Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Danone, Synergy Flavors and LoSalt speak to Food Manufacture about reformulation. Credit: Top - Danone/Bottom - Synergy Flavors

Feature

Food and drink reformulation: the story so far

By Bethan Grylls

Accelerated by the health-conscious consumer and new UK rules, food and drink producers have been working hard to reformulate their recipes. But what have been the obstacles in their way, is there any benefit to these tweaks, and will it help curb obesity?

The market has received a boost with the reopening of gyms and leisure centres

Digital feature: long read

Sports Nutrition trends

By Michelle Perrett

Consumer interest in health and wellness has grown since the pandemic struck, with a focus on protection and immunity and a corresponding need for exercise fuelling growth in sports nutrition.

The conference will tackle fat, salt and sugar reduction as well as a host of other issues

Virtual Reformulation conference: one month to go

By Rod Addy

Some of the UK's foremost experts on food and drink reformulation will offer essential insight and guidance on vital topics at Food Manufacture's virtual conference Reformulation: What Next? from 29-30 March.

According to the ISC, demand for stevia continues to grow. iStock credit: HandmadePictures

Framework for steviol glycoside production approved

By Rod Addy

International food safety body Codex Alimentarius has approved a framework outlining four safe ways of producing steviol glycosides, enabling greater access to stevia products across the globe.

Collett: 'New ingredients are being introduced all the time'

Ask The Expert, in collaboration with the Institute of Food Science & Technology (IFST)

Ask The Expert: sugar reduction in soft drinks

By Vicky Collett FIFST CSci

Vicky Collett, (consultant) global quality manager for a joint venture between PepsiCo and Unilever, explores the challenges of sugar reduction in soft drinks.

Food and beverage manufacturers will soon be able to access PureCircle’s stevia ingredients from bioconversion

Stevia range from PureCircle wins EFSA approval

By Rod Addy

PureCircle has secured a positive safety opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for its Reb M, Reb D and Reb AM stevia ingredients produced through bioconversion of stevia leaf extracts.

Continued impact from the pandemic is expected, but Tate & Lyle proved buoyant

Britvic, Tate & Lyle and Diageo post financial updates

By Rod Addy

Out-of-home declines at Britvic offset sales growth in at-home products in its first quarter (Q1), Tate & Lyle's primary product sales rose in the three months to 31 December and Diageo reported dented interims.

Manufacturers have never been under more pressure to reformulate – but at what cost?

FEATURE

Piling on the pounds: the route to reformulation

By Noli Dinkovski

With the threat of taxation hanging over their heads, manufacturers are scrambling to meet sugar and calorie reduction targets, but with consumers looking for cleaner labels, there is no easy route to reformulation.

Givaudan has ditched sweeteners in favour of sensory profiling as part of its sugar reduction technique

Givaudan takes sensual approach

By Noli Dinkovski

A sugar reduction technique that relies on sensory profiling rather than sweeteners has been unveiled by Swiss flavours firm Givaudan.

Polar Krush saw sales rise 60% during the summer

Polar Krush reports 60% sales increase

By Michelle Perrett

Iced drinks manufacturer Polar Krush has reported its best summer to date after sales increased by 60% - boosted, it said, by its decision to switch its full range to sugar-free recipes.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar is to undergo a redesign to bring it in line with the classic variant

New design unveiled for Coca-Cola range

By Aidan Fortune

Coca-Cola Great Britain has revealed a new design for the Coca-Cola range, featuring new packaging for its Coca-Cola original and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar variants.

Child obesity levels have hit a record high, according to a Public Health England report

Child obesity trends hit record high

By Aidan Fortune

Public Health England (PHE) is continuing to focus on calorie and sugar reduction as levels of severe obesity in children aged 10–11 have reached the highest point since records began.

Mona Schmitz-Hübsch: ‘The emphasis has shifted from what has been removed from products to what is going into them’

FEATURE

Clean-label: Adding more to the mix

By Lynda Searby

The concept of clean-label has moved beyond the removal of certain ‘nasties’ in products to the insertion of ingredients that enhance health... and even the way a product is produced.

