Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North AmericaEU edition | Asian edition

Fat remains major baddie for healthy eaters, says Datamonitor

24-Aug-2007 - Reducing fat intake continues to be the main priority of consumers looking to improve their diets, according to a new report from market analyst Datamonitor.

National Starch could soon be sold

23-Aug-2007 - Leading food starch firm National Starch could be up for a change in ownership, following news of a possible takeover of its parent company Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI).

Nickelodeon ends character licensing to junk food

23-Aug-2007 - Leading kids' entertainment brand Nickelodeon has said it will stop licensing its characters for use on 'unhealthy' foods and beverages, as part of its commitment to help slow the growth of childhood obesity.

ADM restructures business to improve efficiency

22-Aug-2007 - Ingredient giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is to reorganize its entire business operations, in a move the company says will help it to enhance its efficiency and pave the path for long-term success.

Kerry makes high protein pea crisp for nutrition bars

22-Aug-2007 - Kerry Ingredients is launching a new hi-protein pea crisp primarily for use in nutrition bars, complementing its existing range of hot-extruded proteins with a non-allergen option.

Organic labels are confusing, says consumer survey

22-Aug-2007 - Consumers remain confused about the use of organic product claims, which has led to people increasingly opting for locally grown food instead, according to a new survey.

Cargill Q4 earnings climb 75 percent

21-Aug-2007 - Cargill has reported a surge in fourth quarter net earnings, reflecting an improved performance in the majority of the group's business units for the 2007 fiscal year.

Kids advertising legislation may force Kraft to sell Post

21-Aug-2007 - Kraft may be selling the US based cereals business for as much as $3bn (€2.2bn), because of pressure from new legislation in regards to advertising to children, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal.

National Starch invests in texture understanding

16-Aug-2007 - National Starch Food Innovation said it will build a new texture center, designed to improve texture understanding, and accelerate innovation and new product development.

Codex questions certain sweetener, color uses

16-Aug-2007 - The Codex Committee on Food Additives (CCFA) is calling for comments and additional information on uses of certain compounds, including sweeteners and colors, in order to assess their inclusion in the Codex General Standards for Food Additives (GSFA).

Wal-Mart beefs up audits of supplier factories

16-Aug-2007 - Wal-Mart audited 8,873 of its suppliers' factories last year, part of the giant retailer's ongoing push to portray itself as an ethical and environmentally-conscious company.

All Chinese exports to be checked from September

16-Aug-2007 - Samples from every Chinese food shipment to the US and other countries will be tested for safety under new requirements by Chinese officials from 1 September, according to senior Chinese trade official based in Washington.

Bread, rolls and biscuits markets set to grow by 2011

14-Aug-2007 - The global bread, rolls and biscuit markets are set to grow substantially by 2011, aided by demands for luxury products, according to two new reports from Datamonitor.

Mitsui acquires share in Multigrain to secure food supplies

14-Aug-2007 - Japanese food group Mitsui is to acquire outstanding shares of Brazil-based Mltigrain, a move the firm says will help it meet growing demand for food throughout Asia.

Kraft launches new flavours for meat

14-Aug-2007 - Kraft Food Ingredients Corp. (KFIC) has launched a new fire roasted flavour, an organic grill flavour and an aged cheddar blend for use in processed foods.

Weekly Comment

A helping hand to the confused consumer

13-Aug-2007 - Consumers are bombarded with an overload of nutritional advice and product marketing - be it from magazines, television shows, and product advertising - and without a degree in nutritional science, it's a wonder they can make sense of it at all.

National Starch targets dairy replacement

13-Aug-2007 - The recent price and supply pressures facing users of dairy ingredients have spurred National Starch Food Innovation to launch a promotion platform for its new and existing dairy replacement ingredients.

Convenience top reason for snacking, new study

13-Aug-2007 - Consumers choose convenient "on-the-go" foods over factors such as health, price and taste, according to a new US study.

ADM acquisition increases grain presence

10-Aug-2007 - Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) is to acquire one of the largest networks of grain elevators and rail shipping terminals in Illinois, securing its commodity flow for food in the region.

Microensapsulation of caffeine makes delivery precise

10-Aug-2007 - Maxx Performance is purporting the functional benefits of caffeine in the promotion of its microencapsulation technology for the stimulant.

Superfoods market set to double by 2011

10-Aug-2007 - The superfood and drink market is expected to almost double in the ten year period up to 2011, says a report published today, with soy products and exotic fruits leading the charge.

TIC Gums launches new fiber for baked goods

10-Aug-2007 - Hydrocolloid supplier TIC Gums has developed a new gum blend that claims to allow bread manufacturers to add high levels of fiber to their products without affecting the bread's texture.

Barry Callebaut launches new aerated chocolate chunks

09-Aug-2007 - A new aerated chocolate ingredient claims to allow manufacturers of baked and dairy goods to cut costs and calories by reducing the total amount of chocolate in their products without affecting taste or visual appeal.

New soybean technologies could redefine industry, says Monsanto

09-Aug-2007 - Biotechnology giant Monsanto has said it is on track with its soybean research and development efforts following a new series of results from its Southern Hemisphere field research program.