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...
Injuries at bakeries will be a major focus for 2005/6, says the
UK's industry inspection body, yet the unions believe there is even
less funding this year to implement health and safety regulations,
writes Lorraine Heller.
People who eat wholegrain foods regularly can have a 20 to 40 per
cent lower risk of heart disease and stroke compared with those who
rarely eat wholegrain foods, according to a new review, reports
Dominique Patton.
UK food agency launches 'the largest research project to date', to
establish the clearest route for food makers to use food labels to
flag-up healthy foods.
Functional food makers need to take a critical look at the level of
substantiation behind the health claims they are using to guarantee
their survival under a new European regulation, reports
Dominique Patton.
The drift towards grazing and away from sit-down meals is not yet
ended in the UK, with health-oriented sandwiches continuing to
drive forwards a market that already accounts for one third of the
nation's food and beverage sales,...
Kellogg has increased sales and profits in its first quarter
through clever pricing and strong marketing investment, helping the
firm to forge ahead in healthy snacks and beat off private label
competition in cereals, reports Chris...
Speciality ingredients group Cerestar has launched a range of
functional soy products across Europe aimed specifically at the
baking industry, believing demand for this practical and healthy
ingredient will offset rising soybean prices,...
Snack makers will have the chance to extend their presence in
healthy eating trends after British food ingredients firm Tate
& Lyle unveiled a new ingredients formula for wholegrain
crackers claiming extra fibre and a lower glycaemic...
Healthy eating is key if Britain is to get into shape,
HealthSecretary John Reid told attendees today at the launch of his
plan to improve the health of the nation.
British consumers are increasingly seeking convenient food and
drinks that are also healthy but food makers are failing to answer
their needs, claims a new report.
Missing breakfast has been shown to raise cholesterol levels and
reduce the body's response to insulin in a small study that raises
concern for the increasing numbers of people that skip the first
meal of the day.
Warburtons has laid down the gauntlet to its mainstream UK rivals
by developing white bread with a low glycaemic index as both
consumers and producers become more aware of the benefits 'GI' can
have in controlling diabetes,...
US baker Oroweat is set to launch a completely sugar free bread in
selected American states, again highlighting how the battering
handed out to sugar over rising obesity and diabetes problems has
given new life to artificial sweeteners,...
The growth of PepsiCo's savoury snacks business helped the firm to
a solid earnings rise in 2004 and also raises new questions about
the damage healthy eating trends will inflict on the food
industry's snack giants, argues...
A new nutrition bar chart on every pack of Kellogg's breakfast
cereal, enabling Britain's consumers to check salt, sugar and fat
content against guideline daily amounts, may cause confusion amid
too many conflicting systems,...
The US National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA) is
introducing a colour-coding system to help children select healthy
snacks from vending machines.
Irish food and drink companies are pooling funds under a new
project designed to increase healthy eating in their home market,
reports Dominique Patton.