Breaking News on Industrial Baking & Snacks

Oat science leads to new functional foods

Dutch retailer Albert Heijn is launching a bread carrying a cholesterol-lowering health claim based on its oat beta-glucan content, writes Dominique Patton.

New starch could cut costs

A new potato starch launched on Friday by the Dutch starch company Avebe could help lower costs and improve baking stability in bakery creams and fruit filling products, writes Lorraine Heller.

Lack of funding threatens health and safety

Injuries at bakeries will be a major focus for 2005/6, says the UK's industry inspection body, yet the unions believe there is even less funding this year to implement health and safety regulations, writes Lorraine Heller.

Wholegrains better than other heart health foods despite high GI

People who eat wholegrain foods regularly can have a 20 to 40 per cent lower risk of heart disease and stroke compared with those who rarely eat wholegrain foods, according to a new review, reports Dominique Patton.

Whey protein for longer shelf life and softer bars

A whey protein additive that keeps nutritional bars soft could help food makers break into what is a lucrative and highly innovative market, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Cargill buys Romanian oilseed processing plant

Acquisition-hungry Cargill has announced it will acquire an oilseed crushing, refining and bottling company in Romania.

Missed breakfasts and hectic lives drive snacks

A new report from market analyst Datamonitor reveals that UK consumers are continuing to abandon traditional sit down family meals in favour of snacks.

Dieters go for low GI, nutritionists still wary

The glycaemic index (GI) is emerging as a new weight loss regime, despite the belief of some nutritionists that there is not enough science to demonstrate it can effectively control weight, writes Lorraine Heller.

Corn Products misled market, claims lawsuit

A lawsuit has been launched against ingredients giant Corn Products International, alleging that one or more of its directors violated federal securities laws by issuing false and misleading statements to the market.

Ireland to follow neighbours' initiatives against obesity

Ireland is the latest European state to call for new guidelines on food labelling and a ban on vending machines in schools in order to slow down the growing rise in obesity.

New opportunities for gluten-free market

Consumer demand for gluten-free products continues to surge, presenting a significant opportunity for bakers targeting this niche market, writes Lorraine Heller.

Kraft introduces new products for South Beach Diet

The leading US food maker Kraft Foods is putting its weight behind the increasingly popular South Beach diet, launching a new line of foods for people following the regime, reports Lorraine Heller.

Millers and bakers resolve differences to beat challenges

UK millers and bakers, often at loggerheads in the past, are increasingly working together, presenting a stronger front to challenges facing their industry, reports Lorraine Heller.

Monday comment

Time for a fair trade

The UK government must introduce a compulsory new supermarket code ofconduct if it is to make up for past mistakes and save the food industryfrom a spiral into anti-competitive practices.

DNA test tackles deadly cereal disease

A new DNA-based test could make the identification of fungi that cause Fusarium head blight (FHB) in cereal grains far easier to detect.

Trans fats raise gallstone risk?

Trans fatty acids could 'modestly' increase the risk of gallstone disease, say US researchers, providing yet more evidence to encourage food makers to remove these fats from food formulations.

Stanelco markets new tray heat sealing technology

A former UK manufacturing company has found another use for its radio frequency technology - sealing plastic tray packages of perishable food for supermarkets, retailers and grocers.

Detroit 'fat tax' unworkable, claims food industry

Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's plans to place a tax on fast food has been dismissed as a cosmetic exercise to help cover the city's budget deficit, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Food labels and healthy signposts, food industry waits for consensus

UK food agency launches 'the largest research project to date', to establish the clearest route for food makers to use food labels to flag-up healthy foods.

Danish sugar giant to wind up beet operation

Functional flavours and ingredients manufacturer Danisco, one of Europe's largest sugar suppliers, is to cease the processing of sugar beet at one of its sites in Lithuania, Tom Armitage reports.

Functional bread gains footing in France

French baker Paul has launched bread containing omega-3 fatty acids as functional products gather pace in France's boulangeries, despite some industry and public scepticism after years of poor product development, reports Chris Mercer.

