Jim Wagner

Michelle Obama's Let's Move campaign brings in sharp focus the insidious obesity trend among children and teens. Report after report warns of the consequences: obese children are more likely to become obese adults, who in turn are more likely to develop diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression, and perhaps pancreatic cancer, among other diseases.

For a little light, albeit wonkish, reading, pick up a copy of America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009, otherwise known in town halls across the country as the Healthcare Reform Act. It begins innocently enough: "To provide affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans and reduce the growth in healthcare spending, and for other purposes."

The vast majority of natural products go to market in easy-to-use, easy-to-produce bottles, jars, blister packs, and cartons. But packaging isn't always routine.

David Kessler has one. So does Lyndon LaRouche. But the one that matters most belongs to Margaret Hamburg, MD.

By law, the USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) team up every five years to evaluate the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The guidelines are the set of nutritional rules that lie behind the federal government's food programs, including the National School Lunch Program; the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children; the Healthy People initiative; and the Food Pyramid, to name a few.

Just the right amount of time has passed since Iovate Health Sciences removed Hydroxycut products from stores shelves to dispassionately examine the decision, how it came about, and what it could mean for the weight-loss category. Supplement recalls trigger a certain amount of melodrama as typified by this MSNBC headline: "FDA Warns Dieters: Stop Hydroxycut Use Now." Time tends to put these messages in perspective.

Let's face facts. Consumers have had a miserable time staying on top of nutrition trends. First, fats were the root of all diet evil, then carbs, then sugar, then artificial sweeteners, then dairy products, then some proteins, then bread, and on and on. Give consumers a lot of credit for not completely surrendering the fight to eat healthy.

Adhering to strict good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for tablets and capsules is a challenge for nutraceutical companies both large and small-and soon, smaller companies may face this challenge as well. As an example of strict GMP guidlines, GMP advises: "Process controls for dietary supplement manufacturers include establishing and meeting specifications to ensure the finished dietary supplement contains the correct ingredient, purity, strength, and composition."

The Food and Drug Administration that we know, love, and on occasion love to hate, may soon be a memory. The winds of change are blowing toward Rockville, and the agency may never be the same.

Of all the foods in all the world, who would have guessed that peanuts would be the cause of a national food safety shiver that in all likelihood will change how FDA does business?

At an American Heart Association (AHA; Dallas) conference on trans fat last October, health experts worried about the law of unintended consequences. Although most food manufacturers are trying to eliminate trans fat from their products, some are simply replacing it with saturated fat, which is just as harmful. To encourage the use of healthier fats and oils, AHA embarked upon a new public relations campaign in April to urge food manufacturers, restaurants, and consumers to switch to healthier vegetable oils.

Profiles of the people behind the natural product industry's best companies, ideas, products, and technologies.

One of the most critical decisions for any company is whether to build a plant or enlist the services of a contract manufacturer. Many companies consider state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities to be the crown jewels of their organization. But while corporate facilities have distinct advantages, contract manufacturers can offer unique benefits that a plant can’t, such as efficiency, expertise, and experience with good manufacturing practices (GMPs).

Despite what the Washington Post says, the majority of supplement manufacturers take pride in their quality. But even the best quality control (QC) departments are about to be tested.

In December 2003, the first American case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) was confirmed in a dairy herd in the state of Washington. The discovery led to measures to keep BSE from entering the food supply, measures that may soon impact softgel capsules for dietary supplements.

Good financial news at last. Results from the first quarter of 2004 show vitamin, mineral, and supplement (VMS) sales have improved considerably compared with the same quarter of 2003.

Dietary supplements cannot improve memory or mental acuity, but several new products offer support for those hoping to keep their faculties sharp for years to come.

Inspired by the popular but controversial Atkins and South Beach low-carb eating regimens, consumers have turned to low-carb products in record numbers.

Once regarded as fringe therapies, dietary supplements and botanicals have become the subjects of serious cancer research, particularly at the National Institutes of Health’s (Bethesda, MD) National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS).

Healthy beverages are a profitable category. According to Business Communications Company, Inc. (BCC; Norwalk, CT), functional beverages were the largest segment of the functional food industry in 2002. Overall growth is expected to slow to 5.7% annually, but BCC expects phenomenal growth in some subcategories, leading to an $11.5 billion segment in 2007.

Could low-calorie be the next low-carb? If new product trends are any indication, the answer is an unqualified yes.

Dieters hoping to lose pounds may find help in a milk bottle rather than a pill bottle, according to research from the University of Tennessee Nutrition Institute (Knoxville, TN) and other sources.

The dietary supplement market is expected to grow 3–5% annually. Natural and organic foods are forecast to grow 10%. Manufacturers large and small would love to capture bigger shares of these markets, but first they have to expand production capacity.Ramping up isn't easy. In addition to careful planning, it takes money.