From fibre-filled juice to bird-friendly coffee, cauliflower flour to pea bread, European demands for natural are being fuelled by a massive distrust of TTIP – and this will grow whether the treaty is ratified or not, says Mintel.
A raft of new technical solutions and innovative strategies, focused on replacing damaging trans fats like-for-like with healthy ingredient that has exactly the same functions, are currently being explored by industry and academics.
Rural poverty is the theme of this year’s World Food Day but agriculture in itself is not enough to end hunger, says the FAO – social protection is vital to protecting farmers which means industry can get involved.
Thinking of food in black and white terms such as ‘health’ and ‘unhealthy’ can hinder weight management by encouraging an 'all or nothing' approach to eating - so what does this mean for food labels?
An open letter from major manufacturers including Nestlé and Mondelēz has called on the European Commission to legislate an EU-wide limit for the amount of industrially produced trans fats in foods.
Extracted or fermented, blended or pure, stevia can take many forms - and the arrival of EverSweet will mean even more possibilities for positioning the sweetener, says Cargill. But will it get past the EU's regulatory roadblocks?
EU organic legislation was supposed to dynamise the sector – but with the agricultural committee’s proposal yesterday deemed another status quo by organic groups, is future investment in the organic sector being compromised by the uncertainty?
There is a now a huge momentum in Germany to convert all private label meat sectors to GM free soy, said the German Association of Food without Genetic Engineering (VLOG).
Both France and Italy have strong culinary traditions and consumers want quality food but have less and less time to cook – could this be why organic packaged food shows such promise?
Whether food is locally sourced is more important to consumers than whether it organic or not, according to new research conducted on organic and non-organic consumers in Germany.
UK city Brighton is urging food businesses to levy a 10p voluntary sugar tax on sugary drinks in a bid to address “the devastating harm caused by sugar addiction”.
With more than a quarter of all EU energy consumption, and a lower share of renewable energy than other industries, the European food sector must focus on sustainable use of energy, warns a new report.
Sensing a shift in consumer eating habits and attitudes, several German meat companies are leading the way in innovation and NPD for meat substitutes: “We will be the first and last generation that eats meat every day,” says one.
EFSA delivers long-awaited safety assessment despite data craters
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said insect pathogens potentially harmful to humans are most likely to come from rearing and processing not intrinsically associated with the insect itself – but huge gaps in data remain.
EFSA cannot rule out that the food additive octyl gallate (E311) may cause cancer due to a lack of data, it said in a safety review published last week.
Global demand for MSG is set to rise, but can the additive shake off its negative health associations in Europe - and if not, does that mean a gap in the market for MSG-free umami seasoning?
The UK government is calling on businesses, scientists and agricultural producers to submit their proposals for salt, sugar, fat and fibre reformulation with the chance to win up to €13.5 m in funding.
The use of biomimicry to form nature-inspired oleogels could help manufacturers to better structure unsaturated fats to replace trans fats, say researchers.
The Soil Association is updating its organic standards to make them more practical and transparent and is calling on the public to give its opinion in an open consultation.
Food labelling and ethical certification aren’t as effective as we think - for a sustainable food chain, small and medium businesses need to team up with social scientists to create ‘attentive consumption’ and transform the supply chain, say participants...
Sixteen countries have requested to opt out of GM cultivation in Europe – but while the Commission says the opt-out clause is necessary for such a complex issue, campaigners are calling it ‘Kafkaesque’ and one scientist warns Europe is walking 'an...
Replacing intake of dietary saturated fat with unsaturated fats may still be the best for heart health, according to new Harvard review that warns against increasing intake of saturated fats.
Research highlighting the variation in soft drink sugar content around the world – a difference of as much as 29g sugar (7 teaspoons) per 330ml for the same brand in different countries - has been released by campaign group Action on Sugar.
The Finnish government has said a tax on sweets and ice cream in the country will be scrapped at the start of 2017 after the European Commission said the tax unfairly advantaged producers within the country.
The UK's Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) will begin a public consultation on new rules for marketing junk food to children in early 2016 amid growing concerns over children's diet, it has announced.
Transparency on sustainability needs to go beyond data on packaging if it is to really engage consumers, says Nescafé, as it partners with Google to launch a virtual reality coffee experience.
The global market for natural food colors is predicted to reach $1.7bn by 2020, with 20% of this market attributed to beverage applications. Analysts Iti Singh and Indu Tyagi, from research firm MarketsandMarkets, look at the opportunities for beverage...
Bérangère Magarinos-Ruchat, vice president of sustainability partnerships at global flavour firm Firmenich has won “Head of Sustainability” at the Ethical Corporation's Responsible Business Awards.
Nearly 80% of British consumers say buying local produce is important but only 30% actually do – why is this and can large-scale food manufacturers satisfy this desire for local?
Consumption of sugary drinks that contain high levels of added sugars can lead to excess weight gain and higher risks of developing diabetes and heart disease, says the most comprehensive review of evidence ever undertaken.
The type of dietary fat we eat may lead to changes in our inflammatory response, which in turn play a key role in long term risk of obesity-related diseases including diabetes and atherosclerosis, warn researchers.
A new EU-funded research project involving partners across the EU, as well as in China, will help reduce food waste by 30% by 2025, say those behind the project.
FoodDrinkEurope will continue to take a ‘holistic’ approach to improving the health of Europeans with a new commitment to trigger further industry action on making food healthier, it says.
The UK government is calling on manufacturers to use local county of origin labelling on its products – but unlike in Italy such measures would be voluntary.
Glanbia Nutritionals has expanded beyond its dairy roots to add pea, chia and flax protein concentrates to its portfolio to meet growing demand for vegan protein, says business development manager Vicky Fligel, who caught up with us for our special edition...
DSM has been named as one of its sector’s leaders in environmental prudence in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index, but the company says it sees such lists as a means, not an end.
The British government has no plans to tax sugary drinks, despite an online petition receiving more than the 100,000 signatures required to spark a parliamentary debate on the issue.
Novel protein ingredients face a difficult future with too many barriers to entry to make success likely – but there are brighter prospects for Quorn and some potential for insect protein in animal feed, says Giract.
Protein ingredients are facing major challenges in developed markets, with stagnation in technical applications and uncertainty over health and sports markets, according to a report from Giract.
The government should update its advice on food portion sizes urgently, warns a leading charity, after researchers advised smaller food packages could help to cut Britain’s obesity crisis.
Industry says origin labelling is too expensive and would reduce competitiveness but one German company is listing the origin of all its ingredients voluntarily – and the costs are marginal, it says.
Scientists have identified a genetic defect in oil palms, called bad karma, which reduces yields – a finding that could save industry both time and money, they say.
A total ban on trans fats in processed foods could prevent 7,200 deaths from coronary heart disease in England, claim researchers. But with levels of industrial trans fats already at virtually zero, others argue the research is flawed.
People consume more food and drink when offered larger portion sizes or when using larger items of tableware, according to the most conclusive review of evidence to date.
British kids’ lunchboxes are getting healthier and competition is more heated than ever, say market researchers at Kantar Worldpanel - but are manufacturers really meeting parents' demands?
