Earth Mama® welcomes Guinevere C. Lynn as the vice-president of Sales. With over twenty years of sales experience and leadership, she brings a strategic approach along with a range of management talents applied to customer service, sales operations, strategic planning and innovative programs designed to serve the customer, the retailer and the distributor all at once. Guinevere will be responsible for all domestic sales for Earth Mama across all channels. Previous to joining Earth Mama, Guinevere applied her talents at some of the best companies in our industry, Gaia Herbs, Vega and for 15 years Sun Chlorella. She has been a material part of each of those industry leading company’s growth and success.

Founder and CEO Melinda Olson welcomes Guinevere’s innate understanding of natural brands and that she’s put Earth Mama products to use for her own childbirth experiences, “With her history and knowledge, we welcome her guidance as we expand our brand and presence. It’s a perfect fit, she’s a mama of three who knows a thing or two about both the wonders and indignities of pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum and she knows the products firsthand.”

“Anyone who’s met Guin knows her glittering personality, but her knowledge and strategic sales leadership, consciousness of spirit and passionate love of all things Mama and Baby will help bring Earth Mama to another level, ensuring that every mother and every baby, through the world, will have efficacious plant based solutions,” says Papa in Charge Jagatjoti Singh Khalsa.

As for Lynn, she’s excited to be a part of the Earth Mama family, especially during this time of transition and growth, “It feels like such an exciting time to bring my strengths to Earth Mama, especially being a mama too!” She especially appreciates Natural Nipple Butter, “I lugged a breast pump across the nation for three kids and I swear the Natural Nipple Butter also helped with pumping nipple pain.”

Earth Mama Angel Baby manufactures trusted, certified organic, Non-GMO Project Verified and natural herbal products, gentle castile-based soaps, and teas that are specifically formulated to support the entire journey of childbirth, from pregnancy through postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, baby care, and even baby loss.

About Earth Mama®

For over a decade Earth Mama has offered trusted natural and organic herbal products for pregnancy, postpartum recovery, breastfeeding, baby care, and even the loss of a baby. Chosen by hospitals, Safe as Mama’s Arms®.

Earth Mama manufactures natural and organic herbal products that work, combining generations of women’s wisdom and traditional plant medicine with the safety and assurances of contemporary evidence based research. Certified by Oregon Tilth. To learn more, please visit http://www.earthmamaangelbaby.com.

The Ontario Federation of Food Co-operatives and Clubs, Inc., operating as the Ontario Natural Food Co-op, of Mississauga, has signed a Letter of Intent to sell its business and key assets to the Horizon Group of western Canada.

The co-operative’s board of directors invited ONFC members to a Special Members Meeting on Mar. 20 to consider the resolution that would allow the sale.

If the sale goes ahead, it would be an important step toward preserving a strong Canadian natural and organic food distribution system in the province, says ONFC General Manager Randy Whitteker. He notes that the roots of the Horizon Group are co-operative, and ONFC and Horizon Group share many values. Horizon Group’s Ontario operations would remain at the existing location in Mississauga, he adds.

He says that recent pressures in the organic and natural food industry, the co-operative’s expansion during this time, a strong U.S. dollar impacting the cost of imported products, and other reasons led to the boards’ decision to look to a bigger partner to maintain service for independent and other retail organic and natural retailers in Ontario.

Until a decision is made, the co-operative will continue to serve its members and customers which are buying clubs, local co-operatives, natural food retailers, restaurateurs, caterers and others dedicated to organic and natural food.

ONFC was founded in 1976. It now employs more than 120 people, and has close to 1500 members and customers. Its annual sales approach $55 million. ONFC owns Black River Juice Company Limited and the Ontario Natural Food Co-op brand. It distributes more than 4,500 grocery, refrigerated, frozen, bulk, and household items to natural and organic retailers in the eastern half of Canada. It is the 2016 Canadian Health Food Association Supplier of Excellence Award winner.

Also dating to 1976, the Horizon Group of companies is a key player in the natural products industry representing a wide array of categories shipped from a number of warehouses across Canada. Its subsidiary, Horizon Distributors, is western Canada’s leading distributor of organic and natural products in the dry, chill and frozen grocery categories, serving 1,800 locations annually including natural and organic retailers, grocery retailers, online retailers, buying clubs and major retail partners such as Whole Foods Market.

