The Inside Scoop

Safeguarding the public or propping up litigation

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:11:00 GMT

LA Times article debates intent vs. reality of Prop 65, a restrictive CA law that can affect dietary supplements.

Pro Leagues, Athletes Still on Specter’s Hot Seat

Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:28:00 GMT

In a Sept. 29 Senate hearing on steroids in products marekted as bodybuilding supplements, Sen. Specter didn't just grill FDA and DEA on its enforcement delays, but he also took some jabs at pro sports leagues and athletes for their recent act...

Creatine Indicated in KY High School Football Heat-Related Death

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:41:00 GMT

Coach's defense notes the boy used an ADD drug and creatine, suggesting these products contributed to his dehydration.

War on Supplements

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 18:23:00 GMT

Department of Defense questioning the safety of supplement use by soldiers in Iraq.

Ortiz Keeps the Evil Eye Trained on Sports Supplements

Tue, 11 Aug 2009 07:00:00 GMT

The Boston Red Sox slugger's steroid defense keeps the heat focused on supplement industry.

FDA Adulteration Meeting Draws Industry Input

Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:27:00 GMT

Melamine in pet food and infant formula. Contaminated heparin in pediatric dialysis treatments. Diethylene glycol in cough syrup. These are all recent cases FDA has determined were economically motivated adulteration (EMA). The agency hosted a...

NASA Meets Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Wed, 22 Jul 2009 02:44:00 GMT

Elan Nutrition grabbed some national television spotlight when the NBC featured the nutrition bar maker.

Harkin Stands Up for Wellness Care

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:46:07 GMT

In an op-ed piece for Yahoo! News, Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) highlighted the growing focus on disease prevention and public health by those shaping the health care reform effort in Congress. As important as it is to open up access to health care to...

CRN, NPA Reach Out to Congress With Nutrition Briefing

Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:20:07 GMT

One of the benefits of working remotely from Northern Virginia is being able to attend industry-related events in nearby Washington D.C. Yesterday, your trade associations, CRN and NPA, held a Dietary Supplement Caucus briefing for Congressional m...

Will Manny Shine Even Bigger Spotlight on DHEA?

Fri, 15 May 2009 19:22:36 GMT

I don't have to tell those who deal in DHEA about the pressure and attention being paid to the supplement ingredient by those who area against DSHEA. However, the greater threat seems to be those who believe it should fall under the Anabolic Stero...

Joint Problems—A Consequence of Sports and Getting Older?

Thu, 07 May 2009 13:38:52 GMT

I know all too well the importance of good bone and joint health. After a sports injury about two years ago, I needed microfracture surgery to repair cartilage in my knee. I've recovered well enough to become an avid cyclist again and to even enjo...

Horse Supplement Problem with Pharmacy, Not Manufacturer

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:24:58 GMT

When the story first broke that 21 polo horses died of a tainted supplement, flashes of so-called dietary supplement contamination in human sports started crossing my mind. In this case, however, it is proving to be the quality control procedures ...

One-Time Lance 2.0 Felled by DHEA?

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 19:39:53 GMT

As a longtime cycling fan, I cringe at every doping scandal. Blood doping has been rampant in cycling for a longtime, and numerous scandals have overshadowed some of the greatest races of the past decade or two. The heralded Lance Armstrong has co...

Cardio Myopia?

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:01:56 GMT

For all the criticism the dietary supplement industry has endured over the science behind the purported benefits of various natural products, it seems conventional medicine is not much better. The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) recently highlighted a&#...

Lobbying for Natural Products Issues

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 19:59:07 GMT

This was my second year participating in Natural Products Day, during which many Natural Products Association (NPA) members from around the country join together to visit their respective Representatives and Senators to talk about issues important...

Responsible Sourcing

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 14:40:07 GMT

For all that went wrong between regulators, manufacturers and the Peanut Butter Corporation of America (PCA) during the peanut butter and salmonella crisis of late 2008, there was at least one example of how to be responsible when sourcing ma...

Congress Interested in Food Safety Net

Tue, 10 Mar 2009 14:52:46 GMT

Congress is still trying to get to the bottom of recent lapses in the U.S. food safety system. Tomorrow at 10 a.m. the House Committee on Small Business, Subcommittee on Regulations and Healthcare will hear testimony from FDA and USDA officials ab...

NPR Affiliate Airs Dietary Supplement Discussion

Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:23:20 GMT

Weight-loss supplements have been drawing media and regulatory attention for years. Recently, WAMU-FM, a Washington D.C.-area National Public Radio (NPR) affiliate, featured a discussion of dietary supplement regulation and quality, with a healthy...

The Decline of Nutrition in Fruits and Veggies

Thu, 19 Feb 2009 20:53:08 GMT

A new report in the Journal HortScience says fruits and veggies taste worse and contain fewer nutrients than they did generations ago. The University of Texas, Austin, researchers found the average supermarket vegetable has from 5- to 40-percent l...

Food Safety from A Small, Organic Farmer's View

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 16:04:49 GMT

The recent outbreaks of food poisonings, from salmonella to E. coli, have drawn America's attention to its food safety network. While the most recent peanut butter paste salmonella scandal appears to be rooted in the manufacturing practices and et...