Mapping The Nutraceuticals World

Food scientist and CEO of Icon Foods discusses evolution of clean label sweetening systems in foods, beverages, and gummies.

In this episode we talked with Thom King, the founder and CEO of Icon Foods, which is one of the largest importers, manufacturers and distributors of clean-label sweetening systems and natural sweeteners.

Thom has over 20 years of formulation experience. I asked him about the study recently published in Nature Medicine that claimed an association between the sugar alcohol erythritol and cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Thom and I also talked about sugar reduction and formulation strategies in various product formats.

We’re always happy to get feedback. You can email us at [email protected] with anything that’s on your mind.

-Sean Moloughney, Editor, Nutraceuticals World

Links & Resources: 

Nature Medicine: The artificial sweetener erythritol and cardiovascular event risk 

GRAS Determination of Erythritol for Use in Human Food 

Use of the Term Healthy on Food Labeling

Icon Foods 

At Expo West 2023 in Anaheim, CA, we sat down with Erin Stokes a naturopathic doctor, educator, and mom who lives with her family in Boulder CO. 

Stokes is the medical director for MegaFood, the Certified B Corporation that’s celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. She spearheads the health and wellness education movement at MegaFood to empower people to change their lives and help grow healthy communities. 

At Expo West we discussed gut health, stress, women's health—including MegaFoods’ new Women's Ensemble product line—soil health, and much more. 

If you want to learn more, if you have feedback, or want to suggest a topic or expert, you can email us at [email protected]

-Sean Moloughney, Editor, Nutraceuticals World  

Links & Resources:

MegaFood

MegaFood’s Women’s Ensemble: Mood Reset and PMS Support 

Certified B Corp 

In this podcast I talked to Michael McGuffin, president of the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) about the Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022 and the regulation of dietary supplements more broadly. 

In April, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced Senate Bill 4090, which would require dietary supplement manufacturers to submit information about their products with the FDA prior to bringing new products to market. 

Mandatory product listing has been debated and discussed for years and there is disagreement on this approach within the industry. AHPA opposes S. 4090, arguing it would create “unnecessary, significant, and redundant burdens on industry.” 

However, McGuffin noted willingness to modernize current regulation and offers his thoughts on a range of critical issues related to benefiting consumers and minimizing burdens on businesses. 

You can offer feedback and ideas by emailing us at [email protected]

Relevant links, resources and mentions

• Introduction of the Dietary Supplement Listing Act of 2022 
• Senate Bill 4090 Text 
• American Herbal Products Association
• "The FDA’s Food Failure," by Helena Bottemiller Evich
• "It’s Time to Fix FDA by Breaking It Up," by Michael Taylor 

Royal DSM, a global science-based company in nutrition, health and sustainable living, recently launched a new brand campaign for the human nutrition and health markets. 

The concept reflects DSM’s evolved strategic direction in human nutrition and health as an end-to-end partner within the value chain, championing the purpose behind products that help solve nutritional challenges and keep the growing global population healthy.

The new brand strategy includes restructuring DSM’s human nutrition and health portfolio around three key pillars: high-quality products, customized solutions and expert services. The company said this reflects its position as a reliable, innovative, purpose-led partner. 

In this podcast, Philip Eykerman, president of DSM Human Nutrition & Health, discussed the company’s strategic restructuring and purpose-led focus. 

James Bauly, head of personalized nutrition at DSM Human Nutrition & Health also offered perspective on the company’s approach to innovation and the future of personalized products.

It’s a tall order to manage teams through a crisis like COVID-19. The magnitude and scale of disruption have presented challenges from every angle and at every turn. 
 

For Pharmavite, keeping its roughly 1,100 frontline workers safe is the top priority, according to CEO Jeff Boutelle. Simultaneously meeting increased consumer demand for health products has been particularly challenging when faced with supply chain kinks. 

Keeping employee morale up throughout the public health crisis, and keeping the company focused on its ultimate purpose, “to bring the gift of health to life,” has required consistent attention, adaptation and ingenuity. 

Crediting a stellar team and a clear North Star, Boutelle discussed his strategies for leading through the crisis. He also assessed the dietary supplement industry’s evolution, how the pandemic has changed consumer habits and accelerated certain market trends. 

The American Herbal Products Association will be presenting its inaugural Sports Nutrition Congress on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 8 am to 4:30 pm PT. 

The virtual event will cover market trends and dynamics, innovation and research, product testing and quality assurance, and much more. The full agenda can be found here. To register for the event, click here. 

To get more insight on the event and the sports nutrition market, we spoke with Robert Wildman, who chairs AHPA’s Sports Nutrition Committee. He also serves as the chief science officer at Dymatize. As a registered and licensed dietitian who has authored four books, Rob is a globally recognized expert on health and sports nutrition. 

In this podcast, Wildman offered a preview of what to expect from the AHPA Sports Nutrition Congress. He also discussed innovation, quality matters, the evolution of the sports nutrition market, and how COVID-19 has impacted consumer behavior. 

Brand development and sound marketing strategies are essential components to success in a competitive landscape like the nutritional products marketplace. 

Sheldon Baker, senior member of Baker Dillon Group, LLC, has more than 30 years of brand marketing and management experience in the nutraceutical industry.

In this podcast, he discussed the hallmarks of a successful branding strategy, pitfalls to avoid, as well as tips and advice for leveraging new media like video and social media. 

The United States faces a national reckoning on racial injustice, as people of color demand change and recognition that Black Lives Matter.

With companies and brands being held to account for their actions, it’s important for executives to evaluate their biases, their business structures and strategies, products, hiring practices and more.

Food and health play important roles in how people and communities thrive. Collectively, how can the natural and nutritional products industry stand for and promote justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion?

In this podcast, Lara Dickinson, co-founder and executive director of OSC², which stands for One Step Closer to an Organic and Sustainable Community, discussed the J.E.D.I Collaborative, offering tips and resources for companies that strive to be positive forces for societal change.

Traditionally, consumers and marketers have focused on cognitive health at either end of the life span—brain development in the pre-natal and early childhood stages, and then maintaining mental sharpness and memory in the senior years. But supporting brain health and sustaining cognitive function is a lifelong endeavor.

Today, brands are recognizing needs along the entire age spectrum, and have been developing solutions for a range of health goals that relate to cognitive function and performance. From gamers, who need to maintain intense focus and concentration for long durations, to working parents trying to stay sharp (and manage stress), to Gen Xers and Boomers who are focused on preserving mental faculties, there are many opportunities to reach more consumers and improve public health. 

In this podcast, two experts from Kyowa Hakko discussed important topics in the brain health market. Elyse Lovett, senior marketing manager at Kyowa Hakko, reviewed the range of consumer health needs under the cognitive health umbrella, product innovation and delivery trends, and much more. 

Danielle Citrolo, director of scientific and regulatory affairs, also presented new research on Kyowa Hakko’s Cognizin brand of citicoline that demonstrated a significant benefit for memory in older healthy adults with age-related memory loss. She also reviewed how citicoline works to improve brain health and assessed the state of cognitive health research today and what to expect in the future.