Category Archives: Food Supplements

Press Release

The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN), the leading trade association for the dietary supplement and functional food industry, today announced it is exploring adding representation for companies in the medical food industry to its mission, following a unanimous vote by the CRN Board of Directors at its June Board meeting to launch an examination of this burgeoning sector of the nutrition category.

According to CRN Board Chair Jim Hyde, vice president & general manager, Balchem Human Nutrition and Pharma, CRNs Board of Directors believes there is enormous growth potential for the medical food industry over the next several decades as healthcare practitioners, the academic community, and policy makers continue to look at the ways that nutrition contributes to better health. We take seriously the name of our association, and incorporating medical food along with dietary supplements and functional food to our responsible nutrition portfolio is forward-thinking and a logical next step for CRN to consider.

CRN President & CEO Steve Mister focused on the potential synergy of adding medical food, explaining, "CRN's strong reputation was created by our forty-five year history of representing mainstream companies in the dietary supplement industry. Several years ago, we opened our doors to functional food companies with the reasoning that we were already representing the ingredient suppliers manufacturing the ingredients that went into the food. We envision the same synergistic approach with medical food. It's all a spectrum of nutrition that provides health benefits to consumers. If there is an interest from companies who manufacture and market medical foods, we're open to working with those companies to ensure their interests-and the interests of their consumers-are being properly represented to Congress, regulators, and in the media."

As part of its exploratory process, CRN intends to convene the major players in the industry, some of whom are already CRN members, as part of a listening tour to determine where voids in representation exist, if CRN can fill those needs, and what the regulatory and policy priorities of the medical food industry should be. Weve already begun talking with some of the significant providers of these products to the market, and we understand some of their concerns focus on the lack of clarity provided by FDAs oversight of the industry, leading to some controversy and uncertainty about these products, said Mr. Mister.

The term medical food is defined by Congress under Section 5(b)(3) of the Orphan Drug Act as a food which is formulated to be consumed [orally] or administered internally under the supervision of a physician and which is intended for the specific dietary management of a disease or condition for which distinctive nutritional requirements, based on recognized scientific principles, are established by medical evaluation.

CRN has previously expressed concerns that a more narrow interpretation of that definition offered by FDA that limits the range of available products may undermine Congressional intent for this category, thereby stifling the markets ability to reach its potential. On the other hand, CRN fears that some companies may try to take advantage of the lack of clarity with illegitimate products, leaving the industry open to the risk that rogue players will define the industry.

"In many ways, there are similarities between where medical foods are today and the dietary supplement industry immediately following the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act," said Mr. Mister. "CRN wants to work with responsible companies who want to play by the rules. We want to ensure those rules protect consumers, but also allow for industry to innovate and grow. Twenty years from now, we don't want medical food companies to be in the position of looking back and wishing they had established themselves as a unified industry sooner. Consumers will benefit from a vibrant medical food industry that develops and delivers helpful, innovative products under reasonable regulation that assure fly-by-night companies don't grab and destroy the reputation of those companies investing in science and following the law."

Read more:

CRN to Explore Adding Medical Food to its Mission - Natural Products INSIDER

Did you know that only 13 percent of Americans get enough fruits each day? How about that only 8 percent of us get enough vegetables on a daily basis? This is scary to me.

If were not eating at least 1.5-2 cups of fruits and 2-3 cups of vegetables daily, then what are we eating? Usually highly processed (i.e., it doesnt look like it grew somewhere) foods that are high in calories and low in nutrients. There are four main reasons for our now predisposed eating habits: processed foods are convenient/fast, well marketed, perceived to be cheaper, and engineered to taste good. Ever wonder if a chip company researches the optimal crunch factor for their chips? Absolutely they do.

When I was a kid, I remember two things about going to the grocery store. The first is that my brother and I had a tendency to misbehave (Me?! Never!), so my mom would get us a small bag of donut holes IF we behaved to her appropriately high standards in the store. And, second, that I spent most of the store trip picking out a breakfast cereal. It was not the taste, quality, etc. of the cereal, though, that was the determining factor for me but rather what toy was inside! This food marketing to me at an early age even led me to spend my hard-earned moolah on a box of Cookie Crisp one time on vacation because I didnt think I could go 3-4 days without it! And I never spent my money! Its little, influential, habits like this that add up over time to replace the good stuff in our daily food intake.

The way the food industry is set up, its very challenging, even if theres an awareness, to achieve daily appropriate food intake goals. So what are we to do if we want to hit that nutrient goal for the day? We need to cut out (or drastically reduce) processed foods as well as possibly supplement. I think theres a place for supplements in our daily routine, because, like I said, the vast majority of us dont get what we need nutritionally. Where do we start, though? If you just look up supplements on Google, youll be inundated with search results and ads. The supplement industry is a multi-BILLION dollar industry and growing quickly. Be aware that, just like the processed food industry, theres a significant arm of the supplement industry that is out there simply to make money, independent of your overall health.

