Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

Cutting carbs, gluten or fat? The 'utter nonsense' behind claims to be the best diet

17-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

From the benefits of gluten-free to those of Mediterranean and Palaeolithic diets, many claims that one dietary strategy are better than another for health and weight loss are simply 'unjustified' and 'sometimes utter nonsense', according...

MSC to launch first sustainable seaweed standard

15-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is expanding its sustainability standard beyond wild-capture fish and invertebrate fisheries to include wild seaweed for the first time.

Climate change and rising CO2 will reduce quality of food

11-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Elevated levels of carbon dioxide can block plants' absorption of nitrates, leading to foods and crops with a reduced nutritional quality, new field trials have found.

INNOBEV GLOBAL SOFT DRINKS CONGRESS: FINAL THOUGHTS

‘Functional beverage belief is back’: Zenith International chair

11-Apr-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Zenith International chairman Richard Hall tells BeverageDaily.com that he thinks the beverage industry is regaining its faith in functional products.

Small changes are the way to go (and that’s not an industry cop out!): Obesity expert

10-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Obesity should be tackled in small steps, acknowledging where people are and not where public health officials wish they were, according to a US scientist.

Carbs, not just fat, may influence blood lipid levels

09-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

The fatty acid composition of blood reflects the quality of both dietary fat and carbohydrates, according to new research from Finland.

Sluggish growth predicted for global packaged foods markets

08-Apr-2014 By Nicola Cottam

A slowdown in global packaged food markets is expected over the next five years as supply in developed countries reaches saturation point combined with insufficient opportunities elsewhere, but health and Asia offer hope.

FAO: Ukraine-Russia tensions and poor weather lead to sharp rise in food prices

03-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Unfavourable weather conditions in the Asia, Brazil and the US, coupled with increased political tension in the Black Sea region have led to a steep increase in world food prices, says the FAO.

FOODEX 2014: LIVE FROM THE SHOW FLOOR

‘America sneezes - we catch a cold!’: Serving sizes and the UK war on sugar

26-Mar-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

A food industry panel chaired by former UK cabinet minister Michael Portillo has warned that the UK drive to cut sugar and salt levels in food and drink risks being undermined by larger portion sizes.

French parliamentary report pushes 'fast-food' tax

25-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

A French senatorial report has proposed a 'junk-food' tax on products that are linked to heart disease - with the report taking particular aim at soft drinks, which currently benefit from low taxes.

ONE WEEK TO GO - HAVE YOU REGISTERED YET?

One week to go: FoodNavigator’s Sugar Debate separates the fact from the fiction

24-Mar-2014

Sugar has been linked to everything from heart disease to obesity and cancers in recent months. But is it as bad as all that? Our free-to-attend debate aims to tackle the key questions in the sugar debate. Have you registered yet?

Reformulation of carbonated drinks could slash more than 6,000 calories per year

21-Mar-2014 By Diana Cowland

Using stevia to reformulate just 20% of carbonated soft drinks could slash more than 6,000 calories per year from the diet of consumers, says Diana Cowland of Euromonitor International.

Kids' preferences for sweet and salty foods are linked: Monell study

20-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Children who most prefer high levels of sweet tastes also most prefer high levels of salt taste, according to new research that suggests such a link may be behind high childhood consumption of sugar and salt.

Healthy midlife diet may prevent dementia later

18-Mar-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Making healthy dietary choices in midlife could lower the risk of dementia in later years by almost 90%, according to new research.

From health to sustainability: The evolving rationale behind plant-based food choices

17-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The reasons why people choose plant-based foods have evolved and expanded, boosting their market acceptance, says strategic affairs director for the European Natural Soyfoods Association (ENSA), Koen Bouckaert.

Action on Sugar sketches sugar reduction plans

14-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Sugar consumption could feasibly be reduced by 10% a year over the coming three to four years – without using artificial sweeteners or any other replacement ingredients, claims Action on Sugar.

Tate & Lyle to acquire Chinese polydextrose firm

14-Mar-2014

Tate & Lyle PLC has agreed to acquire Chinese polydextrose specialty fibre company Winway Biotechnology Nantong Co. Ltd to give it a base for selling the ingredient in the Asia Pacific region.

FAO reports rise in GM material in non-GM food trade

14-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Detection of genetically modified (GM) material in internationally traded non-GM food and feed has spiked in the past few years, interrupting trade and adding to food losses, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Cargill scales up its R&D 'hub' in Europe

14-Mar-2014 By Sarah Hills

Cargill's European Research and Development Centre has re-opened after an €8m expansion, with added emphasis on food safety.

