A genetically modified wheat variety that has significantly more
resistant starch than regular wheat could reach the market in five
years, say Australian scientists who have won financial backing to
commercialise the crop.
Scottish snack company Paterson's has become the latest business to
target the growing trend towards healthier and more traditional
snacking with a new addition to its own-brand range of flavoured
oatcakes.
Growth in the snacking industry is being driven by health concerns
coupled with the need for convenience, according to new reports
into both the fruit and hot snacks sectors.
On the back of growing demand for healthier snacking products,
cereal snacks are luring consumers away from traditional
indulgences such as crisps and confectionery - prompting snack
makers to diversify to keep up with the trend.
Sometimes I just love eating fatty, greasy, unquestionably
hazardous foods. But I don't like trans fats, that come as a
by-product in some processed foods, and have been linked to high
cholesterol and heart problems.
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.
The market for healthy, convenience snacking is going from strength
to strength, according to UK snack group Glisten who posted
encouraging preliminary results today.
Following a £15m (€22.2m) investment in research and development at
the company, UK crisp giant Walkers has launched a new 'healthier'
range to attract snack-loving consumers worried about their
waistlines.
The iconic UK cereal brand Weetabix has added a new oat variety to
its portfolio in a bid to attract health-conscious consumers
seeking to benefit from its cholesterol-lowering properties.
Following its recent acquisition of snack manufacturing companies,
Humdinger and Readifoods, food buyout company Zetar has announced
growing profits for its second year of business.
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.
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.
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.
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.
