Study: Multivitamins may cut food allergy in children
NutraIngredients.com
Daily supplements of multivitamins do not have any effect on allergic disease in eight year old children, says a new study from Sweden. Writing in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, scientists from the world famous Karolinska Institute report that multivitamin supplements had no effect on the incidence of asthma, allergic rhinitis, eczema, or atopic sensitization in 2,423 children.More

Meet the NPA's new CEO at the Natural Products Foundation Dinner at SupplySide West
Natural Products Association
Join your colleagues for an up-close and personal visit with John Gay, the new Executive Director and CEO of the Natural Products Association and President of the Natural Products Foundation Board for the foundation’s 2009 SupplySide West networking dinner, Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7:00 p.m. Las Vegas, at the fabulous David Burke Restaurant located in the Venetian Hotel. The premier private party of SupplySide West is the place to gather with your favorite colleagues and to make new friends. After the hectic rush of the day, enjoy a relaxing evening where you can network up close and personal with an A-list of industry insiders. Tickets are just $250 per person, and seating is limited. Sign up today.More

Time is running out - register today for the last NPA GMP seminar in 2009
Natural Products Association
Are you ready for a visit from FDA? FDA promises a significant increase in GMP inspections in 2009 and if your company has more than 20 employees, your company could be one of them! An Advanced Course on the FDA GMPs for Dietary Supplements will be offered at SupplySide West in Las Vegas in November. As the leader in dietary supplement GMPs, having launched the industry's first GMP third-party certification program in 1999, and providing GMP education to over 800 companies for more than 10 years, NPA is uniquely qualified and presents an outstanding program. You won’t find another GMP course like ours!More

FDA announces public meeting for product tracing systems for food
Food and Drug Administration
The Food and Drug Administration, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service, is announcing a public meeting regarding product tracing systems for food intended for humans and animals. The purpose of the meeting is to stimulate and focus a discussion about mechanisms to enhance product tracing systems for food. This discussion will help FDA and FSIS determine what short and long term steps the two agencies should take to enhance the current tracing system. The meeting will be held Dec. 9 and 10 in Washington, D.C.More

FDA smackdown pits bacteria against bacteria
The Washington Post
The 10 tomatoes sitting in a Tupperware tub at the Food and Drug Administration seem to be doing nothing more than rotting, slowly. But an invisible battle is raging on the surface of the fruit, with provocative implications for food safety and the war that humans have been waging against bacteria for a century. "This is the wrestling ring," said Eric Brown, a microbiologist at the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, as he clicked open the lid to the tub. "This is the smack-down."More

What are the hottest new product trends of 2009?
Brandweek
Walgreens chief innovation officer Colin Watts was in town this week to host a jury preview of the upcoming Product of the Year awards, an annual consumer-driven competition. This year’s entrants include packaged goods giants like Procter & Gamble, Colgate and Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Contestants are judged on the innovativeness of their packaging, design and function. Winners will be announced at a gala in February, and recipients typically tout the honor in new marketing and packaging.More

Employers brace for swine flu outbreaks
The Wall Street Journal
Worried they could face throngs of ill and absent employees, companies are devising plans to keep their offices and factories running. They also hope to prevent or limit the spread of infection in the workplace by installing hand-sanitizer dispensers and thermal scanners, ordering workers to wipe down their desks and phones, and asking employees who don't feel well to stay home.More

Grants offered for keen young probiotics researchers
NutraIngredients-USA
Companies active in the probiotics field are aiming to expand scientific knowledge of the relationship between probiotics, gastrointestinal microbiota and the body, with two new $50,000 research grants. Interest in priobiotics has rocketed recently as more people have become tuned into the potential benefits. Global sales, including dietary supplements and ingredients, are expected to reach $19.8bn within four years, according to BCC Research.More

Low vitamin D tied to heart, stroke deaths
Reuters

Low vitamin D levels in the body may be deadly, according to a new study hinting that adults with lower, versus higher, blood levels of vitamin D may be more likely to die from heart disease or stroke. Vitamin D is an essential vitamin mostly obtained from direct sunlight exposure, but also found in foods and multivitamins.

Tai Chi is effective in treating knee osteoarthritis: A randomized controlled trial
Wiley InterScience
We conducted a prospective, single-blind, randomized controlled trial of 40 individuals with symptomatic tibiofemoral OA. Patients were randomly assigned to 60 minutes of Tai Chi (10 modified forms from classic Yang style) or attention control (wellness education and stretching) twice weekly for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index pain score at 12 weeks.More

Greenpeace takes IT giants to task on climate action
Greener Computing via Green Biz
Google, Microsoft and IBM are singled out for not doing enough to put IT's power to work on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, in the latest release of Greenpeace's Cool IT Challenge. The campaign aims to pressure the heads of leading IT companies to promote strong climate action in advance of December's climate summit in Copenhagen in the wake of findings that even the most active IT leaders are still not taking strong enough steps.More

Growing trend: Personal fitness trainers for kids
WCBS-TV
What's smaller than a couch potato but just as lethargic? A tater tot. And parents in our area are fighting the battle of the bulge -- even hiring personal trainers -- to get their kids in shape. He's just 8 years old and he's got a personal trainer. Jim Donohue of Fitness Blitz spends an hour each week with 14-year-old Sarah and 8-year-old Mark Dachinger at their home in Scarsdale, N.Y.More

The vitamin business thrived through the recession. Why?
Newsweek
The government declared that the economy grew rapidly in the third quarter, which means it's time to figure out who won. During the past several months, I've been identifying companies that thrived during the downturn, such as McDonald's and the guns-and-ammo manufacturer Freedom Group, said Newsweek writer Daniel Gross.More