The body providing scientific advice to the UK government will be
reorganised in order to make clearer its role in relation to
government priorities and in sustaining and developing science.
The actual feasibility of linking consumption data to health
outcomes came to light this week following investigations into the
buying and eating of novel - to include genetically modified -
foods.
The 21st century must rebalance the excesses of the 20th century -
from pollution to food. This month there were visible signs that
Europe is trying to get to grips with the labelling of
health-related products with the Commission...
Innovation continues to drive new product development. Recent
highlights from Mintel’s GNPD (Global New Products Database) reveal
a pint of ale ice-cream, rice-based FABs and bubble-gum tea.
Funds topping €17,5 billion will be poured into food-related
research as the European Commission announces first slice of
investment in the first year of the EU 6th Research Framework
Programme (FP6).
A network of scientists in Europe, co-ordinated by NIZO food
research, are developing a design tool to clarify the relationship
between the configuration of the drying installation, process
conditions, product composition and final...
Scientists across the globe continue their mission to map the
genomic sequence of crop varieties. A team in the US could now have
the solution to a rogue fungus that is the enemy of beer brewers.
Levels of dioxins and dioxin-like environmental pollutants PCBs in
food have fallen by around 50 per cent in the UK over three years,
according to a recent study from food safety agency, the Food
Standards Agency (FSA).
Engineers at the Russian company Izobretatel in Moscow have
designed and patented a new device for rapid and cost-effective
analysis of the consistency of various food- and non-foodstuffs for
future standardised replication.
Researchers have identified a flavour enhancer that could be used
to reduce salt, sugar and monosodium glutamate levels in our foods.
The new compound is said to be the first to be found possessing
salty, sweet and savoury flavour...
The annual meeting of food technologists kicked off in Chicago at
the weekend, and with it the opportunity for debate. 'Customised
nutrition' came under the spotlight at a symposium on Sunday.
Consumer health concerns are driving them towards guilt-free
versions of 'naughty-but-nice' bakery and confectionery products.
Ingredients manufacturers respond - starch manufacturer explains
development of whole egg replacer.
Starter cultures are at the heart of dairy research in Europe. A
network of scientists will identify new tools to give Europe's
dairy industry the competitive edge over USA, New Zealand and
Australia.
NASA-awarded food science students will present the ultimate in
space comfort foods - the 'Pizza Popper'- at the upcoming IFT
Annual Meeting in Chicago this weekend.
New flavour encapsulation technology could provide product
developers with a new tool to prolong shelf life, claims flavours
company International Flavors & Fragrances.
Top heart charity launches 'pinch of salt' consumer awareness
campaign in the UK to tackle salt consumption while scientists in
the US investigating the link between salt and taste forsee new
healthy salts in the future.
In a bid to validate different soy isoflavone testing methods
around the world, newly merged Dutch ingredients company Acatris
worked with TNO Nutrition and Food Research to perform a global
ring test from laboratories around the...
Flavour ingredients company Treatt will unveil its new selection of
natural vegetable distillates at the IFT exhibition opening this
weekend in Chicago, USA.
Small batch crisp manufacturer Jonathan Crisp claims to be the
first UK crisp manufacturer to produce cholesterol-free crisps,
looking to gain market share in the 'healthier' foods market.
As European politicians make hesitant steps towards sustainable
agriculture through reforms to the Common Agricultural Policy
(CAP), scientists assert that the main focus of agricultural
research has shifted from production to assessing...
Controversial herbal drink of 19th century artistes, said to
produce hallucinogenic levels of intoxication and inspire the Green
Muse, is well under control in Germany. But high alcohol content
means warnings are still de rigeur.
A range of issues hitting the food industry in Europe came under
the spotlight last month at symposium in Germany co-ordinated by
gelatine giant Gelita.
When chicken processor Tyson merged with meat giant IBP the €4.1
billion deal marked one the largest acquisitions in the food
industry in the last few years. Today the company is moving deeper
into health ingredients.
Scientists will team up with Unilever to examine the link between
vitamins and minerals and brain development in children in the
first study of its kind in Australia.
Extensive analysis of studies on the power of vitamins A, C and E
or multivitamins to reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer
calls highlights need for more evidence.
Bone health beverages and fitness waters are at the core of new
product concepts highlighted by the health unit of agri-giant
Cargill at the upcoming Institute of Food Technologists' exhibition
this month in Chicago.
Imagine eating purple bread, purple vinegar or blue noodles. Now
imagine that they are good for you. Food scientists in Australia
have come up with natural food colours that also give a boost to
the health.
Could a fruit bar a day be the answer to osteoporosis? Trials of a
new food product enriched with phytoestrogens could provide women
with a tasty alternative to HRT.
As the Greek EU Presidency comes to a close, the General
Secretariat for Research and Technology has published a report
outlining a series of guidelines to further the implementation of a
European Research and Innovation Area (ERIA),...
Investigations into the levels of the carcinogenic PAH compounds in
margarines find that all are within recommended limits, challenging
earlier findings from a Swedish consumer organisation.
DuPont Qualicon has a new addition to its BAX system line of
diagnostic tests - the BAX system PCR assay for detecting
Enterobacter sakazakii in infant formula, dry dairy and soy
ingredients.
As the debate hots up over genetically modified foodstuffs, a
report published in the latest issue of Nature suggests
that, thanks to the tinkering of genes, decaffeinated coffee could
be grown on bushes.
Agriculture ministers from around the world are gathering in
Sacramento, California today for the start of a three-day
conference on genetically engineered food and farming. With the
breakdown of discussions last week between the...
Could summer's delectable bounty fight the growth of cancer cells?
Scientists at the Institute of Food Research in the UK have begun
work to identify compounds in strawberries responsible for
inhibiting the growth of cancer cells....
Earlier this week we reported on the online launch of a database
containing 20 years of research on the food-borne pathogen
Listeria. Today, a new rapid Listeria test from UK company
Oxoid claims to provide 'peace-of-mind'...
Consumed for nearly 2000 years, noodles today bear little relation
to their Chinese and Japanese ancestors. Nowhere is this more
evident than in the unrelenting growth of the instant noodle
market. UK starch specialist National Starch...
The intricacies of phosphatidylserine (PS) are explained in a new
website for the food and health industry launched by Degussa
BioActives, the nutritional ingredient business unit of Degussa.
Taste, texture, and stability in confectionery fillings can all be
achieved with a new range of filling fats from Loders Croklaan, the
Dutch-based company recently spun-off by Anglo-Dutch giant
Unilever.
The Chinese herb gastrodine is at the centre of new findings that
suggest it could improve memory, orientation and language in people
who have mild to moderate vascular dementia as the result of a
stroke.
The UK is facing an obesity epidemic that could ultimately lead to
a dramatic increase in the number of cases of diabetes, claim UK
scientists. Educating the population about lifestyle changes could
be the key to combat the threat,...
