Dosage forms & delivery formats

Dispatches from the #SNC16 congress in Frankfurt

Could energy drinks be cut out of the EU caffeine claim loop?

20-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) is lobbying for two different solutions to the EU caffeine claim hold up, one of which could see use of the claims limited to sports supplements only.

DuPont gets Gates grant for protein drug production platform

20-Dec-2016 By Gareth Macdonald

DuPont has joined a Gates Foundation backed effort to develop low cost production methods for therapeutic proteins.

Japanese researchers decode genome of key TCM ingredient Chinese liquorice

20-Dec-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Scientists in Japan have decode the genome of Chinese liquorice – a key ingredient in Traditional Chinese Medicine – raising hopes that it can be grown sustainably in the country for nutraceutical and medicinal use.

Sports nutrition programme launched in Japan to test for banned substances

20-Dec-2016 By Gary Scattergood

LGC has launched its sports nutrition supplements testing programme ‘Informed-Choice’ in Japan with the support of the brand DNS and auditing specialists Biohealth Research.

Multi-strain probiotic could aid gut health – even if you’re healthy

19-Dec-2016 By Nathan Gray

A daily dose of multispecies probiotic could help improve intestinal health even in healthy people, according to new observational data.

A veteran view on HiE 2016

16-Dec-2016 By Dennis Seisun

Hydrocolloids specialist Dennis Seisun reflects on this year’s Health Ingredients Europe (HiE) expo in Frankfurt, Germany in this guest article.

The power of portable nutrient testing

15-Dec-2016 By Holly McKee & Dr Anna Zhenchuk

German tech company BioAnalyt explains how its portable testing kits are providing fast, affordable nutrient data that is crucial in the fight against global malnutrition.

Consumers willing to pay 75% more for known ingredients: Survey

15-Dec-2016 By Louis Gore-Langton

Branding ingredients has a mixed record of success but a survey reveals worldwide demand for recognisable ingredients.

'Piecemeal action will not do'

Urgent research shift needed to fight dual threat of malnutrition & obesity

15-Dec-2016 By Nathan Gray

Leading researchers and experts in nutrition policy have come together to propose a global research agenda that aims to shift the focus and find solutions to global issues of food security and under nutrition.

‘We want to enable countries to look after their own children’

UNICEF goes local with RUTF products in war against malnutrition

15-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Gone are the days when the supply of humanitarian nutrition products relied on just a handful of western companies. UNICEF is pushing its supply of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) into a more competitive future driven by local suppliers ready to...

The €3.3 trillion cost of malnutrition inaction

15-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Economic impact assessments for malnutrition are helping present a “convincing argument” for nutrition investment, says a top economist from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Distribution deals make Baltex ‘solid player’ in Norway

14-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Baltex Health & Beauty Group has won the Nordic distribution rights for Bringwell’s Bio-Life range, which it says makes it a “solid player” Norway.

SternLife serves up high-protein breakfast ideas for food manufacturers

14-Dec-2016 By Gill Hyslop

The German functional food specialist has launched a range of protein-fortified products to put onto the breakfast table.

BioGaia expands in Japan with new probiotics deals

14-Dec-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Swedish probiotics supplier BioGaia has signed two major deals in Japan with Nippon Kabaya Ohayo Holdings Inc.

Firms invest €1.25m in ‘next generation of probiotic products’ for pregnant women

13-Dec-2016

Swedish biotek firm MetaboGen is developing probiotic products to tackle pregnancy itching with Swiss player Ferring.

Algae and alternative protein players in €1.2bn EU food project

13-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A pan-EU sustainable food project sees Israeli astaxanthin supplier Algatechnologies, champion of pea protein Roquette and Dutch nutrition giant DSM among its 50 partners that will invest close to €1.2bn over the next seven years.

Dispatches from HiE 2016 in Frankfurt

Is the term omega-3 specific enough?

12-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The term omega-3 doesn’t really mean anything, says chief scientist for supplier Aker Biomarine.

Vaping: A smoking hot nutrition opp?

12-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The opportunity for ‘vaping’ devices goes far beyond smoking, according to the company launching the nicotine-free botanical AfriVape.

Probiotic shows post-treatment throat infection efficacy in children

12-Dec-2016 By Will Chu

Evidence for the BLIS K12 probiotic strain's role in oral health continues to build momentum as a study highlights its protective effects against multiple non-streptococcal infections even after its use was stopped.

Collagen claims only skin deep: UK ad body

09-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has told a company selling collagen supplements to change its efficacy health claims about cosmetic effects on hair, skin and nails.

Study confirms reproductive safety of fenugreek seed extract

09-Dec-2016 By Lynda Searby

A study funded by Indus Biotech provides further evidence that the company’s Fenu-FG supplement is safe to take during pregnancy, following previous reports linking fenugreek seeds to potentially toxic effects.

What's so super? UK ad body busts Organic Burst superfood claims

08-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled against superfood claims made by Organic Burst World, saying the company failed to back the wording with specific authorised health claims.

U2 band members named as major investors

Bono and The Edge find what they're looking for in biotech start-up Nuritas

07-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

U2 band members Bono and The Edge have been named as major investors in Nuritas, the much-hyped Irish biotech start-up planning to triple its workforce in 2017.

Unilever revamps margarine packaging to promote active plant ingredients

05-Dec-2016 By Jenny Eagle

Unilever has partnered with Design Bridge design agency to change its Flora ProActiv spread packaging to promote a premium, healthy lifestyle message.

