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NEWS ROUNDUP

Group Promotes Supplement Educatione here late last month, Sen. Tom Harkin, Iowa, and public health and nutritional experts debuted the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau, a new educational arm of the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance.The DSIB will attempt to bring dietary supplement information to the national forefront and create more awareness of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education

Group Promotes Supplement Education

e here late last month, Sen. Tom Harkin, Iowa, and public health and nutritional experts debuted the Dietary Supplement Information Bureau, a new educational arm of the Dietary Supplement Education Alliance.

The DSIB will attempt to bring dietary supplement information to the national forefront and create more awareness of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, a federal law regulating the dietary supplement industry. A broad national campaign will include public service announcements, a newly unveiled informational Web site, www.supplementinfo.org, and in-store, point-of-purchase materials.

Elliott Balbert, acting chairman of the Education Alliance, told SN that the group is attempting to mobilize retail support for this effort.

Vons Hosts Health Fairs

LOS ANGELES -- Vons here last week kicked off a monthlong series of "Family Health Fairs" offering free health screenings and bilingual health and safety information at some of its southern California stores. The program is a partnership with Health Net of California, Woodland Hills, which offers health insurance programs, including some plans specifically targeted to the Latino community.

The fairs will include vision screenings, blood pressure checks and dental exams using Health Net's mobile wellness van, in addition to music, games, prize drawings and other activities.

The series of fairs mark the first time that Health Net has partnered with a supermarket chain to conduct health fairs, according to Brad Kieffer, a Health Net spokesman.

Tesco Buys Into Natural Products

LONDON -- British supermarket giant Tesco here last week said it acquired a 50.1% stake in The Nutri Centre, a retailer and catalog purveyor of natural health and beauty care products. The purchase price was about $4.1 million. Tesco rolled out 85 Nutri Centre products in 50 Tesco stores, and it plans to add a wider array of products to 210 stores during the next two months, according to reports. The retailer also plans to offer The Nutri Centre's complete 22,000-product selection via its Web site.

Tesco also owns a minority interest in GroceryWorks, the online grocery arm of U.S. supermarket operator Safeway, Pleasanton, Calif.