Friday, September 28, 2007

09/28/07 - Vitamin Label Warnings; Functional Beverages


VLUeM – 09.28.07 - VITAMIN LAWYER UPDATE e-MEMO

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1. Health Freedom Blog Update
2. How to Avoid Alienating Search Engines
3. Vitamin Label Warnings
4. Functional Beverages… the future of supplementation?
5. Are your papers in order?
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1. Vitamin Lawyer Health Freedom Blog - New Posting
http://vitaminlawyerhealthfreedom.blogspot.com/

Does the FDA really want public comments?
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2. SE Tactics: How to Avoid Alienating the Major Search Engines
http://www.entireweb.com/newsletter/archive/2007/ISSUE373.html

Some more good advice from EntireWeb.com:

Each of the major search engines… have quality webmaster guidelines … prevent … manipulation of search engine rankings …. These webmaster guidelines change frequently … and those websites found engaging in these illicit practices are consequently dropped from the search engine rankings....

Being banned or dropped from the search engine rankings can have dire effects on your website traffic, online sales generation and site popularity…

If you wish to avoid alienating the major search engines then do not engage in the following SE tactics:

1. 'Cloaking' or sneaky redirects - displaying different content to the search engines than shown to your normal website visitors including hidden text and hidden links. …
2. 'Doorway' pages created specifically for the search engines that are aimed at spamming the index of a search engine…
3. Don't create pages that install viruses, Trojans or badware. 'Badware' is spyware, malware or deceptive adware…
4. Avoid using software that sends automatic programming queries to the search engines to submit pages or check rankings... you will be penalized for using it.
5. Don't load web pages with irrelevant words.
6. Don't link to 'bad neighborhood' sites who have: Free for all links pages, Link farms - automated linking schemes with lots of unrelated links, Known web spammers or the site has been dropped or banned by the search engines.
7. Avoid 'broken links' or '404 errors,' your site will be penalized for them.
8. Don't display pages with minimal content that is of little value to your site visitors.
9. Do not duplicate content unnecessarily.
10. Do not use pop-ups, pop-unders or exit consoles.
11. Do not use pages that rely significantly on links to content created for another website.
12. Do not use 'cross linking' to artificially inflate a site's popularity... multiple sites cross linking … together, if all sites are hosted on the same servers the search engines will pick this up and the sites will be penalized.
13. Do not misuse a competitors name or brand names in site content.
14. Sites with numerous, unnecessary virtual host names will be penalized.
15. Do not use techniques that artificially increase the number of links to your web pages ie. Link farms.
16. Display web pages with deceptive, fraudulent content or pages that provide users with irrelevant page content.
17. Using content, domain titles, meta tags and descriptions that violate any laws, regulations, infringe on copyrights & trademarks, trade secrets or intellectual property rights of an individual or entity….

About the Author: Rosemary Donald is an SEO Consultant with www.rank1websitemarketing.com - & author of the SEO ebook 'Insider Secrets of Rank 1 Websites'
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3. Vitamin Label Warnings…

In addition to the statutory FDA “…not evaluated…not intended…” disclaimer, here are some warnings for you to consider for your labels; please note that the AER warning may have to be modified when the final AER regulations are issued in the next couple weeks.

Product Warnings:

- Keep out of reach of children.
- Do not exceed recommended dose.
- Do not use if outer or inner seal is broken or damaged.
- If you have a serious adverse reaction to product, discontinue use
immediately, seek medical attention if necessary, and contact us.
- If you are undergoing treatment for a medical condition or if you are pregnant
or lactating, consult your physician when taking this product.

In addition to the above, you may need a Food Allergy Warning:

“The term “major food allergen” means any of the following: (1) Milk, egg, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, or cod), Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, or shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, pecans, or walnuts), wheat, peanuts, and soybeans.”

That warning should read: ALLERGY WARNING: contains [list allergens].

Finally, there is a special warning for iron containing pills or capsules: “WARNING: Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6. Keep this product out of reach of children. In case of accidental overdose, call a doctor or poison control center immediately.”
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/secgiro2.html
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4. Functional Beverages… the future of supplementation?

Nutraingredients.com reports: “As part of its newsletter on equity research - Healthy Living Monthly … highlighted an increased consumer focus on health and wellness as a key driver of new trends… growth and innovation will stem from more alternative segments. There will as such be opportunities for functional beverage and ingredients manufacturers alike as these categories grow. But it depends on how they align their resources and efforts.

"The beverage industry has become a leading delivery vehicle for functional nutritional ingredients, is a major beneficiary of the convenience movement in the US, and is desperate, in our opinion, for any new ideas to offset the stagnant market for carbonated soft drinks," write the report's authors.

Canaccord Adams valued the US nonalcoholic beverage market at $100bn in 2005. Carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) take up the majority of this market, with a reported $64.7bn in sales. However, the analyst says growth in the nonalcoholic segment is coming from categories other than soft drinks as consumers move towards healthier options or, at least, options that are perceived as healthier.

The firm conjectures this interest in healthier beverages is in part due to the fact US consumers are increasingly overweight. An estimated 66 percent of adults in the US are either overweight or obese, based on results from the 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The rate of obesity more than doubled from the previous NHANES survey - increasing from 15.0 percent (1976-1980) to 32.9 percent (2003-2004).

In terms of recommending how manufacturers large and small ought to innovate in this market, the report repeatedly highlights the example of the rise of energy drink.

"The history of the energy drink category in the United States illustrates both the opportunities and the risks that exist as change occurs within the beverage industry," write the analysts.

While Canaccord Adams has identified emerging trends in the beverage market as being fortification, functionality, and a shift towards premium, "green" and organic products… For instance, instead of water, beverage manufacturers should now look out for 'enhanced' water.

"Don't buy commodity bottled water today, despite its enormous profitability," states the report. "It is late in the trend, and the early adopters are telling us that."

Waters fortified with healthy ingredients hold the biggest potential and are being cashed in on by the beverage giants. Coca-Cola this year forked out $4.1bn to acquire vitamin water company Energy Brands for the manufacture and marketing of new nutritionally enhanced vitamin water lines.

These fortified categories are the way of the future, according to Canaccord Adams… The analyst states that though dairy was once the bastion for beverage fortification, it has given way to alternative drink sources that come with perhaps less calories or fat.

http://www.nutraingredients-usa.com/news/ng.asp?n=80162&m=1NIU927&c=jegwylrviswtnqa
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5. Are your papers in order?

With the imposition of new regulations this year, including the long-awaited Good Manufacturing Practices, are your Standard Operating Procedures up to date? Take a look at my standard SOP format outline at: http://tinyurl.com/2eu6yj and let me know how if can help your company organize for future success!

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