Stevia sweeteners can now be developed through fermentation – rather than extraction from stevia plants – but it is the plant-based message that is most important to consumers, according to (plant-derived) stevia supplier PureCircle.
For Justin Woolverton, founder and CEO of premium ice cream brand Halo Top Creamery, life had become too sweet and too sour at the same time. A dissatisfaction with his career path and a dietary restriction landed him in the freezer aisle.
Welsh enzyme company Biocatalysts Ltd has developed a new enzyme as an alternative to papain, a papaya extract, which avoids susceptibility to seasonal price variations.
The US FDA has issued a ‘No Objection’ GRAS letter allowing beverage manufacturers to use Pure Circle’s high-purity Reb D stevia to sweeten US products, a move that could reignite the Pepsi/Coke cola wars.
Is it a safer bet to say 'Made with natural ingredients' than 'All-natural' on pack? Are consumers in the UK and the US looking for different cues on a label to determine if something is natural or wholesome? And did you know that...
It is no coincidence that China is leading the way across the Asia-Pacific region by moving towards natural foods. With the country’s industry sullied by an ever-evolving tale of lax food safety standards - with the will to improve in this department...
Special edition: All-natural: How clean is your label?
The term ‘natural’ has been used to mean so many things that it means less all the time, except as a starting point for class action lawsuits. But tell consumers you’re getting rid of artificial preservatives and you’ve telling them something meaningful,...
Special edition: All-natural: How clean is your label?
Consumer preference for natural flavors - seen in market research data – does not always translate into product purchasing, but the future still looks very rosy for natural flavors, say industry experts.
Market researchers tell us that consumers are seeking ‘natural’ products more than ever – and ingredient suppliers have responded by providing ways to ‘clean up’ product labels – but what do these terms really mean?
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...
If you’re looking for a natural red food color, carmine can deliver. It’s vibrant, but stable, and prices have recently returned from the stratosphere after hikes in 2010/11. The only problem is that it’s made from crushed insects, and once they find...
Quinoa’s relatively high price compared to staple grains may restrict consumption to health-conscious consumers in high-income countries for now – but it could play an important role in food security in the long term, according to the FAO.
If it sounds like a ‘chemical’, or isn’t in the kitchen cupboard, shoppers may regard it with suspicion. But which ingredients are 'acceptable' to today's consumers, which are to be avoided, and who decides?
Recent data from Symphony Consulting (click here), shows that while US retail sales of products making ‘natural’ claims still grew in 2012, the pace of that growth slowed noticeably compared with the 2009-11 period.
Naturex has introduced a range of 100% fruit and vegetable powders produced through a low-temperature spray drying process that better preserves flavour, colour and nutrition.
Lactic acid and lactates specialist Galactic has expanded its range of ingredients for food preservation with an eye on companies looking for innovative natural ways to improve food security, the company has said.
9TH INNOBEV GLOBAL BEVERAGES CONGRESS ADDRESSES KEY ISSUES
Health, the environment and consumer choice are the three main issues facing today’s soft drinks industry, according to InnoBev Global Beverages Congress 2013 organizer Zenith International.
Scientists have outlined an eco-friendly test for certain synthetic food colours commonly used in soft drinks and sugar and gelatin-based confectionery.
NO EVIDENCE OF 'SIGNIFICANT' CHILD GI INTOLERANCE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS: CARGILL
Cargill has failed in its second attempt to secure EU approval for use of bulk sweetener erythritol in soft drinks, after EFSA published a negative opinion relating to its introduction on child safety grounds.
Sensient Technologies claims that high sugar prices mean beverage brands are looking for alternative sweeteners, as it launches eight new flavors targeted at the beverage industry.
Swiss firm Evolva Holding has partnered with Cargill to develop and commercialise stevia extracts derived from a fermentation process, rather than through traditional extraction from the stevia plant.
Natural colours have overtaken their synthetic counterparts for the first time ever, and the trend towards clean label products is one of the key drivers according to new data from Mintel and Leatherhead Food Research.
