The UK complementary medicines market has grown by almost 60 per
cent in the last five years to an estimated value of £130 million
(€187m), despite the impact of new legislation and negative
publicity regarding herbal remedies and...
The importance of adequate nutrition levels for women at the time
of conception is under the spotlight as new animal research
suggests even modest restrictions in maternal nutrition around the
time of conception can lead to premature...
Studies continue on the impact of folic acid levels in babies with
scientists reporting on possible link between folate deficiency
during pregnancy and leukaemia in children.
A new chickpea variety called Sierra has been released by
Agricultural Research Service scientists and their co-operators in
the US. Sierra's high yield and disease resistance to Ascochyta
blight are expected to appeal to the...
Risk assessors from the German Federal Institute for Risk
Assessment (BfR) repeated their call for the levels of acrylamide
in foods to be reduced as far and as quickly as possible. Speaking
one year after the Swedish National Food...
As evidence to suggest that folic acid during pregnancy could
protect against neural tube defects continues to mount, scientists
in Israel suggest this week that folic acid could also help prevent
Down's syndrome.
Can gelatine play a role in preventing and treating degenerative
arthritic disease? New research from Germany supports previous
evidence and suggests that gelatine could stimulate collagen
synthesis in cartilage cells.
French dairy ingredients company EPI Ingredients launches new
product, designed for use in high protein foods and supplements,
under its Epilac line of fermented dairy proteins.
The European Commission's Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) has
closed its door to the business of dispensing scientific advice,
but not before finalising 19 outstanding opinions and two reports
related to bovine spongiform...
As the European Commission tells member states to tow the EU line
over genetically modified organisms, the issue continues to gain
pace elsewhere in the world. A report released today in New Zealand
on the economic risks and opportunities...
Evidence mounts in support of the health benefits of regularly
consuming oats with a new study suggesting that kids who have a
constant intake of oatmeal may lower their risk of obesity.
Researchers at a Dutch university claim to have developed a model
that predicts how cheese will change when a force is applied to it.
The new model will help to predict how cheese will be damaged
during the packaging or transportation...
Last week the European Commission threatened 12 EU member states
with court action should they continue to ignore new EU legislation
regulating the release of GMOs into the environment. A new survey
released this week backs up the...
New methods for the detection of enterotoxins from Bacillus
cereus have been developed by European scientists. The
discovery paves the way for the identification of genes responsible
for the production of emetic toxins (vomiting toxins).
How, and why, can exposure to ochratoxin A result in DNA damage and
tumour induction? A new EU-funded project at the university of
Würzburg in Germany, will aim to answer these questions.
Entente cordiale between leaders in France and Great Britain
may well have been strained in recent weeks over the war in Iraq,
but elsewhere, in laboratories in the UK and France, scientists
have shown a united front in their aim...
How exactly do peanuts contribute to preventing cardiovascular
disease? A new study from the US finds that peanuts may improve
total diet quality by increasing a number of nutrients.
A sweeping review of research on low carbohydrate diets over the
past thirty years casts a shadow over the long term effects of this
immensly popular dietary regime,
International Flavours & Fragrances is to launch CoolTek, a
high-intensity cooling technology designed to add 'fun and
originality' for a wide variety of products including food,
beverages and even pharmaceutical products.
In 2000 sales of margarines containing plant sterol and plant
sterol esters were disappointing but despite this raw material
suppliers of these products...
Catfish farmers made sad and blue by blue-green algae that cause
'off-flavours' in their fish may soon get some relief. Agricultural
Research Service scientists claim to have discovered a
natural-based algaecide that not...
The debate on the yield superiority of traditional crops over
organic crops is set to continue as a recent study reveals that
corn and soybeans were only minimally reduced when organic
production practices were used instead of conventional...
The Food Standards Agency citizens' jury rendered its verdict
yesterday afternoon, narrowly deciding that GM foods should be
available to buy in the UK. Confidence in safety measures, freedom
of choice, and moving with the times...
