Fundamental research suggests excessive food intake and alcoholism
may share chemical pathways in the brain. Scientists identified the
neuropeptide galanin, already known to increase food consumption,
as a key starter in stimulating...
SlimFast owner Unilever has gained the exclusive global rights to
an appetite-suppressing compound extracted from the hoodia gordonii
plant by UK-based Phytopharm, reports Dominique Patton.
Prices for the popular hydrocolloid gum arabic used in a range of
food applications have doubled in 12 months as political turmoil
and poor stocks leave the market exposed, writes Lindsey
Partos.
Baltika Brewing president Taimuraz Bolloev has announced his
resignation as head of Russia's largest brewing company, bringing
the curtain down on an era of unprecedented growth.
Prices for the popular hydrocolloid gum arabic used in a range of
food applications have doubled in 12 months as political turmoil
and poor stocks leave the market exposed, writes Lindsey
Partos.
UK food agency continues work to minimise risk to the food chain
recalling within one week two different product ranges contaminated
with an illegal red dye.
China may become the first country in the world to operate the
commercial production of genetically modified rice, ushering in
cheaper and constant supplies for the popular food staple and
ingredient.
Irish baker IAWS is taking on France's specialist bakery,
confectionery and foodservice sectors by acquiring leading domestic
distributor Groupe Hubert, and could exploit the declining number
of independent on-site bakers in...
An analysis of Ayurvedic herbals found that 20 percent contained
metals at potentially toxic levels, according to a study in JAMA,
but the American Herbal Products Association believes the products
tested should not have been on the...
Consumers' health could be at risk depending on where they shop and
how much money they earn, a bleak assessment by the National
Consumer Council of the current state of healthy eating promotions
in many of Britain's leading...
The prices charged by the leading UK grocers for their
Internet-based delivery service are being investigated by the
Office of Fair Trading, a probe which has prompted fierce denials
of wrongdoing by the major supermarket groups....
Growth in the food retail sector across Europe is being driven not
by sales of food but rather by the ever-widening range of non-food
goods, claims a new report. But while Carrefour and its French
compatriots continue to dominate...
Nearly half of the world's vanillin supplies are sourced from China
but since tighter production rules arrived there a few years ago
there are now only two major Chinese producers left in the country,
reports Lindsey Partos....
Brewer Yarpivo is growing twice as fast as the rest of the Russian
beer market, which itself has been expanding at an annual rate of
seven per cent. Angela Drujinina uncovers the strategy
behind the success.
Danish biotech company Poalis, in a ground-breaking move, says it
has developed a new vanilla flavour using yeast and sugar which
will be drastically cheaper than its chemical counterpart, and be
better for the environment, reports...
Booming sales for its popular sweetener give UK starch and sugar
business Tate & Lyle the necessary leverage for the firm to
re-enter the FTSE 100 index after a seven-year break.
China continues to pull on global commodities with demand for US
soybeans rising in 2004/05 by nearly 50 per cent on the previous
year, reports Lindsey Partos. China's total contracts for
soybeans reached 6.6 million tonnes by...
A new Russian food standard (GOST) concerning consumer information
on packaged food products is due to come into force on 1 January
2005. Angela Drujinina looks at how the change will effect
consumers and food manufacturers, and its...
A breakthrough into the US market boosts the bottom line for UK
natural flavours firm Treatt that saw sales for the year across the
Atlantic rising by over 40 per cent to €10 million, parallel to a
sales dip elsewhere, writes Lindsey...
Only two out of over 100 'standard' food products in a recent
survey of retailers' own brand foods met with salt slashing targets
set by the UK's food watchdog, suggesting ongoing research into
reducing the content...
Martek Biosciences last week announced its year-end results, noting
increased revenues and "robust growth" due primarily to higher
sales of nutritional products to the company's infant formula
licensees.
Supplies for a range of vegetable oils used extensively by the food
industry are slated to rise for 2004/05 year on stronger yields for
peanuts, soybeans and rape seed oil, building up global stocks to
about 390.5 million tons.
Norwegian firm Orkla says that its subsidiaries within the CEE
region have shown the greatest capacity for growth, and as a result
the group is planning to expand its operations here further,
writes Bogdan Tudorache.
