On November 18, The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) released research indicating an associated increased risk of cancer and death from any cause if the study subjects had received treatment with folic acid and vitamin B12, said the Natural Products Association (NPA). NPA has since released a statement to help clear up some of the issues presented in this study.

“This is an analysis of two studies—the NORVIT [the Norwegian vitamin trial, a 2005 randomized trial of homocysteine-lowering with B-vitamins for secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease after acute myocardial infarction] and WENBIT [Western Norway B-vitamin intervention trial presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2007],” explained Daniel Fabricant, PhD, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs.

“Despite the authors’ justification for the analysis, previous review has indicated the NORVIT might not have been adequately powered and the factorial design might have been too complex, thus rendering the trial incapable of isolating the effect of folate per se,” he added. “Being combined with the WENBIT, which was terminated early, and which wasn’t without its design flaws either, creates a scenario in which two flawed studies are combined to yield one larger flawed study. This does not seem to be in the best interest of medical science or public health.”

Fabricant also stated that most of the subjects in both trials were also being treated with beta-blockers and statins, and some were also being treated with ACE inhibitors and diuretics, “yet there are no numbers, no analysis on the effects these interventions may have on the incidence of cancer. There is no adjustment of the baseline effect for these interventions, yet the authors adjusted the baseline for smoking, age and sex, which are all factors in the development of cancer. We have no way of determining these factors’ impact on this study as they just decided to leave that out, like ordering off of an a la carte menu,“ said Fabricant.

Traditional Medicinals® (Sebastopol, CA), has obtained the new FairWild certification. This sustainability standard, established in 2006, sets international social, ecological and quality standards for wild-collected plant species, with a fair deal for all those involved throughout the supply chain.

According to Traditional Medicinals, of the 3,000 total plant species traded globally, only about 900 species—less than one third—are farmed, with the rest being wild-collected. These wild-collected species are not included under the existing fair trade standards. Until now, there has been no framework for measuring fair trade practices on these wild collected herbs, said the company.

FairWild certification offers a universal set of comprehensive social, ecological and quality requirements that fills in gaps in existing frameworks for verification of sustainable wild collection including respecting customary rights, fair prices and fair trade premium, preventing negative environmental impacts, maintaining wild resources and applying good management and business practices.

“We are very proud to have this new sustainability standard for wild-collected ingredients for our products. However, investing time and resources in developing new universal standards for wild-collected plants is not a marketing idea; this is an example of how we do business,” said Blair Kellison, CEO of Traditional Medicinals. “As we are relying on communities all over the world for herbal ingredients that are passed through to our consumers in our products, our deeper involvement in ensuring the sustainability and quality of our supply chain isn’t just humanitarian ethics, it is also sound business practice.”

For more information about Traditional Medicinals, call (800) 543-4372 or visit www.traditionalmedicinals.com. For more information about FairWild, visit www.fairwild.org.

According to a new report from The Organic Center entitled “Impacts of Genetically Engineered Crops on Pesticide Use: The First Thirteen Years,” genetically engineered (GE) corn, soybeans and cotton now account for the majority of acres planted. A model was developed that utilizes official, US Department of Agriculture pesticide use data to estimate the differences in the average pounds of pesticides applied on GE crop acres, compared to acres planted to conventional, non-GE varieties.

The basic finding was that compared to pesticide use in the absence of GE crops, farmers applied 318 million more pounds of pesticides over the last 13 years as a result of planting GE seeds. This difference represents an average increase of about .25 pound for each acre planted to a GE trait.

GE crops are pushing pesticide use upward at a rapidly accelerating pace, said The Organic Center. In 2008, GE crop acres required over 26 percent more pounds of pesticides per acre than acres planted to conventional varieties. The report projects that this trend will continue as a result of the rapid spread of glyphosate-resistant weeds.

For more information, or to view the complete report, visit www.organic-center.org.

In letters to ConAgra Foods, General Mills, Inc., Kellogg Company, Kraft Foods, PepsiCo, Inc., Riviana Foods, Sun-Maid and Unilever, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal called on all participating companies to stop using the front-of-package Smart Choices logo to avoid misleading information and consumer confusion.

“Our investigation into Smart Choices continues seeking any scientific research and reasoning to support a program that promotes fat-filled mayonnaise, sugary cereal and ice cream as Smart Choices,” Blumenthal said in a statement, referring to the Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise (light and non-light), Breyers ice cream and sugary processed cereals such as Froot Loops, Cocoa Krispies, Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms and Cocoa Puffs that prominently display the Smart Choices logo.

