Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

Chasing the elusive ‘Green Fairy’: Absinthe row erupts in Switzerland

14-Aug-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Swiss absinthe producers from Val-de-Travers are attacking a Swiss federal court ruling that could deny their region a national monopoly on the terms ‘absinthe’, ‘fee verte’ and ‘la bleue’.

Majority of adults need to double fruit and vegetable intake

12-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

A serious shortfall in the consumption of fruit and vegetables worldwide means that most adults need to eat double their current amounts to meet WHO dietary recommendations, finds a new global study.

Data Blog: The figures behind Russia’s food ban

Russian sanctions could cost EU industry more than €5 billion in exports

11-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

In this data blog FoodNavigator takes a look at the trade figures behind the recent Russian trade sanctions - to reveal which countries and categories will be worst hit, and who may stand to gain.

Nestlé beats H2 expectations despite strong currency impact

07-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

The world’s biggest food manufacturing group Nestlé has posted a better-than-expected rise in a key sales figure for the first half of the year despite currency impacts causing a 10% fall in net profits.

Breaking News

Russia steps up food fight: Official ban on food imports signed by Russian PM

07-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

The Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has announced a complete ban on the import of beef, pork, fruit, poultry, cheeses and milk from the EU, US, Australia, Canada and Norway, according to Russian media.

Pectin prices: Tight supply and high raw material costs lead to price rise for Andre Pectin

05-Aug-2014 By Nathan Gray

DSM subsidiary Yantai Andre Pectin Co. has announced price increases of between 10 and 30% for its complete pectin portfolio in response to 'tremendous cost increases' caused by tight supply chains and rising costs.

science short

Chilli pepper capsaicin may inhibit gut tumours & extend mice lifespan by 30%: Research

05-Aug-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Dietary capsaicin – the active ingredient found in chilli peppers – may trigger a reaction that reduces the risk of colorectal tumours, according to Californian research on mice.

INFOGRAPHIC

€100m Irish organic market returns to form – but who’s buying and why?

24-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Irish organic food market has returned to retail value growth for the first time since 2010, but consumers may be driven more by negative perceptions of non-organic than positive of organic, according a report from the Irish food board Bord Bia.

‘There's no other tea to beat PG’: ASA backs Unilever’s PG Tips pyramid bag brag

23-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has rejected Tetley’s complaint over competitor PG Tips’ advert claim that its pyramid tea bag was more effective in diffusing tea than the round bags used by its rivals.

Naturex appoints Olivier Rigaud as CEO

22-Jul-2014 By Shane STARLING

26-year food ingredients veteran Olivier Rigaud is the new CEO of French herbal extracts leader Naturex, moving from tate & Lyle, where he has been the chair of Specialty Food Ingredients since 2010.

EU-Ecuador trade deal to open fish, fruit and coffee doors?

21-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Ecuador has signed an EU tariff-free trade agreement, joining Andean neighbours Peru and Colombia five years after it initially rejected the tie-up.

UK public sector sourcing plan backs local food industry: ‘All food that can be bought locally will be bought locally’

21-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

UK prime minister David Cameron has announced plans to boost the British farming industry by sourcing public sector food locally.

Cracked? Preventing Salmonella in nuts focus for research

21-Jul-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

Michigan State University (MSU) has been awarded almost $400,000 by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reduce the Salmonella risk of low-moisture foods.

Andean Grain gears up for chia cheer after EU approval

16-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Andean Grain Products has received a positive draft novel food opinion from the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) for its chia seeds – deeming them sufficiently ‘equivalent’ to those already approved for market in the EU.

Study: ‘Organic’, ‘whole grain’ give unhealthy foods a health halo

01-Jul-2014 By Maggie Hennessy

Health-related buzzwords such as “heart healthy”, “organic” and “all natural” can lead consumers to rate unhealthy foods as healthy, according to a study of college students at the University of Houston (UH). 

Almonds may reduce heart disease risk: Study

01-Jul-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Eating almonds may reduce the risk of heart disease by increasing levels of the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol in the blood stream, reducing blood pressure and improving blood flow, according to UK researchers.

