Regulators and industry representatives from across the EU
yesterday wrapped up a meeting in Rotterdam debating standardised
system for food labelling across the bloc.
The number of people suffering from high cholesterol is increasing,
despite efforts by the food industry and health institutes to bring
down LDL cholesterol levels.
Blackcurrants have already earned a reputation amongst the
healthiest fruits thanks to a high antioxidant content. But in New
Zealand, where five per cent for the world's crop is grown,
researchers have been investigating ways...
The EU's food safety regulator has published an action plan to
prevent foot-and-mouth (FMD) disease from entering the bloc again,
calling for more controls on the import of animals, meat and meat
products.
Law firm Eversheds tells FoodNavigator why Europe's food
industry needs a voice in the ongoing debate over labelling, and
outlines some of the battlegrounds to come.
Declining European food retail performance is set to fall further
in 2006 as retailers get caught between consumer demands for
cheaper prices and manufacturers demands for greater returns.
The Institute of Food Science & Technology has identified
possible deficiencies in current regulations concerning the impact
of nanotechology on food and packaging.
Following a year of restructuring, the manufacturer famous for
iconic British brands Sarson's Vinegar and Gale's Honey has
announced plans to enter the brown sauce and ketchup sector as a
direct rival to Heinz-HP.
US food safety authorities have re-opened an investigation closed
15 years ago into soft drinks contaminated with cancer-causing
chemical benzene, following evidence the industry has failed to
sort out the problem, BeverageDaily.com...
Cargill's first North American maltitol plant is now in full
operation, helping the firm to target the steadily growing polyol
branch of the sweeteners market.
The re-appearance of a low-calorie tabletop sweetener product
branded as Altern in a small number of Wal-Mart stores in the US
has attracted the attention of Tate & Lyle.
UK food retailers have been split by the All Party Small Shops
Committee report calling for a new retail watchdog and a halt to
further mergers and acquisitions pending government guidelines.
The Sweetener Users Association (SUA) has called for an end to the
"bitter disputes" between sugar users and producers, saying
the industry needs to unite in a common effort to improve the US
sugar policy.
The UK food industry has come out on top in two UK surveys
investigating whether manufacturers are meeting Country of Origin
and Clear Labelling guidance.
Low-carbohydrate diets may appear effective when it comes to weight
loss, but they could be linked to higher levels of LDL or 'bad'
cholesterol levels, say scientists.
As the two retailing giants prepare to battle it out in America,
Tesco and Wal-Mart have both announced plans to expand operations
further in the Czech Republic and Hungary respectively.
Asda Wal-Mart has been fined £850,000 in the UK for offering
employees a pay rise to give up union rights, spelling a PR
disaster for the company already suffering from a scathing US
documentary circuiting Europe.
Slovenian rosemary extract firm Vitiva has formed an alliance with
UK firm Food Ingredient Technology (FIT) in order to penetrate the
growing functional ingredients markets in the UK and Ireland.
Pregnant women who do not take folic acid-containing supplements
are eight times more likely to have low serum folate values,
despite eating folate-fortified foods, claims a new study.
The US might be consolidating its position as the fattest nation,
but Europe is catching up fast - and all this despite record
spending on diet products.
The introduction of secure chip and pin technology in the British
retail sector has been sporadic and ill-prepared, according to
critics of the new scheme.
The science has spoken. Low-fat diets don't work: Forget the
carrots and broccoli sprouts, I can now have my cake and eat it,
and put extra cream on top.
DSM Nutritional Products has reported operating profit of $252
million in full year 2005, up 25 per cent on 2004. But with sales
hampered by price pressure on mature vitamins, the company is
looking to reduce its reliance on these...
Get ready for the impact of avian influenza, as the disease has
been conclusively found in wild birds in Greece, Italy, Bulgaria,
Slovenia and Azerbaijan over the weekend.
The WTO ruling backing the US, Canada and Argentina in their
efforts to open Europe up to genetically modified (GM) food has
been dismissed as 'irrelevant'.
Two groups representing organic farmers are at loggerheads over the
release of a new report that claims to rate the nation's organic
dairy brands and products.
Despite growing awareness of the health threat of obesity,
Americans are still confused about the safety of the most commonly
available sugar substitutes, claims an NGO.
A leading European horticultural research institute has launched a
partnership with a New Zealand science organisation in order to
develop new fruit cultivars.
A dust-tight batch sifter, constructed with stainless steel
housing, is designed to meet the most stringent food, dairy and
pharmaceutical standards, according to its manufacturer.
Quest claims it has achieved its biggest flavour breakthrough in a
decade with ImpaQ, a solution designed to tackle food and beverage
taste issues linked with salt, fat and sugar.
The world's biggest oilseed processor Bunge has announced a fall in
sales this year, as the company emerges from a "difficult
year," which saw profits hit by a "weak operating
environment" in Brazil.
A study attempting to find out exactly why we prefer fatty foods
could help manufacturers to design tasty, low-fat foods that are
less likely to make people overweight.
Raisio has reported results for full year 2005 that are more or
less on a par with the previous year. While Raisio Nutrition was
impacted by one-off costs and write-downs, Life Sciences performed
better as ingredients showed respectable...
Syngenta's announcement of a 9 per cent sales increase last year
comes just days after the WTO ruled that the EU was wrong to bar
entry to GM crops and foods.
An innovative mineral supplement could help food makers overcome
the poor nutritional value of food that is currently undermining
consumer health, claims a nutrition expert.
The UK food industry has been slammed by consumer groups for its
rejection of an industry-wide colour-coded labelling scheme, just
as consultation on a voluntary front of pack labelling scheme ended
yesterday.
WTO director-general Pascal Lamy has urged countries to intensify
negotiations in order to conclude the current round of agricultural
trade talks - but will they listen?
Five servings of fruit and vegetables per day and a diet low in fat
reduced the risk of breast cancer by nine per cent, a figure
dismissed as not significant and due to 'chance'.