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Fairtrade popularity grows in 2009

Sales of Fairtrade certified products increased 15 per cent in 2009, according to the global Fairtrade body, Fairtrade Labelling Organizations International (FLO).

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Scientific failings are the organic industry’s gain

Are organic foods healthier? The sad truth is that nearly 100,000 studies later, we just don't know. Meanwhile, this lack of certainty presents major business opportunities for the organic food industry.

Irish food authority forms research alliance to boost economy

Food processors in Ireland look set to benefit from a partnership between a national food authority and a top university to boost technology, innovation and research.

Sweet potato protein shows emulsifier potential

Proteins extracted from sweet potato showed good emulsifying ability and may offer formulators a clean label alternative, suggests new research.

Unilever expects products to help meet essential fatty acid advice

Processed foods will play an important role in helping consumers meet new recommendations for essential fatty acids without increasing energy intake, says Unilever Nutrition VP.

Cognis comments spark €3.4bn buy-out figure

Speculation about typical asset valuing ion the chemicals industry by Cognis’s chief financial officer, Marco Panichi, has led to a figure of €3.4bn being attached to the German ingredient company, as buy-out speculation mounts.

News in brief

Cargill to invest in Russian chicken plan

Cargill is planning to build a new chicken processing facility in Russia so it can supply locally rather than shipping from France.

Assess efficacy of on-pack ethical info, suggests Campden BRI

A new research project suggests there is a wide gap between what consumers say their ethical and environmental concerns are, and what they actually buy; food companies should assess the impact the info they provide.

Cargill gets Novel Foods for Xtend sucromalt

A sucromalt ingredient from Cargill has received Novel Foods approval in Europe, opening up the use of the sweetener in a range of food and beverage products in the bloc.

Tate & Lyle shifts focus as profits fall

Tate & Lyle has announced a major shake-up of its business, shifting focus to specialty food ingredients and away from its traditional sugar business.

From iconic tastes to regulations: Givaudan flavour chief shares insights

What are the hot topics on the lips of the flavour industry? In a rare interview Mauricio Graber, president of flavours at Givaudan, talked to FoodNavigator.com about acquisitions, icon flavours, healthier foods, and the regulatory landscape.

New functional systems to climate-proof cream cheese

Hydrosol has developed new ‘functional systems’ for cream cheese makers struggling to get reliable and economical fresh milk or cream supplies.

Cellulose ingredients make for crispier, healthier fried products

Adding the hydrocolloid HPMC to a batter can reduce the uptake of oil during frying and enhance the ‘crunch’ on eating the crispy crust, says new data from Europe.

International manufacturers will be hit by Greek measures, analyst

Greek consumers are likely to curb their spending on relatively new additions to their diets due to the austerity measures, predicts Euromonitor's expert on Greece, meaning that multinational firms will be more affected than Greek companies making traditional-style foods.

News in brief

Tortilla chips sole offender in Danish GM survey

An investigation by Danish authorities into illegal GMOs in food products found all but one batch of tortilla chips followed content and labelling riles.

Cognis details best ever quarter as buy-out speculation continues

German chemicals and nutrients giant Cognis has turned in its best ever Q1 operating profit as sales across its three core divisions exceeded 2008 pre-financial crisis volumes in 2008 for the first time - fueling ongoing buy-out speculation.

News in brief

Irish whiskey cracks the US market, says Datamonitor

New research from Datamonitor indicates that Irish whiskey is beating rivals in its market thanks to its appeal among younger drinkers in the US.

Pea drink concept poised to take on soy

Roquette is proposing a new pea-based beverage concept to the industry, which it believes could rival soy products as a source of protein for people who follow dairy-free diets.

Milk research group takes first step to functional ingredients

A new initiative to identify dairy bioactive ingredients has yielded 30 peptides that could be used to develop new functional food and beverage ingredients.

How the Greek food industry is squaring up to austerity

As Greece comes to terms with economic bail out measures, the food industry is prepared to feel some pinch but it expects to fare rather better than non-essential industries.

