In the first instalment of NutraIngredients–Asia's Business Monitor, we keep tabs on the latest developments at the region’s leading nutrition and supplement firms, featuring Blackmores, Swisse Wellness and Ausnutria.
Australian researchers have developed a world-first optical sensor that can detect vitamin B12 in diluted human blood – something they believe is a first step towards a low-cost and portable, vitamin B12 deficiency test.
Omega-3 trade body GOED is entering a partnership with the US-China Health Products Association (US-CHPA) to better serve its member companies in the Chinese market.
It was has a huge challenge for Nils Hoem, Aker Biomarine’s chief scientists, to understand the specifics of nutraceuticals when he first arrived at the Norwegian krill oil manufacturer in 2008 after a career in pharmaceuticals.
As global krill oil major Aker Biomarine awaits regulatory approval for its new Superba 2 product line in China, increased consumer demand for omega-3s is bringing increasingly more local suppliers to the market.
Encapsulating omega-3 supplements with sage polyphenols and gum arabic could be a more healthy and economically viable option than techniques currently used, while also opening up the possibility of boosting protein intake, research from India suggests.
The sports nutrition potential of New Zealand blackcurrants, the superfood status of Canadian maple syrup and the functional benefits of Canadian barley – these were three of the high-profile pitches at the HI Japan tradeshow from international organisations seeking...
According to one supplier, the common way to measure protein quality unfairly disparages collagen, a protein source that is ubiquitous both in the market and in the bodies of mammals.
South Korean fish oil manufacturer Chemport has obtained Friend of the Sea (FOS) certification for its Omega 3 products originating from European and Peruvian anchovies.
Taiwan botanical manufacturer and supplier Aquavan is targeting international expansion after establishing an ingredients offshoot to complement its finished products offering.
Interpol has teamed up with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to fight the trade in doping products like steroids, hormones and banned performance-enhancing protein peptides that are being purchased usually online by both elite and amateur sportspeople.
Indian companies Vitalic Health and Athena Life Sciences have signed a joint venture to launch nutraceuticals and dietary supplements under the brand name 'Truuth'.
New Zealand Omega-3 company SeaDragon has officially opened its new refinery in Nelson, which the firm previously said has the potential to generate NZ$50m annual sales.
In a study funded by manufacturer Kemin and the VA Medical Center in St. Louis, spearmint and rosemary extracts improved age-related oxidation markers in brain tissue of SAMP8 mice.
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), whose diets were supplemented with probiotics, demonstrated a reduction in the severity of their condition as well as improvements to mental health.
The U.S.-China Health Products Association (USCHPA) is staging a free seminar at next week’s SupplySide West show to provide the lowdown on the latest regulatory changes in China’s nutritional ingredients and dietary supplements market.
In the first of a two-part interview, DuPont’s Asia president for health and nutrition Dr Li Yongjing discusses the initial turbulence created by the ongoing merger with Dow, and explains why he believes the new relationship will make the firm better...
Combining polyphenols and other compounds can dramatically increase their ability to fight cancers, according to a review from the Dr Rath Research Institute of its own and other studies.
Asia’s functional foods and supplements industry needs to stop making unfounded health claims, while also better educating policy makers about the sound science behind its reputable products.
The use of a modified alginate and hi-maize starch encapsulation technique could help to increase the survival rate of probiotics, say Thai researchers.
Probiotics given to liver cirrhosis sufferers boosted neopterin levels and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, but had no significant effect on white blood cells’ ability to consume bacteria, the original aim of the study.
'The race is on in this industry to take positions for future growth of probiotics.'
Danish probiotics and enzymes leader Chr Hansen has paid €73m in cash to acquire the Lactobacillus rhamnosus-based LGG suite of probiotic strains from Finnish dairy group, Valio.
Calanus oil is a highly bioavailable source of the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, says a new study that supports its potential as a suitable alternative source of omega-3s.
Australia’s natural nutrition and complementary health industry has received a “once in a lifetime” boost after the government gave the green light to a raft of changes to how businesses will be regulated.
Intake of green soybean extract could help reverse cognitive dysfunction and its associated accumulation of beta-amyloid proteins in the brain, say researchers.
Supplementation with B vitamins significantly improves general mental health, reduces subjective stress and increases vigour and overall mood in mentally demanding situations, according to research from Melbourne’s Swinburne University.
A high percentage of children and teens in southern Australia may be deficient in vitamin D, putting them at increased risk of bone fractures and higher long-term risk of osteoporosis, warn researchers.
Asia has a chance to tackle obesity through a more personalised approach to weight management providing it avoids the mistakes made in the West where not enough attention was paid to the needs of the individual, according to Nestlé’s nutrition head.
Australian nutraceutical firm Gordagen Pharmaceuticals is preparing to launch its heart health and endurance products in the US by the end of the year.
India’s “shockingly low” level of EPA and DHA intake is storing up a potential health crisis, especially because life expectancy and therefore the rate of chronic illness is forecast to rise considerably over the coming decades.
Edible ginger-derived nanoparticles could alleviate symptoms of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, the two main forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), researchers claim.
Australian women are well aware that folic acid (PFS) and iodine (IS) are recommended supplements to take during pregnancy, but only a quarter of them adhere to the recommendations, scientists report.
Malaysian children undergoing long-term treatment for epilepsy are at significant risk of vitamin D deficiency, with youngsters of Indian ethnicity especially affected, a study has found.
