Swiss healthcare firm Novartis said today it is to buy US-based
Mead Johnson's adult medical nutrition business for $385 million
(€312m) in cash, giving it a strong presence in the US retail
market.
Bioavailability is important but does not guarantee efficacy,
claims lycopene supplier LycoRed, in a bid to defend natural tomato
products against the threat of synthetic lycopene.
Danish ingredients company Chr. Hansen has teamed up with dairy
manufacturers to develop a new yoghurt culture - Yo-Flex - designed
to be used in products with less fat and fewer additives.
US nutritional product supplier Perrigo continues to make inroads
into the European vitamin market, announcing the purchase of
privately-held Peter Black Pharmaceuticals for $13 million (€10.6m)
on Friday.
A new policy on nutrition and health claims proposed by Australia
and New Zealand ministers could allow for 'biomarker claims',
subject to pre-market approval by the food standards agency.
A new Internet-based health information campaign, to be launched by
the World Health Organisation (WHO), is aiming to change people's
attitudes to healthy eating and help to prevent some of the chronic
disease, said to burden...
Marketing of cholesterol-lowering foods looks set to become easier
with European bodies publishing favourable opinions on two plant
sterol manufacturers last week.
Functional food makers present in the UK market will reap the
rewards of consumers who are among the biggest spenders on
functional foods and drinks in Europe.
A fenugreek extract made by Dutch ingredients company Acatris has
been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in both non-diabetic and
type-II diabetic subjects, reported the company today.
The black elderberry extract Sambucol has been shown to reduce
symptoms and shorten duration of flu, according to a new study to
be published in The Journal of International Medical
Research.
US scientists have for the first time established a biochemical
connection between obesity and type 2 diabetes. The findings could
lead to more preventive treatments for diabetes, the fourth main
cause of death in most developed countries.
The US today enforces new regulations that require all food plants
to register with its Food and Drug Administration and food
importers to give the agency advance notice before shipments arrive
at ports or border crossings. But both...
High dose supplements of borage oil failed to improve symptoms of
eczema, shows a new study in this week's British Medical
Journal, challenging previous research that suggested a dose
related benefit.
Products that promote benefits for gut health are driving sales of
functional foods in Europe, shows a new report, outpacing those
foods targeting consumers at risk of heart or bone diseases.
A milk ingredient made by Dutch ingredients business DMV
International can effectively reduce blood pressure in hypertensive
patients, the company reported this week.
Swiss chemicals company Lonza this week report on a new study
showing that supplements of its L-Carnitine Crystalline
significantly increases fatty acid oxidation in healthy adults.
New Zealand's Health Minister Annette King has provided no basis
for a joint authority with Australia to regulate the country's
dietary supplements industry, argues health products consultant Ron
Law in the New Zealand Herald...
Manufacturers of sports nutrition products have formed a new
alliance to better represent their trade in the face of a
forthcoming directive, set to tightly regulate foods and beverages
marketed to sportspeople.
Dutch food ingredients and confectionery group CSM continues its
strategy to expand worldwide activities in the food and
pharmaceutical markets with the recent announcement that it has
completed the acquisition of the gluconic acid...
The healthy components of fibres such as oats and rye can also
enhance their flavour if the correct processing techniques are
used, claims new Finnish research.
The debate over which plant has the most antioxidants continues,
with new research showing black beans are a rich but overlooked
source of antioxidants equal to fruits like grapes, apples and
cranberries.
The popular low-carbohydrate, high-fat Atkins diet, causing waves
on both sides of the Atlantic, may also have a role in preventing
seizures in children with epilepsy, say researchers at the Johns
Hopkins Children's Center in...
Health food stores in New Zealand will today 'black out' products
threatened by the government's plans to regulate supplements under
a joint authority with Australia.
MEPs last week voted through amendments to the traditional herbal
medicinal products directive (THMPD) that will prevent it from
regulating herbal products sold under food law.
