Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

BEVERAGEDAILY PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2014, LUKAS VON GREBMER

Akuō blasts ‘burnout society': BeverageDaily Personality 2014 Lukas von Grebmer’s Zenlike focus…

12-Feb-2015 By Ben BOUCKLEY

BeverageDaily.com Personality of 2014 Lukas von Grebmer is a man on a mission – to combat our ‘burnout society’ as co-founder of Akuō, a healthy drink that blends green tea, guarana and ginseng to deliver ‘Zenlike focus’.

It’s official: Eating organic leads to less pesticide exposure

12-Feb-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

People who eat organic foods have about half the pesticide exposure of those who eat conventional foods, according to a new study – but all are well within established safe limits.

Ingredion targets flexitarians with high-protein pulse flours

11-Feb-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Pulse flours could provide a plant-based protein boost for baked goods, snacks and pasta – tapping into growing demand for non-animal-derived protein, says Ingredion.

We must unite Fairtrade and trade union movements: Fairtrade CEO

10-Feb-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

We must follow the example of Sweden and bring together the two “very noisy” movements of workers' trade unions and Fairtrade, the CEO of Fairtrade International Harriet Lamb has said.

High altitude cooking boosts flavour, say Nestlé researchers

10-Feb-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

High altitude cooking could help preserve foods’ flavour, aroma, colour, moisture and nutritional value, according to a new study from Nestlé researchers.

Healthy diet linked to lower risk of chronic lung disease

09-Feb-2015 By Nathan Gray

A healthy diet that is higher in whole grains, polyunsaturated fats and nuts, and lower in red and processed meat, refined grains and sugary drinks, is associated with a lower risk of developing chronic lung disease, say researchers.

Arsenic and inorganic arsenic detection ‘challenging’ for EU labs

09-Feb-2015 By Joseph James Whitworth

Arsenic and inorganic arsenic remain a detection challenge for a number of laboratories, according to proficiency testing.

High temperature cooking may increase Alzheimer’s risk

03-Feb-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Large intakes of foods cooked at high temperatures could increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Vrai bats off 100% organic criticism: We used what was available

02-Feb-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

It is not always possible to secure 100% organic raw materials, the French organic yoghurt brand Vrai has said in response to a consumer group campaign against its use of a non-organic aroma.

Algae and plant protein potential limited by scale, says Mars agriculture chief

02-Feb-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Lack of scalability still prevents algae and plant proteins from being used as major food sources, according to Mars chief agricultural officer Howard-Yana Shapiro.

Denmark launches ‘most ambitious’ organic plan

02-Feb-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The Danish government has announced a plan to double its organic farmland by 2020 and to increase demand for organic food.

Waitrose executive chef: ‘How do we get to a place where we are cooking and not manufacturing?’

27-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

No one wants their food to be ‘manufactured’ – and unsurprisingly that’s a challenge for those in the food manufacturing business, says Waitrose executive development chef Jonathan Moore.

Umami taste sensitivity linked to physical health in the elderly

26-Jan-2015 By Nathan Gray

There is a close relationship between a person’s perception of umami flavours and their appetite and physical health, according to new research.

Partnership to tap unexplored potential in seaweed extracts

23-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

French firm Eviagenics has partnered with Chilean seaweed specialist Gelymar to produce new and traditional seaweed-derived ingredients for the European market.

‘Our RTD tea will taste of tea. Not sugar. Not malic acid!’ Ex-Coke exec says it’s time for Tg…

22-Jan-2015 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Former Coca-Cola executive Sophia Nadur insists the UK market is ready for her low calorie whole leaf RTD tea brand Tg, which she says is markedly different from what she dubs 'tea-flavored sodas'.

Productivity may have peaked for many food crops, researchers warn

22-Jan-2015 By Nathan GRAY

The days of assuming that natural resources can be interchanged when one comes under pressure may be over, according to new research warning that ‘renewable’ does not always mean ‘unlimited’.

