Nature’s Formulary (Clifton Park, NY) announced the launch of Ayurveda+Infolink, a nationwide program dedicated to increasing the education and awareness of ayurveda and Nature’s Formulary Ayurvedic Products. The program features Nature’s Formulary’s network of ayurvedic professionals, practitioners and educators spanning the entire United States.

“At the disposal of Nature’s Formulary for the purposes of providing training to retail store staff and educational seminars to consumers at in-store events, Ayurveda+Infolink program staff now give us the ability to reach a wider base even quicker,” said Kristin Giuliani, national sales and marketing manager at Nature’s Formulary.

The training and educational programs not only cover the company’s traditional ayurvedic supplements that are based on the tri-dosha concept, but there is also a significant amount of education on ayurveda and how everyone can design a lifestyle plan that includes herbal supplements, personal care, diet, exercise, massage and more.

For more information, call (800) 923-9338, ext. 10, or visit www.naturesformulary.com.

Among people who use dietary supplements, fish oil supplements are nearly as popular as multivitamins, according to a recent survey by ConsumerLab.com, which also publishes test reports on supplements. The survey is based on responses collected in November 2008 from six thousand supplement users who receive the company’s e-newsletter.

The survey found that multivitamins were used by 73.8 percent of all respondents, followed in popularity by fish oil (71.6 percent), calcium (55.3 percent) and CoQ10 (50.9 percent) supplements. Among people using 10 or more supplements each day, use of fish oil (84.8 percent) exceeded that of multivitamins (75.5 percent), and use of CoQ10 (78.9 percent) exceeded that of calcium (67.6 percent).

The survey also reported that the use of most supplements increased with age, while use of multivitamins declined slightly. Dramatic increases with age were seen with vitamin D (use increased from 21 percent among those under age 35 to 47.4 percent among those 65 years and older) and CoQ10 (use increased from 28.8 percent to 60.1 percent for the two age groups, respectively).

In addition, ratings were given for 1,087 brands and 380 merchants. Fifty-five brands and 28 merchants (grocery stores, catalog/internet brands, mass market brands, pharmacy brands and more) received at least 100 consumer ratings. The top-rated supplement brand in health food stores was Barlean’s.

A comprehensive 86-page report based on the ConsumerLab.com 2009 Survey of Vitamin and Supplement Users is available for purchase.

For more information, visit http://www.consumerlab.com/CLSurveyBrochure2009.pdf or contact Lisa Sabin, vice president for business development, at lisa.sabin@consumerlab.com.

Dietary Supplement Practice Leader Greg Doherty of Poms & Associates Insurance Brokers, Inc. announced a new product recall legal liability insurance coverage has been introduced. Coverage is provided by an undisclosed insurance company rated “A” by the A.M. Best rating organization.

“Product recall insurance forms have always been tailored for retail operations, which is to be expected after the infamous recalls of Tylenol, Menu Food (pet food) and numerous others over the years,” Doherty said. “But the insurance policy forms were not a good fit for their suppliers, as many exclusions and limitations that were acceptable to a retailer were not acceptable to a supplier.”

The new coverage fills that void and enables the insurance company to respond to product recall legal liability imposed on a supplier (such as a supplement raw material supplier or contract manufacturer) if the company is found to be legally liable for costs associated with their customers’ recall of a product.

The recall of a product does not have to be mandated by a regulatory body for coverage to be triggered, Poms & Associates said. Voluntary recalls are covered if there is imminent danger of a product causing bodily injury to a person. The insurance will fit almost any industry where a basic supplier/customer relationship exists, it said.

For more information, contact Greg Doherty at (818) 449-9317 or GDoherty@pomsassoc.com, or visit www.pomsassoc.com.

The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) recently announced the publication of its newest white paper, “Heavy metal analysis and interim recommended limits for botanical dietary supplements,” which outlines information critical to successful compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP), it said.

AHPA’s white paper presents the association’s proposed interim limits for lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic, which were announced in October 2008, with accompanying explanations as to how these limits were determined. Additionally, the document addresses:
• Regulations concerning lead, mercury, cadmium and arsenic in products sold in the US;
• Daily limits set for these chemicals by US and international regulatory agencies;
• Available analytical methods for measuring heavy metals;
• Guidance on how to determine which analytical methods are most suitable for dietary supplements; and
• Selecting a contract lab that can properly conduct heavy metal testing.

“Heavy metal analysis and interim recommended limits for botanical dietary supplements” is available for purchase by non-members at AHPA’s online bookstore. AHPA members can login and download a free copy at www.ahpa.org/Default.aspx?tabid=211. The white paper will also be provided free to registrants of AHPA’s webinar, “Setting and Meeting Specifications for Contaminants in Finished Products Under cGMP,” which took place January 22 at 1 pm EST.

Evergreen Publishing, Inc. (El Cajon, CA) announced the publication of The 2009 Non-GMO Sourcebook, a directory of suppliers of non-GMO seeds, grains, ingredients, food products and related products and service. In its eighth year of publication, The Non-GMO Sourcebook has tripled in size growing from 200 listings in 2001 to more than 700 this year.

The book is published annually by Evergreen Publishing, Inc., publisher of The Organic & Non-GMO Report, a monthly journal that helps farmers and food manufacturers respond to the challenges of GMO foods.

For more information, call (800) 854-0586 or visit www.non-gmoreport.com.

The latest review from the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD) shows that in 2008, food and drink claims classified as “natural,” including all natural, no additives/preservatives, organic and whole grain were the most frequently featured on new products globally. Natural claims appeared on nearly one in four (23 percent) food and drink launches in 2008, a nine percent increase from 2007.

In the US, Mintel GNPD saw an even greater percentage of new food and drink products launched with natural claims. One-third of new launches highlighted these attributes, up 16 percent from 2007.

While natural claims increased on new food and drink launches in 2008, fortified “plus” claims such as added vitamins or calcium took the hardest hit. These claims fell 20 percent during 2008, appearing on just one in 20 new product launches worldwide, according to Mintel GNPD.

What is more, “minus” claims (low-fat, reduced sugar, low-calorie, etc.), once the height of healthy living, have begun to fall off in popularity on new products. Between 2007 and 2008, the number of new minus-claiming food and drink launches started to stagnate globally.