Mintel Beauty Innovation recently reported a dramatic increase in the number of new personal care products launched for men. In 2008, Mintel, a market research firm, tracked over 500 new men's personal care products in the US, a substantial increase from the 375 launched in 2007. Globally, Mintel has recorded more than 3,600 new men's personal care product launches in 2008.

According to Mintel Beauty Innovation’s Taya Tomasello, new personal care products launched for men go beyond the basics of showering, shaving and deodorizing.

Mintel Beauty Innovation cited rapid growth in four main areas of advanced male grooming: products that promise to enhance the lips, eyes or hands; makeup and self-tanning products; anti-aging and exfoliating ingredients; and organic, natural and ethical products.

Carlson Laboratories (Arlington Heights, IL) is supporting the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign on February 6, 2009 by providing red aprons for health food storeowners and their staff to wear, to raise awareness for cardiovascular disease in women.

“By joining the Go Red for Women campaign, we’re doing our part in helping to raise awareness about the importance of cardiovascular health and encouraging people to maintain a healthy diet, exercise and take their nutritional supplements,” said John Carlson, president of the company. “We like to think that Carlson Laboratories has ‘everything your heart desires’ to promote good cardiovascular health.”

For more information call (888) 234-5656 or visit www.carlsonlabs.com.

In a new study, Fuji Health Science, Inc. (Burlington, NJ) found natural astaxanthin extract (AstaREAL®) derived from Haematococcus microalgae in the iris/ciliary body of New Zealand albino (NZW) rabbit eyes, 24 hours after ingestion.

Astaxanthin has been reported to have many benefits in the eye, according to the company, and though several human clinical studies reported the alleviation of eye fatigue (by improving accommodation function) in visual display terminal (VDT) workers after oral supplementation, until now there has been no intraocular kinetic information available.

In collaboration between the ophthalmology department of Kanazawa Medical University, Japan, and Fuji Chemical Industry, Japan, researchers investigated the ocular and blood serum levels of astaxanthin in 24 NZW albino rabbits. After administering a 100mg/kg single oral dose, astaxanthin was determined by careful extraction followed by HPLC analysis over a period of 168 hours. According to the astaxanthin detection system, the time taken to reach maximum presence (Tmax) in serum and iris/ciliary body was nine hours (at Cmax 61.3 ng/mL) and 24 hours (at Cmax 79.3) respectively. In other human studies with oral intake of astaxanthin, the Tmax in serum ranged between nine and 12 hours.

The intraocular penetration kinetics could have a similar pattern to humans but further study is necessary, according to the company.

For more information call (877) FUJI-777 or visit www.fujihealthscience.com.

A reference guide on the National Dairy Foods Research Center Program, a unified research effort funded by Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which supports dairy product innovations through research, is now available online at www.innovatewithdairy.com.

This online resource is designed to help guide industry members to the facility and resources best suited to their needs in dairy research and innovation. The guide features information on the dairy centers’ research focus, facilities and equipment, and technical resources available at each of the five research centers and application labs.

According to Raj Narasimmon, vice president of product research for DMI, “The centers are really helping manufacturers by providing technical assistance to facilitate innovative uses of dairy foods and ingredients.”

Each dairy research center has a specialized dairy pilot plant and other facilities for research on dairy products, ingredients, processing and packaging. The dairy application labs assist food and beverage manufacturers in product prototype development, product and process troubleshooting, production scaleup and sensory evaluation.

The online guide provides information on each center, including addresses and contact information, type of equipment available and research focus areas. To view the National Dairy Foods Research Center Program Guide, go to www.innovatewithdairy.com/researchresources.

For more information, call (800) 248-8829.

Organic inspectors with Quality Assurance International (QAI) recently completed the first three on-site inspections for the Non-GMO Project’s Product Verification Program. The inspections occurred in conjunction with the participating companies’ annual organic inspections, reducing costs and labor. R.W. Garcia (San Jose, CA), SK Food (Fargo, ND) and WholeSoy & Co. (San Francisco, CA) are the first companies to undergo the joint inspections.

The onsite audit is second in the Non-GMO Project’s two-step verification process. Prior to inspection, all companies go through a document-based review of GMO avoidance practices such as traceability, segregation and testing at critical control points. This information is compared with the consensus-based Non-GMO Project Standard to assess compliance.

A “Non-GMO Project Verified Seal” will begin appearing on retail packages beginning in October 2009. In the meantime, a list of participating companies and the 350+ enrolled products can be found on the Project’s website at www.nongmoproject.org.

The Non-GMO Project is a non-profit organization dedicated to informed choice for consumers committed to ensuring sustained availability of non-GMO options. The program is open to all products (organic, natural and conventional), but many of the first participants are certified organic companies.

Earth’s Best® (Boulder, CO), organic infant food manufacturer, announced its Celebrate the Firsts campaign, which begins this month and continues through March 31, 2009.

Celebrate the Firsts rewards parents who purchase Earth’s Best infant formula, infant foods (cereals, jars, infant juices, teething biscuits and pastina) and its new Earth’s Best TenderCare™ chlorine-free diapers and wipes with coupons and products from the Hain Celestial family of brands. In addition, a sweepstakes offers parents a chance to win infant and toddler toys from Fisher-Price®.
 
All participating parents will receive the Earth’s Best Feeding Guide, a resource guide that charts recommended diet practices from newborns to 12 months of age, progressing from breast milk and formula to the introduction of yogurt, fruits, vegetables and meat and poultry. The guide is also available online at www.earthsbest.com.
 
Partnering with Fisher-Price, the Celebrate the Firsts campaign will offer receipt redemptions beginning at just $25 through $100—redeem these receipts to receive Earth’s Best coupons and products.

Celebrate the Firsts will also feature a sweepstakes in which winners receive free Fisher-Price developmental toys, baby gear and Earth’s Best organic foods up to $500 in value.
 
For more information call (800) 434-4246 or visit www.earthsbest.com.