Regulatory

The development of a standard for Korean Insam, otherwise known as Ginseng, was agreed at a recent meeting of the Codex Executive Committee in Geneva. The decision follows proposals by the Codex Committee on Processed Fruit and Vegetables (CCPFV)...

Paris, France: The controversial hormone supplement dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is on the verge of reclassification as a controlled drug in France...

EU proposals for labelling genetically-modified (GM) foods announced in July have run into fierce opposition from the US. Officials from the Bush administration have lobbied the EU to water down the proposed regulations or drop them altogether...

Brussels, Belgium: Supplement manufacturers have expressed alarm about the European Commission's recently adopted proposals on the authorisation of genetically-modified (GM) foods...

Although eating sweets is not generally associated with a healthy diet, confectionery can be formulated to deliver specific health benefits. Judy Davis takes a look at some recent patents filed in the 'functional' confectionery area...

London, England: A recent EU discussion paper raised the possibility of stricter regulations for health and nutritional claims on foods in the context of European community-wide harmonisation of food labelling laws...

A major new alliance of organisations from the US dietary supplement industry has been launched. The Dietary Supplements Education Alliance (DSEA), made up of supplement retailers, manufacturers, trade organisations, health publishers and educati...

Berlin, Germany: The free availability of beta-carotene products in German health food stores continues to be threatened by government concerns about the supposed risks of the vitamin...

This month's "Patents File" by Judy Davis takes a look at recent patents in the field of pre- and probiotics. GI Health Boosters Now that the health benefits of probiotics have been firmly established, consumers are looking to gastro-intestina...

In cases in which scientific evidence has been overwhelmingly established for a particular food or ingredient's relationship to a particular disease condition, to the point where "significant scientific agreement" has been attained, as defined by...