Appropriate supplementation is different for every individual, and folks should talk to a healthcare provider about recommendations. Its not enough to simply trust whats on the label! Why do we want to supplement anyway and why is it such a growing industry? Because it is in our human nature to want a quick fix. Most of us would rather take a pill that claims it lower heart disease risk than exercise. Most of us would rather take a pill that claims to increase our energy than going to bed an hour earlier. Were just wired that way.

There are good reasons for appropriate supplementation though they include poor food quality, poor food choices, lack of exercise, stress, not enough sleep, drinking too much alcohol, hormone imbalances and even genetics. If I had to pick three supplements that most everyone could benefit from and have good science behind them, Id say probiotics, omega-3s and vitamin D. Any of these can be found over the counter or online. Well talk about these individually in a later column but here are some tidbits to get you started:

Probiotics are what I call good bacteria. They are very important for your immune system, digestive system, vitamin production and detoxification. Did you know 60 percent of your immune system resides in your gut?! Thats part of why its important to keep your gut healthy. Not to mention probiotics usually make bowel movements more regular and lower risk for urinary tract infections.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids are endorsed by the American Heart Association for heart disease prevention. They are beneficial in a range of disorders mainly due to anti-inflammatory effects and cellular membrane fluidity. They tend to lower triglycerides. I tell my lady patients that Omega-3s help their skin and hair look healthier! I can usually spot who takes Omega-3s just by looking at their skin.

Vitamin D is low in just about everyone. My vitamin D is low. I take a vitamin D supplement. When its in a good range, it really helps lower risk for heart disease and cancer. It also helps regulate insulin and blood sugar levels which are key to long-term health.

So, do we need to supplement our daily food intake? In most cases, probably so. As much as Id love for Cookie Crisp to grow on trees and have good nutritional value, it just doesnt stack up to what good ol' Mother Nature can whip up!

Dr. Thomas is a board-certified physician who operates Complete Health Integrative Wellness Clinic and Thomas Urology Clinic in Starkville, Mississippi.

This newspaper column is for informational purposes only and is, under no circumstances, intended to constitute medical advice or to create or continue a physician-patient relationship. If you have a medical emergency, you should immediately seek care from your nearest emergency room, and if you have specific health questions, you should consult your own physician.

Excerpt from:

Nutritional supplements: Friends or Foes? - Meridian Star

We all have supplement bottles on our night stands or our dining tables. Leading a healthy lifestyle with proper diet and exercise has indeed become the new cool. While many of us strive to be our fittest selves, we often tend to follow certain things merely because we hear they are good. Consuming supplements may work for your friend's body, but it is really necessary to take them?

What are dietary supplements? Dietary supplements are consumed to make up for the deficiencies in your body. These are the vitamins, omega- 3, calcium tablets or multivitamin tablets which are often prescribed by your doctor. They can be vitamins, minerals, iron, amino acids, or even herbs. Dietary supplements often come in capsule, tablet, powder or liquid form which can be consumed after or before your meal.

In recent years, since the health market has boomed, dietary supplements have become a habit. With many brands bringing in supplements that promise to cure you, it is important to understand the function of a dietary supplement. Dietary supplements are not drugs but food items that cannot claim to cure, treat or prevent any kind of disease. Their sole purpose is to take care of the deficiency in your body. Hence, it is safe to say that they are not medicines that will help you get rid of any disease.

Who should consume dietary supplements? Dietary supplements are ideally meant for people who have any kind of deficiency which their food habits are not able to fulfill. There can be various factors for the same; these can range from age, stressful life or simply bad eating habits.

Experts speak Many marketing strategies have, however, made us believe that everyone needs supplements in today's age.

Experts feel that if one is consuming dietary supplements then it should not be as a substitute or shortcut for a healthy diet. "It is required to take dietary supplements as our modern day diets are not able to meet all nutrition requirements. However, you should not consume them without a doctor's prescription," says nutritionist Dr Sonia Narang.

According to nutritionist Dr Madhvi Sharma, even supplements would fail to work in your body if you do not set your diet right. "There is no point in popping pills if your diet is not in place. Moreover, your sleep pattern, eating pattern, lifestyle pattern everything makes a huge impact on how supplements would work on your body," she adds.

Similarly, Dr Narang agrees that consumption of a rainbow diet, wherein you include vegetables and fruits in your diet on a daily basis is necessary for a healthy body.

For Dr Renu Garg, a homeopathic practitioner and a nutritionist, those suffering with a deficiency would definitely need supplements. She says, "If you do not eat the right kinds of food, deficiency is bound to happen. Hence, supplements are needed. Having said that, I would rather have my patient treat their deficiency with food than with supplements."

