Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

Study shows techniques for reducing sugar content in dairy products show promise

21-Aug-2018 By Jim Cornall

Progress is being made in producing reduced-sugar dairy products that are more acceptable to consumers, researchers from the Southeast Dairy Foods Research Center, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, say in a report in the Journal of Dairy Science.

Sugar replaces price as consumers’ top food worry

20-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

The amount of sugar contained in food has risen up the consumer agenda and replaced price as consumers’ biggest food concern, research from the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) reveals.

Low and high carbohydrate diets cut life expectancy, study finds

20-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

People who follow an extreme low carb diet that replaces carbohydrates with animal protein and fat could shorten their life expectancy by four years, new research in published in The Lancet suggests.

‘This solves a real headache’: Ulrick & Short addresses ‘troublesome’ processes with cold swelling starch

17-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

UK ingredients maker Ulrick & Short is extending its line of clean label starches with the addition of a cold swelling starch that the company says will offer a stability and thickening solution for manufacturers using “gentle factory processes”.

Could tapioca rival ‘pervasive dominance’ of corn and potato starch?

14-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

Global demand for products made with tapioca starch is set to rise, supported by increased interest in products that deliver health benefits and are free from gluten and other allergens.

Borregaard’s ‘radical innovation’: A wood-based dietary fibre that can replace fat

13-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

Norway’s Borregaard is a technology leader in biorefineries, producing biochemical and biomaterials that replace oil-based products. A recent innovation from the group is a wood-based dietary fibre that works as a fat-replacer.

New product trend tracker: Ready-to-eat wheatberry & quinoa, spreadable skyr and gourmet instant desserts

03-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

From ready-to-eat pouches of wheatberry & quinoa, spreadable skyr and gourmet instant desserts with cocoa and chia seeds, we take a loot at some of the recent new product launches that stand out.

KiSS sweetness modulators ‘fool our sensory systems’ for sugar reduction

01-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

KiSS UK, part of REG Chemicals, has developed a line of flavour modulators that, it says, address the three main challenges of sugar reduction: sweetness, aftertaste and mouthfeel.

DouxMatok & Südzucker bring sugar tech to Europe: 'We want to be like Intel Inside, powering industry's sugar reduction,' says CEO

01-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

Israeli start-up DouxMatok has partnered with German sugar giant Südzucker to produce, market and sell its patented sugar-reducing technology to Europe.

From almond husk sugar to nutritious okara flour: High-value ingredients from food by-products

30-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

From a nutritious (and cheap) flour made from the by-product of tofu production to sugar, beer and biodegradable plastic made from almond husks, 'waste' is a dirty word in today's food industry. FoodNavigator found out more at this year's...

Focus on food choices to tackle NCDs, not specific nutrients

27-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Understanding the role of specific nutrients in food, such as sugar and saturated fat, is important but not enough to fully understand how diets impact risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs), says one scientist.

Renmatix on its multifunctional simple cellulose: 'This is a new-to-the-world ingredient'

24-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

An emulsifier, humectant, texturiser and egg replacement, Renmatix's patent-protected simple cellulose is native, natural and multifunctional, it says. "This is a very unique and new-to-the-world form of cellulose,” says the CEO.

Portugal to set mandatory maximum salt levels in bread

23-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Portugal will set mandatory maximum levels for salt in bread, with incrementally increasing targets over the next four years.

'Not particularly good news': Processing strips maize of healthy nutrients

12-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The process of making corn flakes strips maize of its healthy phenolic compounds and tocopherols, meaning fortification with additives is the best solution to make corn products healthier, scientists have found.

300,000-strong survey 'confirms positive impact' of NutriScore logo

11-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Leading French retailer E.Leclerc is definitively backing the NutriScore logo after a survey of 300,000-consumers showed it is best in encouraging healthy food choices, especially among younger shoppers and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

EFSA closes the door on titanium dioxide re-evaluation

06-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

There is no merit in re-evaluating the safety of titanium dioxide after four studies highlighted safety concerns, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has advised the Commission.

Orkla expands in Denmark with bakery filling acquisition

06-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Orkla Food Ingredients has inked a "strategically important" deal to acquire Danish fruit filling, syrup and marmalade supplier Igos.

Prepared meals and ethnic flavours on the rise in Spain

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spaniards are buying more prepared meals and the number of people eating ethnic cuisine has more than doubled in recent years, says a government report on food consumption.

'A serious health concern': Undeclared allergens are causing accidental allergic reactions

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Undeclared allergens at 'concerning' concentrations in packaged food are causing accidental allergic reactions, according to a study. "There is a perception that food allergens are no longer an issue," says one expert. "This is...

Tesco-Carrefour deal will have 'detrimental effect' on suppliers, FDE warns

03-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The buying alliance between retail giants Tesco and Carrefour will create an imbalance in bargaining power that has a detrimental effect on the whole supply chain, suppliers and manufacturers have warned.

UK food industry is not failing on sugar reduction targets, says expert

02-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK food and drink manufacturers are achieving "substantially better" sugar reductions than has been reported, according to a health policy expert. "It's good news for public health as well as private business."

Fat-carb combo intensifies brain reward signals and triggers overeating: Study

29-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Combining fat and carbohydrates in food intensifies the reward signalling to the brain regardless of calorie-count, liking or portion size, creating a desire to eat even beyond satiety, researchers have found.

