Breaking News on Industrial Baking & Snacks

New partnership to yield biobased succinic acid

CSM and BASF have joined forces to develop biobased succinic acid and expect to start producing commercial volumes and quality in 2010.

Tray-Pak acquisition points the way to growth

Tray-Pak, the US-based custom thermoformed plastic packaging manufacturer has been acquired by TPC Partners.

Salt-stressed yeast leads to bigger, softer bread: Study

Exposing Baker’s yeast to a salt solution prior to bread baking can improve the volume, texture, taste, and aroma of the finished product, says a new study.

Weekly comment

The benefits of a probiotic witch hunt

Get your pitchforks ready! There are evil-doers out there! We’ve been conned: Probiotics don’t work. Dannon’s settling out of court, EFSA’s rejecting health claims, and the media is starting a witch hunt.

Folic acid may also boost baby’s behaviour

Recommendations to increase folic acid intakes during the early stages of pregnancy may reduce mental and emotional health problems in children, says a new study.

Health and natural keep US market resilient

Health and natural ingredients are driving growth in the US food and drink market, which remains dynamic despite the recession.

Here’s the scoop: Ice cream is next for stevia

Stevia could soon be adopted by ice cream manufacturers, claims a partnership of ingredient developers which believes it has overcome the technical challenges of producing frozen desserts using the natural sweetener.

Low-fat options expand with seaweed bead breakthrough

Microparticles made from seaweed may provide low-cost fat replacers for food and texturizers for beverages, as well as delivery vehicles for value-added bioactives, suggests new research.

News in brief

Cadbury boss makes veiled attack on Kraft’s brand of capitalism

Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer told a fair trade conference in London on Thursday that taking away its “principled capitalism” would destroy Cadbury’s appeal, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper.

Strain breakthrough points to gluten-free sourdough

German scientists have identified two strains to produce amaranth-based sourdoughs, potentially opening the way towards new gluten-free formulations.

Emulsifier alternative slices cost of bread production

DSM Food Specialties says it has developed a new enzyme preparation which will offer bread manufacturers a "cost-effective and sustainable alternative" to emulsifiers CSL and SSL (calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylate).

Cadbury tells Kraft to bid or back off

Cadbury has approached the UK’s Takeover Panel, asking it to impose a deadline for Kraft to make an offer.

The science of sweetener blends

Achieving the ideal sweetener blend is a scientific undertaking, making or breaking a product’s acceptance. In the second part of our special series on sweetener blends, FoodNavigator look at what makes a blend a success.

Functional system enables dairy-free pizza toppings

Cargill new functional system to replace dairy proteins in cheese analogues for pizzas, there by reducing food firms’ vulnerability to dairy price fluctuations.

New gluten to offer formulation enhancements

A low-salt, low-fat gluten ingredient is being developed in Australia, with the potential to offer formulators a product with a lighter colour and enhanced texture.

Danisco combines emulsifiers, gums & systems

Danisco is merging its emulsifiers and gums & systems divisions under one Enablers umbrella so it can tap a bigger pool of resources for innovation and operations.

Weekly comment

Are health claims curbing freedom of speech?

The US FDA is being sued over its health claims regime – actions that are unlikely to succeed according to most pundits – but they raise serious questions about healthy food messaging and free speech that are being felt globally.

GM could save US wheat industry, says report

Biotechnology (GM) could reverse the decline in US wheat production and safeguard supplies for the food chain, a new report has concluded.

Soy fiber gives tortillas health boost plus cost savings, says Solae

Solae has released a new soy fiber ingredient for use in tortillas and flat breads to increase shelf-life, yield, and provide cost-savings, while also tapping in to consumer demand for healthier products.

News in brief

World’s biggest burger enters record books

A Michigan restaurant has entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the biggest burger ever sold, according to a Press Association report.

Revolutionary food dehydration kit expands product range

Manufacturers of a ‘revolutionary’ food dehydration system are bidding to expand the technology to a host of new foodstuffs after working with 15 companies to determine the benefits of the equipment.

Special edition: Market insights

CPL: Deciphering the European cholesterol-lowering market

The European cholesterol-lowering market presents many opportunities for food supplements and functional foods despite threats such as statin drugs and a tough new health claims regime, says Dr Robert Harwood, principal consultant at UK-based CPL Business Consultants.

Vegetable protein needs more energy efficient processing, says study

Meals based on pea protein make a smaller contribution to global warming and are better for soil than animal protein meals, but they fall down on energy use, says a new Swedish-Spanish study.

News in brief

Imperial Sugar fits packing equipment at rebuilt plant

Imperial Sugar has confirmed that all its packaging equipment is now on site at its Port Wentworth site in Georgia as rebuilding nears completion.

News in brief

US packaged snacks tipped for tasty 20 per cent growth by 2013

Retail sales of packaged snacks in the United States will reach nearly $82bn within four years; a 20 per cent increase on last year’s level, according to a new report from the latest Packaged Facts report from Marigny Research Group.

Cadbury confident despite Kraft bid

Cadbury has given a confident presentation of its stand-alone strategy in the midst of speculation that the company is unlikely to hold onto its independence following Kraft’s failed take-over bid.

