Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

Low-gluten wheat alternative ‘miracle grain’ presents ‘clear market opportunity’

18-Jun-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Tritordeum – a Mediterranean cereal that boasts a significant reduction in gluten proteins associated with food intolerance compared to wheat – offers a clear market opportunity for food producers seeking an ingredient with nutritional, agronomical and...

Olam backs mapping tech for food security: ‘We can reimagine global food systems for the better’

18-Jun-2019 By Katy Askew

Olam International has awarded its annual prize for food security to a mapping technology that provides information on what crops and farming practices are the ‘best fit’ for conditions in food insecure regions.

Could music hold the key to discovering healthy food that tastes good?

13-Jun-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists are using music and sound to make food taste better. Could this help food innovators discover the Holy Grail: healthy food that tastes good.

Citrus peel boosts fiber and shelf life in bread: Study

12-Jun-2019 By Kristine Sherred

A study published in Frontiers of Nutrition revealed that adding 2% of blood orange and lemon fibers to wholewheat durum flour was a viable approach to producing high-fiber bread with respectable shelf life.

Flow Hive ‘single frame honey’ creates buzz in boutique market

11-Jun-2019 By Flora Southey

Unprocessed, single-frame honey allows for greater flavour retention, according to Flow Hive CEO Cedar Anderson, who told FoodNavigator his invention is adding value to the boutique honey market.

4 out of 10 Germans are unsure which bread and baked goods are healthy: Mintel

05-Jun-2019 By Flora Southey

According to Mintel data, younger consumers are interested in bread with a ‘healthy angle’, yet many remain unsure how best to choose a better-for-you option.

Obesity campaigners demand ban of cartoon characters on food and drink packets

04-Jun-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Campaigners in the UK are calling for a government ban on cartoon animations on packets that market unhealthy products to children and compulsory ‘traffic light’ nutrition labelling after a survey discovered that half of over 500 food and drink products...

Fresh evidence of links between ultra-processed food and health risks revealed

31-May-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Two pieces of research published in the British Medical Journal provide fresh evidence of the links between popular processed food and a range of health risks.

Sugar vs fat reduction in cakes and biscuits: ‘It’s not one or the other’

31-May-2019 By Flora Southey

Public Health England has been urged to include cakes and biscuits in its calorie reduction programme after researchers found “a considerable amount” of fat in own- and private-label brands.

New test kit measures lactose even in chocolate and coffee flavoured dairy

28-May-2019 By Flora Southey

Chr. Hansen says its new lactose biosensor test kit can determine lactose concentration in all dairy products, including those with added flavours, vitamins, fruits and sugars.

Are UK sandwich retailers cut out for growing plant-based demand?

24-May-2019 By Flora Southey

A survey assessing sandwiches sold by supermarket and high street retailers in the UK has revealed that uptake in plant-based is still lagging. “The sheer volume of meat-based sandwiches is a big concern,” says Eating Better.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Fat-replacing starch to lower calories in savoury and sweet

16-May-2019 By Flora Southey

Ingredion has added a new corn-based starch to its portfolio, which the ingredients supplier claims can replace fat and oil in dairy products without compromising texture.

Rare sugar researchers hit sweet spot with nigerose production

15-May-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The rare sugar nigerose can now be “easily” produced via a process that “can readily be scaled up for potential industrial purposes,” claims a breakthrough study.

DouxMatok’s 40% reduced sugar allows for indulgence: ‘Sugar is not the new tobacco’

15-May-2019 By Flora Southey

The Israeli start-up’s 40% reduced sugar allows for sweet indulgence without changing consumer behaviour, says CEO Eran Baniel.

Sugar reduction: Blend the trends with functional formulations

15-May-2019 By Katy Askew

Efforts to cut sugar can unlock additional opportunities to ‘blend the trends’ of health, wellness, functionality, indulgence and an authentic sensory experience.