Shortly thereafter, FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg, MD announced that the agency intends to develop standardized criteria on which future front-of-package nutrition or shelf labeling will be based.

Following this announcement, the Smart Choices Program announced that it would voluntarily postpone active operations and not encourage wider use of the logo at this time by either new or currently enrolled companies.

“We welcome the FDA’s interest in developing uniform front-of-package and shelf-labeling criteria,” said Mike Hughes, chair, Smart Choices Program and vice president for science and public policy at the Keystone Center. “The Smart Choices Program shares that exact goal, and was designed to provide a voluntary front-of-package labeling program that could promote informed food choices and help consumers construct healthier diets. We continue to believe the Smart Choices Program is an important step in the right direction.”

“As a matter of common sense, these sugar-laden or fat-saturated products seem very questionable as so-called ‘Smart Choices’ nutritionally,” Blumenthal said. “We’re ratcheting up pressure for truthful answers to these issues.”

Neptune Technologies & Bioressources Inc. (Laval, QE, Canada) recently filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Aker Biomarine ASA (Oslo, Norway), Jedwards International, Inc. (Quincy, MA) and Virgin Antarctic LLC. The complaint, which was filed in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleges infringement of US Patent No. 6,800,299.

The patent is directed to a method of extracting total lipid fractions from krill. “We have confidence in the patent and will continue to take all appropriate actions needed to protect our intellectual property rights in the United States and elsewhere as required,” said Neptune President and CEO Henri Harland. But the problems don’t end on US shores.

This feud was only intensified as Aker products and materials were cleared from its stand by a German bailiff at the Food Ingredients Europe (FIE) trade show in Frankfurt, Germany, reported NutraIngredients-USA.

The booth was cleared by the bailiff and event security soon after FIE opened its doors for day two of the three-day event, after Neptune won an injunction from a Frankfurt court for what is believed to be infringement of EU novel foods regulations.

Since NutraIngredients.com has been unable to obtain a copy of the injunction, the exact nature of the infringement is unknown, but Aker confirmed the injunction contained references to the illegal sale of products containing Aker’s Superba krill oils within Germany.

Aker senior vice president, Roar Hernes, said its lawyers had lodged a challenge to the injunction that morning, but was uncertain when that challenge might be heard. The company continued to man its booth albeit without products and promotional materials.

This dispute centers on the novel foods status of Aker’s krill ingredients. Neptune earned its novel foods status in October and Aker has applied for novel foods authorization under substantial equivalence rules that permit similar products to share authorizations, but that application is pending with EU authorities.

Until Aker wins novel foods approval it cannot sell its ingredients within the European Union’s 27-member states, but it can sell to non-EU countries such as Switzerland, Russia and Norway.

“We have been totally honest with customers,” he said. “We have told them we do not have novel foods approval but are hoping it will arrive by the end of 2009, although it is difficult to predict EU regulatory processes. We have never claimed to have novel foods approval.”

NSF International is celebrating 65 years of protecting and improving human health and safety worldwide.

Since its founding, NSF International has become one of the most trusted names in public health, writing national human health standards and certifying products to help ensure the safety of food and drinking water, dietary supplements and consumer goods. Widely recognized for its scientific and technical expertise in the environmental and health sciences, NSF is a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Food and Water Safety, and Indoor Environment.

NSF’s heritage dates back to November 1944 when two professors from the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health, and a public health official from nearby Toledo, OH, saw a need to standardize the health requirements for commercial foodservice equipment. The transparent, consensus-based process they established to develop NSF’s first standards for the sanitation of soda fountain and luncheonette equipment became the process by which NSF developed other human health and safety standards.

Since that time, NSF has developed more than 72 American National Standards to protect food and water, dietary supplements, pools and spas, and consumer goods. NSF also tests and certifies a wide range of products including foodservice equipment, organic foods, plastic and plumbing products, water filters, nutritional ingredients, home appliances, kitchen utensils, green building materials, pool and spa equipment, and more. The organization has more than 850 employees, operating in more than 120 countries, with certification programs for multiple products.

NSF’s Dietary Supplement Certification program verifies that what is on the label is in the bottle and that the product does not contain undeclared ingredients or contaminants. NSF’s Athletic Banned Substances Certification program, Certified for Sport™, builds on this dietary supplement certification program by including screening that ensures the product does not contain banned or prohibited substances.