Across the Nutra-verse: Sports nutrition influencers, Herbalife’s key market opportunities for APAC, and more

USA​

Sen McConnell pushes FDA to clear path for hemp-derived CBD products​

Language introduced into a congressional spending report by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell would require the FDA to issue formal enforcement discretion on the sale of hemp-derived CBD products within 120 days, clearing a path for the lawful marketing of such products.

While the agency has consistently stated that it does not consider CBD to be a lawful dietary ingredient as it was first investigated as a drug, its enforcement activity has been focused on companies making egregious claims, prompting many players to wade into the market at their own risk.

The US Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture would require FDA to:

- Provide Congress with a report outlining its efforts to develop an enforcement discretion policy on hemp CBD within 90 days;

- Issue its formal enforcement discretion policy on hemp CBD within 120 days;

- Keep the enforcement discretion policy in effect until the agency has implemented its final regulatory process; and

- Ensure that going forward, CBD manufacturers would be able share safety data through existing FDA notification procedures to be fully compliant with federal law and policy.

For more on this story, please click HERE​​.

Europe​

Sports nutrition industry told to get social media savvy​

Panelists at the NutraIngredients-Europe Sports Nutrition Summit in Amsterdam recently said that the sports nutrition industry has a responsibility to embrace social media and try to control some of the confusion.

“The world is more connected than it’s ever been and yet its more disconnected than it’s ever been as people are looking at their phones the whole time,”​ said Prof James Morton, professor of exercise metabolism and nutrition at Liverpool John Moores University.

“We can’t control the people providing the information on their phones from people who aren’t qualified to provide that information and yet it’s being taken as fact and that can get the industry so confused."​

Many brands have started trying to communicate the science to shoppers via influencers on social media, added Nick Morgan, director at Sports Integrated, but this may not necessarily be the best way to get the facts out there.

For more on this story, please click HERE​.

Asia​

Herbalife reveals 3 key market opportunities for APAC ​

Obesity, personalized nutrition, and aging are the three key opportunities in APAC's dietary supplement market, according to Herbalife, which posted a 23% year-on-year rise in sales in the region.

The firm’s Q2 earning report represented the the sixth quarter in a row that the region has set a new all-time record for sales volume.

Herbalife’s APAC senior VP and MD, Stephen Conchie, told NutraIngredients-Asia​ that the firms is eying three key opportunities in APAC’s health and nutrition market:

1. Obesity

Citing figures from the Asian Development Bank, Conchie pointed out that two out of five adults in APAC were overweight or obese.

Against this backdrop, the firm, which has meal replacement as part of its core portfolio, said that the Formula 1 Nutritional Shake Mix, Herbal Aloe Concentrate Mix, and Tea Mix, were its best sellers in SEA.

2. Aging

“We are seeing strong growth in demand for healthy ageing products from consumers across demographic groups. 70% of the millennials and baby boomers today are on the lookout for healthy aging products ranging from skincare to nutrition,”​ said Conchie.

The healthy aging products ranges from nutrition supplements for improving digestive health, heart health, bone health, joint health and eye health.

3. Personalized nutrition

Conchie believes that the firm’s network of independent members will allow the firm to tailor personalized nutrition programs to the customers’ wellness goals.