NPA expert says study on omega-3 supplements and cardiovascular disease 'limited' & 'inaccurate'
Natural Products Association
The Natural Products Association (NPA) is the leading representative of the dietary supplement industry with over 1,900 members, including suppliers and retailers of vitamins and other dietary supplements. Dr. Cara Welch, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, comments on an Archives of Internal Medicine study that suggests there is insufficient evidence that omega-3 fatty acid supplements offer secondary prevention of cardiovascular events in patients with heart disease.More

FDA's Dr. Fabricant to address FDA GMP Rule during NPA webinar
Natural Products Association
Don't miss your opportunity to hear directly from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Rule [21 CFR 111]. NPA presents an all-new, two-part webinar featuring Dr. Daniel Fabricant, director of dietary supplement programs at the FDA. In Part 1 of the webinar on April 24, Fabricant will provide an update from the FDA including: FY2011 statistics on GMP enforcement and non-compliance trends, recent enforcement activities and inspection findings, an outline of current agency priorities, and much more. Secure your spot and register today!More

Win a trip to Las Vegas courtesy of NPA MarketPlace!
Natural Products Association
Simply register for NPA MarketPlace by April 27, qualify as a buyer using promo code VEGAS, and you will automatically be entered to win round trip airfare and up to three nights hotel for NPA MarketPlace. Winners will be contacted via email. Early Bird Deadline is approaching fast! Qualified retail buyers and distributors enjoy FREE early bird pricing through April 27. Qualified health practitioner buyers who are Natural Products Association members are also eligible for the free early bird registration price until April 27. All other categories are encouraged to register before April 27 to take advantage of discounted early bird rates. NPA MarketPlace 2012 will be held June 14-16 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center/The Venetian Resort Hotel. To learn more about attending and badge registration, visit www.NPAMarketPlace.com (use code ENPA to register). Qualified retail buyers receive complimentary badge registration and NPA members receive special member pricing on exhibit space.More

FDA chief wants more inspectors at Savannah, Ga., port
The Associated Press via Bloomberg Businessweek
The FDA's top official said she wants more inspectors at the booming Port of Savannah, Ga., where the agency keeps a lookout for safety hazards ranging from spoiled fish to counterfeit drugs. FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg said her agency has only four inspectors in Savannah and that "we're hoping to double that in the very near term."More

FDA releases 2nd edition of the 'Bad Bug Book'
Food Safety News
The FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition just published the second edition of the Bad Bug Book, which now includes a separate "consumer box" for each chapter to provide more non-technical explanations. The book provides current information about the major known agents that cause foodborne illness, according to the FDA.More

Amid pink slime, consumers want details about their food
The Des Moines Register via USA Today
The controversy over beef trimmings is the latest in a series of nationwide concerns that have put consumers on edge. One factor is food safety. A salmonella outbreak in the past two months that has sickened scores of Americans is being blamed on tainted sushi. Beef products contaminated with E. coli forced the recall of at least 200,000 pounds of ground beef from January 2011 through last month.More

USDA mobile app enables individuals across the country to help stop the spread of citrus diseases
PRWeb via Virtual-Strategy Magazine
Just in time for Earth Day, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service released a free Save Our Citrus app that makes it easy to identify and report the four leading citrus diseases: citrus greening, citrus canker, citrus black spot and sweet orange scab. Answers are now available for citrus growers who are worried that their tree looks sick or that their citrus fruits are misshapen or discolored.More

Berries, tea may cut men's odds for Parkinson's
HealthDay News
Regular consumption of food and drink rich in substances called flavonoids, such as berries, apples, tea and red wine, can lower a man's risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 40 percent, new research suggests. For women, however, a reduction in risk was only seen when they ate at least several servings of berries a week, according to the study. Men also had a risk reduction from frequently eating berries.More

Potential method to control obesity: Red wine, fruit compound could help block fat cell formation
ScienceDaily
A compound found in red wine, grapes and other fruits, and similar in structure to resveratrol, is able to block cellular processes that allow fat cells to develop, opening a door to a potential method to control obesity, according to a Purdue University study. The research said that the compound piceatannol blocks an immature fat cell's ability to develop and grow.More

Vitamin D may influence racial differences in breast cancer risks
NutraIngredients.com
Variations in levels of vitamin D and vitamin D receptors could hold the key to racial differences in the risk of developing breast cancer, suggest researchers.More

Vitamin K1 or K2 effective for bone boosting potential
NutraIngredients.com
Adding vitamin K to dairy-enriched with calcium and vitamin D may enhance the bone boosting potential of the formulation for postmenopausal women, says a new study.More

10 ways to attract millennials to your natural product
Functional Ingredients via New Hope 360
Natural consumers continue to morph. While natural product manufacturers have traditionally targeted baby boomers, new natural consumer market segments are emerging. Of particular interest are the millennials, the generation of more than 50 million people who span the ages of 18 to 32.More

How to network online without 'sidling'
American Express' OPEN Forum
With public lists of "who is friends with whom," social networks can become a "target-rich hunting ground," wrote Mary H.K. Choi in Wired. The feature, titled "Mary H.K. Choi on the Art of Sidling," talks about when social media goes awry. More

The JOBS Act: What You Need To Know
Entrepreneur
The JOBS (an acronym for Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act, signed recently into law by President Barack Obama, is a compendium of six pieces of legislation that are all aimed at increasing the ability of small businesses to access capital and generate jobs. In this article, Entrepreneur explains why the new law is good news for entrepreneurs seeking capital. More

Colors of the caldron
The New York Times
When you are a practicing alchemist, as Sasha Duerr is, strangers will often ask you to demonstrate your powers by heating up a caldron in the yard. It's a living, and Duerr is usually happy to give it a try. On a recent Monday afternoon, she had arranged to spark up three propane camp stoves and scavenge a few things to boil. More

Opower launches Facebook application to give people an understanding of energy efficiency
Hydrogen Fuel News
Alternative energy and environmentalism are two concepts that go hand-in-hand. Both subjects are surrounded by a significant amount of controversy which has led progress on these fronts to stagnate and people to lose interest. Alternative energy and environmentalism are often political issues, but psychology may play a bigger role in the matter that some people may think.More