Asia is on the agenda of the biggest food and beverage companies – not just as a market hungry for Western-style products but also as a source of inspiration, ingredients and knowledge.
In this special edition FoodNavigator-USA examines the promise of the main Asian markets.
Average milk consumption in the US dropped eight percent from 22.4 gallons per person a year in 2000 to 20.6 gallons in 2009 and will continue to slide over the next decade, according to Tetra Pak’s Dairy Index report for 2011.
As the economy remains in the doldrums, Americans are showing signs of “frugality fatigue” while food is increasingly “playing an important role in helping consumers cope”, according to trend watchers at General Mills.
Reducing salt is a major mandate for companies all over the world, but some of the latest science on salt replacers is coming from the East.
Although the food and drink flavouring market in Southeast Asia is “growing enormously”, consumer tastes are still cost-driven and traditional, according to top flavour producer IFF.
Green tea, soy and CoQ10 are some of the best known ingredients for supplements and functional foods from Japan, but a wealth of lesser-known foodstuffs are also the subject of inquiry into their potential health benefits.
China’s reputation as an ingredient supplier has suffered from a spate of food safety problems – but the food industry should not paint all China-based companies with the same broad brush, says stevia supplier GLG Life Tech.
As the need for scientific support for potential health claims for healthy foods increases, India is leveraging its pharmaceutical expertise to take a bite of the functional foods pie.
The Korean functional food market hinges on obtaining the nation’s precious ingredient claim approval, but breaking that barrier opens the floodgates to huge market potential, according to an industry expert.
In the first part of this Asia-focused special edition, we look to the innovation hotbed that is Japan. Japan is well known as the world’s functional foods birthplace when Yakult kicked into life there in the 1950s with its little bottles of immune boosting, probiotic drinking yoghurt and is now a global blockbuster brand.
Kraft's bid to acquire the British confectioner Cadbury has led to a rash of speculation about the possible repercussions of such a deal being finalized - or not - among analysts, columnists, other food manufacturers, and the general public. FoodNavigator-USA.com has been following all the major developments.
US food giant Kraft has announced first quarter 2010 revenues up 26 percent to $11.3bn after its acquisition of British food and confectionery company Cadbury.
Kraft’s largest shareholder Berkshire Hathaway, run by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, has voted against the issuance of up to 370m shares to acquire Cadbury, it said on Tuesday.
Kraft has sold its frozen pizza business to Nestlé to help fund its offer for Cadbury after Nestlé pulled out of the bidding for the British confectioner.
Kraft has dismissed the raised long-term growth targets published by Cadbury on Monday, saying the UK confectioner’s prospects are subject to significant risk and uncertainty.
British and Irish workers at Cadbury have announced a campaign to resist Kraft’s hostile ₤9.8bn ($16.3bn) takeover bid by appealing to shareholders and politicians to block the deal.
European regulators have pushed back the deadline for their review of Kraft’s $16.1bn bid for Cadbury after the American company offered concessions, they said on Wednesday.
Confectionery giant Cadbury said today that it would post a formal response to Kraft’s takeover offer of $16.3bn (£9.8bn) on 14 December.
Kraft has mismanaged its Cadbury takeover attempt but is still the favorite to get the deal done, according to Andrew Wood, senior research analyst at Sanford Bernstein.
Kraft’s pursuit of Cadbury could mark the start of a surge in M&A activity for the sector as consumers’ focus on value supports a stable outlook for food manufacturers during 2010, Fitch Ratings has predicted.
Hershey has confirmed that it is “reviewing its options” regarding a possible joint bid with Ferrero for British confectioner Cadbury, following media speculation about talks yesterday.
The European Commission has set a one-month deadline to rule on the possible hostile takeover of Cadbury by US food giant Kraft, the EU competition regulator said on Wednesday.
Even if Kraft intends to increase its bid for Cadbury, its latest offer has probably managed to upset both the board and shareholders, says Andrew Wood, senior research analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein.
Kraft has formally made a £9.8bn ($16.3bn) hostile takeover bid for British confectioner Cadbury, just hours before the 5pm GMT deadline imposed by the UK Takeover Panel.
One of the leading investors in Cadbury has revealed he would consider a bid from Kraft if it were in the region of 820p per share, according to recent media reports.
Cadbury’s upwardly revised revenue forecasts are a strong defence to the bid from Kraft, claim industry analysts.
Kraft may look to sell its brand Maxwell House to generate a higher offer to Cadbury, the world's second largest confectionery group, claim media reports.
The UK’s Takeover Panel has announced a deadline of November 9 for Kraft to make a bid for Cadbury or to say that it does not intend to make an offer.
Cadbury CEO Todd Stitzer told a fair trade conference in London on Thursday that taking away its “principled capitalism” would destroy Cadbury’s appeal, according to the UK’s Guardian newspaper.
Cadbury has approached the UK’s Takeover Panel, asking it to impose a deadline for Kraft to make an offer.
Cadbury has given a confident presentation of its stand-alone strategy in the midst of speculation that the company is unlikely to hold onto its independence following Kraft’s failed take-over bid.
Cadbury has labelled Kraft “a low growth conglomerate” in a letter restating its rejection of the food giant’s £10.2bn ($16.7bn) takeover bid.
Kraft Foods has defended its valuation of the Cadbury business and insisted that it remains the most logical buyer for the UK confectionery manufacturer.
