There was not even one death caused by a vitamin supplement in 2010, according to the most recent information collected by the U.S. National Poison Data System. The new annual report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers shows zero deaths from multiple vitamins; zero deaths from any of the B vitamins; zero deaths from vitamins A, C, D, or E; and zero deaths from any other vitamin.
Additionally, there were no deaths whatsoever from any amino acid or dietary mineral supplement.

Well over half of the U.S. population takes daily nutritional supplements. Even if each of those people took only one single tablet daily, that makes 165,000,000 individual doses per day, for a total of over 60 billion doses annually. Since many persons take far more than just one single vitamin or mineral tablet, actual consumption is considerably higher, and the safety of nutritional supplements is all the more remarkable.

Over 60 billion doses of vitamin and mineral supplements per year in the USA, and not a single fatality. Not one.

If vitamin and mineral supplements are allegedly so “dangerous,” as the FDA and news media so often claim, then where are the proofs?

Reference: Bronstein AC, Spyker DA, Cantilena LR Jr, Green JL, Rumack BH, Dart RC. 2010 Annual Report of the American Association of Poison Control Centers’ National Poison Data System (NPDS): 28th Annual Report

In the Nutrition & health market, scientific and regulatory data is of strategic importance. It often makes the difference against competition, especially when used for innovation, to identify ingredients with best proven activity, or for international development, leading to chose more reachable markets.

However, it is difficult to turn this data into a clear and complete overview, as information is spread over the web, sometimes expensive or even not accessible, and constantly changing. This is the need Nutraveris intends to satisfy, launching today the advanced version of its world-reference database: Nutraveris On-Line 2.0.

“Previous version has already convinced a large number of users in only 3 years”, says Cedric Bourges, CEO of the European-leading scientific and regulatory consultancy. Indeed, Nutraveris On-Line has been chosen as a premium source of data by more than 150 industrialists.

“Nutraveris On-Line access includes scientific and regulatory monthly reports, providing new scientific substantiation, and last requirements from European administrations” says a subscribing project director at L’Oréal. Nutraveris On-Line also brings a lot to regulatory affairs, especially concerning health claims, as mentions a marketing manager at Forever Living: “we are continuously adapting our communications on our brochure. With the help of Nutraveris On-Line database, we are able to evaluate health claims still usable from those we should stop rapidly”.

Today, the 2.0 version makes this strategic information even quicker, enabling to be extremely reactive. The new “personalized watch” function sends notifications as soon as new studies or regulations are published about a pre-selected health application or ingredient, with clear and objective synthesis. With this new function comes the possibility to cumulate research criteria (e.g. to obtain all clinical studies and EFSA 13.1 positive opinions on a particular ingredient and health application), plus a whole lot of visual and ergonomic improvements.

The database is still being live-updated by Nutraveris experts, involving a weekly research and analysis of more than 1,500 publications and opinions. It provides complete answers on all ingredients and health applications that could possibly be used in Europe, which means more than 2,100 ingredients (vitamins, minerals, plants) and 132 health applications (weight management, joint health, immune system…). Subscription is accessible via Nutraveris On Line 2.0

After having provided guidance on dietary reference values (DRV) of fats, carbohydrates, fibre and water, EFSA published a scientific opinion on protein intake after extensive consultation with Member States, the scientific community and other. These DRV establish optimum intakes of nutrients in a balanced diet which when part of an overall healthy lifestyle, contribute to good health.

Indeed, EFSA has been asked by the European Commission to review and update the reference values for nutrient and energy intakes established in 1993 by the Scientific Committee on Food. In doing so EFSA is taking into account new scientific evidence and recent recommendations issued at national and at international level. This will permit to provide comprehensive nutrition guidelines, for example for food labelling and for setting public health targets in Europe.

Find these scientific opinions on the EFSA website. For more information contact our experts.

www.efsa.europa.eu

After two rejections pursuant to article 13(1) and 14, EFSA has recently provided a negative opinion on a health claim related to the reduction in LDL-cholesterol and the consumption of isolated soy protein. As it is often the case, this rejection is explained by an insufficient scientific substantiation. However, the applicant has provided a dossier supported by 23 randomized and controlled intervention trials. Moreover, these studies were associated to a meta-analysis prepared specifically for this application, and to several supportive studies (intervention studies, meta-analyses, reviews, mechanistic studies).

Nevertheless, the experts have considered that 4 of the 23 trials could not be considered as pertinent due to inadequate experimental methodologies (mainly low quality of statistical analysis). Among the 19 remaining studies, only four studies have shown a reduction in LDL-cholesterol, whereas all the other trials did not conclude to a significant effect of isolated soy protein. Surprisingly, the meta-analyses provided by the applicant have not been considered as pertinent by the NDA panel, and have been rejected for the substantiation of the intended claim due to low methodologies.

Thus, the soy proteins manufacturers cannot still communicate in Europe about the cholesterol-lowering effect of their product, despite that several countries (US, Japan, Brazil for instance) have accepted similar claims.

Following the positive vote by the Standing Committee of the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) on December 5, the draft Regulation of the European Commission establishing, under Article 13.3 of Regulation 1924/2006, list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children’s development and health, and the annex listing the 13.2 allowed claims were transmitted in the European Parliament on January 27.
The European Parliament and the Council now have within three months (until April 27) to oppose the publication of this text as part of the Council Decision 1999/468/EC laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission. Regulation should be published in the Official Journal of the European Union in mid-May for entry into force 20 days later.
The claims which have not been submitted to Member States for evaluation by EFSA as part of the procedure 13.2 will be forbidden to the publication of the Regulations. The period of compliance of their communications will be 6 months. The claims will be used in accordance with these Regulation in late November. The permitted claims will be those listed on annex published in conjunction with the Regulation. Those, under evaluation by EFSA, and those, which the transition will run, still will be used.