Gift of Hope, Inc., a charity started by the owners and employees of National Enzyme Company (Forsyth, MO), has recently acquired My Neighbor’s Pantry, a local food pantry serving over 1,800 people monthly in Northeast Taney County. The pantry has been in operation for the past six years; however, the building used for its operations has recently been leased to another entity leaving the Pantry in a position to shut its doors.

In recent months, Gift of Hope’s board of directors had been considering expanding its programs to include a food pantry. When they became aware of the dilemma concerning My Neighbor’s Pantry, the board recognized an immediate means of expansion through a mutually beneficial acquisition.

Backed by the employees of National Enzyme Company, Gift of Hope has been serving the needs of children and families in Taney County for over 20 years. Currently Gift of Hope, Inc. sponsors programs to provide children with school supplies, food and clothing. In addition, Gift of Hope provides assistance to qualified families in need with rent, utilities, food and Christmas gifts, particularly during the winter months when the need can be the greatest in Taney County.

For more information about Gift of Hope, Inc. call (417) 546-8062 or visit www.giftofhopeinc.org. To learn more about National Enzyme Company call (800) 825-8545 or visit www.nationalenzyme.com.

In response to demands from consumers, athletes and coaches, NSF launched a new online resource, www.nsfsport.com, that provides information to help athletes choose safer, quality products. Additional information, such as recent news stories on doping in sports and educational resources, can also be found on the website.
  
NSF’s Athletic Banned Substances Certification Program creates a level playing field for athletes committed to fair play by certifying sports supplements that have met NSF’s certification guidelines, it said. The certification program provides key preventive measures to protect against adulteration of products, verify label claims with product contents, as well as identify any banned substances in the finished product. The program has been recommended by athletic organizations including Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, the National Football League, the Professional Golf Association, the National Football League Players Association and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sports.
  
Products that have been certified by NSF are listed on www.nsfsport.com and NSF’s listings page at www.nsf.org/Certified/Dietary, as well as bear the NSF Certified for Sport™ Mark to demonstrate that a product has met all program requirements, which include:
• Toxicology review   
• Facility inspection/Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) audit   
• Annual laboratory testing/analysis  
• Product certification

Democrats in the US Senate and House of Representatives have introduced legislation to ban the controversial packaging chemical, Bisphenol A (BPA) from all food and beverage containers.

The bills, introduced by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) would greatly expand efforts to limit the chemical from products for young children.

BPA is used in baby bottles to make them shatter proof and is also used in the internal protective linings for food and beverage cans. Some studies have claimed the packaging chemical can harm infants. Already, six major US baby bottle manufacturers announced plans recently to stop using the chemical.

Feinstein, who introduced the ban in the Senate, said that chemical companies should not use US consumers as guinea pigs while further scientific evidence about the potential effects of BPA is sought.

But Steve Hentges, executive director of the American Chemical Council’s (ACC) Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group, said the council and its members that manufacture and use BPA are committed to providing products that protect public health and safety, especially when it comes to children.

The ACC, in its continued defense of the packaging chemical, highlights a safety assessment completed last year by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which concluded that “an adequate margin of safety exists for BPA at current levels of exposure from food contact uses, for infants and adults.”

On February 20, Cognis (Cincinnati, OH) signed an agreement to sell its Botanicals Extracts Business to Burgundy Botanical Extracts Iberia, S.A. (Burgundy, Reyssouze, France). On March 3, Cognis and Burgundy announced that the sale of the Botanicals Extracts Business was formally completed.

Cognis sold its Botanicals Extracts Business in order to streamline its portfolio in businesses, which offer critical mass and bring competitive synergies in its key markets, the company said.

The Botanicals Extracts Business focuses on the production of botanical extracts for pharmaceuticals, dietary supplements and cosmetics, and operates two production sites in Spain, said Cognis. In 2007, it generated net sales of around nine million euros. Its main products—liquorice derivatives, phytopharmaceuticals and dry and liquid herbal extracts for dietary supplements and cosmetic industries—are supplied to customers around the world.

Under the agreement, Cognis will continue production and distribution of certain botanical products for the cosmetics industry and will retain ownership of its Plantalin range, comprising of selective plant extracts designed for functional food and beverage applications. Burgundy Botanical Extracts will distribute the Plantalin range to the pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements industry in the EU.

For more information, call (800) 254-1029 or visit www.cognis.com.

The Organic Trade Association (OTA) expressed support and encouragement for the Canadian and US governments in their efforts to reach an organic equivalency agreement. Progress on the Canadian-US talks was announced at OTA’s Policy Conference in Washington, DC on March 25.

Speaking at the conference, Barbara Robinson, deputy administrator at USDA in charge of the National Organic Program, announced that the two governments had agreed to sign a letter of intent to complete the negotiations and finalize an agreement by this summer, when Canada’s new organic regulation comes into effect.

An equivalency agreement would allow for the smooth flow of certified organic goods between the two countries, supporting the continued growth of this rapidly expanding market in North America, said OTA.

OTA stated that it is grateful for the efforts of both governments to make such important progress toward an agreement, especially the way in which they have worked with the organic sector to understand the need for trade between Canada and the US to continue. “Canada is the US’s most important customer when it comes to organic products, and we don’t want to see any unnecessary disruption to this relationship,” said Christine Bushway, executive director of OTA.

“Canadian consumers will definitely benefit from this, and will continue to enjoy quality year-round organic products from the United States,” said Matthew Holmes, managing director, OTA in Canada. “At the same time, Canadian farmers and manufacturers will be able to certify to our organic standards without having to take on additional, redundant certifications to sell into the United States—so everybody wins.”

For more information, visit www.ota.com.

TerraSphere Systems, LLC (Boston, MA) announced an ongoing partnership between Squamish Nation leaders and Choices Markets, a British Columbia-based grocer for gourmet and organic foods. The Squamish Nation has purchased 20 TerraSphere growth carousels for the production of basil and herbs that will be sold exclusively in eight Choices Markets across the region.

TerraSphere Systems designs and builds highly efficient systems, called growth carousels, which provide a natural means of growing organic fruits and vegetables in an indoor environment. Revolutionizing the way communities access fresh, organic produce, TerraSphere Systems rely on clean technology to create ideal growing conditions for commercially desirable crops, it said.

The Squamish Nation are descendants of the Coast Salish Aboriginal peoples who now live in the present day Greater Vancouver area. They are involved in several multi- million dollar business ventures throughout the region and see the TerraSphere growth carousels as a unique agricultural opportunity.

For more information, call (617) 557-5440 or visit www.terraspheresystems.com.

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