New Zealand supplement and health food manufacturers are likely targets for merger and acquisition activity over the next year, with private equity firms, notably from China, increasingly looking to splash the cash.
Fish oil supplier SeaDragon has revealed it expects to report an annual loss of up to NZ$4.5m, due to a longer than expected transition time from its legacy Omega-2 business to Omega-3 fish oil produced by its new $10m refinery.
A number public policy, health and community measures have been identified by researchers in Australia to help reduce rising obesity rates among child immigrants.
New meta-analysis suggests that vitamin D deficiency is a risk factor for TB, not something that is caused by the condition, while the role played by ethnicity in this relationship merits further investigation.
Industry and academic experts have been responding to Australia’s decision to establish a legal medicinal cannabis trade – with most welcoming it as a positive first step – while others are eagerly awaiting a judgement in April which will rule if hemp...
Two job role changes have been announced at Natural Products NZ (NPNZ), the industry body representing the country’s natural products, functional foods, complementary medicines, and nutraceuticals industries.
A new cognitive health supplement firm which recently opened a base in Singapore is targetting consumers in their 40s as it seeks to expand across the region.
The University of Queensland (UQ) in Australia is opening a $1m new Food Science Innovation Precinct to drive new products and research in probiotics, omega-3, functional foods and dairy.
The man who has launched Australia’s first store selling vitamins solely via vending machines wants to launch hundreds more in locations across the country, while also expanding to overseas markets such as China, Singapore, India and New Zealand.
The lack of a coordinated national approach to the Australian obesity epidemic is “unacceptable”, according to the Chair of the Council of Presidents of Medical Colleges, who is calling for more clinical trials to assess solutions and a soft drinks tax...
The overall diet quality of the Australian population is poor and targeted interventions for young-adults, males, the obese and those with lower socio-economic status are sorely needed.
Trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has insisted consumers can have full confidence in products purchased in Australia after a new review claimed it was a 'misperception' that herbal medicines are safe.
New Zealand supplement firm Better Health Co, which owns the GO Healthy brand, has sold an 80% stake to an Asian private equity fund to help it tap into international markets.
An anticipated perfect storm in Australia, involving the recent legalisation of medical cannabis and the expected approval of hemp in foods and nutrition later this year, has led to the government stopping the export of hemp products to ensure national...
A number of nutraceuticals have clinical merit and the therapeutic potential to help boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), but more stringent and credible research is sorely needed, researchers say.
Australian trade body Complementary Medicines Australia (CMA) has given its seal of approval to proposed new regulations that propose a ‘third health claim pathway’ for supplements.
In a perfect world you would get all the omega-3s you need by eating fish, but less than 10% of Australian adults consume the required level of fish regularly, writes Gerald Quigley.
Doctors show low willingness to recommend omega-3s to their patients because the training they received lacked any attention to nutrition and lifestyle.
Australian infant formula firm Bellamy’s is facing further turmoil after a major shareholder demanded the removal of four of the company’s board directors.
Like its more popular New Zealand version, Australian Manuka honey has also been found to contain powerful antibacterial properties, leading to hopes it could tap into the lucrative medicinal honey market.
“We are building it while we’re flying it,” says William Harris, the distinguished American omega-3 researcher, of a mapping project to find out the true level of omega-3s in Australians’ blood, at a time when three-quarters of the population are believed...
The food industry is experiencing growth in the demand for natural products, as people become more savvy and selective about what they put into their bodies. Consumers are willing to pay a premium for “pure” products and want to know what is in their...
A study of school children in a Northern Territory Indigenous community has found that around half are iron-deficient, leading researchers to claim it is a major public health problem.
The Federal Court of Australia has approved the takeover of vitamin firm Vitaco by Chinese investors, with the deal now officially entering the “completion stage”.
Researchers have identified a new mechanism for how oats reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood stream, thereby lowering the risk of heart disease.
A project in Australia’s Northern Territory is to trial giving anaemic children rapid iron infusions before they are discharged from hospital in an attempt to reduce the risk of ongoing iron deficiency.
One-in-ten non-pregnant young women in Australia have an iron deficiency, which is also estimated to be highly prevalent in indigenous communities, researchers say.
A historical disease caused by a lack of vitamin C and associated with old-world sailors, it appears that scurvy is reappearing in Australia due to poor modern dietary habits.
The type of fat used as a carrier for phytosterol in fortified foods and drinks could have a major impact on the ability of the ingredient to lower cholesterol, according to a new meta-analysis of trials.
They say that grey hair is a symbol of wisdom. This is so true as many Australian seniors are now taking a more proactive approach to their own healthcare by doing independent research to stay healthy and active.
Women whose babies are conceived in winter are more likely to develop gestational diabetes during pregnancy, with a lack of vitamin D during these months one of the likely factors, research from Australia suggests.
Almost 9m Aussies (44.2% of the population) regularly take vitamins, minerals or supplements, with Nature’s Own being the most widely consumed brand, according to new research.
Australian company Medlab Clinical Limited is preparing to start Australia’s first clinical trial using cannabis for oncology patients suffering intractable pain.
Better protection of intellectual property and a period of market exclusivity for innovative products would help improve research and development in Australia, claims trade body Complementary Medicines Australia.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission is investigating alleged suspicious trading in the run-up to the announcement of a takeover at Australian supplement firm Vitaco.
Researchers say a review and meta-analysis suggests, but cannot establish, that industry-sponsored nutrition studies may be more likely to have favourable conclusions compared to independent studies.
Australian manufacturer of pharmaceutical grade cannabis and hemp-based products Creso Pharma has sealed deals to launch its nutraceuticals in two European markets.
A dose of dextrose gel rubbed inside a newborn baby’s mouth an hour after birth can lower their risk of developing neonatal hypoglycaemia, according to a new randomised study.
Nutrition professionals, scientists and other public interest bodies are staying on the sidelines and allowing the food industry to dominate Australia’s nutrition policy-making, according to research analysis.
By Natasha Flynn, business development manager, HealthDirection
With more than 30,000 businesses generating sales of over A$4bn (US$3.1bn), the Australian complementary medicines industry has created a highly competitive landscape.
Follow-up results released from a University of Sydney study show that increased muscle strength leads to improved brain function in adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).
