The Natural Products Association of Washington, D.C., (NPA) has approved its 800th certification of products and ingredients under the popular Natural Seal program.

A.C. Grace Company received the 2011 Corporate Vision Award from the American College for Advancement in Medicine. In other news, the company relaunched a more user-friendly and informative Web site at www.acgrace.com.

UAS Laboratories, Inc. of Eden Prairie, MN now has a sample program that gives retailers free products for consumers who want to try DDS probiotics.

Green Bay, WI-based EuroPharma, Inc. joined the American Botanical Council’s Adopt-an-Herb program by adopting turmeric (Curcuma longa).

MegaFood’s in-house testing and research facility in Derry, NH received ISO 9001:2008 certification.

The Food Marketing Institute and the Global Market Development Center will co-sponsor a health, beauty and wellness conference May 31 through June 4, 2013, in San Antonio, TX. “Food retailers and wholesalers, health and beauty suppliers, pharmacists, dietitians and other health related professionals will come together to explore solutions to meet the broad spectrum of health and wellness needs of consumers,” they say.

Watsonville, CA-based Nordic Naturals partnered with Healthy Child Healthy World, a group dedicated to protecting children from harmful chemicals in the environment. For every bottle of Nordic’s Children’s DHA 180 count and Baby’s DHA 2 oz. sold at Expo West, $1 was given to Healthy Child. Additional fundraisers and promotions are planned.

Now available from the American Herbal Products Association of Silver Spring, MD is the digital edition of its 2012 membership directory. The digital directory can also be accessed from the homepage of the AHPA Web site.

Solid Hold Health Products for Pets of San Diego, CA gave a generous donation to 15 animal rescue groups throughout the country. In total, more than $1 million worth of super premium chicken and fish dog food product were given to these organizations.

Schiff Nutrition of Salt Lake City, UT has snatched up Airborne for $150 million.

A study printed in Phytotherapy Research found that a patented, high-bioavailability curcumin (BCM-95 from Dolcas Biotech LLC of Chester, NJ) offered the same benefits as a prescription rheumatoid arthritis (RA) drug, diclofenac sodium, with fewer adverse effects. The two-month study involved 45 people who either received diclofenac sodium (50 mg) twice daily; 500 mg of curcumin twice daily; or both diclofenac sodium and curcumin. The participants were assessed for joint swelling and pain, and the curcumin group was found to reduce these symptoms best overall. Stated the co-lead author of this study, Ajay Goel, from Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX, “Our study is the first to demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of curcumin treatment in patients with active RA, and highlights the need for future large-scale trials to further validate these findings in patients with RA and other arthritic conditions.”

Coral LLC of Carson City, NV now offers companies its raw ingredients and formulas for private label distribution. Available are Coral Calcium Powder, Oyster Shell Powder and Natural Calcium Powder ingredients in various particle sizes as well as custom and existing Coral LLC formulas, from capsule supplements to toothpaste, water treatments and more.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, May 2012