Leatherhead Food International's Head of Innovation explains progress made towards using WOW emulsions in reduced fat products, and challenges that still need to be overcome.
Balancing saturated fat as a proportion of total calories, and the natural variation of fat levels in meat, are amongst the challenges faced by Waitrose suppliers in developing food products with lower saturated fat products.
A new margarine can enable lower saturated fat in puff pastry and croissants, according to developer Romi Smilfood, helping to meet targets for healthier bakery products.
With satiety food formulations on the rise, breakthrough research from British scientists offers a deeper insight into the role of gut hormones on appetite and why a low GI (glycaemic index) meal, such as a morning bowl of porridge, keeps consumers feeling...
The Food and Drink Federation said it is baffled by a Food Standards Agency recommendation to keep the protein cap that limits products such as cereals being advertised to children, which it said overturned previous advice without “good reason”.
National Starch Food Innovation (NSFI) has added another product to its Novation clean label starch line. Derived from tapioca, it is billed as an ingredient that can bestow indulgence on a product, with reduced oil, fat or cream.
Formulating cakes with sesame oil, hydrocolloids and emulsifiers could replace fat in cakes, leading to low-fat alternatives of family favourites, suggests a new study.
Formulating rice noodles with alginate may enhance the structural properties of rice dough, which could lead to the development of a successful commercial rice noodle product, says a new study.
Gelling of milk proteins using the food-approved enzyme rennet can produce microcapsules capable of encapsulating healthy ingredients like probiotics, says a new study from Germany.
Consumer watchdog Which? has renewed its calls for food manufacturers and retailers to do more to address sugar, salt and fat content and take a consistent, industry-wide approach to labelling to help people make healthily choices.
The use of salt replacers in the diet, as a means of reducing sodium intake, may improve blood pressure and artery health, says a new study from China.
Fad diets that focus on protein, fat or carbohydrate content are all the same when it comes to losing weight as a reduced-calorie diet can be successful no matter what macronutrients it is made up of, a new study has concluded.
UK-based ingredients supplier Ulrick and Short has extended its range of starches and fat replacers for use in dairy desserts, custards and fruit compotes.
Flavour giant Givaudan is using new sensory validation techniques to measure how salt impacts on aspects of taste, and is using this as the basis for new ingredients.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has today launched a £3.5m advertising campaign to encourage consumers to reduce their intake of saturated fat and change the way they shop and eat.
The average UK household bought buying 1.3 per cent less salt in food products in September 2008 than two years before, according to new data from TNS Worldpanel, data seen as testament to reformulation efforts.
Chr Hansen is extending its range of natural colouring foodstuffs with eight new additions, following two years of experimentation with fruit, vegetable and plant sources.
A new study from Nestle has revealed that the human brain makes quick decisions on the energy and fat content in food just by looking at it – a finding that adds to knowledge on why we choose to eat the foods we do.
A new study has delivered positive results on the use of platinum as a catalyst during hydrogenisation of oils, but without the production of harmful trans fats.
Food manufacturers are being asked to take some responsibility for public health and make more nutritional products after a study found that magazine adverts were mainly for foods high in sugar, fat and salt.
‘Natural’ was the most popular claim made on new food and beverage products around the world in 2008, according to Mintel, as wholesome and pure become new ideals of healthy eating.
National Starch Food Innovation (NSFI) is launching a new specialty starch derived from tapioca, which is said to enable a 75 per cent reduction on the butter, margarine or shortening used in cakes.
The UK’s nationwide New Year’s Resolution, to curb obesity, swung into action over the weekend; the health minister has hinted at drastic actions for the food industry if it proves unsuccessful, say reports.
Salt reduction targets for food products sold in Australia are expected to be set in October 2009, subject to development and agreement between the government and the food industry.
Synergy has re-vamped its Saporesse range by bringing more of its ingredients under the brand umbrella, so as to help manufacturers see clearly what formulation tools are at their disposal.
Afriplex has launched a new rosehip extract which it hopes will take the ingredient beyond typical applications such as tea and tablets to products such as cereals, fruit bars and smoothies.
Ingredients manufacturer National Starch Food Innovation claims that its new texturising system will enable food producers to improve the texture and crispiness of wafer-style products.
The UK’s DoH should have waited to launch its new anti-obesity initiative until the economic situation has improved, as many small food businesses are already busy enough coping with the recession, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).
Enhancing food products with odours could compensate for the taste impact of reducing their salt content, according to a new study, thereby giving manufacturers another tool towards healthier formulation.
UK consumers have worried less about salt and additives this year and more about saturated fat in their food, according to the latest barometer of food views conducted by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).
The market for low-fat and reduced-sugar foods rose 6.7 per cent in value in 2007, moving up from a 4.7 per cent rise in 2006, claims a new report from UK market researcher Key Note.
The food industry will keep up momentum on healthier products, despite economic gloom and consumer focus on price, says the head of the Food & Drink Federation.
The issue of whether businesses are solely driven by profits and will not respond to voluntary guidance to improve the health effects of their products is a matter of hot debate in the British Medical Journal this week.
Danisco has charged an internal task force with identifying new applications for xylitol, as the sweetener continues to blight its otherwise positive financial results – but has reduced production in the meantime.
SinoSweet is stepping up its activities in the UK this month with the opening of a new sales office for aspartame, which it believes will help sales of the sweetener in the face of rival sucralose.
Claims that UK supermarkets are promoting more unhealthy foods than they were two years ago have met with criticism from the retail sector, which has been working with private-label and branded food manufacturers to improve the health profile of products.
A blend of canola oil, palm stearin, and palm kernel oil can produce margarine free of trans-fats and desirable textural properties, says new research from the US.
The number of new food and beverage products containing aspartame has continued to fall since 2005, indicates data from Mintel, while the number of those using sucralose has risen.
Fusion Nutraceuticals is reporting interest in its recently launched sucralose as a replacer for aspartame in food and beverage products, as manufacturers seek to meet retailer and consumer demand for aspartame-free products.
The UK’s average daily salt consumption has fallen from 9.5g to 8.6g since 2000, said the Food Standards Agency (FSA) demonstrating the success of the industry’s reformulation efforts.
The UK Food Standards Agency has set out core challenges for the food industry as part of its strategy to beat obesity, but recognises that work is already underway by industry to make food products healthier.
The European Parliament has adopted a legislative package that will
see products containing any of six artificial colours labelled with
a health warning for children.
Food businesses have suffered from confusing government policies,
said the UK's Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which hopes Prime
Minister Brown's new strategy will provide greater clarity.
A workshop convened by the FSA has identified some food categories
for action on portion sizes, as a report finds that some products
sold in the UK may have increased in size over the last 15-20
years.
The potentially damaging effects of trans fats may also be passed
from a mother to her child during breast feeding, suggests a new
study that heaps more misery on the enfant terrible of the
food industry.
Efforts to reduce salt in packaged foods involve more than just
salt replacers and flavour enhancers, as suppliers contribute to
overall efforts by tweaking processes to make lower sodium
ingredients.
The salt content of vegetarian sausages and burgers can often be
the same as, or even higher than, their meaty equivalents,
according to a recent survey.