Dr Garg gives two reasons as to why food would work better than a supplement for inadequate nutrients in the body. Firstly, food will not give you allergies which supplements might and secondly, absorption of food is better than that of supplements.

Continue reading here:

Should you take dietary supplements? - Times of India

Getting the most out of training and hunting with your gun dog starts with choosing the right exercise program then adding the best nutritional supplements,like krill oil, to their diet to help hard-working hunting dogs to recover faster. Getting your dog in shape is also the best way to ensure your hunting partner stays healthy and injury free. But diet, and the right supplements to help your dog bounce back after a long day in the field, is also essential. Without this two-pronged strategy of proper training and nutritional supplements, your dog will simply not hunt as efficiently or as long. And this may have a big impact on your enjoyment afield as well. A hunt I took with a friend last fall is a perfect example.

My hunting partner and I were two full days into a four-day hunt last November when his dog gave up. She wouldnt even stand when we parked the truck, and while my dog was like bottled lightning, his chocolate Lab was more like bottled mud. It seemed that two days was enough for the one-year-old pup, and after that she wasnt physically capable of hunting anymore. She needed recovery.

My black Lab, a four-year old named Luna, was like a different species. She hunted sunrise to sunset as we coursed through multiple tracts of public land throughout Nebraska. We targeted four species of upland birds in varied terrain, and without her ability to go all day and then do it again, it would have been a miserable trip.

The differences between his dog and mine are many, and something can certainly be said about drive. His dog doesnt have that magical need to go quite like mine does, but there is far more to the difference than that. His dog started out in poor shape, which is always bad.

We ask a lot of our bird dogs throughout the hunting season, especially on extended trips where they go for days on end. Its imperative we address their recovery needs correctly. Quality nutritional supplements can help.

Making An Athlete

Its really not that hard to keep a hunting dog in shape. Theyll run, swim, and engage in training drills all day long if they sport a decent pedigree and their handlers show some initiative when it comes to getting them out and moving. This should be a year-round commitment and is a much better route to take when building a great bird dogs fitness than the ill-advised method of hunting them into shape. Going that route with your dog is like one of us deciding to run marathons after a sedentary lifestyle and zero training. The odds of crossing that finish line after 26.2 miles are slim, but the odds of experiencing an injury and an embarrassing dose of humility are very high.

Not only is keeping a dog in shape the responsible thing to do, its also self-serving. Our bird dogs are expected to perform under a variety of conditions. For example, my Lab will start the season hunting doves, which is a simple pass shooting affair, although it can be hot. From there, she becomes a woodcock and grouse hunter, which involves a lot more physical activity. Not long after, the first duck hunts occur and then its on to pheasants, quail, and just about anything we can get after. She might need to retrieve mallards in a cold river for hours during the morning, and then range throughout a vast series of broken hills to flush sharptails in antelope country the rest of the day. The physical demands are serious, and without a great base with which to start, things can go wrong quickly.

Its not just what you do during the pre-hunt months that matters either. During the actual hunt, a dog needs proper energy and hydration. Ignore both, and youll put your four-legged compadre in unnecessary danger.

And then there is the need to address recovery after a hunt or rigorous training session.

While proper exercise is the key to building a bird dog that can hunt all day, its also necessary to address their ability to recover after their day-long efforts.

Heal Up, Move On

Four years ago, I embarked on a personal journey to get into much better shape. This involved making a commitment to running, lifting weights and eating healthier. It took months, but I started to feel comfortable with all three. The one hole in my new game, however, was that I felt like I never fully recovered from anything.

During a conversation with a buddy of mine who runs 100-mile ultra-marathons in the Rocky Mountains, I mentioned that I was slow to recover, especially after long runs. He asked me what I was using for supplements and I told him that I wasnt using anything. He was floored.

After the conversation ended, I ordered several products he recommended for pre- and post-workout health. As you can guess, he was spot-on in his advice. And it doesnt apply to just humans. Dogs need recovery help as well.

Their muscles, joints, and bones all take a beating during a hard day of hunting, and while the body is amazingly efficient at rebuilding, it takes time with dogs of all ages. This is why, especially on a multi-day hunt, its necessary to supplement your dogs nutrition to offer them the best chance of a quick, proper recovery.

From training to dawn-to-dark hunting days, our bird dogs put in serious effort to please us. The least we can do is offer them the right supplements to aid in their post-activity recoveries.

For years, an essential step in this process was to offer dogs a fish-oil pill. After all, thats what humans take so it must be good for dogs, right? Not necessarily. Fish oil can benefit a dogs health (or ours), but it can also contain unwanted toxins and doesnt address everything necessary for overall health and joint issues.