High blood pressure? Just beet it! Beetroot juice lowers blood pressure in UK study

22-Jan-2015 By Rachel Arthur

Drinking a cup of beetroot juice every day can ‘significantly lower blood pressure’ among patients with high blood pressure, according to a study in the journal Hypertension.

Cancer risk study suggests meat and sugar are bad, while plants are good

21-Jan-2015 By Nathan Gray

Research investigating the effect of different dietary patterns on colorectal cancer risk has found that meat-based diets and those rich in sugar are associated with increased risks, while diets that are plant-based are linked to lower risks.

Changing diets: Plant protein sustainability crucial for food security

21-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Meeting demand for sustainable plant-based protein is set to be a key challenge for future food security, according to a new report.

FAO chief urges ‘paradigm shift’ toward sustainable food

20-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The whole world must make huge effort and investment to shift toward sustainable farming and food production, FAO director-general José Graziano da Silva has said.

NESPRESSO 'CONFIDENT' IT HAS NOT INFRINGED PATENT

Coffee capsule maker sues Nestlé Nespresso for €150m

19-Jan-2015 By Ben BOUCKLEY

A manufacturer of third-party capsules designed to work on Nestlé’s Nespresso coffee machines today sued the firm for €150m in a French court claiming patent infringement and damages.

EU and Morocco reach deal on PGIs

19-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Union and Morocco have agreed measures to promote protected geographical indications (PGIs) and to encourage trade.

‘Uncertainty’ over measures to close EU organic supply-demand gap

16-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

European organic agriculture lags behind growing demand for organic food, but new EU rules in the pipeline are creating uncertainty in the sector at just the wrong time, says Soil Association head of standards Chris Atkinson.

Fairtrade, organic, low air miles: What does sustainability really mean?

15-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

European food companies increasingly are using exotic fruits like dried mango, papaya and pineapple to differentiate their products in a crowded marketplace – but at what cost to local farmers and the environment?

What are industry’s science and technology needs?

14-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Food fraud, healthy diets and sustainability are among the issues needing innovation in science and technology, according to a major survey from Campden BRI.

Could national decisions on biotech allow more GM crop cultivation?

13-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Parliament has voted to allow national bans on GM crops, but this could actually encourage more GM varieties to be cultivated in Europe, claims UK organic advocacy group The Soil Association.

Researchers aim to improve ‘may contain’ allergen advice

12-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Better defined thresholds at which common allergens trigger reactions in a majority of allergic consumers could improve ‘may contain’ labelling, according to researchers from the University of Manchester.

Food prices slump after stability: FAO

09-Jan-2015 By Nathan Gray

The FAO monthly food price index dipped once more in December, after three months of relative stability.

EFSA rejects novel foods status for arracacha root

09-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected a novel foods application for the South American root vegetable arracacha xanthorrhiza after the applicant failed to provide sufficient information.

Beyond GMOs: Europe needs to update biotech regulation

08-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

The European Union needs to update the way it regulates biotechnology as advances are made in plant breeding – or risk disrupting trade in commodity crops, according to Professor Huw Jones of Rothamsted Research.

Heart healthy grains: More whole grain equals lower mortality, say researchers

06-Jan-2015 By Nathan Gray

Eating more whole grains may be linked to a reduced risk of mortality, especially in deaths due to heart disease, say researchers.

No juice brand is an island: UK firms must see export markets as more than ‘side’ business

06-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Exports of UK fruit and vegetable juice have increased by about 40% since 2010 - but the country must shake its island mentality if it wants this growth to continue, says a Mintel analyst. 

Wessanen sells Bio-Distrifrais French wholesale business

06-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Dutch food company Wessanen has completed the sale of its French wholesale fruits and vegetables business Bio-Distrifrais for an undisclosed sum.

