Healthy foods

Probiotic sales defeat EFSA's blow

16-Jul-2012 - Consumer demand is sustaining probiotics sales, despite the blow of the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA's) health claims rejections, say some of industry's main players.

Feature

Special delivery

02-Jul-2012 - Optimising the delivery of antioxidant phytochemicals is the way to keep tomorrow's consumers happy and healthy, reports Michelle Knott.

Feature

Spin the bottle

02-Jul-2012 - Debate about the future EU regulation of sports nutrition is intensifying. Paul Gander asks what impact different outcomes might have on innovation.

EFSA review of sports nutrition law is 'likely'

02-Jul-2012 - A second reading of the European Parliament's (EP's) report on replacing the regulatory framework for foods for particular nutritional uses (PARNUTS) is now unlikely before early 2013, but deliberations on regulating some categories could continue for much longer, says a leading sector association.

Now the probiotic you can chew

02-Jul-2012 - Chr Hansen has unveiled a new chewable tablet with probiotics and vitamin C.

Comment

Let the next claims battle commence

02-Jul-2012 - News last month that DSM Nutritional Products (DSM) and Kemin planned to contest the European Food Safety Authority's (EFSA's) rejection of their submitted claims for lutein and eye health, is but the latest twist in the tortuous saga of the EU's nutrition and health claims regulation.

Feature

Back to the future

02-Jul-2012 - Sometimes we have to go back to move forward. This is particularly true for novel ingredients and health claims, says Lorraine Mullaney.

Seniors should muscle-in on whey protein, says research

02-Jul-2012 - Claims that whey protein offers superior effects on muscle protein synthesis in the elderly have been boosted by the publication of a spate of scientific studies in the first quarter of 2012.

Get the heart of wholegrain health claims

02-Jul-2012 - The findings of a Leatherhead Research study could enable food manufacturers to gather supporting evidence for health claims on how cereal fibre can benefit vascular function.

Volac to take whey protein outside sports

02-Jul-2012 - Whey ingredient manufacturer Volac plans to educate consumers to expand the appeal of whey protein outside the sports nutrition category.

News in brief

'First of its kind' study into muscle-building protein

05-Jun-2012 - A new clinical study is claiming that consuming a protein blend (a combination of soy, whey and casein) post-workout is the best way to build muscle. The blend showed an increase in a person's 'anabolic window' (the amount of time it takes for building muscle to occur post exercise).

Latin American super seed chia to branch out

04-Jun-2012 - We've had the exotic super berries: goji and açai. Now, apparently, from Latin America, we have the new exotic superseed: chia.

Comment

The bad guys win the bureaucratic battle

03-Jun-2012 - I know it's not a new subject, but the European Food Safety Authority's decision, under the health claims regulations, to forbid the use of 'probiotic' labels on food, looks even more unhelpful to consumers when you ponder the implications more deeply.

Pressure builds to agree EU food allergen action levels

01-Jun-2012 - Momentum is building to agree EU allergen management action levels that firms could use within their operations and for labelling purposes, according to Food and Drink Federation (FDF) experts.

Mintel hails Queen’s jubilee with 40-year food survey

30-May-2012 - The nation’s changing breakfast preferences, the impact of shifting diets, and the great British takeaway are three key food trends to emerge from Mintel’s first survey charting consumers’ changing food choices between 1972 and 2012.  

Cherry picks 'superfruit' status

30-May-2012 - Cherries are on their way to 'superfruit' status, according to Innova Market Insights. The research firm says cherries featured in 7% of juice drink launches in 2011 - up from 4% five years earlier.

Microencapsulation offers new opportunities

30-May-2012 - LycoRed Israel has launched microencapsulated formulations for hair and nail nutrition, which it claims will expand options for manufacturers. The products are based on vitamin B complex and amino acids.

Functionality tops food and drink mega trends list

28-May-2012 - Four “mega trends” are driving growth in food and drink and where functional food is concerned, it’s the science that sways it, according to analysts.

Comment

Vitafoods: EU nutra space wriggles into new health claims clothes

15-May-2012 - Vitafoods celebrates its 15th birthday next week. It’ll be my 11th consecutive May visit to Geneva for the jamboree and promises to be one of the most intriguing chapters with the (partial and belated) resolution of years of ambiguity regarding health claims in Europe.

Eight top food trends to drive consumers by 2020

08-May-2012 - Eight top food trends will dominate European shoppers’ buying habits by the year 2020, predicts Spanish research organisation Azti-Tecnalia.

Olympic timing for First Milk’s acquisition of CNP

08-May-2012 - First Milk is hoping to capitalise on the Olympic wave following its acquisition of the sports nutrition firm CNP Professional.

Study will help firms support health claims

07-May-2012 - Scientists will have a better understanding of how the body can take advantage of functional nutrients found in different food structures, following the results of a new collaborative research project.

Provexis: 20% growth for new sports nutrition business SiS

03-May-2012 - Science in Sport (SiS), the £5M turnover sports nutrition business acquired by life sciences company Provexis in June last year for £8M, is predicted to grow by an impressive 20% a year by tapping into soaring demand for specialist sports nutrition products, according to its chief executive Stephen Moon.

Fry a coat of healthier colours

01-May-2012 - JBT FoodTech has developed an integrated in-line dry-fry system to process coated products with up to 50% less oil pick-up.