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WASHINGTON—Three new HerbDay Partners have been named to recognize the contributions of nonprofit, educational, conservation and environmental organizations committed to developing events for HerbDay—a series of U.S. events set for Oct. 14 to celebrate herbs and herbalism. The International Herb Association will promote the event to its members and the general public. The National Nutritional Foods Association (NNFA) has created a HerbDay committee to help inform retailers of the event. And the U.S. Botanic Garden will host two days of HerbDay events at its facility on the Washington Mall, Oct. 13 and 14.

The HerbDay Coalition also enhanced its Web site, www.herbday.org, to better serve as a community crossroads and resource center. Event organizers may register details about what they are doing for their event, including the specifics of location and time. Groups can also access materials to download, such as event ideas and educational materials that can be printed out to serve as handouts. Among the event ideas are in-store cooking demonstrations featuring herbs and spices; seasonal herbal handcrafts; in-store herbal beauty product demonstrations; presentations by herb company representatives; and activities with herbal themes for children.

HSR: Health Supplement Retailer is a Media Sponsor of the event. The HerbDay Coalition includes five nonprofit organizations: American Botanical Council (ABC), American Herbalists Guild (AHG), American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP), American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) and United Plant Savers (UpS).

Vitamin Angels Broadens Support Base

SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—The Vitamin Angel Alliance (www.vitaminangels.org) expanded its base of support, with two national companies coming in to support the group’s philanthropic initiatives.

United Naturals Food Inc. (UNFI) signed on to assist Vitamin Angel’s Honduras Multivitamin program, designed to address chronic malnutrition and vitamin deficiency diseases in 30,000 children in rural Honduras. The campaign will provide the children with daily multivitamins and anti-parasitic medicine, along with an educational program to address these problems. The Dayville, Conn.-based natural products distributor supplies more than 40,000 SKUs to over 20,000 customers nationwide. Other partners in the Honduras effort include SIGHT AND LIFE, Anabolic Labs, Mutual Foods, Domino Foods, Pan American Health Organization, Medpharm and George Washington University.

In related news, Wild Oats Markets Inc. donated $250,000 worth of Wild Oats brand vitamins and supplements to support programs in Liberia and Zambia. The Boulder, Colo.-based chain operates 113 natural products stores in the United States and Canada.

Howard B. Schiffer, president of the Vitamin Angel Alliance, thanked both companies for their support. “UNFI is a leader in the natural products industry and their commitment to providing basic nutrition to the world’s neediest children says a lot,” he said. “And with Wild Oats’ assistance, hundreds of children, women and men will be provided the proper supplements needed to fight malnutrition-linked disease and other preventable illnesses.”

Xlear Products in 4,000+ Retail Locations

OREM, Utah—Xlear Inc. announced its products can now be found in more than 4,000 retail locations, covering all 50 states. Among the offerings are Xlear Nasal Wash, a patented nasal cleansing solution; Spry Dental Defense System dental care products; Fine & Dandy Candy, a line of xylitol-based candy; and XyloSweet, a xylitol sweetener. According to Nathan Jones, founder and president of Xlear (www.xlear.com), the expansion of the product line and its availability is a sign of consumer acceptance and recognition of the scientific support for xylitol’s health benefits. “Our retail partners have always played a key role in the success of our business, and will continue to do so as we enter new locations and develop new products,” Jones said. “The demand for xylitol is growing as more information is made available to consumers, and clinical research and professional studies continue to demonstrate that it is indeed a unique sweetener that has a number of health benefits. Our mission is to get xylitol and xylitol products into the hands of consumers wherever they are and wherever they shop.”

news bytes

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