CERT ID, the company behind ProTerra – a standard for non-GM soy and other foods – claims a recent report from the Dutch consultancy CREM comparing soy sustainability standards misrepresents it and is biased towards the Cargill-backed RTRS soy standard.
Industry needs to be more careful in monitoring that they are using the right botanical ingredients, and not substitutes or adulterants, in foods and nutritional supplements, says Professor Monique Simmonds.
Cargill’s drive to secure a good quality and sustainable supply of cocoa beans is filtering down to famers in Cote d'Ivoire as it has just made premium payments totalling more than US $2.2m.
As demand for natural foods grows, industry has begun to look to exotic plants as a source of alternative, natural, ingredients. But how can we identify and source the right botanical compounds.
Waste fibres from the agricultural and food processing industry could be used for the nano-encapsulation of bioactives such as probiotics, according to new research.
Less expensive species of fish are being labelled and sold as Cod to improve profit, whilst endangered species of Cod are being passed off as ‘sustainably sourced’, according to new research.
Waste products from industrially processed onions may have potential uses as food sources of food ingredients including dietary fibre, and phenolic ingredients such as quercetin, according to new research.
The use of finger millet flour in bakery products may help to boost their nutritive profile without affecting quality or taste, according to new research.
Researchers developing new meat products grown from stem cells say that the first products, which should be ready within the next year, could begin a movement to more sustainable meat production.
Facing an ever-increasing population, and a growing demand for meat products, the world’s first in vitro meat may offer the beginning of a new solution to the problem, say researchers.
The first products using sustainable sugarcane under a new certification scheme are about to hit the market after the initial batch was purchased by The Coca-Cola Company’s bottling system.
Leading cocoa processor Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has announced it is kick-starting its Ivory Coast sustainable cocoa initiative – Serap – in Indonesia in a bid to boost cocoa quality from growers in that region.
The plant (ALA) and marine (DHA and EPA) sectors have not always agreed about omega-3 bioavailability and sustainability, but they recently came together against the negative health effects of omega-6 over-consumption.
Certificates, mass balance and fully segregated palm oil options are not mutually exclusive, but all serve to ensure flexibility in an extremely complex supply chain, claims GreenPalm.
Alpro, the leading European soy player its chief says has “sustainability in its DNA”, has become the first European food company to sign up to the World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers programme.
Givaudan is working towards sourcing decisions based on qualitative, sustainability-related factors rather than just quantitative, economic factors, and is asking suppliers of 80 per cent of its raw materials to join SEDEX by 2015.
Sustainability is becoming a hotter topic in the flavours and fragrance sector, with customers posing more questions about the supply chain and targets than ever before, says the chair of Givaudan’s sustainability programme.
UK organic fortunes are not all grim, says the trade director, who points out high-growth categories. But ushering in a new era of overall growth will require better communication, broad availability of organics in supermarkets, and supportive government...
Issues surrounding the sustainable sourcing of food ingredients will come under discussion at the Sustainable Foods Summit in Amsterdam in June, as the food industry is rising to the challenge of greening the supply chain and reporting on impacts.
Fairtrade International (FLO) has increased minimum prices and required price gaps for different Fairtrade coffees in reaction to the recent spike in prices.
Over a quarter of German consumers put ethical consumption ahead of other forms of charitable behaviour, with five predominant profiles according to preference, suggests new research.
Fairtrade claims are currently less important to UK shoppers than health and even animal welfare product claims, data from MMR Research Worldwide indicates – while figures from the Fairtrade Foundation suggest ongoing growth.
Sustainability concerns are having an increasing impact on food companies’ supply chain practices, finds a new report from Leatherhead, with more organic and Fairtrade products being offered and more ethical approaches to ingredient sourcing.
Major food companies are paying more attention to the social impacts of their products, and that means developing new ways of meauring the impacts of sustainability programmes on people, says DSM’s director of sustainability.
There is not enough robust science to support the development of an omni-label to accurately inform consumers of the environmental impacts of food products, according to a new UK report.
The Food and Fairness Inquiry threw up much common ground between industry and other participants, says DG of the Food and Drink Federation – but an adjudicator over manufacturer-retailer relations is still needed as soon as possible.
A new European logo for local foods could help consumers identify products sold a short distance from their place of origin, says the Dutch regional councillor behind an opinion on professionalising local food systems to bolster regional economies and...
Danisco says industry interest in its sustainable palm oil-based emulsifiers has been hit by continued input price pressures, but still insists they have a bright future.
New Britain Palm Oil (NBPOL) says an extension of its Papua New Guinea palm oil refinery to handle products required by confectionery giant Ferrero should be operational by mid 2011.
Fortunes for the organic food and drink market in Europe are patchy, according to a new report from Organic Monitor, with Sweden and France seeing double digit growth while other countries stagnated or even contracted.
Ethical labels and schemes may become too closely associated with big brands that use them and discourage competitors from adopting them too, participants in a Two Tomorrows roundtable heard.
Political leadership is crucial to encouraging more sustainable food consumption, attendees at a Kellogg’s Breakfast Club meeting heard this month, with industry and civil society playing important roles too.
FrieslandCampina Kievit will soon be able to guarantee the sustainability of ingredients containing palm oil in accordance with RSPO standards, as it is seeking certification in response to customer request and consumers demands.
The EU food sector can remain competitive and tackle challenges that lay ahead by forging strong partnerships, looking outside its own borders, and putting scientific advances to the best use, an expert panel on the future of food concluded.
Unilever and Coop Switzlerland’s efforts to promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity serve as positive examples and can help push biodiversity up the agenda of the food industry, says the Union for Ethical Biotrade following the first...
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) has launched a logo that can be displayed on product packaging to inform consumers that the palm oil within has been sourced following RSPO rules.
All palm oil used in The Netherlands will be certified by the RSPO by 2015, as all the suppliers and buyers in the Dutch market have signed a manifesto and pledged to work towards this goal.
The most environmentally-friendly foods are also those which are healthiest for humans, concludes a new study from a food and nutrition think tank that proposes a ‘double-pyramid’ of nutrition and environmental impact.
The development of better extraction methods and control over growing fruit will enable the flavour sector to meet increasing demand for naturally sourced flavours, despite pressures of natural resources, says EFFA president.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) says it believes approval of its recently drawn up aquaculture guidelines by an EU Parliament committee in January 2011 will be a “formality”.
Danisco says a new independent life cycle assessment (LCA) shows that a ‘unique’ hydrolysis method for its newly branded version of the low-calorie sweetener xylitol can yield environmental impact savings of up to 99 per cent.
Existing ethical and environmental food labels are poorly understood by consumers, and even those seeking them out struggle to understand them, consumer group Which? has found.
Around 1.2 million farmers and workers around the world are estimated to have benefited from Fairtrade certification and labelling schemes in 2009, says FLO, with coffee still the largest category.
Cargill’s global food safety activities have landed it recognition by the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUoFST), which will next week present the firm with a new award in the field.
A new study has suggested that a cross-linked a pectin coat could improve the stability of natural oil bodies, making their potential for industrial use more viable.
The organisers of the new Biodiversity Awards to be given at the HIE trade show in Madrid later this year are now seeking entries from companies with conservation-related initiatives or programmes linked to a product or supply chain.
A UK consumer study has uncovered serious misunderstandings about what ‘organic’ food is, with one in four people admitting confusion and one in five believing organic food is lower in fat.
TNO has teamed up with industrial algae producer Ingrepro Renewables for a two year research project investigating the extraction of proteins, healthy oils, and possible carbohydrates from algae.