Food labelling

WATCH

No catch: MCS launches Good Fish Guide for sustainable seafood choices

10-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Ninety percent of global fish stocks are either fully or over-exploited yet consumer demand is rising. The Marine Conservation Society's Good Fish Guide helps buyers navigate sustainable fish purchasing.

News in brief

Belgium updates definition of cream

09-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Belgium has updated its legal definition of dairy cream, light cream and whipped cream.

'Food innovation in Europe is slowing down. That's where EIT Food comes in,' says its CEO

09-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) creates ecosystems of entrepreneurship to solve the food industry's biggest problems. We spoke to its CEO about the challenges and the start-up success stories.

TellSpec's AI sensor detects fish fraud in real-time: 'This technology is disruptive,' says CEO

08-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From excess water to illegal antibiotics and even the wrong species, fish fraud is rife. EIT winner TellSpec has developed a tool powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that detects fraud in real time and at a low cost.

WATCH

From language to environment: Some of the surprising factors that shape taste

05-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

It is well documented that certain things affect how we perceive flavour: from smell to visual appearance. But what about some of the less obvious factors, like the room in which you are eating or your expectations around price?

UN commitment to tackling NCDs: ‘Landmark step’ or 'lacking ambition'?

02-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Heads of state and global governments came together last week with a commitment to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity and diabetes. The food sector has welcomed the initiative but health campaigners warn the measures ‘lack ambition’.

‘These attacks are a caricature’: French industry reacts to ultra-processed food report

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

French trade group ANIA has reacted angrily to the parliamentary report last week that called for tough measures to make 'ultra-processed' food healthier through stricter regulations.

NPD trend tracker: Pulse-based rice, sweet beet bars & seasonal launches

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From snack bars made with beetroot to rice made from pulses, manufacturers continue to invest in better-for-you products. Brands are also gearing up for Halloween and Christmas with themed products aiming to drive impulse purchases.

‘Ingredients lists are powerful purchasing motivators’: Study finds consumer care more about ingredients than brand

28-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Fresh consumer research demonstrates the ongoing importance of the clean label trend and suggests that the ingredients list trumps both the brand and product description in motivating purchase.

Dry-mix meal kits are the most sustainable plant-based products, says Life Loving Foods

28-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Yes, plant-based proteins are sustainable. But Life Loving Foods' use of dry mixes for its vegan meal kits make them even more sustainable and clean label by cutting out the need for cold storage and preservatives, it says.

Brussels Bulletin

Fake food, origin labelling & cheap US soy: A round-up of EU news and views

28-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

From fake food to cheap soy; origin labelling to EU exports, we round up the biggest news from Brussels affecting the food industry this month so far.

French MPs attack processed & ‘ultra-processed’ food, demanding tougher laws

27-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

A French parliamentary report, voted yesterday, calls for a raft of measures to make processed and 'ultra-processed' food healthier, from maximum limits on salt, sugar and fat to caps on the number of additives used per product.

Cornell finds food researcher Brian Wansink guilty of academic misconduct

24-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Famous food marketing researcher Brian Wansink admits failings but denies fraud, plagiarism and intentional misreporting as a Cornell University committee finds him guilty of academic misconduct.

The Good Spoon swaps eggs for chlorella to 'democratise' microalgae

24-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Using chlorella to replace eggs in vegan mayonnaise allows French company The Good Spoon to cut the fat content in half for a healthier, plant-based product that is also democratising microalgae, according to its co-founder.

Nestlé, Unilever & suppliers push EU for potassium chloride label change

21-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers should be able to label potassium chloride, used to reduce sodium levels in food, with more consumer-friendly names such as potassium salt, argues a joint position paper.

MycoTech brings mushroom-based bitter blocker to Europe

17-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

As US supplier MycoTechnology turns its attention to the European market, its CEO explains how fermented mushrooms can reduce sugar, block bitterness and improve the nutritional content of plant protein. “It’s really unlimited what we can do with our...

