Deals, Dates And Difficulties: Health And Wellness Industry News

Woodward keynotes CRN's Conference; GMPs on AHPA's reg comment radar; Unilever acquires Pukka Herbs; CVS brand consumer health products in vending machines; and more news in brief.

Pukka Herbs' products, in addition to teas, include aloe vera juice and turmeric supplements.

Unilever buys into herbal tea, supplement markets

Unilever PLC dips into the organic herbals market for its latest tea brand and also reaches into the herbal supplement space by acquiring British firm Pukka Herbs Ltd., which has annual sales of more than £30m ($39.6m) with around 30% growth driven by sales in Europe and the US. On Sept. 7, Unilever did not disclose terms of the deal, but said market research shows "Pukka is the fastest growing organic tea company in the world" and competes in the herbal, fruit and green tea market currently worth €1.6bn ($2.1bn) with signs pointing to continued market-share intrusion against traditional tea types. The London-based personal care and food manufacturer already markets England's top-selling team, PG Tips packaged in pyramid bags, and Lipton, the global leader available in more than 150 countries. In a release, Pukka Herbs founder and "master herbsmith" Sebastian Pole said he and partner and CEO Tim Westwell chose Unilever for its "scale and sustainability," providing "a meeting of values." Pole said Pukka "will remain 100% organic and a champion for fair trading through pioneering schemes like Fair for Life, and continue to donate 1% of its sales to global environmental charities."

GMPs on AHPA's reg comment radar

The American Herbal Products Association sees FDA's request for comments on reducing industries' regulatory burden as an opportunity to ask the agency consider the impact of the agency's dietary supplement good manufacturing practices regulation. "AHPA is particularly interested in the impact of the [current] GMPs on traditional herbal products, especially tinctures. The impact of the cGMPs on tinctures has been substantial, in large part because there are many small businesses in this field," said President Michael McGuffin in an email. In Sept. 8 Federal Register notices, each of FDA's centers asked for comment "to guide our initial review of our regulations" required in President Trump's January executive order for federal agenies to establish a "Regulatory Reform Task Force to evaluate existing regulations and identify those that may merit repeal, replacement, or modification." (Also see "Got Ideas For Reducing Industry's Regulatory Burden? FDA Wants To Know" - HBW Insight, 7 Sep, 2017.)

Woodward keynotes CRN's Conference

The Council for Responsible Nutrition's The Conference annual event, Oct. 18-21 in Marana, Ariz., will feature Washington Post associate editor Bob Woodward among its keynote speakers. Woodward, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who, along with Carl Bernstein, reported much of the most notable news about the Watergate break-in in 1972 by operatives linked to President Richard Nixon's re-election campaign and the ensuing cover-up that led to Nixon's resignation in 1974, will discuss the current political climate. Stephen Ostroff, FDA’s deputy commissioner for Foods and Veterinary Medicine, will make a keynote presentation on the agency’s regulatory priorities for dietary supplements and food.

CRN on Sept. 5 also announced speakers including Bryce Hoffman, author of “Red Teaming: How Your Business Can Conquer the Competition by Challenging Everything”; Stephen Wunker, consultant, entrepreneur and author of “Jobs to be Done: A Roadmap for Customer-Centered Innovation”; Mark Halperin, senior political analyst, NBC News and MSNBC and co-author of "Double Down: Game Change 2012” and “Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime” among other books; and Brian Solis, digital analyst, business strategist, futurist and author of “X: The Experience When Business Meets Design,” “The End of Business as Usual,” and “What’s the Future of Business?” The Conference will include sessions including filling nutritional gaps; highlights from CRN's 2017 consumer survey; reaching supplement consumers; and understanding poison control center data for supplements.

The CVS Pharmacy chain makes available its store brand nutritional and personal care products and OTCs in vending machines located in heavy pedestrian-traffic areas.

CVS store brand lines in vending machines

CVS Health Corp.'s CVS Pharmacy retail chain makes available its store brand nutritional and personal care products and OTCs away from its stores in vending machines, the latest consumer product business offering automated technology in response to the growing US self-care trend. Woonsocket, R.I.-based CVS Health on Sept. 7 said the machines, starting with 25 implemented in New England and New York through October, will include more than 70 products from CVS Pharmacy store brand lines of OTC remedies for allergy, pain relief, digestive health and cough/cold; beauty and personal care products; vitamins and supplements; eye care and oral health care products; and children's health and first aid items. CVS also is stocking the machines with snacks and beverages and batteries, phone chargers, earbuds, lint rollers and stain removal sticks. The firm is starting with locations at airports, public transit stations, office parks and college campuses. Similarly, startups are offering self-serve kiosks – large vending machines that dispense the same-sized packages available in stores, including SuppNow Inc., which targets fitness centers and gyms and offers dietary supplements and Pharmabox Inc. with the “first automated drug store.” (Also see "Pharmabox, SuppNow Match Self-Care Demand With Self-Serve Retail" - Pink Sheet, 15 Jun, 2015.)

GOED Exchange registration open

The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega- opens registration for its biennial industry conference, GOED Exchange 2018, Feb. 6-8 in Seattle. GOED Exchange, open to anyone in the industry, is designed to examine issues and controversies in the omega-3 market as well as highlight progress made. The schedule for the first time includes a media training workshop the day before the main conference opens on preparing for interviews, anticipating questions and developing key messages, handling difficult or challenging questions and "how to break down omega-3 science into media friendly messaging." Topics scheduled for discussion during the conference include trust and the media; clarifying controversies in the industry; and research gaps in omega-3 science. GOED also has scheduled sessions on "What Do Consumers Think about Omega-3s" and "Omega-3 Influencers: Today and Tomorrow."

Garden of Life recall

Garden of Life LLC on Sept. 8 recalled a recently launched probiotic supplement for infants, Baby Organic Liquid, because the label includes directions for use that may be misinterpreted. The said it made the voluntary and precautionary recall out concern that if not administered precisely following the labeled instructions, the product, packaged with a measuring syringe, may present difficulties in swallowing and potentially pose a choking hazard due to the liquid's thickness. The label states, “Do not insert syringe directly in mouth. Dispense liquid slowly into the mouth, toward the inner cheek. May be mixed with breast milk or formula.” The company will relabel the product with instructions to only administer the product by mixing in either breast milk or formula and not to administer directly into the infant’s mouth. The Palm Beach Garden, Fla., firm launched the product in August as part of its Dr. Formulated line with limited distribution to date.

QHC for food with ground peanuts

FDA will exercise enforcement discretion to allow a qualified health claim, requested in a petition by Assured Bites Inc., for consumption of foods containing ground peanuts by infants with severe eczema and/or egg allergy. The agency on Sept. 7 said will allow this QHC on labels: "For most infants with severe eczema and/or egg allergy who are already eating solid foods, introducing foods containing ground peanuts between 4 and 10 months of age and continuing consumption may reduce the risk of developing peanut allergy by 5 years of age. FDA has determined, however, that the evidence supporting this claim is limited to one study"; the label also must state, "If your infant has severe eczema and/or egg allergy, check with your infant’s healthcare provider before feeding foods containing ground peanuts."