The spread of the Zika virus, which can cause devastating birth defects, has become a pressing public health issue in many countries. To this day, there is no vaccine to prevent and no medicine to treat Zika virus infections.

The Honourable Jane Philpott, Canada’s Minister of Health, announced a $3 million investment for Zika research in May 2016. The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), in partnership with the International Development Research Centre, today announced the names of the three teams of Canadian scientists who will collaborate with Latin American and Caribbean researchers to study the Zika virus.

The leaders of the three research teams include:

• Dr. Tom Hobman, from the University of Alberta. He and his team will study how the Zika virus changes host cells during infection, with the goal of developing anti-viral therapies that can be used against the virus.
• Dr. Keith Pardee, from the University of Toronto. He and his team will test a new, low-cost tool to rapidly detect the presence of Zika virus in patients’ bodily fluids. The new diagnostic tool is designed to be used in remote, under-resourced locations and will be field tested in Ecuador, Brazil and Colombia. Current tests to diagnose Zika virus are time consuming and prone to false positives due to the possibility of a patient’s prior infection with other flaviviruses such as dengue.
• Dr. Beate Sander, from Public Health Ontario. She and her team will conduct field studies in Argentina, Colombia and Ecuador to better understand how the virus is spread from mosquitoes to humans, predict which areas in the region are most at risk and use computer simulations to assess the most effective intervention methods, including mosquito control measures and vaccine development.

“The health research community is only beginning to come to grips with this dangerous pathogen. These three research teams have the potential to shed new light on the Zika virus and save lives,” says Dr. Marc Ouellette, the Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity. “They may come up with faster ways to test for infection, finding the best methods to stop the mosquitoes that spread the virus and develop therapies that are effective against Zika.”

To date, there have been 481 cases of Zika virus detected in Canada, most of which have been travel related. However, the virus can also be transmitted from mother to fetus and sexually transmitted. There are currently no cures for Zika virus infections or vaccines available against the virus.

Additionally, Zika is linked to severe birth defects, like microcephaly. Moreover, it may cause neurological disorders including Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare condition in which the body’s immune system attacks its nervous system. The Public Health Agency of Canada recommends that pregnant women and those planning a pregnancy avoid travel to countries or areas in the United States, like Florida, with reported mosquito-borne Zika virus.

Together, the international teams will create new knowledge to help develop diagnostics for Zika virus infection, understand the pathology caused by the virus, and ultimately prevent its transmission and morbidity.

MusclePharm, a scientifically-driven, performance lifestyle sports nutrition company, has launched its Natural Series. This line of plant-based, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, non-GMO, premium products targets individuals seeking an organic alternative to traditional nutritional products and supplements.

The new line launched at Natural Products Expo West, the world’s largest natural products event. These products complement MusclePharm’s existing range of premium-quality products, and represents a new retail category for the company, which made its name as a leader in the sports nutrition industry.

“Natural Series represents both a logical extension and a tremendous opportunity for MusclePharm to capitalize on the brand recognition and consumer acceptance of our products,” says Ryan Drexler, CEO and chairman of the board for MusclePharm. “In addition, the launch underscores our commitment to providing our customers with high-quality products that support their diverse fitness needs and goals.”

Adds Drexler, “From professional athletes to weekend warriors, we strive to cater to every subset of the active population and offer scientifically-proven products that optimize results. We are expanding our line in response to the burgeoning demand for nutritious, all-natural organic offerings that promote healthy lifestyles and environmental sustainability.”

Select items in the Natural Series are certified USDA Organic, denoting third-party verification of their quality and purity, and demonstrating best practices and careful stewardship. These include:

• MusclePharm USDA Organic Plant-Based Performance Protein – a blend of raw, all-organic protein sourced from Pea Protein isolate, and QuinoaTrim™ Quinoa – delivering all essential amino acids to support daily nutrition and performance.
• MusclePharm USDA Organic Superfoods – a combination of organic greens, fruits and vegetables, ancient grains, and sprouted whole foods that serve any active lifestyle. To maximize these superfoods’ power, aloe vera, a full spectrum of digestive enzymes, and probiotics, help promote superior digestion and bioavailability.
• MusclePharm Organic Protein Bars – featuring complete proteins sourced from organic whole-grain brown rice protein, and organic pea protein, to provide all the beneficial lean muscle-building benefits of protein through an all-natural, organic, and great-tasting small meal alternative.
• MusclePharm Pre-Workout – a combination of caffeine, natural botanicals, electrolytes, and Amino Acids that work together to support training goals and provide pure, unadulterated results, naturally.

