Thursday, July 7, 2011

Rising Up Against Durbin’s Bill

From Natural Products INSIDER

By Steve Myers

Once again, the Natural Products Association (NPA) is seeding a grassroots campaign to fight Congressional opposition to the dietary supplement industry and DSHEA. In the wake of Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin’s latest bill, this one proposing mandatory dietary supplement company registration and an FDA/IOM-compiled list of potentially dangerous ingredients, NPA is urging its 1,900-plus members to send letters to their legislators asking them to oppose Durbin’s bill, the Dietary Supplement Labeling Act.

Read More

Friday, July 1, 2011

On-Trend Products Defying Economic Downturn

From Nutraceuticals World

According to Netherlands-based Innova Market Insights, new food products with an ethical or premium positioning are on the rise despite the difficult economic situation. New data show that consumers, while pinching pennies elsewhere, are readily snatching up value-added products positioned on ethical platforms.


As a percentage of total U.S. launches, new food products with an ethical positioning grew from more than 3% in 2008 to 6% of introductions tracked in the first quarter of 2011. This paradigm shift comes as the wellness category is blurring to encompass new areas not typically considered as health and nutrition, such as “minimally processed,” “locally sourced” and “sustainable” and appealing to a more “responsible” American consumer increasingly concerned about the environment and sustainability.
Read More

Packaged Facts Reveals Food, Beverage & Snack Insights

From Natural Products INSIDER

Far outpacing growth in conventional groceries, U.S. retail sales of natural and organic foods and beverages rose to nearly $39 billion in 2010, an increase of 9% over the previous year, and 63% higher than sales five years earlier, according to “Natural and Organic Foods and Beverages in the U.S., 3rd Edition” by market research publisher Packaged Facts.


The next several years are forecast to experience even greater growth. Packaged Facts projects 2011 will serve as a jump-start for the market as sales ultimately increase by a dramatic 45% by the end of the year. Overall projections are that the market will grow by 103% between 2010 and 2015, with total annual sales exceeding $78 billion in 2015.
Read More

Negative EU Claims List Won’t Come Before Summer 2012

From Nutraceuticals World

The threat of an EU-wide ban on the use of article 13.1 claims on the European Commission’s negative register is not expected before next summer, according to international food policy consultancy EAS. Stefanie Geiser, EAS regulatory affairs manager, said as the European Commission has indicated it intends to present its proposal for an article 13.1 “Union list” of claims to the Standing Committee for discussion and potential adoption only by the end of 2011, it was unlikely that any ban on rejected claims would come into force before spring or summer 2012.
Read More