A far superior option is krill oil, which is found in Alpha Dog Nutritions Vitality supplement. Like fish oil, krill oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, but unlike fish oil, krill oil contains phospholipids, carotenoid and astaxanthin. In laymens terms, these compounds benefit a dogs mental state, promote heart health, and address joint issues.

Krill oils benefitsdont end there, however. It can also reduce allergies, slow the development of certain cancers, help regulate blood clots, and improve your dogs skin and coat while also benefitting eye function. To truly break it down, krill oil works on a level that benefits cellular membranes and supports overall cell survival, which is the cornerstone of not only staying healthy, but recovering after serious bouts of physical strain and activity. As an added bonus, Vitality also contains the wonder food turmeric. While its benefits are many, turmerics most important role is to combat inflammation, a task it does naturally to the same level of effectiveness that many anti-inflammatory drugs do. Inflammation is linked to a host of issues in dogs and is a road-block to post-hunt recovery, which makes this ingredient essential for hard working sporting dogs.

Unlike fish oil supplements, a krill-oil-based nutritional supplement, like Alpha Dogs Vitality, contains phospholipids, carotenoid and astaxanthin that benefit a dogs mental state, promote heart health, and address joint issues.

More Krill Oil Benefits

Suppose youre still on the fence about whether krill oil is better than fish oil, or if they are basically the same thing. After all, both contain omega-3 fatty acids, so there is no clear winner there, right? Wrong. The omega-3s in krill oil are bound to phospholipids, not triglycerides like those found in fish oil. Research strongly suggests that phospholipids may be more readily absorbed by brain tissues than triglycerides, which means your dog will reap far greater benefits from them.

Alpha Dog sources their krill from Alaskan waters, meaning they are far less likely to be exposed to toxins like mercury, pesticides and PCBs, than fish are. Also, unlike fish, krill are in no danger of being overharvested. In fact, krill fishing could increase 50-fold and still be at safe levels of harvest, which is not the case with most marine life. So, not only is a krill-oil-based supplement, like Vitality, a better choice for your dogs health, its environmentally responsible.

When it comes to helping a worn-out pheasant or duck dog at the end of a day, or even after a mid-summer training session at your local lake, there really is only one choice for offering the best recovery possible Alpha Dogs Vitality.

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Best food supplements for your gun dog - Gun Dog Magazine

New Delhi, Jul 6 () Food regulator FSSAI today assured the food supplements and nutraceuticals industry that it is open to making changes in the new standards to support growth of the sector, but without compromising on consumers interest.

The Food Safety and Standards (Health Supplements, Nutraceuticals, Food for Special Dietary Use, Food for Special Medical Purpose, Functional Food and Novel Food) Regulations was issued last December.

Food Business Operators (FBOs) need to comply with these standards by January 1, 2018.

Addressing a Assocham conference on nutraceuticals, Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) CEO Pawan Kumar Agarwal expressed concern over the increasing number of spurious food supplement products in the market.

"We released standards on food supplements and nutraceuticals few months ago. There were some concerns from the industry but we went ahead and released the standards. But our effort is not to cast them in stone as these are evolving standards," Agarwal said.

"I want to assure the industry that if there are concerns, we are still open to change that. We have 5-6 months time before this regulations come in force. So, hopefully, we will iron out differences," he said.

On the sidelines, the FSSAI CEO said that it has got many representation from the industry seeking some changes in the regulations related to inclusion of ingredients.

"Food supplements is a difficult sector to regulate. But for us consumers interest is paramount and non-negotiable," he said, asking manufacturers to be cautious in declaring any claims about the products.

Stating that a large number of spurious products are available in the market, he said there is no "robust framework" for testing of food supplement products.

FSSAI has set up a technical panel, which includes representation from industry as well, to prepare a framework for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP).

"We do hope that it will bring greater clarity to have a more robust ecosystem for manufacturing, processing and distribution of food supplements in the country," he said.

Agarwal said there is immense opportunity in this industry, but cautioned that "bad name to food supplements sector by few dubious players can hamper the growth of this sunrise industry".

Speaking at the event, Food Processing Secretary JP Meena said the size of this industry is currently USD 3-4 billion and is growing at 20 per cent.

He said there is a great potential for this sector as the market is huge for these products in India as well as overseas.

However, Meena said there is a need to keep the price of food supplements and nutraceuticals at an "affordable" level.

He also spoke about challenges before the sector and said that consumer confidence about these products is "still to be gained".

The industry should be in a position to verify claims made about these products through evidence, he said, adding that "traceability is important".

He emphasised on industry focus on backward linkages to ensure traceability and also on organised cultivation of plants required for nutraceuticals production.