Cognis Nutrition and Health has added a new vegetable sterol esters
ingredient to its product range. The company, which launched the
product for the US market at the SupplySide West tradeshow last
week, said vegetable sterol esters...
New Zealand's government looks set to renounce regulation of the
dietary supplement industry, in favour of a joint authority with
Australia. The news has provoked angry responses from manufacturers
who argue that they are facing...
Fish and nuts can protect against progression of age-related
macular degeneration, report researchers, but a high intake of
animal and vegetable dietary fats from other foods may increase the
risk of progression.
DSM Food Specialties is hoping to test its new recovery drink on a
team of racing drivers next summer. The trial could lead to a more
long-term involvement with the sport and raise awareness of the
finished product, said the Dutch...
Australian biotech firm Novogen has been granted a US patent
covering the use of soy isoflavones in tablet or capsule dietary
supplements, it revealed last week.
Dutch group Royal Numico announced on Friday the end of its
dealings in nutritional supplements, as it completed the sale of
its US business GNC to investor group Apollo Management.
Consuming low to moderate amounts of alcohol may be linked to
decreased brain size in middle-aged adults, reports a new study,
which also refutes previous findings that alcohol could lower
stroke risk.
The World Health Organisation's influential report on diet and
chronic disease, issued in draft form earlier this year, has
reached the next stage of a process that aims to see the
recommendations implemented by the international...
Children who frequently consume cereal are less likely to be
overweight, according to the findings of a new study published in
today's Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
French polyphenols specialist La Gardonnenque has launched a
standardised blend of red grape anthocyanins, designed to offer the
benefits of anthocyanins alongside optimum antioxidant activity.
UK-based Overseal Foods has extended its carotenes range to include
highly concentrated natural carotene emulsions, allowing
manufacturers to capitalise on the increasing consumer demand for
natural ingredients.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is no longer recommended as first
choice of therapy for prevention of osteoporosis, according to new
advice from the UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory
Agency (MHRA) released yesterday.
Regular consumption of the sugar replacer Isomalt appears to have a
prebiotic effect on gut bacteria, according to preliminary findings
of a study being carried out in Germany.
Leading Swedish dairy firm Skanemejerier has gained the rights to
use BioGaia's probiotic Reuteri bacteria in milk products for
launch on the Scandinavian market at the end of next year.
A diet high in citrus fruits could help to prevent certain cancers
and reduce risk of stroke, concludes a review of the evidence
released this week by Australia's research organisation CSIRO.
A new system of classification for medicines in South Korea is
helping to drive growth of the country's OTC market, two thirds of
which is made up of vitamins and dietary supplements.
Natural Products Expo Asia, opening in Hong Kong today, will run a
free seminar focusing on the new bioterrorism regulations, set to
impact all companies exporting ingredients to the US.
A syrup made with the popular herb echinacea reduced the number of
respiratory tract infections in children but did not reduce the
severity or duration of infections, report authors of a new
clinical trial in today's Journal...
Taiwan-based Allied Biotech has received an award for its
successful penetration of Europe's highly concentrated and
intensely competitive beta-carotene segment.
The WHO is to reevaluate the safety of the herbal kava, taken to
relieve stress and anxiety, but currently subject to a ban in
several leading markets.
Europe's health food industry has 'under-utilised' the
nutraceutical properties of carotenoids and consumers are still
unaware of their health benefits, finds a new report on the $348.5
million (€291.4m) carotenoid...
A fat substitute that can reduce calories by 50 per cent, increase
the fibre content in foods, and save 40 per cent of the normal cost
of fat raw materials is to be launched in Europe by Swiss marketing
group DKSH.
Ireland's food body this week opened a consultation process on its
website for the European Commission's recent proposed regulation on
fortified foods.
Eight genes, usually associated with normal pancreatic functions,
have been linked to susceptibility to type 2 diabetes, the most
common kind of the disease, which affects up to 135 million people
worldwide.
