Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Smarter than a sweetener? Flavour modifier matches sugar's mouthfeel & sweetness

31-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

OmegaSweet is a natural, flavour-modifying ingredient that not only replaces sugar's sweetness but mimics its mouthfeel in beverages - a smarter way to reduce sugar ahead of the UK's sugar tax, says the company behind it, Omega Ingredients.

UMFHA tells fake manuka honey to buzz off

31-Jan-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

The Unique Manuka Factor Honey Association (UMFHA) has developed a system that uses compounds to validate manuka honey as genuine, after a rise in fake manuka honey was sold in UK markets.

Playing with portions and price: Manufacturers need to 'downsize smartly', says researcher

31-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

For consumers, higher prices are fair game but smaller portions are not, says one food marketing researcher who is urging manufacturers to downsize smartly: "Some food companies act as if they are in the energy business, selling always larger volume...

Gum in developed markets needs a boost, Mintel analyst warns

30-Jan-2017 By Douglas Yu

As gum manufacturers are battling the sluggish category growth by developing new and bold flavors, some makers have gone in the other direction: Innovating the texture, according to a recent blog post penned by Mintel’s director of insight on food and...

Belorussian confectioner turns wasted 'sweet water' into valuable fruit fillings

26-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Belorussian confectioner Kommunarka is reusing its ‘sweet water’ - water used to rinse production lines which contains traces of sugar and sweeteners - to make fruit fillings for its chocolates, opening up a whole new business plan, it says.

Finding the sweet spot: Balancing low-cal with sugar taste

19-Jan-2017 By Will Chu

The increase in low-calorie sweetener (LCS) consumption in US adults and kids has once again placed a question mark over their long-term use and effects on health.

Bayn seeks partners as it ends exclusive Barentz stevia contract

18-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Swedish supplier Bayn is looking for strategic partners for the supply and distribution of its stevia ingredients as it ends its four-year exclusive deal with Dutch distributor Barentz. 

Patented sugar reduction molecule will be on shelves next year, says DouxMatok

17-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Sugar reduction specialist DouxMatok is in advanced talks with multinational food manufacturers and says its patented flavour-carrying particle will be on shelves in Europe by 2018.

Carrot biscuits, beetroot yoghurt and coconut sugar: A look at Europe's low sugar innovations

17-Jan-2017 By Emma Jane Cash

Natural sweeteners, such as agave and stevia, are in higher demand than artificial sweeteners as Europe cracks down on sugar.

Sugar changes to Eatwell Guide are ‘large’ but worthwhile: Oxford study

10-Jan-2017 By Will Chu

Reducing sugar consumption in line with recommendations set out in the Eatwell Guide, are likely to extend the average life expectancy by around six months according to Oxford University researchers.

Azelis eyes African middle class with Ivory Coast investment

05-Jan-2017 By Niamh Michail

Ingredients specialist Azelis has set its sights on Africa’s growing middle class with a new import and distribution office in the Ivory Coast.

Sugar-free drinks no better for weight control, argue researchers

04-Jan-2017 By Will Chu

Artificially-sweetened beverages (ASB) do not contribute to weight loss and may even be part of the overall obesity problem, researchers claim. 

‘Health benefits of UK’s sugar tax will depend on industry’: Lancet study

16-Dec-2016 By Niamh Michail

The impact on public health of the UK's sugar tax will depend on industry's response to it, according to the authors of a Lancet study. If firms choose to cut the sugar content of soft drinks, the biggest beneficiaries will be children, they...

Consumers willing to pay 75% more for known ingredients: Survey

15-Dec-2016 By Louis Gore-Langton

Branding ingredients has a mixed record of success but a survey reveals worldwide demand for recognisable ingredients.

Food Navigator exclusive

Consumer sugar awareness ‘quite limited’: Cargill survey

09-Dec-2016 By Will Chu

Despite the drive to reduce sugar content in foods, consumers are still bewildered as to which type of sugar alternative is the healthiest.

Dutch industry pledges to remove cartoon characters from unhealthy food

09-Dec-2016 By Niamh Michail

The Dutch food industry has pledged to restrict the use of licensed cartoon characters from the packaging of unhealthy foods aimed at children.

