testing Alkemist Labs and Nutrasource, a Canadian contract research organization, are preparing to launch a comprehensive, third-party verification program designed to support accurate, verifiable label claims regarding the content of THC in ingredients and finished products.

PERSONALIZED NUTRITION
Study offers more evidence for personalized diets, even with identical twins The largest ongoing scientific nutritional study of its kind has revealed preliminary results showing that individual responses to the same foods are unique, even between identical twins.

ENVIRONMENT
You’re likely inhaling 11 tiny bits of plastic per hour Microplastics are everywhere around us—and now, there’s scientific proof that they’ve made it into our lungs. Microplastics have been shown to damage lung tissues which can lead to cancer and asthma attacks, among other illnesses.

MARKETING
Storytelling, co-branding and transparency: How is brand marketing evolving? In an ever-segmented and digitalized world, the way brands and suppliers talk to consumers is changing to become more transparent. In this video diary, experts tell NutraIngredients how co-branding and the use of 'honest storytelling' are becoming the new powers in marketing.

Don’t get caught up on brand purpose because no one really cares Health food and drink startups are repeatedly being told their brand purpose will sell their product but consumers really don’t care, according to marketing experts and entrepreneurs.

MARKET RESEARCH
Connected consumers share value across generations While millennials tend to differ from baby boomers and even gen Xers, a recent study by New Hope Network found that some values overlap in consumers across demographic groups. No matter their age, consumers, who research health and climate issues via the internet, tend to share many values.

Holistic health goals vary by age Seven in 10 U.S. gen Z consumers say they have increased their physical activity in order to improve their health and well-being, according to new research conducted by Innova Market Insights which highlights key differences in the ways in which specific age groups approach this issue.

RESEARCH
DHA omega-3 may offer ADHD management potential Six months of supplementation with a high-dose DHA emulsion may help children and adolescents with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), suggests a new study from Spain.

Poor nutrition linked to poor sleep quality says Pharmavite study An analysis of what Americans eat and how they sleep suggests that lower amounts of some vitamins and minerals in the diet may also mean lower sleep quality.

Variability of research methods makes establishing reference intakes for polyphenols difficult, researchers argue Though the body of science around polyphenol intake generally supports its health benefits, it is “difficult to establish an evidence-based reference intake for the whole class and subclass of compounds,” researchers argue in a paper.

Researchers reveal issues with WHO-recommended pregnancy supplements Prenatal supplements containing nutrients such as zinc, iodine and vitamin A could prove more effective than the iron-folic acid supplement recommended in current health policies, according to researchers from the University of California.

Standardized curcumin as effective as NSAIDs in managing osteoarthritis symptoms A randomized, open-label, parallel-arm study recently published in Trials shows that BCM-95, a standardized curcumin formulation from Arjuna Natural Ltd., was comparable to NSAIDs in managing osteoarthritis symptoms, with fewer adverse events.

First human clinical trial suggests anti-aging benefits of pomegranate molecule A first-in-human clinical trial has suggested that dietary supplementation with Urolithin A, a pomegranate metabolite, could offer anti-aging benefits thanks to its impact on mitochondrial and cellular health.

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.