One in five Americans are currently following the low carbohydrate
diet as the fad Atkins-style dietary regime continues to take hold
of the weight-conscious consumer. But how long will it last?
Consumers in the UK can eat their porridge safe in the knowledge
that their oat products are free from harmful toxins - mycotoxins -
after an extensive survey in the UK found very low traces, if none
at all, of the contaminant in...
Health conscious consumers that wish to avoid additives in their
diets are finding it difficult to recognise the ingredients and the
health risks associated with them because of a confusing labelling
system.
Confusing information on the nutrition content of food, along with
misleading health claims, have once again been brought under
scrutiny. Growing pressure in Europe for clearer labelling and
greater honesty about ingredients in products...
Higher margin ingredients continue to offer financial gains for
textured wheat protein supplier MGP Ingredients. Driving deeper
into the market in 2004 the company will pour millions of dollars
into doubling production of this speciality...
US ingredients companies continue to make moves into the European
marketplace with FiberGel Technologies, a supplier of the fat
replacer Z-Trim, announcing it has linked up with Swiss company
DKSH to target European consumers with...
Europe and the US will hammer out the contentious issue of obesity
and the role food policy can play in getting to grips with this
major health problem at a Transatlantic Consumer Dialogue (TACD) meeting in Brussels
today.
Despite recent publicity that suggested Atkin's was modifying its
advice to recommend less meat, low-carb diets seem to be more
popular than ever with one in three Americans watching their
carbohydrate consumption.
A WHO report on obesity prevention, which would urge governments to
promote healthy foods, is under threat from food makers supported
by the US administration, said consumer groups last week.
Major Swiss food maker Nestlé is to add a novel fat replacer to its
products, revealed the US-based Fiber Gel Technologies,
manufacturer of the ingredient, last week.
Forging a deeper share of the fat replacer market, the Circle Group
Holdings subsidiary FiberGel Technologies will supply its Z-Trim
zero calorie fat substitute to Swiss food giant Nestle, under a new
link-up announced this week.
US food giant Cargill is launching its new soy isolate, Prolisse
500, across Europe, in response to growing demand for soyfoods and
high protein products.
Food giant Cargill has opened a plant to manufacture erythritol, a
sweetener that is claimed to taste like sugar but contain no
calories. The group believes there is real potential in the
product, and has already signed an agreement...
Funding to bolster research into new food uses for cereals and
oilseeds is behind a fresh R&D strategy released by the UK
cereals industry this week, a move designed to open up new market
opportunities for the sector.
PepsiCo's Tropicana brand has added a sub-line of fortified juices
to its range, including an immune-boosting variety with selenium,
increasing its activites in the functional beverages sector.
Spain might well have a culinary heritage to rival that of France,
but like it trans-Pyrenean neighbour, consumption patterns have
been changing over the last few years, with more hectic lifestyles
(even in the land of the siesta)...
The rye grain, and rye bran in particular, is rich in dietary fibre
and also contains a significant fructan concentration, which may
have important prebiotic properties, suggests a new publication.
Demand for functional ingredients in Europe is far from slackening
with European buyers set to reach 5 million by 2007. Ingredients
companies, such as J. Rettenmaier & Sons (JRS), are aiming to
keep pace with the demand, focusing...
Eating two portions of chocolate a day may help prevent
cardiovascular heart disease claims Masterfoods USA. The company's
new functional chocolate, CocoaVia, contains plant flavonols and
phytosterols believed to reduce cholesterol...
Leading Japanese emulsifier supplier Riken Vitamin is set to boost
production at its subsidiary in Malaysia with the opening of a new
plant this week. High hopes to increase market share.
Danisco is broadening its range of specialty fats with the
introduction of Salatrim, a low-calorie alternative available for
the European bakery and confectionery industries. The product was
given its final approval from the EU on...
Children who frequently consume cereal are less likely to be
overweight, according to the findings of a new study published in
today's Journal of the American Dietetic Association.
Whey proteins remaining after cheese-making are now being added as
a key ingredient to new nutritious snack foods in a new process
devised by the Agricultural Research Service.
Leading Swedish dairy firm Skanemejerier has gained the rights to
use BioGaia's probiotic Reuteri bacteria in milk products for
launch on the Scandinavian market at the end of next year.
More than three years after Danish ingredients company Danisco
filed an application to the EU for approval of its fat replacer
salatrim, the Commission finally rubber stamped the product on
Tuesday. The move clears the way for Danisco...
Fortifying wheat flour with iron appears to have little effect on
improving intake of the mineral, suggests a report in this month's
European Journal of Nutrition.
Powerbar, the founder of energy bars in the US, is to launch two
new products designed to meet the different demands of men and
women in an increasingly carb-conscious America.
The low-carbohydrate Atkins diet is stripping profits from some of
the pillars of the world's food industry, by affecting a market
shift in eating habits.
According to YouGov, the on-line research company, a recent survey
has revealed that 81 per cent of UK parents would like to see
Vending machines removed from schools, and replaced with healthier
alternatives as a means of helping...
Spurred on by criticism concerning the marketing of food to
children, several of Britain's leading food trade bodies have
joined forces to discuss potential solutions to the problem of
childhood obesity.
In response to increasing demand from food manufacturers and
consumers, the merged organisation of Cargil-Cerestar is launching
a new cereal bar into the burgeoning snacks market.
Britain could see obesity levels soar up to 40 per cent or higher
within a single generation unless urgent action is taken,
think-tank the International Obesity TaskForce, warned this week.
Increasing consumer awareness linking high consumption of trans
fatty acids to a rise in the risk of coronary heart disease is
driving the market for alternative ingredients.
The UK Food Standards Agency is to discuss a number of possible
options concerning the future regulation of promoting food products
to children in a bid to tackle the rising tide of obesity. A move
which has been cautiously welcomed...
The UK's Joint Health Claims Initiative has reduced the minimum
amount of soy protein required in a product for the soy health
claim, allowing a greater number of foods to display the
cholesterol-lowering message.
French ingredients firm Rhodia Food has developed technology to
include beneficial probiotics in a nutritional bar, helping
manufacturers to tap two of the biggest trends in healthy eating.
House of Brussels Chocolates has announced the development of a new
medical advisory board to investigate and research the use of
chocolate as a carrier for dietary supplements, functional foods
and pharmaceutical compounds to treat...
Belgian firm Cosucra Groupe Warcoing is exiting the sugar beet
processing business to concentrate entirely on added value
ingredients for health foods, it announced this week.
Arla Foods' new functional ingredient, Gaio tagatose, believed to
enhance toffee and mint flavour and prolong the sweetness delivery
in chewing gum, is to debut in the US market under Pepsi.
Our run up to the Food Ingredients Europe exhibition in Frankfurt
continues with a look at a selection of the ingredients nominated
by the jury for the most innovative food ingredient award.
Consumers tempted by bigger portions for less money might be
getting better value but they are also putting their health at
risk, the World Cancer Research Fund in the UK claimed yesterday.
Carbolite Foods has launched two sugar-free products in its line of
low-carbohydrate confectionery - chocolate covered peanuts and
chocolate crisp wafers
Speciality ingredients supplier Nutrinova has designed a variety of
products to display its latest ingredients at this year's Fi Europe
show, taking place in Frankfurt in November.
The $3 billion market for food bars is expected to more than double
by 2007, largely due to the popularity these items enjoy among US
women, according to 'The US Market for Food Bars'.
National Starch has appointed Biomin to distribute its nutrition
products in Scandinavia. The exclusive agreement includes the
supply of Hi-maize and Novelose, plus forthcoming new product
developments in Denmark, Finland, Norway...
