Six months after its launch, a new sweetener that claims to be
all-natural, low calorie, low glycemic, nutritionally fortified and
fully functional has attracted "staggering" interest.
FoodNavigator-USA talks to manufacturer...
The increasing availability of locally ingredients and food is
driving sales of products with a clear provenance, according to a
new report commissioned by Food from Britain (FFB).
Eating a diet with omega-3-rich oily fish could stop the spread of
prostate cancer, but omega-6 fatty acids appear to promote the
spread, says new research.
Newly published salt reduction targets have been cautiously
welcomed by the UK food industry as being 'more realistic than the
2005 proposals', though health campaigners are furious.
The UK free-from food market, including dairy-, gluten- and
wheat-free products, is set to double on the back of growing
consumer concern over health and well-being.
A full-page ad in the New York Times encourages consumers to steer
clear of palm oil, claiming increased demand for the ingredient is
driving the orangutan towards extinction.
A range of trays and depanning suction cups are the latest products
to be made out of metal-detectable plastic produced for the food
industry by a UK company.
Masquelier's grapevine seed extract could reduce free radical
damage of blood vessel cells by 85 per cent and protect against
heart disease, says new research.
The adoption of detailed documentation requirements for genetically
modified (GM) food in the international trade of agricultural
commodities has been met with caution by grain and cereal
importers.
Last week Morrison's supermarket chain opened the UK's first
ethanol pump at a forecourt in Norwich - becoming the latest firm
to embrace the burgeoning 'right-on' retail movement.
Danisco's consolidated profit plummeted 25 per cent as expected to
DKK 726 million for the nine months to 31 January, due largely to
costs associated with integrating enzyme business Genencor.
The success of soy drinks shows that the UK functional drinks
market is highly lucrative something that the dairy industry must
take full advantage of, says Organic Monitor.
American consumers are aware of the levels of harmful contaminants
in seafood, but this has not prevented them from omitting fish from
their diets, says a new report.
Scientific evidence says that consumption of soy from the diet or
as supplements should not cause alarm despite negative reports
about risks, a view that has been supported by a major US industry
group.
Owen Warnock, partner and food law expert at law firm Eversheds,
believes that UK plans to simplify the regulation and legislation
of the food industry are to be welcomed.
Dynamic Food Ingredients (DFI) has licensed technology designed to
make the production of xylitol, a natural sweetener that is claimed
to have health benefits, more affordable.
Greencore, the ingredients and food service group, said EU sugar
reform would force it to pull out of the sugar sector this year,
effectively spelling the end of sugar processing in Ireland.
Avian influenza was found in a wild bird in Denmark this week,
making it the eleventh EU member to report a suspected or confirmed
case of the Asian strain of the H5N1 virus in the bloc.
European consumers are increasingly skipping meals at home and
instead opting to snack or eat in restaurants, a trend that is set
to continue on the back of hectic lifestyles, says a new report by
Datamonitor.
The standards for infant formulations, a topic of continued
discussion with the Codex Committee, is being driven by commercial
interests and not science say two paediatricians, claims that have
been refuted by the industry.
The EU's food safety authority has found that allergens in molluscs
are not reliably reduced by processing techniques, paving the way
for the bloc to impose labelling requirements on a variety of
foods.
Rhubarb, the favourite of granddads and school dinners across the
country, has seen sales more than double after recent endorsements
from celebrity chefs in the UK.
Europe has no time for national champions if it is to compete in
the world, warned the European Commission president Wednesday, as
French president Jacques Chirac dismissed claims that France was
protectionist.
The number of deaths from stroke in North America has dropped by
five per cent since the introduction of folic acid fortification,
while figures in the non-fortifying UK have not changed.
The EU's food industry yesterday called on political leaders to get
behind a proposed economic growth programme for the bloc,
especially in relation research, small and medium-sized businesses,
energy policy and social reform.
The European Commission has rejected a notification by Cyprus that
required genetically modified foods to be displayed separately from
non-GM foods in supermarkets.
A low-sodium, high-potassium salt substitute formulated to be
flavourful and effective has significantly reduced blood pressure
among high-risk subjects, scientists reported yesterday.
Italy has made country-of-origin labelling mandatory on some tomato
products, another indication of the country's increasing trend
towards making it harder for foreign food products to enter its
market.
Nutrient levels in fruits, vegetables and some food crops have
dramatically declined in the past 50 years, something that could
further push consumers to opting for more nutritious organic goods.
Waste products from processing of fruit and vegetables offer a
practical and economic source of potent antioxidants that could
replace synthetic preservatives, says a Spanish-German study.
New fire safety rules affecting all businesses in England and Wales
will come into force in October, placing greater responsibilities
on plant managers.
Leading agribusiness Syngenta could be set to introduce the world's
first genetically modified wheat seed by early next decade, a move
fully supported by American wheat industry organizations.
Consumer confidence in food safety in the UK is recovering from the
low levels it had reached last year after the Sudan 1 food scare,
according to a new survey.
Following the death of a young boy due to a suspected E. coli
outbreak in Norway, discounter Lidl has halted sales of ground beef
produced in the country.
Like other convenience food producers in the UK, Northern Foods is
struggling amidst sliding sales - issuing its second profit warning
in two months as consumers shun biscuits, pastries and pizza.
The development of EU-wide legislation on the co-existence of
genetically modified crops with conventional and organic farming is
not currently justified, according to a new report from the
European Commission.
More attention should be paid to taste and sensory qualities of
vegetables if consumers are to increase their intake and meet diet
recommendations, researchers say.
An EU-funded project is going a step beyond existing radio
frequency identification (RFID) systems by developing a sensor
network that will allow items to communicate more information about
their surroundings.
Tate & Lyle's US food ingredients team has developed a new
crunchy snack coating for products including fruits and nuts, which
claims to produce snacks that are soft on the inside and crispy on
the outside.
UK company Multiple Marketing has developed a new range of
functional cereal bars in an attempt to cash in on the increasing
demand for nutritionally beneficial and innovative wellness
products that deliver functional health benefits.
French food giant Danone is set to announce plans for a new dairy
plant in Bangladesh to provide nutritious foods to low-income
consumers, following successful entry into a number of similar
emerging markets.