British Sugar welcomes WHO added sugar guidance – with a caveat

13-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

British Sugar has welcomed the WHO’s continued recommendation that added sugars should account for less than 10% of total calories – although it has said it is concerned about advice to reduce this to 5%.

The FoodNavigator Forum

How does sugar affect health? Find out at FoodNavigator’s Sugar Debate: Separating Fact from Fiction

12-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Sugar – at least in excess – has been blamed for everything from heart disease to obesity and cancers in recent months. But is it as bad as all that?

Dietary guidelines are wrong on saturated fats, claims cardiovascular researcher

10-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Recommendations to replace saturated fat with carbohydrates or polyunsaturated fat are “severely challenged” and should be revised, claims an editorial published in Open Heart, a new journal from the BMJ Group.

Study reveals growing global reliance on handful of crops

07-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Global per capita food supply has increased over the past 50 years – but it has become more similar among countries, increasing reliance worldwide on a narrow range of commodities.

Yoplait Liberté 'naturally thick' yogurt claim not misleading: ASA

06-Mar-2014 By Mark ASTLEY

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has dismissed a complaint that challenged claims that Yoplait's strained Greek-style Liberté yogurt is ‘naturally thick’.

WHO recommends halving sugar intake advice

06-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised halving sugar intake advice from 10% of total calories to 5% of total calories in a new dietary guideline proposal.

High-calorie diet may slow progression of motor neuron disease

05-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Increasing caloric intake could be a relatively simple method for people with motor neurone disease to extend their life expectancy, according to new research.

CIUS: EU must act on sugar shortage risk

04-Mar-2014 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

The Committee of European Sugar Users (CIUS) has called on EU member states and the Commission to take adequate measures to avoid sugar shortages and guarantee a sufficient stock level at the end of this business year.

MOVE FOLLOWS RECENT UAE STEP TO BAN SUPERSIZE SODAS

Red Bull 'surprised' by Saudi Arabia energy drinks advertising ban

04-Mar-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Saudi Arabia has banned energy drink advertising altogether and will limit their distribution and sale, while brands including Red Bull will now be forced to carry health warnings.

Fat-busting seaweed: Scientists identify fat-blocking seaweed alginates

03-Mar-2014 By Nathan Gray

Alginates isolated from certain types of seaweed may have potential in weight loss supplements and foods, according to new research.

EU eyes reformulation and marketing restrictions to cut childhood obesity

03-Mar-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Restricting marketing to children and continuing to cut salt, fats and added sugar in processed foods are among initiatives put forward in a plan to tackle childhood obesity, agreed by EU member states in Greece last week.

Novozymes: ‘Remarkable’ enzyme breakthrough promises radical efficiency boost for HFCS production

28-Feb-2014 By Elaine WATSON

Novozymes has developed a "completely new" enzyme it claims will prove a game-changer for the sweeteners industry by making the process of converting starch into products such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), crystalline dextrose and fermented...

UK research takes aim at beneficial bacteria's ability to break down carbs

25-Feb-2014 By Nathan Gray

New funding from the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) could help researchers to better understand how beneficial bacteria break down non-digestible carbohydrate.

Daily breakfast consumption linked to lower obesity risk in girls

25-Feb-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Girls who eat breakfast every day are less likely to be overweight than those who skip breakfast, according to a study published in The International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition.

Special edition: Gluten-free

Industry already has all the ingredients for great gluten-free products: Univar

21-Feb-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

Gluten-free baked products have a historically bad reputation—be it in the flavor, texture, performance or shelf life department. But the surge of demand from all corners of the market has forced bakery and snack manufacturers to respond with improved...

Is the food industry falling out of love with ‘natural’ claims? Not according to the data, says Mintel

21-Feb-2014 By Elaine WATSON

When PepsiCo replaced the word ‘Simply Natural’ with ‘Simply’ on some Frito-Lay lines recently, some commentators wondered if this signaled the beginning of the end of the industry’s love affair with all-natural claims. However, new data suggests otherwise.

German sugar companies fined €280m for price fixing

19-Feb-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Germany’s three largest sugar companies, Sudzucker, Pfeiffer & Langen, and Nordzucker have been fined a total of €280m for price fixing by the German competition authorities.

Smoke signals: Sugar industry needs to embrace moderation (like the rest of us)

11-Feb-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Sugar is not like tobacco. So why does the sugar industry keep borrowing tobacco industry terms?

‘Misleading’ to single out sugar as a lead cause of obesity, says AB Sugar

10-Feb-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Sugar has had a bad press recently, especially after campaign group Action on Sugar formed to tackle ‘hidden’ sugars in processed foods last month – but sugar industry proponents claim it should not be singled out as a leading culprit in the obesity crisis.

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