Belgian food chain adopts voluntary code of practice

Food industry operators in Belgium have set out a code of conduct that aims to streamline the supply and production chain and avoid extreme price fluctuations in the future.

Fat all the same for stopping hunger pangs: Study

It does not matter what form fat is consumed in – saturated, mono- or poly-unsaturated – they all perform poorly when it comes to producing a feeling of fullness, says a new study.

UK consumers more interested in animal welfare food

Two new surveys indicate that animal welfare is playing a greater role in food purchasing decisions in the UK, beating food additives as the most worrying issue in consumers’ minds.

‘Easy’ and ‘pure’ are top claims for baking mixes, Mintel

Interest in baking at home has significantly picked up over the last six months, with baking mix manufacturers increasingly flagging up ease of use to respond to a growing demand for convenience in the kitchen.

News in brief

FrieslandCampina to do all R&D in Wageningen

FrieslandCampina is planning to pool its research and development activities in the Netherlands around one central hub.

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Realistic prices needed for European food stability and to safeguard society

Please: A big round of applause for Jozsef Kapuvári. Who? You might well ask. Kapuvári is the author of an EU report that highlights the importance of realistic food prices – not just to underpin the food supply chain but to maintain the fabric of European society.

Don't undervalue your skills in job market, advises headhunter

What to do if you're approached with a dream job offer, or want to move on uncertain economic times? Food industry headhunter Keith Phillips shares his views on the job market, and how middle- and top-managers can make the most of the opportunities out there.

'Very large confectioner' in baobab trial

Product developers at a “very large confectionery company”, a smoothie maker, a babyfood manufacturer and several cereal bar makers are conducting trials of products containing powder from the pulp of the African baobab fruit.

New milk-based drinks needed for young people, says panel

The dairy industry should step up efforts to develop healthy milk-based drinks that appeal to young people, according to a new panel created by The Dairy Council in the UK.

Use sustainability to boost organics, says analyst

Organic food producers should focus on the sustainable profile of their products if they are to maintain consumer interest in a flagging market, say analysts.

Randomness may be key to reduced sugar products

Uneven distribution of sugar in a food may allow formulators to reduce the sugar content of foods without detrimentally affecting the sweetness of the finished product, Dutch researchers report.

UK government pledges greater regulation of grocery sector

The UK’s new coalition government said it intends to increase regulatory oversight of the nation’s grocery sector, under policy plans unveiled in a 34-page programme document released yesterday.

Unilever: nano labels must be ‘meaningful and specific’

Unilever is in favour of labelling nanoparticles in products “where they [labels] provide meaningful and specific information to consumers”.

Junk food adverts for kids need tighter control: EU watchdog

EU consumer watchdog BEUC is renewing its campaign for tighter controls on the marketing of foods that are high in fat, sugar and salt to children as part of a broader strategy to tackle obesity and diet-related disease.

Swedish breakthrough to unlock ‘super material’ potential

The cost of producing a renewable nano-based “super material” for the food packaging and processing sectors has been slashed thanks to the development of breakthrough technology, said research company Innventia.

EU MEPs block ‘meat glue’ authorisation

The European Parliament has blocked the authorisation of bovine and porcine thrombin as an additive to bind together meat morsels into one piece.

Acrylamide levels drop with exceptions, says EFSA survey

A European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) survey of acrylamide in food products indicates that voluntary efforts to reduce levels of the carcinogen are working but only in a limited number of food groups.

Manufacturers "too cautious” with best-before dates

Food manufacturers are being “far too cautious” when it comes to setting best-before dates for many ambient food products, according to a leading academic in the field of sensory shelf-life testing.

Kraft Food pledges commitment to Cadbury Ireland

Senior Kraft Food executives pledged their commitment to Cadbury Ireland this week in discussions with the Irish minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation, Batt O’Keeffe.

Health is key in ready meal growth, report

Ready meals continue to lead the European market for frozen and chilled foods, although the category will likely undergo a wave of reformulation as manufacturers attempt to improve the health profile of their products.