According to Zion Market Research, the global dietary supplements market continues to expand and is expected to reach $220.3 billion in 2022, while the Organic Trade Association (OTA) notes that the organic industry is also experiencing unprecedented growth, up 11 percent (for a total of $43.3 billion) in 2015.

“Both the all-natural and organic segments represent the fastest-growing corner of the market, and MusclePharm is a brand uniquely positioned to capitalize on this opportunity,” adds Drexler. “Over the past year, we have worked closely with regulatory bodies to secure USDA Organic certification for a majority of these products, which not only differentiates the Natural Series from its competitors, but effectively positions MusclePharm to further penetrate its existing distribution channels and enter new markets.”

About MusclePharm Corporation

MusclePharm^® is a scientifically-driven, performance lifestyle company that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes branded nutritional supplements. The Company offers a range of powders, capsules, tablets and gels. Its portfolio of recognized brands includes MusclePharm^® Sport Series, Black Label and Core Series, and FitMiss™, which are available in more than 120 countries and over 50,000 retail outlets worldwide. The clinically-proven supplements are developed through a six-stage research process utilizing the expertise of leading nutritional scientists, doctors and universities. MusclePharm is the innovator of the sports nutrition industry. For more information, visit http://www.musclepharm.com. To sign up to receive MusclePharm news via email, please visit http://ir.musclepharmcorp.com/email-alerts.

According to data by Radial, cross-border ecommerce is proven to be much more susceptible to fraud than domestic ecommerce. The data, which covers over 100 clients in eight different verticals and over 100 million transactions, showed that cross-order ecommerce was riskier. LexisNexis data confirms that international online/mobile channels suffer 2.5 times more successful fraud than domestic-only remote channels.

Cleveland Brown, CEO of leading global payment processing provider Payscout, Inc., said these findings underscore the importance of risk analysis and fraud management for global ecommerce merchants.

According to Business Insider, U.S. retailers lost roughly $32 billion to fraud in 2014—a 39 per cent increase over the $23 billion in fraud losses the prior year. LexisNexis reports that international merchants with ecommerce/mcommerce transactions have the highest fraud costs as a percentage of annual revenues; their costs are nearly 22 per cent higher than the average multi-channel merchant, and 85 per cent higher than international merchants that operate physical stores only.

“While fraud remains an ongoing challenge for all retailers, these findings suggest that cross-border merchants should be particularly diligent in their efforts to combat fraud—both to prevent financial losses and to reassure consumers their data is secure,” said Brown. “This means addressing fraud on multiple fronts and using layered solutions.”

International merchants contend with several types of fraud; those with e/mcommerce channels attributed 30 per cent of their losses to friendly fraud, 30 per cent to lost or stolen merchandise, 22 per cent to identity theft and 17 per cent to fraudulent requests for return/refund.

Retailers also have to protect their customers’ information from cyber-attacks and data breaches, and they need to avoid declining legitimate transactions on suspicion of fraud. Among large cross-border merchants, 31 per cent of declined transactions turned out to be false positives.

The good news is that multi-layered fraud solutions have the potential to reduce false positives from roughly 1 in 3 to 1 in 5, and to cut the average monthly number of successful fraud attempts by more than half. Brown notes that international merchants can mitigate their fraud risk by starting with a secure payment system and building on that foundation with comprehensive online fraud protection. By providing global payment solutions for merchants in all risk verticals, Payscout has built a best-in-class suite of fraud protection tools that can support any global entrepreneur.

“Effective fraud management is every bit as important to a web-based business’ success as transaction and payment processing,” Brown explained. “That’s why in addition to providing ecommerce merchants with a robust, flexible and secure payment infrastructure, Payscout assists them with advanced fraud protection solutions.”

Payscout’s managed risk analysts support thousands of clients on six continents with a range of proven tools and strategies, from automated fraud screening and manual reviews to risk management assessments and performance audits. “We maintain a global knowledge network that helps identify new fraud trends before they impact our clients’ businesses, ultimately enabling ecommerce merchants to accept more good orders and reduce their risk of fraud,” concluded Brown.