Announced last week, details of the five Nordic countries’ request that the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) looks at recommending reference values for added sugar in food and drink have been published online.
The European Commission has started the first phase of its investigation into the need for nutrient profiles, which it hopes will settle the issue once and for all.
A small group of Italian politicians have presented a bill to the Senate proposing a tax on sugary and diet drinks as well as palm oil and industrial trans fats in a bid to stem rising obesity rates.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has adopted a draft opinion on the energy conversion factor for 'functional sweetener' D-tagatose, meaning its calorie count can be listed on product labels.
Brexit-borne economic uncertainty could dampen supermarket’s ability to offer cheaper groceries, though worried shoppers could maintain sales figures at hard discounting retailers like Lidl and Aldi, analysts suggest.
Europe must accelerate efforts to introduce a “holistic nutrition policy”, complete with targets in relation to reformulation, marketing and labelling.
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...
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...
About 90% of teenagers drink sports drinks for the 'nice taste' not the intended functional purpose, which is needlessly increasing their risk of obesity and tooth erosion, according to a study from the Cardiff University School of Dentistry.
Europe’s problematic reliance on “unsustainable” soy imports could be solved using Central and Eastern European farming land, the European Commission heard last week.
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.
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.
By Oliver Leedam, principal regulatory analyst, Leatherhead Food Research
For soft drink and fruit juice manufacturers looking to expand into new geographies, understanding global regulations is vital. However, this is no mean feat.
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.
For the second time in 13 months Juice Garden has been pulled up by the UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) for making unauthorised health claims.
The UK's sugar tax will spur some companies to reformulate. Here, a leading R&D tax consultant at Ayming UK explores how manufacturers can make full use of R&D tax reliefs to offset the investment costs and challenges.
Two UAE-based investment firms have bought a significant stake in Austrian energy drink producer Power Horse, and plan to expand the business’s reach beyond its Middle Eastern stronghold.
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.
Global sales of energy drinks hit €38.2 billion last year and will be worth €53.4bn in 2020 according to Euromonitor International, even as regulatory winds blow ill beneath the sector's wings.
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.
Asian energy drink Carabao has launched in the UK, and while it admits it’s a competitive market, it still sees significant untapped potential beyond the niche categories of ‘lads, high-octane sports and rock music.’
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.
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.
European children are ‘in crisis’ over the risk of gut disease and obesity, according to a new report that calls for renewed focus on pediatric digestive health.
'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.
Prosecco’s rise shows no signs of slowing down, but is the future less rosy for rosé wine? Mintel picks out the winners and losers in the UK’s alcoholic beverage industry in 2016.
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.
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.
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.
The Coca-Cola Company could face a bill as high as £226M a year under the sugar tax, if it doesn’t pass on the increased charge for its sugary drinks to consumers, according to market research firm Euromonitor.
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.
Energy drinks, sports drinks, and functional bottled water are among the functional and fortified beverage categories to watch, according to Euromonitor International.
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?
Alterations to pH, complexation of iron and binding other micronutrients could minimise undesired colour changes in fortified foods, say Nestlé researchers.