EU article 13 health claims register

222 EU health claims become law; experts predict “tsunami of cheap innovation”

16-May-2012 - It’s official. Companies have six months – until December – to comply with the controversial European Union article 13, general function health claims register which today won final approval from the European Commission.

Comment

Vitafoods: EU nutra space wriggles into new health claims clothes

15-May-2012 - Vitafoods celebrates its 15th birthday next week. It’ll be my 11th consecutive May visit to Geneva for the jamboree and promises to be one of the most intriguing chapters with the (partial and belated) resolution of years of ambiguity regarding health claims in Europe.

Swedes debut oat protein on price-reliability premise

11-May-2012 - Swedish company Biovelop International AB has debuted an oat-based protein it says offers price competitiveness and supply benefits.

Biothera: ‘Using vitamins and minerals alone to support immune claims is not enough’

13-Apr-2012 - US food and beverage manufacturers have not been put off making immunity claims despite the fact that they have plunged several big brands into legal hot water, according to immune health expert Biothera.

Enzyme can prolong bread shelf life up to two weeks, claims Mühlenchemie

03-Apr-2012 - German firm Mühlenchemie has developed a baking enzyme that it claims can increase the shelf life of bread by up to two weeks.

DuPont champions alternative hydrocolloids as guar replacers

08-Mar-2012 - Amid sky-high prices and shortages of guar gum driven by an unprecedented surge in demand, food formulators have renewed focus on finding replacers and DuPont is championing use of alternative hydrocolloids.

Sterol and stanol players defend safety record after German review call

21-Feb-2012 - Sterol food players Unilever and Raisio are surprised Germany’s food agency has called for a safety review of the cholesterol-lowering ingredient when, they say, the job has already been performed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

Germany calls for plant stanol-sterol safety review over heart health concerns

20-Feb-2012 - Plant sterol and stanol consumption by those like children who do not have raised cholesterol could itself lead to heart problems, the German foods safety agency has said.

Cargill welcomes EU barley beta-glucan-cholesterol claim as innovation driver

19-Jan-2012 - Agrofood giant Cargill is alerting the world to look out for more food labels bearing its Barliv-branded barley beta-glucan in 2012 after winning a positive cholesterol-lowering opinion from the European Union science agency last month.

Exclusive interview

Beneo board: “Let us not forget that functional food responds to a clear demand of the consumer”

20-Dec-2011 - In the first part of this exclusive interview, Beneo Group executive board member, Yves Servotte, explains how European Union health claim rules have informed strategic thinking at one of Europe’s biggest and most vocal ingredient vendors.

Slovenian firm reaps rewards of “huge” health claims investment

16-Dec-2011 - Valens, the Slovenian ingredients and supplements manufacturer, is celebrating its barley beta-glucan, LDL cholesterol-lowering health claims victory, it says would not have been possible without a “huge investment”.

Comment

Lobbyists, start your engines: Can a new health claims formula be won in the European Parliament?

12-Dec-2011 - Five years ago the European Union nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR) became law. Around the bloc, hopeful EU healthy foods and supplements stakeholders submitted more than 44,000 health claim applications.

Ulrick & Short launches new functional fibres

25-Nov-2011 - UK-based clean label ingredient specialist Ulrick & Short has launched a new range of functional specialist fibres targeted specifically at the dairy industry, and based on wheat and oats.

Kellogg’s to boost vitamin D levels to 25% RDA in its cereals

28-Oct-2011 - Kellogg’s UK “evolving fortification” policies have led to a commitment made today to boost vitamin D levels in a range of children’s breakfast cereals to 1.25 micrograms – or 25% of the UK recommended daily intake (RDA).

Bleaching flaxseed meal improves food ingredient uses: Study

30-Sep-2011 - Lightening the colour of protein rich flaxseed meal by bleaching it with hydrogen peroxide will improve the potential for using it as an ingredient in foods, say researchers.

New plant to double Dutch healthy bar maker capacity to 300m

26-Sep-2011 - Europe’s leading specialist healthy bar manufacturer – VSI – will open a new facility in January 2012 that will double its capacity to 300m bars per year.

Nutrient powerhouse baobab attracts cereals big gun

21-Sep-2011 - Baobab – the African superfruit packing an unparalleled nutritional punch – is being tested by a major player in the cereals sector and is set to feature in a clutch of new launches later this year from granola to chocolate covered fruit snacks.

Scientists find way of producing good quality breads with prebiotic effect

08-Sep-2011 - A new study has shown that rye or wheat bran fortified breads treated with a particular xylanase can yield good quality breads with a prebiotic effect.

Breakfast cereals boost nutritional intake in low income populations: Study

23-Aug-2011 - Breakfast cereals make a significant contribution towards the micronutrient intake of the low-income UK population, according to new research.

Folate fortification linked to lower colon cancer risk

18-Aug-2011 - Increased intakes of folate following the introduction of fortification in the US was associated with a reduction in the incidence of colorectal cancer, says a new analysis.

Raisio H1 EBIT jumps 73%

16-Aug-2011 - Finnish supplier Raisio has turned in a bumper half-year with earnings before interest, tax and depreciation (EBIT) surging from €10.3m to €16.2m – a 73% rise.

EFSA health claim opinion

Kraft chews on article 13.5 glycaemic health claim win

27-Jul-2011 - Kraft Foods Europe is the second company to win a positive article 13.5 proprietary and emerging science health claim opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) with a submission linking starch and glycaemic response in baked products.

Natural colours drive Chr Hansen Q3 results; probiotic uncertainty continues

06-Jul-2011 - The newly renamed Natural Colors Division was the star performer in Danish ingredients supplier Chr Hansen’s Q3 results, showing 34% organic sales growth for the quarter, compared to 5% for Cultures and Enzymes, and 9% for Health and Nutrition.

Research gaps means cereal based probiotic benefits for infants unclear: review

05-Jul-2011 - Data gaps are preventing a comprehensive assessment of the risk and benefits of probiotics in processed cereal-based baby foods, finds a Norwegian food safety body, which has flagged up the need for randomized placebo-controlled research.