New research has suggested that salt intake is not linked to mortality or heart disease risk in older people, however experts have said the study flawed and the findings do not contradict current advice.
It is not about judging companies on waste but joining the dots between businesses with surplus food and charities in need of donations, according to UK charity Plan Zheroes.
The World Health Organisation has outlined potential strategies to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including junk food taxes and cutting salt intakes.
Products containing genetically modified ingredients will still be required to be labelled as such in the future, despite fears that protection standards could suffer because of new trade agreements.
If elected, a UK Labour government will introduce limits on the levels of fat, salt and sugar that manufacturers are allowed to include in food marketed towards children.
European food companies increasingly are using exotic fruits like dried mango, papaya and pineapple to differentiate their products in a crowded marketplace – but at what cost to local farmers and the environment?
Better defined thresholds at which common allergens trigger reactions in a majority of allergic consumers could improve ‘may contain’ labelling, according to researchers from the University of Manchester.
Snack sales and volumes across Europe remained strong last year, creating a conservative R&D sentiment throughout industry, says the European Snacks Association (ESA).
Around two thirds of people in the UK do not know how many calories an average person needs to maintain a healthy weight, according to a survey commissioned by two charities and supermarket Tesco.
The European Union needs to update the way it regulates biotechnology as advances are made in plant breeding – or risk disrupting trade in commodity crops, according to Professor Huw Jones of Rothamsted Research.
Luxembourg’s food safety authority has said it will not relax novel food laws prohibiting the sale of edible insects without specific Commission approval.
GLG Life Tech Corporation has announced another milestone in its effort to breed new cultivars of the stevia plant. The company has developed a variety that expresses higher levels of Rebaudioside A, or Reb A, the most commercially important stevia fraction...
It’s time to get out our crystal balls and predict the hottest trends in the European food and drink sector for the year ahead. What’s in store for 2015?
As 2014 draws to a close, let’s take a minute to look back and ask, how accurate was our forecast for the year? FoodNavigator looks back at its trend predictions for 2014.
Midnight cereal chomping, energy-dense sports snacks and on-the-go breakfast replacements are just some of the trends set to shape the snacking market next year, according to Datamonitor Consumer.
Food and drink manufacturers must emphasise the role of exercise in reducing obesity or risk being sidelined in the debate and hit with stricter regulation, according to new research.
Alternative proteins are a “hot area” of interest and products such as sandwich spreads made with meal worms could be a thing of the future, according to one food trend expert.
A new and extensive review of the associations between food and drink groups and major diet-related diseases will guide the way for future research and policy interventions, say researchers.
New technologies are vital to the future growth of the food and nutrition industry, but their future success depends on much more than the science behind them.
An enzyme in the brain called glucokinase may drive our desire for glucose-rich starchy and sugary foods, according to research in rats from Imperial College London.
Mintel says the presence of nutritionally beneficial compounds could see stevia-based sweeteners of the future that combine functional benefits as well as calorie-free sweetness.
Finland’s VTT research centre has developed processing technologies and recipes for the faba bean – up to now little-used in human food – which deliver high-protein, gluten-free alternative breads, pasta, snacks and other products.
Palm oil is subject to several consumer concerns – its sustainability and health impacts in particular – but these need to be addressed together rather than separately, according to the European Palm Oil Alliance (EPOA).
Food manufacturers and palm oil producers could have a legal case against companies labelling products ‘palm oil free’, according to Paris-based lawyer Anne Bourdu.
Labour is about to set out its plans for improving public health if elected next year and while tougher regulation can be expected, sugar and fat taxes will not be part of the mix, it has emerged.
More than 50,000 people have signed an Italian petition to limit the use of palm oil in processed foods, organised by food news and campaigning organisation Il Fatto Alimentare.
Consumers are generally able to use nutrition labelling systems to identify more and less healthy foods, but the use of different reference amounts may be confusing, say researchers.
Salt replacer use is growing but low salt claims are not, as food companies favour a ‘quiet’ approach – but growth in gourmet table salts may threaten salt reduction efforts.
The UK’s Department of Health should establish clear guidelines on potassium-based salt replacers and back down from its current recommendation for a complete ban, according to CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) chair Graham MacGregor.
Choosing gluten-free food is a lifestyle choice, but there is no evidence that it’s a healthier option for those not suffering from gluten intolerance, say experts.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) have partnered to raise awareness on sustainable palm oil and strengthen frameworks like that for complaints on compliance.
It is commonly believed that consumption of salty foods increases thirst, and could be a reason for increased consumption of sugary soft drinks and alcoholic beverages. But just how true is this notion?
Consumers underestimate calorie counts for, and consume more of, foods from companies with positive corporate responsibility programmes, say researchers.
Past celiac research has focused on gluten wheat proteins as the cause of reactions, but researchers say there may be other non-gluten proteins in wheat also to blame.
A Channel 4 investigation into inorganic arsenic levels in rice has questioned the safety of products aimed at children like rice cakes and Kellogg's Rice Krispies - although all companies implicated say their levels fall within current recommendations.
More than four-fifths of food and consumer goods companies say that water poses a fundamental risk to their business, according to a new report from CDP.
Yildiz Holding's acquisition of UK United Biscuits makes it the world's third largest biscuit player, but now it will have to work hard to find its 'power brand' answer to Mondelēz's Oreos, according to a Mintel analyst.
The palm oil sector makes a clear contribution to the economies of producer countries – but it also contributes to the economy in importing markets, according to a new report.
![European Snacks Association director-general: 'Besides the special occasion of the World Cup, we didn’t see such a big plethora of new product development [in 2014]'](/var/wrbm_gb_food_pharma/storage/images/_aliases/news_teaser_medium/5/9/4/4/1134495-1-eng-GB/Snack-innovation-2014-conservative-ESA.jpg)
