Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - Europe US edition

EU scraps ban on misshaped fruit and veg

02-Jul-2009 - Less food waste and more choice will result from the EU’s decision to scrap completely its 20-year ban on misshaped fruit and vegetables.

European stevia players discuss strategy and priorities

02-Jul-2009 - Stevia standards, impending regulatory approval in Europe and corporate social responsibility are high on the agenda at the EUSTAS Stevia Symposium.

Symrise targets authentic natural flavours with new analysis tool

02-Jul-2009 - Symrise has developed a new tool for comprehensive flavour analysis which it says will enable it to produce more authentic profiles quickly and efficiently – and develop more true to life natural flavours.

Supermarkets still using too much packaging, says survey

01-Jul-2009 - UK supermarkets are using too much plastic packaging for food products and both retailers and packing manufacturers could do more, a new survey has concluded.

Calls to curb meat consumption through labelling

01-Jul-2009 - The WWF suggests that red meat packs should carry labels advising people to consume no more than three portions a week, and dairy products no more than three a day, according to reports.

Dispatches from IFT

Giving process cheese a healthy makeover

30-Jun-2009 - Land O’Lakes discusses the latest development in process cheese, with 50 per cent lower fat and 35 per cent lower sodium.

Univar expands deal with Lithuanian starch maker

30-Jun-2009 - Univar has secured a new agreement with flour producer Amilina to sell its high purity starches in ten European countries.

Weekly comment

Confusion reigns in cosmeceutical name game

29-Jun-2009 - The term cosmeceutical has always been controversial, but the blurring boundaries between the worlds of nutrition and cosmetics are highlighting divisions that neither industry can ignore.

News in brief

UK supermarket to open own farm

29-Jun-2009 - Morrisons supermarket is set to open a 700 acre farm to research farming efficiency and sustainability in Scotland – and is seeking another site in England.

New NIZO tool to help fermented food development

29-Jun-2009 - NIZO Food Research has developed a new tool to predict the functionalities of different microorganisms based on their genomes, which will help speed the development of fermented foods and ingredients.

News in brief

Bold new sales targets for Scottish food makers

26-Jun-2009 - The Scottish food and drink manufacturing sector aims to increase sales by one third, to ₤10bn by 2017; in the last two years sales of Scottish goods in Great Britain area already up 21 per cent.

New UTZ certification for world’s biggest cocoa producers

25-Jun-2009 - Producers in the world’s largest cocoa-producing country, Côte d’Ivoire, are taking part in the first independent audits in preparation for the UTZ Certified code of conduct; a programme that sets internationally recognised standards for responsible cocoa and coffee production and sourcing.

Ulrick & Short launches flocculated starch for sauces

25-Jun-2009 - Ulrick & Short is launching a new maize-based starch made using its flocculation technology, which is said to reduce energy needed to make lump-less sauces and help preserve flavours.

Exclusive interview

Danisco expects sustainability effects on bottom line

25-Jun-2009 - Danisco’s new sustainability chief will look to build more value from company policies and seeing results on the bottom line – as well as for the environment and local communities.

News in brief

Which? gives salads a dressing down

25-Jun-2009 - Which? has found that the average pre-prepared salad sold in UK supermarkets is almost as loaded with calories and fat as a burger – largely because of their dressings.

Danisco results show trickle down of consumer savings strategies

24-Jun-2009 - Danisco latest results bear testament to the responses of consumers to the economic crisis around the world – with very different shifts taking place in the US and Europe.

Creating the ‘gold standard’ for natural beef flavours

24-Jun-2009 - International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) has released a new range of “natural and authentic” beef flavors which it says responds to consumer demand for natural ingredients.

Organic shift would drive healthier diets: report

24-Jun-2009 - A major shift towards organic agriculture in the UK would cause a shift in the commodity mix – and subsequently be accompanied by healthier eating options, concludes a new report.

Consumer confidence in food manufacturers plunges, says survey

24-Jun-2009 - New research from the United States suggests that consumer confidence in food companies has plummeted after less than one in five said they trusted firms to develop and sell healthy products.

IFT trend tour: Color and flavor innovation

23-Jun-2009 - At the IFT trade show in Anaheim, Jess Halliday followed the Flavor and Color Innovation trend tour, and spoke to some of the companies showing their latest developments at the show.

News in brief

Organic pace gains momentum in France

23-Jun-2009 - Clear signs that consumer demand for organic foods is gaining momentum in France, with fresh figures from the minister of agriculture's office showing that to date, conversions to organic land in 2009 are five times higher than in 2008.

Petra Foods ups cocoa game as new plant gets going

22-Jun-2009 - Delfi Cocoa, a division of Petra Foods, has started production at its new processing plant in Hamburg, Germany, as it positions to better serve its European customers.

Frutarom buys Chr. Hansen savoury unit in Germany

22-Jun-2009 - Acquisition-hungry firm Frutarom continued its rapid growth strategy, today announcing an "extremely synergetic" €5.2m deal to buy Chr. Hansen's savoury functional systems activities in Germany.

Credit squeeze key concern for food makers, OECD report

22-Jun-2009 - Prices for key commodities used by food manufacturers may have eased since their peaks last year, but the cost of cereals and vegetable oils in the near term will remain far higher than pre-2008, projects the OECD.