Dubai to open international halal certification centre
Dubai plans to launch a new international centre for halal certification within the first-quarter of 2014, with the goal of making the emirate the world leader in halal certification.
Archives for January 10, 2014
Bunzl spends almost £300m on acquisitions
Bunzl has revealed three more deals to take its 2013 acquisition spending to almost £300m.
Governments must regulate to curb obesity: IASO
Governments must regulate unhealthy foods in the same way as alcohol and tobacco to tackle rising levels of obesity, urges a report from the International Association for the Study of Obesity (IASO).
Big interview
Bye-bye black box: Could ‘radical transparency’ transform the food industry?
Lack of transparency in blended ingredients is harming trust in the food industry – but there is another way, says president and CEO of Premium Blendhub, Henrik Stamm Kristensen.
Saudi Arabia to resume Pakistan poultry imports
Saudi Arabia has indicated it may soon allow the import of poultry products from Pakistan, eight years after banning them to prevent the spread of bird flu.
I’ll take the T-bone: Middle East wants expensive cuts of meat
The Middle East is now increasingly shunning live imports of cattle and sheep and demanding high value cuts of red meat, say exporters from India and Australia.
DEFRA boss agrees Europe without GM will become a museum
Europe will become a food and farming museum without science on genetic modification (GM), environment secretary Owen Paterson has warned – echoing food manufacturers’ long-standing fears.
FSMA rule specifies ways to cut risk of intentional food adulteration
FDA has published another proposed rule in the rollout of the Food Safety Modernization Act. The rule spells out plans companies must have in place to defend against intentional adulteration of food.
Russia reveals varied performance for meat and poultry production
Russia will continue to increase meat production and improve meat self-sufficiency in 2014 despite a number of negative factors hampering the development of the industry, according to the recent marketing report from the Russian Institute for...
MOCON lab puts food packaging to the test
MOCON has joined with Ronox Technology to open a flexible package testing lab in Poland.
Kraft defends ‘natural’ labels on Crystal Light as CSPI threatens legal action
Kraft Foods has vigorously defended the way it labels its Crystal Light lemonade and iced tea mixes after receiving a letter from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) threatening legal action if it does not stop promoting them as ‘natural’.
What are the hottest trends in food and beverage? Find out at the FoodNavigator-USA business leaders round table debate
What’s hot and what’s not in the US food and beverage market? Gluten-free? Chickpea snacks? Plant eggs? Gourmet popcorn?
CFIA gets lowest passing grade from USDA audit
Canada’s food safety system has been given the lowest audit rating that enables it to keep exporting food to the US.
Drought and demand boost Australian beef exports
Australian beef and veal exporters have been buoyed by data from the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) showing record export numbers for the industry in 2013. The country exported nearly 1.1 million tonnes (t) of chilled...
Mountain Dew flavored Cheetos in Japan
PepsiCo has developed another beverage-inspired flavor for its Cheetos brand in Japan – this time, Mountain Dew.
Action on sugar? Reducing sugar in foods and drinks could boost industry profits too, says policy expert
Fresh calls to reduce the 'excess' levels of sugar in food and drinks products by newly formed Action on Sugar could help industry to higher profits through the use of cheaper non-nutritive sweeteners, according to Professor Jack Winkler.
Mung bean sprouts illness source revealed
An outbreak that sickened 126 people in Germany and the Netherlands traced to mung bean sprouts was caused by a single strain of Salmonella Newport.
Waterbath best option for poultry stunning, says EC
Waterbath remains the most economically viable option for stunning poultry in the European Union (EU), the European Commission said in a report, published just before the festive break.
COFFEE IN MODERATION AS HYDRATING AS WATER: STUDY
Four cups of Nescafé a day keeps dehydration at bay?
UK scientists suggest they have debunked the myth that coffee causes dehydration and claim that moderate consumption provides similar hydrating qualities to water.
USP proposes monograph on specific bacillus coagulans probiotic strain
For the first time, the United States Pharmacopoeia is proposing a monograph on a probiotic organism as a food ingredient in the latest series of draft monographs put forward for inclusion in the Food Chemicals Codex.
'Tightening' health claim rules slowing omega 3 dairy launches: Innova
The proportion of dairy product launches featuring omega 3 health claims has fallen in recent years as a result of “tightening" health claims legislation, Innova Market Insights has claimed.
Saudi food and beverage consumption to grow by 5% in 2014
Saudi Arabia’s food and beverage consumption will continue to grow robustly over the next year, according to a new report from research firm Business Monitor International.
Interview with Zego allergy-friendly nutrition bar founders Colleen Kavanagh and Jonathan Shambroom
Zego ‘allergy-friendly’ bar founders: Industry must do more than slap allergen disclaimers on pack
The manufacturers of a soy-, nut-, dairy- and gluten-free protein bar are hoping to make allergy-friendly products more accessible for on-the-go consumers with national distribution on Amazon.com and a strong community of backers who helped the bar...
AlixPartners survey highlights the potential of health category 'super' consumers
Small group of health category ‘superusers’ spend $161bn per year
Despite that they comprise just 26% of the population, Americans who spend more than 40% of their food and beverage budgets on health and wellness-related products account for 61% of total spending for the sector, or more than $161 billion annually,...
Asia dominates world beer label demand
Asia dominates the world market for beer labels but the market is still dominated by old-style wet glue applied labels, but pressure-sensitive labels continue to make inroads in North America.
Australia set to warn athletes off food supplements
Athletics Australia (AA) – the body that represents elite athletes – is set to warn Australia’s best sports people that food supplements cannot be trusted to be contamination-free and deliver scant benefits.
Supplements shakedown: Globalisation and a brave new world of regulations
The global health and nutrition (H&N) sector continues to expand, but regulations are tighter than ever and players need to understand this if they are to succeed, says the chief of the biggest global supplements organisation.
5-minute chat with FoodNavigator-USA and BakeryandSnacks
GMO-free Cheerios: Did General Mills buckle to consumer pressure? Will the move backfire?
General Mills’ move to go GMO-free on its flagship Cheerios brand has caused quite a stir. But what motivated this reformulation? And how will it play out?