Dietary sugars intakes are decreasing or stable in most countries, according to a data review of ten European countries, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Sugar content has risen in a fifth of UK ready-to-eat breakfast cereals since 2012 with the largest spikes coming from retail own brands, finds Action on Sugar research.
Harvard researchers say that teenage girls who regularly quaff drinks with added sugars tend to start their menstrual periods earlier in life than those who don’t, which increases their later breast cancer risk.
Efforts to shift food choices toward healthier options often fail because there is a perceived conflict between health and taste, according to a new study.
There is an urgent need in the UK to close legal loopholes that allow the promotion of unhealthy foods and drinks to children online and on TV, according to the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
Research investigating the effect of different dietary patterns on colorectal cancer risk has found that meat-based diets and those rich in sugar are associated with increased risks, while diets that are plant-based are linked to lower risks.
We need a strong portfolio of voluntary and mandatory measures to tackle the huge burden of diet-related diseases, according to the chair of the UK Responsibility Deal food network.
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.
Public health campaigners have criticised Coca-Cola's sponsorship of tourist attraction the London Eye, saying this could exacerbate sugar consumption and related health issues.
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.
Recommending intense sweeteners as a way to reduce sugar intakes cannot be justified as a public health strategy, the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES) has concluded.
Asda’s promise to reduce added sugar in some of its own brand drinks this year is a positive step forward – but it also reveals the chaotic approach to sugar reduction in the UK, according to Action on Sugar.
Five glucose health claims approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) back in 2012 have been officially banned by the European Commission due to concerns over what they would say to consumers about sugar consumption.
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.
Zenith International's 2015 Global Soft Drinks Congress has the theme 'Thirst for Change', and its program includes leading players such as Coca-Cola, Pepsico, Talking Rain and the American Beverage Association.
Exports of UK fruit and vegetable juice have increased by about 40% since 2010 - but the country must shake its island mentality if it wants this growth to continue, says a Mintel analyst.
A Nordic diet may help reduce the expression of inflammation-associated genes in abdominal fat tissue independent of body weight changes, according to research.
Consumption of fructose may be more harmful to a number of key health measures, including mortality and fertility, than consumption of sucrose, according to research in mice.
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?
Two new studies have suggested that many children and adolescents consuming energy drinks get too much caffeine, while suggesting the level of sugar and caffeinated drinks can lead to different metabolic effects.
Dr Pamela Byrne, currently director of regulatory policy and intelligence for firm Abbott Nutrition, is to become the new chief executive for the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI).
Renewed calls to attack health problems by taxing sugary drinks have been slammed by a leading nutritionist, who claims cutting portion sizes and sugar content and tackling irresponsible retail promotions would be better.
Sugar, gluten-free foods, front-of-pack nutrition labelling, and the 'utter nonsense' behind popular diet claims were among the most popular subjects of the year on FoodNavigator.
The CEO of Stevia Natura tells us why the French company is winning with customers including one high-profile dairy-based drinks brand, but admits high ingredient quality carries a cost.
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.
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.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
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.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
David Thorrold, CEO of the world’s largest monk fruit extract supplier BioVittoria insists the sweetener can complement rival stevia to achieve a better-tasting product – as the experience of successful zero-calorie US soft drinks brand Zevia shows.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
Almendra says Europe’s beverage industry has been ‘particularly victimized’ by poor quality stevia to date as the company works to rewrite the narrative dismissing Reb A alone as a crude first-generation stevia.
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.
Following a Mediterranean style-diet may be better at cutting obesity rates than following diets that involve continually counting calories, say researchers in the UK.
Moderate consumption of sugary drinks has little impact on adolescents' metabolic health, as long as they remain physically active, according to a new trial.
Manufacturers think health is most important for consumers but sales data show they actually look for indulgence more often, according to a report from Canadean.
Consumers underestimate calorie counts for, and consume more of, foods from companies with positive corporate responsibility programmes, say researchers.
Fruit juices and smoothies touted as healthy for children contain high amounts of sugar and should not count towards fruit and vegetable intakes, says UK-based campaign group Action on Sugar.
UK Member of European Parliament (MEP) Glenis Willmott has sent a three-page letter to the Commission saying it should be considering making the UK’s traffic light label a mandatory pan-EU measure, instead of threatening it with court action.
DuPont’s nutrition & health division will play a big part in the launch of 4000 food-related products in the next six years, its chief said as the company celebrated 50 years at its Brabrand base in Aarhus, Denmark yesterday.
Europe accounts for around 23% of the global market for intense sweeteners, but this is largely biased towards western countries, according to Leatherhead.
Claims that the government’s ‘Eatwell Plate’ promotes excessive sugar intake and contributes to growing health problems in the UK have been rubbished by leading nutritionists.
Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) says it is too early to ‘declare victory’ with stevia-sweetened cola Coca-Cola Life after September launches in Britain and Sweden.
Energy drink consumption among young people, particularly in connection with alcohol, presents a significant public health concern that warrants further research and regulation, according to a report authored by World Health Organisation (WHO) officials.
The position of head of the directorate general for health and consumers (DG SANCO) will likely pass to Czech environmental politician Ladislav Miko following the resignation of Paola Testori Coggi, according to the European Commission.
