The UK's Joint Health Claims Initiative has reduced the minimum
amount of soy protein required in a product for the soy health
claim, allowing a greater number of foods to display the
cholesterol-lowering message.
Manufacturers on the health wagon will welcome news this week that
food scientists have designed free radical beating crisps, complete
with an oregano flavour.
Sweden's Cerealia Foods has increased its health offering with the
acquisition of five companies focused on vegetarian, organic and
healthy food products.
Belgian firm Cosucra Groupe Warcoing is exiting the sugar beet
processing business to concentrate entirely on added value
ingredients for health foods, it announced this week.
World wheat production in 2003 is set to beat the figure set in
2002 by 3.6 per cent, according to the Food and Agriculture
Organisation of the United Nations (FAO).
Bread fortified with a variety of vitamins and omega-3 DHA has been
launched by independent UK bakers Warburtons. The loaf is designed
to help increase DHA intake among pregnant women.
Nestlé has introduced its low-fat, high-fibre breakfast cereal
Nestlé Fitness to the Singaporean market. Containing key vitamins
and calcium and iron, the product is targeted at health-conscious
women.
A panel of Dutch scientific experts has positively approved
Bakkerij Veenhuis' request for a health claim for the Vitaalbrood
Flora range of bread products containing Sensus' Frutafit inulin.
Research now underway will provide the means to develop novel forms
of bread, and other foods, which contain increased amounts of
soluble fibre, making them far healthier than they currently are.
Researchers in the US have pointed to growing consumption of
'nutrition' bars and functional beverages as a risk to health -
claiming some products cause oral health and obesity problems.
The heated debate on the labelling of foodstuffs in Europe and the
thorny issue of health claims was fired up once again this week
when UK press reports suggested that new proposals from the
European Commission outline tough new measures.
Snack bars have evolved rapidly over the last few years, and have
been one of a number of products to quickly adapt to the growing
demand for healthy products, according to a recent report from
Mintel.
Positive links between oats and heart health figure highly in the
mind of the consumer, according to a recent survey conducted by the
US Natural Marketing Institute.
The UK snacks sector is coming under increasing pressure from
competing markets with sugar and chocolate confectionery
particularly hard hit by the consumer desire for a healthier
lifestyle, according to a new report from market analysts...
A new brand of organic bread has been launched in Belgium which
will also help protect the environment via a link up with the
Belgium arm of the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Consumers might be interested in healthy bakery products but are
still not buying enough to merit dramatic changes in the production
for the bakery industry, reports a recent poll carrried out by
BakeryNet.com.