Food makers turn to wood-sourced vanillin as high oil prices
continue to put pressure on the price of petrochemical-based
vanilla alternatives, and natural vanilla stocks remain
vulnerable,writes Lindsey Partos.
With potential impact on food makers, scientists in the US have
uncovered new details of how smelly things create signals in the
nose that eventually go to the brain.
Food makers opt for the latest darling of the sweetener industry,
sucralose, for their new products with fresh data showing this
sweetener gained ground over aspartame and Acesulfame K in new
launches using sweeteners, for the...
Dutch food and pharma group DSM completes the last step in shedding
its bakery portfolio, selling its stake in the South African yeast
products manufacturer Rymco,writes Lindsey Partos.
A demonstration of the growing popularity of, and ongoing
opportunities for organic ingredients, successful Swedish retailer
IKEA said it will replace standard foods with organic varieties.
New opportunities for natural colour suppliers arise as the UK's
Co-op chain bans a raft of food colours, along with the flavour
enhancer, MSG from all its own-brand food products,reports
Lindsey Partos.
A society that views food as taste-bud entertainment rather than a
basic of well-being was always bound to run into health problems.
But with obesity now afflicting 300m people, and diabetes set to
reach similar numbers within two...
A strong sales increase for Ukrainian brewer Sarmat reveals how the
country's beer market is growing strongly in Russia's shadow and
adds new evidence to the popularity of 'local' brands, writes
Angelina Drujinina.
Russian firm Sanserite will import new, Spanish wines aimed solely
at Russia as demand for foreign wine increases thanks to rising
consumption, higher disposable incomes and a declining domestic
wine industry, reports Angela Drujinina.
Following Wal-Mart's announcement it plans to expand operations
into the rest of Europe, furniture retailer Ikea said it will move
into the grocery market with its own-label products next year.
While the UK slowly recovers from its largest ever food recall,
reports from Australia reveal chocolate maker Masterfoods has
pulled a massive three million chocolate bars from the shelves
after extortionist threats.
A new laboratory designed to improve the quality of barley and oats
could have major implications for makers of breakfast cereals,
beverages and bakery goods.
Barry Callebaut, the world's largest supplier of bulk chocolate,
plans to cut costs in Europe as the Swiss firm posts a fall in
revenue for nine month figures.
Signing yet another deal to feed its seemingly insatiable appetite
for acquisitions, US ingredients firm Cargill makes a drive into
the whey derivatives market, reports Lindsey Partos.
MGP Ingredients, Manildra Milling and the Kansas State University
Research Foundation (KSURF) have reached a settlement over an
alleged patent infringement involving food-grade starches,writes
Anthony Fletcher.
The area sown to wheat and barley over the last season in the UK
has decreased, said the HGCA last week, yet there is no apparent
cause for concern as good yields may still produce a strong crop,
reports Lorraine Heller.
The discovery in Ireland of another probable case of variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) might turn some consumers away
from their meat, but perhaps they can be assured the country, and
the EU, seem to be winning the battle to...
The lack of food science recruits in the UK is unsustainable if the
country wants to remain a centre for innovation and avoid becoming
the food industry's global admin office, says the head of Britain's
most prestigious...
Europe's food safety watchdog continues to wade through its risk
assessment of 1000 flavouring substances, with the latest batch of
ten requiring more data to complete the safety evaluation.
With the emphasis on food safety, there has been a rush on the
market to provide companies with effective cleaning solutions to
wipe out harmful bacteria.
Weight and health concerns continue to propel the market for
low-calorie sweeteners, with a host of recent global product
launches showing the popularity of sugar replacer aspartame in new
sugar and sweetener formulations, reports...
Risk continues in the European food chain with member states
recalling over fifty products due to food pathogens and illegal
colours in seven days, suggesting industry still needs to crack
down on food safety, reports Lindsey Partos.
Tel Aviv-based additive supplier Israel Chemicals expands its
activities through the acquisition of Brazilian food additive
manufacturer Adicon Industria E Comercio De Aditivos.
Food makers looking to slice potential allergens from their food
formulations will benefit from a new allergen-free apple designed
by researchers in The Netherlands, reports Lindsey Partos.
Greater emphasis on the responsibilities of top management are
among the changes ushered in by a revised international standard
for testing and calibration laboratories.
The National Food Laboratory has developed a new test method for
the detection of Sudan Red food dye, a potential carcinogen that
has been the focus of numerous product recalls.
Food makers and ingredients firms will benefit from a new European
platform that will prioritise research and development initiatives
to keep the €800 billion food and drink industry
competitive,reports Lindsey Partos.
Overall there is no difference in health risks to consumers between
farmed and wild salmon according to scientists at the European food
safety regulator.
While food scientists are keen to promote the gluten-free benefits
of sorghum in food formulations, African scientists are set to
design a genetically engineered 'super sorghum' packed with
vitamins and minerals
New test from the National Food Laboratory meets growing demand
from food manufacturers to verify their ingredients are free from
the potentially carcinogenic red dye Sudan.
Tighter controls need to be adopted by both the food industry and
consumers to limit the spread of the harmful food pathogen
Listeria monocytogenes, concludes a new report.
Mars Inc is sending out a clear signal that functional foods are
moving mainstream, with the creation of a new Nutrition for Health
& Well-Being business unit to capitalize on research into the
health benefits of cocoa, reports...
There are worries that a district court ruling in Maine banning all
synthetic ingredients in products labeled organic could
significantly slow the sector's growth, writes Anthony
Fletcher.
Danish ingredients group Chr Hansen, shortly to be sold to private
equity firm PAI, posts a small rise in revenue and a decent boost
in pre-tax profit for the nine months to May, reports Lindsey
Partos.
While debates on ingredient labelling and on Parmesan cheese are
among the main issues at this week's meeting of the Codex
Alimentarius, other items on the agenda include codes of practice
for handling quick frozen foods, cadmium...
Ochakovo, one of Russia's biggest domestic breweries, has launched
an aggressive marketing campaign to help sell its Ochakovo Premium
beer and Ochakovsky kvass abroad, Angela Drujinina reports.
Moscow's leading retailer, Sedimoy Continent, has launched a new
discount, food hypermarket format that promises new opportunities
in private label as Russia's retailers look to increase their
control of the country's...
Russia's seafood market is one of the country's fastest growing
food sectors as more consumers with rising disposable incomes stop
thinking of it as an expensive luxury but as a normal part of their
weekly shop, reports...
It is time to draw on science to establish once and for all whether
food intolerance is just a source of succour for hypochondriacs, or
whether it is genuinely a modern scourge.
Ireland's leading butterfat supplier Glanbia has signed a joint
venture agreement with Belgian group Corman, to make and market
dairy spreads and butterfat products.
Fats and oils firm Loders Croklaan will divest its US ingredients
encapsulation business to New York's Balchem Encapsulates in a bid
to concentrate on core business, reports Lindsey Partos.
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) has welcomed the
introduction of legislation that would establish a voluntary
country-of-origin labeling (COOL) program in place of a mandated
program.
