2013 Vity Awards
Winners represent products and services for which health food retailers voted because their customers cast the ultimate vote: with their pocketbooks. more...
With an increasing vegan and vegetarian population, including “dabbling” consumers, manufacturers push innovation to offer expansive supplement options. more...
Probiotics are experiencing big growth in line with increased awareness about “traditional” benefits. Clinical data is anticipated that could expand this development. more...
CSPI Urges FDA to Prohibit Sale of Ginkgo
Following a government report that the herbal ingredient Ginkgo biloba causes cancer in lab animals, the nonprofit Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is urging the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit its use in foods and dietary supplements. CSPI noted that the FDA should give the industry a reasonable time to comply with such a directive and then seize whatever products remain on shelves to protect consumers.
“Ginkgo biloba has literally been used for thousands of years, and this attempt by CSPI to discredit this safe and beneficial dietary supplement demonstrates an irresponsible misinterpretation of both the science and the intent of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) in reviewing ginkgo,” said Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) in response to CSPI’s request. “This premature evaluation from CSPI reveals an abuse of its position, a lack of understanding about the regulation of food by FDA, and presents a true disservice to consumers.”
A March report from the NTP found “clear evidence” that ginkgo caused liver cancer in mice and “some evidence” that ginkgo caused thyroid cancer in rats. Researchers from NTP told The New York Times on April 29 that the number of cancers found in the mice exceeded the numbers ever seen before in their lab.
In response to CSPI’s request, FDA responded in part by saying, “…it is not scientifically valid to conclude with certainty that dietary supplement products containing Ginkgo biloba are unsafe based solely on data from the new NTP study. In the study, rats and mice were fed amounts of ginkgo extracts (by body weight) that may be considerably greater from those, which a consumer would normally ingest from a dietary supplement product containing Ginkgo biloba. In addition, there may be differences in the extract used in these studies in contrast to what is available on the market for ginkgo biloba dietary supplements.”
For more information, visit http://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/LT_rpts/TR578_508.pdf, www.cspinet.org and www.crnusa.org.
Inergetics to Launch Martha Stewart Naturals
Inergetics (Newark, NJ) has announced that it has entered into a partnership with Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia (MSO, New York, NY) to create Martha Stewart Naturals, a line of six specially crafted supplements to support good health. The line will be available at retailers and drug stores starting in the fall of 2013.
The author of the newly published best-selling Living the Good Long Life: A Practical Guide to Caring for Yourself and Others, Stewart is furthering her commitment to living well with this new line of women’s supplements. “I envisioned nutritious whole food-based supplements for women who live their lives the way I do, healthily and with passion,” said Stewart. “I have confidence that consumers will recognize the high quality and nutritional value these formulas deliver, and that they will become as excited about them as I am.”
“Martha Stewart Naturals will be the first branded line of women’s supplements on the market today,” added Marshall Post, executive vice president of Inergetics. “Martha Stewart’s products will resonate with consumers who strive to live as gracefully and healthily as she does.”
For more information, visit www.inergetics.com or www.marthastewart.com.
Non-GMO Project Responds to Wheat Contamination
On May 29, The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that an unapproved variety of genetically engineered (GE) glyphosate-resistant wheat was found in samples taken from a farm in Oregon. The variety detected was the same variety that Monsanto (St. Louis, MO) grew in test plots in 16 states from 1998 to 2005. There are no GE wheat varieties currently approved for sale in the United States or any other country.
“We are taking this situation very seriously and have launched a formal investigation. Our first priority is to as quickly as possible determine the circumstances and extent of the situation and how it happened,” said Michael Firko, acting deputy administrator for APHIS’ Biotechnology Regulatory Services, in a statement. “We are collaborating with state, industry and trading partners on this situation and are committed to providing timely information about our findings. USDA will put all necessary resources toward this investigation.”
The Non-GMO Project responded by coordinating a surveillance testing strategy to help assess the extent of the contamination. The testing plan includes sampling wheat products from the national retail market as well as raw plant material directly from Oregon. “Our priority right now is to assure the integrity of Non-GMO Project Verified products and to assist in the USDA’s investigation,” said Megan Westgate, executive director of the Non-GMO Project. “The current situation is yet another reminder of the serious risks posed by open-air field trials of unapproved GMO crops.
“We remain hopeful that this is an isolated incident, but the Non-GMO Project will do whatever it takes to protect the consumer's right to know,” Westgate added.
For more information, visit www.nongmoproject.org.
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