Germany has become the latest European country to ban sales of the
popular herbal remedy kava kava amid fears that large doses of the
product can lead to liver failure or even death. The move is likely
to increase the pressure on...
Chemical giant BASF Corporation is to pay more than $17 million to
Farmland Industries, the bankrupt US farmer-owned co-operative, to
settle a vitamin price-fixing lawsuit, according to court papers.
An alleged attempt by US-based dietary supplement manufacturer
Metabolife to prevent scientific experts giving evidence against
its weight loss products has been dismissed by a US judge,
according to lawyers acting for the plaintiffs.
The European Commission has introduced new regulations governing
the marketing and labelling of olive oil and products containing
olive oil in a bid to protect consumers from misleading claims.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has responded to a
request from the US Congress and drawn up a detailed analysis of
the likely cost of implementing the Dietary Supplement Strategy
10-Year Plan, drawn up in January 2000 to...
A range of dietary supplements sold in the UK have been irradiated
in breach of food regulations, found a survey by the UK Food
Standards Agency. As a consequence companies with affected products
have been told to remove them from...
The folic acid debate continues with an editorial published in this
week's British Medical Journal damning Europe's failure to
introduce mandatory fortification of flour.
President Bush is being put under pressure to find someone to take
on the role of head of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA),
reports the Financial Times.
A British consumer organisation has attacked the EU decision to
regulate the vitamins and dietary supplements industry in a letter
to the Daily Telegraph newspaper.
The chairman of the UK Food Standard's Agency (FSA) responds to
criticism of the agency's decision not to introduce folic acid
fortification in Britain.
The Hemp Industries Association (HIA) in the US said it was
confident that the Court of Appeals would uphold its claim that the
Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) attempt to ban nutritious
hemp foods was illegal and...
The Australia New Zealand Food Authority (ANZFA) has warned users
of the infant formula Portagen to stop using the product following
the revelation last week that the product was linked to the death
of a premature infant.
PC SPES, the popular herbal supplement which was withdrawn from
sale earlier this year after it was found to contain traces of
blood thinner wafarin, also contained an oestrogen drug and a
painkiller, according to new research.
Ireland's food safety agency is investigating whether food
supplements containing animal by-products could cause variant
Cruetzfeldt Jakob Disease, the human form of mad cow disease.
As the UK considers whether to fortify flour with folic acid in a
bid to improve the health of the nation, not everyone is convinced
of the benefits of such a move.
The growing trend towards the use of alternative herbal treatments
has prompted the United Arab Emirates to warn consumers about the
potential health risks involved in using unregistered medicines.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has clamped down on the
sale of nicotine lollipops via pharmacies and the Internet, warning
that the products could easily be consumed by children.
A government advisory panel in the United Arab Emirates, is
considering the possibility of fortifying flour with iron in a bid
to stave off the threat of anaemia caused by iron deficiency.
Sucking on nicotine-laced lollipops is catching on as a way to quit
smoking, but critics showed concern this week about the products'
appeal to children and urged a ban until studies prove they are
safe and effective.
Athletes are using increasing amounts of dietary supplements to
help boost their performance, but many of the products they use are
contaminated by substances that could result in positive tests for
anabolic steroids, according to...
A US District Court has issued a permanent injunction prohibiting a
company called High Performance Living Corporation from selling
nutritional supplements containing yeast beta 1,3 glucan in
violation of patents owned by Biopolymer...
The Council for Responisble Nutrition has become the second US
supplement association to issue voluntary warning labels about the
potential health risks of kava kava following a similar move by the
American Herbal Products Association...
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) has been quick to
react to the announcement earlier this week by the FDA that
consumers should be wary of using the herbal supplement kava kava
because of possible liver damage. The...
The White House Commission on Complementary and Alternative
Medicine Policy (WHCCAMP), established by former President Clinton,
said most alternative treatments "have not yet been
scientifically studied and found to be safe and...
The debate over the safety of the popular herbal supplement kava
kava continued yesterday with the announcement by the US Food &
Drug Adminstration that there was a risk of liver damage associated
with the product.
A consumer group is accusing the marketer of a fungus-based meat
substitute of "deceptive labelling" and has filed a
complaint with the US Food and Drug Administration, Advertising Age
reports.
Canadian agribusiness group Kenex is to meet with federal agencies
in the US next week to discuss the proposed ban on foods made from
hemp. Kenex has been growing and processing hemp oil, seed and
fibre products in Canada for distribution...
Red Bull and vodka is a popular drink in many British and Irish
bars, but its popularity could be dampened by a recent warning that
the energy drink, and others like it, should not be drunk with
alcohol.
Consumer advocacy group Public Citizen on Tuesday asked US
regulators to ban Abbott Laboratories' diet drug Meridia, linking
the anti-obesity medicine to several deaths in the United States
and Europe.
In adopting the new EU Directive on Food Supplements last week the
European Parliament laid the foundations for a period of developing
legislative stability for companies involved in food and health
ingredients. Considered by some...
Safety fears over Chinese herbal medicines increased this week
after potentially toxic substances were found in a slimming remedy
sold in the UK. Two people had to be treated for severe
side-effects after taking a cocktail of remedies.
Despite fierce lobbying which at one stage caused the European
Parliament's email system to crash, MEPs yesterday voted to approve
plans for a tightening of the safety controls for vitamin
supplements.
The European Commission has issued a strong statement denouncing
claims in many UK newspapers yesterday that the proposed new rules
for vitamin supplements would push thousands of companies out of
business.
Tomorrow will see the second reading of the European Union's draft
proposals for a directive on food supplements, sparking a new round
of condemnation from supplement manufacturers and retailers across
the Community.
Over 100 organic farms in the UK could be at risk of being tainted
by genetically modified crop test sites, according to research by
an organic farming group.
Three national trade associations representing dietary supplement
producers are about to be established and join IADSA, the
International Alliance of Dietary/Food Supplements Associations.
