Today it was announced that the venture capital company [url]The Carlyle Group[/url] has agreed to buy NBTY, one of the world's largest suppliment manufacturers. Most people haven't heard of these companies and probably don't even care about this corporate wheeling & dealing.
But it's something that actually has huge consequences fo many who visit these forums.
One of NBTY's brands is Holland & Barrett, and therefore becomes more significant. The Carlye Group boasts a portfolio of "more than 900 corporate and real estate investments". Therefore, I believe users of suppliments would be interested in the ethics of the companies within this large global organisation that includes Boots the chemist.
Another company within the group is BioReliance which is a "Trusted Provider of scientific and laboratory services". Sounds harmless? One of their services is [url]Mamalian Toxicology[/url] tests for the cosmetics industry, or laymans terms:
BioReliance has extensive experience in the development and application of toxicological methodologies using animal models.
A full list of companies within the Carlyle Group can be found [DLMURL="http://www.carlyle.com/Industry/item8355.html"]here[/DLMURL].
How important do you think it is to no what's behind our high street brands?
Myarka
How important do you think it is to no what's behind our high street brands?
I think it's very important actually. Helps in understanding some of their commercial decisions which may actually conflict with ethical ones. Many thanks for flagging this one up Martin.:hug:
Thanks for this Myarka
I think its important to be able to distinguish between those companies who are simply adopting the capitalist model - ie, in it for the profit, an extra segment of the market, happy to see quality lowered in favour of higher turnover etc - and those who are in it because they love it.
Fx
Now why does the Carlyle Group ring a bell - immediately I'm thinking of John Major, George Bush Senior, Arabian Royals and the 1st Gulf war in 1991. Any thoughts?
Okay, now it comes back. Apparently the Bin Laden family held a big stake in Carlyle, which also profits from defence. And it gets more tangled than that, but in essence the concern was that wealthy and powerful factions in Arab nations, the USA, and here, all stood to profit from everything that followed 911.
What this means is that Solgar will now be owned by a not-insignificant US defence contractor. I tend to use Viridian supplements. Anyone know what happened to Quest?
The defence industries owned be Carlyle can be found [DLMURL="http://www.carlyle.com/Industry/Aerospace%20&%20Defense/item8359.html"]here[/DLMURL].
But I started this thread because a company that supplies suppliments is now within the same group as a vivisection company.
Myarka
Well yes, that's quite worrying. Apart from vivisection, the ethics, and whether any useful knowledge is gained that can't be gained some other way etc etc, there's the whole issue of control.
Various medical industries have been manoeuvering for tight control of natural healing, starting with the war on supplements. The expansion of 'nutriceuticals' produced by big pharma and an increasing amount of pharma-funded research showing 'this vitamin doesn't cure that disease' etc is very worrying.
Will we soon have to buy all nutritional products from them, perhaps 'fortified' with some 'anticancer tonic' like tamoxifen, or built-in statin? Or perhaps these things won't be available at all - after all it's an industry valued in 12 or 13-digits that depends on people being sick.
As things stand, more health dollars in the USA are spent on alternative therapies, ordinary citizens don't pay out of their own pockets for medicine, unless they're covered or have no choice they go elsewhere. That's a big market that big pharma doesn't control.
OMG 😮
support smaller companies
Myarka
I think its very important to know who owns what and who's behind the supplement companies.
Thats why I try to buy/support/recommend small independent suppliers wherever and whenever possible.
Some of the supplement companies you mention are over-rated and the supplement trade itself is becoming quite a joke with a new must-have supplement coming out every other month.
Thats the reason I insist with my clients that they pay attention to food first and then think of supplements.
Kaif
Today it was announced that the venture capital company [url]The Carlyle Group[/url] has agreed to buy NBTY, one of the world's largest suppliment manufacturers. Most people haven't heard of these companies and probably don't even care about this corporate wheeling & dealing.
But it's something that actually has huge consequences fo many who visit these forums.
One of NBTY's brands is Holland & Barrett, and therefore becomes more significant. The Carlye Group boasts a portfolio of "more than 900 corporate and real estate investments". Therefore, I believe users of suppliments would be interested in the ethics of the companies within this large global organisation that includes Boots the chemist.
Another company within the group is BioReliance which is a "Trusted Provider of scientific and laboratory services". Sounds harmless? One of their services is [url]Mamalian Toxicology[/url] tests for the cosmetics industry, or laymans terms:
A full list of companies within the Carlyle Group can be found [DLMURL="http://www.carlyle.com/Industry/item8355.html"]here[/DLMURL].
How important do you think it is to no what's behind our high street brands?
Myarka
bummer 🙁