Healthier eating is top UK New Year’s resolution

05-Jan-2015 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

A third of UK consumers intend to eat more healthily in 2015 – but nearly half will have dropped their resolution by the end of January, according to a Canadean survey.

Nordic diet may reduce inflammation, say researchers

05-Jan-2015 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A Nordic diet may help reduce the expression of inflammation-associated genes in abdominal fat tissue independent of body weight changes, according to research.

FoodNavigator predicts top industry drivers for 2015

22-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray and Caroline Scott-Thomas

It’s time to get out our crystal balls and predict the hottest trends in the European food and drink sector for the year ahead. What’s in store for 2015?

Researchers poke holes in modern ‘paleo' diet

19-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

There was more than one Palaeolithic diet, and none of them may have been that healthy - but barely any of the foods eaten are available anymore anyway, say researchers.

Looking back on 2014: How did we do with last year’s predictions?

19-Dec-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

As 2014 draws to a close, let’s take a minute to look back and ask, how accurate was our forecast for the year? FoodNavigator looks back at its trend predictions for 2014.

Wild blueberries may counter obesity, inflammation and hypertension: Mice study

19-Dec-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Wild blueberries may help alleviate low level inflammation and hypertension associated with the development of obesity, according to a study on mice.

Mediterranean diet linked to increased telomere length

17-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

Following a Mediterranean style diet may be associated with greater telomere length - a finding that further supports the diet’s links to health and longevity, say researchers.

How much pesticide residue is in our food?

12-Dec-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

98.3% of foods in the EU contain pesticide residues within legal limits, but there were “significantly higher” maximum limit exceedance rates for products from outside of Europe, according to a report from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

What is organic? Organic packaged food growth stalled by differing perceptions

12-Dec-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Organic means different things to different consumers around the world – and this is holding back the organic packaged food sector, according to a Euromonitor analyst.

‘No palm oil’ label battle won’t start trade or court war: Malaysian minister

10-Dec-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Malaysian government says it is assessing what action it should take to address ‘no palm oil’ labels in France and Belgium, the legal grounds for which have come under scrutiny.

ARCHIVE ARTICLE OF THE WEEK

Naturally opposed? Balancing new technologies with consumer perceptions

10-Dec-2014 By Nathan Gray

New technologies are vital to the future growth of the food and nutrition industry, but their future success depends on much more than the science behind them.

Leafy greens thin blood and help oxygen circulation: Study

10-Dec-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Nitrate from leafy greens may thin the blood and help oxygen circulate around the body more efficiently, according to one of three studies conducted by the University of Cambridge and Southampton.

Ingredient origin labelling should remain voluntary under FIC regs, say suppliers

09-Dec-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Food Information for Consumers (FIC) legislation should allow manufacturers to choose whether to label ingredient origins to avoid costly, complicated and unnecessary changes, say suppliers.

Gluten-free prospects: Finnish project highlights faba bean potential

04-Dec-2014 By Paul Gander

Finland’s VTT research centre has developed processing technologies and recipes for the faba bean – up to now little-used in human food – which deliver high-protein, gluten-free alternative breads, pasta, snacks and other products.

Moving away from meat: Support needed to change behaviour

03-Dec-2014 By Lynda Searby

One in five British consumers is eating less meat than a year ago, but efforts by the public to reduce meat consumption are largely unsupported by governments and the food industry, according to a new review by Eating Better.

MARCH TOWARDS DEEP DISCOUNT RETAILERS 'BREATHTAKING', SAYS RESEARCH FIRM

Overpriced wine in UK mainstream faces ‘grim process of elimination’: Wine Intelligence

02-Dec-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Wine Intelligence warns that a bifurcating UK wine market means that more consumers are trading up, while more are also trading down, and predicts this will leave scant space for the mediocre in-between.

Health and sustainability goals entail trade-offs

01-Dec-2014 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Pursuing health and environmental sustainability goals at the same time requires trade-offs, argues an Aarhus University associate professor in Current Opinion in Food Science.