Looking to nature for better ‘clean label’ reformulation

08-Dec-2016 By Nathan GRAY

Industry should look closer at nature’s solutions for current reformulation challenges by mapping out all the possible functionalities of ingredients already present in foods, says Dr Aidan Craigwood, consultant at Innovia Technology.

Spain and Estonia to tax sugary drinks

07-Dec-2016 By Niamh Michail

Spain and Estonia are the latest EU countries to announce plans for a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages.

Food industry should be ‘praised’ not ‘pilloried’ for sugar-reducing efforts

06-Dec-2016 By Will Chu

The food industry should not be pilloried for making food safe, affordable and enjoyable, according to the chairman of food consultancy Zenith International.

Sugar tax divides the industry, campaigners claim

02-Dec-2016 By David Burrows

The UK’s food and drink industry might not be as fiercely opposed to a tax on sugary beverages as industry representatives claim, according to a new survey.

ISA: Mechanism ‘not plausible’ to explain aspartame’s role in weight loss

25-Nov-2016 By Will Chu

A mechanism found to explain why aspartame prevents weight loss in humans is "not plausible" according to the International Sweeteners Association (ISA).

Can aspartame prevent weight loss? Sugar substitute hinders enzyme, says study

24-Nov-2016 By Will Chu

A biological process to explain why aspartame does not promote weight loss has been proposed by US researchers, who found the sugar substitute promoted weight gain in mice. 

A spoonful of sugar? Teens consume a bathtub full a year through sugary drinks

23-Nov-2016 By Will Chu

Teenagers in the UK consume around 77 litres of sugary drinks every year – enough to fill a bathtub, according to "shocking" results of a survey.

DOLCE consortium adds two food categories

22-Nov-2016 By Gill Hyslop

Research into sugar reduction in food and beverages has been given a boost with the inclusion of two major food categories in DOLCE.

Mission possible: Most reformulation does not impact consumer acceptance

21-Nov-2016 By Nathan Gray

The majority of reformulation to lower levels of sugar, salt and fat has no impact on consumer acceptance or willingness to pay, says a new EU-backed study.

#WorldDiabetesDay #WDD

World Diabetes Day: 1000 actions to help 400+m people

14-Nov-2016 By Shane Starling

Nearly 1000 actions – from screenings to policy statements to conferences and diet and lifestyle change promotion – are underway in 130+ countries as part of World Diabetes Day.

DSM prepares to bring fermented stevia to EU market

14-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Ingredient supplier DSM has asked EFSA scientists to complete a scientific opinion for its fermentation-derived stevia.

FOODNAVIGATOR EXCLUSIVE

Cargill invests €35m to broaden European sweetener choices

09-Nov-2016 By Will Chu

Ingredients giant Cargill will invest €35m to expand its sweetener options throughout Europe in anticipation of strict sugar production quotas that will end in 2017. 

Sugar giants pull trigger on research group

Sugar Nutrition UK: Born 1964, died 2016

09-Nov-2016 By Louis Gore-Langton

50 year-old industry funded research body Sugar Nutrition UK has disbanded citing the need for sugar science to go global.

Tesco reduces sugar in own brand soft drinks

07-Nov-2016 By Rachel Arthur

UK supermarket giant Tesco has reduced the sugar content in its own brand soft drink portfolio, with the reformulated beverages hitting the shelves this week. 

Mintel's top European trends for 2017 - and the firms already following them

04-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Mintel has picked out its top trends for 2017 - a must for food and drink manufacturers wishing to stay ahead of the curve. FoodNavigator takes a look at some them.

Law applies from 3 November 2016

Stevia sector says imminent EU law changes will sweeten NPD

26-Oct-2016 By Lynda Searby

An amendment to the EU food additives regulation has removed the requirement for stevia blends to contain at least 75% stevioside or reb A, giving food and beverage manufacturers scope to formulate better tasting stevia-sweetened products.

A couple of sugary drinks daily ‘doubles diabetes risk,’ study shows

21-Oct-2016 By Will Chu

The choice between artificially sweetened and sugared soft drinks does not seem to make a difference in the onset of chronic conditions such as diabetes, according to Swedish research. 

