Breaking News on Industrial Baking & Snacks

Low-carb diet could improve cholesterol levels, say scientists

A new clinical trial from the US has reported that a low-carb diet improves cholesterol levels, as a second study in a week reports health benefits for this once bright star of the diet world.

Tate & Lyle year profits hit by sugar reform

Tate & Lyle's full year profit fell by 79 per cent to £ 42m due largely to reform of the European sugar market.

Could micronutrients be the future of diet design?

Planning diets around key micronutrients like amino acids could be the future of diet design and a way to help the fight against obesity, says research published in Science.

Weekly Comment

Food industry must face its faults

The food industry must be honest if it is to convince consumers - and audiences - that it is not the corporate monster portrayed in the media.

Increase in UK confectionery purchases

Household purchases of confectionery in the UK were up by 1.8 per last year, according to new research from Defra.

Low carb diet may not weaken bones, says study

Sticking to a low carbohydrate diet does not lead to weakened bones over a three-month period, say US researchers - a result that may prove to be only a brief glimmer for this fading star of diet fads.

Healthy food shows further growth in UK

The average UK citizen spends £34.31 per week on food and drink and is increasingly spending this money on healthier foods, according to a recent Defra report.

Salt reduction

The politics and the science of salt reduction

The decision by Unilever to slash the salt content of its ubiquitous Pot Noodle snack underlines the current trend in the UK - but is this trend based on sound science or just political pressure?

Salt reduction

MacGregor: Why salt reduction is vital

Graham MacGregor, professor of cardiovascular medicine at St George's University of London, tells FoodNavigator why the salt content of food must be reduced.

BASF expands crop biotech capabilities

BASF's acquisition of CropDesign, a Belgian biotech company, will help establish the German chemical giant as a leader in the development of important crop traits in corn, soy bean and rape seed.

Blueberries could stop liver cancer growth

US scientists report that blueberry extracts inhibited the growth of liver cancer cells in the lab, potentially adding to the growing list of health benefits for the 'superfood'.

Salt reduction

EuSalt: Why salt restrictions are not necessary

Robert Speiser, director of EuSalt, tells FoodNavigator why he strongly disputes the need for salt intake restriction guidelines.

Frutarom expansion drives sales growth

Israeli flavours giant Frutarom has attributed its solid 2006 first quarter results to an ambitious acquisition strategy.

Nestlé expands nutritious snack business

Nestlé is to strengthen its presence in the Australian nutritious snack market through the acquisition of the nation's Uncle Tobys snack business.

Oil firm AAK results up as streamlining continues

Fat and oil manufacturer AarhusKarlshamn (AAK) yesterday announced an increase in interim net sales, but the recently merged firm says it is still working on streamlining its operations.

Culinar develops fat-reducing food flavour system

The demand for low-fat food has significant implications for the flavour industry, as Culinar technical manager Ian Olof Lundberg explained last week.

UK committee needs more time for folate decision

The road to fortification of bakery products with folate in the UK looks less clear as the FSA's Scientific Advisory requested more time to review evidence on dosage, despite a positive preliminary report last month.

Cereal and snack focus

Roquette opens its doors to healthy snack ingredients

Roquette, a global leader in starches, has developed new ingredients designed to help snack makers tap the health trend, as FoodNavigator discovered on a visit to the group's headquarters in Lestrem, France.

Cereal and snack focus

Cereals and snacks at the forefront of the health revolution

Cereals and snacks are at the cutting edge of the healthy eating debate, as highlighted by this week's European Parliament Plenary vote and a high-level industry conference on meeting consumer demands.

Cereal and snack focus

Moroccan snack market ripe for expansion

Europe is beginning to take notice of the North African snack market, which is increasingly receptive to new products and ideas.

Cereal and snack focus

Limagrain invests in high-tech cereal breeding

Limagrain, which has invested heavily in research designed to breed healthier crops, believes that the future is bright for the cereals sector.

Food fortification regulation nears approval

Legislation to harmonise vitamin and mineral fortification levels across EU member states looks set to be adopted within weeks, following this week's favourable vote by the European Parliament.

Danisco extends trans fat-free range to cake sector

Danisco's extension of its European trans-free fat solutions comes on the back of growing interest in the development of healthier snacks.

Cholesterol-lowering sterols to enter new food categories

Cholesterol-lowering plant sterols look set to appear in more product categories in Europe, since the EC Commission has given the green-light for their use in dietary supplements and rye breads.

Bakery company settles federal refrigerants suit

A third baking company made a settlement this week with the US government over its use of ozone-depleting refrigerants.

CSM to put millions into US style bakery products

CSM is to invest almost €20m to expand production capacity for its American style bakery products, as the company continues its restructuring process after a disappointing 2005.

