Sugar politics means high prices are a bitter pill for US and Indian sweet food and beverage makers; while the European industry is sitting pretty on the back of the recent sugar reforms.
Firmenich has extended its collaboration with Senomyx over the development and commercialisation of sweetness enhancers, with a view to helping reduce levels of sucrose, fructose and rebaudioside.
Researchers claim to have discovered a particular gene variant that could affect sweetness perception among different ethnic groups, raising the possibility of more targeted flavor profiling of foods.
Symrise has launched a new toolkit of flavour masking solutions to help food manufacturers to overcome the off-notes and aftertaste associated with stevia-derived sweeteners.
Children's incessant desire to eat sweets has entrenched biological roots, with new research explaining their preference for sugary foods could be linked to actual physical growth.
Fresh evidence from researchers in the US suggests that substituting refined sweeteners with unrefined equivalents in food formulations could raise disease-fighting antioxidants in consumer diets.
An article published in the British Medical Journal today has dismissed the commonly held belief that sugar causes hyperactivity in children as a ‘medical myth’.
Associated British Foods (ABF) has announced that it has reached an agreement with Ebro Puleva for the acquisition of its Spanish sugar business, Azucarera Ebro, for €385 million.
While there has been more optimism hovering over the post-reform EU sugar industry this year, ABF cites the new regime as having an on-going effect on the profits of its sugar division.
Associated British Foods is not discounting rumours that it is interested in acquiring Ebro Puleva’s sugar division, saying it is a logical market conclusion that it would be in the frame.
French sugar and food solutions company Tereos has confirmed it is
hoping to acquire Danisco's sugar business, and that it is bidding
against Germany's Nordzucker.
Galam is aiming to expand its fructose sweetener brand in the US as
new supplies come on-stream that can meet demand for natural
sweeteners, particularly for beverages.
A growing body of research is questioning the usefulness of
low-calorie sweeteners in stemming weight gain, according to an
editorial in JAMA, which could have an impact on diet food
development.
Ingredients firm Tate & Lyle has entered an agreement with Fiji
Sugar Corporation for the supply of 300,000 tonnes of raw sugar per
year till 2015, amid developments in the EU sugar regime.
Some food and beverage manufacturers may switch from high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS) to sugar as a result of high corn prices, but
this is only likely to be the case for relatively small scale
users, according to a consultant.
Spanish food group Ebro Puleva has proposed to sell or spin-off its
sugar business at a time when stability has returned to the
European sugar industry.
Senomyx has reported a 98 percent increase in revenue for the first
quarter of 2008 over the comparable period in the previous year,
owing to the flavor specialist's collaboration with Ajinomoto and
two new partnerships.
Citizens for Health, a US consumer advocacy group, has launched an
online campaign to warn consumers about the dangers of genetically
engineered (GE) sugar beets in food products.
Cargill has reported strong growth for its third financial quarter,
largely due to increased demand for agricultural commodities in
developing countries as well as swelling global energy needs.
Real Good Food today reported a drop in profits for 2007, which the
UK-based firm blamed on ongoing EU sugar reforms as well as the
escalating price of raw ingredients.
The use of xylitol, a natural sweetener linked to dental health,
could prevent the formation of undesirable brown pigments and
enhance beverage formulations, suggests new research.
More than half of consumers say they are willing to switch to
sugar-free versions of traditional confectionery lines, which
suggests that sweeteners are no longer considered a 'niche'
ingredient in sweets, claims Beneo Palatinit.
Associated British Foods (ABF) will renounce permanently 165,000
tonnes of UK sugar production following the changes made to the
European sugar reform.
Cosun's Suiker Unie is to close its sugar factory in Groningen, The
Netherlands, as part of measures to reduce production in line with
the new sugar regime.
The Sudzucker group has reported a 18.3 per cent increase in sales
for the first nine months of its year thanks to special products
and fruit preparations, while sugar was responsible for a big drop
in operating profit.
Senomyx has added five new patents covering the use of the human
bitter and savory taste receptors to its belt, which will help it
develop new flavor ingredients.
American Sugar Refining (ASR) has acquired a mill and refinery in
Mexico which will boost the firm's output by some 75,000 tons, and
allow it to take advantage of Mexican and US market integration.
Symrise has developed a sugarless version of its Evoglass flavor
encapsulation technology, catering to growth in the sugar-free
confectionery and packaged foods market.
Talks are under way in Hungary aimed at returning 50 per cent of
the country's sugar quota to the restructuring fund, in light of
the latest sugar reforms announced by the European Union.
Wild said yesterday manufacturers can now use a new logo
on products containing its fruit-based sweetener, claiming it
would allowing them to promote the health benefits
of a natural low glycemic index (GI) sugar alternative.
Fructose supplier Galam has formed a partnership with Tat Nisasta,
a Turkish starch, glucose and isoglucose manufacturer, to meet the
increasing global demand for fructose.
Israeli fructose supplier Galam Group will take a majority share in
the Spanish company Atomer SL, building on the market demand for
natural sweeteners with a low Glycemic Index and calorie count.
Manufacturers that use 'sugar free' claims on their product labels
must ensure that they also include the appropriate calorie
information, said the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this
week.
Orafti has announced a price increase for its Beneo fibre
ingredients in response to increasing raw material and energy costs
- a measure it says it has tried to stave off as long as possible
but which is now inevitable.
Syngenta has developed a variety of sugar beet for cultivation in
tropical climates that is expected to boost output and farmer
income, and has initiated two products to develop its use for food
and biofuel in India.
Flavor technology firm Senomyx is developing a sweetness enhancer
that aims to reduce the levels of sucralose in food and beverage
applications, providing significant cost benefits to manufacturers.
Palatinit has been given the green-light for Palatinose to be used
in Australia and New Zealand, giving industry there the
opportunity to use the ingredient in popular low-glycaemic foods
and drinks.
Food and beverage manufacturers will now be able to cut the level
of sodium by up to 50 per cent in some products thanks to new
Flavor Modulation Technology developed by Mastertaste.
A rising global demand for sugar is set to be met by an increase in
production, leading to a more stable market and
prices, forecasts the Food and Agriculture Organisation
(FAO).
Food firms and industry associations are stepping up a campaign to
reform the US sugar policy, urging Congress to reject proposals
that would increase the cost of sugar price supports.
A new orange flavor claims to allow beverage makers to bring the
taste of freshly squeezed orange juice to their products, a flavor
that has remained elusive in the past, says manufacturer
International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).
Senomyx, a developer of novel flavor ingredients for the packaged
food industry, has been granted a patent for a technology that
makes foods taste sweeter, the US Patent and Trademark Office has
announced.