Food security report: DEFRA must take lead

30-Jun-2014 By Rod Addy

Government must lead the genetically modified (GM) food debate and take a more co-ordinated approach to food security, with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) at the vanguard.

Mushroom cartel: EU fines canned mushroom producers in antitrust settlement

30-Jun-2014 By Nathan Gray

The European Commission (EC) has fined three producers of canned mushrooms more than €32 million after it ruled that they participated in a cartel to coordinate prices throughout Europe.

Border controls on EU fruit and veg protecting consumers

27-Jun-2014 By Joseph James Whitworth

The system of controls at EU borders on fruit and vegetable imports from non-EU countries is protecting consumers from potential food safety risks, according to the European Commission

EU tomato import rules change to incorporate variety

26-Jun-2014 By Sarah Hills

New EU import rules for tomatoes will take into account different varieties rather than just standard round tomatoes when it comes to calculating customs rates.

From the Vitafoods Europe 2014 vault

Mooted novel food changes will open exotic fruit doors in EU

25-Jun-2014 By Shane STARLING

Exotic and functional fruits and vegetables like cashew nut fruit, chu chu and their extracts are set for an easier passage into European Union markets if mooted simplifications to EU Novel Foods laws come to fruition, according to a UK-based expert.

Dispatches from IFT 2014

Food allergies remain 'major' public health issue

23-Jun-2014 By Kacey Culliney

Peanuts, wheat and egg are among several allergens that continue to be a global public health issue, and so industry must act with caution when developing allergen-free products, warns a scientific expert.

A metropolitan detox: Broccoli could be 'frugal, simple and safe' way of reducing risks of air pollution

17-Jun-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Daily consumption of half a cup of a broccoli sprout beverage increased participants' ability to excrete the carcinogen benzene and lung irritant acrolein, according to research in China.

"Environment Council has just broken the deadlock on the GMO cultivation proposal": Commission

European Commission reaches ‘political agreement’ on GM cultivation proposal

13-Jun-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Commission’s Environmental Council has “broken the deadlock” on GM crop cultivation proposals with a political agreement around how member states can restrict or ban such crop production on their soil.

What are the ‘life cycle’ environmental impacts of convenience foods?

12-Jun-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Global warming and human toxicity impacts of ready-made meals are up to 35% higher than equivalent home-made versions, according to researchers.

Naturex builds herbal foaming agents business

12-Jun-2014 By Nicola Cottam

Naturex has paid an undisclosed sum for the yucca and quillaia foaming agents business of US player Berghausen, which will be exploited to develop tailored beverage formulas and target new customers in the US.

ASA: Chia and flax ad should be ‘super-seeded’

11-Jun-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has upheld four complaints about the implied health claims of Bioglan ‘superfood’ chia and flax seeds.

Slashing global malnutrition hinges heavily on agri productivity

30-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Rising incomes in developing countries puts an 84% drop in global malnutrition by 2050 in sight – but it won’t happen unless agricultural productivity continues to increase and climate change is factored in, say researchers.

EFSA invites comments on draft allergy evaluation

23-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is inviting comments on a draft scientific opinion for the evaluation of allergenic foods and food ingredients for labelling purposes.

‘No better than the average sports drink’: Rival INVO justifies Vita Coco coconut water attack

22-May-2014 By Ben BOUCKLEY

Premium coconut water brand INVO has justified its ‘slight attack’ on UK market leader Vita Coco and other rivals' nutritional and health benefits, insisting it needs to educate people on its own uniqueness.

Olive oil and salad mixture is ‘key’ to Med diet mechanism

22-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

The combination of unsaturated fats in olive oil and nitrite-rich leafy salad or vegetables may be what gives the Mediterranean diet its healthy edge, according to new research in mice.

Analysis

Regulation out of step with innovation as Asean awaits harmonisation

21-May-2014 By RJ Whitehead

Southeast Asia’s regulatory system is out of sync with industry practices, with some regulators sometimes uncertain of what constitutes a natural ingredient. 

