Content about California

SAN BRUNO, Calif. — Biocodex last week sought to set the record straight regarding the use of probiotics with antibiotics. 

"There is a common myth that probiotics can't be used with antibiotics," stated Kerry Neville, a registered dietitian in Seattle. "In fact, there are different probiotic options available that can be beneficial before, during, and after antibiotic use, like Florastor."

COMMERCE, Calif. — Regional store chain 99 Cents Only Stores has launched a new website that it said would offer more easily accessible information on new products, as well as company information.

The chain — which operates 308 stores in California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada — said the new site was part of its efforts to improve the quality of information that it makes available to the public.

SAN FRANCISCO — Skin care brand Own — which recently launched in Duane Reade stores in New York City, followed by Whole Foods Market in the Northern California region — has developed an app that brings the power to measure and track the aging process to users’ fingertips.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Skin care brand Murad, whose products are sold in such retailers as Sephora and Ulta, has hired former Estée Lauder Cos. executive Suzanne Dawson as CMO, overseeing all global marketing including brand development, advertising, public relations, creative and education for products, services and new market opportunities.

FONTANA, Calif. — Brush Buddies, a maker of of licensed manual toothbrushes, and Global Merchandising Services has announced that One Direction is the newest artist to be featured on the line of Brush Buddies Singing Toothbrushes. 

Brush Buddies created the Singing Toothbrush category during the summer of 2011 with their launch of two products that each feature two hit songs by Justin Bieber. Brush Buddies expanded the category with new products in 2012 featuring new songs by Bieber and artists Lady Gaga and LMFAO.

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. — Misfit Wearables is teeing up a revolutionary activity tracking device — the Misfit Shine — that's constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum, is waterproof and is able to wirelessly sync activity data to a smartphone without the need for a Bluetooth connection. 

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Tesco placed its U.S. supermarket business Fresh & Easy on the sales bloc Wednesday, in conjunction with an announcement that Fresh & Easy CEO Tim Mason has left the company. 

IRVINE, Calif. — The number of consumers using iPhones to gather medical information has grown by 94% since 2011, according to a new study by online medical publishing company The Patient's Guide.

The study, based on engagement-behavior data on 12 million visitors to the site over two years, also found that the iPhone topped the list of mobile devices used to seek medical information online, accounting for 41% of total mobile traffic this year; the company predicts that the iPhone will surpass the desktop computer as the primary device for health information by 2014.

NORTHRIDGE, Calif. — Pharmavite’s recent launch of its Voots Veggie-Fruit Tarts may once and for all put to rest the dinner-table drama of enticing a young child to “eat their veggies.” Voots is a chewable supplement packed with a blend of 11 real fruits and vegetables. What’s more, Mom can pack that veggie-punch into her child’s lunchbox with the Voots single-serve packets. It’s a differentiated product launch in a still-growing category. Sales of vitamins are up 8.3%, to $9.1 billion, for the 52 weeks ended Sept. 29, according 
to Nielsen.

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.

DSN profiled six companies that sell on their American-made heritage as part of its "Made in America" report.

GREEN TOYS
MILL VALLEY, Calif. — Green Toys makes a line of classic children’s toys constructed from recycled, food-safe plastic and other environmentally friendly materials. The products not only help fuel the “Made in America” movement, the use of recycled materials helps distinguish the toy manufacturer by reducing fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions.

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.