Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

‘Wicked’: DEFRA boss on GM opponents in developing countries

14-Oct-2013 By Michael Stones

Those who oppose genetically modified (GM) rice enhanced with vitamin A in Africa and Asia are “wicked” and could be responsible for millions of premature deaths, warns environment secretary Owen Paterson.

KMC introduces potato starch for low fat spreads

07-Oct-2013

Danish food ingredient supplier KMC has introduced a clean label potato starch for use in low fat spreads, as an alternative to pricey hydrocolloids.

Food addiction: a flawed excuse for overeating

07-Oct-2013

Claims that people can get ‘hooked’ on certain foods which then makes them obese are overstated, with the result that food addiction is becoming an overly simplistic explanation for overeating, according to a leading expert in psychobiology.

Nordic nations up vitamin D and selenium intakes after 8-year review

04-Oct-2013 By Shane STARLING

A 3-year review of Nordic nutrient intakes has recommended daily vitamin D inputs increase from 7.5 microgram to 10 mcg per day for people between 2 and 75 years of age. For over-75s, it set a level of 20 mcg.

Pepsico commits to beefing-up supplier code of conduct

Oxfam tackles PepsiCo, Coke over 'disastrous impact' of sugar land grabbing

02-Oct-2013 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Oxfam insists that PepsiCo, Coca-Cola and Associated British Foods – the three most powerful firms in the global sugar industry – must do more to police the 'disastrous impact' of land grabbing in their supply chains.

European Parliament rejects carbohydrate health claim

01-Oct-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Parliament has vetoed a health claim linking carbohydrate consumption to normal brain function after objections that it could promote sugar consumption.

Wasted cassava stem starch could help feed 30 million

25-Sep-2013 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

Utilising wasted cassava stem starch could provide food for an extra 30 million people without using additional arable land, researchers say.

Want a winning energy bar? Go heavy, go rough, and take a pass on the fruit pieces

23-Sep-2013 By Hank Schultz

Connecting subtle cues consumers use to judge the quality and taste of a food with the context in which they experience those cues can help companies more closely align their products with consumer expectations, new research shows.

Reduce, reuse, recycle: FAO says food waste costs $750bn a year

17-Sep-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The FAO has issued a toolkit for reducing food waste, as it reveals the direct economic cost to food producers stands at $750bn (€561bn) a year, in a new report.

Could microalgae be the next big thing in fat reduction?

16-Sep-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Roquette is set to introduce high lipid algal flours as ingredients in bakery, sauces, beverages and prepared meals, to reduce fat, replace common allergens and cut costs.

Sugar tax ‘best option’ to limit escalating health problems, says Credit Suisse

13-Sep-2013 By Oliver Nieburg

A sugar tax is the best way to combat excess sugar consumption which doctors agree is partly to blame for growing global obesity and diabetes rates, according to a report from Credit Suisse.

Fermented sugar preservative responds to clean label demands, says Corbion Purac

05-Sep-2013

Corbion Purac has introduced a clean label preservative that can be listed as ‘fermented sugar’ on ingredient panels.

PepsiCo examines potential of unripe bananas, plantains as natural gluten substitutes, sugar replacers, binders, fibers

03-Sep-2013 By Elaine WATSON

PepsiCo has been experimenting with ingredients from unpeeled heat-treated green bananas and plantains to serve as everything from a gluten substitute to a sugar replacer in products from oatmeal to smoothies, crackers, bars and cookies, a recent patent...

Will European sugar users switch to isoglucose when quotas end?

29-Aug-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The success of isoglucose in the EU largely depends on whether food and drink companies decide to make the switch from sugar, says managing director of the European Starch Industry Association Jamie Fortescue.

Syngenta challenges EU insecticide ban

27-Aug-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Swiss agrichemical firm Syngenta has said it will take the European Commission to court over its decision to suspend the use of a pesticide on crops pollinated by bees.

How does taste work? How our evolving understanding could lead to better food

27-Aug-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Our understanding of how we taste is evolving, and with it, the opportunities to create foods that are tastier – and healthier.

Fake honey: UK manuka sales alone outstrip entire global production

26-Aug-2013 By Ankush Chibber

British authorities have called a nationwide alert to warn of the increasing quantity of fake manuka honey finding its way onto the country’s retail shelves. 

