Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

Understanding emulsions key to better low-fat foods: Study

20-May-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Designing low-fat foods requires thorough understanding of the many roles that fat plays in the way we experience foods, according to a paper published in Advances in Nutrition.

Taxation necessary to offset rising cost of a healthy diet

18-May-2015 By Niamh Michail

The price of fruit and vegetables in the UK has tripled in the past 30 years, while the price of ice cream has halved – a pattern being repeated across the developing world which is fuelling the global obesity crisis.

Swapping out one sugary drink per day could slash diabetes risk

15-May-2015 By Nathan Gray

Drinking water or unsweetened tea or coffee in place of one sugary drink per day could slash the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by up to a quarter, say researchers.

Coffee by-products may have prebiotic, antimicrobial and antioxidant potential

11-May-2015 By Nathan Gray

More than 2 billion tons of coffee by-products that are currently thrown away could have applications in the food and nutrition sector, say researchers.

Kids with ADHD at risk of ‘binge eating’ and obesity, study finds

11-May-2015 By Nathan Gray

Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be at risk of disordered eating patterns that can lead to obesity and other health problems, say researchers.

FAO: Global food import costs to hit five-year low

11-May-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Global food import costs are set to reach their lowest level in five years during 2015, even as volumes remain the same or rise slightly, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Too much variety may be fuelling the obesity crisis

05-May-2015 By Niamh Michail

Big differences in the calorie content for one food type distorts expectations of satiety and energy content leading to overeating - a feature of Western diets that is fuelling the obesity crisis, say researchers.

FoodDrinkEurope welcomes 7% biofuels limit – but industry divided

04-May-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

FoodDrinkEurope has said legislators could have been more ambitious in their efforts to reduce food resources for fuel and welcomed a 7% cap on biofuels, but not all of its members agree.

‘Bust the myth’ of physical inactivity and obesity, urge researchers

23-Apr-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Public health messages intended to tackle obesity should focus on unhealthy eating rather than physical activity, which does not promote weight loss, according to an editorial published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Tesco reports historic €8.9bn loss but may be able to move on, says analyst

22-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

UK retail giant Tesco has reported a staggering annual loss of £6.4 billion (€8.9bn), the worst in its 96-year history.

Tate & Lyle exits European venture and shuts sucralose plant

21-Apr-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Tate & Lyle has announced a restructuring that will see it make changes to its struggling Splenda sucralose business and exit most of its European Bulk Ingredients business.

Front-of-pack labels are equally effective - but none works alone

21-Apr-2015 By Niamh Michail

Front-of-pack labelling can be useful but health policy-makers are naïve if they think that this alone will result in healthier food choices, say researchers -  environment, motivation and psychology must be actively influenced too.

Early Easter sweetens sales for Nestlé

17-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Nestlé has reported a better than expected sales jump of 4.4% with sales totalling CHF 20.9bn (€20.25bn), boosted by sales of bottled water and chocolate.

Unilever share price soars as sales rise 12%

16-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Unilever share prices surged more than 4% within a few hours of the company announcing that its first quarter sales had risen 12.3% to €12.8bn, exceeding expectations.

Regulation squeezes digestive health NPD out of EU

16-Apr-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The percentage of food and drink launches carrying digestive health claims has fallen from 2.4% in 2009 to 2.2% in 2014 in the EU, says Innova Market Insights.

Junk food ads and brand placement: Joint use increases effect on children

14-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

The combined use of TV brand placements with advertising could increase the effect on children's brand awareness and behaviour towards junk food, a new study has said.

Report and industry clash over artificial sweeteners' role in childhood obesity

13-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

A new research report has said that artificial sweeteners may not help reduce obesity in children – a claim that the industry has dismissed.

Changing food porosity could cut salt and fat

13-Apr-2015 By Niamh Michail

Salt and fat content in processed food could be reduced by altering food pore size - without affecting the taste, say scientists.

Small changes for big benefits: Altering protein and carb profile has big impact on weight

10-Apr-2015 By Nathan Gray

Making small, consistent changes to the types of protein- and carbohydrate-rich foods we eat may have a big impact on long-term weight, say researchers behind a new large-scale diet study.

Manufacturers, consumers, retailers or government: Whose responsibility is gluten-free?

10-Apr-2015 By Niamh Michail

A gluten-free diet is the only possible treatment for those with coeliac disease – so whose responsibility is it to increase affordability, availability and awareness? FoodNavigator asked experts for their views.

Corbion acquires ADM’s lactic acid business

10-Apr-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Corbion N.V. has acquired the lactic acid business from Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) for an undisclosed cash sum, the company said on Friday.

Eco-friendly foods: Can environmental messages be better targeted to consumers?

10-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Research outlining why consumers support environmental food policies could help identify how messages should be targeted to different groups.

Food for fuel: Biofuels policies cut emissions by cutting food consumption

09-Apr-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Biofuels policies rely on cutting food consumption in order to reduce emissions, according to a study published in the journal Science.

Do eating habits of others influence healthy eating in young women?

08-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Healthy eating behaviour in young women could be influenced by the eating habits and the appearance of others, a study has found.

