Food labelling

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...

Spain to adopt EU gluten-free licensing system

06-Jun-2018 By Gill Hyslop

The Federation of Coeliac Associations of Spain (FACE) has pledged to use the European licencing system Espiga Barrada (the Crossed Grain Trademark) from 2020.

FoodProfiler app shines light onto European's eating habits

05-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Which vegetable do Brits eat the most? When do Belgian girls eat yoghurt? And do Dutch men prefer dessert or fruit? An app that gathers insights into European's eating habits could help fine-tune new product development.

Food Safety Recall round-up 26 May - 1 June 2018

Recalls: Campylobacter, glass and baby food

01-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, Ireland, US, Canada, New Zealand, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Norway and the Netherlands.

Plant-based meat substitutes are 'useful transition foods' for a healthier diet

01-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The science is clear: a vegetarian diet is better for heart health, a study says - but does that include processed meat analogues? "While not as healthful as whole plants, they are useful transition foods," says one researcher.

ANIA sets 1000-day deadline to 'make food better'

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

The French trade group ANIA has set itself a 1000-day deadline to ‘make food better’ in a bid to close France’s food and nutrition gap.

The online store of the future: Is your business ready?

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

From unattended deliveries to 'invisible shopping' via videos or face-recognition technology for payments, e-commerce platforms are becoming more sophisticated, says market research firm IGD.

Obese people enjoy food less, say researchers

30-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Obese people get less enjoyment from food than lean people and may overeat in order to compensate for this, according to a study.

Carob's health halo beats cocoa for kids confectionery, says UK start-up

29-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Far from being cocoa's poor cousin, carob powder is the ideal ingredient for healthy confectionery for kids, mimicking the "shine, snap and silky smooth texture" of milk chocolate without the stimulants caffeine and theobromine, says Supertreats...

French politicians back mandatory labelling of GM feed and pesticide use

28-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

After a week of debates on the country's Agriculture and Food Bill, French politicians have backed mandatory labelling for GM animal feed and pesticide use on fruit and vegetables but rejected measures to stop marketing unhealthy foods to children.

Guest article

Can blockchain build a sustainable food industry?

28-May-2018 By Amarjit Sahota, president and founder of Ecovia Intelligence

Blockchain is taking off, with a growing number of food companies and retailers experimenting with this new technology. Consultancy Ecovia Intelligence sees blockchain bringing many sustainability benefits to the food industry.

Food Safety Recall round-up 19-25 May 2018

Recalls: Salmonella, tropane alkaloids and packing errors

25-May-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Switzerland.

'Complex' cultures meet rising demand for Feta-style cheese, says Chr Hansen

24-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Feta-style cheese is the fastest growing cheese type globally, according to Danish supplier Chr. Hansen, which has launched culture strains that produce a "rich and complex flavour" to meet the demand.

Nestlé top for tackling nutrition issues - but all global firms need to improve

23-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé is top for addressing the double burden of obesity and malnutrition, and while many firms have stepped up efforts, a "disappointing" number have too many unhealthy products in their portfolios, according to the Access to Nutrition Index...

British food firms fail on government's 5% sugar reduction target

22-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK food and drink manufacturers have fallen short of Public Health England’s 5% voluntary target for sugar reduction, achieving just 2% at the end of the first year.

France looks set to ban titanium dioxide

22-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

As France looks poised to ban titanium dioxide by the end of 2018, the government has praised “pioneering” manufacturers for voluntarily removing the colouring from food products.

Food Safety Recall round-up 12-18 May 2018

Recalls: E. coli, Hepatitis E and mycotoxins

18-May-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, Ireland, Scotland, US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Slovakia.

‘Early adopters’ add plastic-free logo to products

18-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Retailers Iceland and Ekoplaza and tea brand Teapigs will add the plastic-free logo to select products this year.

Open call for candidates: PepsiCo accelerator hunts for 10 start-ups

17-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

After helping 2017's winners generate growth worth €10 million, PepsiCo's accelerator programme Nutrition Greenhouse is looking for 10 more start-ups for the 2018 round.

Organix protein snacks for babies are 'junk-busting', responsible snacking, it says

17-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK market leader in infant snacks, Organix 'savoury finger food for babies’ range is part of its junk-busting mission. "Some infant snack products contain more than 30 ingredients and that is not really necessary," says the managing director.

True blue botanicals: Why the appeal of spirulina and butterfly pea flowers is more than just colour

16-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Blue mermaid lattes and unicorn smoothie bowls may have star status on social media but their appeal is not just visual. The ingredients behind the blue hue – spirulina and butterfly pea flowers – are seen as inherently healthy.

What are the best colour options for plant-based meats?

16-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

From beetroot juice to red radish colouring food or fermented vegetarian leghemoglobin, manufacturers are finding ways to mimic the colour of meat in meat analogues. We take a look at some of the offerings.

Dutch Vivera claims 'world first' with plant-based steak

14-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Dutch brand Vivera has launched a plant-based steak made with wheat and soy protein. “We worked against the clock to get this steak - the holy grail of plant-based proteins - to market," says the company.

