Eating just one packet of crisps everyday is equivalent to
'drinking' five litres of cooking oil a year - that's the message
UK charity, the British Heart Foundation (BHF), are giving
consumers in a bid to halt unhealthy...
The demonisation of spinach following last week's E.coli outbreak
could give salad-dodgers the excuse they have been looking for to
skimp on their recommended five to nine portions of fruit and veg a
day. Without communication...
A year of acquisition and investment has proved profitable for UK
bakery company Finsbury Foods but now the group plans to further
build sales by targeting the growing health sector.
Changing its entire cereal portfolio to whole grains last year
presented General Mills with a huge opportunity, but also a number
of challenges, said the firm, which yesterday explored the steps
leading up to the launch of its whole...
In today's competitive food industry, healthy products mean healthy
sales but the scramble to keep up with the obesity backlash can
have dangerous repercussions.
The market for nut or wheat-free bakery products could see a slump
within the next decade if research into the eradication of food
allergies is successful.
Another petition has been filed in recent weeks requesting
immediate action to protect popcorn factory workers from the
lung-disease causing butter flavor diacetyl.
Reducing the variety of snack foods available to consumers could
reduce the pleasure associated with them, cut consumption, and help
fight obesity, suggests a study.
Children should be protected from exploitative marketing techniques
used on the Internet, according to a new report from the
International Obesity Task Force.
Soaring obesity rates are creating opportunities for food and
beverage manufacturers to expand the number of products that
contain sugar substitutes, according to a new market report.
Food can polarise opinion more than most issues, but can we please
have some balance and debate, rather than mudslinging and crop
burning to get to the truth?
After a recent boost in French walnut production, combined with the
growing popularity of the nut among consumers, producers should be
celebrating - but bad news came this week in the form of a
government report indicating supply...
British farmers and bakery firms can breathe a sigh of relief as
the risk of crop contamination from mycotoxins is low this year,
according to an industry organisation.
The International Grains Council (IGC) has been forced to lower
grain estimates announced last month as conditions in the worldwide
grain market worsen.
American-owned food group Sara Lee is going back to basics with a
new marketing campaign designed to remind food lovers of the joys
of eating - shirking the trend towards functional foods.
As food manufacturers inch closer to the holy grail of low-calorie,
trans-fat free flavor-fantastic products one has to ask how we
veered so far from the common sense of fresh home-cooked meals.
Cereal giant Kellogg's has been told to change or ditch an advert
for one of its flagship brands after 19 complaints were made to an
advertising regulatory body.
Products containing meat and poultry will now be able to feature
the Whole Grain Stamp, after the US government announced it was to
expand the list of goods eligible to use the eye-catching symbol.
Bakeries in Australia and New Zealand may be required to use only
iodised salt in the future, if a proposal from the countries' food
regulator is approved.
Saw toothed grain beetles could decimate British crops and lower
supplies for bread manufacturers if growers fail to implement
proper post-harvest procedures.
Food scientists are becoming a rare species in Britain, and things
won't change unless schools and food firms start telling young
people there is more to food than a supermarket depot.
Allergy experts in Germany met last week to develop a comprehensive
strategy for combating the condition through spreading information
and conducting further research.
One of the UK's leading crisp manufacturers, Walkers, has been
reprimanded by an advertising authority for 'misleading' adverts
detailing the reduced salt content in its crisp brands.
Snacks including sweets and potato chips will not be sold in school
canteens throughout Russia from September of this year, under a new
initiative announced by the country's chief sanitary doctor,
Gennady Onischenko.
European biscuits and snack manufacturer United Biscuits has become
the latest bakery company to eradicate harmful trans fats from its
products, tying in with the industry drive towards healthier
production methods.
Last week's comment on the food industry's role in the rising
obesity epidemic has generated a flood of responses from readers
agreeing with or disputing our position that the industry deserves
a break. Some of the comments...
Despite uncertainty regarding European grain production, three
countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are
becoming increasingly vital suppliers to the world market.
Kettle Foods, the company behind the popular Kettle Chips brand,
looks set to be acquired by private equity firm, Lion Capital - a
sign of its growing importance in the healthier snack market.
Laying the blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food
industry has become a convenient mistake, and until this is
recognized there is little chance of controlling the growing
obesity epidemic.
Unilever yesterday reported a decline in second-quarter operating
margins, as the company continues to spend on marketing in a bid to
boost lackluster sales.
Russian traders are buying stocks of wheat at well above export
prices in a bid to capitalise on a potential surge in prices,
following a difficult summer for European grain production.
A small UK bakery has landed a contract to supply the retailing
giant ASDA as they keep up with the consumer trend for homemade
luxury bakery products.
Eating snacks outside of set meal times may be due to irregular
switching on of genes in brain that 'expect' food at irregular
hours, a result that has implications for obesity.
Industry giants are locked in a "fish oil arms race" to develop genetically modified crops that could challenge the supremacy of fish as the best source of omega-3 fatty acid, with both BASF and DuPont reporting progress in the field.
The short sighted failure of greedy WTO trading partners to achieve
any sort of meaningful agreement on global agricultural tariffs is
bad for Europe's food industry.
The world's leading cereal producer Kellogg's has posted a three
per cent rise in second quarter net earnings, as strong sales in
the Americas help compensate for rising commodity costs.
The UK-based International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) has warned
snack food manufacturers that reluctance to address the growing
obesity epidemic could hit them where it hurts - their sales
figures.
An Australian research team has reported that a low-GI
carbohydrate-rich diet leads to weight loss of five per cent or
more and reductions in 'bad' cholesterol levels.
Functional foods are generally defined as products imbued with
additional nutrients with health-promoting properties. But the
industry needs to be wary of foods that present no actual health
benefit from piggy-backing on the popularity...
Europe's leading food manufacturers and retailers are expected to
announce they plan to shun soy grown illegally in the Amazon that
is resulting in depletion of the rainforest.
Scottish food manufacturer, Macphie, has cut all hydrogenated fats
from its range of ingredients supplied to the baking industry, in a
move that will tap into a market concerned about health and dietary
issues.
Swiss manufacturer Nestlé is building new factories in Brazil and
West Africa to manufacture products for low-income families, said
chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe.
The Internet is offering a wealth of information to more and more
people, but also an avenue for irresponsible businesses to exploit
consumer health concerns.
The general trend towards healthier eating has resulted in American
consumers turning away from carefree snacks, and opting instead for
healthier products, according to Snack Food Trends in the US, a new
report by Packaged Facts.
UK sales of organic food have risen by 30 per cent this year to
almost £1.6bn (€2.3bn) according to a new report from the Soil
Association - and bakery manufacturers are catching the trend.
In the wake of UK government concerns over childhood obesity and
pressure from health watchdogs, crisp manufacturers have been
pursuing healthier alternatives to kid-friendly brands.