Simply change ingredients to reduce acrylamide, say researchers

Substitution of certain ingredients could reduce acrylamide content of finished products by as much as 70 per cent, say Swiss researchers.

Marketing focus

Vitafoods 2006: kids driving the health revolution

Healthy eating is no longer motivated simply by self-interest. Family welfare has become the overriding concern, and children have become the real driving force behind the health trend.

Greenhouse gas trading data points to problems

Preliminary data from the first year of the EU's greenhouse gas trading scheme has highlighted problems in the allocation of plant outputs and in the tracking of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

The secret behind mega-brands

'Mega-brands' have become so imbedded in the consciousness of American consumers that they continue to dominate and shape the food industry, despite often being at odds with the USDA's Dietary Guidelines, according to an expert in nutrition science.

NutraIngredients.com wins food industry award

NutraIngredients.com has been named Website of the Year in the prestigious 2006 Business Food and Drink Journalism awards.

Marketing Focus

Vitafoods 2006: target your health products carefully

Food firms must carefully target their health food products to specific sectors of the population if they are to succeed, delegates at this week's Vitafoods event learned.

EU-US debate self regulation on obesity

An EU-US conference on obesity, being held in Brussels today, will attempt to draw conclusions on whether industry self-regulation can work.

Successful TV ads increase childhood obesity, report

A report published this month confirms that television is effective in getting children to eat the foods advertised, driving up the association between television viewing and childhood obesity.

Kraft and Premier Foods eye United Biscuits

US food giant Kraft is partnering with Britain's Premier Foods to launch a bid for United Biscuits, according to industry insiders.

Vitafoods 2006: Food industry must take action on salt

The food industry must take responsibility for the continued excessive consumption of salt, according to professor Graham McGregor of St Georges University of London.

Sara Lee sees Q3 profits tumble

Yesterday American-owned Sara Lee reported a massive 77 per cent drop in third quarter operating profit from $189m last year to $42m in 2006, impacted by a vast portfolio cull.

Sara Lee negotiates European meats sale

US food and consumer goods producer Sara Lee announced Friday it has entered discussions with Smithfield to sell its European meats arm, following a drop in the division's anticipated selling price.

Spicing up could lower blood pressure

The commonly used spice cinnamon could lower blood pressure in hypertensive people, researchers report for the first time, results that have been heralded by industry.

Aspartame safe for consumption, food agency concludes

The EU's food safety agency today said aspartame is safe for consumption, contradicting a scientific study by the Ramazzini Foundation that claimed the artificial sweetener caused cancer.

Glycaemic index review could help food makers

A new review could help food developers and technical managers appreciate how dietary fibre influences the glycaemic index of foods, especially cereal products.

Salt reduction 'not beneficial' during pregnancy

Recent scientific research does not support the common assumption that women should lower their salt intake during pregnancy to reduce the risks for developing pre-eclampsia or oedema, according to a recent forum.

European countries united on functional food innovation

The European Commission is funding to strengthen innovation in functional and health foods in the food industry, with opportunities to join still open.

Splenda increases presence in Norwegian beverage market

Norwegian soft drinks manufacturer Lerum is launching a new range of no-added-sugar dilutable fruit drinks sweetened with Splenda sucralose.

Unilever reports flat operating profit

Operating profit was flat while sales rose only two per cent in real terms for Unilever, which said yesterday its profit rose six per cent in the first quarter of this year.

Cadbury buoyed by ECJ tax ruling

The opinion of an advocate-general of the European Court of Justice on UK anti-tax avoidance rules could benefit multinationals such as confectioner Cadbury Schweppes.

M&M's taps white choc demand through cinema tie-up

M&M's brand confectionery plans to unveil a white chocolate variety in order to tie in with the upcoming US release of the movie 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest'.

'Bubble' chocolate set to take on the US market

A new aerated chocolate product is set to be unveiled at this year's 2006 All Candy Expo in Chicago.

Oil type explains variations in trans fat levels

Levels of trans fats in fast food products varies from country to country, according to a recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Polish GM bill 'violates EU regulations'

The Polish parliament's proposed ban on the sale and registration, but apparently not planting, of biotech seeds, will likely violate EU regulations, according to a USDA foreign agricultural service GAIN report.

Connecticut governor pledges to back soda bill

State governor Jodi Rell has pledged to sign a bill that would make Connecticut the fourth US state to ban sales of sodas and other sugary beverages in state elementary, middle and high schools.

Bakkavor satisfies acquisitive appetite

Icelandic manufacturer Bakkavor has purchased two British food producers in as many days, securing its position as the UK's largest chilled foods supplier.

Health bodies join lobby against junk food ads

Two of Australia's leading health bodies say the government should introduce stronger regulation to restrict junk food advertising and improve education about proper nutrition to fight the alarming rise in childhood obesity.