Breaking News on Industrial Baking & Snacks

FAO forecasts cereal output to fall 2.8 per cent

Tighter supplies will lead to rises in prices for maize and coffee, while the cost for rice, wheat, milk, oilcrops and milk will remain stable or fall, according to the latest forecasts from the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

New flavour tool from Symrise opens up opportunities in product development

Number four flavour house Symrise builds a tool that brings new opportunities in product development for food technologists through a stronger understanding of the complex nature of foodstuffs, writes Lindsey Partos.

CSM restructures subsidiary Purac

Dutch bakery ingredients firm CSM marches forward in its restructuring programme, announcing today that its next target for change will be subsidiary Purac Nederland.

Food allergy scientists to improve food formulations

Food makers using potential food allergens in their formulations will benefit from the findings of a new food consortium, reports Lindsey Partos.

Tesco fine acts as warning to bakers

Lax health and safety measures left UK supermarket giant Tesco with a legal bill of £50,000 (€75,000) on Monday, after a member of staff lost the top of a finger in a bakery machine.

Saturated and trans fats, a risk factor for diabetes?

Diets high in saturated and trans fats could be a major risk factor in the development of type 2 diabetes, say Canadian researchers, reports Lindsey Partos.

Back-bite free scone mix launched in UK

A new scone formulation, promoted as producing scones with a more buttery taste, has been launched in order to mark the scone's 500th anniversary in the UK.

Organic foods get clearer standards in UK

Standards for organic foods get an overhaul as the UK's industry body responds to calls for clarification.

Monday comment

Claims, claims, claims

As lawyers circle the food and drink industry like a fatted calf, the first lesson for those preparing for defence is that it is not so much what you sell that matters, as how you sell it.

EU ministers reject Brussels move on GM foods

Ongoing divisions over GM ingredients once again evident in Europe as EU ministers throw out an attempt by the Commission to overturn bans on growing legal GM crops currently in place in a handful of member states, reports Lindsey Partos.

Research shows metabolic benefits of low-carb diet

The high-protein, low-carb approach to weight loss has been underpinned by new research from Australia showing that it can provide overweight women with greater nutritional and metabolic benefits than a high-carbohydrate diet, reports Jess Halliday.

Authorities publish fresh food product data on acrylamide

Food makers to gain from new data on presence of the potential carcinogen acrylamide in a wide range of food products as US authorities release fresh data.

Low-GI product launches climbing in UK

Australia is currently the most dynamic market for low-GI product launches but the UK appears to be catching up, writes Dominique Patton.

General Mills attacked for misleading health ads

A controversial national ad campaign from General Mills looks likely to run into trouble with the health lobby, writes Anthony Fletcher.

WHO backs GM foods but warns that risk assessments needed

Adding fuel to the already heated debate on GM foods and ingredients, the UN's World Health Organisation claims genetically modified foods can contribute to enhancing human health and development.

Europe's food agency confirms excess salt risk

Joining the lively salt debate scientists at Europe's food watchdog today issues an opinion concerning the upper limit for sodium intake and confirm current consumption levels are a risk factor in heart and renal diseases, reports Lindsey Partos.

UK doctors join chefs in fight against childhood obesity

British doctors called yesterday for a ban on unhealthy food and drinks in vending machines and on junk food advertising and sponsorship to help slow the alarming weight gain in children, writes Dominique Patton.

OECD projects price increases for agricultural products

Stiffer competition between countries exporting wheat, oilseeds, sugar and livestock will intensify over the next ten years, bringing down prices, according to forecasts by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the UN.

Brits turn toward premium foods

An increasing British indulgence for premium food, drink and personal care items means manufacturers should concentrate on new product development and marketing the luxurious aspects of products, according to a new study by Datamonitor, reports Ahmed ElAmin.

Tray machine provides all-in-one package

Multivac's Traysealer T350 WL is a new version of the company's T 350 model, which automates packaging, weighing and labeling in the same machine.

New conveyer belt targeted at small food products

Intralox's new Spiralox 2700 conveyer belt features smaller surface openings for conveying small food products, including fajita meat, popcorn-style shrimp, chicken nuggets, cookies, other smallbaked goods and small containers.

Pumpable sugar targets industrial bakers

Industrial bakers on the hunt for a pumpable invert syrup to ease production will welcome a new launch from UK sugar firm British Sugar.

Sudan 1 risk still present in EU food chain

Europe's food alert system last week detects several batches of the banned red colour sudan in the food chain, months after the UK faced its biggest food recall ever, writes Lindsey Partos.

Monday Comment

The Age of Consent for RFID

The image of secret radio chips planted inside the home from larder to bathroom, transmitting data freely to Corporation Inc, is enough to curl the toes of more than anti-capitalism activists.

Californians clash over acrylamide labeling

A Californian environmental group has threatened to sue food manufacturers unless they place acrylamide warning labels on certain products, writes Anthony Fletcher.

New bag inserter saves time for industrial bakeries

A new bag inserter designed for use in industrial bakeries will reduce time and labour, leading to increased efficiency and lower costs, claims its manufacturer, Pattyn Packing Lines.

