Businesses such as Post's "Active Nutrition" division not only help drive overall sales, they also represent opportunities to create new value. "You can see a rationale for a larger company trying to unlock value," says L.E.K analyst Alex Evans.

Planned IPO of 25% of shares in nutrition business targets unlocking value currently held down by Post's other units. Its competitors in cereal space as well as firms across broader food industry also may determine their acquired nutritional businesses could be higher valued operating separately.

Vitamin Shoppe discloses preliminary plan for shareholder vote on $208m takeover offer; Nestle Health Science invests in SpoonfulOne early childhood food allergy prevention brand; and ear care product firm Eosera moves to facility twice as large and adds two products, four staff members.

Trademarks are registered and published for opposition with the US Patent and Trademark Office and are published weekly in the agency's Official Gazette.

Stance launches Merk pre-workout supplement; Brio offers hemp oils with assurance; vegan omegas from Emerald Health; Anlit has long-life probiotic bites; Nutrawise launches liquid collagen; Natural Recovery Greens powdered CBD drinks; aloe vera immunity drink from LR; Vicks rolls out three-product lineup for children free of artificial dyes and flavors; GNC launches customized subscription vitamin program; and Lumiday supplements by women for women.

Business continues selling unapproved and misbranded drugs due to claims for products intended to be used as Chinese herbal medicines including treatment of autism, Alzheimer’s disease, herpes and cancer, says FDA says warning.

FitLife direct-to-consumer, online sales fuel quarter; AXIM Wellness launching CBD gum; Canadian firm acquiring PA cannabis cultivator; Clorox' lifestyle division flat in latest quarter despite strong sales of NutraNext supplements; and New Age delays rolling beverage line on confusing FDA regulation messaging.

Perrigo reports 4% Q2 sales growth for OTC drugs in the Americas region was offset by nearly 15% drop in infant formula sale. Total consumer sales in the Americas slipped 2.5% to $582m, but CEO Murray Kessler says brighter days are ahead on benefits from Ranir oral care acquisition.

Liberty Tax, which owns tax-return preparation business Liberty Tax Services and branched into capital investing in July, agrees to pay $6.50 per Vitamin Shoppe share, a 43% premium on its closing price a day earlier. Vitamin Shoppe's earnings struggles continued in Q2 as total sales fell 7.6% to $270.9m and it reported a $3.6m net loss after generating $5.3m net income a year ago.

Omega-3 supplementation results in 8% reduction in heart attack and coronary heart disease risk over a five-year period versus placebo, finds a meta-analysis in JAMA. Encompassing 120,000 patients, research updates recent meta-analyses with addition of three studies in past year, two casting doubt on heart health benefits of omega-3s.

 “Free of” claims not covered by federal regulations should be linked to widely accepted industry standards, says regulatory expert Andrew Shao. Without those, firms should develop their own definitions, standards or methods and keep records demonstrating internal varication of claims.