Corn Products International, one of the world's largest corn
refiners and a major supplier of food ingredients, reported a five
per cent decline in first quarter earnings, with net sales for the
period down from $454 million...
The British company has signed an agreement with Pilot, a US-based
specialty pharmaceutical company, to source and process the
specialty oil ingredients used in its botanical drugs and OTC
products.
New Zealand's biggest company, the dairy foods processor Fonterra,
is backing a medical consortium to develop milk-based "bioactives",
in the aim of gaining a share in the global functional foods
market, reported the...
A team of cancer researchers at John Hopkins University have
identified a new gene, which could help explain the dietary links
to prostate cancer. The gene could have a vital role in the
breakdown of fatty acids found in dairy products...
Novartis, the Swiss pharmaceuticals group, has reported a 20 per
cent rise in first-quarter profits, exceeding analysts' forecasts,
however this was largely a result of strong growth in
pharmaceuticals and US business, while...
Lipitor, the cholesterol-cutter which is said to be the
biggest-selling pharmaceutical product in the world, helped boost
first quarter sales at Pfizer.
Italian pharmaceutical group Sigma-Tau has created a new US
subsidiary, Sigma-Tau US, which will group together its three
separate North American businesses for the first time.
First quarter sales at pharmaceutical giant Roche were up 5 per
cent in Swiss franc terms to SFr7.4 billion (€5m), with good
performances from the group's other divisions more than offsetting
a decline at the vitamins arm.
Increasing amounts of scientific data showing the health benefits
of soy helped US sales reach $3.3 billion (€3.7bn) in 2001, up
almost 25 per cent in mainstream stores from the previous year.
Further growth is expected this year.
In what it is calling a victory for consumer protection, the US
Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has forced Utah-based company
Biogenics to agree to stop making products containing drugs but
sold as dietary supplements.
The powerful antioxidant properties of polyphenols in green tea
could help protect against the onset of Parkinson's disease,
according to new research from Baylor College of Medicine in
Houston.
Danish food and ingredients group Danisco has launched a new enzyme
product derived from seaweed which it claims will help it extend
its position as the world's leading producer of functional food
ingredients.
PC SPES, the popular herbal supplement which was withdrawn from
sale earlier this year after it was found to contain traces of
blood thinner wafarin, also contained an oestrogen drug and a
painkiller, according to new research.
Millennium Biotechnologies has launched its Resurgex nutritional
supplement via the Medicaid system in the US state of Nevada, the
first time the product has been made available on prescription in
that state.
The UK Soil Association, the organic assessment and promotion
organisation, is to introduce an organic standard for health and
beauty products from 1 May.
Purple grape juice fed to laboratory animals led to significant
reductions in both mammary tumour mass and the number of tumours
per animal, according to a study presented last week at a
scientific conference co-sponsored by Harvard...
A new product designed to help strengthen joints has been launched
by the UK group Vitabiotics. Jointace Fizz is an extension of the
company's existing Jointace brand, and is an advanced new
effervescent formula providing high...
The Arizona Heart Institute (AHI) is to prescribe the Vital Living
Cardiovascular Nutraceutical following a successful three-year
trial of the product.
Herbalife, the weight management and nutritional supplement
company, is to be bought by two private equity firms, Whitney &
Co and Golden Gate Capital, for around $685 million (€773.6m). The
current Herbalife management will continue...
Ireland's food safety agency is investigating whether food
supplements containing animal by-products could cause variant
Cruetzfeldt Jakob Disease, the human form of mad cow disease.
MAF BioNutritionals, a nutraceutical manufacturer founded by Dr
Phil Maffetone, an internationally-recognised expert on nutrition,
complementary medicine and human biology, has acquired the Boulder
Bar brand for an undisclosed sum,...
A controlled trial of a soy drink containing phytoestrogens,
naturally occurring substances which are thought to help combat the
effects of the menopause, has shown that the product was
ineffective in combating hot flushes in post-menopausal...
A recent clinical review draws together the growing body of
evidence which points to the benefits for the elderly if they
maintain their vitamin D levels - notably, better muscle strength
and a lower risk from falls.
As the UK considers whether to fortify flour with folic acid in a
bid to improve the health of the nation, not everyone is convinced
of the benefits of such a move.
A pill which could help build muscle without the need for exercise
could be more than just a pipe dream following research from Duke
University and the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
in the US which has shown how...
Several popular herbal medicines have been found to have
significant oestrogenic effects, despite the fact that they are not
commonly used to treat gynaecological problems.
Final proof that dietary components like green tea, curry spice or
wine can fight cancer in humans and not just laboratory test tubes
remains elusive, but researchers are full of hope for the
unconventional treatments.
Recent scientific studies suggest that women can cut the risk of
breast cancer by up to 90 per cent by increasing their dietary
intake of newly identified forms of vitamin E. But as a study by
the Us-based Life Extension Foundation...
A clinical trial of the popular herbal supplement St John's Wort
which suggests that it is no more effective than a placebo at
treating major depression has been slammed by dietary supplement
associations in the US.
Eating fish a few times a week significantly cuts the risk of death
from a heart attack or other heart problems, according to two
separate studies published this week.
From bottled herb drinks to brews to spice up your sex life, Asian
traditional medicine companies are telling visitors to a Singapore
food expo they have just the tonic.
Robust growth in the European health supplement market as a whole
will help drive sales of carotenoids, according to a new study from
market consultants Frost & Sullivan.
As the US dietary supplement market continues to flag, the
functional food market is booming, according to a new report from
theNutrition Business Journal.
Two US companies, RFI and Hauser, have joined forces to supply
dietary supplement and functional food ingredients to the
nutraceuticals industry, combining the functional food expertise of
RFI with Hauser's knowledge of the supplements...
St John's Wort is a popular herbal treatment used by millions to
combat depression, but a new study from the Netherlands suggests
that it could in fact have an adverse effect on chemotherapy drugs
used by cancer patients.
Sentex Systems, the Canadian agrifood group, has announced its
intention to buy compatriot Natunola Health, a company which
develops natural health products from flaxseed and other products.
The antioxidant properties of green tea could help fight muscle
degeneration diseases such as muscular dystrophy, at least
according to initial evidence from research carried out on mice
Australian research company Prana Biotechnology has revealed
successful interim results of its Alzheimer's drug PBT-1,
Iodochlorhydroxyquin at the 7th International Geneva/Springfield
Symposium on Advances in Alzheimer Therapy...
The market for functional foods is being driven by a greater
responsibility for personal health care amongst Europeans,
according to a new report by market research company, Mintel.The
research shows that the European functional foods...
New research published in New Scientist this week suggests
that diets high in refined starches such as breads and cereals
increase insulin levels. This affects the development of the
eyeball and causes short-sightedness according...