Amino acids may cut acrylamide, boost flavour

Proline, an amino acid found in wheat flour, may reduce the formation of acrylamide by 80 per cent, suggests new research from the UK.

Swiss pasteurization promises safer UK snacks

Higher food safety standards are claimed for Imperial Snack Foods (ISF) processed nuts, seeds, and dry fruit after it’s investment in a large pasteurization plant to equip its Wolverhampton, UK, processing site.

New cranberry technology tackles tartness

A Wisconsin-based company claims it has developed a method to significantly reduce cranberry acidity without using chemicals or additives, which could lead to low- and no-sugar cranberry products.

Few Americans eat enough grains: Survey

Only four percent of Americans are getting their recommended six servings of grains a day, according to a survey from Harris Interactive commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation (GFF).

Big retail backs gluten-free

More demanding consumers and opportunity-hungry retailers are driving innovation in the gluten-free market, according to the chief executive of British charity Coeliac UK.

Cadbury slams Kraft bid and business model

Cadbury has labelled Kraft “a low growth conglomerate” in a letter restating its rejection of the food giant’s £10.2bn ($16.7bn) takeover bid.

Weekly comment

Bisphenol A: Hearts versus minds

Forget GMO and nanotechnology - the biggest food safety issue of our times is bisphenol A (BPA).

Bakery mixer upgrades boost performance and ease of use

Improved product quality and operational efficiency are benefits claimed by manufacturers Baker Perkins as a result of upgrades to a mixing and forming system for high output bakery plants.

Premier Foods forges cutting edge traceability deal

Premier Foods has devised a bespoke traceability system for its Hovis bread range in partnership with global supply chain firm Zetes.

Cognis launches aerating agent for cake mixes

Cognis is launching a new blend of emulsifiers to give volume to cake mixes, concentrates and retail mixes that is said to be especially suitable fat containing batters and can withstand vigorous beating.

New recycled APET tubs allow stacking and boost presentation

Claimed to be “a design breakthrough,” the new range of packaging for bakery and confectionery products is said to be easier to stack, improve presentation while being more environmentally friendly than other offerings, according to manufacturers Sharp Interpack.

Kraft defiant over Cadbury valuation

Kraft Foods has defended its valuation of the Cadbury business and insisted that it remains the most logical buyer for the UK confectionery manufacturer.

New enzyme blend to boost volume for bakery

Mühlenchemie is launching a new enzyme blend to help compensate for fluctuations in flour quality, increase volume of baked goods, and reduce emulsifier use.

Weekly comment

Acrylamide: The consumer health scare that isn’t

Consumers love to get their teeth into a good health scare. So how is it that acrylamide has slipped under the radar?

Kraft Foods launches Cadbury takeover bid

Kraft Foods has confirmed it has had an initial takeover bid for Cadbury rejected but said it intends to work towards a deal that would create a $50bn food industry powerhouse.

Tapioca ingredient tweaked for lower fat pastry

Ulrick & Short is launching an adapted version of its Delyte F fat replacer for tapioca to reduce the fat content in both sweet and savoury shortcrust pastry.

Crop forecast promises good walnut supply

Walnut users and growers are preparing to celebrate a good harvest, according to the California Walnut Commission (CWC), following the release of promising USDA crop estimates.

News in brief

Omega-3 bread targets school kids

Norwegian baker, Bakers, has launched an omega-3 fortified bread – its second – aimed at school-aged children.

Barentz Europe brings ingredients under ‘Barentz Production’ banner

Barentz Europe has formed a new production division that formally brings together its three ingredients businesses under the same management – Barentz Ingredients, Vitablend and LI Frank.

Cereal makers lobby FSA to stop salt warning ads

Leading cereal manufacturers in the UK are meeting the Food Standards Agency (FSA) today to urge the body to pull a £3m (€3.44m) advertising campaign on salt consumption.

Premier Foods and WRAP team up to tackle bread waste

WRAP and Premier Foods plan to work together in the UK to discovery why consumers throw away so much bakery food and formulate a strategy to tackle the problem.

Tax soft drinks and snacks to fight childhood obesity, says IOM

The Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council have recommended taxing high-calorie, low-nutrient food and drink in order to combat childhood obesity, in a new report released on Tuesday.

American snacking on the up, says NPD

Americans are snacking more than ever and the trend is set to increase as ‘grab-and-go’ foods become more varied and easily available, according to new report from the NPD Group.

Climate change could devastate US crop yields: Study

Climate change could result in severe shortages of two of America’s most important grains, according to the authors of a new study published online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

US snack market shows healthy growth, says report

American consumers are reaching for more snacks, and even in the recession organic and premium options are selling well, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.

Weekly comment

Sugar and strife – not so nice if the price is not right

Sugar politics means high prices are a bitter pill for US and Indian sweet food and beverage makers; while the European industry is sitting pretty on the back of the recent sugar reforms.

News in brief

Health Canada begins acrylamide monitoring

Health Canada has begun the first phase of its monitoring program for acrylamide content, following the chemical’s inclusion on the nation’s toxic substance list last week.