News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
Vegan, paleo, grass-fed, pasture-raised, ancient grains, and allergen friendly claims are gaining
According to Chicago-based market research firm SPINS, US retail (dollar) sales of foods & beverages rose 1.7% in 2014, while unit sales declined by 0.4%. By contrast, sales of natural and organic brands grew nearly 12%. But where are the opportunities...
Partnership for a Healthier America Summit
Firms need to move away from one-way marketing strategies in traditional media channels and embrace open engagement in new media outlets to capture the attention of millennials, who increasingly wield purchasing power and influence but continue to elude...
Researchers in Italy have urged liquorice manufacturers to warn consumers about the dangers of overconsumption after a child suffered seizures after over-indulging.
FOUNDER PLANS TO SHAKE-UP DULL US AMBIENT DAIRY-FREE AISLE
Sometimes entrepreneurs have to take a ‘leap of faith’, says Rebel Kitchen founder Tamara Arbib, as she takes her coconut ‘mylks’ to the US just over a year after an initial UK launch.
The Royal College of Paediatrics has found two-thirds of Britons support banning advertising of food high in fat, sugar and salt on TV before 9pm.
Taiwan
Connell Brothers, Asia-Pacific’s biggest ingredients distributor, has announced that it will exclusively represent Taiwanese nutrition company Cypress Systems in its home market.
Singapore
Edible oil manufacturer Fuji will use its first research centre outside of Japan to focus on products formulated for the Asian market, the company said at its ceremony in Singapore.
Gut microbiome engineering can reduce stunting and other infant health issues and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is funding research into the nascent area.
Salt supplementation may improve exercise performance according to Spanish researchers – but health claims for sodium are still not authorised.
The US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Market Expo, "a market education program that allows producers and other USMEF members to observe international market development activities for US pork and beef", has begun in Shanghai.
Australia
Does a consumer’s talent in the kitchen have any bearing on the kind of food they tend to enjoy eating, researchers have asked.
Two years of supplementation with lutein and zeaxanthin may boost macular pigment optical density (MPOD) and retinal sensitivity in people with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), says a new study.
Matt Incles, from Promar International, describes the latest developments in the Eurozone and considers the impact on consumers and their meat purchase behaviour.
Tests show salmonella, listeria and E.coli exist on RPCs for fresh produce, meat & eggs
The Reusable Packaging Association has called for ‘extreme caution’ on research by the University of Arkansas, which claims bacteria forms biofilms, including salmonella, listeria and E.coli, on reuseable plastic containers (RPCs) used to ship fresh...
A two-day workshop on foodborne disease risk assessment has been held in Armenia.
The grapefruit flavour and fragrance compound nootkatone is one of the most expensive and challenging ingredients to source in the world – so a new way to create a naturally derived version from oranges could revolutionise supply.
Just 6.6% of new private label food and drink products carried a low, no, or reduced fat claim in the UK last year – while 45% of consumers said they sought foods that were low in saturated fat.
A study investigating Listeria monocytogenes in lavatory facilities could have interesting findings for food producing plants, according to one of the authors.
Academics have welcomed the WHO’s recommendation to slash added sugar intake to 5-10% of calories – but the food industry has said it is misleading and based on weak evidence.
Beef traders in the Indian state of Maharashtra, which includes Mumbai, are in a desperate situation as the state government has started to implement a newly-approved law that bans the slaughter of oxen and bulls for religious reasons.
The Australian Science and Innovation Awards for Young People in Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry was won by Queensland pork researcher Tracey Muller.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) may ask firms for more data on GM crop safety in applications for reauthorisation required after ten years, which experts say could lead to confusion and unnecessary paperwork for both company and assessor.
The CEO of the startup The Healthy Pantry hopes Cooksimple, a healthier, modernized take on iconic meal kits will revitalize the center of the grocery store, which he compared to the “ghetto.”