Cereals and bakery preparations

Freshfel calls for minimum fruit content to use fruit images on-pack

02-Jun-2017 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers are misleading consumers with images of fresh fruit on packaging when the actual fruit content is minimal or even zero, says trade group Freshfel, as it calls for a legal minimum threshold.

Unilever to switch to 100% renewable energy in UK plants

01-Jun-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

Renewable energy is now supplying 15 of Unilever’s UK sites, as part of its Sustainable Living Plan, which aims to hit the 100% mark by 2030.

LCI adds clean touch to functional bakery ingredients

31-May-2017 By Gill Hyslop

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) has unveiled LCI Touch, its latest range of functional ingredients focused on clean label.

‘Flatpack’ food enhances dining experience and saves on shipping costs

30-May-2017 By Will Chu

Gelatine sheets that transform into 3D shapes when placed in water may provide a means to save on food shipping costs as well as making food more interactive, say a group of MIT researchers.

Orkla snaps up distribution deal for acrylamide-reducing yeast

30-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

Orkla Food Ingredients has inked a deal with Canada's Renaissance BioScience to exclusively produce and sell its patent-pending, acrylamide-reducing yeast Acrylow in Nordic and Baltic countries.

A lack of political will is stalling action on obesity: McKinsey report author

26-May-2017 By David Burrows

Europe is struggling to get to grips with rising obesity levels because politicians are distracted by single policies and industry lacks the level playing field that regulation can create, says Richard Dobbs, author of the McKinsey report.

Trans-fats' cell death role more direct than previously thought: Study

26-May-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

The action of trans-fatty acids may be more damaging to cells than previously thought, as a study reveals the mechanism by which cell death occurs faster, leading to atherosclerosis, heart attacks and strokes.

OmegaIngredients launches sweetening flavour modifier in powder form

23-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

OmegaIngredients' "smarter than a sweetener" flavour modifier in powder form allows manufacturers to shift sugar reduction efforts beyond beverages to cakes, biscuits and ice cream, it says.

Barilla identifies Med diet and sustainability as the ‘new culture’ of food

22-May-2017 By Will Chu

A ‘new culture,’ in which food sustainability and the Mediterranean lifestyle form the pillars to this change, is required to safeguard the health of populations and land resources.

Food flops in Sweden's Museum of Failure: When NPD goes seriously wrong

22-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

From Colgate's lasagne to Heinz's purple and green ketchup, Sweden's Museum of Failure opens next month with several food and drink products on display. We ask the exhibition curator and a market analyst how big companies can get it so...

Tate & Lyle launches 17 non-GMO starches

19-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

Specialty ingredient supplier Tate & Lyle will launch 17 non-GMO starches in order to meet a growing global demand, particularly in North America and Eastern Europe, it says.

Modified maize starch brings cost savings of 15%, says Ingredion

19-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

Ingredion's latest waxy maize modified starch can bring cost savings of up to 15% when replacing in sauces and removes the pasty texture associated with other texturisers, said the company.

Interpack 2017

Multivac signs MoU with Meyn Food Processing Technology and Cabinplant

18-May-2017 By Jenny Eagle

Multivac has completed a strategic alliance (Memorandum of Understanding) with Meyn Food Processing Technology and Cabinplant to sell joint processing, filling, weighing and packaging technology.

Univar to bring Bunge lecithin range to Europe

18-May-2017 By Niamh Michail

Bunge has partnered with ingredient distributor Univar to bring its lecithin brand BungeMaxx to Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA).

New EFSA enzyme tool paves way for deeper safety evaluations

16-May-2017 By Will Chu

The European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) have revealed a new approach to assessing consumer exposure to food enzymes, tightening up their safety profile in line with current EU law.

Bakery China 2017

China to familiarize Western market with ‘pinyin’ baked treats

12-May-2017 By Gill Hyslop

China’s diverse bakery industry – encompassing bakers of traditional ‘pinyin’ (literally translated as ‘Chinese style cakes and snacks’) and producers of modern items like croissants and waffles – is growing at a rate that far exceeds most other segments.

Should the gluten-free craze come to an end? Study thinks so

04-May-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

Gluten-free diets should not be encouraged for those without coeliac disease, as restricting gluten may result in low intake of beneficial nutrients found in whole grains, say researchers.

Bakery investigated following Hepatitis A outbreak

02-May-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Nine confirmed and nine suspected cases of hepatitis A have been reported in a county in Scotland with a link to a bakery.

Smells like teen spirit? Different age groups have specific food smells - and that's important for tailored NPD

26-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

Vanilla is associated with children, roasted nuts with seniors and floral notes with adults, and the findings will provide "a deeper understanding" for tailoring new product development (NPD) to age groups, according to a recent study.

RSPO issues first ever RSPO Next palm oil certification

25-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has issued its first RSPO Next certification, a stricter voluntary add-on, to Colombian-based agribusiness Daabon Group.

New product roundup: Vegan Bars, Fava Bean Crisps and Ready To Bake Cupcakes

21-Apr-2017 By Gill Hyslop

BakeryandSnacks presents a roundup of products that caught our eye this month.

Acacia gum improves texture and shelf-life of bread, says supplier

20-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

Adding between one and 3% of acacia gum to either gluten-free or white bread can improve softness and extend shelf-life, according to French supplier Alland & Robert.

PureCircle plans to bring glucosylated stevia to Europe with EFSA request

20-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

PureCircle has requested a safety opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for glucosylated stevia as it hopes to bring the enzymatically modified sweetener to the European market in 2018.

Orkla cuts palm oil from 98% of its Nordic sweets and snack brands

19-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

Orkla Confectionery & Snacks Sweden has removed palm oil from 98% of its products, meaning 1,500 fewer tons of saturated fat in consumers' food. But what were the technical challenges and how was it received by fellow members of the Roundtable...

