Ben & Jerry's hops on the CBD wagon
Ice cream brand Ben & Jerry’s has announced its decision to launch a CBD-infused ice cream as soon as CBD extract is permitted for use in food and beverages by the FDA. The announcement marks the Unilever-owned brand’s ambition to be part of the CBD food craze. Ben & Jerry’s is looking into sustainably-sourced CBD from Vermont, where the firm has been based since its first store opened in 1978.
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DuPont partners with British startup to develop smart capsule
DuPont announces strategic partnership with BioMe Oxford to develop a swallowable smart capsule with an ability to sample gut microbiota. DuPont established the Microbiome Venture intitiative to accelerate microbiome science-based solution development through a combination of selected strategic partnerships with microbiome science leaders and internal investments. The UK-based start-up has a technology called BioCapture – a smart capsule that allows unique insights into the impact that live microbes and other modulators have on the gut microbiota in various sections of the gastrointestinal tract.
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NAGASE scoops up Prinova
Japanese chemicals trading firm, NAGASE & Co., has announced its acquisition of the functional ingredients company, Prinova, through NAGASE Group’s subsidiary. By combining Prinova’s integrated capabilities of ingredient procurement, processing and contract manufacturing with NAGASE’s strong R&D expertise, the company hopes to expand its market presence and added value to consumers in North America, Europe and Asia.
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IADSA launches new information resource
IADSA has launched Mind the Gap, a new information and content resource that will facilitate effective communication about the benefits of dietary supplements. Mind the Gap resources will be available in a digital and printed formats, with an aim to deliver narrative that can be used as the basis for meaningful discussions about the role of supplements in promoting health and wellbeing.
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FDA hearing on CBD: No closer to an answer
CBD confusion continues to loom after FDA public hearing on 31 May. Despite corporate confidence in the safety and commercial potential of CBD products, comments from over a hundred advocates who attended were mixed. Researchers cited a lack of clinical trials and ingredient regulations as main roadblocks. Concerns of addiction, side effects, dosage, pesticide contamination and long-term health impacts were also raised. Hemp producers have been excited about potential to generate new revenue sources, but the current regulatory uncertainty remains. Small-scale farmers who have grown hemp for years under local pilot programs worry new regulations will be prohibitively expensive. It may still take years for the FDA to come to an official stance on CBD, but the body has announced its intentions to work as quickly as possible towards a decision, but emphasises a need for further scientific research.
Read more at New Food Economy
