UAE largest food consumer in GCC region
Food plays a huge role in Middle Eastern society, from celebrations to hospitality and pleasure pastimes, and consumer demand is booming across the region.
Archives for October 28, 2013
Fish out of water as CFIA suspends licence
Canadian Smoked Fish (1994) Inc., has had its operating licence suspended over food safety concerns.
Less than 20% of consumers account for almost half of organic sales
Across the board, consumers are embracing natural and organic products more and more, with natural/organic retail sales reaching $81.3 billion in 2012, up 13.5% from the year before.
Stonyfield packaging overhaul highlights absence of ‘toxic pesticides’
Organic yogurt maker Stonyfield is rolling out new packaging hammering home its organic credentials with a new logo featuring the phrase ‘no toxic pesticides used here’ following research suggesting 74% of Americans would like to eat food produced with...
Nutrition policy expert: Switch to healthy oils now - before regulation
A nutrition policy expert has urged bakers to switch to healthy oils for fat replacement in bakery to make up for under-consumption and preempt future regulation.
China concludes 'successful' tests on transgenic rice
Transgenic rice tests conducted by China’s Agricultural University have brought no abnormalities after 90 days of test according to researchers involved in the programme.
Big Interview: Todd Beckman, cofounder and COO of GoodBelly
Consumer education on probiotics critical: GoodBelly founder
In a country like the US where 60 to 70 million people have digestive issues, and roughly 20% of the population suffers from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (though only a third seek medical attention, according to the National Institutes of Health), the...
SEC investigating Chinese infant formula promotion ‘expenditures’: Mead Johnson
Mead Johnson Nutrition has revealed that the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is probing “certain expenditures” relating to the promotion of infant formula products by its business in China.
60-second interview: Dr. Sandy Chien, VP Innovative Products, HORN Nutraceuticals
HORN prepares to launch cinnamon-extract for reducing blood sugar response to starchy meals
As part of our special edition on blood sugar, Elaine Watson caught up with Dr. Sandy Chien, VP Innovative Products at California-based HORN Nutraceuticals, which is introducing a new cinnamon-based blood sugar control ingredient called MealShape to the...
Nutritional labelling requires nutrient level reference points, says study
Consumers may only benefit from nutritional labelling schemes that use reference point information at the nutrient level, warn researchers who find that only this information can have a 'significant' impact on evaluations of healthfulness.
Nestlé to shut frozen meals plant following horse meat scandal
Nestlé has said it will shut a French frozen meals plant after consumer trust took a hit and sales plunged in the wake of the horse meat scandal.
Packaging manufacturer expands into Middle Eastern market
One of the largest chicken producers in Saudi Arabia has teamed up with one of Europe’s leading multi-material packaging manufacturers, LINPAC Packaging, in a new deal that looks set to have great impact on both the companies’ presence within the region,...
Russia could liberalise import policies following departure of sanitary chief
Russia could become more open to meat imports than ever before following the sudden departure of the country’s chief sanitary inspector Gennady Onishchenko, according to experts.
Don't change our treats! Smaller portions better than reformulation for confectionery, says dietitian
Confectioners should reduce portion sizes rather than reformulate since indulgent treats help us enjoy our diets, says a dietitian.
5 Criticisms of the OEE Metric
Last week, after ThomasNet's R.P. Siegel quoted an LNS Research blog post in his article, "Is OEE An Effective Metric for Assessing Industrial Production?" we decided to ask our followers on Twitter for their thoughts on the topic. The tweet sparked an...
Samjo starts up new plant with eye on China’s bakery market
Korean food firm Samjo Celltech is set to begin production of sauces and seasonings at its new plant in the Chinese city of Weihai in eastern Shandong Province, the company said on Monday.
SODA BEHEMOTH MEETS 'INCREASINGLY DIVERSE' CONSUMER DEMANDS
‘Major milestone’ as Coke inaugurates largest China bottling site
The Coca-Cola Company is set to open a $106m site in China’s Hebei province and says its bottling activities across five provinces although it to meet ‘increasingly diversified’ consumer needs.
The Australian vegetarian: Thin, sober and moody
More and more Australians are turning vegetarian, part of what is a slow but steady trend towards meat-free – or at least, meat-minimal – living in Australia, new research has suggested.
Toddler milk sector welcomes EFSA rejection of toddler milks
The European group that represents manufacturers of milk products aimed at 1-3 year olds has welcomed last week’s European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) opinion, even though it essentially rejected toddler milks in favour of more regular foodstuffs.
NOVEL US CLASS ACTION TARGETS HIGH PRESSURE PROCESSING
Pressure situation! Hain Celestial faces $5m+ juice court claim over HPP
Hain Celestial Group is facing a US lawsuit seeking millions in damages for alleged false claims its BluePrint fruit and vegetable juices are ‘unpasteurized’ and ‘100% raw’, due to use of high pressure processing (HPP).
New rules hit Haj food supplies
The process of enforcing Saudi Arabia’s aim of employing more nationals in the private sector has had an unexpected effect on the Haj food industry this year.
Japanese rice processor in $10m US debut
Shinmei Co. Ltd is investing more than $10m in a rice processing facility in California to produce a gluten-free ‘Rice Bun’, an alternative to the burger bun, in the US.
Industry saturated fat pledge is a ‘mixed message’ and ‘bit of hype’, says obesity expert
A food industry pledge to reduce the saturated fat content in a range of foods is a ‘bit of hype’ and will fail to change diets unless more companies sign up, according to trustee of the National Obesity Forum Tam Fry.
Listeria forces spate of recalls in US
Listeria has forced recalls from four US companies in products ranging from meat to salads.
MIT to pin down the A to B of foodborne outbreaks
MIT Engineering Systems Division (ESD) has been given a $200,000 grant to better enable public health preparedness to foodborne illness outbreaks.
UK processor at centre of European row
A UK-based processor has found itself at the heart of a blazing pan-European row over the labelling of its processed meat products.