USA
FDA’s Director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs on modernizing DSHEA
The opportunity to modernize DSHEA couldn’t come at a better time, with scientific advances and the growth of the dietary supplements industry on one hand, and the proliferation of adulterated and misbranded products on the other, said Steven Tave, Director of the Office of Dietary Supplement Programs.
As reported by NutraIngredients-USA, Tave told attendees at the International Conference on the Science of Botanicals at the University of Mississippi, that all talk of modernizing the regulations is about “strengthening the framework that governs dietary supplements – we’re not talking about upending it”.
“The original vision of DSHEA endures,” he said. “But I don’t know of anyone who would claim that the system is working perfectly, as it was intended, right now. So if there is an opportunity to strengthen that framework, then we need to capitalize on it. I would even argue that modernizing our oversight is the only way to preserve it.”
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Asia
NZ nootropic firm wants to become 'world's most iconic brain health brand'
New Zealand-based Ārepa has plans to become "the world's most iconic brain health brand", with its patented nootropic formula and science-backed claims, according to a report on NutraIngredients-Asia.
The formula is based on four main ingredients: antioxidant-rich New Zealand blackcurrant extract, polyphenol- and flavonoid-rich Enzogenol (a pure New Zealand pine tree bark extract produced by Kiwi firm ENZO Nutraceuticals), and 100% pure L-theanine and green tea extract — both sourced from Japan.
Ārepa has partnered with the Centre for Brain Research at the University of Auckland for two double-blind, crossover RCTs using its formula.
“Right now, there's a lot of interesting research emerging around the sports nutrition benefits of the NZ blackcurrant extract, and we are just at the tip of the iceberg of discovering its effects on cognitive performance,” said Angus Brown, Ārepa founder.
“Our goal is to become the world's most iconic brain health brand. We are in discussions with and open to new discussions with beverage and supplement MNCs that are interested in partnering with us for global expansion.”
Europe
French authorities issue warning to avoid joint health supplements
ANSES, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety, has warned select population groups to refrain from consuming supplements containing glucosamine and/or chondroitin sulphate.
The warning was aimed at pregnant or breastfeeding women, children, diabetic or pre-diabetics, asthmatics, those with food allergies or on sodium, potassium or calcium-restricted diets, and came in response to a series of reported adverse events related to the supplements.
In response, Synadiet, a French-based national union for food supplements, said that ANSES mentions 74 reports of adverse effects in 9 years (from 2009 to 2018), and that, “only 9 are likely and 2 are very likely attributable to the intake of dietary supplements containing glucosamine and / or chondroitin”.
“These dietary supplements have their place in the strategy of management of populations for which a pathology is not declared but whose discomfort is important enough to consider the use of anti-inflammatories with known adverse effects.”
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