Benecol has joined its main competitor, Unilever-owned plant sterol-based, functional food range, Flora pro.activ, in having a cholesterol-lowering health claim approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Many medium and small dietary supplement companies are still not close to meeting new GMP requirements, despite the looming deadlines. Lorraine Heller speaks to industry members about the major challenges that remain, and the next steps that should be...
European Union food law reform campaigners such as the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH) and the Danish groups Eliant and MayDay have distanced themselves from an email campaign slating the impact of European Union food supplement regulations.
Lorraine Heller talks to Danisco’s director of regulatory and scientific affairs in North America – Stuart Craig – who predicts an environment of increased regulation for the nutraceuticals and functional food markets.
Danish-based supplier and supplements maker, New Nordic, has been rapped over bone health and arterial claims it has been making for vitamin K2 food supplements in the UK.
The Finnish Food Safety Authority (Evira) will investigate an “arterial elasticity” health claim being made by Finnish dairy, Valio, about a peptide- and plant sterol-bearing dairy/juice drink after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) turned down...
A Brussels workshop has highlighted global regulatory issues affecting the food supplements industry, and found many companies are unclear about law changes that directly affect them.
Pressure is mounting in both Australia and the US to crack down on the sale and availability of caffeinated energy drinks to young people, according to news reports in both countries.
Coffee and tea-based products are free from the caffeine labelling requirements of energy drinks. But is this in consumers’ best interests? Neil Merrett reports.
The latest batch of European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinions has surfaced with the assessor giving the thumbs up to three claims revolving around calcium, vitamin D and bone health.
A functional food and cosmeceutical ingredient derived from French maritime pine bark has been certified for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) by the country’s health products association.
Two vitamin B12 sources have been added to the Food Supplements Directive (FSD) positive list, after being found to be safe by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency has upheld complaints against two ‘misleading and inaccurate’ adverts for Nestle’s Maggi Noodles and GlaxoSmithKline’s Horlicks which made unsubstantiated health claims.
UK food supplements manufacturer, Equazen, has had its wrist slapped by the advertising watchdog for the second time this year for making unsustainable claims.
Although too early to access the direct benefits of the recently adopted Mutual Recognition Regulation, the health products industry says that officials and its members alike will see major benefits from the legislation.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued a draft opinion that there are broad uncertainties over the safe use of nanotechnology for foodstuffs, and more research is recommended.
In the second part of a series on gut health, NutraIngredients examines the way products in this category are regulated – and what types of health claims they can make.
EFSA has backed an earlier Scientific Committee on Food (SCF) opinion concluding calcium sulphate can be safely used as a calcium source in food supplements.
Dietary fibre is increasingly being linked to health benefits, but progress in the application of emerging science is being stunted by the lack of a clear definition of the term, according to the British Nutrition Foundation.
Danish company GlycaNova is waiting for a final opinion from the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) on its proposed lentinan-rich extract from shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes).
The European Food Safety Authority’s hard line stance on health claims is bewildering some, resigning others, but steeling most to meet its ‘gold standard’ scientific demands.
France has taken a step to liberalise its highly restrictive herbal regulations by issuing two national decrees that should allow for greater access to botanical supplements.
A new online traceability system for Chinese ingredients and products will provide quick and accurate information for food companies, consumers and regulators, claims it developers.
Martek Biosciences Corporation is disappointed but not devastated by the European Food Safety Authority’s rejection of its article 14 DHA/ARA infant nutrition health claim.
The European Food Safety Authority recently turned in its first health claim verdicts, rejecting eight of nine. European food regulations expert Lorène Courrège explains why EFSA’s tough health claim approach may stifle product innovation.
Pan-European law reform group, the Alliance for Natural Health (ANH), is taking part in an international emergency task force to fight the battle for more equitable food regulations.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected a Martek Biosciences Corporation health claim submission relating infant brain and eye development with DHA (omega-3) and ARA (omega-6) consumption.
At the end of last month, the founder of US supplements firm Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals received the most severe punishment yet to be handed out for fraud in the industry: A 25-year jail sentence and $93,000 from his personal savings. The company...
As some of the world’s leading dairy groups attempt to play down their potential involvement in the Chinese melamine scandal, the European Commission says that its existing import rules on the country’s dairy goods remain sufficient.
A Guernsey-based company has been cautioned by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for the second time since May for making false and misleading claims about its supplements.
The need for ongoing lobbying and industry effort has been reiterated at a Dublin health foods and supplements convention, with Irish right wing Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Kathy Sinnott, calling on the industry to up its game or face extinction.
At the end of last month, the founder of a US supplements company received the most severe punishment yet to be handed out for fraud in the industry: a 25-year jail sentence. NutraIngredients is calling for comments on this historic decision.
Regulations governing the omega-3 market vary greatly between regions but in common is the fact there is no official, government-recommended dietary intake (RDI) anywhere in the world and approved health claims are few.
Imperfect as they may be, the European Union’s regulatory efforts in the food area have attracted the attention of regulators around the world, some of whom view what is being done in the bloc as a legislative template.
The proposed regulation on food labelling is too complicated, makes unrealistic demands on font size, and will be burdensome for SMEs, a hearing has heard.
A group has been formed in the UK to pressure regulators into “lightening” the impact of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive (THMPD) which requires all herbal medicines within the European Union to attain THMPD registrations before 2011.
The controversial energy drink called Cocaine, which while drug-free, contains 350 per cent more caffeine than rival brand Red Bull, this week hit UK shelves amidst criticism from politicians over the launch.
The European Food Safety Authority has kicked off the eagerly awaited health claim assessment process with a slew of claim rejections signalling a hard line methodology that may see thousands of claims submissions binned.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has launched a public consultation on its draft opinion on food-based dietary guidelines, in which it concluded that guidelines to span the whole of the EU would not be feasible.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has opened a public consultation on Dietary Reference Values (DRVs) as it continues to work toward establishing common European Union-wide recommended nutrient levels by the end of 2009.
EFSA scientists say there is no concern over the safety of selenium-enriched yeast, provided they are produced using selenium selenite and doses are respected.
The International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplement Associations (IADSA) is keeping up pressure on changing how health clams are substantiated by Codex.
A European Commission statement that its recently published Novel Food catalogue is not legally binding for European Union Member States, has been welcomed by the European Federation of Associations of Health Product Manufacturers (EHPM).
Australia’s complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) sector needs to be more tightly policed in line with pharmaceutical rules, according to critics.
Touchi, a fermented soy bean extract that has been used for centuries in Japan, China and other parts of Asia may be available to European consumers if a European Union Novel Foods application is approved.
EFSA scientists say there is no concern over the safety of three mineral forms commonly used in food supplements, even at doses twice that commonly found in the regular diet.
