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BLIS Technologies Ltd. (Dunedin, New Zealand), developer of BLIS K12, a probiotic for upper airways infection prevention such as bacterial sore throats, tooth and gum disease and chronic bad breath, announced on October 17 that it had signed a distribution agreement with Frutarom, USA (North Bergen, NJ).

Alkemists Pharmaceuticals (Costa Mesa, CA) is on its way to becoming a carbon-neutral analytical laboratory by offsetting 100% of its CO2 emissions, the company said on July 30.

ChromaDex Corp. (Irvine, CA) raised $4.2 million through a private placement stock offering that began in March, the company said on August 8. New Castle Financial Services (New York City) acted as the private placement agent for the transaction, which yielded gross proceeds of $4.67 million.

Natural Alternatives International (NAI; San Marcos, CA) sold its As We Change catalog and Internet business for $2 million in cash, the company announced on August 5.The sale of the catalog business, operated by NAI’s wholly owned subsidiary Real Health Laboratories Inc., will enable NAI to concentrate on its private label and contract manufacturing clients.

The U.S. Pharmacopeia (Rockville, MD) opened a new, 1800-sq-meter facility in the Wtorre Technology Park in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on August 18. The facility, situated close to several of USP’s pharmaceutical clients, contains state-of-the-art office and laboratory space that the organization will use to dispense its publications and reference standards to local manufacturers.

Cognis Nutrition & Health received good manufacturing practices (GMPs) registration for its Covtiol vitamin E, Vegapure phytosterol, and Tonalin conjugated linoleic acid ingredients, the company announced on August 4. NSF International (Ann Arbor, MI) awarded the certification to Cognis’ production facilities in Kankakee, IL, and Illertissen, Germany, after conducting an intensive plant audit. NSF also will conduct periodic audits in the future.

Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has certified Capsugel’s (Greenwood, SC) Licaps liquid-fill production facility meets its regulatory requirements, the company announced on August 7.“The Australian GMP code is very thorough because it covers all medicines and is highly respected by many regulatory authorities around the world,” said Robert Whitelaw, director of sales, marketing, and business development for Capsugel’s Americas region.

Vitamins and minerals have nuanced effects that may vary depending on the study population.

You're excited, and elated. Clinical trials have proven conclusively that your new product works . It's like being in love-you want to shout it from the rooftops! You've developed a dietary supplement that will really help people with anemia, or arthritis, or obesity, or macular degeneration.

June 2008 was the deadline for large companies with more than 500 employees to comply with the final good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements. As the June 2009 and June 2010 deadlines for midsize and small companies loom closer, some manufacturers are still struggling to fulfill the rule's product-testing requirements. The April 2008 recall of two dietary supplement brands found to contain 200 times the amount of selenium listed on their labels highlights the fact that not every company is ready, willing, or able to hit the ground running.

German consumers will soon be the first in Europe to be able to buy low acrylamide baked goods, according to DSM Food Specialities. A German manufacturer of Speculatius Christmas biscuits will launch the biscuits in October in time for the Christmas.

The “Life…supplemented” Healthcare Professionals (HCP) Impact Study found that 79% of physicians and 82% of nurses recommend dietary supplements to their patients. The study also showed that 72% of physicians and 89% of nurses personally use vitamin, mineral, herbal and other supplements either regularly, occasionally or seasonally. In comparison, 68% of adults regularly take nutritional or dietary supplements.

A study published in the December 5 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) has raised important philosophical issues regarding nutrient research and demonstrated the confusion when new research contradicts earlier work.

FDA will issue a final rule next week in the Federal Register that describes official good manufacturing practices (GMPs) for dietary supplements. The rule is intended to ensure the quality of dietary supplements and prevent them from containing contaminated, impure, or adulterated materials.

  If one word could summarize the industry’s hopes and fears over the past 12 months, that word would be safety. A string of food scares in 2007 severely eroded public confidence in FDA. Meanwhile, a wave of negative media articles dented public confidence in dietary supplements and functional foods, two market segments that have been under increasing scrutiny.

  Food is critical for human existence. However, food goes beyond nourishment, as it encompasses a multitude of human experiences and emotions, and these vary between cultures and religions. More recently, food is being used and appreciated differently by women and men.

  When members of Congress hold a hearing, it’s usually not a sign of good news. However, when the House Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture convened on April 18 to discuss the status of USDA’s National Organic Program (NOP), it heard some very good news: organic products accounted for nearly 3% of all retail sales in 2005, pulling in just under $15 billion for the year.

  Food manufacturers that are looking for new opportunities might want to consider gluten-free products. On January 23, 2006, FDA proposed allowing voluntary labeling for the products, which lack proteins in wheat that can harm people with celiac disease-a chronic inflammatory disorder of the small intestine that affects up to 1% of the general population.