Powerful antifungal compounds produced from linoleic acid found in bread flour are the key reason for sourdough bread’s mould resistant properties, and have potential to be used in a host of food and agricultural applications, say researchers.
Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) has extended its fibre range with a new ultra-fine wheat bran ingredient that it says can improve structure, texture and nutrition in a broad range of food and beverages.
Stevia’s credentials as a plant-derived sweetener and uptake from large manufacturers will prevent it from being seen as just another E-number, according to market research organisation Euromonitor.
Switching to natural colours can be an important product differentiator, as consumers around the world will always choose a natural product when given the option, says ingredient firm Chr. Hansen.
The fast-growing trend of natural colouring has required new approaches to emulsification – particularly for beverages, says Naturex business manager Amandine de Santi – and it is an area of ongoing research.
Synthetic colours may still be more prevalent than natural colours in foods and beverages, but natural is catching up as manufacturers increasingly look first to natural ingredients in developing new products – however, challenges remain.
Heineken’s Finnish business Hartwall claims to have launched the EU’s first alcoholic beverage sweetened with stevia onto the nation’s market this month in the form of a ‘light long’ RTD.
Sternchemie says its new red palm oil provides a clean label way to colour foods naturally without using food colourings that have to be listed on ingredient lists.
From food ingredients that reduce the blood glucose response to food intake, to natural high-potency sweeteners, digestive health and weight management ingredients, and plant-based ingredients that can mask bitter flavors…
With rumors emerging that Danone is selling its 51% stake in its fruit juice JV with Chuiquita Brands International, one industry source told BeverageDaily.com that the French firm was likely ‘glad to be rid’ of a business blighted by mismanagement.
Danish ingredients company Chr. Hansen has reported increased profit and revenue in the first quarter, although lower carmine prices and volumes continued to hit its natural colours division.
Two-thirds of UK consumers think it is important that genetically modified (GM) foods are labelled, although only 2% actively look for GM content when buying foods for the first time, according to a new report from the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Dairy alternative drinks are moving out of the specialist health food sector and into the mainstream – and it’s not all about soy anymore, according to market research firm Innova Market Insights.
Food manufacturers looking to extend shelf life with natural antioxidants have started using blended ingredients in an effort to deal with spiralling raw material costs, according to Frost & Sullivan.
Taura Natural Ingredients has developed a range of natural concentrated fruit pieces to specifically target and cater to the needs of artisan chocolatiers and bakers.
The trend toward natural colours for foods, drinks and sweets is here to stay – but raises huge technical challenges, according to Steve Tolliday, principal product technologist at Nestlé’s Product and Technology Centre in York, UK.
The CEO of beverage development and innovation company MyDrink Beverages tells BeverageDaily.com why his firm's new non-alcoholic beverage concepts for 2013 could take the market by storm...
Consumers around the world are embracing the zero-calorie, natural credentials of stevia-derived sweeteners – and the European market is about to take off, according to Zanna McFerson, president of the International Stevia Council (ISC).
‘Free-from’ has become synonymous with healthy food for a large number of consumers – but how that affects shopping habits remains uncertain, according to EUFIC’s Dr Sophie Hieke.
Chr. Hansen says it has high hopes in Asia and elsewhere for its new natural coloring ingredient for beverages, Ultra Stable Red, and claims investing in natural colors strips out costs elsewhere in the supply chain.
Sensient Flavors LLC has developed a new range of natural apple flavors to plug consumer demands for fruit varietals as ‘positive nutrition’ takes hold.
More than three-quarters of European consumers want foods without chemical additives and most say they are willing to pay more for additive-free foods, according to a new survey carried out on behalf of Kampffmeyer Food Innovation.
EHL Ingredients has introduced the Australian herb lemon myrtle to the UK market, touting it as a natural, organic ingredient with lemon and basil notes that could be used in tea, or as a food ingredient.