Circle Group owned FiberGel Technologies last week launched a
non-GMO version of its fat replacement and dietary fiber supplement
in order to satisfy European demand.
Swedish manufacturer Semper aims to increase exports of baby food
to Russia, as the market there is growing much faster than in many
other countries, writes Angela Drujinina.
Cranberries have been given a major promotion in the UK as a
leading dental charity advises they could help prevent a host of
oral health problems, such as tooth decay and gum disease.
Global drawdown in cereal stocks, the essence of a raft of
ingredients, may turn the corner this year as a new report from the
UN food agency predicts world cereal production will hit a record
2.04 billion tonnes in 2004, an increase...
Scientists in Ireland claim to have dramatically improved the
quality of gluten-free bread, presenting an opportunity for bakers
as the number of people with a known gluten intolerance grows,
writes Chris Mercer.
Fundamental research from the US sheds light on how the memory of a
food can influence the eating habits of consumers, and how food
makers could ultimately tackle false beliefs about a food product.
The announcement yesterday that DMV International and Arla Food
Ingredients could merge is a further example of how the rising
power and ongoing growth of the multiple retailers is putting
constant pressure on ingredients companies...
Hungarian food canners, who are already struggling to survive
following the country's EU accession, fear a lot of businesses may
collapse if the EU adopts proposals to reduce import duties on Thai
canned corn - though how many...
Russia must ease limits on the foreign ownership of companies and
improve regulatory transparency in order to attract more foreign
investment, claims a new OECD report.
Two of Britain's biggest agriculture companies, faced with an
increasingly unstable market and rising costs, have announced they
will merge to insulate themselves and compete more effectively
through local grain markets, writes...
CSM, the €2.8 billion Dutch bakery ingredients company, is still
hoping for a year end close on the sale of its confectionery unit,
that together with biochemicals, sugar and bakery supplies complete
the CSM stable.
Breakthrough science for the popular fruit ingredient, the
strawberry, as UK scientists construct the world's first molecular
map for the wild strawberry, opening up opportunities to create
market leading varieties with improved...
Small Swiss ingredients firm Veripan has linked up with food
production system giant Buhler to bring a bakery ingredient system
to a wider market and the opportunity for bakers to have a 'two in
one' service.
Premier Foods has added another popular British food brand to its
diverse portfolio with the acquisition of the Bird's Custard brand
from US-based food giant Kraft. And this continued focus on 'Great
British brands'...
Dutch lactoferrin supplier DMV International and Arla Food
Ingredients could soon be part of the world's largest farmer-owned
dairy company as their owners Campina of the Netherlands and
Denmark's Arla Foods announce plans...
Nestlé is to buy almost half of German frozen pizza firm Wagner so
it can tap into the lucrative German market and expand Wagner's
brands abroad, as competition hots up in the European frozen pizza
sector, reports Chris Mercer.
The controversial issue of nutritional profiles will remain one of
the biggest hurdles for EU legislation on health claims but recent
reports suggest that Germany may be ready to concede some elements
of profiling, reports Dominique...
Price increases for key raw materials used by the food industry
threaten over the next 12 months as low global stocks remain open
to unexpected disruptions.
London-based sugar ingredients, milk powder and nut product firm
Napier Brown Foods marked its first year after flotation on the
alternative investment market (Aim) with profit before tax of £2.1
million (€3.04m) for the half year.
Dutch potato starch supplier Avebe has finished off 'a difficult
year' with €0.4 million in profit, the 5000 strong co-operative
reports. But a tight economic climate, a poor harvest, and the
strong euro left their mark,...
The majority of African-Americans should be increasing their intake
of calcium in order to reduce the risk of contracting a number of
serious diseases according to a study published this week.
Penford Food Ingredients announced earlier this week that it has
expanded its manufacturing capabilities to make sure supplies of
potato starch are consistent after a poor harvest in Europe,
reports Philippa Nuttall.
French firm Danone has pulled out of the chaotic race to buy
Serbian soft drinks firm Knjaz Milos, warning that it is not
prepared to commit itself in Serbia until there is political and
legal stability for investors, reports Chris...
Cargill is to increase its stake in the Romanian edible oils market
with the acquisition of the local company Olpo Podari. And with
another possible acquisition on the cards, the giant US
agribusiness group clearly sees significant...