Then they trot out studies that often cherry pick data or intentionally mislead the public. The studies are given credibility because they appear in the Archives of Internal Medicine and Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

Typically the supplement industry responds in an intelligent and consumer centric way but on the defensive nonetheless. Who could blame us?

The same journals that publish the supplement damning studies sell the majority of advertising space to pharmaceutical companies. Could there be a reason supplement research is under reported?  The pharma bias drives negative supplement studies are what we have come to expect.

Pharmaceutical companies have a legal payola system to bribe doctors and the FDA regulates for special interest profits at the cost of national health for all of us. The deck sure seems stacked against us, doesn’t it?

But wait just a minute. With this latest batch of negative press, nobody seemed to notice. Consumers didn’t care. Maybe they’re all “occupied” with other interests these days.

We’ve reached a tipping point. Consumers, especially discerning natural food shoppers, are no longer swayed by fear tactics and misinformation. They have their own personal experience of greater health and vitality to trust. That’s pretty hard to beat.

What works for health is also one of the most shared experiences throughout social networks. When it comes to health care, the emperor has no clothes.

It doesn’t take Wiki Leaksto tells us either. There are more than enough of us

Arab Spring, European Summer, American Fall Chinese Winter

who know better. Many are out in the streets protesting right now and they understand the connections between our health and our environment.

Now is the time to capitalize on the base of savvy, well educated customers we’ve attracted to the value of natural products and nutritional supplements. Nutritional education is the basis for good health and good business.

Just look at how Mc Donald’s is shifting their strategy with a health McMakeover. They’re downplaying the burger joint and featuring “healthy” fare with oatmeal and smoothies. That’s a sure sign that health is impacting markets and oh, by the way, McDonald’s third quarter earnings rose 9% with revenues up14%.

Naturally the food packaging industry is all over this health trend too. They want to “simplify” nutrition information on package  labels for us. Look for new icons and happy face logos to help obscure the chemicals involved in processed “food”.

We’re seeing the myth that fast food is cheaper than fresh fruits and veggies shatter before our very eyes.

We’re bearing witness to a massive shift in social awareness and morality joining forces to expose deceit and corruption wherever they steal our birthright of good health. There will be plenty of fear, anger, frustration and cynicism to go around.

There will also be a huge demand for guidance. As a natural product retailer your profitable future lies in the time you take to educate these new shoppers about the value and benefits of good nutrition. Educating them builds trust and trust is in short supply right now. Nature works. Nutrition is powerful. It’s easy, engaging and effective. That’s your edge. That’s what Nutrition News has done successfully since 1976.

How many new customers are just waiting for your invitation? How long would it take you to reaching out at $0.50/month before you acquired a new customer? How long do your customers shop with you? What is the lifetime dollar value of your customers?

If your customers stay on average ten years and they shop twice a month and they spend $50, that’s $1200 per year and $12,000 in ten. How many times can you invest $0.50/month to yield $1200 per year?

That’s the N.I.Q. dividend (Nutritional Intelligence Quotient)  waiting for you to cash in on. Remember, relevance plus relationships yields results. Customers who know more, buy more and they buy more often! Health Works! Adapt or Die.

Give us a call and we’ll be happy to brainstorm with you about where your future new customers are . . . . . right now!

Mintel, the global leader in market and consumer intelligence, hosted the all-new Mintel New Products and Consumer Insights Pavilion, complete with innovative product tastings and presentations highlighting the latest trends in the food, drink and foodservice industries.

During each session, Mintel’s renowned new product experts, Lynn Dornblaser and David Jago, presented on the topics of Portion Size, Functional Foods and the 2011 Flavor and Ingredient Predictions.

* The nutrition guideline we don’t talk about: portion size

“As companies respond to the new US nutrition guidelines, it appears that the most important issue is largely ignored by CPG companies—portion size,” notes Lynn Dornblaser. “100-calorie packs helped the US consumer think about easy ways to control consumption, but today the packages are less focused on just 100 calories and more focused on providing additional benefits.”

* Functional foods: dead or alive?
Fifty-six percent of US consumers have bought a functional food or beverage in the last three months, but with growth slowed, the market is stagnating.
* Flavor and ingredient predictions: 2011 update
Late in 2010, Mintel unveiled its 2011 predictions for flavors and ingredients in North America. Lynn Dornblaser and David Jago provided updates on the current state of seven of the 12 flavor and ingredient trends.

More than 600 attendees at the Mintel presentations and tastings were asked to vote on their favorite products in each category and their results include:

* Sensible Portions Veggie Snacks Variety Pack from Canada took first place in the portion size category. This product is said to offer on-the-go convenience and contains no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives.

Emerald Nut and Granola Mix from the US and Krave Chocolate Hazelnut Cereal from Ireland took second and third place, respectively.
* IFT attendees chose the Special K Protein Shake from the US as their favorite product to help stay fuller for longer. Nestle Plus Antioxidants Cereal from Belgium came in second place, followed by Special K Savory Herb Crackers from the US.
* Stonewall Kitchen Roasted Peach Whiskey Sauce (US) came in first place and aligns with Mintel’s dark spirits flavor and ingredient trend prediction. It was a tight race for second and third place, with a difference of only six votes. International Delight Almond Joy Creamer, demonstrating the coconut flavor trend, nabbed second place while SunGold Foods Sunflower Seed Spread, an example of the seed ingredient trend, came in third. Both products are from the US.

For more information on these or other Mintel products and presentations from IFT 2011, please contact press@mintel.com.

About Mintel

Mintel is a leading global supplier of consumer, product and media intelligence. For nearly 40 years, Mintel has provided insight into key worldwide trends, offering exclusive data and analysis that directly impacts client success. With offices in Chicago, New York, London, Sydney, Shanghai and Tokyo, Mintel has forged a unique reputation as a world-renowned business brand. For more information on Mintel, please visit www.mintel.com. Follow Mintel on Twitter: http://twitter.com/mintelnews

NPA Members and the Industry Asked to Contact Capitol Hill to Express Their Support

This investigation was conducted by award-winning investigative journalist Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, as part of the non-profit Consumer Wellness Center (http://www.consumerwellness.org/), which provides nutrition grants for children’s education programs around the world. The non-profit “blueberry deception” video can be viewed in its entirety at http://www.foodinvestigations.com/

Named in the video are Kellogg’s, Target, Betty Crocker, General Mills and other food companies that use artificial colors to create the illusion of real blueberries in their products. One General Mills cereal singled out in the mini-documentary is called Total Blueberry Pomegranate Cereal. But a Consumer Wellness Center investigation reveals that this cereal contains neither blueberries nor pomegranates.

As explained in the video, consumers can avoid being deceived by food companies by following these three simple steps:

#1) Read the ingredients labels and look for artificial colors such as Red #40, Blue #1 and Blue #2. They are usually found near the end of the ingredients list.

#2) Don’t buy foods made with artificial colors because the purpose of those colors is to cosmetically alter the appearance of those foods to make them appear more visually stimulating in order to “trick” or influence the consumer’s purchasing decisions.

#3) Don’t let your kids eat foods with artificial colors.

The Health Ranger, who also volunteers as the editor of NaturalNews.com, believes it is important to emphasize that real blueberries are very good for human health. “Real blueberries offer a powerhouse of health-enhancing nutrition. They protect arteries, health lower blood pressure and provide an assortment of natural antioxidants to protect the eyes, brain and nervous system,” Adams says. Blueberries are also known to help prevent cancer, boost memory and even help reduce belly fat (http://www.naturalnews.com/blueberries.html).

Learn more at http://www.foodinvestigations.com/