Researchers question fructose's role in obesity and brain functioning

23-Aug-2013 By Nathan Gray

Increases in childhood obesity levels, in part due to high intakes of fructose, may also have a dramatic effect on brain funcitoning and academic performance, warn researchers.

Accessing FoodNavigator on the move? Check out our new app

19-Aug-2013

FoodNavigator’s new app for Android and iPhone is now available (and free) to download, allowing you to keep up with the latest food and beverage industry developments, even when you’re not connected to the internet.

Med diet may counteract genetic stroke risk, say researchers

14-Aug-2013 By Nathan Gray

A Mediterranean style diet that is rich in olive oil, fish, complex carbohydrates and nuts may switch off specific genes that increase the risk of stroke in some people, say researchers.

'Toxic' sugar? Mouse data suggests added-sugar diet may impact lifespan and reproduction

14-Aug-2013 By Nathan Gray

Increasing sugar intake by just a quarter could have considerable health implications, according to new research in mice.

Blood sugar status may affect risk of dementia: Study

12-Aug-2013 By Nathan Gray

High blood glucose levels may increase the risk of developing dementia, according to a new study.

FAO confirms food price fall for third month in a row

12-Aug-2013 By Nathan Gray

A third consecutive fall in global food prices during the month of July was largely driven by lower international prices for grains, soy and palm oil, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Hidden toxins? Researchers warn of potential hidden harm in pregnancy diets

09-Aug-2013 By Nathan Gray

Pregnant women regularly consume foods and drinks that contain toxins believed to pose a potential risk to developing babies, say researchers.

Peas porridge hot, peas porridge whole: The case against protein fractionation

07-Aug-2013 By Hank Schultz

Pulse expert Margaret Hughes says splitting whole foods, such as peas and other pulses, into fractionated ingredients isn't always the way to go.

Slow rising loaf: After 6 years, FDA publishes final rule on gluten free labeling

05-Aug-2013 By Hank Schultz

After years in the draft stage, the US Food and Drug Administration has finalized its rule defining the term “gluten free” for voluntary food labeling. The final version contains no surprises, but will bring certainty to a market in which many firms have...

Consumers aren’t scared of sugar – but would like to cut back

05-Aug-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Sugar reduction – rather than substitution – is an area that fits well with consumer concerns about sugar, and big brand moves in the area could spur action from smaller players, according to Mintel.

Zero calorie pasta? No, actually it has seven calories, says UK advertising watchdog

02-Aug-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has ruled that Slim Pasta maker NAH Foods Ltd cannot claim that the product contains zero calories – even if the claim is followed by a question mark.

Tate & Lyle meeting profit targets despite 4% US soft drink slide

24-Jul-2013 By Shane STARLING

Tate & Lyle CEO Javed Ahmed says earning and profit forecasts are intact – “mid single digit growth” – despite an unseasonably cold spring that has contributed to an annual drop of 4% in the US soft drinks market and hit its specialty and bulk sweeteners...

Gluten-free taste improvements spur market growth

22-Jul-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The gluten-free foods market has continued to grow as new ingredients and technologies have significantly improved the taste of products, according to experts at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual meeting.

Tate & Lyle to boost Asian food systems through Chinese joint-venture

18-Jul-2013 By RJ Whitehead

Through the complex acquisition of a majority stake through China’s Jiangsu Howbetter Food Co., Tate & Lyle can now boast a platform to boost its food systems business in the country.

Soft drinks boost kids’ sugar intake – but may not increase BMI

17-Jul-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

British schoolchildren get about 10% of their total energy from soft drinks – but new research suggests high consumption levels do not necessarily lead to higher BMIs.

Sweet snacks and fizzy drinks linked to colorectal cancer: Study

16-Jul-2013 By Nathan Gray

Consumption of high-energy snack foods and sugar sweetened sodas may be associated with an increased risk of colorectal cancer, according to new research.

Tate & Lyle Sugars slams Guardian over Cambodian sugar sourcing allegations

12-Jul-2013 By Shane STARLING

ASR Group-owned Tate & Lyle Sugars is considering legal action against The Guardian newspaper over a story published this week accusing the sugar giant of working with a Cambodian supplier that employed child labour among other human right abuses.

