UK food manufacturer RHM remains undeterred by last year's slump in
Mr Kipling cake sales - their financial second half results show
business is improving with the aid of healthy Hovis products.
Eating a Mediterranean diet with extra nuts or olive oil is
significantly better for heart health than a low-fat diet, says a
"landmark" clinical trial from Spain.
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.
The health-enhancing properties of hemp have come under the
spotlight this month with the launch of a drink containing
hemp-blossom syrup (Cannabis sativa) in the UK, which is
also being tested by multiple sclerosis sufferers for...
ADM is targetting the burgeoning healthy snacks market, launching a
wheat protein isolate that mimics the properties of sugar as a
binder in reduced sugar applications.
Kellogg's health and wellness division is about to birth its first
products: protein-fortified waters, snack bars and meal bars that
will take the Special K brand out of cereals and into the pharmacy
aisle.
The bakery industry is capitalizing on the increase in demand for
fruit ingredients from manufacturers providing for health-conscious
consumers with UK retailer Tesco, alone launching 15 new baked
goods containing berries in the last...
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Cargill is looking forward to exhibiting a range of new
health-focused ingredients at next month's Vitafoods exhibition
following its successful acquisition of Degussa Food Ingredients.
Nestlé has finalised arrangements for a new fund that will invest
in food companies producing for the health, well-being and
nutrition sectors, as part of the group's drive to stay on top of
consumer health trends.
The world's top 25 food companies are not taking the current
obesity crisis seriously enough, according to a report from The
City University in the UK.
Glisten, the UK-based confectionery and snack group, has reported
encouraging interim results and has set its sights on tapping
consumers' appetite for healthy eating.
Like other convenience food producers in the UK, Northern Foods is
struggling amidst sliding sales - issuing its second profit warning
in two months as consumers shun biscuits, pastries and pizza.
UK company Multiple Marketing has developed a new range of
functional cereal bars in an attempt to cash in on the increasing
demand for nutritionally beneficial and innovative wellness
products that deliver functional health benefits.
US manufacturer Kraft Foods has announced a "fewer, bigger, better"
policy, concentrating on crucial brands in key areas as the firm
suffers from lagging performance.
Food companies are facing a business conundrum in the wake of the
consumer stampede towards healthier eating, according to a new
report from JPMorgan: continue going against the grain with high
margin, not-so-healthy products or deliver...
US Manufacturers of products containing barley are allowed to claim
that they may help reduce the risk of heart disease, according to
the Food and Drug Administration, which has approved the health
claim for immediate use.
ConAgra is to remove all trans fats from its whole grain microwave
popcorn snack lines starting February 2006, marking the next step
in the company's attempt to link itself with current health trends.
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has expanded its range of low trans
fats, which it claims will allow manufacturers of baked goods to
produce healthier formulations with good functionality.
Demand for fiber in the US is forecast to more than double in the
next six years, with food manufacturers set to "tap into regions
with very few competitors but with high product demand,"
according to new research by Frost...
US cranberry co-operative Ocean Spray is launching a low sugar,
high fiber sweetened dry cranberry product designed for use in a
variety of health positioned food applications including baked
goods and cereals.
Health is a key driver for sales of food bars, which look set for
an annual increase of around 9.9 percent over the next five years,
according to new market research from Packaged Facts.
With the UK bagel market witnessing rapid growth in recent years,
BakeryAndSnacks spoke to two of the nation's bagel manufacturers at
the Anuga food show in Cologne last week to find out what most
appeals to consumers.
Leading US food manufacturer Kraft Foods has taken another step in
the direction of health and wellness, launching a new line of
wholegrain snack products under its Nabisco brand.
Leading cereal maker Kellogg is to introduce a programme in the US
designed to help families get fit and keep healthy. The programme
involves a daily bowl of cereal combined with a daily walk.
On the back of growing consumer interest in healthy eating, leading
US food maker Kraft Foods is focusing on its increasingly
successful health and wellness segment, announcing plans to further
limit products advertised to children...
Food ingredients giant Tate & Lyle has launched two new cereal
ingredient solutions designed to enhance the nutritive qualities of
food and beverages without compromising on taste or texture.
ADM's promotion of two innovative ingredients at the IFT conference
this week illustrates how health awareness and regulatory concerns
have shot up the industry's priority list, writes Anthony
Fletcher.
A new low-carb cocoa, being launched by Spanish firm Natraceutical
this month, will help confectionery makers lift the fibre levels
and lower the glycaemic response of their products, reports
Dominique Patton.
A new laboratory designed to improve the quality of barley and oats
could have major implications for makers of breakfast cereals,
beverages and bakery goods.
Another UK bakery faced a heavy fine this week after neglecting to
ensure a safe working environment, leading to a worker losing his
arm in an accident with a dough milling machine, wrties Lorraine
Heller.
While food scientists are keen to promote the gluten-free benefits
of sorghum in food formulations, African scientists are set to
design a genetically engineered 'super sorghum' packed with
vitamins and minerals
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.
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.
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...
