| Edition #9 |
March 2007 |
| Editor: Monica Fairall |
Writer: Suzanne Ellis |
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GETTING CONNECTED
THERE is power in partnership - and executive director of the HPA, Mathabo Kona will be working to collaborate with and forge constructive links with the Private Healthcare Forum (PHF). This is a group of private sector companies and associations with a stake in healthcare.
The HPA is currently represented on the PHF by Dr Alan Tomlinson who is handing over the reins to Kona. “I am very honoured to be taking over this role,” she says, “and intend to focus on where trends are going and get an idea of what’s happening in the overall healthcare market. The HPA needs to understand what is influencing and driving the industry so that we can be at the forefront of relevant happenings.”
The PHF is also a member of Business Unity South Africa (BUSA) which was created in 2003 through the merger of the Black Business Council and Business South Africa. BUSA’s function is to ensure that business plays a constructive role in the country’s economic growth, development and transformation and works to create an environment in which all businesses can thrive and be competitive.
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Adds Kona: “BUSA has various committees working on key areas to achieve its goals and the HPA will be involved in the committees of Transformation, Education and Training and the Healthcare Charter. The HPA will initiate dialogue with all parties - specifically within the Department of Health at high and strategic levels - to ensure that processes on the table are acceptable to everyone… business, employees and the consumer." |
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HPA GIVES NOD TO BLACK COHOSH
BLACK Cohosh has been in the global spotlight due to claims associating this popular supplement with hepatoxicity (See HPA Headlines 2006).
The HPA has now formulated its position on the issue….
To date, there is no published scientific evidence supporting the suggestion that Black Cohosh may have an adverse effect on liver function. While the available adverse reporting data indicates a possible association between Black Cohosh and liver disorders in a relatively few rare cases, regulators, clinicians and scientists generally agree that well documented clinical and scientific data proving a causal relationship is lacking. Black Cohosh has a strong history of safe use by millions of women in Europe, the United States and other regions, and many controlled clinical trials support the safety and efficacy of Black Cohosh preparations in treating menopausal symptoms. |
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MAKE A NOTE
IN YOUR DIARY…
HPA gatherings coming up fast are general meetings in:
Cape Town: Thursday 15 March – Kelvin Grove
Gauteng: Thursday 29 March – Bryanston Country Club
The AGM is set for Thursday 10 May at BCC, Gauteng.
If you’d like to meet journalists in the health field, the HPA Media Breakfasts are your chance to introduce yourself to newspaper and magazine people who can help you communicate with the public. These are scheduled for:
Cape Town – Friday 4 May
Johannesburg – Friday 11 May
Durban – Friday 18 May.
Contact Deirdre Allen if you would like to attend. |
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CONFUSING THE PUBLIC ON VITAMINS…
A Sunday Times story (28.1.07) based on a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggesting that vitamin and mineral supplementation does no good, was “badly misleading” according to the HPA.
| Comments HPA Chairman, Dr Alan Tomlinson: “The study on which the newspaper story was based goes contrary to what was published in the prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which suggested that every adult should take a vitamin and mineral supplement every day.” The report, entitled Vitamins for chronic disease prevention by KM Fairfield and RH Fletcher, acknowledged that sub-optimal intake of nutrients was common in modern societies and could be linked to a number of chronic diseases. |
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“Vitamins are essential for life,” explains Tomlinson. “If you have too little of any one, the body malfunctions. It may be mild at first, but the body will increase in dysfunctionality and slowly become worse and worse.
“To suggest that vitamins and minerals do no good is erroneous thinking because it anticipates that all people have all the nutrients they need. This is not so. A large percentage of the population is deficient in a whole variety of nutrients for a number of reasons: poor food choices, for example, unbalanced meal intakes, devitalised, demineralised and deficient foods. The bottom line is that we are definitely not getting all the nutrients we need from the food we eat.