Meena highlighted that the government has recently launched Rs 6,000 crore Sampada scheme to boost food processing and asked industry to avail benefit of this scheme.

Read the original here:

Open to changes in new standards for food supplements: FSSAI ... - Times of India

The stevia leaf (Stevia rebaudiana) has yielded exciting, zero-calorie natural sweeteners for food and beverage formulators over the past decade. Now, the leaf is offering formulators another exciting, healthy ingredient: antioxidants. Stevia supplier PureCircle (Chicago) announced that it is ready to roll out what it says is the first commercially viable antioxidant ingredient from the stevia leaf. The firm made the announcement at last weeks Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo in Las Vegas.

The company says that while researchers have known that stevia leaves contain antioxidant properties, PureCircle claims it is the first company to be able to extract these antioxidants on a global scale from the stevia leaf thanks to a unique extraction and purification process.

The primary antioxidant compounds in the stevia leaf are chlorogenic acids, said Carolyn Clark, director, global marketing and innovation, PureCircle, at the IFT show. Chlorogenic acid, she said, is also a well-known antioxidant in green coffee bean extract. In fact, she said, the chlorogenic acid in Stevia rebaudiana exists at about 1.5% dry weight in the leaf. By comparison, Reb A, the most commonly known steviol glycoside, is about six times that. So while the quantity is much smaller than Reb A, theres enough where it still makes sense for us to go ahead and extract it, Clark said. This also means PureCircle is able to utilize more of the stevia leaf which otherwise may have been discarded as waste.

In terms of power as an antioxidant, Clark said, the chlorogenic acids from stevia have an ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) level of about 9000 mol TE/100ghigher than the ORAC values of, for instance, coffee bean extract (2500 mol TE/100g), blueberries (9621 mol TE/100g), cranberries (9090 mol TE/100g), and green tea (1253 mol TE/100g). (Values are per the USDAs database Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) of Selected Foods, Release 2 (2010), which has since been discontinued.)

Clark said that PureCircle hopes to get GRAS approval in 2018 to clear the path for the antioxidants use in food and beverages. She said that it can already be used in dietary supplements without requiring a new dietary ingredient (NDI) notification because it falls under the stevia leaf extract use thats already out there today in the supplements space in the U.S.

Meanwhile, she said, the company will also be working to build up its commercial-scale production of the ingredient. PureCircle would sell the antioxidant as a standalone ingredient alongside its other stevia sweetener offerings. She said the stevia antioxidants taste is mild and clean because of its plant base. Some kinds of plant-based antioxidants that are trying to do similar things often have an off-note, so were excited to work with formulators with this ingredient, she said. Already, the company is sampling the ingredient with some customers.

Also at IFT, PureCircle highlighted its newly announced proprietary StarLeaf Stevia rebaudiana leaf that the company developed through its PureCircle Stevia Agronomy Program. According to PureCircle, the company cross-bred the StarLeaf leaf to contain more than 20 times more sugar-like steviol glycoside content compared to standard stevia leaf varieties, particularly the glycosides Reb M and Reb D. Clark said that this is the first brand-name leaf to come out of the PureCircle Stevia Agronomy Program. Through StarLeaf, Clark said, PureCircle will be able to create more of those sugarlike stevia extracts.

Also read:

Stevia: The Next Generation

Does Reb A Still Have a Place in Advanced Stevia Formulations? This and More Stevia Talk at IFT 2016.

Go here to see the original:

PureCircle Aims to Put First Commercially Viable Stevia Antioxidant on the Market in 2018, Firm Says at IFT 2017 - Nutritional Outlook

CHEYENNE, Wyo. Wildlife suffered higher than normal losses this winter in severe weather across the western United States, where the toll included the deaths of all known fawns in one Wyoming deer herd and dozens of endangered bighorn sheep in California.

Wildlife managers in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Colorado and Utah also reported higher losses of animals in the wake of one of the coldest and snowiest winters in decades. Parts of the Rockies saw snowfall as late as mid-June.

This year we kind of had all the factors that we dont want we had deep snow, we had periods of fairly cold weather, subzero, and then we also had some crusting on top of that snow, said Roger Phillips, spokesman for the Idaho Fish and Game Department.

Wildlife managers have been assessing the damage using radio collars and surveys of herds following a winter in which many parts of the West recorded record snowfall, including places where deer, pronghorn antelope and elk migrate each fall to escape the harsher mountain winters. Prolonged snow cover on winter grounds made it difficult for wildlife to find food, and spells of bitter cold made matters worse for the weakened animals by hardening the snow.

Mule deer in several Rocky Mountain states and elk in eastern Washington were hit hard. Wyoming was expecting above-normal losses among antelope, as well, although it didnt have an accurate accounting yet.

