Israel-based company Salt of the Earth has introduced a reduced-sodium salt, coloured with fruit and vegetable extracts, intended to help children learn to reduce the amount of salt they add to foods.
Roquette is set to introduce high lipid algal flours as ingredients in bakery, sauces, beverages and prepared meals, to reduce fat, replace common allergens and cut costs.
A sugar tax is the best way to combat excess sugar consumption which doctors agree is partly to blame for growing global obesity and diabetes rates, according to a report from Credit Suisse.
Chloride intake may also be an independent risk factor for heart disease. But in this case the risks are lower, and may counterbalance those of sodium in salt, say researchers.
Oil-filled hydrogel particles could help food producers slash the level of fat used low-calorie in products without affecting taste or texture, say researchers.
Industry efforts to reduce the amount of salt in foods are unlikely to work to reduce salt consumption to levels backed by public health advocates, according to new research that suggests salt intake is regulated by the body’s needs rather than by the...
Sugar, salt and fat reduction have topped the research agenda for most large food companies for years – but when it comes to replicating the flavour of these crucial ingredients, it’s still early days.
Increases in childhood obesity levels, in part due to high intakes of fructose, may also have a dramatic effect on brain funcitoning and academic performance, warn researchers.
A novel food-grade oleogel made of cellulosic polymer, surfactant and oil could be used to substitute trans fats in foods, according to new research backed by Kraft Foods.
Genetically influenced responses to sweeteners may mean that food and beverage companies require a range of artificial sweeteners to accommodate different consumer tastes.
Sugar reduction – rather than substitution – is an area that fits well with consumer concerns about sugar, and big brand moves in the area could spur action from smaller players, according to Mintel.
Salt reduction campaign group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) has been slammed by ham producers for potentially putting people’s lives at risk by calling for immediate further reductions in the salt content of ham and other cured meat products...
The government is planning a public education campaign to help consumers understand the new hybrid front-of-pack (FoP) nutrition labelling scheme the Department of Health (DH) recently launched to stem rising obesity levels.
Ingredients and strategies for reducing salt are much more complex than those available for reducing sugar, according to analyst insight from Euromonitor International.
For Justin Woolverton, founder and CEO of premium ice cream brand Halo Top Creamery, life had become too sweet and too sour at the same time. A dissatisfaction with his career path and a dietary restriction landed him in the freezer aisle.
A better understanding of the complex functions that sugar fulfils in a chocolate product is required by manufacturers before they can reliably develop a high-quality sugar-free chocolate that is acceptable to consumers, say researchers.
The way a food’s flavour is perceived is not just about its basic ingredients – colour contrast and even the type of cutlery used can also influence taste, according to new research.
The Coca-Cola Company and JV partner PureCircle have discovered and made progress in developing a new stevia-based food ingredient Rebaudioside X and are seeking GRAS approval for it in the US.
A high intake of dietary fructose may lead to ‘rapid’ liver damage from bacteria even in those who do not gain weight, according to new data in monkeys.
Europe is the world’s biggest market for food emulsifiers as food manufacturers have ramped up fat reduction efforts, according to a new report from RnRMarketResearch.
Metabolic changes brought on by a high intake of dietary sugars may set us on 'a pathway to heart failure', according to new research in rats and human cell lines.
Industry’s assertion that there are still technical barriers to salt reduction is often just an excuse to avoid further reformulation, claims the chairman of CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) Graham MacGregor.
The food industry has manipulated dietary advice on added sugars for profit – and the advice itself is in urgent need of an overhaul, asserts a new commentary published in the Journal of the British Medical Association (BMJ).
The ability to modify the micro- and macro-structure of food products using hydrocolloid science offers the food industry a plethora of opportunities to make healthier and better tasting foods, say experts.
Fraunhofer researchers in Germany have come up with a new method of adding omega-3 fatty acids to sausages, to allow German consumers to continue eating their favourite foods, but with the main nutritional benefit of fish.
A significant number of foods marketed to children in the UK are higher in fat and sugar than foods marketed to adults, suggests new research published in Public Health Nutrition.
People tend to choose larger portions of foods when they are marketed as ‘healthy’, suggests new research led by a team from the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland.
Food industry encouragement of physical activity in obesity prevention should be welcomed, according to an obesity expert who spoke at the European Congress on Obesity in the UK on Monday.
Formulators seeking reduced-sugar cookies that are also acceptable to consumers may consider inulin to replace some of the sucrose, but erythritol isn’t a valid option, suggests new research from Spain.
DISPATCHES FROM THE 2013 INNOBEV GLOBAL BEVERAGES CONGRESS, WARSAW, POLAND
New UNESDA president Dominique Reiniche, also president of Coca-Cola Europe, warns that opponents ‘trying to put chains on our freedom to innovate’ risk stifling the development of the European soft drinks industry.
Despite decades of research and debate, there are still questions about the suitability of population-wide salt reduction. Can some people safely consume more salt than others?
Salt content in foods should be clearly labelled to help consumers to choose low-salt options – but food makers should continue to embrace a ‘stealth health’ approach, according to international programme lead for World Action on Salt and Health (WASH)...
Special edition: Sodium reduction - The road ahead
Cost and the lack of a ‘silver bullet’ are still cited as an issue for reduced-sodium food, with savory products in general struggling with the challenge, but plenty of application-specific solutions abound, say industry players.
Dutch researchers have developed an at-home system for consumer testing of new food products, claiming it could be a more reliable way of predicting product success.
Special edition: Sodium reduction - The road ahead
Food manufacturers have spent a small fortune reformulating everything from bread to soup to reduce sodium in recent years, but new data suggests that US intakes have nevertheless continued to rise steadily.
Advertising sodium reduction claims on food labels may increase a consumer’s purchasing intentions, says a new study from Canada that contradicts the industry strategy of ‘stealth’ sodium reduction.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a new report outlining European salt reduction strategies – and while most countries are following EU guidelines, there are still big differences between policies.
Policies aimed at reducing intake of trans fat are working to reduce consumption and are likely to have an effect on public health, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has said in a new systematic review.
High intakes of red meat repeatedly have been linked to heart disease, but new research suggests that along with saturated fat and certain preservatives, l-carnitine is another red meat constituent that may contribute to cardiovascular risk.
Our approach to food is ripe for reinvention – and the food industry is just at the beginning of what it can achieve through innovation, according to Microsoft mogul and co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Bill Gates.
Food manufacturers should be encouraged not only to cut salt, but also to increase potassium levels in foods, according to new studies published in the British Medical Journal.
Better use of multiple emulsion systems could help industry to develop better functional foods by reducing levels of fat, sugar and salt whilst also providing ways to incorporate bioactive compounds, researchers say.
Further research on artificial trans fat and heart health is not necessary, claim the authors of a new review – but there is a need for more research in several other areas related to trans fat.
9TH INNOBEV GLOBAL BEVERAGES CONGRESS ADDRESSES KEY ISSUES
Health, the environment and consumer choice are the three main issues facing today’s soft drinks industry, according to InnoBev Global Beverages Congress 2013 organizer Zenith International.
