Call Us Toll Free (800) 688-5956
In December, FDA announced the formation of a working group to improve oversight of the dietary supplement industry. The industry immediately wondered about the working group’s participants and objectives, including whether it would make substantive changes affecting dietary supplements without outside input. In an interview, an FDA official explained the internal working group is focused on improving…
Transparency has become a reality, not an aspiration, in today’s marketplace. Understandably, customers and consumers in the dietary supplement industry have learned to expect more from companies, and are becoming progressively more demanding. Ingredient manufacturers are becoming the cultural pivot point for change, and supply chains have been the focus of improvement. Expectations about transparency…
The world’s population is increasing rapidly. All people need to eat and there is no denying that protein supplies an essential part of a healthy daily diet. However, protein sources can exert an enormous impact on the environment and the world. Scientists around the globe are investigating plant-based alternatives to animal proteins. These alternatives can…
On May 27, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published a definition of “dietary fiber” and created a pre-approval system for various isolated and synthetic non-digestible carbohydrates (NDCs). For all food labeled on or after Jan. 1, 2020, the isolated or synthetic NDCs must be determined by FDA to have a physiological effect…
Consumer advocates, some Democratic lawmakers and industry trade organizations reacted differently to FDA’s willingness to examine possible reform of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). The divergent reactions reflect stark differences of opinion over the reputation of the dietary supplement industry and its 25-year-old regulatory regime. Peter Lurie, M.D., a former…
t’s true cannabidiol (CBD) is a drug. GW Pharmaceuticals went to great effort and expense to determine the clinical benefits of CBD. The specific, single-entity chemical is considered a drug because FDA approved it as one, and that is how the U.S. regulatory system operates. The regulatory system also renders items as drugs based exclusively…
The world is half female. At least half of the sporting world is female; however, most products are formulated for men or based on research conducted mostly on men. Women are not small men. They are different anatomically, physiologically, biologically and biochemically. The biggest difference, and one of the primary reasons given for lack of…
Fatty acids belong to a category of biological molecules called lipids (or fats), which are generally water-insoluble but highly soluble in organic solvents. Chemically, a fatty acid is a non-polar long aliphatic hydrocarbon molecule chain that has an acidic carboxylic acid group (COOH) at one end of its molecule, and a methyl group (CH3) at the other…
In the past decade, products made with plant proteins have evolved to include a wide variety of flavors, textures and formats for every eating occasion. A broader range of consumers now seeks plant-based protein goods, particularly consumers under age 40 who eat meat but are incorporating other options. Dairy alternative, sports nutrition and snacks are…
The big question about turmeric and curcumin asks how long its explosive growth will last. Will this superstar spice ingredient sustain its popularity and reach omega-3 status or fade into the background as a once-hot natural product trend? Thanks to the wide body of data generated in recent years, curcumin’s benefits categories have broadened substantially.…