Wyoming last saw comparable wildlife deaths more than three decades ago, said Bob Lanka, supervisor of statewide wildlife and habitat management program with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Its been a long, long time since we experienced this kind of loss, he said.

Meteorologist David Lipson of the National Weather Service in Riverton blamed the rough winter on unusually strong rivers of moisture flowing into the West from the Pacific Ocean, where a weak and unusually short-lived La Nia occurred.

In California, the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which is listed as an endangered species, lost an estimated 40 to 60 animals.

Were not including any predation or normal mortality or any other kind of losses; thats just from the snow, from getting trapped up in the snow and not having food, some of them starving and then some of them directly impacted by avalanches, said Jason Holley, supervising wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Montana wildlife were spared the deadly conditions seen in neighboring states, according to Ken McDonald, wildlife division administrator with the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department. Nevada saw near average wildlife losses statewide, while a few isolated areas in the northeast part of the state had slightly higher than average mortality, said Tom Donham, a Nevada Department of Wildlife biologist.

Wildlife managers are responding by reducing hunting permits in the hard-hit areas.

There will be less hunting opportunity this coming fall for sure, and the people that do get a license, whether its a general license or a limited quota tag, I dont think theres going to be any doubt theyre going to notice less animals on the landscape, Lanka said.

Mike Clark, owner of Greys River Outfitters in western Wyoming, said the loss of mule deer and antelope tags will be hard on his business, which includes deer, antelope and elk hunts.

Luckily, we can still work with some elk, Clark said.

However, outfitters have to be careful not to overhunt elk and overload their fall hunting camps with too many hunters to make up for the decline in deer hunting, he said.

It just takes away from the quality of the hunt if you got too many hunters in camp, Clark said.

Biologists say the wildlife herds eventually should recover with the help of reduced hunting and a return to at least normal weather conditions next winter. However, forecasters say its too early to predict how next winter will play out.

What happens in the future depends a lot on what kind of winter we see next year, Phillips said. If we have back-to-back hard winters, it could be tough.

More Oregon articles

State by state

CHEYENNE, Wyo. Across the U.S. West, wildlife managers are reporting above-normal losses of deer, elk and other wildlife following one of the coldest and snowiest winters in decades. Heres a look at what they found:

California

Heavy snows in Californias mountains during the winter caused an unusually high number of deaths among the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep herd, according to Jason Holley, supervising wildlife biologist with the states wildlife agency.

An estimated 40 to 60 sheep failed to survive. Some died from avalanches, others starved because they were unable to get to food.

Colorado

South-central Colorado saw high fawn mortality during the winter, according to Andy Holland, big game manager with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.

Estimates are that only 20 to 25 percent of fawns survived in the Gunnison Basin, mainly because of a large snowfall event. Wildlife managers already have reduced mule deer hunting licenses in the basin by 60 percent for bucks and 80 percent for does.

Idaho

Idaho saw its third worst winter for mule deer fawn survival in the past 18 years, according to Roger Phillips, Idaho Fish and Game Department spokesman.

Of the 10 areas where mule deer are monitored, the lowest fawn survival rate was 3 percent, and the highest was 60 percent.

Oregon

Oregon saw a drop in winter survival of mule deer fawns, said Pat Matthews, a biologist with the states wildlife agency.

His district recorded a ratio of 24 fawns per 100 adults surviving into this spring, compared with the average of 34 fawns per 100 adults.

Other parts of the state recorded as few as 11 fawns per 100 adults making it through the winter.

Utah

Above-average losses of mule deer fawns were recorded in northern Utah, where only 10 percent of one herds fawns survived, said Justin Shannon, big game program coordinator for the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources.

The losses occurred despite the states efforts to provide food supplements to the deer.

Shannon blamed deep snow, mainly from three storms in December and January. Snow depths exceeded 150 percent of normal in some areas.

Mule deer hunting permits in northern Utah will be fewer this fall as a result.

Washington

Eastern Washingtons three primary elk herds saw record low calf-to-cow ratios coming out of the winter, particularly along the Cascades eastern slopes, according to Brock Hoenes, statewide elk specialist for the state.

Adult mortality appears to be normal, but elk calf numbers were at 18 to 19 calves per 100 cows in eastern Washington. Normally, the end of winter would see 30 to 40 calves, Hoenes said.

Mule deer and bighorn sheep also appeared to sustain above-average losses.

Winter hasnt been this tough on the states elk calves in over 10 years.

Elk hunting permits have been reduced as a result, especially cow permits.

Wyoming

Mule deer and pronghorn antelope west of the Continental Divide in Wyoming suffered significant losses this winter, probably the worst in more than 30 years, said Bob Lanka, a wildlife supervisor with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department.

Many areas saw up to 90 percent loss of deer fawns and up to 35 percent loss of adult deer.