Cost of reformulation offset by sugar taxes and improved value proposition

15-May-2019 By Katy Askew

Reformulating products to reduce sugar can be a costly process. While the impact of sugar taxes on consumer behaviour is a moot point, they do provide the food sector with a financial incentive to trigger change.

Childhood obesity won’t be reversed by 9pm junk ad curfew, claims advertising head

10-May-2019 By Oliver Morrison

A ban on junk food ads before 9pm won’t help tackle England’s childhood obesity epidemic, according to the director of public affairs at the Advertising Association.

BEVERAGE FORUM 2019

How big soda is taking an ‘honest’ approach to consumer health habits

09-May-2019 By Beth Newhart

PepsiCo, Keurig Dr Pepper (KDP) and other major soda brands are still learning to grapple with the health and wellness wave that’s causing consumers to drop their sugary drinks for something ‘better-for-you’. Executives spoke at the 2019 Beverage Forum...

‘Nutritional landscaping’ drives Nestlé’s portfolio for kids

08-May-2019 By Flora Southey

One year on from the launch of its ‘Nestlé for Healthier Kids’ initiative, the food giant continues to expand its portfolio with focus on personalised nutrition for specific geographies, according to Nestlé's Henri-Pierre Lenoble.

Sugar sweetened drinks and BMI study questions ‘simplistic’ sugar tax in UK

30-Apr-2019 By Flora Southey

A new study has found no direct link between the consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks and elevated BMI in children, prompting authors to question the effectiveness of the UK’s single-nutrient tax approach.

PHE sugar scheme will cut obesity rates…if all goes to plan, finds study

18-Apr-2019 By Flora Southey

Public Health England’s sugar reduction strategy is expected to cut obesity rates and save the NHS £265m over the next 10 years, if industry and consumers behave as intended.

Nine trends driving flavour innovation

17-Apr-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The ‘Instagram effect’ means consumers are more open than ever to new flavours. International Taste Solutions (ITS), which manufactures and supplies natural flavourings to the baking, snacks, dairy and active lifestyle sectors, teamed up with market research...

It’s a match: Equinom app couples seed variety to application needs

12-Apr-2019 By Flora Southey

Equinom has launched an app to match food companies’ taste, colour, nutritional value and textural composition requirements to seed variety.

Why ‘beating up the food industry’ won’t solve the UK’s obesity crisis

10-Apr-2019 By Oliver Morrison

A holistic approach is needed to tackle the UK’s obesity crisis, according to Dominic Watkins, head of food at the global regulatory and compliance at law firm DWF.

GMO ‘overregulation’ hinders tech development, market diversity, and food security, says researcher

08-Apr-2019 By Flora Southey

Current GMO regulation is crippling advancements in sustainable development and food security, according to agricultural economist Matin Qaim, who told FoodNavigator he is optimistic EU law can be adjusted to be ‘more science-based’.

Beyond fat and sugar: Diets low in whole grains, fruit and nuts associated with 1 in 5 deaths

05-Apr-2019 By Flora Southey

A suboptimal diet lacking in whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, vegetables and omega-3 fatty acids is responsible for more deaths than any other risk factors globally, according to findings published in The Lancet.

Cancer Research UK condemns junk food promotions: ‘Special offers fuel obese shoppers’

29-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

Shoppers that purchase around 40-80% of goods on special offer have a greater chance of being obese, says Cancer Research UK, which is pushing for restrictions on price promotions for less healthy products.

Creating added-value in oat processing: Lantmännen acquires Tate & Lyle oat facility

28-Mar-2019 By Katy Askew

Swedish agricultural cooperative Lantmännen is expanding its oat processing capacity through the acquisition of a production facility from UK ingredients group Tate and Lyle.

Plant Lipids UK on a natural, vegan and transparent supply chain: ‘If you don’t have traceability, invariably you won’t supply’

27-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

There is growing demand for vegan status, 100% natural processes, and transparency across the supply chain, ingredients supplier Plant Lipids UK tells FoodNavigator.