Sweet alternatives: Better sugar understanding is needed for sugar-free chocolate success, say researchers

11-Jul-2013 By Nathan Gray

A better understanding of the complex functions that sugar fulfils in a chocolate product is required by manufacturers before they can reliably develop a high-quality sugar-free chocolate that is acceptable to consumers, say researchers.

Ingredient suppliers ‘missing the point’ with social media

10-Jul-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Ingredient manufacturers should interact more closely with end consumers on social media – and stop delegating communication on ingredients to end product marketers, says Euromonitor.

Acrylamide reduction: DSM talks about the potato chip challenge

02-Jul-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Enzymes can help snack makers significantly reduce acrylamide in baked goods and snacks, but they are not ideal for potato chips, says DSM.

Study links eating high-GI carbs to stimulation of addiction center in brain

28-Jun-2013 By Hank Schultz

Foods high on the glycemic index, such as highly processed carbohydrates found in white flour, can cause excess hunger  and stimulate brain regions involved in reward and cravings, according to research conducted by a team at Boston Children's Hospital. These...

EU reaches deal on CAP reform

27-Jun-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

European institutions reached a deal on reforming the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) on Wednesday, including a compromise that will end sugar quotas by 2017.

Dietary fructose linked to liver damage by gut bacteria mechanism: Animal data

27-Jun-2013 By Nathan Gray

A high intake of dietary fructose may lead to ‘rapid’ liver damage from bacteria even in those who do not gain weight, according to new data in monkeys.

Crop yield trends insufficient to feed the world in 2050: Study

20-Jun-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Several studies have suggested that global food production needs to double by 2050 if we are to feed a growing population – but this will not be possible if current trends continue, according to new research.

WHO urges stricter rules on food marketing to children

19-Jun-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The food industry is ‘exploiting children’ in its marketing of unhealthy food, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which calls for stricter marketing controls, particularly in light of new technologies like smart phone...

High sugar consumption directly linked to heart failure, data suggests

18-Jun-2013 By Nathan Gray

Metabolic changes brought on by a high intake of dietary sugars may set us on 'a pathway to heart failure', according to new research in rats and human cell lines.

Cleaner than clean: When natural is not enough

17-Jun-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

It’s boom time for makers of natural ingredients, from colours to flavours to hydrocolloids…or is it? Despite widespread demand for all things natural, some ‘natural’ ingredients still aren’t acceptable to consumers – so when does ‘clean label’ need to...

Study backs polydextrose to increase satiety and decrease energy intake

13-Jun-2013 By Nathan Gray

Consumption of polydextrose may help to increase feelings of fullness and reduce energy intakes in a dose-dependent way, according to new research.

Agrana opens ‘closed-cycle’ wheat starch facility

13-Jun-2013 By Caroline Scott-Thomas

Agrana has opened a new €70m wheat starch processing facility in Austria to allow the company to offer wheat starch as well as its existing corn and potato starch ranges.

Vegetable fats could help men with prostate cancer live longer: Study

12-Jun-2013 By Nathan Gray

Men with prostate cancer can significantly improve their survival chances by switching from diets rich in animal fat and carbohydrates to ones rich in vegetable fats, say researchers.

Scientists urge inclusion of glycaemic index on food labels

12-Jun-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The quality of carbohydrates in foods as measured by their glycaemic index (GI) should be included in national dietary guidelines and on food labels, according to a group of leading nutrition scientists from ten countries.

Africa, Asia to lead rise in global sugar demand through 2021, report says

06-Jun-2013 By Hank Schultz

Rising demand in Asia and Africa will drive significant growth in global sugar consumption, according to a new Rabobank report. The report, Global Sugar to 2021, projects global sugar consumption to grow from 166 million tons to 203 million tons in raw...

US sugar price supports have massively distorted market, consultant says

04-Jun-2013 By Hank Schultz

Changes to sugar policy in the United States enshrined in the 2008 farm bill have destabilized sugar prices and supplies, resulting in higher costs for consumers, manufacturers and now taxpayers, according to a new report from consultancy Agralytica.