In a move that will strengthen efforts to focus the nation’s attention on the benefits provided by dietary supplements and other natural products, the Natural Products Foundation (NPF) announced on June 18 that the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance (DSEA) has become part of the foundation.

As part of the affiliation and in order to take advantage of the NPF’s tax-exempt status, DSEA was dissolved as a corporate entity. To ensure that the programs DSEA contributors have supported over the years are continued and the organization’s expertise tapped, Elliott Balbert, DSEA’s founder and most recent president, along with past-president Jon Benninger, have joined the foundation’s board of directors. Long-time DSEA staffer Deb Knowles has also joined the foundation team.

“The Natural Products Foundation is an amazing group of industry stakeholders,” said Balbert, who founded DSEA in 2001. “Given the apparent collaboration of our efforts, it made sense for both groups to establish a formal affiliation, which we are most excited to announce to you today. The quality and scope of the foundation’s programs, especially with the addition of the programs DSEA pioneered, are well worth the continued support of our industry.”

For more information, visit www.naturalproductsfoundation.org or call (202) 223-0101 x103.

Nourish America’s (Ojai. CA) partners in Iowa are urgently requesting nutritional support for evacuees and emergency workers affected by the statewide flooding disaster. At this time, more than 36,000 people have been evacuated from 23 Iowa cities and rural county areas. In fact, 83 out of 99 of Iowa’s counties have been declared state disaster areas. Ten of these counties are under mandatory or voluntary evacuations. Experts estimate that flood victims and evacuees will require support for at least two weeks. Nourish America activated its Disaster Relief Program to support these families and emergency workers during this difficult time. It has partnered with United Way, Catholic Worker and the United Methodist Committee on Relief.

The following items are increasingly needed:
• Cash Funds
• Protein and meal replacement bars
• Protein and meal replacement drinks
• Protein and meal replacement powders
• Energy drinks
• Shelf stable dairy products
• Shelf stable prepared foods
• Ready–to–eat snacks
• Cereal packets
• Shelf stable juice
• Shelf stable baby food
• Multi-vitamins for children, adults and seniors
• Other supportive nutritional supplements
• Cleaning solutions
• Hand sanitation products
• Body and skin care products

To donate, please contact mary@nourishamerica.org, call (805) 715-
2693 or visit www.nourishamerica.org.

The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt signed a memorandum of understanding with Chinese Vice Minister of Health Wang Guoqiang to foster collaboration between scientists in both countries in research on integrative and traditional Chinese medicine.

The signing marks the opening of a two-day traditional Chinese medicine Research Roundtable at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The roundtable features scientific presentations by researchers from China and the US. Topics include the synthesis of Western medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, criteria for evaluating traditional Chinese medicine practices, and the application of modern scientific tools such as proteomics (the study of proteins) to the study of traditional Chinese medicine.

Participants in the roundtable include a delegation from the Chinese State Administration on Traditional Chinese Medicine, academics from US universities, and scientists and researchers from NIH, Indian Health Service and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Secretary Leavitt was joined at the signing by FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach, MD, and NCCAM Director Josephine P. Briggs, MD.

The roundtable, which was coordinated by NCCAM, National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Complementary and Alternative Medicine and the Fogarty International Center, is being held in advance of the Fourth Session of the United States-China Strategic Economic Dialogue, which began June 16 in Annapolis, MD.

For more information visit www.hhs.gov.

VitaTropic™ is the newest addition to Cyvex Nutrition’s (Irvine, CA) portfolio of innovative proprietary antioxidants for the dietary supplement industry. VitaTropic is a high-ORAC tropical extract of exotic fruits noni, açai, mangosteen and pomegranate with ORAC 6,000 mcmole TE/g and 40 percent polyphenols.

“VitaTropic is an advanced and sophisticated blend of potent antioxidants, suitable for use on its own or blended in formulas for immune support and cardiovascular support,” said Matt Phillips, president and CEO of Cyvex Nutrition. “Fruits that flourish in tropical environments require superior antioxidant capabilities to protect them from the vagaries of tropical weather and insects, thus antioxidants are found in potent quantities in these fruits.”

In addition, the fruits included in this extract are also considered hot and trendy as refreshing beverages, so VitaTropic’s blend also offers a powerful brand story that consumers will find attractive.

For more information call (888) 99-CYVEX or visit www.cyvex.com.

At the InnoBev Global Soft Drinks Congress in Moscow, a groundbreaking new standard—Carbon Action Plan (CAP)—was launched to provide beverage companies, and their suppliers, with a common worldwide scheme for carbon footprint measurement. It also enables audited results to be combined with other environmental information in a consumer-friendly form on product labels.

This innovative approach has been developed as a joint venture between two world-leading industry advisors food and drink industry consultancy, Zenith International Ltd., and food safety and standards organization, NSF International. They are working closely with Trucost Plc, an international environmental research provider recognized by Defra (the UK Government's Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs).

The Carbon Action Plan (CAP), unlike other plans, will be global. It will extend carbon footprints right up to the store shelf and will cover a range of sustainability ratings. These are:

• The amount of renewable energy used;
• The percentage of recycled material in the packaging;
• The number of water litres used to make 1 litre of product;
• The extent of a company's carbon reduction in the previous two years; and
• The amount of carbon emissions verified as having been offset.

The CAP label design is based on ideas used for nutrition labeling so that consumers will understand them more easily.

The Carbon Action Plan will first be implemented across the bottled water industry, and pilots are in the process of being established with leading companies in each continent. Soft drinks will be the next priority, and the scheme will then be rolled out to other food and drink sectors.

For more information visit www.cappartnership.com or contact NSF at +32 2771 3654.

Newman’s Own Organics (Aptos, CA) has added a line of 95 percent organic grain-free canned beef and liver products for cats and dogs. The product is complete and balanced food providing all essential vitamins and minerals. The varieties available are Beef, Beef & Liver, and Liver. The products carry the USDA Organic Seal that validates that at least 95 percent of the ingredients are organic.

“We did a lot of research before choosing Uruguay as our source for beef for this new product,” states Nell Newman, co-founder and president of Newman’s Own Organics. “The country has optimum conditions to produce meat because of abundant rainfall, lowlands without mountains, fertile soil, and vast systems of rivers and brooks. Because of the temperate climate, animals can be kept without confinement on rich pastures. They are range fed, eliminating feedlots and the chance for E. coli in the beef. Another advantage to this natural feeding method is that the meat is less marbled, lower in fat, and healthier. Using this single source of beef and liver also ensures the ability to trace the source.”

Uruguay is considered one of the cleanest countries in by the world with one of the largest clean water supplies in the world. The animals are not corn-fed so that all the meat is typically at least 85 percent lean, as well as human grade with no by-products used. The country is internationally recognized as a BSE (Bovine spongiform encephalopathy) free nation and industry. Growth hormone and antibiotic use is prohibited by law and enforced by private and governmental agencies.

For more information visit www.newmansownorganics.com.