Brussels bulletin: A round-up of news and views from the EU

14-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

From calls for legislation on misleading food labels to new appointments at DG Sante, we round up the biggest news from Brussels affecting the food industry this month so far.

The nutrition label that encourages larger portions of unhealthy foods? ENL shows 'inconsistent' results

11-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

The food industry's Evolved Nutrition Label (ENL) showed "inconsistent" results across food categories, and even appeared to nudge consumers towards choosing more chocolate spread than no label at all in a 25,000-strong study.

DouxMatok & Südzucker bring sugar tech to Europe: 'We want to be like Intel Inside, powering industry's sugar reduction,' says CEO

01-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

Israeli start-up DouxMatok has partnered with German sugar giant Südzucker to produce, market and sell its patented sugar-reducing technology to Europe.

From almond husk sugar to nutritious okara flour: High-value ingredients from food by-products

30-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

From a nutritious (and cheap) flour made from the by-product of tofu production to sugar, beer and biodegradable plastic made from almond husks, 'waste' is a dirty word in today's food industry. FoodNavigator found out more at this year's...

What do consumers really think of meat alternatives?

27-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

What do consumers really think of meat alternatives - and what are they actually looking for in products? FoodNavigator caught up with a global Mintel analyst at IFT to find out.

Focus on food choices to tackle NCDs, not specific nutrients

27-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Understanding the role of specific nutrients in food, such as sugar and saturated fat, is important but not enough to fully understand how diets impact risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), says one scientist.

Renmatix on its multifunctional simple cellulose: 'This is a new-to-the-world ingredient'

24-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

An emulsifier, humectant, texturiser and egg replacement, Renmatix's patent-protected simple cellulose is native, natural and multifunctional, it says. "This is a very unique and new-to-the-world form of cellulose,” says the CEO.

Clash or compromise: Can consumer demands and responsible food ever match?

20-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Consumers want clean, healthy food. But are companies providing it and what if demands for clean food are in direct conflict with food safety or sustainability? Four industry stakeholders debated the issue at this week's IFT in Chicago.

MEPs push for a dual quality on-pack logo

13-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers could add a logo to food and drink packaging that tells consumers the product's content and quality is the same in all EU countries, consumer protection politicions said yesterday.

'Not particularly good news': Processing strips maize of healthy nutrients

12-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The process of making corn flakes strips maize of its healthy phenolic compounds and tocopherols, meaning fortification with additives is the best solution to make corn products healthier, scientists have found.

300,000-strong survey 'confirms positive impact' of NutriScore logo

11-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Leading French retailer E.Leclerc is definitively backing the NutriScore logo after a survey of 300,000-consumers showed it is best in encouraging healthy food choices, especially among younger shoppers and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Is the UK's €5.3bn ready meal market missing a trick?

11-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

No organic ready meals, 'double standards' in meat labelling and too few vegetarian options. Manufacturers in Europe's biggest ready meal market, the UK, are failing to seize a business opportunity, a new report says.

So long, spirulina? Knotted kelp adds nutrients, reduces salt & removes artificial flavours

10-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK firm Seaweed & Co's wild harvested knotted kelp (Ascophyllum) beats spirulina for iodine, potassium, calcium and magnesium, and can reduce salt in packaged foods or replace artificial smoke flavours, it says.

Umami flavour boost before a meal may lead to healthier eating

09-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

An umami-rich broth eaten at the start of a meal may leading to healthier food choices and more controlled food choices by activating certain brain pathways, according to a study.

EFSA closes the door on titanium dioxide re-evaluation

06-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

There is no merit in re-evaluating the safety of titanium dioxide after four studies highlighted safety concerns, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has advised the Commission.

'A serious health concern': Undeclared allergens are causing accidental allergic reactions

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Undeclared allergens at 'concerning' concentrations in packaged food are causing accidental allergic reactions, according to a study. "There is a perception that food allergens are no longer an issue," says one expert. "This is...

