Naturex, the French-based botanicals giant that recently acquired the ingredients business of Spanish company, Natraceutical Group, will earn €185m in 2009 – up from its 2008 income of €93.2m, as it announced details of the deal.
Ahead of the Stevia World Europe conference in Frankfurt in November, business research firm KnowGenix has compiled a report detailing the quality, sustainability and taste issues that stevia still faces.
Get your pitchforks ready! There are evil-doers out there! We’ve been conned: Probiotics don’t work. Dannon’s settling out of court, EFSA’s rejecting health claims, and the media is starting a witch hunt.
The Soil Association (SA) has denied that organic food is too expensive, pointing out that many organic products are cheaper than their branded non-organic equivalent.
Stevia could soon be adopted by ice cream manufacturers, claims a partnership of ingredient developers which believes it has overcome the technical challenges of producing frozen desserts using the natural sweetener.
National Starch has developed a new fat encapsulation system for instant desserts or other dried products that replaces animal derived ingredients like sodium caseinate.
Some 70.4 million tonnes of sweeteners were used by the global food and beverage industry in 2008, including sugars. But which sweeteners are most used, in volume terms?
DSM Food Specialties says it has developed a new enzyme preparation which will offer bread manufacturers a "cost-effective and sustainable alternative" to emulsifiers CSL and SSL (calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylate).
A survey of UK supermarkets’ own-brand gluten-free, wheat-free and dairy-free foods has found more than half had higher salt levels than standard versions, raising concern for the intake levels of coeliacs and others who avoid certain foods.
PureCircle has reported a huge boom in sales in the “transformational” 2009 financial year, and has credit facilities that will allow it to expand as stevia sweeteners move towards the big time.
Cargill new functional system to replace dairy proteins in cheese analogues for pizzas, there by reducing food firms’ vulnerability to dairy price fluctuations.
Danisco is merging its emulsifiers and gums & systems divisions under one Enablers umbrella so it can tap a bigger pool of resources for innovation and operations.
Lack of regional investment in food start-ups could mean few private equity investment opportunities in three or four years’ time, says a UK specialist – and that could impact innovation long term.
The health benefits of wine could be available to those who prefer not to drink alcohol, says a German team who are adapting the by-products of red wine production to make a powder for use in yoghurts and chocolates.
Danisco sold ‘somewhat disappointing’ volumes of xylitol at the start of its new financial year, but says the sweeteners division is on track for recovery thanks temporary closure of xylitol plants and inventory reductions.
Consolidation in the food sector during the recession is throwing up opportunities for private equity to invest in smaller companies – if they have a unique product and a diverse customer base.
German confectionery agents maker Kaul has been snapped up by private equity fund Riverside, which plans to speed international growth for its new ‘hidden champion’.
Global probiotics leader, Danone, has submitted a new disease reduction article 14 health claim linking consumption of its probiotic drinking yoghurt, Actimel, and diarrhoea, after withdrawing three article 13.5 immunity and digestive health claims in...
Cargill Cocoa and Chocolate is aiming to have 10,000 tonnes of UTZ-certified cocoa available for the market in 2010, as the first two Ivory Coast cooperatives achieve certification and others are expected to get there soon.
Chr Hansen has developed a new natural white colour from calcium carbonate, which it claims is the first non-chemical alternative to titanium dioxide available to coated confectionery and chewing gum manufacturers.
Granular is officially launching its Real Stevia sweetener following approval for high Reb-A stevia sweeteners in France; the race is on to bring the first products to shelves and secure market share.
The UK food and drink sector is getting creative about its efforts to redress the shortage of engineers, scientists and technologists – including opening eyes to the range of careers on offer and training initiatives.
More demanding consumers and opportunity-hungry retailers are driving innovation in the gluten-free market, according to the chief executive of British charity Coeliac UK.
A pledge on responsible advertising in Europe has resulted in a dramatic reduction in ads for unhealthy foods to under-12s this year by the likes of Kellogg’s, Nestle and Mars, says an independent report.
Waitrose’s move to rescue Prince Charles’ Duchy Originals food brand is not indicative of a downturn in the UK organic food market, experts have claimed.
Danisco is confident in the long term strength and potential of food cultures – so much so it recently pledged €60m to expand capacity. That confidence is based on three pillars, says Danisco Cultures’ VP: convenience, health, and food safety.
Enzymes can help brewers in emerging markets take full advantage of local crops and therefore cut costs, protect the environment, and support local communities.
Barry Callebaut has confirmed it has ended negotiations with Spanish chocolate producer Natra over the integration of its European consumer chocolate business, citing differences over valuation.
Cognis is launching a new blend of emulsifiers to give volume to cake mixes, concentrates and retail mixes that is said to be especially suitable fat containing batters and can withstand vigorous beating.
The Malaysian Palm Oil Council’s (MPOC) recent attempt to defend the crop’s environmental credentials has been judged misleading by the UK’s advertising authorities.
The global market for gluten-free food and drink products has grown exponentially in the past five years with a raft of new products hitting the market. Clear leaders are starting to emerge in what was once a niche.
Interest in ‘ancient’ grains like quinoa, sorghum and teff has soared, not least because of their gluten-free quality. That means expanding supply to keep up with demand.
Thousands of food companies make and sell products; why do some become so much more successful than others? Is it luck, or is it better people? Dr Michael Lee of CPL Executive Search says individuals make all the difference – and firms need to use the...
Danisco has completed a 1,500 tonne expansion of its cellulose gum production capacity to make way for a new range of products for use in bakery, beverage and dairy, as well as oral care and pharmaceuticals.