Scientists kick off global effort to map wheat genome

Unleashing potential gains in quality and sustainability for this common food, scientists will embark on a new project to track the wheat genome.

EU to seek prior approval for food enzymes

A European regulation on food enzymes, which would demand dossiers of safety and technical information on each enzyme prior to their approval on the market, could be published by the Commission by the end of the year, reports Dominique Patton.

Britons go nuts for natural health booster

The health benefits of nuts, and their promotion as part of the so-called 'GI diet', are boosting sales in the UK to record levels.

Cut food waste to cut costs, says researcher

Reducing waste throughout the food industry could lead to a more efficient supply chain, a cut in costs and an increase in profits, says food loss researcher Dr Timothy Jones.

CSM sheds activities in Nordic area

Dutch bakery ingredients leader CSM continues to slash non-profitable activities, announcing yesterday that it will close its BakeMark sales office in Finland as part of its restructuring of the Bakery Supplies activities in the Nordic area, reports Lorraine Heller.

Australian wheat on comeback

Australia's threatened wheat supply has a chance of survival after rainfall in parts of the country has produced a glimpse of hope in the midst of the third worst recorded drought, writes Lorraine Heller.

BakeMark UK to eliminate trans-fats

BakeMark UK, the UK's leading supplier of bakery ingredients and frozen bakery goods, announced yesterday that it will eliminate hydrogenated fats from its entire manufactured product range, reports Lorraine Heller.

Cargill innovation taps health market growth

Cargill has developed an ingredient that enables manufacturers to add the healthy benefits of whole grain nutrition to foods while preserving the sensory qualities of foods made from enriched corn flour, reports Anthony Fletcher.

Nestlé Germany discontinues Nutrel products

Nestle's German unit has discontinued a new nutrition bar brand because of weak demand, according to a report.

Men blind to obesity health risks, difficult target for slimming products

Makers of weight loss products are failing to reach the biggest group of overweight people - men.

Comment

Highway to health

Parked on the hot coals of public opinion, the food industry can lose no time in proving how healthy its products are.

Smell of fresh bread and fast food influences behaviour

Demonstrating again the power behind our sense of smell, researchers find the smell of fast food wrappers, fresh bread and pastry can lead a driver to road rage, writes Lindsey Partos.

US bakers and suppliers launch initiative to reduce costs

A new initiative to bring American bakers and suppliers closer together is designed to cut costs and improve profitability, reports Lorraine Heller.

Food takes majority slice of pocket money

Children in the UK spend more than a third of their pocket money on sweets, snacks, drinks and takeaways, find new statistics from the country's national number crunching body, reports Lindsey Partos.

Australian drought threatens wheat supply

Australia, the world's second largest wheat exporter, may be facing up to a 30 per cent fall in its grain production this year, says a report released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economies (ABARE), writes Lorraine Heller.

Animal feed grains to be focus of IGC conference

Developments in the global animal feed industry and their estimated impacts on international trade in grain will be among the key topics to be addressed at the UK's upcoming International Grains Council (IGC) grains conference.

Resistant starch may speed up fat-burning

Resistant starch could help people burn more fat and speed up metabolism, says a researcher, offering significant benefits to the growing numbers at risk of obesity-related disease, reports Dominique Patton.

Lycopene gets go-ahead from UK for food use

The tomato-derived ingredient lycopene is safe for use in a range of foods including yoghurts, cheese, bread and cereal bars, says an expert panel in the UK.

Comment

Who is afraid of GMOs?

It is a perversion of the 21st century that while affluent societies continue the quest to slice the fat from their increasingly obese populations, five million children die from hunger each year, and more than 850m people go chronically hungry.

High vitamin B intake cuts risk of colorectal cancer

Women who consume significant amounts of vitamin B6- often found in fortified cereals- can cut their risk of colorectal cancer, especially if they drink, according to new research, writes Dominique Patton.

Grants to promote UK grain usage

Grants of up to £50,000 (€73,000) are available to companies launching new products that would result in additional UK grain usage.

Snack makers to pay for health advertising?

Food manufacturers in the UK should be forced to pay for health awareness advertising to counterbalance the promotion of their unhealthy products, doctors said on Thursday.

Machine maker sales are turbo charged

Business is booming for UK-based Turbo Systems, which makes machinery mainly for bakery, ready meal and dairy processors in UK and across Europe, reports Ahmed ElAmin.

Northern Foods hit by fall in profits

Northern Foods, one of the UK's leading suppliers to Marks & Spencer, yesterday announced a sharp fall in annual profits after a year of tough restructuring.

Consumers turn away from crisps and snacks

The decline in the UK crisp and snack market could well last for several years, predicts a new report, but there is some room for growth in premium products, writes Lorraine Heller.

Childhood obesity figures provide new impulse for obesity strategy

Around half a million European children are suffering from health problems often associated with later life because they are overweight or obese, a European congress on obesity heard yesterday.

Eating breakfast builds healthy bones, say studies

The American Dietetic Association is seeking to stir up debate over the nation's breakfast tables. Girls who skip breakfast are more likely to miss out on dietary sources of calcium and fiber than those who regularly eat the first meal of the day, according to a study in the June issue of its journal.