Dispatches from IFT 2014
Gluten-free: A ‘perfect storm’ fueled by food skepticism and fad diets
Processed food skepticism and fad dieting played a big part in the gluten-free boom, says the research director of Packaged Facts.
Archives for June 29, 2014
AAK completes acquisition of CSM Benelux
AAK has announced that the agreement to acquire the oils and fats business of CSM Benelux NV will be executed on July 1st 2014.
Marketing to children: Brand knowledge and BMI relationship ‘quite robust’
The more a child is familiar with logos and other images from fast-food restaurants, sodas and not-so-healthy snack food brands, the more likely the child is to be overweight or obese, and to stay that way, say researchers.
'Land grabbing' could help feed at least 300 million people, study suggests
Crops grown on "land-grabbed" areas in developing countries have the potential to feed an extra 100 million people worldwide, new research has suggested.
Replacing sat fats with polyunsaturated fats is ‘questionable’
Researchers have questioned the practice of replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats, claiming that there is ‘much evidence’ that doing the opposite is more relevant.
BfR shares food safety knowledge in Iceland
Food safety in Iceland has been strengthened after a partnership with the German authorities.
Mariani Europe md predicts massive sales in dried fruit
US dried fruit firm Mariani will double its European business to £10M next year, before reaching up to £500M pounds in eight years, according to the company’s European md Glenn Butler.
Breaking news
Hormel Foods to acquire CytoSport and its Muscle Milk Sports Nutrition Products
Muscle Milk maker CytoSport is being acquired by Hormel Foods for a tasty $450 million.
CSPI calls for warning letters on energy drinks, but are the numbers accurate?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest is calling on the Food and Drug Administration to require warning labels on energy drink containers notifying consumers of the risk of heart attack, convulsion, and other adverse reactions.
Experts take aim at SACN, sugar reduction and reformulation at summit
International experts and policy makers will debate the findings from the recent SACN report, and whether sugar should be a priority for public health, at the Sugar Reduction Summit next week.
Mushroom cartel: EU fines canned mushroom producers in antitrust settlement
The European Commission (EC) has fined three producers of canned mushrooms more than €32 million after it ruled that they participated in a cartel to coordinate prices throughout Europe.
Microbac Laboratories adopts Veriflow detection system
Microbac Laboratories has adopted Invisible Sentinel’s Veriflow diagnostic technology for detection of bacterial pathogens in food.
Special edition: Oils & fats
Bakers on trans fat crackdown: 'There are uses of PHOs that FDA wasn't aware of'
On the face of it, the FDA’s proposal to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) - the source of most of the ‘artificial’ trans fats in the US food supply - seems like a no-brainer. But there are other ways to crack down on trans...
Ukraine chicken firm investment aims to boost flailing economy
The International Finance Corporation (IFC), of the World Bank, is lending US$250 million to Ukraine’s leading poultry producer Myronivsky Hliboproduct (MHP) to help kickstart the country’s flailing economy.
China analysis
Low margins put off leading wine brokers despite boom in imports
Although China wine market has been booming for some time, the low prices charged by online importers means few leading brokers and retailers have been tempted to enter the business.
Brands should eye up children’s gluten-free: Mintel
The market for gluten-free children’s food will be a big area for growth, predicts market research firm Mintel – but mainstream brands are yet to capitalize on the opportunity.
Continued focus needed to reduce Campylobacter and Salmonella
There needs to be a continued focus on reducing foodborne illness from Campylobacter and Salmonella, according to a report for the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA).
ExxonMobil’s Equipment Builder Group 100th anniversary
Food contamination risks can be reduced by switching to H1 food-grade lubricants
Food contamination risks can be mitigated by switching operations to food-grade lubricants which are registered H1 by global health organisation National Sanitation Foundation International (NSF), according to ExxonMobil Fuels & Lubricants.
Portable and adventurous: Snyder’s-Lance on what’s next in snacks
Snacking is becoming more of a lifestyle than simply a between-meal indulgence for time-strapped US consumers, which means more opportunity to innovate in flavor, nutrition and delivery formats for snack food manufacturers like Snyder’s-Lance Inc.
The children are our future (in tea), says Packaged Facts
Tea isn’t just for grown-ups anymore, as instant and ready-to-drink teas are paving the way for strong positioning among families, children and teens, according to a recent report by market research firm Packaged Facts.
Special edition: Oils & Fats
Chewing the fat with Columbus Vegetable Oils: ‘We had a lot of phone calls after FDA dropped the PHO bomb…’
While the food industry has been reducing partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) for years, Illinois-based Columbus Vegetable Oils still had a few panicky phone calls when the FDA “dropped the PHO bomb” (by proposing to revoke their GRAS status) last...
Special edition: Oils & fats
Partially hydrogenated oils? We have all the tools to replace them now, says Dow
A lot of food manufacturers are not happy with FDA proposals to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs). Meanwhile, the soybean industry is urging the agency to hold off until larger quantities of new high oleic soybean oil are...
Special edition: Oils & fats
Time for a rethink on saturated fat?
If the cover of TIME magazine earlier this month (headline: Eat Butter) is anything to go by, it would seem that the conversation about fat, and saturated fat in particular, is changing, at least in the media. But are policymakers sitting up and taking...
Food security report: DEFRA must take lead
Government must lead the genetically modified (GM) food debate and take a more co-ordinated approach to food security, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) at the vanguard.
Nestlé commits to paying Living Wage
Business secretary Vince Cable praised Nestlé yesterday (June 30) as the first mainstream manufacturer to gain Living Wage accreditation, recognising its efforts to pay realistic living costs beyond minimum wage.
Insight
Firm's 'bullying' response to labour claims sets dangerous precedent
This story is part of a new series of investigative reporting commissioned by FoodNavigator-Asia to follow the legalities and loopholes in Asia's produce growing and production network.
Quality, brand and health sell meat in Asia
The three key selling points for meat in Asia are “quality, brand and health”, according to Victoria Santini, head of Asia at the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD).
Australia
Cider poised to take over from alcopops
Cider’s dramatic rise in popularity among Australian consumers appears to have come at the expense of pre-mixed spirits, according to new market research figures.