Mixed anti-doping messages: Call to address hypocritical sports supplement sponsorship

02-Dec-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

There is a huge hypocritical disconnect between the advice given by some sports clubs against supplement use and the sponsorship deals they sign, says certification body Informed-Sport.

Does Parkinson's start in the gut? Study reinforces gut-brain link

02-Dec-2016 By Will Chu

Parkinson’s disease may be triggered by gut microbes, according to a California Institute of Technology (Caltech) study that points to probiotics as a potential therapy for the disease.

'No need for alarm over declining omega-3 levels in salmon'

01-Dec-2016 By Jane Byrne

The head of the research center of the global aqua feed leader, Skretting, has weighed in on the debate generated by BBC coverage of a Scottish study showing omega 3 oils in farmed salmon have halved in the past five years due to more plant based oils...

Chinese astaxanthin wins EU novel foods approval

28-Nov-2016 By Lynda Searby

Competition is hotting up in the astaxanthin space, as Novel Food authorisation for BGG’s AstaZine line of natural astaxanthin ingredients marks the entry of a new player into the European carotenoid market.

Upsurge in demand for RUTF products amid global insecurity

28-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The market for Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) is expected to grow yearly by over 10% up to 2024 as global political insecurities rumble on.

Probiotics boost athletes’ immune system defenses: Study

25-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Taking daily probiotics may help boost immune systems of training athletes and reduce their risk of upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), a study has found.

Iodine ignorance: Irish researchers call for public health campaign

25-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Only one third of Irish women understand the importance of iodine in pregnancy, say researchers calling for a public health campaign.

Gut instinct: Irish art exhibition explores food, mood & the ‘psychobiome’

25-Nov-2016 By Shane STARLING

Irish microbiome scientists have helped curate an Irish art exhibition exploring the influence of food on mood, informed by mounting science around the gut-brain axis.

Where there’s a will…iced coffee concept makes whey protein cool

25-Nov-2016 By Lynda Searby

Arla Foods Ingredients has developed an on-trend whey protein iced coffee concept that it is confident will be “on the market and available to consumers very soon”, but can it dispel negative perceptions around whey protein drinks?

The photo-fermented combination: Allmicroalgae scales-up microalgae production

24-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Portuguese supplier Allmicroalgae has taken calls to scale up production of microalgae to heart, with a project to combine big-volume fermentation with high-value photosynthesis methods now in swing.

Funding sought for nutrition phone app research

24-Nov-2016

A University of Hohenheim researcher is seeking investment for a project investigating the role of mobile phone apps in promoting better nutrition through behavioural change.

Tomato extract shows blood thinning potential versus aspirin: Study

23-Nov-2016 By Shane Starling

A proprietary tomato extract – backed in EU health claim law to benefit blood circulation – has been shown to thin blood in healthy people – but less severely than aspirin and without typical side-effects.

ASA U-turn: Omega Pharma ruling reversed after UK medicines agency input

23-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has reversed its ruling against healthcare company Omega Pharma following previously omitted advice from the UK’s medicines regulator.

Vitamin D3 supplements shown to significantly improve autism symptoms

22-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Taking vitamin D3 supplements may help improve autism symptoms of children, a first-of-its-kind study has suggested.

US player finds European chia gear

22-Nov-2016

US firm Valensa International has launched its 4-year-old ALA (alpha-linoleic acid)-rich omega-3 chia seed oil in Europe.

Making microalgae big: Scaling up production is key to food security success

22-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Microalgae is often held up as the most promising sustainable protein that can feed a growing world population - but first production needs to be scaled up on industrial levels. "The costs of inaction are too steep to even contemplate,” writes the...

'In five years this will be routine': Map My Gut start-up offers personalised microbiome advice

22-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Giving personalised gut health advice will be routine medical practice in five years, predicts the researcher behind the new start-up Map My Gut and big gut data projects British Gut and Kings College London’s TwinsUK Registry.

Special Edition: Pre & Probiotics

Time is ripe for polyphenols as prebiotics, expert says

21-Nov-2016 By Hank Schultz

Could the idea of prebiotics be extended to include polyphenolic ingredients? An expert in the field says there is a growing body of evidence to support the notion.

EFSA warns additive may bring adults over the magnesium limit

21-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Trimagnesium dicitrate anhydrous (TMDC) is a safe stabiliser and anticaking agent in solid and chewable food supplements, but consuming too much may take adults over safe upper limits set for magnesium, warns the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Novel fungi antioxidant l-ergothioneine is safe: EFSA

21-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said l-ergothioneine is safe for use in food and supplements in a novel food evaluation that settles EU member state fears it may increase the risk of diabetes mellitus and inflammatory diseases like Crohn's...

ESSNA: EU law finally catching up with market reality in ‘milestone’ year

21-Nov-2016 By Dr Adam Carey

2016 has been a milestone year for the sports nutrition industry in Europe, says European Specialised Sports Nutrition Alliance (ESSNA) chair Dr Adam Carey in this guest article.

Vegetarian diet doesn’t compromise athletic performance: Study

18-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Vegetarian diets do not compromise athletic performance and may even help aerobic capacity, according to a study comparing elite vegetarian and omnivore athletes.

Health & Nutrition Week, 28 November-2 December 2016, Frankfurt, Germany

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