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Less salt, less fat or rich in added vitamins – great aspirations, but it’s more work to make a product that still tastes good. Although the industry has been making strides towards achieving reformulation targets, big technical challenges remain.

Special edition: Battling malnutrition

Time for mandatory folic acid fortification to go truly global?

Food fortification with neural tube defect (NTD)-reducing folic acid is mandatory in 75 nations, but concerns over cancer and other health issues mean Europe lags far behind  – a situation...

Alex Mayfield asked the DH to look elsewhere to meet salt reduction targets

Plant bakers braced for more government salt reduction demands

Bread bakers should be prepared to face further reductions in salt levels when new limits are set by the Department of Health (DH) later this year – despite hitting their...

Big interview: Kevin Cleary, CEO Clif Bar & Company

Clif Bar CEO: 'The protein trend is hot for men and women right now'

Nutrition bars enter - and exit - the snacks aisle at the speed of light these days. So how has Clif Bar managed to sustain the kind of growth rivals...

Two-stage frying process improves quality of reduced-fat chips, finds study

How to slash oil content in sweet potato chips by 60%: Study

The oil content of sweet potato chips can be reduced by 60% if vacuum fried with an additional de-oiling mechanism, finds new research.

We should get down to 2,300mg sodium/day, but data does not support 1,500mg target, says IOM

New research supports significant reductions in sodium from where most Americans are today, but does not justify population-wide reductions below 2,300 mg per day, according to a new report from...

Plant-based protein craze drives renewed interest in peanut flour

While peanut flour has been around for years, recent interest in protein - particularly the plant-based variety - has sparked renewed interest, particularly in the nutritional bars market, according to...

"Exercise is the number one predictor for keeping the weight off," says Professor Hill

Don’t dismiss industry encouragement of physical activity, says obesity expert

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.

New data proves once again that voluntary approaches to sodium reduction are not working, says CSPI

A new analysis of sodium levels in 480 packaged and restaurant foods over the period 2005-2011 provides further evidence that voluntary approaches to sodium reduction have not delivered the across-the-board...

New natural granola and cereal products to boost Post's position in natural segment

Post strengthens natural offerings with Hearthside buy

A second acquisition will further strengthen Post Holding’s position in the high-growth natural cereal segment, its CEO says.

Symphony Consulting: Growth rates of key label claims - organic, natural, gluten-free - are leveling off

Growth rates of several individual label claims under the health & wellness umbrella have started to level off, according to new research from Symphony Consulting.

Consumer paradoxes are making things tougher for industry, says R&D head at Puratos
CHEWING OVER IDEAS WITH PURATOS

‘It’s quite a challenge to satisfy consumers’: Puratos R&D head

Consumers want the best of everything and the challenge for bakery manufacturers is to address complicated paradoxes, says the head of research and development (R&D) at Puratos.

Nu-Tek: The Center for Diseases and Control says bakery has the biggest need for sodium reduction

Cain Foods partners with Nu-Tek to slash sodium in bakery

The US bakery sector can now reduce salt levels by up to 50% with access to Nu-Tek technology, says Cain Foods Ingredients.

Kraft drops its MilkBite milk and granola bars. But were they doomed from the start?

In February 2012, Kraft unveiled a category first: MilkBite milk and granola bars for the refrigerated dairy aisle combining “real milk” (and as much calcium as an 8floz glass of...

GlutenSwitch app could prompt nutritional innovation in gluten-free, says research fellow

Gluten-free app could drive nutrition innovation, says research fellow

A gluten-free scanning app in Australia could prompt industry to improve nutritional content and label on-pack, says a research fellow from the George Institute for Global Health.

Chia seeds and hemp will shift mainstream but only with spice and convenience, says analyst

‘Spice is a way to bring nuts and seeds mainstream’: Analyst

European consumers have got a taste for exotic flavors and a desire for healthier snack alternatives which means spiced nuts and seeds have enormous potential, an analyst says.

SPECIAL EDITION: RIDING THE HEALTH CLAIMS WAVE

Room to grow: Bakery sector fiber health claims

The bakery industry may prefer nutrition content to genuine health claims - a state-of-affairs that reflects the relative few claim-backed nutrients available to breads, cereals, bars and other baked products...

Manufacturers need to do more than just make health claims on pack, say analysts
SPECIAL EDITION: RIDING THE HEALTH CLAIMS WAVE

The hunt for that ‘added extra’: Pushing beyond a health claim

The health-conscious yet frugal consumer is increasingly difficult to convince, even when presented with a plethora of health and nutrition claims on pack. So, just how can manufacturers prompt that...

Health claims versus nutrient content claims - What is the choice for cereal makers?
SPECIAL EDITION: RIDING THE HEALTH CLAIMS WAVE

How are market-leading kids’ cereal firms tackling health claims?

Use of health and nutrition claims on kids' cereal is widespread, but manufacturers are using them with caution and the majority favor nutrient content claims.

Omega-3 bread launches have accounted for 7.3% of total bread introductions from 2008-2012, according to Mintel
SPECIAL EDITION: RIDING THE HEALTH CLAIMS WAVE

Omega-3 bread: Health claims, sources and dosage

BakeryandSnacks.com gives a snapshot of the omega-3 bread market and unearths the best source of omega-3, the claims bakers can make on products and how much you need to have...

Australian researchers spent five years developing the high fructan barley grain

High fructan barley holds wholegrain promise, says CSIRO

A barley variety high in fructans and positively linked to improved gut health holds promise for wholegrain foods, according to the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO).

In developed Western countries, sorghum is more familiar as an animal feed grain

Sorghum: The next big gluten-free grain?

Leading scientists have hailed sorghum as a highly nutritious and cost-effective gluten-free grain, but said industry use remains nascent.

Researchers say the new study fills a gap on data for minority US kids

RTE cereals reduce BMI in obesity-prone minority, low-income kids: Study

Obesity-prone minority US children from low-income families could reduce their body mass index (BMI) by prolonged consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals, new research suggests.

Potential to lower glycemic response in high fiber extruded snacks with barley and mushroom beta-glucans

Fibrous barley and mushroom beta-glucans reduce glycemic response of extruded snacks: Study

Fiber content of extruded snacks can be upped while the glycemic response is lowered with the inclusion of beta-glucan fractions from barley and mushrooms, finds new research.

Flaxseed may offer improvements for obese pre-diabetics

Adding flaxseed to the diet may decrease insulin resistance in pre-diabetics and help reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, suggests new data from the US and Canada.

CHOICE review finds 20% of snack and breakfast cereals marketed to children 'high' in salt

CHOICE Australia slams ‘alarmingly’ high salt levels in kids’ snacks and cereal

CHOICE Australia has slammed industry on high sodium levels in snacks and breakfast cereal targeting kids and has called for tougher action towards change.