Danisco, the world's biggest ingredients company, will start
supplying the texturising agent CMC to customers, after acquiring
one of Chinas leading producers for an undisclosed sum.
British researchers are starting a small trial to investigate if
the antioxidant benefits of apples are passed on to cider drinkers,
and could possibly lead to "functional" ciders.
Children are not getting enough calcium in their diets, according
to US dieticians, who recommend that more milk, cheese and yogurt
products targeting kids would be one way to address the deficiency.
Two soft drink firms accused of using ingredients that could mix to
form a cancer-causing chemical in drinks plan to sign a settlement
with lawyers today, agreeing to change formulas and offer refunds.
Leading US ingredient firm Cargill last week reported strong fiscal
year earnings, although the performance of the firm's food
ingredients business lagged the year-ago level.
Danisco division Genencor has voluntarily decided to withdraw its
Spezyme Ethyl product from the market following a patent
infringement ruling in a Delaware US court.
The world's foremost chewing gum producer, the Wm Wrigley Jr
Company, is set to make inroads into the growing functional
confectionery market with a new gum to combat bad breath.
Quest has developed what it calls its '3-D approach' to snack
flavour development in order to offer customers greater flexibility
and identify key trends earlier.
Food companies may have more to lose than to gain by placing
freshness dating on their refrigerated products, says a new study,
which reveals that consumer taste perception is influenced by how
fresh they believe a product to be.
AB Enzymes is launching a new enzyme for white pepper production,
which it claims will not only improve product authenticity and
quality, but will also be better for the environment.
Sales of yoghurt in the UK are set to increase by 40 per cent over
the next five years, and smash the £2bn barrier by 2011, with
surging functional yoghurt drinks driving sales.
A leading dairy firm in the Middle East is attempting to trade on
the health benefits of camel's milk by using it to make a lower
fat, reduced sugar ice cream.
The most inclusive assessment of the potential dangers of
nanotechnology in the food industry is underway and could impact
the technology's wider integration into the common market.
German chemical giant BASF is set to start field testing of its
blight-resistant GM potatoes in Britain next year, a move that
could open the way to more GM crop tests in the traditionally
anti-GM country.
Tomatoes genetically modified to have high flavonoid content could
reduce the levels of a protein in a mouse that is associated with
inflammation, diabetes and heart disease in humans, says a study by
BASF, TNO and two universities...
Food and beverage makers could soon tap into a range of new
ingredients with a healthy twist as sugar and sweetener firm Tate
& Lyle launches a new venture capital arm to focus on
next-generation ingredients.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of 'bacteria
eating' viruses as food additives in ready-to-eat meat and poultry
to protect against Listeria, and offer the industry an interesting
alternative.
Scientists are using DNA extraction to build a quality 'ID card'
for Andalusian goat's cheese, potentially offering a new way of
proving the safety and quality of speciality products.
Bakeries in Australia and New Zealand may be required to use only
iodised salt in the future, if a proposal from the countries' food
regulator is approved.
Further compounding the problems a long-grain rice ban in Japan
will have on US producers is the threat that bans could eventually
be implemented in the EU.
Israeli flavours and ingredients supplier Frutarom has reported
sales growth in Q2 2006 to US$72.3m. Although profits were impacted
by price drops in natural raw materials and energy price hikes, new
acquisitions are still on the...
Savoury ingredients supplier Synergy has launched a line of cheese
ingredients designed to enhance flavour and mouthfeel while also
providing manufacturers with some cost benefits.
Incorporating aspartame-sweetened food products into the diet does
result in weight loss, says a new meta-analysis that fills a gap in
the science behind the sweetener.
Products containing meat and poultry will now be able to feature
the Whole Grain Stamp, after the US government announced it was to
expand the list of goods eligible to use the eye-catching symbol.
The Healthy Start scheme, which offers vouchers for fresh fruit and
vegetables, milk, and infant formula to low income families and
teenage mothers, has been a success in its pilot area of England,
the Department of Health announced...
Supplementation with conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) could prevent
weight and fat gain at times of the year when people are most
susceptible, as well as during the natural ageing process, says a
new study supported by Cognis.
Food scientists are becoming a rare species in Britain, and things
won't change unless schools and food firms start telling young
people there is more to food than a supermarket depot.
A review of studies using the herb kava to combat anxiety has
reported some positive results and only mild adverse events, giving
a much-needed boost to the herb's record despite the need for
longer safety and efficacy trials.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to publish updated data
on the nutrient levels of the nation's most commonly consumed
mushrooms, which will include an analysis of fat, fiber and protein
levels.
A liking or preference for sweetened beverages may be affected by
hunger state, suggests a study from the UK that may have important
implications in the fight against obesity.
A UK Government forecast is to predict that almost one third of the
British population will be dangerously fat, with junk food and lack
of exercise to blame, according to reports in The Independent.
International food giant Mitsui has signed an exclusive
distribution agreement with a Chinese apple and pear concentrate
processor, the next step in a move designed to strengthen its newly
created ingredients division.
Allergy experts in Germany met last week to develop a comprehensive
strategy for combating the condition through spreading information
and conducting further research.
Cargill's focus at this year's Health Ingredients Europe exhibition
will be on functional ingredient solutions and the identification
of emerging market trends.
The sugar alcohol maltitol is the most promising polyol sweetener
to replace sucrose in chocolate, says new research from Turkey, a
result that could lead to new types of sugar-free chocolate to the
booming "diet" candy...
A legal complaint filed against the nation's largest organic dairy
firm has rekindled an ongoing debate surrounding the integrity of
organic production.
A UK food industry body has claimed to be 'baffled' by the Faculty
of Public Health (FPH)'s call for more food industry action in
cutting salt from processed foods.
Burcon Nutrisciences has been granted a European patent for its
flax oil seed-derived novel protein isolate and production, and
signalled that it will continue developing technologies from
sources besides its canola, which now forms...
DSM Food Specialties claims that its Maxarome Select product - a
natural high 5' nucleotide yeast extract - can effectively replace
monosodium glutamate (MSG) in crisps without any loss of flavour or
taste.
Antioxidant and fibre-rich waste from wine making could offer a
cheap and healthy alternative to synthetic antioxidants to prolong
the shelf life of meat products, suggests a study from Spain.
In contrast to their counterparts in Europe and Japan, US dairy
ingredient manufacturers are choosing dietary supplements over
functional foods as vehicles for bringing nutraceuticals to
consumers, according to a recent Landell Mills...