Nutrient profiling vote unlikely before June

The European Parliament is unlikely to vote on a proposal to scrap nutrient profiling before mid-June, FoodNavigator.com has learned.

Project findings show UK wheat yields boosted by root bacteria

Increased yields of UK wheat varieties through the use of plant growth promoting root bacteria could render chemical fertilizers obsolete, if the preliminary results of a four-year, international study are substantiated.

Harvard scientists raise alarm about meat preservatives in heart disease study

Eating processed meat like bacon and sausages could significantly increase risk of heart disease and diabetes, while unprocessed red meat may not be as harmful as once thought, according to a new Harvard study.

Realistic prices should underpin food supply chain, says EU report

Improving the efficiency and competitiveness of the European food supply chain will be achieved only with realistic food prices not the current artificially low ones, according to a new report from the EU’s European Economic and Social Committee.

Comment

IOM report: One step forward, two steps back

The call for better biomarkers to substantiate health claims is a bold and timely move, but we need to move away from trying to judge foods as pharmaceuticals.

First quarter bears fruit for Frutarom

Frutarom has reported a positive start to 2010, indicated that the acquisition-hungry firm is back on track after a tough 12 months.

Could taurine help reduce acrylamide in foods?

Taurine, the ingredient most famously linked to energy drinks, may help reduce levels of acrylamide in foods, suggests new research from Korea.

Australian food firms commit to slashing salt

Food companies in Australia have committed to significant reductions in salt levels in their products, mirroring similar efforts across the globe as public awareness and industry pressures rise.

What the new prime minister could mean for the FSA

Sue Davies, chief policy advisor at Which?, discusses issues of transparency and keeping up momentum on public health elements of the Food Standards Agency under David Cameron's coalition.

High calorie foods seen as positive when restricted

Restraining from eating high calorie foods can influence the positive associations in consumers’ minds, according to two Dutch studies that could help inform measures and more research on healthier eating.

Danone beats Unilever and Nestle in food category dominance

Dairy giant Danone comes out top of the list for category dominance in the European food sector, followed by Unilever and Nestle, according to a new report.

Additive inspectors pay a visit to Danish food firms

Denmark’s food ministry Fødevarestyrelsen is kicking off a nationwide inspection of additive use and labelling in sweets and soft drinks this month.

Ring fries beat French fries on health and taste: Study

Frying potato rings rather than straight strips produces fries with less oil, lower levels of acrylamide, less salt, and better taste, says a new study from the US.

Project aims to recover nutritional value from seafood and brewing waste

Preliminary findings from a UK government funded project focused on extracting value from seafood and beverage processing waste shows the process could potentially recover nutritional components such as glucosamine.

News in brief

New EFSA deadline for emulsifier and stabiliser deadline

EFSA has extended the deadline for submitting scientific data on emulsifiers, stabilisers and gelling agents to 23 May, ahead of its review of all such additives previously authorised in the EU.

Evidence insufficient for effective food allergy management

The science to support measures to manage and prevent food allergies is insufficient to support guidelines, and more needs to be done to understand the issues, says a new anaylsis.

EFSA sees no need to change nitrite ADI

The European Food Safety Authority has concluded that data from Denmark does not give grounds for lowering the ADI for nitrites in meat, but usage should be kept as low as possible to achieve the preservative and microbiological effect.

News in brief

EFSA finds no major safety concerns with cheese rind dye

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found no significant safety concerns surrounding the use of Litholrubine BK (E 180) in cheese rind.

Enzymes show the way to healthy salt-free soy sauce

Salt-free soy sauce may be attained by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae, and the resulting product may even be able to reduce blood pressure, says a new Japanese study.

News in brief

Appeal verdict in Asda 'nasty' case expected in early June

The legal battle between Asda and Ajinomoto over the rights to describe aspartame as 'nasty' has moved into a new phase.