BRUSSELS BULLETIN

Brexit extension on the table, MEPs blacklist UTPs, and Tequila gains PGI status: A round-up of EU news & views

22-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

The European Commission has granted a conditional extension to the Article 50 deadline, import duty on brown rice has risen to €60 per tonne, and Mexican spirit drink Tequila has been accepted into the EU register of protected geographical indications....

Food companies find government plans to ban junk food ads hard to stomach

19-Mar-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The UK government’s proposals to introduce a ban on junk food advertising on TV and online have met an angry response from food companies.

Call for tougher acrylamide targets: ‘Benchmarks should be based on best, not worst, performers’

11-Mar-2019 By Katy Askew

Consumer organisations are calling on the European Commission to take a tougher stance on acrylamide in food products, insisting that targets for acrylamide content should be lower.

BRUSSELS BULLETIN

Japanese milk hits EU shores, EC targets fishy behaviour, and glyphosate ruling is overturned: A round-up of EU news & views

08-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

The last two weeks have seen the EU overturn EFSA’s call on unpublished herbicide studies, the unveiling of Africa-Europe food and farming initiatives, and the authorisation of Japanese dairy imports into the EU. FoodNavigator brings you the latest news...

Transport authority jams breaks on Farmdrop advert under new HFSS policy

06-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

Online grocery service Farmdrop has cropped out butter, eggs and jam from an advertisement proposal following Transport for London's ban on HFSS product promotions.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Fazer breaks ground on side stream factory for sugar alternative

05-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

Finnish food manufacturer Fazer has revealed its €40m production facility in Lahti will manufacture sugar alternative xylitol for the food industry.

Five health & wellness trends transforming packaged food strategies

28-Feb-2019 By Natasha Spencer

As health and wellness and snacking trends emerge as leading influences in the packaged food industry, we explore how food manufacturers and brands can appeal to consumer needs in this competitive landscape.

Gluten inequality? Report finds two thirds of coeliac sufferers in Italy are female

25-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

Women, who have more reactive immune systems than men, are more susceptible to coeliac disease, says the Italian Ministry of Health.

Cut sugar supplies and push up prices to incentivise reformulation, report urges

21-Feb-2019 By Katy Askew

Agriculture and trade policy should be used to limit supplies and push up sugar prices in order to incentivise reformulation, a new report suggests.

Food for thought

Why the food industry can’t ignore the bioeconomy boom

20-Feb-2019 By David Burrows

Publication of the European Commission’s new bioeconomy strategy last October may have passed many in the food sector by. However, the agri-food chain lies at the heart of the concept.

Grain of truth: Watchdog demands food makers clarify ‘multigrain’ content

18-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

Tighter regulations are required to stop manufacturers claiming products are ‘multigrain’ if “hardly any grains” other than the main wheat component are present in the finished product, says consumer watchdog Foodwatch.

Bridging the fibre gap: High amylose wheat flour could ‘open new area of food formulation’

15-Feb-2019 By Katy Askew

Although high amylose starches are associated with a number of health benefits their use is not widespread in the food industry. The development of new sources like high amylose wheat flour could be set to change this, researchers predict.

Sustainable stevia: Tate & Lyle to assess eco impact of sweetener

14-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

Ingredients supplier Tate & Lyle has partnered with NGO Earthwatch to assess the sustainability of its stevia supply chain, from seedling producers to industrial farms.

France ups resale threshold to favour food distributors & farmers

14-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

France has enforced measures designed to re-balance power in the supply chain and limit buy-one-get-one-free promotions.

Plant protein alliance to improve structure and taste of gluten-free bread

31-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Coeliac UK and Innovate UK are helping fund research to develop three new plant proteins for gluten-free bread, which Nandi Proteins chairman Neil Crabb says could improve its taste and texture.

CRISPR for coeliacs? Gene-editing tech makes ‘wheat with safe gluten’

29-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Gene-editing technology can be used to remove epitopes – the molecules responsible for inducing coeliac disease in susceptible individuals – from wheat, according to recent research. However, with Europe’s strict GM rules, will this make a dramatic difference...

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