Soaring packaged food sales gives industry three healthier options: Euromonitor

18-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

In some European countries, calorie intake from packaged food is four times greater than for fresh - a golden opportunity for industry to make processed food healthier in one of three ways, says one Euromonitor analyst.

Naturex looks for partners to develop natural colours and preservatives

13-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

Botanical extract supplier Naturex is looking for partners – both technical and commercial – to work together to develop natural solutions for red, green and blue colours and preservatives.

ANSES: We can’t challenge EFSA’s opinion on titanium dioxide (yet) but industry should find replacements

13-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

French food safety agency ANSES has said while it cannot challenge EFSA’s greenlight for titanium dioxide at the current time, it is nonetheless advising industry to replace the white food colouring with suitable alternatives.

Health risk from pesticide residues is low, says EFSA

12-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

The health risk from pesticide residues in food is low, according to a report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), with 97% of samples within legal limits - but this is an "upbeat" interpretation which ignores the cocktail effect, critics...

EU scientists warn against methods that overstimate carcinogen levels in food

11-Apr-2017 By Niamh Michail

EU scientists have warned against pitfalls in the method used to analyse carcinogenic contaminants 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in food, recommending an additional ‘clean-up step’ to avoid skewing results.

Chaucer Foods UK and Filippo Berio JV to launch Mediterranean crostini

05-Apr-2017 By Gill Hyslop

Specialist bread products manufacturer Chaucer Foods UK has formed a partnership with olive oil brand Filippo Berio to develop the range of Filippo Berio Crostini.

Conflict a key driver behind soaring food insecurity worldwide

03-Apr-2017 By Will Chu

Over 100 million people worldwide are severely food insecure in 2016 - a jump from the 80 m recorded in 2015, despite the progress made in reducing food security, according to a European Commission report.

The big debate: Can sugar survive a public health crisis?

31-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

The world is getting fatter and unhealthier - are smaller portions and diet drinks really going to help when they sit next to full-sugar, supersized products? Is it time to tax or is industry doing enough? Catch the highlights from our live debate.

Sugar, salt and fat taxes are 'very positive', says Health Commissioner

30-Mar-2017 By David Burrows

The EU Health Commissioner has said that taxation on certain ingredients and products can be a “very powerful” tool for tackling health issues, including obesity. Campaigners have welcomed his comments but food industry representatives said small businesses...

'Fibre is the only option to turn our comfort foods from toxic to therapeutic,' says FiberFlour founder

28-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

What made a practicing doctor give up medicine to create and supply a high-fibre flour? “I saw an opportunity to be infinitely more effective in preventing disease in the first place. Fibre is the only option to transform our staple comfort foods from...

Researchers create gluten-free bread with bubbles (but without the additives)

27-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

Researchers have developed gluten-free bread with the same fluffy, bubble texture as wheat bread - without using any additives or gums - simply by using rice flour that has been milled and processed in a specific way.

EFSA to recommend daily intake values for added sugar by 2020

24-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will publish a scientific opinion on how much sugar can be included in a healthy diet by 2020, it has confirmed.

CSM Bakery Solution’s ancient grains bread mix given new life to boost UK craft bakers’ profits

24-Mar-2017 By Gill Hyslop

CSM Bakery Solutions has revitalized its Pantique Ancient Cereals bread mix a with a new name – Pantique Ancient Grains Ultimate bread mix – and a bolder baked appearance.

A 20% sugar cut by 2020? ‘It won’t be possible,’ says FDF

23-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

A 20% sugar cut across all food categories by 2020 – as per voluntary targets set by the UK government – is not technically possible, nor would it be acceptable to consumers, industry lobby the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has said.

'This is the largest emotional dataset linked to real business outcomes in existence'

Facial expressions show Mars the adverts that will drive sales

23-Mar-2017 By David Burrows

It’s a claim that will raise a few eyebrows: researchers working for Mars can identify with 75% accuracy whether or not an advert will deliver a big sales uplift by studying facial expressions.

Baobab could be the next big thing in gluten- and grain-free baking: Mintel

21-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

Baobab fruit powder is about to make the jump from superfood smoothie staple to gluten- and grain-free free baking ingredient, according to Mintel.

Smartphone app FoodSwitch shows UK industry is lagging on salt targets

20-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

A smartphone app that allows consumers to scan products and suggests healthier alternatives they should buy instead has shown industry is falling behind on national salt reduction targets, according to pressure group Consensus Action on Salt (CASH).

VTT creates 100% bio-based stand-up pouch for crisps, potato chips and muesli

15-Mar-2017 By Jenny Eagle

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland has developed lightweight 100% bio-based stand-up pouches using its patent pending enzymatic fibrillation of cellulose (HefCel) technology.

Snack time? Consumers almost always crave chocolate and high calorie treats

15-Mar-2017 By David Burrows

When consumers crave snacks, it’s chocolate and other high calorie ones they go for, according to new research.

Unilever wants stronger UK protection from foreign takeovers

15-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever has called on the UK government to revisit the country's rules on takeovers and acquisitions to protect ‘national champions’ against foreign takeovers.

Aflatoxin-free crop technique could beef up third world food security

13-Mar-2017 By Will Chu

A technique that reduces plant contamination from a toxic metabolite could help save millions of tons of crops from this threat to food security especially in the developing nations.

Plant Meat Matters: Unilever, Givaudan and Ingredion invest in vegetarian steak

13-Mar-2017 By Niamh Michail

Plant-based steak, with a taste and texture to rival the real thing, is one step closer to the market as Unilever, Givaudan and Ingredion join Wageningen researchers in the Plant Meat Matters consortium.