“This can be rectified by vitamin and mineral supplements. There are thousands of reputable studies on the Internet demonstrating the benefits of vitamins and minerals, specifically on Google Scholar and Pubmed,” adds Tomlinson. |
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PROGRESS WITH SELF-MONITORING
THE Self Monitoring Technical Committee was making good progress, HPA members were informed at the last general meeting, and was currently handling about 10 complaints.
HPA executive director Mathabo Kona announced that the committee had resolved a number of issues. “It’s most pleasing that all the companies so far have willingly agreed to change their advertising,” she said.
The STMC has met with a number of companies and has advised and guided them as to what was permissible by way of medical claims. “The smaller companies, in particular, are just unaware of the rules and regulations pertaining to claims made in their advertising material,” Kona pointed out.
Members were reminded that if companies did not comply or co-operate, and having been given due warning, it was within the mandate of the STMC to report them to the ASA or the DOH inspectorate.
Kona added that the SMTC was becoming more pro-active and monitoring publications for advertisements making “unallowable claims”. Concern was also expressed about the use of “testimonial” advertising as a possible means of circumventing the requirements about claims. “These marketing tools are also being scrutinised closely and if anything untoward is found, those companies will be contacted immediately by the SMTC,” said Kona. |
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NEW ONLINE IMAGE
FOR HPA?
PLANS are being considered to relaunch the HPA website as a powerful marketing and information tool for the association and its members.
The executive committee is considering a proposal to redesign the look and style of the present site as well as develop and expand the information content. The aim will be to make it more user-friendly, provide a fuller shop window for members’ products and services, create links to related sites and to offer consumers and media a reliable source of information on CAMS and the local health industry. The HPA Exco gave a provisional nod of approval at their last meeting to the upgrading and boosting of a communication resource that’s currently under-utilised.
Watch this space!
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S.A. NATURAL HEALTH DIRECTORY NEEDS YOU
THE second edition of Health Sense - a consumer-friendly CAMS and holistic health directory – is in the pipeline and publisher Wanda Bruce is looking for information from companies, services and practitioners in the natural health field.
The directory will contain an A-Z of modalities and list accredited practitioners, spas, wellness centres and beauty clinics, manufacturers, distributors and training facilities. “It’s the only comprehensive directory for Southern Africa that’s consumer friendly, lists health practitioners and carries intriguing editorial material,” says Bruce. “Most importantly, the directory has information the consumer and business will find pertinent and convenient to keep at their fingertips.”
Bruce invites HPA members to supply her with information about their specific fields that can be passed on to the consumer - not only to grow individual business but the entire health industry. “Many consumers appear to be well informed,” she says, “but our research shows that only a small percentage of the new natural awareness consumer has identified available cutting edge technology, services, products and information.”
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INVESTING IN KNOWLEDGE
JANUARY 2007 saw the launch of the Solgar Gold Training Course – a study programme designed for people working in the health food store industry who wish to improve their knowledge.
Says Solgar MD, Denise Maidment: “It is one thing to have cutting edge products but if the knowledge of the people selling these products is scant, we have a problem. So we decided to invest in the future of independent health food stores and put together an achievable and affordable course. Our aim is to raise the level of knowledge through good quality information that is not brand specific and based on firm science.”
The 12-module course is written by Solgar’s nutritional therapists and naturopaths. It includes sections on anatomy and physiology as well as an introduction to nutritional and herbal medicine. Information on common health disorders and drug/nutrient reactions is also provided.
Each module comprises of a workbook which must be completed and returned for marking. A pass mark of 50% has been set. If this is not achieved, the module can be repeated. “There is full technical back-up support on the end of a phone, fax or email,” says Maidment.
Students work at their own pace but need put in only two to four hours per week to complete a module per month and finish the course in a year. On completion, students are awarded a Solgar Gold Standard Product Advisor badge plus a certificate. And there is yet another benefit. The fee of R1000 per person is refunded in full on completion of the course. Said Maidment: “The charge helps motivate people to finish the course as the full costs are carried by Solgar. This is our investment in and thanks to all the health shop independents and staff.”
