With so many new and sometimes strange flavours hitting the market, we take a look at where they come from and how they become mainstream flavour fixtures.
The popularity of street food, increased willingness to try new flavours, and more sophisticated tastes have led to a sales spike for spicy chilli sauces, says Euromonitor International.
Alexandra Nikolakopoulou has been announced as the new head of the European Commission’s DG SANTE unit for nutrition, food composition and information, stepping into the shoes of Basil Mathioudakis.
Two MEPs have asked the Commission to detail its plans to tackle high cholesterol among Europeans, who have the highest levels of bad cholesterol in the world.
Barbecuing is sociable, fun and above all tasty – and increasingly consumers are open to experimenting, according to ingredients firm Frutarom, which aims to tap into the trend with a new range of marinades.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted by majority to create legislation that could see country of origin labelling used for all meat used in processed foods.
The focus of a controversial review on randomised control trials ‘oversimplifies the difficult and complex task of developing evidence-based guidelines on nutrition’, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has warned.
Pulse flours could provide a plant-based protein boost for baked goods, snacks and pasta – tapping into growing demand for non-animal-derived protein, says Ingredion.
The Children's Food Campaign has said it is disappointed that a UK report on advertising to children failed to bring digital marketing like ‘advergames’ in line with broadcasting rules.
Thirty-year-old guidelines heralding the dangers of fat consumption are stirring up debate among experts after a new meta-analysis claimed the recommendations should never have been issued.
High altitude cooking could help preserve foods’ flavour, aroma, colour, moisture and nutritional value, according to a new study from Nestlé researchers.
A healthy diet that is higher in whole grains, polyunsaturated fats and nuts, and lower in red and processed meat, refined grains and sugary drinks, is associated with a lower risk of developing chronic lung disease, say researchers.
Sweden’s National Food Association (NFA) has made changes to its Keyhole healthy eating label in light of new nutrition guidelines, meaning less salt, more wholemeal and a broader range of products that can bear the logo.
Companies crave category leadership but too much market share risks stymying food and beverage innovation within large firms, as well as the illusion that ‘war is won’, a Euromonitor analyst believes.
Mood is often assessed in nutrition research but it is ‘hard to define’ and ‘inherently subjective’, according to the researchers behind a review of mood-measuring methodology.
Market analyst Euromonitor International has debuted a tool that for the first time breaks down a country’s total nutritional inputs into eight categories from calories to proteins to fibres.
Lack of scalability still prevents algae and plant proteins from being used as major food sources, according to Mars chief agricultural officer Howard-Yana Shapiro.
The use of ‘kokumi’ substances could improve the taste of low-fat foods, aiding efforts to reduce levels of fat and calories in foods, say researchers from Japanese firm Ajinomoto.
Dietary sugars intakes are decreasing or stable in most countries, according to a data review of ten European countries, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Sugar content has risen in a fifth of UK ready-to-eat breakfast cereals since 2012 with the largest spikes coming from retail own brands, finds Action on Sugar research.
Consumption of oatmeal, rather than ready-to-eat-cereal, at breakfast may result in greater feelings of fullness and lower calorie intake at lunch, especially in overweight people, says research backed by PepsiCo owned Quaker Oats.
No one wants their food to be ‘manufactured’ – and unsurprisingly that’s a challenge for those in the food manufacturing business, says Waitrose executive development chef Jonathan Moore.
EFSA has backed the safety of an anti-caking agent (Fe mTA) for salt or salt substitutes – but said a new risk assessment would be necessary if the use level or application were to change.
Quorn has revealed plans for substantial new product development (NPD) activity this year, including gluten-free and vegan lines, which it expects to fuel UK and international growth.
When infants first eat gluten does not appear to influence whether they are diagnosed with celiac disease, but their socioeconomic status likely does, according to two recently published studies.
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety Committee (ENVI) Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted 48 to 15 to introduce legislation on origin labelling on meat used as an ingredient in processed foods.
We need a strong portfolio of voluntary and mandatory measures to tackle the huge burden of diet-related diseases, according to the chair of the UK Responsibility Deal food network.
New research has suggested that salt intake is not linked to mortality or heart disease risk in older people, however experts have said the study flawed and the findings do not contradict current advice.
It is not about judging companies on waste but joining the dots between businesses with surplus food and charities in need of donations, according to UK charity Plan Zheroes.
The World Health Organisation has outlined potential strategies to reduce premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including junk food taxes and cutting salt intakes.
Products containing genetically modified ingredients will still be required to be labelled as such in the future, despite fears that protection standards could suffer because of new trade agreements.
If elected, a UK Labour government will introduce limits on the levels of fat, salt and sugar that manufacturers are allowed to include in food marketed towards children.
Better defined thresholds at which common allergens trigger reactions in a majority of allergic consumers could improve ‘may contain’ labelling, according to researchers from the University of Manchester.
Lab-grown meat could solve many of the world’s environmental problems, says the co-founder of an Israeli non-profit organisation studying the feasibility of mass-produced cultured chicken meat.
Sugar low: “The use of such a health claim would convey a conflicting and confusing message..."
Five glucose health claims approved by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) back in 2012 have been officially banned by the European Commission due to concerns over what they would say to consumers about sugar consumption.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected a novel foods application for the South American root vegetable arracacha xanthorrhiza after the applicant failed to provide sufficient information.
The European Commission has vowed to preserve protected geographical indications (PGIs) for food and drink after coming under pressure to soften the rules in trade talks with the US.
Around two thirds of people in the UK do not know how many calories an average person needs to maintain a healthy weight, according to a survey commissioned by two charities and supermarket Tesco.
The European Union needs to update the way it regulates biotechnology as advances are made in plant breeding – or risk disrupting trade in commodity crops, according to Professor Huw Jones of Rothamsted Research.