EFSA issues fresh health claims advice

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued an 18-page document that updates its approach to health claim assessment and which will form the basis of discussion at its stakeholders meeting in Parma on June 1.

Tate & Lyle brings on new glucose capacity in Slovakia

Tate and Lyle now has new capacity for glucose syrup up and running at its facility in Slovakia, to cater to European demand and, in particular, underserved manufacturers in Central and Eastern Europe.

News in brief

Royal Smilde introduces Smilde Foods

Royal Smilde is merging two of its food companies, FanoFineFood BV and Romi Smilfood, into one company to be called Smilde Foods BV and launching a new corporate image to support it.

French food makers could do better on nutrition, survey finds

Large variations in the nutritional profile of products within the same food category indicate there is scope for improvement, concludes a survey from France which also found great differences in the level of nutritional info on packs.

Air bubbles may help cut salt and sugar: Unilever

The salt and sugar content of foods may be reduced by using air bubbles as an “inert filler” in liquid products, according to new research from Unilever R&D Vlaardingen.

New clean label starches target baked goods

A new range of cold swelling starches are designed to deliver texture and stability to baked goods without the need to declare them on an ingredient label.

Healthy chocolates may need more sugar: Kraft study

Ensuring consumers reap the benefits from the beneficial compounds in cocoa may mean formulating products with more sugar, suggests a new study from Kraft.

New Kampffmeyer R&D centre set to focus on healthy baked goods

Summer 2010 will the see the opening of a new innovation centre at a milled grain technology developer’s headquarters in Hamburg that is set to focus on R&D in the areas of health and nutrition.

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Biodegradable alternative or a levy - gum makers should chew on that

It’s a sticky issue that just won’t go away. There are sugar-free, tooth whitening and nicotine added versions but none from leading makers, as yet, that are dissolvable in rain.

Health commissioner all for food innovation, but not at any cost

The EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Policy has indicated that he supports science-based approaches to sustainability in the food chain, but not at the expense of safety and consumer confidence.

Soy fibre increases yield, lowers cost in processed meats, says Solae

Solae has introduced a new soy fibre ingredient intended to increase the yield and fluid retention of processed meat products, such as ground and kebab meat, while reducing cooking time, the company has said.

BASF confirms Cognis bid, says FT

BASF continues to be the subject of rumours that its supervisory board has approved a takeover bid for fellow German supplier, Cognis, which is owned by Permira PERM.UL and Goldman Sachs Capital Partners.

News in brief

Food policy in limbo as hung parliament reigns

The hung parliament has raised a large question mark over some key areas of food policy, with uncertainty surrounding everything from the future of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to the implementation of Labour’s 2030 strategy, according to law firm Eversheds.

Labour conflict threatens Finnish food industry

A labour dispute in the Finnish food industry that saw 12,000 workers strike this week has escalated with a bigger strike being mooted for next week.

News in brief

Scottish food sector gets career funding boost

The Scottish FDF has received £30,000 in new funding towards a two-year programme to promote the food industry as a good career option amongst school children.

Food firms could benefit from SME financing plans

As 20 per cent of SME loan applications are turned down, European Commission is mulling new ways for SMEs to access the funding they need – news that will be welcomed by smaller players in the food and beverage industry.

Health conscious Indians seek innovative food and drink

Consumers in India are placing increasing priority on healthy food and beverage products, according to Datamonitor, and they’re keen to see innovative products that cater to their concerns.

Sucralose does not promote weight gain: Human study

Consumption of sucralose and sucralose-sweetened products does not affect gut hormones linked to hunger, or detrimentally affect blood sugar levels, says a new study from Australia.

EFSA asks: How should we communicate?

The European Food Safety Authority has launched a public consultation into its new draft communications strategy, which would make dialogue a new key outcome and lay audiences a new target.

Price contradictions put industry in a precarious spot, says Fevia

The European food supply chain is being crushed between a hammer and an anvil, according to the Belgian food industry association Fevia, which is setting out to contribute to better understanding between actors and more collaboration.

