Obesity

Campaigners want mandatory regulation of foods high in fat, sugar and salt

Doubts over UK’s obesity strategy

By Rick Pendrous

The decision to further delay publication of the government’s childhood obesity strategy has been met with dismay by health lobby groups that fear a policy closely associated with the last administration could be kicked into the long grass.

Artificial sweeteners may raise appetite levels

Sweeteners ‘make people eat more’

By Noli Dinkovski

Mounting evidence that artificial sweeteners can raise appetite levels, and lead to increased calorie intake, has been backed up by a major new study that claims to show for the first time why this response occurs.

FDF has released a new sugar reformulation guide for SMEs

Sugar reformulation guide released by FDF

By Gwen Ridler

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has released a free reformulation guide for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), designed to help them reduce the sugar content in their products.

FDF boss Ian Wright has hit back at criticism of his comments on food and drink sponsorship at the Olympics

FDF hits back at Olympics food criticism

By Gwen Ridler

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has hit back at claims it said non-western countries had welcomed less healthy food advertising at the Rio Olympics.

Intellectual property rights are likely to be used by manufacturers to meet reformulation demands

IP rights can become a ‘weapon’ in sugar war

By Noli Dinkovski

Food manufacturers are increasingly likely to use intellectual property (IP) rights as both an asset and a weapon in the battle to meet reformulation demands over sugar, a lawyer has claimed.

The Sugar Levy less likely following the EU referendum, according to pressure group

Sugar tax unlikely after Brexit: pressure group

By Gwen Ridler

The UK sugar levy – due to be introduced in April 2018 – has little chance of implementation after the UK’s decision to leave the EU, according to an obesity pressure group.

Food and drink manufacturers were concerned about how Brexit would affect their business

What food and drink manufacturers worry about most

By Matt Atherton

Brexit and the sugar tax topped food and drink manufacturers’ concerns this year, according to the Food Manufacture Group’s exclusive industry-wide survey. We explore the headline results of the survey with the editor of Food Manufacture Rick Pendrous.

Coca-Cola UK & Ireland boss Jon Woods called for the sugar tax to be scrapped

Sugar tax should be scrapped: Coca-Cola UK boss

By Gwen Ridler

The UK sugar levy should be scrapped, so that more can be done to help businesses cope with the transition to life after Brexit, according to Coca-Cola UK’s boss.

A US health study has reinforced dietary public health guidelines

US dietary fats study highlights public health advice

By Gwen Ridler

New US scientific research, just published, based on a 30 year study into dietary fats and their effects on health, has reinforced current dietary public health guidelines that had been questioned by some health lobby groups.

Fatty foods: shown to cause as much damage to the kidney as diabetes

High fat diet can cause kidney damage

By Noli Dinkovski

A high fat food diet can cause as much damage to the kidney as diabetes, according to a study published in Experimental Physiology.

Survey: the biggest behaviour change has been an increase in shoppers reading labels

Label awareness is the biggest habit change

By Noli Dinkovski

A high level of shopper awareness over the proposed sugar tax on soft drinks has not yet translated into any comparable change in shopper behaviour – but concern over sugar intake has increased – a new survey has revealed.

Not so sweet: lobbying by food and drink firms had delayed UK obesity strategy, claimed the AoS

Food and drink industry ‘delaying’ UK obesity plans

By Gwen Ridler

Food and drink manufacturers have “delayed and eroded” government plans to tackle obesity, claimed the lobby group Action on Sugar (AoS), after the publication of a new report by the Obesity Health Alliance (OHA).

The FDF and Action on Sugar have clashed over reformulation advice

FDF and Action on Sugar row over reformulation

By Michelle Perrett

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has refuted claims from Action on Sugar that it had warned members not to engage with charities over product formulation.

The Från Början team pick up their Ecotrophelia UK 2016 winner’s cheque from M&S’s Sue Bell

Nottingham Trent students win Ecotrophelia UK

By Rick Pendrous

A student team from Nottingham Trent University has scooped the gold prize for their low-fat, non-dairy ice cream made with algal protein, in the UK leg of Ecotrophelia 2016 – the pan-European competition for ecologically inspired innovative new product...

Obesity forum not planning to replace board members

Obesity forum: ‘No plans’ to replace board members

By Gwen Ridler

The National Obesity Forum (NOF) has no plans to replace the four members who resigned last week – after a controversial pro-fat report was released by mistake – according to the organisation.

The soft drinks sugar tax could cost Coca-Cola £226M a year

Coca-Cola could face £226M sugar tax

By Gwen Ridler

The Coca-Cola Company could face a bill as high as £226M a year under the sugar tax, if it doesn’t pass on the increased charge for its sugary drinks to consumers, according to market research firm Euromonitor.

Scotland’s bottle deposit return scheme would cost producers: Partington

Scots ‘bottle tax’ fears for UK drinks industry

By Noli Dinkovski

Drinks companies would suffer “very significant financial implications” if the Scottish government were to implement a ‘bottle tax’ through a nationwide deposit return system on beverage containers, the head of a leading trade body has claimed.

