HEALTH

CHICAGO — IRI on Tuesday released SilverLink, a new report that segments the U.S. population ages 50 years and older based on demographics; attitudes toward aging, health and wellness; shopping behavior; and lifestyle habits.

“The next generation of retirees will be the healthiest, longest lived, most educated and most affluent in history,” stated Robert Tomei, president of consumer and shopper marketing for IRI. 

SILVER SPRING, Md. — The Food and Drug Administration may require makers of antibacterial soaps to perform clinical trials to show their products are better at preventing infections and disease than ordinary soaps, part of a larger effort by the agency to ensure the safety and efficacy of antibacterial products and slow down the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

ATLANTA — Flu vaccination prevented an estimated 6.6 million influenza-associated illnesses, 3.2 million medically attended illnesses, and 79,000 hospitalizations during the 2012-2013 flu season, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report published Thursday. CDC also reported today that despite the benefits of flu vaccination, only 40% of Americans 6 months and older had reported getting a flu vaccine this season as of early November 2013.

DALLAS — MarketsandMarkets on Friday projected the global probiotics market would reach $23.9 billion by 2017. 

"[The] probiotics market has been one of the prime beneficiaries of the recent fad over functional foods," MarketsandMarkets reported. "Rising levels of health consciousness and aging baby boomer population are a few of the drivers helping in the growth of the market. 

NORTH BERGEN, N.J. — Vitamin Shoppe on Wednesday announced that the company had filed suit against law firm Seeger Weiss in New York federal court. Seeger Weiss has been using the company's name and trademark "Vitamin Shoppe" in its domain name and marketing materials, as well as the trademarked Bodytech name in marketing and soliciting materials without the company's permission, Vitamin Shoppe charged. 

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass. — Kaz on Thursday announced the launch of the Braun Forehead Thermometer, which features a lightweight, ergonomic design, providing a step-by-step on-product usage guide and user-facing digital temperature readouts on a large, backlit screen. 

In addition, the thermometer's fever guidance system indicates the severity of each reading with a green, yellow or red light, helping parents easily decipher and monitor the status of their child's temperature. 

NEW YORK — The National Advertising Division on Tuesday referred advertising claims made by Bremmen Clinical, for its Vysera-CLS weight-loss supplement, to the Federal Trade Commission for further review.