New Zealand company Nature's Products Ltd is looking to extend
sales of its noni juice in Europe, applying to the UK's food
authority for approval to market the product.
A jury in the US has voted to uphold Kemin Industries' patents for
the chemical composition and production process of lutein, in a
trial in Des Moines, Iowa, against Pigmentos Vegetales del Centro.
The Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products - set up under the new
EU legislation designed to investigate the safety of herbal
medicines - is holding its inaugural meeting in London.
LycoRed Natural Products Industries has applied to the the UK Food
Standards Agency asking it to approve a lycopene-rich tomato
extract as a novel food ingredient.
Scientists advising the UN food standards body Codex have
established for the first time a maximum safety level for the
carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
The UK's medicines agency has issued advice to consumers and the
herbal sector about the poor quality of some traditional chinese
medicines on the UK market, advising them to avoid all products not
labeled in English.
The European Food Safety Agency has established a safe level for
the mineral boron, despite the fact that it is not included on the
list of nutrients permitted in food supplements under the new
directive.
The doping scandal surrounding Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and
Ekaterini Thanou has again brought supplements under media scrutiny
after Greek authorities uncovered large quantities of supplements
containing ephedrine, banned...
A new policy on fortified foods in Denmark, which has blocked a
number of new launches from leading cereals brand Kellogg's, has in
fact 'liberalised' the market, despite recent negative press,
suggests one of the decision...
Vitamin-enriched products made by Kellogg, the world's biggest
cereal maker, have been blocked from entering the Danish market by
a new policy for assessing the safety of fortified foods.
Australia's food authority is calling for industry comment on an
overhaul of its health claims regulation, which could see disease
risk reduction claims allowed on food labels.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has warned consumers
that any health or medical claims appearing on products containing
noni juice - extracted from the fruit Morinda citrofolia - are
totally unsubstantiated.
Spain's Food Safety Agency (AESA) has joined forces with FACE, the
organisation which supports the country's growing number of coeliac
sufferers, to ensure that foods labelled as suitable for those with
an intolerance to...
The Australian food watchdog has issued a warning over the low-cal
sweetener tagatose, just launched last month, saying that it could
harm consumers who are intolerant to the fruit sugar fructose,
writes Lindsey Partos.
Last week the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) called for
changes to the way the FDA is implementing regulations against
bioterrorism. Since then, several other food organisations,
including the American Herbal Products Association...
European legislation on health claims could take a significant leap
forward under the new Dutch presidency of the European Union, which
appears to be aiming for the regulation to get its first reading in
the European parliament by...
The European Commission is putting pressure on the Italian
government to amend legislation that effectively prohibits the
marketing of energy drinks in Italy.
The highly splintered nature of Europe's food supplement industry
is being underlined by the divergent reactions to forthcoming new
legislation, designed to harmonise trade across all member states,
writes Dominique Patton.
New Zealand food authorities are looking to change permitted levels
of folic acid and vitamin B12 in foods under a review of the
country's dietary supplement regulations.
China will introduce a new set of dietary supplement regulations
before the end of the year and has welcomed the new guidance issued
by the International Alliance of Dietary Supplement Associations
(IADSA).
Japan is considering proposals for the creation of a new category
of health foods, with claims similar to the 'qualified health
claims' recently approved in the US.
An alliance of sports supplement makers has managed to stall the
launch of a new European regulation that is set to tightly regulate
foods and beverages marketed to sportspeople.
The Codex Alimentarius Commission, meeting in Geneva this week, has
endorsed draft guidelines on vitamin and mineral supplements that
recommend basing maximum levels of nutrients on safety rather than
the RDA.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) yesterday released a new set of
guidelines for national health authorities on ways to increase the
output of information on alternative and complementary medicines
for consumers.
The European food industry awaits as the European Commission
huddles together to assess possible changes to the current
nutrition labelling rules governing food products, reports
Lindsey Partos. Industry is concerned that amendments...
The annual US Biotechnology Industry Association event started this
weekend in San Francisco with the usual showcase of new
biopharmaceuticals and other technologies. But aside from supplying
the drugs of the future, the biotechnology...
The French food authority AFSSA has approved a health claim for
cranberry juice and powder and its effect on urinary tract health,
in the world's first health claim for the fruit, writes Philippa
Nuttall.
New supplement labels that advise consumers of the possible risks
of high strength vitamins will show European regulators that such
products do not need to be reformulated and can remain on the
market, say UK supplement makers.
UK politicians have called for immediate industry action to counter
the rising numbers of obese in the country, offering food marketers
three years to show significant improvements in product labelling
and formulation, writes Chris...
The UK's medicines regulator is warning consumers about potential
risk from a traditional Chinese medicine called Nu Bao, said to
contain human placenta, deer antler (Corna cervi
pantotrichum) and donkey skin (Colla cori astini)...
Food supplement makers and regulators from new EU member states are
being invited to a conference in Prague next month, designed to
help companies from accession states bring their products in line
with European legislation.
Complaints about supplements and food and drink products in the UK
fell by more than half during 2003, following pro-active action by
the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.
The campaign to protect the UK's supplement industry from the
impact of new EU regulations is getting new attention from
consumers and looks set to become the biggest issue to hit the
sector in years.
The European Commission this week granted approval for several new
foods with added phytosterols, set to significantly expand the
number of cholesterol-lowering foods available in Europe.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is set to evaluate the
impact on foreign firms of its new laws on food imports, designed
to protect its food supply from bioterrorism.
A new safety test on the herbal kava could help bring it back onto
European markets, according to industry lobbyists meeting recently
with German authorities.
The controversial debate over whether a fatty or sugary food can
carry a health claim has stalled a Europe-wide regulation for
health and nutrition claims and also brought down a proposed law on
fortification.
A panel of scientists in the US has developed a method to assess
the safety of common supplements based on available lab and animal
data, and suggests that this process could be used by regulators to
get round the lack of human clinical...
Australia's medicines regulator has published draft guidelines for
the registration of complementary medicines, which are also
expected to form the basis of rules under the controversial joint
agency with New Zealand.
A novel, healthy oil marketed by an ADM joint venture could soon be
available on the Australian market after food authorities there
concluded it is safe.
A UK initiative has produced more than 80 nutrient function
statements for vitamins and minerals that are well-established by
science, providing the food industry with a useful reference in the
preparation of health claims, writes...
An energy drink marketed to boost mental performance has been
allowed to continue with its claims, after investigation of the
scientific evidence to back up the advertising statements,
writes Dominique Patton.
A survey of infant formula by the UK's food watchdog finds levels
of harmful chemicals, dioxins and dioxin-like polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs) in infant formula have fallen significantly over
the past five years and are generally...