Summer trendwatch: Jackfruit, 'naturally essenced' water and snack pairing

28-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Forget hot dogs and soda, this summer's staples will be barbecued jackfruit, naturally 'essenced' water and snacks that 'perfectly pair' with alcoholic drinks, according to market research analysts at Mintel.

Isoglucose is not more of a health risk than sugar - if its fructose content does not increase: BfR

28-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The type of isuglucose currently used in Europe poses no greater health risk than sucrose – but if manufacturers increase its proportion of fructose, the potential risks must be communicated, said the German risk authority.

'Help to avoid food waste in the sharing economy': Denmark relaxes rules on individuals selling food

25-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The Danish government has made it easier for non-food businesses to sell food as the popularity of digital food sharing applications grows, saying it will help fight food waste.

UK firm claims to have first commercially viable scale-up process for brazzein

22-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Magellan Life Sciences says its patent-pending fermentation process to scale up the sweet-tasting protein brazzein will make it the first company to market the natural, zero-calorie sweetener.

Chewing the fat: Reformulation and the texture challenge

20-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

The relationship between texture and taste means that texturants can play an important role in fat reduction efforts.

A texture, taste and legal challenge: Chocolate start-up shirks sugar for dates

20-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

London start-up Kaakao managed to overcome texture and flavour challenges when sweetening its chocolate with dates instead of sugar but the regulatory challenge - the EU definition of chocolate - is proving to be more difficult.

‘A largely unexplored opportunity’: The science linking texture and calorie reduction

20-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

The texture of food can influence people’s calorie intake, Dr Ciarán Forde of the National University of Singapore and Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences believes.

Pea protein trio of isolate-starch-fibre best to mimic meaty texture, says Cosucra

20-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers are moving from soy to pea protein to accurately mimic the texture of meat and dairy in plant-based alternatives, according to pea supplier Cosucra. “It’s part of their new product development (NPD) priority,” says its managing director.

BNF: Mixed messages leave UK adults confused about nutrition

19-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

More than 40% of adults find it difficult to find reliable information on healthy diets, according to a British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) survey.

Moving towards a plastic-free planet is 'an evolution, not a revolution'

14-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

A myriad of solutions are needed to make plastic food packaging more sustainable, said top brass at Ekoplaza, Ikea and Futamura last week. “In some cases we need to completely break free, in some we need to use different materials and in others we need...

What’s cooking in the ‘start-up nation’? Inside The Kitchen FoodTech Hub

12-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Innovation in Israel’s food tech sector is propelled by the country’s technological knowledge base, inward investment and governmental support. Ecosystems that encourage entrepreneurship and innovation are central to this endeavour. FoodNavigator visits...

Roquette reports on its four pillars of sustainability

08-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

By centring its sustainable development programme along four key pillars, ingredient supplier Roquette says it is ready to “prepare for the future in a responsible manner”.

In 30 years, every successful food company will be a ‘personalised food company’: Nutrino CSO

06-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

As consumers become increasingly invested in their health, personalised nutrition and gene-tailored diets will become the norm, says the chief science officer of Israeli start-up Nutrino. “The future of food is in personalisation and companies who fail...

‘Extended supply chains are broken’: Why Mars thinks the commodities era is over

06-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Food giant Mars is using procurement to tackle some of the most significant social and environmental challenges facing the world today. FoodNavigator spoke to Barry Parkin, chief procurement and sustainability Officer at Mars, to find out more.

Plant-based meat substitutes are 'useful transition foods' for a healthier diet

01-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The science is clear: a vegetarian diet is better for heart health, a study says - but does that include processed meat analogues? "While not as healthful as whole plants, they are useful transition foods," says one researcher.

ANIA sets 1000-day deadline to 'make food better'

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

The French trade group ANIA has set itself a 1000-day deadline to ‘make food better’ in a bid to close France’s food and nutrition gap.

Obese people enjoy food less, say researchers

30-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Obese people get less enjoyment from food than lean people and may overeat in order to compensate for this, according to a study.

Carob's health halo beats cocoa for kids confectionery, says UK start-up

29-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Far from being cocoa's poor cousin, carob powder is the ideal ingredient for healthy confectionery for kids, mimicking the "shine, snap and silky smooth texture" of milk chocolate without the stimulants caffeine and theobromine, says Supertreats...

French politicians back mandatory labelling of GM feed and pesticide use

28-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

After a week of debates on the country's Agriculture and Food Bill, French politicians have backed mandatory labelling for GM animal feed and pesticide use on fruit and vegetables but rejected measures to stop marketing unhealthy foods to children.

Guest article

Can blockchain build a sustainable food industry?

28-May-2018 By Amarjit Sahota, president and founder of Ecovia Intelligence

Blockchain is taking off, with a growing number of food companies and retailers experimenting with this new technology. Consultancy Ecovia Intelligence sees blockchain bringing many sustainability benefits to the food industry.

Tate & Lyle making stevia ‘integral’ with Sweet Green Fields stake

24-May-2018 By Katy Askew

Tate & Lyle is taking a stake in integrated global stevia ingredients company Sweet Green Fields as it works to accelerate portfolio development.

The Mediterranean diet is gone, says WHO chief

24-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

With Greece, Italy, Spain and Cyprus showing the highest levels of childhood obesity in Europe, the Mediterranean diet is gone, according to World Health Organisation (WHO) chief João Breda. “Those who are close to the Mediterranean diet are the Swedish...

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