Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - Europe

News in brief

FDF not unamused by Queen’s speech

03-Dec-2008 - The UK’s Food and Drink Federation is on-board with the Queen’s speech, delivered today, since it the Children, Skills and Learning bill she outlines would help bridge the skills gap.

Tea yoghurt may expand healthy dairy options

03-Dec-2008 - Addition of green and black teas to yoghurt may boost the colour and flavour of the product, without affecting the starter cultures, says a French-Tunisian study.

Study shows antimicrobial effective against listeria in soft cheese

03-Dec-2008 - Enterococcus faecium WHE 81, a multi-bacteriocin producer, is effective as an antimicrobial against Listeria monocytogenes in Munster cheese, a red smear soft cheese, according to a French study.

Model gut brings life-like stomach to the bench-top

02-Dec-2008 - Answering questions about food structure, the potential of bioactive ingredients, and general safety could be achievable in-house and on the bench top within 18 months, if development of the most advanced model gut continues as planned.

Bringing an end to food allergy: New EU study

01-Dec-2008 - Food allergies could be a thing of the past, if new Europe-wide project achieves its goals of developing treatments for a condition that affects around 10 million EU citizens.

EFSA confirms 14 flavouring substances pose no safety risk

28-Nov-2008 - 14 out of 26 assessed food flavouring substances are safe for human consumption at estimated current intake levels, according to a new scientific opinion from EFSA.

Meat-cancer links curbing processed meat intakes: Charity survey

28-Nov-2008 - UK consumers are reducing their consumption of processed meat and meat products following media coverage of a study linking the meats to increased risks of bowel cancer.

Clean-label, cheap fat replacers developed by TNO

27-Nov-2008 - Spreadable gels made from superheating starch and then cooling it may lead to inexpensive fat replacers, scientists from TNO Quality of Life tell FoodNavigator.

Austrian ministry links GM corn to infertility

24-Nov-2008 - Consumption of genetically modified corn may lead to infertility, according to a new study commissioned by the Austrian Agency for Health and Food Safety, and carried out by Veterinary University Vienna.

Gum arabic shows prebiotic potential in humans: Study

20-Nov-2008 - Ten grams of gum arabic may produce a prebiotic effect in humans by boosting gut populations of specific bacteria, says a new study from Kerry.

Mouth bacteria boost some flavours: Study

20-Nov-2008 - Bacteria present in the mouth may delay the flavour response for some fruit, vegetables, and wine, according to a new study from Firmenich.

Study affirms safe view of coriander oil for food

19-Nov-2008 - A new assessment has concluded that coriander essential oil is safe for use in foods, based on a long history of use and lack of toxicity in limited studies.

Ginkgo biloba has no benefits against dementia: Study

19-Nov-2008 - The herb gingko biloba may not reduce the rate of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study with 3,000 elderly people in the US.

Chitosan and lecithin combo could nano-encapsulate: Study

18-Nov-2008 - Combining chitosan and modified lecithin could offer interesting nano-encapsulators for a variety of ingredients, according to a new study from Japan.

Blackcurrant compounds target Alzheimer’s progression

17-Nov-2008 - Armed with a ₤60 million war chest from the Scottish government, researchers in Aberdeen are aiming to slow the progress of Alzheimer’ with bioactive compounds from blackcurrants.

Curry spice may blunt acrylamide’s harm: Study

17-Nov-2008 - Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric its yellow colour, may reduce the potential detrimental effects of acrylamide, says a new study from China.

Whey coating of dried strawberries could extend use: Study

14-Nov-2008 - A new study suggests that coating freeze dried strawberry pieces with whey protein, glycerol and lactose can help reserve texture when they are rehydrated, thereby making them suitable for use in a broader range of moist and liquid applications.

Brain link to mother’s high fat diet and offspring’s obesity: Rat study

12-Nov-2008 - A high fat diet during pregnancy may bring about changes in the offsring’s brain that makes them more prone to over-eating and obesity throughout their lives, according to a new rat study that may help explain the rise in childhood obesity.

News in brief

Whey fortification 2008 conference programme announced

10-Nov-2008 - The full programme has been announced for the two-day Whey Fortification 2008 conference taking place in Amsterdam from 2 to 4 December.

Smell of food could boost perceived saltiness, says study

10-Nov-2008 - Enhancing food products with odours could compensate for the taste impact of reducing their salt content, according to a new study, thereby giving manufacturers another tool towards healthier formulation.

Early peanut exposure may reduce chances of allergy: Study

07-Nov-2008 - Avoiding peanuts in infancy and early childhood may increase the risk of developing peanut allergy, says a joint British-Israeli study.

News in brief

C&E extends deadline for whole grain abstract submissions

06-Nov-2008 - Cereals and Europe has extended the deadline for receiving submissions of abstracts for the Whole Grain Global Summit meeting in Spring 2009 to November 7th.

Cocoa flavanols cut blood pressure, says study

05-Nov-2008 - The daily consumption of 17 grams of ACTICOA dark chocolate, containing 500 milligrams (mg) of cocoa flavanols, for two weeks helps to maintain healthy blood pressure, according to new research presented at Health Ingredients Europe (HIE) 2008 Show in Paris.

Food allergies in adults are over-reported, says study

03-Nov-2008 - Half of the reported food allergies amongst adults are not food allergies at all, says a new study from Germany.