The Wyoming Range mule deer herd, which has been subject to radio-collar study for nearly 25 years, lost all 26 fawns that entered the winter, and 200 total carcasses from the herd were found this spring. Normally, 30 to 50 carcasses are found after the winter.

Elk losses also were higher than normal, which is unusual because elk are hardier animals, Lanka said.

Another troubling indicator of the harsh winter is unborn fawns appear to be smaller than normal in some herds.

Fewer hunting permits fkoor mule deer and antelope will be issued this fall in western Wyoming because of the losses, Lanka said.

The Associated Press

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Harsh winter takes toll on wildlife across western states - The Register-Guard

By David AndersonDavid Anderson , 03-Jul-20172017-07-03T00:00:00Z Last updated on 03-Jul-2017 at 16:38 GMT2017-07-03T16:38:38Z

Defatted strawberry seeds have great potential for use as ingredients in dietary supplements or products with high nutrition value, says a new study.

The research, which its authors claimed was the first of its kind, involved defatting strawberry seeds and analysing them for minerals, dietary fibre and polyphenols and was carried out by researchers in Poland.

Speaking to NutraIngredients, study lead author Krzysztof Koodziejczyk from Lodz University of Technology in Poland said: The most significant learning is that strawberry seeds, which are generally considered as waste product of strawberry juice production, are a source of significantly important components.

Since there is still large interest in sources of dietary fibre, one can imagine the use of defatted strawberry seeds in dietary fibre preparations. Defatted strawberry seeds are good source of dietary fibre, but it is not all.

They also contain phenolics typical for strawberries. As we know phenolics can contribute in prevention of some diseases, so the content of polyphenols in preparations made of defatted strawberry seeds in not negligible.

He said one area that further research could focus on in this area was how best to include defatted strawberries as food supplements.

There can be several possible ways of carry on the research. One can imagine the research on preparation of products to be used as food supplements, he told us.

The research on comparison of defatted strawberry seeds from various cultivars could be interesting as well."

Study details

Strawberry seeds were separated from industrial press cake of strawberry juice production in three consecutive harvest seasons. They were defatted by supercritical carbon dioxide at an experimental installation in Poland.

They were analysed for protein, fat, ash, minerals, saccharides, total dietary fibre and polyphenols.

The defatted seeds were found to be composed mainly of dietary fibres (on average 728g/kg dry matter) and proteins (167g/kg dry matter).The amount of polyphenols determined by HPLC (high-performance liquid chromatography) varied from 15.6 to 17.5g/kg of dry matter respectively over the production year.

There were two main groups of polyphenols: ellagitannins and flavanols. Total content of ellagitannins in seeds varied significantly with production year, but not flavanols.

Use in food supplements

Evaluating the composition of the defatted strawberry seeds, the researchers said: Defatted strawberry seeds can be used as additives with high- protein, high-fibre and favourable polyphenol composition, or in diet supplements rich in minerals, as well as a supplement with high nutrition value.

Defatted strawberry seeds may have a great potential for their use in the food and pharmaceutical industry.

Therefore, the present study facilitates the increased utilization of defatted strawberry seeds and the improved management of fruit industry by-products, resulting in environmental sustainability and economic benefits.

Asked about whether it was easy to get funding for projects of this ilk, Koodziejczyk told us: It depends on some factors It depends on what institution (university, research unit etc.) you work at, what research team you are a part of, what is your position as a researcher.

So there is no straight answer to such kind of question. The most important thing is the idea itself, and capacity to convince those who finance the projects.

Source: Food Science and Technology Volume 84, October 2017, Pages 1822, doi:10.1016/j.lwt.2017.05.014 "Defatted strawberry seeds as a source of phenolics, dietary fiber and minerals" Authors: Katarzyna Grzelak-Baszczyk, et al

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Strawberry seeds show supplement promise - NutraIngredients.com

July 4, 2017 by Colin Smith Coaxing bacteria to excrete biofuels is the focus of Imperial research. Credit: Imperial College London

Dr Antonio Del Rio Chanona from the Department of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London is working on a new, rapid and cost effective way of creating biofuels. If successful his work may help sectors like the transport industry to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.

Colin Smith caught up with him to find out more.

What are biofuels?

Conventional biofuels are produced from organic material biomass including plant material and organic waste. Traditional biofuel, used mainly in developing countries, include wood, animal dung and charcoal. In more developed countries, where more advanced and efficient conversion technologies are available, biofuels can be made from wood, crops and waste material. These forms of biofuels are converted into either solid, gaseous or liquid.

Biofuels have extraordinary potential to replace current fossil fuels in the transportation industry. However, the main issue with them is that they need to be more economically viable.

Are there other types of biofuels being developed?

