Europe must accelerate efforts to introduce a “holistic nutrition policy”, complete with targets in relation to reformulation, marketing and labelling.
The creators of Italcheck, an app to verify genuine Italian products for shoppers and aid manufacturers fight food fraud, will help fight against the €60 billion fake Italian products black market.
From Fairtrade to UTZ, Rainforest Alliance to RSPO, the number of third party certification schemes is on the rise. But alongside this proliferation of consumer–facing logos is the growing numbers of companies developing their own sustainable sourcing...
Rice, soy, corn, wheat and palm oil are the “new frontier” of climate action, said Oxfam this week, as it published new data detailing the “massive” environmental impact of the world’s major commodities.
Rising food prices, watered-down safety standards, food law dictated by big businesses and a disastrous impact on public health. Professor in food policy Tim Lang looks at the options of a post-Brexit UK but sees little light at the end of the channel...
Europe’s problematic reliance on “unsustainable” soy imports could be solved using Central and Eastern European farming land, the European Commission heard last week.
French politicians have dropped the proposed palm oil tax, leading some politicians to say the country is being blackmailed by producer countries. "We are legislating with a knife at our throats," said one.
Sweet and savory snacks will be among the hardest hit UK food categories as a result of the Brexit vote, according to analysts Euromonitor International.
Bigger ranges mean bigger sales, right? Wrong. Retailers right across the EU are undergoing a “range re-set programme” and the general target is a reduction of 30%, according to IRI.
After finding that 12 kids' food products from Nestlé, Barilla, Ferrero and Danone contain high levels of carcinogen 3-MCPD, Italian consumer group Altroconsumo is calling on parents to stop giving products that contain palm oil to children.
Experts from food and drink advisory service Campden BRI look at some of the key factors to consider when choosing the most suitable protein source for fortifying bakery and snacking products.
As Britons prepare to vote tomorrow on whether the UK should leave the European Union, industry players are making last minute pleas to either stay or leave.
Private label is under pressure across Europe for a range of reasons and manufacturers and retailers must tailor their solutions to each individual country, according to a recent IRI report.
The liberalisation of the EU sugar market next year must be accompanied by market measures to maintain sugar beet production and allow the sector to retain its strategic importance, according to a recent EU report.
The first silica-based colouring approved for food
Next-gen food colourings like Merck’s new silica-based pigment could offer a compromise between colouring foodstuffs and synthetic products. Yet, experts have questioned potential for consumer acceptance.
Eight new products have been given geographical indication (PGI) and protected origin (PDO) status, showing how Europe gives "high priority" to protecting its foods in international trade talks, said the agriculture commissioner last week.
Belvita owner Mondelēz International has said a UK study claiming breakfast biscuits may be “no healthier for you than a bowl of Kellogg’s Coco Pops” has ignored the full nutritional profile of its products.
Romania is set to pass a law requiring supermarkets to sell a minimum of 51% local food, including dairy, bakery and meat products - but will the protectionist law get past the European Commission?
The global discourse on obesity is full of people saying it's a complex problem but offering simple solutions - it's time we put in place a bottom-up and top-down approach, says food and health expert Dr Mike Gibney.
Food and drink brands are restricting their use of websites to promote unhealthy products to children, instead using social media giant Facebook, an Irish report has found.
Himanthalia - or sea spaghetti - may not be commonly known. But as a healthy like-for-like pasta replacement that boosts vegetable intake and is harvested in a sustainable way, it will be soon, says Dutch entrepreneur and founder of Seamore.
Belgian manufacturers and retailers have signed a voluntary convention with the Health Minister to cut the nation's calorie intake by 5% by next year - but without independent monitoring, critics say it lacks credibility.
From green bonuses for Dutch dairy farmers to better crop efficiency for Italian wheat growers, European manufacturers are finding ways to make agricultural sustainability good for the planet and good for business. Barilla and FrieslandCampina share their...
When it comes to joint stakeholder efforts on public health issues such as obesity and reformulation, where does cooperation end and 'dictating' policy begin? UK industry group Food and Drink Federation and NGO Action on Sugar can't decide.
Global sugar prices have rocketed 30% since mid-April as the balance between supply and demand tightens. In Europe prices have remained steady but could soon increase, according to Rabobank’s latest sugar quarterly.
Confectionery products account for 1% of total packaged food that carries a sustainable palm oil label, according to new ethical labels data from Euromonitor.
Replacing half the sugar content of food with a plant-based sweetener could lead to improved sugar control without affecting textural properties, a study has shown.
From 20th June, manufacturers will be able to claim a “lower blood glucose rise” when using non-digestible carbohydrates as sugar replacers, following the publication of a new article 13.5 claim in the EU Official Journal.
What will food look like in 2020? Clean and clearly-labelled but also 'imperfect' to seem more authentic and closely connected to technology, according to a recent report by Ingredion.
The damage caused by IOI’s deforestation and peatland drainage is “far greater” than that detailed in the complaint that led to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil suspending the supplier back in April, says Greenpeace.
'radical reassessment' of the low-fat approach needed
A study published in The Lancet provides more evidence that a low-fat, low-calorie diet is not beneficial for weight loss, while a Mediterranean diet high in healthy fats could help.
‘Scratch cooking’ is fuelling demand for meal kits - to the detriment of ready meals, soups and cooking sauces - while rising incomes means more snacks, cereals and juices can go premium. Mintel charts the food winners and losers since the end of austerity...
One quarter of French supermarkets are failing to inform consumers of potential allergens in food from their fresh counters - an "unacceptable" result, says France's consumer watchdog Que Choisir.
Brexit could have “severe” consequences for food manufacturers that trade with EU countries, as they could face delivery delays and customs barriers, a logistics supplier has warned.
Palm oil supplier IOI Corporation Berhad has ditched plans to sue the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), saying it has “engaged” with customers, NGOs and the RSPO to resolve the matter.
Finnish researchers are developing a range of clean-label wood-derived ingredients to replace current emulsifiers, texturisers and additives for bakery, meat and dairy products - but do consumers want wood in their food?
Glucose’s mysterious positive effect on self control could be due to the brain’s natural instinct to grab immediate rewards when deprived of sugary foods, a new theory suggests.
The added sugars portion of the newly revamped nutrition facts labels for food products will provide a significant opportunity for purveyors of alternative sweeteners, an industry expert says.
Industry trade group FoodDrinkEurope has launched a website illustrating its members' actions to achieve a circular economy designed to inspire other firms and advise policy-makers.
Using enzymes to extract protein from rapeseed press cakes in a sustainable and cost-effective way could transform 34 million tonnes of waste product into a valuable protein source, a Finnish scientist has said.
In contrast with previous reports that link artificial sweeteners with weight gain, new research on rats has found the non-nutritive sweetener saccharin has no effect on weight, while glucose does.
Four board members of the National Obesity Forum (NOF) have resigned because they were not consulted before the publication of a controversial report which slammed public health advice for fuelling the obesity crisis.
IFA: THE FARMER IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOD CHAIN'
The Commission must end income and power imbalances in the food chain by taking action to tackle unfair trading practices and fostering fair and transparent relations between food producers, suppliers and distributors, say MEPs in a draft resolution.
Nutrition labels in the US will now have to tell consumers how much sugar has been added by manufacturers and how much is naturally occurring. Is it time Europe introduced similar measures so consumers know whether the food they are eating is healthy?
Germany has formally adopted a proposal for a legally binding definition of vegan and vegetarian food - but will it spur the Commission into finally drawing up an EU-wide definition or will it be another barrier to trade for EU manufacturers?
