By Kathy Groves, Head of Microscopy, Leatherhead Food Research
Soluble dietary fibers, dextrins and added vanilla can help manufacturers cut sugar beyond reducing portion size, writes Leatherhead Food Research’s head of microscopy.
Drinking at least one artificially sweetened beverage daily may increase the risk of developing stroke or dementia compared to those who consumed this drink less than once a week.
Oils and fats that provide the taste and food qualities while providing a rich source of the ‘good’ fats is an ongoing issue that has resulted in a range of oils that have laid claim to being the ‘next big thing.’
Adding between one and 3% of acacia gum to either gluten-free or white bread can improve softness and extend shelf-life, according to French supplier Alland & Robert.
People who pay attention to nutrition labels are more concerned with the quality of the food they eat, choosing to eat more fruits, vegetables and beans, and shunning potatoes and refined grains.
New research has reversed ideas about the health impacts of a high salt intake diet, and may have implications for salt reduction campaigns throughout Europe - though public health campaigners have called the results "contrived".
Novel-textured, high-protein desserts may soon become available thanks to a method that uses whey protein and polysaccharides to reduce the calorie content of high-fat foods such as ice-cream.
How stevia controls blood sugar levels has remained a mystery until now as researchers think they have unravelled the natural, no-calorie sweetener's action that results in its observed health benefits.
Excess weight and obesity can interfere in the diagnosis and care of autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis as the impact of diet on the inflammation process is highlighted.
EU scientists have warned against pitfalls in the method used to analyse carcinogenic contaminants 2-MCPD, 3-MCPD and glycidyl esters in food, recommending an additional ‘clean-up step’ to avoid skewing results.
A multi-million Euro initiative backed by the German government has hailed the ‘good news’ of being close to market for a number of natural flavour masking ingredients for food and nutrition applications.
An institute of Wageningen University & Research is part of a project to improve multi-analyte diagnostic assays for rapid (on-site) detection of food safety issues.
Eating foods high in fat and sugar during pregnancy can severely disrupt metabolic processes in both women and their offspring, new research on mice has revealed.
Increasing potassium-rich natural foods in the diet could reduce blood pressure and thus, cardiovascular and kidney disease, according to a review conducted in the US.
An unwillingness to eat foods like insects may have more to do with food appropriateness than its actual taste as findings could have implications for consumer acceptance of other protein sources.
Women who increase body weight by small amounts before pregnancy could have a doubled risk of developing gestational diabetes, even when BMI remains at a healthy level, a new study warns.
A new Salmonella serotype that first caused illness in Greece has spread to three other countries, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
A compound identified in the leaves of the Ashwagandha herb may provide some welcome respite to those suffering from insomnia and other neuropsychiatric conditions.
Waste blood from the meat industry has the potential to be collected and processed to generate high-added-value food ingredients, say researchers … who outline it’s ‘exceptional’ nutritive and functional properties.
The use of augmented and virtual reality technologies to change the visual appearance of food and drink in real time could improve the diets of consumers.
Researchers have developed gluten-free bread with the same fluffy, bubble texture as wheat bread - without using any additives or gums - simply by using rice flour that has been milled and processed in a specific way.
Family-based lifestyle interventions, such as a diet high in unsaturated fat, can have a dramatic impact on children's blood fatty acid make-up, Finnish researchers have determined.
Eco-friendly plastic for seafood made from...seafood. Scottish start-up CuanTec's chitosan-based plastic made from langoustine shells uses inedible seafood parts, replaces petro-chemical plastic and even cuts out the need for preservatives.
Producing fatty acids from sugar in industrial quantities may have been cracked by German researchers, who believe the approach could be harnessed to create new types of molecules for the food sector.
Children who experience food insecurity in early childhood are already at a disadvantage when starting school as research has found they are less able to learn and interact with their peers.
If in-vitro meat is to be successful it must be marketed as a natural meat substitute, because the negative perception of synthetic foods are too great to overcome the potential benefits for the environment, say Swiss researchers.
Five new synthetic yeast chromosomes have been created could signal the advent of more nutritious food, less waste and improved processing efficiency, according to the team heading up the project.
Allulose, a low-calorie, natural sugar could help regulate blood glucose levels as preliminary animal studies have highlighted this rare sugar’s ability to also manage weight gain.
A European team of researchers led by the University of Parma, is developing what it claims is the first ever fluid‐repellent, antibacterial metal surfaces in the food and beverage industry.
Despite the link between cheese consumption and saturated fat levels, a study has observed little effect between the amount of cheese eaten and a person’s cholesterol levels.
Research accounting for greenhouse gas emissions caused by the health care system shows healthier diets could have an even greater effect on climate change than previously thought.
A technique that reduces plant contamination from a toxic metabolite could help save millions of tons of crops from this threat to food security especially in the developing nations.
Infants may be exposed to fructose through breast milk, before sugary drinks and other foods containing fructose introduced to the infant diet, according to research.
The links between obesity and the immune system have been outlined by Irish researchers who have identified the impact of diet on immune cells that control inflammation and metabolic function.
On average, a Danish dairy cow calves once a year. However, a recent study at Aarhus University suggests fewer calvings and extended milking periods may be more advantageous.
The winners of a Europe-wide programme designed to promote innovative flavour research across universities and research institutes have been announced.
EU scientists have announced a promising new method for characterising nanoparticles, such as titanium dioxide, which can be used on food and feed ingredients, according to a new European Commission study.
The UK's childhood obesity strategy has been criticised again – this time in an analysis published in the British Medical Journal. Will all this flak put other EU countries off the idea?
The polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) contained in walnuts might improve sperm quality as findings support previous evidence suggesting the nut contains key nutrients essential for sperm function.
A review of over 200 studies has revealed a substantial connection between obesity and 11 different types of cancer, prompting calls for further research and tougher efforts to tackle the obesity crisis.
An excess of sugar appears to promote the onset of Alzheimer’s disease as British researchers identify a link between diet and the neurological disorder.
An augmented fork designed to help people eat slower can reduce eating rate but needs further testing to prove it can reduce the amount of food eaten, according to a study.