Food Safety Recall round-up 28 April - 4 May 2018

Recalls: Plastic, bacillus cereus and allergens

04-May-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Germany and Austria

Certification schemes are holding back true sustainability, says report

03-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Many certification schemes are blocking true sustainability by watering down standards in order to get stakeholders on board and even providing 'green cover' for firms that are destroying the environment, according to a report.

Aleph Farms CEO on its 3D cultured beef: 'Unlike other companies, our meat grows together like real meat'

02-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Israeli start-up Aleph Farms' proprietary "three dimensional" process holistically grows all parts of meat - muscle, fat, blood vessels and connective tissue - together, yielding a 'free-range' taste and texture.

Galicia sets legal definition of artisan food

30-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spain's Galicia has set a legal definition of artisan food, which prohibits the use of artificial colours, flavours and tropical fats such as palm oil and coconut oil.

Food origin labelling economically beneficial to rural areas – FAO-EBRD

30-Apr-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Food items linked to place of origin are economically and socially beneficial to rural areas, according to an FAO-EBRD study.

Clean label 2.0: Tapping into the trends of tomorrow

30-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

What will the clean label foods of tomorrow look like? From actively healthy additives to clean packaging and connected products, five industry experts share their views.

Symrise launches grill flavours ahead of EU ban

16-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

German supplier Symrise has developed alternative a range of grill type flavours as an EU ban on two grill flavours takes effect next week (22 April).

EFSA in radical transparency overhaul

12-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

In a radical revamp of its risk assessment process, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) could publish confidential data if deemed essential to protecting public health, according to draft rules aimed at boosting transparency and trust in science.

‘Finally, teeth to punish the cheaters’: EU outlaws dual quality food

12-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Commission’s New Deal forbids dual quality food and gives authorities the power to fine companies for marketing products that are ‘significantly different’. "Consumer authorities will finally get teeth to punish the cheaters," said...

Austria develops voluntary quality logo

11-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

AgrarMarkt Austria has developed a voluntary quality logo for processed foods, meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables.

Sweden to investigate low uptake of Keyhole logo

09-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

Sweden's National Food Agency will investigate why many manufacturers choose not to add the free-to-use, healthy eating Keyhole logo to their products despite being eligible.

Reaching the Finnish line: EatGrub expands to Finland with 'landmark' listing

09-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK insect start-up EatGrub has secured a listing in Finland's biggest supermarket. 'It shows how seriously the concept of insects as food is taken in Finland,' the start-up's co-founder says.

ISO includes QR codes and RFID tech in product labelling update

05-Apr-2018 By Will Chu

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has updated its product labelling guidelines to ensure food information contained in QR codes and RFID technology is made more accessible to the consumer.

PureCircle plays down EU stevia stumbling block

04-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

Malaysian supplier PureCircle must provide more data to prove the safety of both minor steviol glycosides and glucosylated stevia, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said in two separate opinions.

Are some 'no added sugar' claims really illegal?

03-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

Claims such as ‘no added sugar’ on foods containing sweeteners are commonplace and an important part of healthy branding - but are they technically illegal under EU law? We put the question to a food law expert.

EFSA to evaluate titanium dioxide safety studies

29-Mar-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) will advise the Commission on whether to re-evaluate titanium dioxide by analysing four scientific studies that questioned the additive's safety.

Irish meat eaters develop taste for ethical production

16-Mar-2018 By Niamh Michail

Irish shoppers increasingly want ethically produced meat and are willing to pay more for labels such as organic and free-range, a government study has found.

Sweden's 'one grain solution' for natural salt reduction

14-Mar-2018 By Niamh Michail

Saltwell has potassium chloride naturally locked into the salt meaning it can cut sodium without the bitterness usually associated with potassium, says its manufacturer Salinity.

Does nutritional labelling help consumers reduce calories?

08-Mar-2018 By Tim Cutcliffe

Using nutritional labelling on restaurant menus and in coffee shops and cafeterias may be a way of lowering consumers' intake of calories, researchers have said.

Carrefour extend Blockchain use to dairy and meat product ranges

08-Mar-2018 By Will Chu

French multinational retailer Carrefour is to extend its use of Blockchain technology by offering consumers total traceability of its popular animal and vegetable product ranges.

EFSA confirms emulsifier and stabiliser safety

06-Mar-2018 By Niamh Michail

European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientists have confirmed the safety of the food additives, sodium, potassium and calcium salts of fatty acids and magnesium salts of fatty acids.

Regulation ‘could boost clean label’ and build trust

05-Mar-2018 By Katy Askew

There is currently no clear legal definition of what constitutes a clean label product. One marketing and economics expert argues certification and regulation could actually boost clean label sales.

No credibility or consensus: Mars pulls out of Evolved Nutrition Label

02-Mar-2018 By Niamh Michail

Mars will leave the industry-developed Evolved Nutrition Label, citing a lack of credibility and consensus, and has called on the European Commission to bring in a pan-EU, mandatory label.

Improved recipe claims hide ingredient 'downgrading'

01-Mar-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers including Unilever, Mondelēz and Alpro are using claims of ‘new, improved recipe’ to hide ingredient "downgrading", according to a German consumer group.