The Eurozone crisis has hit consumer sentiment hard, but food spend has remained more or less the same with snacks and confectionery leading value growth, says AC Nielsen.
It’s boom time for makers of natural ingredients, from colours to flavours to hydrocolloids…or is it? Despite widespread demand for all things natural, some ‘natural’ ingredients still aren’t acceptable to consumers – so when does ‘clean label’ need to...
Russian fats and oils supplier EFKO Group has reported rapid sales growth in cocoa butter substitutes in its first quarter (Q1) results as the domestic confectionery market picks up.
The European Commission has released a fourth round of out-of-quota sugar for the current marketing year at reduced levies in a bid to boost EU supplies as prices soar above world levels.
Claims like low sodium, low fat and low calorie on snacks are decreasing which seems counterintuitive given action is being taken by manufacturers, said the director of innovation and insights at Mintel.
Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China is home to 10% of the country’s 20m Muslims. While by no means does it have a majority Muslim population, the strong Islamic tradition by the ethnic Hui people of this Silk Road region dates back to its...
If you’re looking for a natural red food color, carmine can deliver. It’s vibrant, but stable, and prices have recently returned from the stratosphere after hikes in 2010/11. The only problem is that it’s made from crushed insects, and once they find...
Gourmet nut butters, pea protein, purple corn, yogurt for men and more chewy drinks? Sterling-Rice Group identifies the top 10 natural and organic food trends that are starting to influence the mainstream grocery market.
Quinoa’s relatively high price compared to staple grains may restrict consumption to health-conscious consumers in high-income countries for now – but it could play an important role in food security in the long term, according to the FAO.
Industry’s assertion that there are still technical barriers to salt reduction is often just an excuse to avoid further reformulation, claims the chairman of CASH (Consensus Action on Salt and Health) Graham MacGregor.
There is no “magic bullet” when battling private label competition and a dual tracking strategy that balances brand and private label is risky, a Rabobank analyst warns snack makers.
Corporate sustainability programs do not go far enough to stamp out child labor on cocoa farms - only third party certification will do, says a new campaign.
With the global population of 'senior' consumers set to grow by almost 150 million in the next two years, there are massive opportunities for the food industry to target the older consumer, says Laura Jones of Mintel
Global certification association ISEAL Alliance has developed a set of principles for defining what makes an ecolabel, standard or certification credible.
Global stevia supplier PureCircle has introduced a range of sustainability targets for reducing carbon emissions and water use, as well as calories in global diets by 2020.
Microbiological criteria for Listeria are not always strictly adhered to in ready-to-eat foods leading to an increased risk of infection, according to a study by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).
Blanket opposition to genetically modified crops is “a morally unacceptable position to take on the basis of unsubstantiated suspicions and fears”, according to the boss of Toronto-based firm Maple Leaf Foods.
Market research firm Euromonitor International has pinpointed five ‘frontier’ economies in Africa that it says could hold investment potential on the back of increasing wealth – as growth outpaces that of many stagnant economies elsewhere.
The European Union has pledged to spend an 'unprecedented' €3.5 billion on improving battling malnutrition accross the globe, reveals Commissioner Piebalgs.
A group of European research organisations have stressed the importance of food safety by identifying knowledge gaps and areas which require more focus in response to concerns that the issue is slipping down the agenda.
The UK food and beverage industry could do more to grasp export opportunities in Eastern and Central Europe, said experts at a London workshop organised by the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) last week.
Food manufacturers are targeting a new campaign at 16-19 year olds, parents and teachers in a bid to attract the next generation of food and drink industry engineers.
Throwing away food is like stealing from the table of the poor and the hungry
Rising demand in Asia and Africa will drive significant growth in global sugar consumption, according to a new Rabobank report. The report, Global Sugar to 2021, projects global sugar consumption to grow from 166 million tons to 203 million tons in raw...
A German court ruling that prohibits manufacturers suggesting the sweetener is natural on its labels has been widely criticised by the industry as 'misleading'
A premium baking mix range targeting kids is set for success given the growth in home-baking and parents’ concern over natural and healthy choices for their children, a Mintel analyst says.
Nestlé has backed the theme of this year’s World Environment Day by participating in the ‘Think.Eat.Save’ campaign to prevent food waste and food loss.
Bumper corn and wheat crops are expected to help the price of commodities fall this year, increasing food affordability and security, says the latest scores from the Global Food Security Index (GFSI).
The Association of Independent Meat Suppliers (AIMS) has been criticised by the chief executive of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) for refusing to share precise details about a recent incident of horsemeat contamination in a shipment of beef.
A global report on food security launched by the UK government suggests that consumers should eat less meat while urging retailers and manufacturers to take action that curbs food waste.
The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a compelling demand for an end to the malnutrition that continues to affect more than half of the world’s population.
Understanding why consumers have adverse reactions to certain types of bread should be researched, instead of searching for some miracle gluten-free replacement, says The Real Bread Campaign.
Monsanto plans to halt lobbying activity for its genetically modified (GM) crop varieties in Europe, the agriculture and biotechnology giant has confirmed.
Flour made from cassava can be up to half the price of regular wheat flour, holding great promise for bakers amid commodity volatility, says the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
Rice quality issues contribute to $3.39bn a year at least in global costs to the food industry from rice waste, significantly boosting the importance of quality testing.
Kellogg has launched a breakfast biscuit range in France, Spain and Italy to cash in on consumer desires for ‘dunkable’, handheld breakfast options on the continent, it said.
When stevia sealed EU novel foods approval in December 2011 it was heralded as the holy grail of sweeteners, but has it lived up to all the hype for chocolate?
Food and snack manufacturers should be looking at innovative solutions that involve using less salt to do more, rather than simply using salt replacement products, according to Wayne Morley of Leatherhead Food Research.
A study published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics shows that female consumers are more likely to read and heed information on food packaging than men.
“The price of apparently cheap food is costing nothing less than the Earth.”
The Prince of Wales has called on Europe to ‘recalibrate and re-gear’ its food systems towards a local model of food production and distribution - while issuing a wide-ranging attack on current practices within the food industry.
Making the eat “less but better” red meat message profitable for the food industry, farmers and the rural economy is crucial for developing a more sustainable food system.
Cocoa butter is estimated to be the fat source for around 40% of chocolate bars compared to 5% for cocoa butter equivalents (CBE) – but the balance could be shifting.
Europe’s food and drink sector remained strong in 2012 against all odds, but must not become complacent if success is to continue into 2013, the president of FoodDrinkEurope (FDE) says.
