The World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended that
governments around the world phase out partially hydrogenated oils
if trans-fat labelling alone doesn't spur significant reductions.
Every extra of fruit or vegetable consumed daily could cut the risk
of heart disease by four percent, says a meta-analysis of almost a
quarter of a million people, giving people even more reason to seek
out the nutrient-rich foods.
A patent covering the use of the human bitter taste receptor to
screen for compounds could give Senomyx a significant edge in the
race to identify new flavour ingredients.
The reason why some people dislike vegetables such a broccoli and
sprouts is due to the genetic defence mechanism to potentially
harmful compounds in the plants, a result that deepens our
understanding of taste.
Maize, bred to contain high concentrations of the pro-vitamin A
carotenoid, beta-carotene, did increase the vitamin A status in
gerbils, and could be used to tackle vitamin A deficiency, says a
new study.
Canadian researchers are looking into the effects of gelling of
whey protein isolates with xanthan gum in concentrations well below
that usually reported, and have already filed for a patent on the
technique.
Three projects drawing on the expertise of researchers in both the
UK and France could translate into practical improvements in crop
and agronomic science.
A recently published meta-analysis of published studies provides
support for the inclusion of soy protein in place of saturated and
trans-saturated fats and cholesterol as part of a diet to prevent
and lower high blood cholesterol...
Science and politics make poor bedfellows. Just ask Herman Koeter,
deputy executive director at the European Food Safety Authority
(EFSA), which has felt the push and pull of national politics ever
since the agency began operating...
The debate over folic acid fortification of bread took a new turn
this week, thanks to a study from Sweden which suggests that low
folate levels may guard against colorectal cancer.
A predictive model developed to determine final acrylamide levels
in processed potatoes can be used to reduce the potential
carcinogen in other products, says a researcher from Dublin.
GM bacteria that eat hemicellulose in corn fibre could be used as a
new, biobased method of making xylitol, a mint-flavoured sweetener
used in chewing gum.
A new baking enzyme which aims to cut costs on the production line
and increase the shelf life of bakery products has been launched by
ingredients giant Danisco.
In today's competitive food industry, healthy products mean healthy
sales but the scramble to keep up with the obesity backlash can
have dangerous repercussions.
Soya beverage makers are using more subtle marketing of their key
ingredient and merging with more traditional segments like juice
and dairy in a bid to bring their products into the mainstream,
according to industry experts.
Healthy ingredients, a must-have for any ingredient supplier these
days, are just as relevant in Asia as western markets, say
companies exhibiting at this week's Fi-Asia in Bangkok.
Food allergies could be consigned to the history books within a
decade if the combination of biotechnology and vaccines work as
planned, Dutch researchers have told the BA Festival of Science in
England.
The results of the EC's public consultation on promoting healthy
diets and physical activity, published today, suggest that most
stakeholders favour a multi-sector approach to tackling obesity.
A new study proving the efficacy of using beet molasses as a
substratum to produce Xanthonomas and gelling polymers could be of
great interest to the food industry.
The oversimplification of the 'energy-in/energy out' equation is
generating a fundamental public misunderstanding of the challenges
of obesity, claims one scientist.
People who regularly eat cured meats are 71 per cent more likely to
have symptoms of lung disease than people who never eat this type
of meat, says a new study from the US.
Grape seed and pine bark extracts as additives in cooked meats
performed better than the synthetic preservatives in oxidation and
microbial effects, results that could be readily acceptable to
consumers seeking ready-to-eat meat products...
With obesity continuing to grab the headlines, a joint
US-Portuguese study of what affects the motivation to feed is said
to contribute to a better understanding of how the brain responds
to food stimuli.
Europeans are more clued up than their American counterparts when
it comes to the benefits of dark chocolate, according to a US
company educating the market through their range of functional
health-boosting cocoa products.
The recent failure of the WTO trade talks could have serious
implications for our culture of obesity, and is an issue that must
be dealt with urgently, claims a scientist.
Reducing the variety of snack foods available to consumers could
reduce the pleasure associated with them, cut consumption, and help
fight obesity, suggests a study.
We desperately need to change the corrosive debate over obesity by
looking for innovative solutions rather than just scapegoats, says
a Danisco business development manager.
Adding carrageenans to egg white ovalbumin improves the gelling
ability of the egg protein and could spark a "great interest using
liquid egg as gelling agents", says research from Spain.
Products containing Forbes Medi-Tech's Reducol plant sterols have
proved popular in Finnish supermarket Kesko - so much so that it is
expanding its Pirkko range to include a non-dairy margarine.
US-based scientists say they have identified a protein responsible
for the perception of sourness, backing up a similar recent study
into a taste that is still relatively poorly understood.
Food can polarise opinion more than most issues, but can we please
have some balance and debate, rather than mudslinging and crop
burning to get to the truth?
Intake of the carotenoids lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin improved
iron absorption from a meal and even reversed the inhibitory
effects of coffee, says a new study.
Chr Hansen's expansion of its existing lactic acid cultures
facility in Pohlheim, Germany is designed to tap the rapidly
growing market for meat cultures.
More efficient collaboration between the public and private sectors
is vital if genomic technology is to truly have an impact in
alleviating food insecurity and food shortages around the world.
The use of ingredients to improve the nutritional status of food
products by replacing sugar is one of the major driving forces for
new product development, according to Roquette.