Regulatory experts seek optimism in latest stage of health claims law

Functional food makers need to take a critical look at the level of substantiation behind the health claims they are using to guarantee their survival under a new European regulation, reports Dominique Patton.

Rising costs dent Domino's Pizza margins

Rising ingredients prices dampened a strong first quarter sales increase for Domino's Pizza, the world's biggest pizza delivery firm, yet health may be the industry's biggest challenge in 2005, reports Chris Mercer.

Sweetener blend from Tate & Lyle targets cereal bars

Cereal bar makers looking to slash carbohydrate and sugar levels could find the solution in a new 'rebalance system' from sweetener supplier Tate & Lyle, the company claims, writes Lindsey Partos.

Rice bran oil to cut cholesterol

A form of vitamin E found naturally in rice bran oil lowers cholesterol in rats, according to a new study.

Healthy sandwiches head UK snack sector

The drift towards grazing and away from sit-down meals is not yet ended in the UK, with health-oriented sandwiches continuing to drive forwards a market that already accounts for one third of the nation's food and beverage sales, writes Lorraine Heller.

Fat in diet boosts metabolism

Fat consumption in the diet can lead to healthy blood levels of sugar and cholesterol, say researchers.

Food labs push out Para Red tests

Reacting rapidly to the discovery of the banned colour Para Red in processed foods, UK food laboratory RSSL has a new method to help food makers detect this potential carcinogen, reports Lindsey Partos.

New labelling regime driving up product recalls

Tough new labelling regulations concerning allergens may be driving up the number of product recalls by UK's food producers, warns food safety consultancy RSSL.

Kraft puts money into flavor research

Kraft Foods is helping to finance a seat at the Monell Chemical Senses Center, which should help scientists - and food companies - to learn more about the intensity and quality of flavors.

New cheaper enzyme could double shelf life

German firm AB Enzymes has launched a new enzyme preparation which claims to extend the shelf life of baked goods and significantly reduce manufacturers' production costs, reports Lorraine Heller.

Cost-saving insulation promises a greener future

A new environmentally friendly form of insulation for packaging and freezing applications provides between five and seven times the insulation capacity over current technologies, writes Anthony Fletcher.

Food agency pulls more Para Red products

The trickle of food products contaminated with the illegal colour Para Red continues in the UK, with the country's food agency identifying nineteen more food products for recall yesterday, writes Lindsey Partos.

RHM plots stock market floater

The owners of Britain's RHM, Doughty Hanson, have begun preparing the food group for a stock market flotation later this year after implementing pension reforms and cutting away dead wood, says a report in the UK's Financial Times.

Food maker cuts costs with automatic pumping

A UK food producer has installed a low-maintenance pumping solution in order to achieve greater efficiencies and extend profit margins.

Changing carbs for protein helps reduce stomach fat

Substituting a modest amount of protein for carbohydrate may reduce abdominal obesity, say researchers reporting on data gathered from a diverse multi-ethnic population.

OatVantage delivers best intestinal viscosity

Nurture's OatVantage ingredient can lower the risk of coronary heart disease more than any other commercial oat product, according to a company-funded study carried out at the University of Minnesota.

Food firms falling behind in ability to innovate?

The food industry is falling behind in its ability to innovate, claims an article in this week's The Economist.

'Organic', 'low/no sugar' labels are key to success

Organic and low/no sugar are the tags food manufacturers should be looking at adding to their packaging if they want their products to enjoy strong and sustained growth, said AC Nielsen.

Marketing and health keep Kellogg rising

Kellogg has increased sales and profits in its first quarter through clever pricing and strong marketing investment, helping the firm to forge ahead in healthy snacks and beat off private label competition in cereals, reports Chris Mercer.

Illegal Para Red colour detected in Tesco brand

Number one UK retailer Tesco recalls own brand of rice cake product after detecting illegal, and harmful, Para Red colour.

Bioplastics event signals dawning of new packaging era

Bioplastics trade association IBAW claims that the inaugural special exhibition Bioplastics in Packaging was a major success at Interpack 2005.