Chr Hansen to double natural colour R&D lab capacity: 'The perception of ‘naturalness’ has changed drastically in 15 years'

03-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Chr Hansen will double the capacity at its natural colour research and development (R&D) laboratory in Montpellier, France in order to meet consumers' increasingly stringent expectations of what is natural.

Mérieux NutriSciences to offer French firms food safety workshops

29-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Mérieux NutriSciences is partnering with French trade group ANIA to organise workshops for food manufacturers on emerging food risks and how to prevent them.

Fat-carb combo intensifies brain reward signals and triggers overeating: Study

29-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Combining fat and carbohydrates in food intensifies the reward signalling to the brain regardless of calorie-count, liking or portion size, creating a desire to eat even beyond satiety, researchers have found.

Isoglucose is not more of a health risk than sugar - if its fructose content does not increase: BfR

28-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The type of isuglucose currently used in Europe poses no greater health risk than sucrose – but if manufacturers increase its proportion of fructose, the potential risks must be communicated, said the German risk authority.

‘Clean label alone is not enough’: Firmenich on why taste is still king

26-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Firmenich is launching a new business platform to focus on natural and clean label products. But, the ingredients supplier says, it is important to go beyond clean label to convert purchase intent.

Food fraud

French spice control finds issues with half of samples

25-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

A control by French authorities in the spices industry has found issues with half of samples.

Food fraud

Food fraud focus for first product from Waters and IonSense tie-up

25-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Waters Corporation has launched a direct-from-sample analytical system for real-time sample recognition and verification of authenticity or adulteration.

Food fraud

Analytical technique sniffs out truffle fraud

25-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

A technique to help validate foods that claim to contain truffles or natural truffle aroma has been developed by researchers.

UK firm claims to have first commercially viable scale-up process for brazzein

22-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Magellan Life Sciences says its patent-pending fermentation process to scale up the sweet-tasting protein brazzein will make it the first company to market the natural, zero-calorie sweetener.

Food Safety Recall round-up 16-22 June 2018

Recalls: STEC, Salmonella and pesticide residues

22-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Luxembourg, Austria, Germany and Hungary.

EU should follow our trans fat ban success: Denmark

21-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Denmark's trans fat ban is a public health and food reformulation success, and should be rolled out across the EU, says the Danish government. "The European Commission should be inspired by our good example," says the minister for food.

A texture, taste and legal challenge: Chocolate start-up shirks sugar for dates

20-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

London start-up Kaakao managed to overcome texture and flavour challenges when sweetening its chocolate with dates instead of sugar but the regulatory challenge - the EU definition of chocolate - is proving to be more difficult.

BNF: Mixed messages leave UK adults confused about nutrition

19-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

More than 40% of adults find it difficult to find reliable information on healthy diets, according to a British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) survey.

Food Safety Recall round-up 9-15 June 2018

Recalls: Salmonella, foreign bodies and beer mislabelling

15-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Switzerland.

Moving towards a plastic-free planet is 'an evolution, not a revolution'

14-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

A myriad of solutions are needed to make plastic food packaging more sustainable, said top brass at Ekoplaza, Ikea and Futamura last week. “In some cases we need to completely break free, in some we need to use different materials and in others we need...

Food Safety Recall round-up 2-8 June 2018

Recalls: Salmonella, plastic and undeclared allergens

08-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, Ireland, US, Canada, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

Essentia acquires Danish protein supplier Scanflavour

06-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

US protein supplier Essentia has acquired Danish Scanflavour in a bid to increase its global presence.

In 30 years, every successful food company will be a ‘personalised food company’: Nutrino CSO

06-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

As consumers become increasingly invested in their health, personalised nutrition and gene-tailored diets will become the norm, says the chief science officer of Israeli start-up Nutrino. “The future of food is in personalisation and companies who fail...