Vitamins, Diet and Sports Nutrition

SLOUGH, England — Reckitt Benckiser successfully wrapped up its pursuit of Schiff Nutrition on Friday with the signing of a definitive merger agreement in a deal valued at $1.4 billion. Bayer officially relinquished its proposed acquisition on the same day. 

SILVER SPRING, Md. — Pharmacist’s Ultimate Health of St. Paul, Minn., and its president, Stephen J. Poindexter, have been barred from distributing any "unapproved new drugs" that the company had distributed under the guise that they were dietary supplements. 

The consent decree of permanent injunction that had been sought by the Food and Drug Administration was signed by U.S. District Judge David Doty of the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota on Nov. 6. 

NEW YORK — Bayer will not be raising its offer for Schiff Nutrition to match or exceed last week's bid from Reckitt Benckiser, Reuters reported Tuesday morning. 

Bayer's bid is still active, however, and is in discussions with Schiff to acquire the company for its original evaluation of $1.2 billion. Reckitt Benckiser bid $1.4 billion. 

To read the Reuters report, click here. 

WASHINGTON — Individuals who do not obtain recommended intake levels of calcium through dietary sources can safely utilize calcium supplements to achieve optimal bone health, an expert panel concluded last week in the November online edition of Advances in Nutrition.

NEWBURY, Ohio — Hebron USA on Monday announced the launch of the Florax DS, a line of ready-to-drink probiotics that doesn't require refrigeration. 

Florax DS products are formulated with a proprietary strain of the probiotic yeast called Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Cepa Fr 1972, also known as a nutritional or brewers' yeast.  

The Florax DS RTDs will be available in two flavors — original and raspberry — through Drugstore.com, Meijer, Discount Drug Mart and Rainforestsremedies.com.

WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Nordic Naturals last week received the Marine Stewardship Council Chain of Custody certification for its processing plant in Bodo, Norway, the supplement supplier stated. The MSC is an international non-profit organization that seeks to contribute to the health of the world’s oceans, in part, by working with its partners to transform the seafood market to a sustainable basis.

SAN DIEGO — A study published last week by researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine has found a correlation between vitamin D3 serum levels and subsequent incidence of Type 1 diabetes. The six-year study of blood levels of nearly 2,000 individuals suggests a preventative role for vitamin D3 in this disease. The research appears the December issue of Diabetologia, a publication of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes.

DENVER — Ibotta on Friday officially launched its free mobile application for iPhone users that gives consumers a new way to earn as much as $40 in cash each time they shop. With Ibotta, consumers earn cash rewards for answering a trivia question, watching videos and/or providing feedback on their favorite products, then buying the products in major national retailers, such as Walmart, Target and Walgreens.