The benefits of fruit and fruit drink consumption could be
seriously compromised by the use of herbicides and pesticides,
cites a new study from researchers in Honolulu that investigated
high fruit consumption and the risk of Parkinson's...
Last week we reported on a new study that highlighted, once again,
the benefits to our health of regularly consuming oily fish. New
research from the UK suggests that the Sikh population, and
potentially other Asian groups, could...
The death of three hunters from Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease is likely
to heighten fears that people in North America are contracting a
new form of the fatal brain disorder from deer, reports the New
Scientist.
Earlier this week we reported on news on the powerful
selenium-sulphoraphane duo in preventing disease. New research in
the same domain suggests that gene silencing a specific gene could
optimise on sulphoraphane, a potent anti-cancer...
ITAFE 2003 - the international congress on information technology
in agriculture, food and the environment - will take place from 7
to 10 October in Izmir, Turkey.
Japanese food manufacturer Kikkoman made further moves into the
functional food market with the news this week that it has selected
sensory science company TIAX to create a new line of beverages,
nutrition bars and breakfast cereals...
Food safety is in the limelight this week with the United Nation's
Food and Agriculture Organisation advocating a new approach to
ensure that the food we eat is free from food-borne hazards.
The merits of eating fish regularly are highlighted once again in a
new study from the US that reveals diabetic women could
considerably reduce their risk of heart disease by consuming fatty
fish.
New research from UK-based Institute of Food Research reveals that
two food components recognised for their ability to fight cancer
are up to 13 times more powerful when put to work together. The
findings could open up new possibilities...
Why can vitamin A help immune systems to fight back when under
attack by some food-poisoning organisms but not, for example, the
common cold? Researchers in the US try to unravel the mystery.
New insights about the foundations of our health could soon be
revealed thanks to the recent completion of the genome sequence of
one of the most prevalent bacteria that live in the human intestine
- Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron.
Improving food safety 'the natural way' would certainly appeal to
the increasingly health vigilant consumer. Scientists in the UK
have been looking at a variety of natural antimicrobials that could
extend food shelf-life...
Are recent trials in the UK on genetically modified crops a sham ?
A new analysis published by environmental group Friends of the
Earth yesterday suggests that the four year long evaluations
'will fail to provide any conclusive...
Dieting and over-eating - two potent issues at the heart of today's
health driven society. One slice of the population - women - is
particularly bombarded by images of the ideal weight. But exactly
how much energy do they actually...
Evidence keeps on mounting to suggest that fruit and vegetables are
good for our health. New research from the UK suggests that upping
the intake of vitamin C consumption could help prevent arthritis.
Freshly squeezed orange juice is as good for us as pasteurised
orange juice, report scientists this week, which begs the question
- is fresh orange juice worth the greater expense?
The new and emerging science and technology (NEST) programme from
the European Commission is an opportunity for the research
community to communicate what is important, said William Cannell,
head of unit for NEST in the Commission's...
UK-based Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST), through
its Public Affairs and Technical & Legislative Committees, has
authorised an Information Statement on 3-MCPD
(3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol).
Understanding the enterococci bacteria family - mostly found in
non-heat treated foods - formed the prime objective of a recent
European funded project. Primary objective? To investigate the
relationships between food, veterinarian...
The UK Institute of Food Science & Technology, through its
Public Affairs and Technical & Legislative Committees, has
authorised an updated information statement on salt that replaces
that of September 1999. Read below for...
Can fruit really reduce the risk of death from cancer? According to
an extensive study in Japan, daily or almost daily fruit
consumption was associated with a significant 12 per cent reduction
in total cancer mortality.
Baked, creamed, hashed, fried or sauteed - however it comes, the
humble potato is up there in the number one glory spot as America's
favourite vegetable. But this all time fave is a vulnerable sort,
with tuber defects a regular...
Anaemic adults and children cost developing countries billions of
dollars in lost productivity, according to a recent study. The
authors stress that the payback of iron fortification could be
tremendous for a country's economy.