Unhealthy diets now rank above tobacco global as cause of preventable diseases

Battling unhealthy food requires tobacco-style response

16-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

The international community must develop a global convention similar to the legal framework for tobacco control to fight diet-related ill health, warn Consumers International and the World Obesity Federation.

Startup uses bioinformatics to pry open the power of waste peptides

16-May-2014 By Hank Schultz

“I am large, I contain multitudes,” poet Walt Whitman famously observed. He could have been talking about the potentially valuable proteins that are lost daily in the waste streams of ingredient operations for want of knowing what they are and what they...

UK data shows most people do not meet healthy eating targets

15-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

The UK population is still consuming too much saturated fat, added sugars and salt and not enough fruit, vegetables, oily fish and fibre, says a new report.

Special edition: Closing the fiber gap

Cereal gets to the heart of fiber deficiency, but is fortification the way to go?

14-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

High cereal fiber intake after a heart attack may improve long-term survival rates, research suggests, but these benefits could be achieved with a balanced, healthy diet, rather than through fortified goods, says British Heart Foundation senior dietician. 

Only those that produce food can significantly reduce food losses, says FAO

12-May-2014 By Nathan Gray

National governments and food producers right along the supply chain must step up collaboration on the issue of food waste, according to Ren Wang of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Fibre may increase post heart attack life expectancy by a quarter

05-May-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Recommending a higher intake of cereal fibre after a heart attack may improve long-term survival rates, according to a nine-year research project.

India’s ‘king of fruits’ exiled from Europe following produce ban

29-Apr-2014 By RJ Whitehead

India’s regulator responsible for agriculture exports has said it was not consulted ahead of the European Union’s decision this week to temporarily ban the import of Indian mangoes and vegetables due to pest concerns.

Austerity bites in to consumers ability to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables

Five-a-day? We can’t afford one a week, say 25% of Brits

24-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Austerity and rising food prices have hit healthy eating habits hard in the UK, with one in four Brits revealing they have not bought any fresh fruit or vegetables in the last week. 

We have to do more to reduce waste as an industry, warns Leatherhead expert

23-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Food manufacturers should leave no stone unturned as they search for ways to decrease waste and increase the value of manufacturing waste streams, says Steve Osborn of Leatherhead Food Research.

Can industry-backed academic inventions spur increased innovation?

23-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Industry-sponsored academic research leads to innovative patents and licenses, and may not skew science towards inventions that are less accessible and less useful to others, according to a new analysis.

When it comes to NPD, is consumer 'liking' an overrated idea?

22-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Testing the consumer liking of a new product may be an overrated idea that ‘breeds mediocrity’ and means products fail to differentiate themselves against the competition, according to David Howlett of MMR Research.

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...

UK salt reduction effort has lowered blood pressure and saved lives

15-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Government and industry efforts to slash the level of salt in UK foods has led to a fall in population blood pressure and plummeting rates of heart attack and stroke deaths, according to new data.

EU Commission: The bees are OK, but the pesticide ban stays

11-Apr-2014 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Pan-European research shows that while higher bee colony mortalities do exist in some parts of the EU due to cold winter weather, bees are neither disappearing, nor is colony collapse disorder taking place.

Back on track: Strong Q2 balances out natural colours loss for Chr. Hansen

09-Apr-2014 By Nathan Gray

Ingredients giant Chr. Hansen has an unchanged outlook for full year, after a strong second quarter eased the woes created by the firm losing its biggest colours customer in Q4 last year.

‘A lot of room to boost pulse intakes for heart benefits’: New analysis supports cholesterol-lowering effects of pulses

08-Apr-2014 By Stephen Daniells

One daily serving of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils may slash bad cholesterol levels, says a new meta-analysis that supports the cardiovascular benefits of pulses.

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.

‘Strange’: Soil Association gives verdict on Cancer Research UK organic food study

08-Apr-2014 By Oliver Nieburg

Pro-organic campaign group the Soil Association has criticised a study by Cancer Research UK and Oxford University that found eating organic foods did not lessen women’s chances of developing cancer.