- Want more info? Phone (011) 462-1652
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| EVENTS… |
| FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE SEMINAR |
THE theme of the fifth annual one-day seminar of The South African Association of the Flavour & Fragrance Industry (SAAFFI) is “Nurture Diverse Aspirations! – The need to be globally local” – and the event promises to be as informative and successful as the previous four gatherings. |
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Taking place on Thursday 15 March at the Volkswagen Conference Centre, Midrand, the seminar promises an impressive team of local and European speakers. They will engage over 300 delegates on a fascinating array of subjects related to the flavour and fragrance industry. Delegates are expected from a broad cross-section of industries including cosmetics, personal care, household products, foods, beverages, health product manufacturers, flavour and fragrance suppliers and retailers.
A portion of surplus funds generated by the event will go towards the formation and support of a university semester on Flavours & Fragrances within the Faculty of Science at the University of Johannesburg.
NATURAL AND ORGANICS 2007
DATES have now been set for the fourth Natural & Organic Products Exhibition: it takes place in the second half of the year at the Cape Town ICC from 12 to 14 October.
This year the exhibition is geared to showcase ‘Natural & Organic’ in accordance with the forecasted trends for 2007. These are defined as: Redefining Quality, Sustainability, Globalisation, Simplicity, Empowerment & Control, Proliferation & Customisation and Vitality.
The aim of the organisers is to continue to grow the South African natural and organics industry through creatively involving both local and international business as well as proactively educating consumers regarding better lifestyle choices.
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SAVE OUR SUPPLEMENTS!
THE British lobby group Consumers for Health Choice (CHC) is running a “Save Our Supplements” campaign to put pressure on the European Commission not to set the dosage for vitamin and mineral levels at the minimum Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) throughout Europe. Together with 11 member states, the CHC is fighting to keep all supplements available to the public and is determined to convince the Commission in Brussels that higher range nutrients have an important role to play in maintaining good health.
Comments HPA executive member Denise Maidment: “The dosage levels which the EU legislation is planning to set for vitamins and minerals could have global ramifications for the health products industry. If minimum levels are imposed, it could affect us in South Africa on two levels: imported products would no longer be available as they would have to decrease their ingredients to a maximum of twice the Recommended Daily Allowance; and, as our Medicines Control Council is waiting to see what happens in the EU, they could well adopt the same policy.”
In Britain, there is a particular fear that the UK market could be decimated with many higher dose specialist supplements being removed from the market. Sue Croft, CHC director, says that the British negotiating team led by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) is working hard to secure an outcome that allows maximum consumer choice. “But other countries seem quite happy to accept the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach being proposed. It really makes no sense to set the same levels for everyone.”
The CHC propose that maximum levels should be set on the basis of sound science and not influenced by the low levels favoured by France and Germany. They believe that if a product is safe, properly manufactured and legally labelled, people should be allowed to use it. They are also convinced that consumers want to continue to have access to their higher dose specialist nutrients.
“We in South Africa cannot remain insular on this subject,” insists Maidment. “We could all be affected by this legislation.”
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UNANI TIBB: HEALTHCARE & EMPOWERMENT |
UNANI Tibb medicine – a complementary healthcare modality with roots in Ancient Greece and Africa – is going places. Not only does it have a new look and image with its fresh packaging but it began trading from independent premises in Roodepoort at the beginning of this year.
Someone who is understandably proud of this coming of age is the man who established Unani Tibb in South Africa 10 years ago, Professsor Rashid Bhikha. Not only does it reflect a business success story but it’s also a fulfilment of his dream to bring social responsibility into healthcare.
A qualified pharmacist, his introduction to CAMS was triggered by the illness of his youngest daughter in 1990. ‘When she became ill I realised that although trained in the Western medical paradigm, I knew very little about medicine per se, so I started investigating complementary medicine modalities. That’s when I discovered Unani Tibb."
