Let the grant writing begin. The National Institutes for Health has been among the big winners in the American Recovery Act, a.k.a. the economic stimulus package.

When it comes to dietary supplements, it's like the Wild West, and the bad guys know they don’t have to take the sheriff seriously. Industry and consumer voices are split in their interpretations of a GAO report on how the FDA should regulate dietary supplements.

Looking to promote the safety of your product? Tout the fact that your children's bath and shampoo products do not contain formaldehyde. In a recent test, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics found 23 children's bath products that that may cause cancer and skin allergies.

QVC has agreed to pay $7.5 million to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it made false and unsubstantiated claims about three types of dietary supplements in violation of an FTC order, and about an anti-cellulite skin cream in violation of the FTC Act.

If you were at Natural Products Supply Expo West, you were probably impressed with the number of competitors. There were hundreds of companies with nutritional supplements, organic products and "fill-in-the-blank"-free fragrances.

The popular view that supplements contribute to nutrition got a boost from a study published by the American Dietetic Association. In the March issue of the ADA's journal, scientists based in Seattle, Atlanta and Minneapolis found that supplements help middle-aged and older Americans meet their daily intake requirements.

According to the Associated Press, President Barack Obama intends to name former New York City Health Commissioner Margaret Hamburg to lead the troubled Food and Drug Administration. 

Because Coca-Cola Co. and partner Nestle by were unable to substantiate claims that Enviga causes weight loss, the beverage has lightened the pockets of both companies by $650,000.

Two contributors to this blog, Vincent Annunziata and Hugo Ottolenghi, are participating in Nutracon, March 5-7. They will be at the CANI exhibit on Friday and Saturday from noon to 2 p.m.

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has adopted a scientific opinion (summary also available) on two ingredients commonly used in so-called energy drinks. Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA’s Panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) concluded that exposure to taurine and d-glucuronolactone through regular consumption of energy drinks was not of safety concern.

Jared Wheat (pictured, left), CEO and founder of Atlanta supplement maker Hi-Tech Pharmaceuticals, was sentenced to 50 months in jail earlier this month for illegally selling prescription drugs online.

A swimmer who missed the Olympics says she doesn't have a drug problem: A Texas supplement company does.  Jessica Hardy claims in a lawsuit that AdvoCare International Co.

Companies keen on product development will likely get a boost from the compromise version of the stimulus bill that the House was set to vote on Friday.

The National Advertising Division (NAD) of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (BBB) is referring advertising for the dietary supplement Colotox, from Phoenix-based Central Coast Nutraceuticals Inc.,

What do sibutramine, rimonabant, phenytoin and phenolphthalein have in common? You can find them spread among the 69 brands of weight-loss pills identified by the FDA.

A report published on the web site of the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP), http://www.iatp.org indicates some well-known foods and drinks rich in high-fructose corn syrup may contain detectable levels of mercury.

After an FDA warning letter told True Renewal to either register its products with the agency or change claims on its Web sites, the supplement maker has altered product descriptions.

Tahitian Noni, the Utah based dietary supplement juice maker, has sued former MLM executive Robert Dean who allegedly jumped ship to work for a competitor. Tahitian Noni won a partial victory in a decision entered in federal district court in Utah. 

Nestled in the $800 billion-plus economic stimulus bills that Congress is considering are billions of dollars for non-profit research centers, universities and possibly private firms. The Chronicle of Higher Education breaks down the House and Senate bills into categories that range from NSF to NIH.

In a bizarre response to a citizen petition, the FDA has ruled that "pyridoxamine dihydrochloride or any other compound containing pyridoxamine" are not dietary supplements within the meaning as indicated by DSHEA, specifically Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FFDC) Act § 201(ff)  and "may not be marketed as such."