As Natural Products Marketplace—formerly Health Supplement Retailer—celebrates its 15th anniversary, we take a look back at some of the top issues from our first year of publication. Last week, we looked back at DSHEA, Ephedra, DHEA/melatonin, quality concerns, and cold & flu. Today, we remember how stevia, the green movement, antioxidants, celebrity endorcements and media coverage affected us then; and how they influence us today.
Stevia’s Sweet Success
In September 1995, Lynda Sadler, president of Traditional Medicinals, was chairman of the American Herbal Products Association’s (AHPA) stevia committee. Stevia could not be sold as a food ingredient due to an FDA import alert; however, the passage of DSHEA meant this “grandfathered” ingredient could be sold as a dietary supplement. Sadler predicted companies in the food and sweetener industries that had long opposed the use of stevia as a natural sweetener would likely be the first to get it approved for use in food, adding the herb industry had avoided applying for food additive status for the botanical to avoid setting a precedent that could have affected the regulatory status of other herb products.
The rest of the story … In late 2008, FDA issued letters of no objection to the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status of two purified stevia rebaudioside A (Reb A) ingredients; several more purified and whole-extract stevia ingredients have been affirmed GRAS since that point. Stevia-sweetened foods and beverages are making inroads onto mass market supermarket shelves, and the botanical ingredient has been called the “holy grail” of non-calorie sweeteners.
Going Green
The February 1996 cover story in HSR, “Healthy Planet, Healthy Business,” examined how retailers and manufacturers were trying to become more eco-friendly, responding to a growing interest among consumers in the environment. Among the options for retailers to “get green” were working with suppliers to minimize packaging, encouraging employees to use alternative methods of transportation, offering a rebate to consumers who reuse bags, and install energy-efficient lighting and equipment.
The rest of the story … Sustainability is a buzz word in today’s “green” economy, as companies through the supply chain aim to reduce their carbon footprint. Retailers are reporting greater sales of bulk products; manufacturers are using more recycled packaging and reducing the amount of packaging used; and suppliers are implementing more Fair Trade sourcing practices and giving back to communities to support environmental projects.
Antioxidants & Health
The research news on antioxidants was good and bad in 1995. The results of a major study on antioxidants and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) found antioxidants could stop the progression of the degenerative eye disease. However, the Beta Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial (CARET) was halted almost two years early when smokers taking beta-carotene were found to have an increased incidence of lung cancer compared to those not on the active intervention. Along with negative results from the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Lung Cancer Prevention Trial and the Physician’s Health Study, the shine was off beta-carotene, even if it seemed primarily linked to synthetic beta-carotene, not antioxidants in general. In fact, questions arose as to whether synthetic antioxidants were less efficacious and healthy than naturally sourced antioxidants.
The rest of the story … In this case, the situation remains similar to where it stood. Studies continue to investigate the health effects of antioxidant supplements in human populations, versus observational trials estimating total antioxidant intake via the diet; some are good, some are bad. There is greater consensus about naturally sourced antioxidants providing more health benefit in many cases than synthetic versions. However, science is still evolving.