USDA releases final GMO label disclosure specifics; reactions are mixed

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USDA releases final GMO label disclosure specifics; reactions are mixed
​In its final GMO labeling rule, released Dec. 20, USDA says it will not mandate the labeling of highly refined ingredients from GMO crops if no “modified genetic material” is detectable, but it will allow manufacturers to make voluntary disclosures on products in what it says is in the interest of transparency. Industry reaction to the ruling has been mixed. The Organic Trade Association noted deep disappointment in the standard, saying that the voluntary nature of the rule keeps consumers in the dark about how their food is grown and processed. Other groups also say the rule will be confusing. Meanwhile, FoodChainID reports a record month in November for Non-GMO Project verification applications. Read coverage:
Final GMO labeling rule does not require labeling of highly refined ingredients from GM crops→
National Bioengineered Food Disclosure standard→
Organic Trade Association: Deeply disappointed in the GMO labeling law→
USDA standard on bioengineered foods draws criticism, praise→
FoodChainID reports record month for non-GMO project verification→

UNPA NEWS
FSVP training: Save $100 when you register by Jan. 11!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. Save $100 when you register by Jan. 11!POLITICS
Impact of government shutdown on business, healthAs the government shutdown that began on Dec. 22 stretches on, CNBC reports that there are no clear signs of a budget deal, and the shutdown is expected to continue well into 2019. An overview of the projected impacts of the shutdown was prepared by the Appropriations Committee staff of U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations Vice Chairman Patrick Leahy. The overview referred to the shutdown as bad for business and for health.HEMP/CBD
FDA commissioner offers hope to marketers selling CBD containing foods, supplementsFDA's top official disclosed his agency is considering whether it should pursue the issuance of a regulation that would authorize the use of CBD in foods and dietary supplements.
Farm bill will unleash full potential of hempThe soaring CBD market—including hemp farmers—is poised for greater growth in 2019. Is the exuberance irrational or justified?GLOBAL REGULATORY
Puerto Rico passes law that exempts supplement companies from registrationrequirementPuerto Rico has passed legislation that allows supplement companies doing business there to sidestep legislation that the industry has objected to as burdensome and unnecessary.
 FSSAI issues guidelines for fortification ingredients in children’s supplementsIndia’s FSSAI has issued a gazette notification of its amendments to the standards for children’s supplements in the Food Products Standards and Food Additives Regulations, 2011. The new amendments will be implemented from the date of their official gazette publication.ORGANICS
National Organic Program amendments to the national list of allowed and prohibited substancesThis final rule amends the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances provisions of USDA's organic regulations. Among other things, this rule changes the use restrictions for 17 substances allowed for organic production or handling on the National List.
 Nielsen: Organic products sales up 9 percentOrganic sales continue to outpace previous years, according to data from research firm Nielsen. Organics now account for more than $21 billion in sales and are up nearly 9 percent in dollars and 8 percent in units. MEDIA WATCH
Sen. Orrin Hatch’s legacy to direct selling and supplements industrySen. Orrin Hatch retired after 42 years in the Senate, longer than any elected official in Utah's history. The 84-year-old will likely be remembered for his role in bruising Supreme Court nomination battles, passing the Children's Health Insurance Program and funneling millions of dollars back to Utah. But he also played an important role in key legislation for supplements and direct selling, which also helped charge those industries in Utah.PARTNERSHIPS
Nestlé Health Science enters licensing agreement with ChromaDex Corp. for 'aging' ingredientChromaDex announced that Nestlé Health Science now has “exclusive right” to include ChromaDex’s patented nicotinamide riboside ingredient Tru Niagen in its branded medical-nutrition products.TRENDS
What will be hot in 2019? Industry editors and thought leaders predict what will drive industryAs 2019 begins, various publications offer predictions and forecasts for the coming year. NutraIngredients' editors predict the hottest trends in the European health and wellness space for the year ahead. Whole Foods Magazine notes that a flurry of activity on the farm bill and the tariff situation in December set the stage for big changes in 2019. A Pollock Communications and Today's Dietitian survey suggests that beets and keto will be hot in 2019 food and nutrition.
 B Corps: Going above and beyond"B" corporations are for-profit businesses that are certified by B Lab, an independent, non-profit entity that has crafted specific standards for transparency, accountability and social and environmental protocols and performance. Candidate companies achieve certification through a rigorous “B Impact Assessment” that assesses governance, customer relations, community practices, worker treatment, and environmental practices.RETAIL
GNC finds partner in Chinese companyIs Harbin Pharmaceutical's $300 million investment a sign of the beleaguered state of nutrition retail or a hopeful nod to what the supplement industry might expect as the trade grows more global?
 2019 and beyond: Six trends shaping the supermarket of the futureTechnology advancements are changing grocery retailing as we know it—and this will have profound implications for the future of the food sector.
 Amazon to expand Whole Foods Market storesAmazon.com plans to expand its Whole Foods grocery stores in the U.S., according to a news report. The e-commerce giant aims to add locations to suburbs and other areas where the organic grocer is adding more customers since it was bought by Amazon last year, according to the Wall Street Journal.
OPINION
Farm bill is victory for organic futureThe legislation of the 2018 farm bill broke ground for organic as it established for the first time permanent funding for organic research. This research is critical for expanding organic acreage, and funding will partially go toward helping farmers learn how to manage efficient organic systems.SUPPLY CHAIN
New research provides wake-up call for climate change in the MidwestA new study shows that farmers in the Midwest region could begin losing nearly half their profits every four years should temperatures increase by just 1 degree Celsius.UNPA MEMBER NEWS
USANA Health Sciences announces appointment of Peggy Pelosi to board of directorsUSANA Health Sciences announced the appointment of Peggie Pelosi to the company’s board of directors. Pelosi joins the board as an independent director and brings expertise in corporate social responsibility and sustainability, as well as direct selling. The USANA board now has eight members, five of whom are independent.
 The rise of fermented food and supplements: A toolkit for retailers from Natural FactorsNatural Factors has provided a downloadable toolkit for retailers to help educate their customers on fermented foods, underscoring the growing importance of the trend. As technological capabilities have advanced, companies can now offer a wide variety of packaged fermented goods. Fermented supplements, for example, are among the newest innovations on the market.
 Sabinsa opens new office in TorontoSabinsa Corp. has opened an office in the greater Toronto area, further expanding its already significant presence in the Canadian market. The company has 30 Natural Product Numbers approved by Health Canada, including for its flagship ingredients Curcumin C3 Complex, LactoSpore, and BioPerine, to name a few. Through this office, Canadian customers will also be able to coordinate contract manufacturing services from Sabinsa’s Utah contract manufacturing facility.
BOTANICALS
Photographic info could bolster botanical ingredient supply chainProviding simple cameras to farmers—whether they are cell phones connected to an app or not—could provide valuable information to reinforce botanical identity and chain of custody, according to ethnobotanist Trish Flaster of UNPA member Botanical Liaisons.CLEAN LABEL
Clean washing: Short-term gain at the expense of true successBrands can exploit consumer confusion about clean labels to make a quick buck, but real transparency will create loyal customers and years of success.INNOVATION
How technology is shaping industry and consumer healthTechnology is shaping how consumers buy products, farmers share data about their crops, and R&D teams create new products, all leading to improved consumer health.MOU PARTNER NEWS
Paula Brown receives appointment at Hunan UniversityPaula Brown, Ph.D., has been appointed as a visiting professor of Pharmacy Science of Hunan University of Chinese Medicine. Brown, director of the Natural Health and Food Products Research Group and CRC chair in Phytoanalytics at British Columbia Institute of Technology, focuses on the basic and applied science underlying botanical-based traditional medicine quality and safety and the roles that these products can play in human health and wellbeing.EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

