Vega, based in Vancouver, Canada, was acquired by dairy producer WhiteWave Foods Co., for $550 million.

The Natural Products Association of Washington, D.C., recently voiced its opinion to the California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) about its concern that Aloe vera whole leaf extract and goldenseal root powder may cause cancer. The group opposed this stance, noting that Aloe vera has a very long history of safe use, and neither it nor goldenseal should be listed. In a letter, Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., executive director and CEO of the Natural Products Association, stated, “Since they are both naturally occurring in foods, they are exempt from OEHHA’s warning requirements when used in either food or cosmetics, in accordance with Title 27 of the California Code of Regulations. OEHHA should remove these ingredients as proposed ingredients to be listed.”

The Council for Responsible Nutrition of Washington, D.C., announced that registration is now open for The Workshop and The Conference, which will take place October 21–24 at The Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, in Palm Springs, CA.

Registration is also open for the GOED Exchange 2016 omega-3 conference, which will take place February 2-4, 2016 in Tenerife, Canary Islands. 

Premama launched its new website (www.drinkpremama.com) to be a “platform for conversation and expert advice on maternity wellness” and will expand its line this summer.

Austin, TX-based Whole Foods Market announced its new line of value-oriented stores will be named “365 by Whole Foods Market.”

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has decided that partially hydrogenated oils are no longer Generally Recognized as Safe, following a notice of tentative determination on the issue in December 2013.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine, August 2015(online 7/16/2015)