Confectionery

Italian consumer watchdog is warning parents not to give children products that contain palm oil due to carcinogenic contaminants. © iStock.com

Don't give children palm oil, says Italian consumer group

By Niamh Michail

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.

 'Food brands actively seek to recruit Facebook users to spread their marketing – seeking likes, tags, comments and photos,' write the authors. Photo: iStock

Facebook could be making kids fat: report

By David Burrows

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.

Photo: iStock

Belgium to reduce nation's calorie intake by 5%

By Niamh Michail

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.

'All in all, the coming period will see plenty of uncertainty for stakeholders,' said Rabobank. ©iStock

EU sugar prices could rise as supply and demand tightens

By David Burrows

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.

Greenpeace has alleged further palm oil supply chain abuse. IOI says it is putting its house in order. ©iStock

IOI damage raises questions about RSPO standards

By David Burrows

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.

Eurolactis' donkey milk Onalat is increasing production, and the company is moving into chocolate bars.

New donkey milk products in pipeline

By Jim Cornall

Swiss-based donkey milk company Eurolactis is ramping up production, and is set to launch the first large-scale production of a chocolate bar made with donkey’s milk.

IOI has announced it will not only drop the court case against RSPO but has pledged to sign up to RSPO Next, the certification body's strictest policy. © iStock

IOI drops legal action against RSPO

By David Burrows

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.

Mars' M&M's infringes Mondelēz's trademark for Marabou M, rules Stockholm Court of Appeal

Candy in court

Mars may be banned from selling M&M’s in Sweden

By Oliver Nieburg

Mars will face heavy fines if it sells M&M’s in Sweden beyond this month unless it appeals a recent court ruling in a trademark spat with Mondelēz International.

New sugar labeling a boon for alternative sweeteners

New sugar labeling a boon for alternative sweeteners

By Hank Schultz

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.

Board members objected to the way the report was published - not its contents, a spokesperson said. © iStock

Four NOF members resign over controversial report publication

By Niamh Michail

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.

Total sugar, added sugar, free sugars and of which sugars...would it be easier if nutrition labels just depicted the amount of sugar that has been added in teaspoons? © iStock

NUTRITION LABELLING IN THE US AND EUROPE

Should Europeans be told how much sugar is added to their food?

By Niamh Michail

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?

© iStock

SPOTLIGHT ON START-UPS

How is Big Food harnessing start-up innovation?

By Niamh Michail

Which food firms are top for scoping out innovative start-ups and harnessing the latest research projects? FoodNavigator takes a look at the different incubator, accelerator and partnering schemes used by industry heavyweights.

'Many Europeans still don’t know that they eat on average 61 kilos of soy per year, mostly embedded in their meat and dairy products,' said WWF senior advisor Sandra Mulder. © iStock

Call for EU action plan as firms shirk responsibility on soy

By David Burrows

The EU needs a deforestation action plan after a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) analysis of the bloc’s largest food companies showed many are using consumer ignorance to dodge their “massive responsibility” when sourcing soy.

Manufacturers should be made to declare how much potassium is in processed food, say campaigners, which could help certain consumers increase their daily intake and allow others to avoid it for health reasons. © iStock

Make potassium labelling mandatory for processed food: UK petition

By Niamh Michail

As new nutrition guidelines make labelling potassium on packaged foods mandatory in the US, a UK petition is urging the government to do the same but for different reasons - it would end the processed food "nightmare" for sufferers of Chronic...

The service helps retailers shift more than 1.3 million products each month, that would likely have gone unsold otherwise. © Zéro-Gâchis

SPOTLIGHT ON START-UPS

Waste-zapping app looks for new retail partners

By Niamh Michail

Helping retailers shift over 1.3 million products that would have been wasted otherwise is just the first step for French company, Zéro-Gâchis, which has set its sights on expanding to Spain, Belgium and beyond.

The big issue: How can industry be part of the obesity solution?

The big issue: How can industry be part of the obesity solution?

By Niamh Michail

Obesity and overweight rates continue to rise across the globe and although no country has managed to reverse the trend to date, all agree action is required. Join us for a free online event on May 25 where key issues will be up for debate.

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