Dietary Supplement Companies

MLM moves to quickly expunge disease claims after advertising challenge

05-Dec-2022 By Hank Schultz

A multi-level marketing firm that sells dietary supplements responded quickly to remove non compliant disease claims when challenged by an industry watchdog group.

Canadian online retailer adds liquid line, fish oil products

01-Dec-2022 By Hank Schultz

Major Canadian online retailer National Nutrition has signed a deal to add a line of liquid supplements to its already extensive product offerings. It has also added a line of fish oil supplements.

Usana acquires revenue outside of Asia with protein bar manufacturer, supplement MLM

30-Nov-2022 By Hank Schultz

Multi level marketing firm Usana has acquired a protein bar manufacturer and another MLM supplement sales platform, the company announced late Monday.

CHPA ramps up to represent whole consumer health value chain, exec says

16-Nov-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association is raising its profile in the dietary supplement industry, which included a second consecutive appearance at SupplySide West, a show the organization had not attended in the past.

Flattening sales force Nature’s Sunshine to look for cheaper ingredients and manufacturing savings

07-Nov-2022 By Hank Schultz

Inflationary pressures and currency fluctuations have impacted Nature Sunshine’s results, leading the multi-level marketing company to reformulate some products with cheaper ingredients and revamp manufacturing in an effort to control costs.

USANA’s share price takes beating on weak earnings report

27-Oct-2022 By Hank Schultz

Inflation and continued COVID related problems in Asia hit network marketing company Usana’s earnings hard. Traders responded by pummeling the company’s stock, which at one point on Tuesday had fallen by more than 17%.

Herbalife CEO to discuss role of supplements in health at upcoming CRN event

10-Oct-2022 By Hank Schultz

Herbalife CEO John Agwunobi will be featured during a fireside chat at the upcoming annual symposium of the Council for Responsible Nutrition. The even takes place this week in Phoenix.

Durbin offers amendment to restore MPL to stopgap funding bill

29-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, has offered an amendment to the stopgap federal government funding measure currently before Congress that would restore a Mandatory Product Listing requirement for dietary supplements.

Stopgap funding bill lacks any provisions specific to supplement industry

27-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

As had been expected, the final language of the stopgap measure to fund the federal government into December has no provisions relating to the dietary supplement industry.

Ritual chooses Whole Foods for first brick and mortar launch based on ‘trust’

26-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

Fast growing supplement brand Ritual has announced its first retail distribution deal with Whole Foods Markets, a partner chosen because “there is no retailer that has garnered more trust,” in the words of Ritual’s founder and CEO Katerina Schneider.

Natural Alternatives sees sales rise, but inflation clouds future

22-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

Contract manufacturer Natural Alternatives International Inc. reported increased sales but saw inflationary pressures cut into its profit in its year end earnings statement released yesterday.

MLM's over the top earnings claims sent to FTC for possible enforcement

06-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

A multilevel marketing company’s earnings claims have been referred to the US Federal Trade Commission after the firm allegedly failed to respond to a self regulation inquiry.

Mannatech’s brief momentum surge seems over with steep sales decline

30-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

Multilevel marketing company Mannatech saw sales fall by more than 17% in its latest earnings report.

LifeVantage looks toward collagen launch to help stem persistent sales decline

24-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

Multilevel marketing company LifeVantage recorded a 7% drop in sales during its fourth quarter, but claimed the results were within its expectations. The company is banking on a liquid collagen product launch to drive future growth.

Vetting suppliers becomes ever more crucial as US-China tensions rise

18-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

Heightened US-China tensions have caused planners in all industrial sectors to reevaluate their sourcing arrangements. Stakeholders in the dietary supplement industry say having firm relationships with well-vetted suppliers is the best way to manage...

Majority of immune supplements bought on Amazon found to have labels that don’t match contents

11-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

A study published yesterday by a group that included researchers from the University of Mississippi found that fewer than half of 30 immune supplements bought on Amazon had labels that accurately reflected their contents.

