By: William Nichols
CHECK OUT OUR MEDIA MENTION IN NUTRITIONAL OUTLOOK
24-January-2025
This week in nutrition news, a governor in Nigeria moved to fund maternal and child nutrition initiatives. At the same time, Comet revealed its Arrabina prebiotic dietary fiber received fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides and polyols (FODMAP) Friendly certification. Meanwhile, Noom unveiled two free digital features to help improve nutrition and health.
Nutrition news
In Nigeria, the Kano State Governor allocated ₦500 million (US$321,334) in counterpart funding to UNICEF for nutrition initiatives to combat malnutrition and improve maternal and child health. During the flag-off of the second Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Week in Kumbotso Local Government Area, the governor also announced ₦170 million (US$109,253) for upgrading malnutrition treatment and referral centers to combat child mortality and improve healthcare access. The measures are part of a broader strategy to strengthen the healthcare system, reduce maternal and child mortality, and promote sustainable development. The MNCH Week provided vital services, including immunizations, antenatal care, nutritional supplements, and public health campaigns for Kano State’s most vulnerable populations.
Comet achieved FODMAP Friendly certification for its patented Arrabina prebiotic dietary fiber, confirming its classification as a low FODMAP ingredient. According to the company, the certification provides assurance to the one in seven people globally who experience digestive distress and will help individuals easily identify foods that support digestive health without triggering symptoms. Comet stressed that consumer awareness of low FODMAP diets is growing, with TikTok searches surpassing 61 million views and significant growth in related terms. Moreover, it notes that irritable bowel syndrome affects 10–15% of the US population, causing symptoms like bloating and cramping.
Business news
Noom, a leading digital healthcare company focused on chronic disease prevention, launched two free features — AI Body Scan and Noom Body Age — that are accessible to all users. These tools provide personalized health insights through a 10-second smartphone body scan. The AI Body Scan generates a 3D model of the user’s current body, a “Future Me” projection at their goal weight, and metrics such as body fat percentage, lean mass, and waist-to-hip ratio. The Noom Body Age metric compares an individual’s metabolic health to others based on extensive US population data, offering actionable health insights. The AI Body Scan addresses body composition, a critical factor for heart health and physical resilience, and helps track muscle mass preservation during weight loss to prevent sarcopenic obesity.
Azelis, supplying specialty chemicals and food ingredients, announced the reopening of four upgraded application and formulation laboratories in the UK, serving the Personal Care, Home Care & Industrial Cleaning, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare and Food & Nutrition markets. Located under one roof, the labs enable easier knowledge sharing and cross-fertilization of innovation among Azelis’ market-driven teams. The upgrades include advanced machinery for application simulation, formulation testing and processing equipment for the food and nutraceutical markets, as well as enhanced prototyping and cycle testing capabilities. Azelis said the new labs also offer dedicated space for co-creation, demonstrations and training sessions with customers, in person and remotely.
Sirio Pharma, a nutraceutical contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO), launched the SirioSure program, a quality assurance (QA) and quality control (QC) initiative aimed at ensuring product efficacy and label accuracy for nutrition brands. Sirio highlighted the integrated advanced QA/QC processes, including supplier vetting, formulation expertise, ingredient shelf-life analyses and comprehensive production data tracking. Additionally, it revealed that the modern inspection tools, optimized facilities and system-wide traceability reinforced transparency and oversight. The initiative addresses industry concerns on supplement and ingredient purity raised by a recent JAMA Network Open study, which found that only 11% of tested supplements met label claims, drawing negative media attention.
Product launches
Vital Proteins introduced its first colostrum product, the Vital Proteins Colostrum Capsules, made from naturally sourced bovine colostrum derived from US cows. This supplement is designed to nourish the gut and support immune health. The product also features a “calf-first” promise, ensuring that excess colostrum is used only after calves are properly fed.
Else Nutrition unveiled its ready-to-drink (RTD) shakes as the first whole-food, plant-based complete nutrition drink for adults, targeting the growing demand for dairy alternatives. The US dairy alternatives market, valued at US$5.84 billion in 2022, is expected to reach US$14.28 billion by 2030, driven by health-conscious consumers, including 44% of flexitarians the company said are prioritizing plant-based options. Else Nutrition’s RTD shakes cater to this shift, offering a vegan, vegetarian and flexitarian-friendly product made from minimally processed, whole-food ingredients like almond butter, sunflower protein flour and buckwheat flour. Each shake provides 280 calories, 14 grams of plant protein, fiber, healthy fats and 26 essential vitamins and minerals, with 50% less sugar than competitors and no artificial sweeteners. They are also certified lactose-free and clean-label.
Pet Nutrition
Royal Canin, a leader in pet health nutrition and part of Mars, launched an updated, user-centric version of its Royal Canin Academy (RCA) at the 2025 Veterinary Meeting & Expo (VMX). The company stated that, in addition to supporting pet professionals, it will also donate four meals to pets in need for each RCA registration through its partnership with Greater Goods. The updated platform featured flexible learning options, mobile accessibility, a new interface and improved performance. Veterinary professionals can now access personalized course management, track progress and use step-by-step guides to suit their learning preferences. The platform development integrates data, adult learning theory and artificial intelligence to better meet the needs of time-constrained professionals.
Scientific studies
A study explored the relationship between waist circumference (WC) and mortality in individuals with diabetes mellitus (DM), examining both all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities. The study included 6,624 participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2003–2018), with 3,151 women and 3,473 men. The analysis found that WC had a U-shaped association with all-cause and cardiovascular mortalities in women and a J-shaped trend in men. For women, the optimal WC threshold for minimizing mortality risk was 107 cm, while for men, it was 89 cm. Hazard ratios indicated that WC below these thresholds was associated with lower mortality risk, whereas WC above these values increased mortality risk. Over a median follow-up of 6.8 years for women and 6.3 years for men, 621 women and 871 men died. The study concluded that further research is needed to explore the mechanisms underlying WC’s impact on mortality in individuals with DM.