EFSA delivers positive safety verdict on iron additive

The European Food Standards Authority (EFSA) has not uncovered any safety concerns with the nutritional additive Ferrous Ammonium Phosphate (FAP).

New starch to tackle collapsing cakes – while keeping texture

Tate & Lyle is launching a new modified corn starch for bakery and pastry creams and custards, which is claimed to deliver both cuttability and good mouthfeel.

News in brief

Danisco ups expectations in advance of FY results

Danisco has indicated that its Q4 was better than expected thanks to good volumes and stable pricing for ingredients and industrial enzymes.

Presentation and innovation are key to kids' healthy food habits: Study

A new study on children’s willingness to eat fruit indicates that they are prepared to eat twice as much when it is visually appearing, findings that could help inform food producers’ strategies as well as parents’.

MEPs vote to exclude clone produce from novel foods

Food from cloned animals must be excluded from draft legislation on ‘novel foods’, Environment Committee MEPs said yesterday - in direct opposition to a position adopted by EU environment ministers just weeks ago.

News in brief

Kunz elected president of specialty ingredients group

The Federation of European Specialty Food Ingredients Industries (ELC) elected a new board at its extraordinary general assembly yesterday, with Beneo’s Markwart Kunz voted president.

Food industry charts 5 year progress on healthy lifestyles

The food industry has received ringing praise from the EU’s director general for health and consumers are it charts five years of progress towards helping make a healthier, more balanced diet and lifestyle attainable by consumers.

Improved gluten-free and with oats and enzymes: Study

The next generation of gluten-free products may be achieved with sourdough technology and better processing of oats, according to the EU’s HealthGrain project.

Vitiva and FutureMeat launch poultry moisture retainer

Vitiva has launched a new ingredient to improve moisture retention in chicken meat, developed in partnership with its new Dutch meat processing associate, FutureMeat.

Comment

Why food is a vital issue in the UK general election

Voting is a basic human right. Eating is a basic human need. British voters who eat should mull future meal plans carefully before putting an X in any box on Thursday.

Four countries gatekeepers of EU food safety: study

Italy, Germany the UK and Spain “take the lion’s share of protecting and policing EU” food safety as they are responsible for almost 60 per cent of notifications under the bloc’s RASFF system, according to new research.

News in brief

Banned soy drink can reenter market, says FSANZ

A reformulated version of Bonsoy soy ‘milk’ has been approved for sale by Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ), after initially being withdrawn due to raised iodine levels derived from a kombu seaweed ingredient.

Symrise profits almost double in first quarter

Increased customer demand and the continuing effects of restructuring measures helped Germany-based Symrise deliver a strong first quarter in 2010.

Special Edition: Drinks Ingredients

Exploring drinks innovation for health and wellness

Functional beverages make up one of the most dynamic parts of the beverage market, and with consumers becoming increasingly savvy about health and wellness, myriad opportunities have opened up for industry.

Biotech sector buoyant in ’09, but SMEs still struggle

Last year was a bumper year for the biotech sector overall, according to a new report, as R&D budgets were slashed but majors’ sales soared. Innovative smaller firms may be feeling the pinch more, however.

Naturex met ’09 targets, goes for more growth

French plant-derived ingredient supplier Naturex has reported revenues and profits in line with its 2009 targets, and is working on the full integration of recently acquired Natraceutical assets.

Senomyx balance sheet benefits from product launches

Senomyx revenues increased 120 percent in the first quarter of 2010 compared to the same period last year, as three of its major collaborators simultaneously launched products using Senomyx ingredients.

Innovation driven by need to do more with less

The growing population, people eating more, and climate change mean that innovation is being driven by the need to do more with less, according to Mike O’Riordan, European technical director at National Starch.

News in brief

TIC anticipates modified acacia gum approval in 2011

Following a positive safety opinion from EFSA last month, US hydrocolloids company TIC Gums is expecting its gum acacia modified with n-octenyl succinic anhydride (OSA) to received European clearance in 2011.