Food preferences among elderly peers may differ, says study

08-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Older adults with a poor appetite may have a higher preference for variation in foods compared with older adults with a good appetite, according to a study.

Slump in sugar prices driving down overall food prices: FAO

07-Apr-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

A sharp drop in sugar prices is the main factor behind a fall in overall global food prices, says the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Taste beyond the tongue: How do other senses influence flavour?

03-Apr-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Taste is much more complex than the experience of basic flavours on the tongue – it also encompasses our other senses to a larger degree than most people realise, according to Professor Charles Spence.

Improving foods works better than educating consumers, says expert

03-Apr-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Reformulating foods to be healthier without telling consumers is a brilliant health policy, says Professor Graham MacGregor.

Tate & Lyle maintains forecast following profit warnings

02-Apr-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Tate & Lyle said there was no change to its full year guidance in a trading update on Thursday morning.

Oxfam: World’s biggest food companies must ‘walk the talk’ on sustainability

31-Mar-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Eight of the 10 biggest multinational food companies have improved their food security and sustainability policies over the past year – but all must do more to put their commitments into practice, says Oxfam’s latest Behind the Brands report.

Start young to influence babies' taste preferences

30-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

Getting children to eat vegetables is often a daily battle – but a love of healthy food can be fostered by introducing new flavours as early as possible.

Heinz Kraft merger: Synergies and cost cutting

26-Mar-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The super-merger of Heinz and Kraft is less about synergies and more about cutting costs, analysts have said.

Xylitol’s efficacy in fighting tooth decay ‘unproven’

26-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

There is little evidence to prove natural sweetener xylitol prevents tooth decay in children and adults despite an EFSA-backed health claim, says a Cochrane review.

Study: UK dietary food guidelines could cut heart attack risk

26-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Following the UK dietary guidelines could reduce the risk of heart attacks in middle-aged and older men and women by up to 30%=, say researchers.

Changing how rice is cooked could cut calories

24-Mar-2015 By Nathan Gray

A novel cooking and cooling process for rice could help slash the number of calories absorbed by the body by more than half by increasing levels of resistant starch, say researchers.

Be creative to keep reformulation costs down, says analyst

24-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Manufacturers need to be innovative and clever if costs to reformulate food products are to be kept low, says Cindy Beeren at Leatherhead Food Research.

From soda bans to nutrient labelling: What really helps reduce obesity?

23-Mar-2015 By Nathan Gray

Trans-fat bans, and limiting the availability of sugary and fatty foods are the best ways to battle obesity, while nutrition information fails to deliver benefits, says a new review of anti-obesity policies.

Barentz reveals expansion plans after gaining added funds

20-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

On the back of a deal with a ‘strong’ equity partner, Barentz International will use the additional funds to accelerate growth in its key markets in Europe, India, China and Asia Pacific, it said.

How retailers are working with suppliers to fight food waste

20-Mar-2015 By Fintan Hastings, external affairs adviser, British Retail Consortium

The close relationship between supply chain partners means they are well-placed to help each other tackle food waste, says Fintan Hastings, external affairs adviser at the British Retail Consortium.

Which protein can help weight loss but keep muscle?

19-Mar-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Greater energy from whey protein means greater loss of fat but retention of muscle while dieting, according to research that looked at different protein sources. 

UK budget largely positive, says food and drink industry

19-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

The drop in corporation tax, promise of increased investment funding and support for British farmers in the 2015 UK budget were largely supported by British food and drink manufacturers.

Academics challenge research that links diet soda to bigger waistlines

18-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Academics have questioned a recent study that has attempted to establish a link between an increase in waistlines and the intake of diet soft drinks.

Last year was a breakthrough year for stevia, says PureCircle

17-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Market demand for stevia last year increased PureCircle’s half-year sales by 24%, the company has said.

Hedonism influences perception of food quality, says report

17-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

A food product’s sensorial characteristics and its place of production determine the perception of its quality for Italian consumers, a study has found.

DNA sprays and added bacteria to fight food fraud

17-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

Spray-on DNA or added bacteria may be the future of the fight against food fraud   - but analysts warn that consumers could react against more additives being used to guarantee a product’s authenticity or naturalness

Health or ethics? Reason for vegan diet may affect health outcomes

16-Mar-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The reason why people choose a vegan diet could have important implications for their health, according to a study published in Appetite.

Navigate or search -- how do consumers shop for groceries online?

16-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Online grocery shoppers tend to prefer navigating to product pages rather than searching for specific products, according to a study funded by the European Research Council.

Campaigners win case against Bayer over pesticide bee claims

13-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

Friends of the Earth Germany has said it will step up its fight to protect bees after German chemical giant Bayer CropScience failed to sue it in court for claiming that a pesticide manufactured by the company could harm bees.

Reduce marketing of sugar-rich products, says WHO

12-Mar-2015 By Joyeeta Basu

The World Health Organisation has said that companies need to reduce the marketing of sugar-rich products if consumers are to slash their intake to 10% of daily calories.

The end of stevia’s natural reign – or the beginning of a new one?

11-Mar-2015 By Niamh Michail

By producing stevia through fermentation and solvent-based extraction the industry risks losing its most promising natural sweetener - but this may create a new market for new niche stevia products, say analysts.