As 2010 draws to a close, our journalists look back at the issues that have topped agendas across the food, beverage and dietary supplements industries in the last 12 months. Commodity prices, Bisphenol A, obesity, health claims, safety regulations, and...
The way consumers interpret words relating to complex senses, like ‘creaminess’, may have important cultural differences – even in people who speak the same language, according to a new study.
Certain flavours and textures are better suited to high-pitched sounds and angular graphics, while others suit soft sounds and rounded graphics, finds a new study that could help marketers develop appropriate food product branding.
The US National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) has dismissed legal action brought against it by a plastic pallet producer as a “distraction” and said there was plausible evidence to back allegations it had made.
A US plastic pallet manufacturer has launched legal action against a trade body representing its wooden pallet rivals after accusing it of conducting a smear campaign in linking its products to contamination of butter products.
Flavourings supplier Symrise claims it is now in a leading position for serving local clients in bakery and confectionery goods in the Middle East after establishing its own manufacturing site in Dubai.
EFSA will open up its doors to external review and evaluation in 2011, as its mandate has evolved considerably over the last five years and structural changes may be required.
Optimising product reformulation for flavour intensity and release times may be achievable through the testing of exhaled aroma compounds, according to a new study.
Low salt diets can help diabetics quickly cut blood pressure and reduce the risk of developing kidney disease, according to a new study from the Cochrane Collaboration Renal Group.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is holding a workshop in March to update the industry on its review of non-plastic food contact materials such as inks and adhesives.
A new multi-million dollar collaboration between grain scientists in Australia aims to fast-rack development of healthier varieties wheat, barley and rice fibre, with higher levels of fibre compounds seen to bring health benefits.
Products that deliver physiological benefits quickly such as those benefitting gut health or boosting energy – will be the most important trend for 2011, according to a new report.
Reductions of up to 50 per cent sodium content in food may be achievable with only minor decrease in liking and no effect on consumption of the food, according to new research.
SGS believes it may be the first company to receive global accreditation to provide certification on the latest version of FSSC 22000 food safety benchmarking system.
Danisco has nudged up its full year outlook after a strong Q2, and is cautiously positive that mitigation measures will protect its enablers division from the raw material hikes on the horizon.
Meeting five-a-day fruit and veg targets and slashing salt and saturated fat intakes would save around 33,000 lives in the UK a year, says a new study that revises downwards previous estimates.
Volatility in crucial food commodity markets, primarily due to shifts in the BRIC economies, are currently underappreciated in the market place, warns a new report from Rabobank Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory (FAR).
Differentiating between disease risk factors and disease reduction in the way that the 2006 nutrition and health claim regulation does is too arbitrary and needs revision, according to a German nutrition professor. But if such a change is needed, who...
Imitation cheese with 60 per cent less sodium may be just as accepted in terms of sensory and functional properties compared to full salt versions, according to new research.
Potato starch manufacturer Avebe and BASF are teaming up in a new biotechnology bid to bring farmers modern and fungal resistant starch potato varieties.
Cargill is to acquire Indonesian starch and sweetener company PT Sorini Agro Asia Corporindo, deal designed to help it better serve its customers in the Asia Pacific region.
Walmart has announced the closure of its office in Moscow, opened just last year, as it does not see any suitable acquisition opportunities on the horizon.
Mothers’ use of nutritional labels has some impact on the likelihood of their children being obese, indicates a study from Taiwan, but it is not enough to tackle the problem alone and more policy measures are needed.
European food safety watchdog EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) has ruled that it is safe to recycle polypropylene (PP) crates made by the UK-based pallet and container packaging company CHEP for food contact uses.
The European Commission has adopted a new policy package on food quality standards that aims to reinforce the PDO-PGI scheme, streamline marketing standards, and provides guidelines on use of voluntary labelling schemes.
Confectionery giant Nestlé has officially opened a (USD) $136m manufacturing facility in Dubai which is set to become the third largest Kit Kat plant worldwide.
Danisco is to receive a €120m loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) to part finance its research and innovation in food and enzymes between 2010 and 2014; and compatriot Novozymes will also receive an undisclosed sum.
Levels of fat and sugar could be lowered in foods for children without having an impact on palatability, however salt reduction should be “considered cautiously”, according to new research.
Fortunes for the organic food and drink market in Europe are patchy, according to a new report from Organic Monitor, with Sweden and France seeing double digit growth while other countries stagnated or even contracted.
Eating purple fruits like blueberries and drinking green tea may help to prevent diseases including Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s, according to a new review.
A new scientific facility will make a major contribution to developing reliable measurement standards, said the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC).
The probability of the Council of Ministers and the European Parliament reaching agreement over food information legislation looks slimmer than ever, indicates rapporteur Renate Sommer, as the ministers did not take on board many of the points MEPs were...
German researchers are aiming to develop rapid detection systems to identify allergenic substances in foodstuffs, according to a workshop on analytical methods for allergen detection staged in Berlin this week.
The biotech industry needs to convince consumers of the benefits of GM and nanotechnology and foster transparency and dialogue with the public, says Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner.
Salt plays an important role in governing the structure and textures of lipid emulsions, due to electrostatic interactions between sodium chloride and lipid particles, according to new research.
Clean label functional starch supplier Ulrick and Short expects to harvest and produce its first ingredients from sweet potato in early 2011; and is investigating new nutritional combo offerings.
Competition law should be geared towards protecting suppliers up the food chain, not just end consumers, according to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food.
There is no evidence to justify the regulation of food from the descendants of cloned animals on safety grounds, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) will tell Government chiefs.
The tough health claims environment in Europe could turn manufacturers towards more subtle – and maybe less ethical – marketing approaches, believes Henry Dixon of PR firm BDB.
Roquette has identified fruit smoothies as a good vehicle for its Nutriose fibre ingredient as it can providing more body and mouthfeel, boost fibre content and fits with the natural, clean label image.
Strategies to reduce sodium in populations should “force industry compliance” through government regulations and laws, according to an editorial in Nutrition.
When PepsiCo put up $5.4bn last week to acquire Wimm-Bill-Dann, it was seduced by the promise of high revenue growth but like any high-yield investment the Russian deal does not come without risks.
Leading food research firm Campden BRI claims that its refinement of a sensory assessment technique called ‘Napping’ offers real potential for European food firms seeking to record the qualities of new products or consumer reactions to them.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is to review an overhaul of the current UK food control system in order to improve food safety and consumer protection.