The sugar tax poses more questions than answers said Dominic Watkins

Sugar tax is destined to fail, claims legal expert

By Noli Dinkovski

The proposed sugar tax on soft drinks is likely to fail in its intended aim of reducing calorie intake as consumers will simply trade down to cheaper, own-label variants, a leading legal food specialist has claimed.

Dietary guidance from National Obesity Forum is attacked

‘Irresponsible’ dietary guidance under flak

By Rick Pendrous

A report from the National Obesity Forum (NOF) in association with Public Health Collaboration has come under flak from Public Health England (PHE), Food Standards Scotland (FSS) and the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) for providing bad nutritional...

The National Obesity Forum report on fats and carbohydrates has been attacked by its own board members

National Obesity Forum fat report rejected by board members

By Rick Pendrous

Health lobby group the National Obesity Forum (NOF) has come under swingeing attacks from some of its own medical advisers in press reports over the past weekend, following controversial advice it rushed out last week advising people to eat more fatty...

Tesco's mushroom and cauliflower steaks

Tesco launches vegetarian bbq range

By Michelle Perrett

Tesco is capitalising on the growing vegetarian trend by launching, what it claims are, the UK’s first ever cauliflower and mushroom barbecue (bbq) steaks.

The Queen's Speech sets out the government's plans for the year ahead

Food and drink firms welcome Queen’s Speech – mostly

By Michael Stones

Government plans to support business, education and the economy – set out in the Queen’s Speech – have been welcomed by food and drink manufacturers. But plans to introduce a sugar tax continued to draw criticism from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Health officials in Liverpool have estimated the sugar content of popular soft drinks

Health officials in Liverpool name sugary soft drinks

By Michelle Perrett

Public health officials in Liverpool are to be the first to name leading soft drink brands – such as Lucozade, Coca-Cola, Tropicana, Capri-Sun and Ribena – warning how many sugar cubes are in each drink.

Nichols' relaunch of sugar-free brands will include the feel Good range of soft drinks

Nichols plans relaunch of sugar-free drinks range

By Gwen Ridler

Nichols announced a relaunch of its sugar-free brands this summer, following the news of the tax on sugary drinks, and predicted earnings would be in line with expectations.

Buttriss: 'Coconut oil is almost 100% fat and so each 100ml provides a massive 900 calories'

Coconut oil: superfood or not?

By Judy Buttriss

The nutrition science community is becoming increasingly concerned about the health halo around coconut oil and the risk to health if consumption becomes a regular occurrence.

Professor Gary Frost explained how appetite regulation could be influenced

Innovation Conference

Dietary fibre intake suppresses appetite

By Rick Pendrous

Big opportunities exist for food manufacturers to tackle obesity through the use of food containing non-digestible inulin fibre to encourage satiety, according to a leading academic.

Personalised nutrition works: Professor John Mathers

Innovation Conference

Personalised nutrition ‘really works’: new research

By Rick Pendrous

New EU research shows that diets targeted at an individual’s specific needs –personalised nutrition – can improve health more than general nutrition advice, but the results are not improved by honing that advice based on people's phenotype (physiological...

Should food labels also specify activity calorie information?

Food activity labels ‘need more research’: FDF

By Michelle Perrett

Food activity labels – which specify the exercise needed to burn off the calories contained in the product – needs more research, according to trade body the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Remedying Britain's obesity crisis requires legislation: Rosie Boycott

Obesity crisis: legislation said to be ‘the only answer’

By Noli Dinkovski

A leading healthy food campaigner has claimed to be “sympathetic” towards manufacturers of food and drink high in fat, salt or sugar, as they are not operating on a level playing-field when it comes to promotions.

Not for children: a ban on online advertising to children is moving closer

Online ads to kids set to fall under TV rules

By Noli Dinkovski

The advertising of foods high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) to children online has moved a step nearer to falling under the same restrictions as TV advertising after it was revealed that a public consultation was being prepared.

Rick Pendrous

Sugar soft drinks tax: a ‘dead cat’ distraction

By Rick Pendrous

George Osborne’s announcement of a sugar tax on soft drinks in last month's budget took everyone by complete surprise. Cynics were quick to accuse him of blatantly trying to deflect attention from declining growth forecasts.

The innovation conference highlighted the importance of innovation after the sugar tax

Innovation conference

Innovation conference highlights potential on offer

By Michael Stones

New product development will become even more important for food and drink manufacturers, after the Chancellor’s sugar tax budget bombshell, according director of the Aurora Ceres Partnership Steve Osborn, who chaired Food Manufacture's recent innovation...

The Chancellor's sugar tax budget bombshell could result in legal action

Sugar tax

Sugar tax could spark industry legal action

By Michelle Perrett

Soft drinks companies are looking into options, including legal action, in the wake of the government plans to introduce a soft drinks tax.

The sugar shock budget announcement has dismayed and delighted in equal measure

Sugar tax

Budget shock: sugar tax on soft drinks

By Michael Stones

A surprise tax on sugary soft drinks to tackle childhood obesity, unveiled in Chancellor George Osborne’s budget, has dismayed manufacturers but delighted campaigners, including celebrity chef Jamie Oliver.

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