Fortification of food with folic acid to prevent neural-tube
defects in babies also lowers plasma total homocysteine, a risk
factor for vascular disease, claim researchers from Ireland this
week.
The herbal extract, butterbur, is as effective asantihistamines for
treating hay fever, and does nothave the sedative effects often
associated with thesedrugs, finds a study published in this week's
British Medical Journal.
Mouse experiments suggest that folic acid deficiency could increase
the brain's susceptibility to Parkinson's disease, according to
scientists at the US National Institute on Aging.
Two US companies have joined numerous others worldwide in recalling
their jelly products from the market, following FDA advice that the
jellies pose a serious threat to children.
German authorities are searching for a consignment of imported veal
contaminated with an antibiotic which can halt production of human
blood cells, the federal Ministry of Agriculture and Consumer
Protection said.
Britain said on Wednesday it would extend a programme aimed at
eradicating scrapie from sheep amid fears that the illness could
mask mad cow disease in the national flock. Scientists are
investigating whether mad cow disease, or BSE,...
Ingredients company DSM has signed an agreement with enzyme
producer Novozymes, thereby settling a number of lawsuits filed in
several countries, relating to the infringement and validity of
phytase patents owned by DSM.
The European Union has agreed to resume beef imports from Argentina
on February 1, almost a year after they were banned because of an
outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, Associated Press reports
The opening of the new Consumers' Association(CA) Scottish office
in Edinburgh was the occasion for Sheila McKechnie, CA Director, to
launch a Consumers' Association campaign calling for the Food
Standards Agency Scotland...
Antitrust enforcers at the U.S. Federal Trade Commission will go to
court to block the acquisition of Leiner Davis Gelatin Corp. and
Goodman Fielder USA Inc. by Germany's Deutsche Gelatine-Fabriken
Stoess AG, the agency said...
Industry reports of leading Ivory Coast cocoa exporter Archer
Daniels Midland (ADM) cutting capacity at its processing plant
there were taken stride Wednesday as analysts said it was just the
result of an industry trend that made...
New food additives legislation covering the use of colours and
other 'miscellaneous' additives in food came into force on 15
January in England, the UK Food Standards Agency reports this week.
Japan's largest maker of ketchup, Kagome Co Ltd, said on Thursday
it was postponing the acquisition of a controlling stake in the
Japanese unit of U.S. food firm H.J. Heinz Co.
Food ingredients company DSM announced this week that as of January
1 2002 John McLaren is the Vice President of Corporate
Communications at DSM. McLaren is now responsible for the total
communications policy of DSM.
Member enlargement is the biggest political priority for the
European Commission and a desire to ensure that EU food safety
standards are safeguarded and that the health of present and future
citizens is protected remains a top priority.
Britain said on Monday it had eradicated a prolonged foot-and-mouth
outbreak and would declare its last 'at risk' region free of the
livestock disease at midnight, ending a devastating chapter for UK
farmers.
US polymer producer FMC BioPolymer announced this week that it has
acquired Norway-based Pronova Biomedical AS, a supplier of
ultra-pure alginates and chitosans to the pharmaceutical and
medical materials markets, from a subsidiary...
Thailand's Charoen Pokphand Foods said on Wednesday it would invest
a total of 265 million baht (€6.86 m) to create three new
subsidiaries in China and Belgium in the first quarter of 2002.
Up to three-quarters of a million eggs eaten every day contain
residues of a toxic drug that is widely used by intensive poultry
farmers, according to a new report published this week by the Soil
Association.
US food and beverage company Kraft Foods Inc. announced this week
that it has acquired Australian biscuit producer, Lanes Food Group.
Several Nabisco brands have been licensed to Lanes in Australia
since 1991.
A single genetic mutation allows people to tolerate milk after they
leave babyhood, and is virtually the same in people of Asian,
European and African descent, researchers reported on Sunday.
The French market for organic dairy products is to show accelerated
growth in the coming years as dairies raise production levels,
according to a new report from market research group Organic
Monitor.
A new hand-held electronic tongue aims to provide accurate and
reliable taste measurements for companies currently relying on
human tasters for their quality control of foods.
The United States market for functional foods and beverages is
currently worth more than $11 billion (€12.33bn) but trying to
establish the size of markets for health-enhancing foods can be a
gamble, claims a new report from UK research...
The European Commission has approved the creation of a joint
venture called European Salt Company (ESCO) between German company
Kali & Salz AG and Solvay S.A. of Belgium.
An Australian foot-and-mouth expert from the Australian
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation
(CSIRO) warned this week that the highly adaptable pan-Asian strain
of Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD), responsible...
French industrial output remained flat in November after hefty
drops in the preceding two months, while manufacturing output
continued to slide, but by a gentler 0.3 per cent, French
statistics office INSEE said on Tuesday.
A new web-based, content-driven product development tool for food
retail organisations and food manufacturers was launched recently
by food industry software vendor QSA.
U.S. farm income will drop by almost 20 per cent this year compared
with 2001 due to large reductions in government assistance and
higher production costs, the Agriculture Department forecast last
week.
An Associated Press story reports that US federal health officials
last week renewed warnings about raw alfalfa sprouts, stating that
they could be contaminated with salmonella or E. coli bacteria.
Heavy doses of Vitamin A either in the diet or in supplement form
may weaken older women's bones, unless they also happen to be
undergoing estrogen therapy, researchers said recently.
Low-fat diets can have significant health benefits in the long
term, but they are also known to reduce levels of HDL or 'good'
cholesterol. According to Reuters Health, recent research appears
to have discovered why - simple...
Several leading soft drinks players, including global giants
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, have expressed an interest in buying US
group Nantucket Nectars, the latest niche player to draw the
attention of the major carbonate manufacturers.
German chemicals company Degussa AG has completed most of an
ambitious disposal program after agreeing to a €265 million sale of
its gelatin business, SKW Gelatin & Specialties, to Sobel NV of
the Netherlands.
Food-loving France is to cut back on salt, with a recommendation
that food companies reduce salt content in their produce by a fifth
within five years, a top public health adviser said on Thursday.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has approved the use of
activated lactoferrin on fresh beef, providing beef processors with
a revolutionary food safety technology that protects consumers from
harmful bacteria.
Researchers from the US Department of Agriculture have found that
herbs are an abundant source of antioxidants and could provide
potential anticancer benefits when supplementing a balanced diet.
The Ross Products Division of Abbott Laboratories has announced
plans to launch an infant formula supplemented with two fatty acids
that function as nutritional building blocks in brain and eye
development.
A group of Canadian organic farmers launched a lawsuit against
biotech giants Monsanto Co. and Aventis SA on Thursday seeking
compensation for damages caused by genetically modified canola they
say is blowing into their fields.
People, particularly young children, the elderly and those with
weak immune systems, should avoid eating raw sprouts because the
crunchy, protein-packed foods could cause salmonella and other
possibly fatal infections, U.S. federal...
AOL Time Warner, the world's largest advertiser, today announced a
multi-million dollar enhanced cross-platform advertising and
marketing partnership with Unilever
Organic food promoter the Soil Association has refuted claims made
in a recent survey by Mintel that consumers are becoming
increasingly cynical about the safety of organic food
The Juice & Smoothie Association (JASA) claims that the US
market for health-related juices and smoothies could soon hit the
$1 billion mark, according to a report in the New Nutrition
Business newsletter.
