Beyond The Headlines: Limiting supplement access in US, Arla Foods Ingredients to showcase protein at Gulfood

27 Oct 2023 — This week in nutrition news, the Natural Products Association (NPA) and the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) call to overturn a New York law restricting and prohibiting access to dietary supplements for consumers under the age of 18. Also, Arla Foods Ingredients revealed it will showcase its protein concepts at the upcoming Gulfood fair, citing a growing demand for high-protein products in Africa and the Middle East. Meanwhile, Roquette acquired Qualicaps, a manufacturer of hard capsules. 

Nutrition news 
The NPA and the CRN both criticized a US bill signed into law that restricts and prohibits access to dietary supplements to New York consumers under eighteen. In addition to minimizing public access to supplements, the new legislation would require a prescription in certain situations. Failure to comply would result in fines. CRN and NPA are concerned that the bill will impact many products, limiting consumer choice. They underscore that the new legislation, implemented over concerns linking supplement use and eating disorders, is based on misinformation as the supplement industry has an extensive history of providing consumers with well-researched products. The new law will likely come into effect in April next year. 

Product launches with high-protein or source of protein claim are growing strong in Africa and the Middle East.Arla Foods Ingredients is on track to showcase three protein concepts at the upcoming Gulfood Manufacturing trade show from November 7–9, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With the products, it aims to demonstrate how its whey protein range can meet the demand for high-protein products in Africa and the Middle East. Between 2017 and 2022, the number of product launches with a high-protein or source of protein claim grew by an average of 17.64% annually in these regions, as suggested by Innova Market Insights data. There is also a growing interest in nutrient quality and origin. At the food fair, the company will present its high-protein ice cream made from ingredients in its Nutrilac Protein Boost range, a fermented, clear high-protein drink and a clear protein-enriched juice drink that has zero dry mouthfeel, contains no added sugar and can be fortified with vitamins and minerals. 

Business news 
Roquette completed the acquisition of Qualicaps from the Mitsubishi Chemical Group. This manufacturer of hard capsules and pharmaceutical-related equipment is the third largest producer of hard capsules for oral dosage solutions. Roquette notes that with the investment, it can expand the global footprint of its pharmaceutical business and enrich its offerings of oral dosage solutions. The newly combined business will offer the most diverse solutions with a full range of hard and soft capsules, fillers and binders, disintegrants and other solutions. Qualicaps has manufacturing and R&D sites in Japan, Spain, Romania, Canada, the US and Brazil, allowing Roquette to expand its presence. 

Roquette aims to expand the global footprint of its pharmaceutical business with the recent acquisition.Lallemand Health Solutions acquired Dietary Pros, a full-service contract manufacturer specializing in the formulation and supply of probiotic solutions to the supplement and nutraceutical sectors. Lallemand Health Solutions notes that having a US-based manufacturing facility adds flexibility to operations and expands its production capacity. With the acquisition, the company can offer a full range of products from the same facility, featuring multiple combinations of ingredients. Dietary Pros will continue as a stand-alone, independent contract manufacturer, serving its customers and manufacturing for Lallemand Health Solutions. 

Product launches 
Lubrizol announced an EU food-grade approval for its Carbopol Polymers, which the company says will enable nutraceutical manufacturers to differentiate their portfolio and create unique new product claims. The polymers, used as excipients, can make tablets smaller and more accessible to consume. They also offer a sustained release or suspension of actives to deliver the nutraceutical actives consistently. Lubrizol notes that the polymers can provide the same health benefits with fewer doses and enhanced reliability with high-quality ingredients. The products have been used in the pharmaceutical industry for over 50 years. The current approval extends the same functionalities to the food additives and supplements industry. 

US pet supplement brand Zesty Paws and ChromaDex, dedicated to healthy aging research and supplying nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), joined forces to debut a dog supplement range to help promote metabolic health and cellular energy and repair. The healthy aging line aims to regenerate NAD+ levels in dogs, an essential coenzyme that plays a vital role in cellular processes such as mitochondrial function, cellular energy production and DNA repair. The Healthy Aging NAD+ Precursor pack features ChromaDex’s cellular health ingredient, Niagen — formulated to help support NAD+ regeneration in dogs — and Zesty Paws’ bacon-flavored Pill Wrap Probiotic Paste. 

The Healthy Aging NAD+ Precursor pack helps promote metabolic health and cellular energy in dogs. Scientific studies 
A meta-study published in Gut Microbes indicates that consuming fruit and vegetables contributes positively to bacterial diversity in the gut microbiome. Both the frequency and variety of plants were found to influence associated bacteria. The authors also noted that the microorganisms of plant origin have probiotic and health-promoting properties, noting that early childhood, in particular, was a window of opportunity for colonization with plant-associated bacteria. The research team reconstructed metagenome-assembled genomes from 156 fruit and vegetable metagenomes to determine the prevalence of associated bacteria in around 2,500 stool samples, each containing between one and ten million sequences. 

Research published in The Journal of Nutrition concluded that iron-fortified foods are needed to meet the estimated average requirement for iron in Australian infants aged six to 12 months. The authors note that iron intakes are low in Australian infants, especially for breastfed infants in the second half of infancy. Providing them with one serving of iron-fortified infant cereal — 18 g, containing 6.3 mg of iron — effectively reduced the iron deficiency. The researchers analyzed the diets of nearly 300 infants from across Australia. The authors note that iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency, with children under two being the most affected. 

By Jolanda van Hal 

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