Nature’s Sunshine beats estimates despite sales decline

11-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

Nature’s Sunshine has reported a 4.4% year over year sales decline that nevertheless was better than what stock analysts had been predicting.

CRN: Progress being made on MPL provisions in fees bill

04-Aug-2022 By Hank Schultz

Significant progress is being made on a mandatory product listing requirement that the industry can live with, CRN asserts.

DeLauro/Durbin bill to set up new, food-only federal agency finds broad support from supplement industry

26-Jul-2022 By Hank Schultz

A new federal agency aimed solely at food safety would be created by a bill introduced recently by US Rep Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) and Sen Dick Durbin (D-IL).

Trade organizations line up against bill that includes new supplement regulations

15-Jun-2022 By Hank Schultz

Three trade organizations joined forces in opposing the FDA Safety and Landmark Advancement Act of 2022 (FDASLA), a fee authorization bill that includes provisions aimed at tightening dietary supplement regulations.

Alkemist Labs launches quality program featuring easy to read test results, verification seal for labels

24-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

Alkemist Labs has announced a new quality and transparency program featuring validated, simplified test documents that can be shared with clients and customers. It’s the culmination of a seven year development process, the company said.

Mandatory product listing as proposed by Durbin bill is a mirage, Cohen asserts

20-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

A mandatory product listing of the sort proposed in a recent bill sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-IL, would give an illusion of control of the dietary supplement marketplace without better protecting consumers, a prominent industry critic alleges.

Walgreens becomes first to use UL Verified Mark on supplement labels

18-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

Global safety certifier UL has announced a new UL Verified Mark will debut on Walgreens brand vitamins and supplements. The new partnership was announced yesterday.

Renewed lockdowns in China creating many short- and long-term effects

17-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

Renewed lockdowns in China has thrown another wrench into the global supply of botanical ingredients. But having graduated from the recent school of hard knocks, suppliers are managing to cope, experts said.

FTC refunding $149 million to distributors victimized in AdvoCare scheme

09-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Federal Trade Commission is returning $149 million to consumers who lost money acting as distributors for Advocare, a former multi level marketing company deemed by regulators to have been an illegal pyramid scheme.

Nature’s Sunshine joins Usana among firms relying on sales in Asia

06-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

Multilevel marketing organization Nature’s Sunshine managed to post a significant revenue increase in its first quarter earnings statement, despite supply chain challenges that caused out of stock situations and an overall net loss.

FSMA guidance on certifying inspectors in foreign markets impacts supplement industry, observer says

03-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

FDA has issued a draft guidance on how to accredit foreign certifying bodies. The document will help clarify a highly technical aspect of the Food Safety and Modernization Act and will remind dietary supplement firms that it’s high time to get their...

Kyowa Hakko benefiting from Kirin’s support post acquisition, CEO says

02-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

Being part of the massive organization Kirin has helped Kyowa Hakko build on its legacy of innovation and quality, according to the division’s new CEO.

Enforcement discretion gives some solace to NAC space, observers say

29-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

FDA’s recently announced enforcement discretion policy on NAC will bring some certainty to the market. But it doesn’t answer all of the questions surrounding the ingredient, which could cause other issues later, experts said.

NPA letter makes comprehensive rebuttal to need for Durbin/Braun listing bill

28-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Natural Products Association has sent a letter to Senators Dick Durbin and Mike Braun extensively rebutting assertions made in support of their bill that requires mandatory product listing for dietary supplements.

News in Brief

Rae Wellness recalls products that pose toddler poisoning risk

14-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

Supplement manufacturer Rae Wellness has announced a product recall for products that were shipped without child protective caps.

FitLife Brands on upward course but misstated financial results could dim picture

07-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

Omaha-based supplement marketer FitLife Brands has reported promising full year revenue that comes with a serious caveat in that the company may need to restate its financial results going back to its 2019 fiscal year.

