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XSTO Solutions (Morristown, NJ) announced that its ingredient line produced by Hamari Chemicals Ltd. has been kosher certified by Kosher Certification Service.

The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3 (GOED; Salt Lake City) has launched its Proud Member logo that its member companies can use on their websites and advertising.

Tea marketer Choice Organic Teas has been verified as non-GMO by the nonprofit Non-GMO Project.

D.D. Williamson’s annatto colorant has been declared USDA certified organic.

Yantai Dongcheng Biochemicals Co.’s (Yantai, China) chondroitin sulfate has received a Certificate of Suitability (COS) from the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & Healthcare.

Ecuadorian Rainforest LLC (Belleville, NJ) has announced that the company has expanded its list of available kosher ingredients.

Corn Products International (Westchester, IL) has signed an agreement with Galam Group (Menashe, Israel) to market its Enliten brand stevia (Rebaudioside A) across Europe, pending expanded European approval of the natural sweetener.

POM Wonderful (Los Angeles), the makers of POM Wonderful juice and POMx supplements, has been issued an administrative complaint from the FTC over misleading and unsubstantiated health claims on its products.

A team of South Korean researchers have concluded that ALA’s efficacy could be highly dependent on how the ingredient is delivered.

Abbott Laboratories (Abbott Park, IL) has voluntarily recalled various products containing Similac powder infant formula after an internal review found beetles in the product chain.

Sabinsa Corp. (East Windsor, NJ) has introduced two patent-pending natural preservatives, SabiLize-Alpha and SabiLize-Beta, for use in cosmetics and personal care products.

A decision by the European Commission (EC) could ban added sugars in fruit juices, according to news released by the body last Wednesday.

ESM Technologies (Carthage, MO) has received self-affirmed Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for its patented joint health ingredient, NEM (natural eggshell membrane).

Russian president Vladimir Putin announced last week that the country will institute a ban on wheat export through the end of this year, BBC News reports. The announcement comes in response to several weeks of wildfires which, along with drought, have brought ruin to millions of acres of wheat and other grains in the country.

PepsiCo today announced a four-year partnership with flavors firm Senomyx Inc. to develop and commercialize natural sweeteners and sweetness enhancers. New discoveries will be used to lower the calorie content of future PepsiCo beverages."This relationship with Senomyx reflects our increasingly long-term approach to research and development as well as our belief that global food and beverage companies can play an important role in identifying new ingredients that can lead to healthier products," said Mehmood Khan, PepsiCo's chief scientific officer.

When several cloned cows were confirmed to have entered the U.K. food chain last month, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) received blame for a lack of oversight. As of September 1, responsibilities within the U.K government have now shifted, with the Department for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Department of Health assuming some of the FSA...s previous responsibilities.

The case for allowing genetically-modified food to enter the U.S. marketplace has taken a strong step forward. FDA recently (Rockville, MD) announced its intent to hold a meeting in mid-September with AquaBounty Technologies (Waltham, MA), a biotech company wishing to bring its genetically-modified salmon to market. The company says its AquAdvantage salmon grow twice as fast as conventionally grown salmon; but they do not grow bigger.

Summer is winding down, and we have yet to see S. 510, the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act receive a vote in Congress. The Council for Responsible Nutrition sent a letter to Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Judd Gregg (R-NH), reaffirming their support of a bill that, as of today, has the bipartisan support of 17 cosponsors (9 Democrats and 8 Republicans).

Cyvex Nutrition (Irvine, CA) has introduced Alfapro Agglomerated, a highly dispersible grade of the company...s alfalfa protein concentrate. Suitable for powdered beverages, sachets, and stick packs, the company...s ingredient provides 50% protein, amino acids, and plant-based omega-3s, among other nutrients.

Fiber ingredients will see rising sales as more food and beverage companies seek to launch fiber-fortified products, says market researcher Packaged Facts. Rises are expected for all types of fiber, including soluble, insoluble, and digestive-resistant forms. Packaged Facts... publisher Don Montuori says that fiber sales are set to increase 'indefinitely, as the market for fiber-enhanced foods is still in its infancy. There is a great deal of room across almost all food categories, which presents an opportunity for the many different fiber ingredients.'

The Food Science and Technology Abstracts (FSTA) Thesaurus has taken on major revisions to its eighth edition, according to the International Food Information Service (IFIS; Shinfield, U.K.).

The dietary supplement market still needs enforcing, as evidenced by a new ConsumerLab report on ginseng supplements. ConsumerLab released a report on Monday stating that 5 out of 11 ginseng supplements the group recently tested had less ginseng than stated on the label or were contaminated with lead or pesticides. The group's report included Asian or "Korean" ginseng (Panax ginseng) and American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius).

FDA (Rockville, MD) reports that Wright County Egg (Galt, IA) has initiated a voluntary recall of an estimated 380 million shell eggs at risk of carrying Salmonella Enteritidis. The company's recall is on eggs that were shipped out to national U.S. food distributors in California, Illinois, Missouri, Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Iowa as far back as May 16, 2010.

Following Wright County Egg's (Galt, IA) voluntary recall of some 380 million eggs on August 13, FDA now reports that an additional company, Hillandale Farms of Iowa Inc. (New Hampton, IA), has been implicated in an egg recall.

Thirty-five percent of consumers have already eaten or would consider consuming products containing stevia, according to consumer data tracked by The NPD Group since last August.

The food industry currently accounts for 90% of worldwide usage of intense sweeteners'”in part, thanks to growing popularity of diet and low-sugar foods, according to market researcher Leatherhead Food Research...s 'The Global Market for Intense Sweeteners' report. The remaining 10% of the market is used by the pharmaceutical industry. A growing influence of China-based producers is among the trends impacting the market, says Leatherhead.

Bottled teas may not be as healthful as some consumers might think, according to research presented at this week...s national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS).

The stage could be set for luo han guo, also known as monk fruit, to eventually see the growing market success that stevia is currently experiencing in the United States, according to market researcher Innova Market Insights. Market penetration will largely depend on regulatory approvals. Currently, luo han guo, said to be 300 times sweeter than sugar, is mostly confined to supplements in the United States, and not food. (Innova says that most 2010 U.S. launches involved liquid, capsule, and tea-concentrate supplements.)

A team of scientists has discovered that ultrasound and electric shock can increase the polyphenol content in potatoes, according to research presented on Sunday at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society (ACS). ACS reports the findings as 'simple, inexpensive ways' to increase the antioxidant content of potatoes.

An unprecedented decision in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals could ramp up demands for adverse event reports (AERs), if not reversed, the Natural Products Association (NPA; Washington, DC) announced last week.