The rise of organic food is a knee-jerk reaction to consumer health
fears, and threatens to unhelpfully steer us away from improving
the quality of food generally.
Europe's savoury snacks industry last week pledged its commitment
to nutrition and health and tackling obesity - but switching off
advertising is not seen as an effective solution to driving change
in the market.
Sticking to a low-carbohydrate diet with some limits of calories
has long-term benefits on body weight and blood sugar levels, says
a new study from Sweden, but a leading diabetes charity advises
against following such a diet.
Adolescents, an often overlooked population, could also be reaping
the benefits of folic acid fortification of enriched grain products
with lower levels of a marker of cardiovascular disease (CVD), says
a new study.
In the US, the role of court action in defining limits not set by
regulators is generating a flood of costly court cases for the food
industry: much unnecessary, and all damaging.
The Food Advertising Unit (FAU) has challenged the FSA's call for a
pre-watershed (9pm) ban on food and drink advertising, saying such
calls are "disproportionate".
The race is on to see which of two leading cereal makers will be
the first to place an omega-3 fortified product on shelves,
following a new license and supply agreement between Martek and
General Mills that is substantially similar...
The UK's FSA has expressed 'disappointment' at Ofcom's proposals on
junk food advertising to kids, arguing that they are an
insufficient response to the problem posed to children's health.
The Whole Grains Council is to change the design of its
characteristic stamp in a move to avoid potential regulatory
uncertainty surrounding its use of the terms 'excellent' source or
'good' source. The new stamp...
The American Bakers Association (ABA) has successfully tested laser
marking for inscribing variable information on polyethylene bread
bags, according to the manufacturer of a coding product.
Beer, bakery, confectionery, sweet drinks, pizzas, snacks galore,
and even dog food. The list of products with World Cup tie-ins is
dominated by junk food, while healthy food makers seem content to
pass up the marketing opportunities...
World cereal demand is forecast to surpass supply in the coming
2006/07 marketing year, pushing down stocks to an uncomfortably low
level, according to the FAO.
Cargill Sweetness Solutions has welcomed the change in EU law
surrounding the sweetener erythritol, saying it will give food and
beverage manufactures across Europe greater flexibility in
developing their products.
BASF's plant science unit will spend US$17 million on a new
Australian research project to investigate drought-resistant wheat
varieties, it said today.
The popularity of whole grains and a growing trend to fortify baked
goods with functional ingredients has added a new dynamic to an
otherwise mature US bread market, says a new report.
Japanese scientists have reported that monoacyl sugar alcohols
could be 'very promising emulsifiers' and could offer an
alternative to the widely used monoacyl glycerols.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The food industry must take responsibility for the continued
excessive consumption of salt, according to professor Graham
McGregor of St Georges University of London.
A new review could help food developers and technical managers
appreciate how dietary fibre influences the glycaemic index of
foods, especially cereal products.
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.
The European Commission is funding to strengthen innovation in
functional and health foods in the food industry, with
opportunities to join still open.
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.
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.
