Business

25-Oct-2007 - Bunge, a supplier of agricultural and edible oil products to the food industry, today reported that earnings more than doubled in its third quarter on the back of strong market conditions.

California fires damage avocados, citrus

25-Oct-2007 - Avocado and citrus crops are thought to have taken the hardest hit from wildfires sweeping through southern California, although initial estimates suggest that there may not be a significant impact on prices and supplies.

Special Edition: Opportunities in food

Datamonitor: The potential and dangers of superfoods

24-Oct-2007 - Superfoods have taken the market by storm in recent years, but food manufacturers need to take a step back and use the ingredients with caution if they are to continue reaping the benefits, says Datamonitor in a FoodNavigator-USA.com series contributed by market researchers.

Natural extract could boost meat shelf life

24-Oct-2007 - A new natural extract claims to allow meat producers to extend the shelf life of their products by keeping these looking and tasting fresh for longer, according to manufacturer Kemin Food Ingredients.

Chocolate sales set to rocket this Halloween

24-Oct-2007 - Halloween is one of the top holiday in terms of volume sales for confectioners, as consumers will spend more than $2.1bn (€1.5bn) on chocolate and sweets later this month in the US alone, states a new report.

Special edition: Opportunities in food

Freedonia: Stevia's potential in an imperfect sweetener market

23-Oct-2007 - No sweetener currently available on the market has proven to be a fully satisfactory replacement for sugar, but the emergence of stevia could rekindle hope, according to Freedonia. The analyst examines the sweetener market in the second of a series of exclusive articles contributed to FoodNavigator-USA.com by global market research firms.

Sensient sales up, boosted by higher prices

23-Oct-2007 - Leading supplier of flavors fragrances and colors, Sensient Technologies, has reported solid sales figures and high profit levels in its third quarter.

South emerging as strong market for organics, report

23-Oct-2007 - Manufacturers and marketers of organic foods and beverages should keep their eye on the southern region of the US, according to a new market report, which suggests that consumers in the south are catching up with the organic-friendly west.

Weekly Comment

The weather excuse

22-Oct-2007 - With all the threats facing food and beverage production -- from contamination in the food chain, to rising input prices -- there appears to be one menace that towers above the rest, namely 'The Weather'.

Special edition: Opportunities in food

Mintel: Teens getting a bigger piece of the pie

22-Oct-2007 - Food and drink makers need balance between style and substance to capture a slice of the growing market for teen-targeted products, Mintel tells FoodNavigator-USA.com in the first of a series of exclusive articles contributed by global market research firms.

WTO food safety database serves as handy reference

22-Oct-2007 - Finding out about the food safety requirements and alerts in other countries just got easier, with the World Trade Organisation (WTO) launching a searchable database of member governments' measures.

Biocell launches taste-free collagen for foods

19-Oct-2007 - Biocell Technology has introduced a version of its Biocell collagen II ingredient that is being marketed as taste-free and therefore with applications expanded to include ready-to-drink formulations, chewables and functional foods.

Specialty foods driven by quest for premium, says Mintel

19-Oct-2007 - Consumer demand for quality and taste as well as an increased interest in international food traditions are key drivers for the specialty foods market in the US, says a new report by Mintel.

Soy proteins designed to replace milk

19-Oct-2007 - Two new soy-based ingredients could allow processors to replace higher-priced dairy counterparts without significantly affecting nutrition and taste, their manufacturer claims.

Wild promotes diacetyl-free flavors on industry concerns

19-Oct-2007 - Flavor firm Wild reports seeing a surge in interest for its diacetyl-free butter flavors, following rekindled concerns in recent months surrounding the safety of the ingredient.

Cargill sweetener makes its way to bakery aisles

18-Oct-2007 - Ingredient firm Cargill has taken one of its sweetener products to consumer aisles, following an agreement with popular consumer brand Clabber Girl.

Chrysantis zeaxanthin gets GRAS

18-Oct-2007 - Chrysantis announced its branded zeaxanthin has achieved Generally Regarded As Safe (GRAS) status, opening up the potential for the ingredient to be used in a new category of functional food and beverages.

More whole grains found in schools, says report

17-Oct-2007 - Increasing the availability of whole grains is the effort most commonly reported by schools for improving children's nutrition, according to a new survey.

Cake and pie products must evolve to grow, says Mintel

16-Oct-2007 - Manufacturers of cakes and pies should focus on health, gourmet and unique flavors in order to increase their competitiveness in the US market, according to a new report by Mintel.

Caravan raises prices for emulsifiers and lactylates

16-Oct-2007 - Caravan Ingredients has announced price increases across its product range, becoming the latest in a string of ingredients makers to pass on increased costs to customers.

Small food firms confident for year ahead, says survey

16-Oct-2007 - Small food and beverage businesses in the US report confidence in their performance over the next year, forecasting higher revenues and more hiring during the period, according to survey released last week.