Scientists are experimenting with getting some types of algae and bacteria to produce biofuels.

So far they've shown that algae, such as Chlamydomonas, and cyanobacteria, such as Cyanothece, can produce hydrogen fuel. Botryococcus algae can produce the hydrocarbon-based fuel biodiesel.

What are the drawbacks with these new approaches?

For biodiesel production, algae produce a fuel precursor called biolipid, which is accumulated inside algae cells.

To extract these biolipids, a series of separation procedures must be performed to break the cells apart so that the biolipid can be extracted for further refining. For industry, this separation process is over 20 per cent of the investment cost, which is huge.

What are excretable biofuels?

These are newly proposed types of biofuels. Different types of algae and bacteria could be 'programed' to 'manufacture' microscopic amounts of biofuels and excrete them into a solution.

Excreting the fuel would mean that there is no extraction process involving crushing the cells. This would make the separation procedure much less energy intensive and therefore more cost effective.

What will your work focus on?

I am collaborating with the research group led by Professor Klaus Hellgardt, from Imperial's Department of Chemical Engineering.

They are experimenting with several genetically modified types of algae in excretable biofuels production.

My research will focus on three particular algae strains: Cyanothece sp., Synechocystis sp, Chlamydomonas.

What type of biofuels are you hoping to produce?

Biohydrogen which is a clean transport fuel, biobutanol, which is a replacement of gasoline, and biohydrocarbon, which is an alternative to diesel.

How far how you got with the research?

So far, I have been working on biohydrogen and biohydrocarbon production. I have constructed different computer models and developed strategies to enhance the algae's ability to produce these biofuels.

Can you explain what types of industries would benefit most from these biofuels?

Energy firms would be the main beneficiaries from these technologies. Also, companies using algae to produce animal feed and food supplements can also get benefits by getting them to co-produce biofuels along with their primary products.

Can you estimate how long it would take for this to become a viable source of energy?

The European Union has launched a policy of using biofuels to support ten per cent of transport energy by 2020.

The European Algal Biomass Association has projected that the transition from laboratory experiments to industrial scale production of biofuels made from algae will happen within 10 years.

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Imperial academic discusses his work on algae fuel factories - Phys.Org

Written by Ravish Tiwari , Abantika Ghosh | New Delhi | Updated: July 3, 2017 9:35 am NADA chief Navin Agarwal.

Concerned about the burgeoning range of off-the-shelf food supplements and the possibility of at least some of them containing banned performance enhancing substances, the National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) had recently approached the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) with a request to frame standards for these supplements.

But after several meetings between the two, FSSAI declined the request, maintaining that given the nature of expertise and sports medicine knowledge required to do so is beyond their mandate. NADA officials approached FSSAI over concerns that mushrooming gyms not only in urban but also in rural areas were pushing some of these supplements and there is no control or monitoring over what they contain. Hence, FSSAI should frame standards.

Though FSSAI agreed in principle with the concerns expressed by NADA and a section of the authority was keen to go ahead with the exercise, in the end the authority decided not to. A senior official told The Indian Express that though the NADAs concerns were genuine, there were several other hurdles that eventually made them decide against helping NADA.

The concerns they raised were genuine. Food supplements that are sold over the counter and often pushed by gym instructors may contain performance enhancing substances banned for athletes or substances that are just generally harmful for people if used indiscriminately. There may even be prescription drugs that ordinarily cannot be bought over the counter but have an anabolic (body-building) effect on the body, he said.

After much deliberation and several meetings with the NADA, FSSAI concluded that they couldnt frame standards from NADAs perspectives and yardsticks. It was beyond their mandate.

We deliberated over the matter, had two-three meetings with NADA and decided that we cannot frame standards from the perspective they want us to. It is beyond our mandate there is a long list of banned substances, some that are not to be used during competitions but can be used otherwise, others that can never be used, the official said, Then there is also the matter of dosage. So we told them that it is beyond our mandate, he added.

Incidentally, FSSAI had, last year notified standards for health supplements, nutraceuticals, foods for special dietary use, food for special medical purpose, functional food and novel foods. The articles of food with standard nutrient or nutritionally complete formulation shall consist of a composition delivering the desired level of energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, and other essential nutrients required for respective age group, gender and physiological stage in accordance with the guidelines made by the Indian Council of Medical Research, reads the regulations stipulated by the FSSAI.

Ingredient purity is mandated to be in accordance with the FSSAI standards for those categories of food in cases where standards are not specified, purity criteria generally accepted by the various pharmacopoeias Indian Pharmacopoeia, Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of Indian Medicinal Plants, Indian Council of Medical Research, British Pharmacopoeia, US Pharmacopoeia etc are to be used.

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FSSAI rejects National Anti-Doping Agency's request to frame food supplement standards - The Indian Express