Vitamins, Diet and Sports Nutrition

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — The Vitamin Shoppe's proposed acquisition of Super Supplements has been delayed, the company recently announced. According to the company, the Federal Trade Commission had notified VSI that it is conducting an investigation into the planned acquisition, noting that the investigation will extend beyond Dec. 31, 2012.

SUNBURY, Pa. — Weis Markets on Friday announced the launch of its 10th round of price freezes, effective in all 163 store locations. 

More than 2,000 products have been reduced in price and will stay at these discounted levels for 90 days. Since the company began its price freezing initiative in January 2009, Weis customers have saved more than $40 million dollars, the grocer stated.

UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — NBCUniversal Television Consumer Products, in conjunction with Shine America, on Thursday announced the launch of the newly enhanced Biggestloser.com to serve as a one-stop portal with complete access to NBC’s “The Biggest Loser” online community.

WASHINGTON — The Council for Responsible Nutrition on Thursday kicked off a year-long celebration in honor of the association’s 40th anniversary. Created in 1973 by three companies and a single staffer, CRN is today recognized by many, both inside and outside the industry, as the leading trade association representing more than 100 dietary supplement manufacturers, ingredient suppliers and companies that supply services for the supplement industry.

ROCKVILLE, Md. — To help ensure the quality of popular food ingredients increasingly being incorporated into products sold in the United States and worldwide, standards for omega 3-rich krill oil and natural, low-calorie stevia sweeteners are among the latest proposed revisions to the Food Chemicals Codex, the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention that publishes the codex announced Wednesday.  

PITTSBURGH — Women deficient in vitamin D early in their pregnancies are more likely to deliver babies with lower birth weights, according to research released last week by the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health.

The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, will be reported in the January print edition of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Biocodex last week sought to set the record straight regarding the use of probiotics with antibiotics. 

"There is a common myth that probiotics can't be used with antibiotics," stated Kerry Neville, a registered dietitian in Seattle. "In fact, there are different probiotic options available that can be beneficial before, during, and after antibiotic use, like Florastor."

NEW YORK — Convenience retailer 7-Eleven has jumped on the "fresh" bandwagon, according to a report published last week in the New York Times. And while 7-Eleven has been serving up fresh for more than a decade with its variety of hot dogs and breakfast fare, now the focus is on fresh food items that will fit within a consumer's diet plan, too.