UNPA member companies have posted the following employment opportunities. To include a job posting, email editor@unpa.com.

NEW!
Clinical Brand Manager (ND, DC, Nutritionist), Lake Barrington, Ill., posted by Ortho Molecular ProductsMARKET RESEARCH
$9.6 billion Latin American supplements industry continues strong growthLatin America’s supplement industry grew 9.1 percent in 2017, marking over a decade of growth stronger than that of the global industry. This is the latest installment of data discussions from Nutrition Business Journal’s senior analyst.
 Why consumers secretive brand choices are ones that really matterNew research published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology suggests consumers, who feel secretive about their consumption of a brand, may actually have a stronger connection with said brand—and if used properly, that connection may be used to leverage the brand among other consumers.
 Are you a xennial? How to tell if you’re the microgeneration between gen X and millennialsA microgeneration stuck between generation X and millennials has gained attention in recent years as some people don't feel a connection to either age group. The "xennials" are those born on the cusp of when gen X-ers and millennials meet and therefore experienced world events, and especially technology, in unique ways particular to their age.
 U.S. sustainability market to reach $150 billionby 2021In a new study from Nielsen, nearly half (48 percent) of U.S. consumers say they would definitely or probably change their consumption habits to reduce their impact on the environment. And these consumers are spending $128.5 billion on sustainable fast-moving consumer-goods products this year.RESEARCH
Could vitamin D help tackle occupational asthmaPeople with occupational asthma could gain significant benefits from nutritional interventions aimed at reducing fat mass and increasing vitamin D status, according to new research published in Endocrine.
 Study on mice suggests betaine supplementation may improve fat metabolismMice fed a high-fat, Western diet and supplemented with betaine exhibited favorable metabolic changes, report researchers from the University of Eastern Finland and DuPont Nutrition and Health.
 Probiotics present new way to fight staph infectionsA certain strain of probiotic Bacillus bacteria can help eliminate the harmful bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, according to a joint population study by U.S. and Thai researchers.
 SAMe combined with vitamin B complex may help mild to moderate depression symptomsNew research shows that S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe) combined with a vitamin B complex may improve mild and moderate depressive symptoms.
 Ingredient research shows benefits for pet jointsResearch has shown the benefits glucosamine, chondroitin, collagen, MSM, boswellia and hyaluronic acid have on animal joint health.
 New report supports chromium picolinate’s weight management benefitsA new review of published studies argues that the trace mineral chromium picolinate may have an edge over other popular weight management ingredients because it helps users preserve lean body mass.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. 

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