The use of a new biocide in food contact materials has been given the go-ahead by the European safety watchdog after authorities in Germany called for an evaluation of the chemical.
Rectory Foods has added a new slate of beef and pork products to its ingredient offering for food manufacturers, in a new step to expand from its solid base in poultry.
A new initiative is underway to develop to supply chain for oil from the African Allanblackia tree oil in food and personal care products by devising a verification scheme for sustainable and ethical trade.
Avebe has added another application for its Etenia potato starch range, this time to enable bakery margarines with lower levels of fat and saturated fat.
Tereos has combined its European cereal assets with its Brazilian subsidiary and Indian sugarcane business to create Tereos Internacional, and is setting itself up as a leader in starch ingredients, sugar and bioethanol.
Excessive levels of dioxins were detected in eight per cent of thousands of foods sampled over a nine-year period, said EFSA. But the food safety watchdog has challenged the significance of its own findings.
The new European organic logo has been published in the EU’s Official Journal and registered as a collective trademark by the EU. It can now be used on organic products throughout the bloc.
A team of national experts drawn from EU member states has concluded that there is no new evidence on aspartame that would require EFSA to reassess its opinion that the sweetener is safe, although additional studies could add to knowledge of the sweetener...
The adoption of more modified atmosphere and leak-proof packaging by retailers, as well lobbying for the use of antimicrobial washes could help cut campylobacter in UK chicken, an international summit concluded.
Corporate responsibility is now accepted as a major part of doing business, even when the economic climate is less than ideal. FoodNavigator.com rounds up the main messages of some of the world’s biggest food and beverage companies.
Implementing the Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommendation that makers of soft drinks with added sugar should introduce 250ml cans and bottles could cost the industry upwards of £10m, according to the British Soft Drinks Association (BSDA).
Food and packaging industry players should be cautious in their use of nanomaterials given the uncertainty over any long-term health risks they could present, France’s food safety watchdog has said.
Food and beverage companies should aim to address all their reformulation issues at the same time as replacing Southampton colours, say Campden BRI experts, as subsequent changes to the matrix can affect the stability of natural hues.
A Danish study has found a link between high consumption of cola drinks and reduced semen quality but the research suggests caffeine may not be to blame.
A measure forcing food and packaging companies to submit details of nanotechnology research to a national database could trigger an R&D exodus from the UK, the Government has warned.
Cargill’s bid to buy Goodman Fielder’s edible fats and oils business looks to be scuppered by the Australian competition authorities, who say it would be an unacceptable concentration of refining assets in the country.
Science is fundamental to the food industry, from supporting claims in the health and wellness sphere to tasting panels to evaluate a new product, but scientists can never forget the ethical implications of their experiments.
A consultation is underway to gauge how the lowering of maximum levels of lycopene as a food colour, under proposal by the European Commission, could impact food manufacturers.
An international summit on bisphenol A (BPA) hosted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) last week yielded “very useful” scientific discussion, said the head of the body’s food contact panel.
This month marks the 10th anniversary of the UK’s Food Standards Agency. Sue Davies, chief policy advisor at consumer group Which?, which fought for the FSA’s creation in the wake of the BSE crisis, shares her views on its job over the last 10 years.
Nestle’s Middle East affiliate has started producing powdered milk, confectionery and wafer products, at its new plant in Dubai, which has a capacity of 100,000 tons a year.
The UK Food Standards Agency’s recommendations to reduce portion sizes of treat foods and soft drinks and cut sugar and saturated fat levels will help tackle obesity and health problems, says the BHF; but a top food lawyer points out that there is no...
No race should have rules that favour the strongest competitors. But unless the capabilities and interests of SMEs are taken into consideration before the starting gun is fired for new food regulations, they will struggle to keep up and may have to drop...
As negotiations over the international use of biodiversity-based products continue, concerns are voiced over what will be covered by future regulations and how they will be enforced.
Neogen has reported a 38 per cent year-on-year jump in Q3 2010 net income to almost US$4m on the back of booming sales of its food safety kits as it continues to buck the recessionary trend.
Denmark has introduced a temporary ban on bisphenol A (BPA) in all food contact materials for young children amid fears the chemical could inhibit brain development.
Create Flavours has developed a new natural tomato enhancer, which is said to be ideally suited to supporting essential tomato notes in a range of food products.
Over eating may be driven by a same neurobiological mechanism in the brain as drug addition, says a new study from the US that adds clout to the theory ‘food addiction’.
A plastics industry trade group has expressed deep concern after the French Senate called for the suspension of the commercial use of bisphenol A (BPA) in polycarbonate baby bottles.
The chemical triclosan has been formally withdrawn from a European list for use as a food contact material but plastic containing the substance can be marketed until late 2011, said Brussels.
Spirulina, the blue colour from algae used in Nestlé’s Smarties, is one of 10 substances used to colour food that faces an uncertain future as its legal status is scrutinised.
The UK’s Food Standards Agency has unveiled its final recommendations to industry for cutting sugar and saturated fat in soft drinks, confectionery and bakery products, which includes trimming back portion sizes of some products.
Prebiotic fibres may beneficially modify bacterial populations in our guts and aid weight management, with “promising effects also shown in humans”, says a new review of the science.
SpringThyme Oils has developed a new range of infusions that combine butter fats and oils with herbs and spices to add new flavours to dairy-based foods.
Plans are afoot to merge the New Zealand Food Safety Authority back into the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, 3 years after the risk assessor and risk manager were split out.
Gamma ray irradiation is more effective than the electron beam version in the reduction of bacterial populations in ground beef and has no adverse effect on quality and sensory characteristics such as colour, chewiness, and taste, according to Korean...
The European Food Safety Authority published new dietary reference values (DRVs) for carbohydrates, sugar, fibre, fats and water confirming proposals made last year. The final levels have drawn criticism from some scientists.
France’s Group Casino has pledged to remove palm oil from all its own brand products, starting with 200 by the end of this year, for environmental and health reasons, and use only certified sustainable palm oil in non-food products.
Replacing modified starch with hydrocolloids like xanthan gum can enhance the textural and stability of white sauces used in ready meals, says a new study from Belgium.
Campylobacter respond to the stressful environments by rapidly forming a slimy microfilm that sheds cells into the foods, scientists have observed, a finding that could help develop new antimicrobial approaches.
Cargill has opened a new flavour facility in China, which is expected to enable it to better address regional demand and taste in Asia in a timely fashion.
Increased intakes of trans fats may increase a woman’s risk of endometriosis by almost 50 per cent, but omega-3s may slash the risk, says a new study from the US.
The collapse of oil well drilling means there is an excess of xanthan gum on the market, pushing prices even lower. But while suppliers are urged to differentiate to stay in the gum game, the gum is now being used in products where it was previously too...
American researchers have identified specific genetic markers in the grape genome to improve the fruit quality, and disease and pest resistance, and could quicken the development of better grapes.
A new study by an obesity expert and a religious studies professor has found evidence that meal sizes have increased by almost 70 per cent in the last 1000 years – by analysing paintings of the Last Supper.
Cognis claims to have steered a steady course through last year’s economic upheaval. But despite a return to profitability, the downturn took its toll on nutrition and health and care ingredients sales.