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A man of conscience, Bhikhja was also concerned about the health needs of the country. And it was at that time that the National Health Plan of 1996 placed great emphasis on empowerment and primary health care. “I realised that Unani Tibb could play a major role in our health care,” Bhikha reflects. “The roots are very similar to the medical model of Hippocrates and there are a lot of similarities between Unani Tibb and African Traditional Medicine.” |
Bhikha had founded Be-Tabs Pharmaceuticals (Pty) Ltd in 1974 and, just over 20 years later - having gone for training at the University of Hamvad in Pakistan - he began the task of introducing this fascinating modality to the SA public.
The progress has been phenomenal. Bhikha founded the Tibb Institute in 1997 and it now offers a variety of training programmes backed by the University of the Western Cape and recognised by the AHPCSA. These include a 5-year Bachelor Degree in Tibb medicine and a one-year post graduate diploma for doctors and primary health care nurses.
“We have graduated 95 doctors and have six students in fifth year, so we are making good progress,” say Bhikha with typical modesty. “Besides that, we have made inroads in training mid-level workers from Johannesburg and certain NGOs. And we’ve launched a private study programme which we hope to implement by April in the Western Cape.”
And now the Tibb range is being produced under the aegis of a separate company, Tibb Herbal Health Services (Pty) Ltd, having started in 2002 as a herbal division of Bhikha’s pharmaceutical business.
Tibb formulations are making their presence felt in the complementary medicines market, and market share has grown as a result of extensive marketing and sales campaigns accompanied by increased availability via pharmacies and health stores. The new look packaging, designed around therapeutic classes of products, will be seen on the shelves in coming months. PR work this year will see Tibb moving more into the medical field. Says Bhikha: “We are confident that by the end of 2007, everyone should know about Unani Tibb.”
Used by over 200 000 doctors worldwide, the Tibb repertoire aims to assist in the treatment of diabetes, hypertension, stress-related conditions, colds and flu and the like but the underlying philosophy is to embrace the global trend towards lifestyle management as part of the solution to optimal health care.
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| NEW SPORTRON VENTURE |
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| Sportron International has moved into the probiotic/prebiotic field with the launch of a supplement called Floraplex. The company describes it as being at the cutting edge with the inclusion of two special features. |
| One is the substantial quota of the prebiotic Lactitol, a tooth-friendly polyol suitable for diabetics. The second is the generous count of two strains of Laftï ® probiotics. These second generation probiotics are selected and formulated to meet the dual demands of stability and delivery in the gastrointestinal tract. Floraplex (in handy sachets) is recommended for imbalances in the intestinal microbial environment caused by stress, antibiotic use, incorrect diet and unhealthy lifestyles. |
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GO-AHEAD FOR ADVERSE EFFECT REPORTING
USA: The Dietary Supplement and Non-Prescription Drug Consumer Protection Act - the Adverse Effect Reporting or AER bill - has been passed by the US Congress. The bill requires that serious adverse events for both over-the-counter drugs and dietary supplements be reported to the Food and Drug Administration.
The supplement industry considers that the number of such events potentially related to dietary supplements is likely to be minimal and therefore welcomes the bill as offering a reliable and verifiable system that will both attest to the safety of dietary supplements and help to end negative speculation from industry critics.
LABELLING FOR GLUCOSAMINE PRODUCTS
UK: The food supplement industry has been in discussion with Trading Standards officers about the labelling of glucosamine products. Trading Standards want product labels to indicate clearly the glucosamine content so as to fully inform the consumer and enable accurate comparison between products with different source compounds to be made. Agreement has now been reached that the description on the central/front panel of the product may be that of the material contained in the product and its quantity ie Glucosamine (salt) Xmg, provided that there is a qualifying statement to specify the amount of Glucosamine provided by the dose of Glucosamine (salt).
