Beyond The Headlines: CRN calls for dietary supplement reimbursement, D2Fit Nutrition launches preworkout for women

21 Apr 2023 --- This week in nutrition news, the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) and the Consumer Healthcare Products Association (CHPA) revealed that most Americans would like to use their flexible spending accounts (FSAs) and health savings accounts (HSAs) for dietary supplements. Meanwhile, D2Fit Nutrition launched a preworkout supplement aimed at helping women overcome fitness fatigue. Also, FitBiomics announced it would offer early access to its latest fatigue-reducing probiotic offering.

In brief: Nutrition news
The CRN and CHPA’s joint-commissioned Ipsos survey found that almost 80% of respondents who had an FSA or HSA wanted their accounts to include dietary supplements as allowable reimbursements despite current laws which often do not recognize dietary supplements as “qualified medical expenses.” The CRN and CHPA plan to continue lobbying for legislation that allows for the purchase of dietary supplements, stating that any tax-revenue “hit” the federal government would experience would be offset by the overall savings to the healthcare system.

D2Fit Nutrition stated its new preworkout supplement, The Multi Collagen Preworkout, combines five types of collagen to help promote joint, skin and hair health with caffeine, beta-alanine and L-theanine to provide a natural energy boost and improve focus during workouts. The company states that the product’s energy-boosting ingredients are designed for women who struggle with motivation and energy during workouts and want a supplement that will support their overall health and wellness. The company believes that the product will be a “game-changer” for women looking to improve their fitness levels.The CRN and CHPA are calling for dietary supplements to be tax-free deductible from FSAs and HSAs.

Microbial genomics company, FitBiomics, revealed that its newest probiotic offering, Veillonella, contains a probiotic that metabolizes lactic acid and may reduce fatigue during exercise. The company has conducted preclinical studies showing that Veillonella can improve athletic performance in mice and is now offering a limited number of individuals the opportunity to participate in an early access program to try the product for themselves. The program aims to help the company gather data and feedback from consumers before the product’s official launch. 

In brief: Business news
Roquette revealed it would invest US$300 million in a new pharmaceutical innovation center in the US. The facility, located in New Jersey, will focus on developing plant-based excipients for drug formulations to improve drug delivery and absorption. The investment will enable Roquette to expand its pharmaceutical offering and help pharmaceutical companies meet the growing demand for plant-based solutions. The new center is expected to create 500 new jobs in the region and is set to begin operations in 2025.

At the same time, PLT Health Solutions reported it has partnered with Nano Pharmaceuticals Labs (NPL) to expand the company’s ZümXR targeted-release ingredient platform globally. ZümXR offers a programmable release of natural ingredients, which can be released over 12-16 hours. PLT said it will leverage its global network and marketing capabilities to scale NPL’s technology worldwide for use in dietary supplements, functional foods and beverages that can help consumers avoid energy crashes.

At the same time, functional gummy supplement manufacturer, TopGum Industries, acquired PharmItBe – an FDA-certified analytical laboratory that provides laboratory services to pharmaceutical, dietary supplement and food companies. The acquisition will allow TopGum to use PharmItBe’s laboratory capabilities to access comprehensive chemical-analytical services, ensuring strict quality standards are maintained while condensing the supply chain process. The acquisition is expected to accelerate TopGum’s pharma-grade gummies development for a new facility supported by a US$40 million investment.ADM teamed up with GnuBiotics to create healthier and more sustainable protein supplements for pet foods.

In brief: Pet Nutrition
ADM licensed GnuBiotics’ technology for its Amobiome microbiome platform. ADM stated that this would allow the company to utilize Amobiome’s unique and proprietary technology in global pet food and supplement formulations and provide access to advanced prebiotics and other microbiome-based solutions. ADM further stated that it aims to provide pet owners with high-quality nutrition products to promote the overall health and well-being of their pets and enable ADM to expand its capabilities and diversify its offerings for the pet food and supplement markets.

Cult Food Science announced the development of a patent-pending ingredient, Cultivate+, which it says will enhance nutrition and protein in pet food. The ingredient is made using a new technology that utilizes microorganisms to produce proteins with high nutritional value, including essential amino acids. Cultivate+ is intended to help pet food manufacturers create products with improved nutrition while also providing a source of sustainable protein. The ingredient is expected to be available for use in pet food products in the coming months.

In brief: Scientific studies
A US-based study in California found that a sugar-sweetened beverage tax led to a 26.8% decrease in purchases.According to a modeling study published in BMJ Open, specifying the number of calories for each item on restaurant menus is likely linked to lower rates of cancers associated with obesity and attendant healthcare costs in the US. The researchers stated that enacting policies that make listing calories mandatory could potentially avert thousands of cancer cases and deaths and save billions of dollars. Obesity is an established risk factor for 13 types of cancer and is the cause of 40% of all newly diagnosed cases of the disease and 43.5% of cancer care costs. Additionally, the study stated that restaurant meals account for 1 in 5 calories consumed by US adults and that to help diners curb their calorie intake, the Affordable Care Act of 2010 mandated that all chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets post calorie counts on menus and menu boards for all standard items. The policy was associated with the prevention of 28,000 new cancer cases and 16,700 cancer deaths, 111,000 extra years of life lived in good health and US$1.48 billion saved in related medical costs. Additional food industry product reformulation could substantially increase policy impact, doubling the total estimated health gains and preventing 47,300 new cancer cases and 28,200 cancer deaths.

Finally, a study by UC San Francisco, US, found that the introduction of a “soda tax” in Oakland has led to a 26.8% decrease in purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) compared to similar cities without the tax between July 2017 and December 2019. The study, published in PLOS Medicine, also estimated that a 10-year reduction in SSB consumption would add 94 quality-adjusted life-years per 10,000 residents and save the city over US$100,000 per 10,000 residents in healthcare costs. The tax was also found to be cost-effective compared to other public health interventions. The researchers found that the tax led to reduced purchases of all types of SSBs, with no evidence that consumers substituted sweet snacks or traveled to neighboring untaxed locations to purchase sugary drinks. It further suggests that national taxes on SSBs can significantly improve health, generate cost savings and support public health interventions to reduce diet-sensitive chronic diseases.

By William Bradford Nichols