Marketing Answers
A consumer-friendly website provides answers to questions about a nutritional supplement designed to reduce body fat and preserve lean muscle mass. Cognis has relaunched its Tonalin® CLA website, www.tonalin.com, with a new look and more interactive features for consumers researching Tonalin CLA. FAQs and personalized responses to e-mails are offered to consumers who use Tonalin or who may be considering it. The easy-to-navigate website reduces confusion and provides fast, credible information, along with product news, research summaries and an online newsletter. Also, beginning in February 2006, Cognis will be marketing its Vegapure® line of phytosterols to consumers under the co-branding name of Heart Choice to build awareness of the health benefits of natural plant sterols and sterol ester ingredients. Cognis, www.cognis.com, www.tonalin.com
Nuts to Memories
Animal studies by the University of Illinois-Chicago indicate that almonds may help ward off age-related memory problems. Almonds contain substances that function much as do cholinesterase inhibitors, which are used to treat Alzheimer's patients. Almonds already have been linked to numerous potential health benefits and, as part of a healthy diet, may protect against memory loss. Almond Board of California, www.AlmondsAreIn.com
New Acquisition Expands Services
The acquisition of a U.S. manufacturer of dietary supplements gives a leader in nutritional ingredients the chance to offer "one-stop shopping" for value-added ingredients. LycoRed Corp. has acquired Buckton Scott Nutrition, a subsidiary of Buckton Scott Group, with whom LycoRed has enjoyed a successful business partnership over the past several years. LycoRed's expanded U.S. facilities will provide complete service and wider product range, and represents one of LycoRed's strategic steps in increasing capability and market share in the U.S. and abroad. LycoRed Corp., Lorri B. Danzig, 209-389-6558
Supplements for Pain
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released an abstract of a clinical study on the use of glucosamine and chondroitin that supports use of both ingredients by osteoarthritis patients to relieve pain. Also, preliminary results of the European Glucosamine Unum in Die Efficacy (GUIDE) Trial were released, which support glucosamine use. REGENASURE® glucosamine and OptaFlex natural chondroitin are now available from Cargill. For information about OptaFlex natural chondroitin, call 866-456-8872 or visit www.cargill.hft.com. For information about REGENASURE glucosamine, call 888-734-3627 or visit www.regenasure.com.
Properly Certified
KGK Synergize Inc. achieved GLP (Good Laboratory Practices) certification from the Standards Council of Canada. Certification includes mutagenicity studies, toxicity studies, toxicokinetics, analytical and clinical chemistry studies, pharmacokinetic studies, in vitro and in vivo biological studies. "While KGK Synergize has always followed the international OECD guidelines, having been audited and accredited by the Standards Council of Canada ensures our customers that we have the proper practices in place to conduct pre-clinical studies to the highest standards,"states Robert Guthrie, vice president of the CRS division. "It is extremely important to conduct studies in accordance with GLP, especially if you are submitting to regulatory boards such as the FDA or Health Canada, and to obtain GRAS status for food ingredients." KGK Synergize Inc., Kristen Reynolds, 519-438-9374, ext. 222, reynolds@kgksynergize.com
Omega-ing? Up
Woodstock Water Buffalo Yogurt, introduced mid-fall 2005, is the first omega-3 fortified yogurt on the U.S. market. The omega-3 source is from Ocean Nutrition Canada Limited, supplier of MEG-3 brand omega-3 EPA/DHA (eicosapentaenoic acid/ docosahexaenoic acid) food and dietary supplement ingredients.
The yogurt is made from farm-fresh water buffalo milk, natural Vermont ingredients, and high levels of live probiotic cultures. Now it also offers the additional health benefits of 100mg of omega-3 EPA/DHA per 170g serving, without sacrificing taste. The MEG-3 food ingredient is considered by some as a technology breakthrough because it is a unique form of micro-encapsulation with superior ability to protect the fish oil from oxidation.
In 2005, New York-based Wegmans Food Markets Inc. introduced three breads containing MEG-3 ingredients; New Jersey-based The Baker launched healthy whole-grain bread containing MEG-3 ingredients, and Arnold Foods Company launched Arnold® Smart & Healthy 100% whole-wheat bread containing the same omega-3 fish oil ingredient. Danone Canada Inc. recently introduced Cardivia brand yogurt with MEG-3 to the Canadian market. Ocean Nutrition Canada Ltd., Lori O'Connell, 902-480-3210, www.ocean-nutrition.com
Kids and Cognitive Development
A new natural DHA-delivery system capable of significant improvement in DHA availability to the brain is now available from Enzymotec. "This vehicle, originated from natural sources, exists in our body as well as our everyday foods. Interestingly, its metabolic fate favors DHA uptake by the brain," says Dori Pelled, PhD, director of clinical studies.
DHA is an essential fatty acid for the growth and functional development of the infant brain and also is required for the maintenance of normal brain function in adults. Recent figures estimate retail sales of U.S. children's supplements at over $100 million per year. Given the fact that there are approximately 80 million children aged 5-18 in the U.S., there is no doubt that the children's supplements market is far from meeting its potential, says Pelled. Enzymotec, Orly Farkash, +972-4-6545112, orly@enzymotec.com
SIDEBAR: U.S. Market for Cancer Treatment $27 Billion by 2009
The U.S. market for cancer therapy products and services is projected to increase 10% per year through 2009 to just over $27 billion—faster than projected growth in national health expenditures. Fueling gains will be modest increases in cancer incidence and detection—associated primarily with the aging of the U.S. population—coupled with a proliferation of highly effective but expensive new cancer treatments, especially in the areas of biotechnology, vaccines and, eventually, nanotechnology and perhaps stem cells.
Due to these advances and preventive measures such as smoking cessation and early cancer screenings, overall death rates from cancer are expected to decline. As survival rates increase, the number of living persons with a history of cancer incidence will increase fairly significantly up 5.6% annually to 18.5 million in 2009.
These and other trends are presented in a new study, Cancer Therapies. Freedonia Group Inc., Corinne Gangloff, 440-684-9600, www.freedoniagroup.com
