European consumers’ appetite for sugary foods is waning in favour of low-sugar products, according to new Mintel research revealed at the Food Ingredients Europe show in Paris.
Following a favourable scientific opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), formulators will soon be able to use the natural protein sweetener and flavour modifier thaumatin in a broader range of applications.
A report by health select committee MPs has called for bold and urgent action on child obesity, which includes a sugar tax - but industry has slammed the report as displaying a "worrying lack of understanding".
After three days of debates, seminars and demonstrations at Food Matters Live, there are major challenges and themes the industry needs to reflect upon - we've rounded up some of the most compelling.
The European food industry has published voluntary research principles to ensure robust and transparent science – but questions remain over how they will be put in place and enforced.
The UK government appears ready to ditch an industry-led, voluntary approach to tackling obesity for something “more challenging,” the Deputy chief medical officer hinted last week.
The UK's Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has changed rules to allow firms to target obese adults for the first time with ‘responsible lifestyle weight loss programmes’.
By Ewa Hudson, head of health and wellness research at Euromonitor International
Is organic still selling? Does the 'natural' trend mean fortified/functional food is now passé? And why are consumers turning their noses up at better for you (BFY) offerings? Ewa Hudson, head of health and wellness research at Euromonitor International,...
Nearly three quarters of the food and drink marketing seen by children in Scotland is for junk food, according to new research that the Scottish Government will use to push for stricter UK-wide advertising rules.
Stevia extracted from the leaf can be scaled up to compete with other methods – and is more in line with consumer perceptions of stevia’s naturalness, say researchers and industry.
A number of specific foods including potato chips, refined grains, processed meats, and soda are all associated with excess weight gain, finds new research.
Equipping participants with micro-cameras would improve the accuracy of dietary intake assessments and strengthen confidence in results, researchers behind a pilot study have said.
A study suggesting men consuming two or more sugary drinks per day are more likely to suffer heart failure does not provide conclusive evidence, say medical professionals while industry calls it 'unhelpful'.
A Spanish advertising watchdog has upheld a ‘no added sugar’ claim for a dessert containing sweetened chocolate – a questionable interpretation and clear breach of EU law, warn food lawyers.
Barry Callebaut lowers its growth outlook and predicts a challenging year ahead as high cocoa prices and high finance requirements hit 2014/2015 profits - despite solid sales growth.
Product reformulation, an advertising ban and restrictions on promotions are expected to be the main focus of the government’s childhood obesity strategy.
French retailers have unveiled an alternative 'simplified' nutrition label which rivals the five-coloured label and banishes the red traffic light that they cast as discriminatory against certain foods.
The EU sugar reform will harm public health by flooding the market with cheap sugar and tempting manufacturers to reformulate – an agricultural policy that takes into account public health is needed, say researchers.
New research suggests obese children can rapidly improve markers of metabolic health by reducing sugar but not calories; however experts have issued caution over the quality of the study.
People in Sweden fall into one of three dietary camps - a ‘healthy dietary’, ‘Swedish traditional’ or 'light-meal' pattern - a national dietary survey of 1740 adults has found.
"No single action will be effective in reducing sugar intakes," concludes Public Health England's report which recommends cutting price promotions, junk food advertising and setting a sugar tax. We look at some reactions to the findings.
All the evidence shows that sugar taxes decrease purchases and curb obesity– but restricting price promotions and junkfood advertising could have an even bigger impact, concludes Public Health England's report to the UK government.
Thinking of food in black and white terms such as ‘health’ and ‘unhealthy’ can hinder weight management by encouraging an 'all or nothing' approach to eating - so what does this mean for food labels?
Extracted or fermented, blended or pure, stevia can take many forms - and the arrival of EverSweet will mean even more possibilities for positioning the sweetener, says Cargill. But will it get past the EU's regulatory roadblocks?
UK city Brighton is urging food businesses to levy a 10p voluntary sugar tax on sugary drinks in a bid to address “the devastating harm caused by sugar addiction”.
The UK government is calling on businesses, scientists and agricultural producers to submit their proposals for salt, sugar, fat and fibre reformulation with the chance to win up to €13.5 m in funding.
Research highlighting the variation in soft drink sugar content around the world – a difference of as much as 29g sugar (7 teaspoons) per 330ml for the same brand in different countries - has been released by campaign group Action on Sugar.
The Finnish government has said a tax on sweets and ice cream in the country will be scrapped at the start of 2017 after the European Commission said the tax unfairly advantaged producers within the country.
The UK's Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) will begin a public consultation on new rules for marketing junk food to children in early 2016 amid growing concerns over children's diet, it has announced.
Consumption of sugary drinks that contain high levels of added sugars can lead to excess weight gain and higher risks of developing diabetes and heart disease, says the most comprehensive review of evidence ever undertaken.
FoodDrinkEurope will continue to take a ‘holistic’ approach to improving the health of Europeans with a new commitment to trigger further industry action on making food healthier, it says.
The British government has no plans to tax sugary drinks, despite an online petition receiving more than the 100,000 signatures required to spark a parliamentary debate on the issue.
People who drink diet beverages may compensate for the absence of calories in the drinks by feasting on extra food that is loaded with high levels of sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, say researchers.
Poor diet and high blood pressure are the top two contributors to early death around the world, with high salt intake a ‘key component’ in raising blood pressure, according to a study published in Lancet Journal.
Heinz has removed the word ‘healthy’ from adverts for sugary biscotti for babies – but the campaigner who filed the complaint has slammed the powerlessness of advertising regulators and impunity of Heinz as the word will remain on the packaging.
Lowering the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) by at least one serving per week could help to improve markers of cholesterol, according to new research in school children.
Celebrity chef Jamie Oliver has put the spotlight back on sugar with a call for a tax on sugary drinks – but industry has accused him of simplifying a complex problem.
Return to school can be an abundant time for food and drink makers, but stakeholder actions are rupturing market safeholds as health concerns rise, says Euromonitor analyst Lauren Bandy in this guest article.
SIG Combibloc & Nestlé Mexico expand ‘Coffee Mate’ range
Beverage portion sizes are decreasing due to consumer concerns about sugar and calorie intake and plant-based alternatives to dairy products are finding a ready market with consumers, according to SIG Combibloc.
When it comes to cutting levels of obesity-related heart disease and death, it’s time to stop counting calories, and start to make simple changes that improve the nutritional value of diets, argue public health experts.
Mounting scientific evidence and a shift in public opinion could mean fructose is set to follow the same black-listed fate as trans fats, argues an analyst.
A high energy intake from total fat, saturated fat and monounsaturated fat in middle and older age increases the risk of malnutrition ten years later, say Swedish researchers.