A.I. platform Canomiks partners with startup accelerator

06-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

Canomiks, a startup that filters genomics data through an A.I. platform to drive ingredient development, has entered into a partnership with KiwiTech LLC, an investment platform that provides ‘support ecosystems’ for growth stage companies.

Dr. Low Dog: Mainstream healthcare providers increasingly confused by complex supplement formulas

06-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

The success of the supplement industry carries a poison pill within it. A prominent physician told attendees at a recent botanical science conference that the vast number of products and ingredients on the market swamps the ability of mainstream health...

Mary Kay agrees to remove social media posts promising income for distributors

25-Mar-2022 By Hank Schultz

Mary Kay Inc., a multilevel marketing company that sells cosmetics, personal care products and dietary supplements, has agreed to remove social media posts that imply that distributors can earn significant income with the company.

NPA pushes back against Rhode Island bill that would restrict supplement sales

23-Mar-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Natural Products Association has testified against a proposed Rhode Island law that would restrict the sale of supplements to minors. The bill could have far ranging implications, NPA warns.

CHPA launches Dietary Supplement Index to help make case for industry in public policy forums

23-Mar-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Consumer Healthcare Products Association has launched a tool it calls the Dietary Supplement Index to help inform public policy as it relates to the industry.dietar

Naturopathic foundation, Standard Process team up for interventional trial

22-Mar-2022 By Hank Schultz

A natural medicine foundation and the supplement manufacturer Standard Process have teamed up to validate how dietary supplements in concert with lifestyle changes can improve health, with the ultimate goal to publish the results in a peer reviewed journal.

FTC adds to repeat offender’s rap sheet with disease claims consent decree

21-Mar-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Federal Trade Commission has permanently banned two Texas firms from making diabetes and pain relief claims on the dietary supplements that they market. Kramer Duhon, the firms’ principal, has a long history of fines and enforcement actions against...

Inflation to hit Herbalife’s growth as it comes out of pandemic sales hangover

25-Feb-2022 By Hank Schultz

Multi level marketing giant Herbalife has seen sales slow coming out of the pandemic and said that inflation will restrain growth in the coming year.

Russian invasion unlikely to upend botanical supply situation, but finished goods sales could be impacted

24-Feb-2022 By Hank Schultz

The Russian invasion of Ukraine this morning is expected to have little effect on the supply of ingredients to the dietary supplement industry in the near term. The picture for companies selling finished products within the two countries is less clear.

IFF to acquire contract manufacturer Health Wright Products

17-Feb-2022 By Hank Schultz

International Flavors and Fragrances has continued its strong push into the health and wellness space with the purchase of Oregon-based contract manufacturer Health Wright Products, LLC.

Warning letter signals return of on the ground inspection observations for 2022

04-Jan-2022 By Hank Schultz

A warning letter sent to a dietary supplement manufacturer signals a return of enforcement actions based on on-site inspections, which had been suspended for a time during the global pandemic.

Guest article

AHPA celebrates regulatory victories during year that tested industry's resilience

20-Dec-2021 By By Michael McGuffin, President, American Herbal Products Association (AHPA)

As the 24th month of 2020 (or so it feels) comes to a close – the herbal and natural products industry continues to adapt to challenges brought on by the global pandemic and move our industry forward. From regulatory progress made virtually to creative...

Belgian brand launches in US; AZ-based marketer secures Sams Club deal

20-Dec-2021 By Hank Schultz

A Belgian supplement brand has launched in the US market with a variety of formulas based on herbs, vitamins, neurotransmitters and more, while another brand has announced broader distribution with Sams Club.

Guest article

Industry needs consensus in 2022, CRN says

16-Dec-2021 By Steve Mister, President and CEO, Council for Responsible Nutrition

As the dietary supplement industry turns the corner to 2022, a range of challenges confronts us— supply chain disruptions, staffing shortages, and inflationary pressures, to name a few. Some difficulties must be addressed individually, but I suggest the...