Cott has launched zero sugar cola in Spar stores nationwide

Cott’s sugar-free cola hits Spar stores

By Gwen Ridler

Drinks maker Cott has secured listings for its zero-sugar cola at Spar, making it the first symbol group to launch an own-label sugar-free cola, it has claimed.

Maltodrextrin has a significant impact on a person’s metabolism, Speleers claims

High-GI sugar alternatives are ‘misleading’ consumers

By Noli Dinkovski

The approach by some food and drink manufacturers to replace sugar with high-glycaemic alternatives is “borderline misleading” to consumers, the director of a global ingredients company has claimed.

Tate & Lyle has appointed Nick Hampton as its new chief executive

Tate & Lyle appoints new chief executive

By Gwen Ridler

Food ingredients manufacturer Tate & Lyle has appointed former PepsiCo executive Nick Hampton as chief executive, with affect from April 1.

Alice Nield (left) and Alice Bryant

Reports from IFT17

US food show offers answers for UK students

By Michael Stones

Two British students gained valuable insights into the global industry after visiting one of the world’s biggest food shows – the Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT’s) Annual Meeting & Food Expo – in Las Vegas in June.

Processed food debate panellists: (l to r) Tamar Haspel, historian Rachel Laudan, Yoni Freedhoff, Chris Mallett and Richard Black

Reports from IFT17

Firms encouraged to ‘invest in healthier products’

By Michael Stones

Risk-averse food manufacturers need encouragement to invest in healthier products, a nutrition consultant and industry insider told a seminar dedicated to processed food at the US Institute of Food Technology (IFT) Annual Meeting and Food Expo.

Sugar tax must be extended beyond soft drinks, says Food Standards Scotland

FSS backs extending sugar tax beyond soft drinks

By Matt Atherton

Advice to extend the sugar tax beyond soft drinks, order the reformulation of products to cut sugar, fat and salt, and lower portion sizes, has won the support of Food Standards Scotland (FSS).

Cancer threat: the study suggested the sweetener sucralose was linked to tumours in mice

Sweetener cancer link dismissed by EU safety body

By Noli Dinkovski

A study that links the sweetener sucralose to cancer has been dismissed by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), for failing to provide the data to support its conclusions.

The sugar tax on soft drinks will be set at two bands – 5g and 8g per 100ml

Sugar tax needs to offer more incentive, claims IFS

By Rick Pendrous

The tax on soft drinks, which comes into force in April 2018, needs to be changed to give manufacturers more incentive to reduce the sugar in their products, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has argued.

Tate & Lyle reported an 85% rise in profit before tax (Flickr/Mike Mozart)

Tate & Lyle gains from weak pound in 85% profit rise

By Matt Atherton

Ingredients manufacturer Tate & Lyle reported an 85% rise in profit before tax in its full-year results, reflecting the weak value of sterling and an “excellent commercial and manufacturing performance”, it claimed.

Proposals for a North Yorkshire sugar beet factory have been welcomed by the NFU (Al Khaleej International)

300-job sugar beet plans welcomed by NFU

By Matt Atherton

Proposals for a sugar beet processing facility that would create up to 300 jobs in North Yorkshire have been welcomed by the National Farmers Union (NFU).

Public Health England challenged manufacturers to reduce their products' sugar content by 5% by August this year

Manufacturers set target to cut sugar 20% by 2020

By Matt Atherton

Public Health England (PHE) has targeted a 20% reduction in sugar in some everyday foods to reduce childhood obesity and the food and drink industry is “willing to take on the challenge”.

Sugar cannot be replaced by a single ingredient, claims Bayn Europe

Natural sugar reduction range extended

By Noli Dinkovski

Food and drink manufacturers are now able to source a comprehensive range of sugar reduction additives from a single ingredients firm, after its leading range was extended to include new variants.