OPTIONS TO INCREASE FOLATE INTAKE
BRITAIN: The UK Food Standards Agency is seeking comment on how to increase the folate intake of young women to reduce the number of pregnancies affected by neural tube defect. Options include encouraging industry to fortify more foods voluntarily with folic acid, and the mandatory fortification of bread and flour.
BOTANICAL FORUM SAFETY WORKSHOP
BELGIUM: The European Botanical Forum (EBF) held its second Annual Workshop on Botanical Food Supplements in Brussels – an important event attended by representatives of the European Commission and the Council of Europe, plus academics, regulators and industry representatives from throughout the EU.
Discussions centred mainly on issues around the safety assessment of botanicals, the principals for scientific substantiation of health claims, and the borderline between food and medicinal claims. A paper prepared by members of the EBF entitled ‘Use of Botanicals in Food Supplements – Regulatory Scope, Scientific Risk Assessment and Claim Substantiation’ has been published in the Annals of Nutrition and Metabolism – Ann Nutr Metab 2006;50:538-554 (DOI: 10.1159/000098146)
CINNAMON SUPPLEMENTS CLASSED AS MEDICINES?
GERMANY: A joint announcement by the Federal Institute for Medicinal Products and Medical Devices and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment recommended that products marketed with a diabetes health claim should be classified as medicinal substances. The ruling has affected cinnamon dietary supplements marketed in Germany that claim to reduce blood sugar and help control Type-2 diabetes as recent court cases have now classified such products as medicinal. However, cinnamon-containing food supplements without health claims can continue to be marketed.
CANADIAN ALERT ON HERBAL SUPPLEMENT
CANADA: Health Canada is advising consumers against taking a herbal ‘Sleep Ease’ dietary supplement because it has been found to contain an undeclared benzodiazepine. Benzodiazepines are a class of habit-forming drug with a number of potentially serious side-effects, including dizziness, drowsiness and hallucinations. Consumers still taking the supplement have been advised to consult a healthcare professional because of the risk of withdrawal symptoms.
FDA REJECTS GREEN TEA CLAIM
USA: A petition launched by a Japanese company for a health claim regarding the cardiovascular benefits of green tea has been rejected by the US Food and Drugs Administration. Of the 105 publications cited in support of the claim, 66 were deemed inappropriate, with 29 intervention and 10 observational studies found to be insufficient for drawing scientific conclusions because of poor study design or reporting. Of the remaining studies, only three reported any correlation between green tea and reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.
US LAW FOR THE ELDERLY PROMOTES SUPPLEMENTATION
USA: One of the issues covered by the text of the ‘Older American Act Amendments of 2006’ is the vital contribution of good nutrition to the health of older adults. Despite the emphasis on the importance of diet, the Amendments also recognise the prevalence of ‘nutritional gaps’, particularly among the elderly, and advise that “when the nutritional needs of older adults are not fully met by the diet, use of a single daily multivitamin-mineral supplement may help to prevent nutrition deficiencies” and can be “a safe and inexpensive strategy to help ensure the nutritional health of older adults”.
STEROL FORTIFIED FOODS APPROVED DOWN UNDER
AUSTRALIA: Health Minister, Christopher Pine, has announced that two new food standards have become law. The first allows Australians and New Zealanders to have access to a range of foods enriched with plant sterols. Previously only permitted in margarines, plant sterols can now be added to low fat milk, yoghurt and breakfast cereals. The second standard permits the manufacture in Australia of water-based beverages with added vitamins and minerals. Up till now these had to be manufactured in New Zealand as dietary supplements and imported.
THAI TAX ON FOOD SUPPLEMENTS
THAILAND: Authorities are considering introducing an excise tax of 50% on food supplements – a tax rate normally only applied to luxury goods. In an attempt to counteract this, the Thai dietary supplement association (HFSA), has been gathering information via the IADSA network on food supplement tax rates in other countries. Armed with this data, HFSA now intends to present a review of the global situation to their authorities, aiming to demonstrate that such a tax would not only be unjust but out of line with practice elsewhere in the world. |
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