Tate & Lyle to expand Singapore lab amid speciality ingredients focus

17-Oct-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Tate & Lyle is to more than double the size of its Singapore laboratory, will new facilities including a pilot plant and wider analytical capabilities.

Sweet success: TINE's nutrition chief on its million-kilo sugar cut

06-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

Over the past ten years, Norwegian dairy and cereal manufacturer TINE has cut one million kilos of sugar from its products each year. We spoke to the company's head of nutrition about its sugar reduction strategy.

'Miracle berry' could reduce sugar content of sour drinks, say scientists

03-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

Does the 'miracle berry' have potential for sweet success in reducing the sugar content of sour drinks, as Brazilian researchers suggest, or like its name is it too good to be true?

Is all fair in love & war, logos & lobbying? France begins nutrition label trial

26-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Amid cries of conflicts of interest and fierce industry lobbying, France will test out four different nutrition labels for a trial period to see which is the most efficient in encouraging healthier food choices.

'Academics are not angels'

Bitter feud: Sweetener industry says review accusing it of bias is itself biased

21-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

The International Sweeteners Association (ISA) has rejected the findings of a review which found industry-funded research into artificial sweeteners to be skewed in favour of industry as “misleading and biased”.

The future of flavour: From healthy reformulation to genome-specific scents

20-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Advances in the field of scent may be key to developing healthier food - by using natural aroma molecules to make reformulated food smell saltier or sweeter - or even creating personalised flavours that are tailored to an individual's genome.

'Bias at all levels': Scathing review published into sweetener-funded research

19-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

University of Sydney and Ramazzini Institute researchers are claiming widespread bias in industry-funded research into artificial sweeteners, arguing those financially backed by business are far more likely to have favourable results.

Sin taxes work while stealth reformulation success still ‘anecdotal’, says study

16-Sep-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Sugar taxes show evidence of working across all socioeconomic classes while stealth reformulation’s effect on obesity is largely anecdotal, says Professor Barry Popkin.

Profit increase can drive sugar reduction: Bayn

15-Sep-2016 By Natalie Morrison

More profitable business models are needed for companies committed to healthier products, according to Bayn following the launch of its new Sugar Reduced Community.

How the sugar lobby paid scientists to point the finger at fat: JAMA

13-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

The US sugar lobby paid for influential research in the 1960s to downplay the link between sugar and coronary heart disease and instead point the finger at fat, according to a report published yesterday.

Xylitol anti-cavity debate settled, says DuPont

13-Sep-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Consuming xylitol does prevent cavities despite recent uncertainty over its anti-caries properties, according to a DuPont study.

UK youngsters still consuming twice as much sugar as they should be

12-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Young children are drinking more than double the amount of sugar they should be – although consumption of sugary drinks has fallen, according to a UK-wide dietary survey.

High-intensity sweetener Advantame approved for Israel

08-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Advantame, the high-intensity sweetener made by Ajinomoto, has been approved for use in Israel.

Scotland launches hard-hitting snack campaign as government confirms 2017 obesity strategy

08-Sep-2016 By David Burrows

Scotland will publish a new strategy on diet and obesity next year, as new research shows that the average child aged between four and 10 eats around 110,000 calories through “unhealthy, unnecessary snacks” annually.

Ireland ponders sugary drinks tax

06-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

A tax on sugary drinks is being considered by the Irish government as part of the upcoming budget, a measure condemned by the Irish Beverage Council (IBC) as “costly political posturing”.

Sugar taxes: A case of pop policy and comic consultation

01-Sep-2016 By J T Winkler, emeritus professor of nutrition policy, London Metropolitan University

The UK's sugar tax was little more than populist light relief to brighten a speech full of economic doom and gloom. But what's worse, argues Professor Jack Winkler, is that the government's 'pseudo-consultation' about the tax is...

Dolce consortium to develop 'mystery' natural sweeteners

31-Aug-2016 By Niamh Michail

French ingredient supplier Roquette has teamed up with a German biotech company and a natural product specialist to develop and bring to market natural sweeteners and sweetness enhancers.