The idea of taxing soda has been repeatedly raised as a possible way to combat obesity while raising tax revenue. Meanwhile, its opponents say that the beverage industry is being unfairly targeted. FoodNavigator-USA.com has been following the story as it develops.
Taxing food manufacturers on caloric sweeteners added to foods would be more effective for reducing their consumption than taxing finished sugary foods and drinks, according to new research published in Contemporary Economic Policy.
The row about the relationship between sugary drink consumption and spiraling obesity took center stage at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference this week with two academics going head to head on one of the most controversial areas of nutrition science.
US Department of Agriculture (USDA) officials have rejected a proposal from New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg that would have banned sugary drinks from the list of products that can be bought with food stamps.
The effect of sugary beverage consumption on body mass index (BMI) is difficult to discern based on current research, claims a new meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials published in Obesity Reviews.
There is a clear correlation between children’s body-mass-index (BMI) and the price of food and drink, according to new government-backed research.
A tax on sugar-sweetened beverages may not work to reduce obesity – because obese people could have a stronger tendency to buy diet soda, suggests new research from Northwestern University.
The Hawaiian health department has launched a campaign to discourage consumption of sugary beverages, which it claims is strongly correlated with obesity.
The beverage industry has accused New York City officials of unfair discrimination in a proposal to prevent food stamp benefits from being used to purchase sugary beverages.
Warning labels on junk foods could work better to deter consumption than taxes alone, according to a new study published in the Journal of Consumer Affairs.
Colorado may regain a tax exemption for sugary soft drinks after a House Republican plan to remove recently imposed taxes passed the state’s finance committee on Wednesday.
The latest proposal to tax soda at a state level has fizzled, as Hawaiian Senators have voted against a plan to tax sugary drinks by up to 25 cents a bottle.
Hawaiian governor Neil Abercrombie has proposed establishing a tax on soda and similar beverages in the state, in his first State of the State address.
Taxing sodas and other sweetened beverages could trigger a small amount of weight loss and could also raise revenues to pay for other anti-obesity measures, claims a new study in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
The American Beverage Association spent $3.5m lobbying the federal government on beverage taxes this month – and a total of $3.95m during the second quarter, according to a disclosure report.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has added its voice to the debate on soda tax and the prevalence of overweight and obesity, saying that a 20 percent price increase would make a significant difference.
Baltimore City Council gave its final approval late last week for a two-cent tax on bottled beverages as part of its $2.2bn budget for fiscal 2011.
Sugary soda consumption at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston fell by 26 percent when researchers added a temporary tax, adding weight to the argument for soda taxes, the study’s authors claim.
The Washington D.C. Council has voted to include sweetened soft drinks in its six percent sales tax bracket to help bridge the city’s half-billion dollar gap between spending and earnings.
Philadelphia City Council has shelved a proposed soda tax in the state, as it passed a $3.9bn budget on Thursday.
A majority of Californians support a tax on soda to help fund childhood obesity reduction programs, according to a poll carried out on behalf of the California Center for Public Health Advocacy.
A new poll from Quinnipiac University suggests that consumers would be more likely to support a tax on sugary beverages if the proceeds were linked to paying for health care reforms.
Both the New York State Assembly and Senate have rejected a proposed tax on sugary soft drinks in their budget resolutions, but a decision will only be finalized after negotiations with the state governor.
Small taxes on soda do not affect childhood obesity rates, but larger ones could, according to new research published online today in the journal Health Affairs.
An 18 percent tax on soda, as rejected in New York last year, would lead to average annual weight loss of about five pounds per person, according to a new study in The Archives of Internal Medicine.
Taxing unhealthy foods could be a more effective pricing strategy to reduce caloric intake than subsidizing healthy foods, according to a new study published in Psychological Science.
A majority of New Yorkers support a proposed soda tax, according to a new poll from Quinnipiac University – reversing the response from a similar survey conducted two weeks earlier.
The Colorado State Senate has passed a bill to remove a tax break on soda and candy, voting along party lines after days of debate.
The prospect of a national tax on soft drinks has been effectively quashed for the time being as a key congressional committee has refused to consider such a levy, according to a report in the LA Times.
Soda tax was on the agenda again yesterday as California legislators debated the possible link between obesity and sugary soft drinks.
The Center for Consumer Freedom has urged attendees of the Obesity Society’s annual meeting to consider obesity a matter of personal responsibility rather than an issue to be regulated by government.
Is taxing soda really an evil plan to curb your individual freedom? Conspiracy theories aside, perhaps it’s simply a sensible scheme to tackle obesity when personal choice has failed.
President Barack Obama has lent his support for a soda tax which could benefit children’s health and the nation’s wealth, according to a new report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
The idea of taxing sugary beverages to reduce obesity and bring public health benefits has been raised again in a new report published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
In an exclusive interview with Caroline Scott-Thomas, professor of nutrition Dr Barry Popkin said that he was wrong to single out high fructose corn syrup as largely responsible for obesity. Now he’s taking on another contentious issue: Soda tax.
Soda taxes would have to be “raised substantially” to have a major impact on adolescent weight, according to a new study analyzing the relationship between existing state taxes on soda and obesity rates.
The controversial idea of taxing sugary soft drinks to combat obesity has been brought up again this week in a report from the Institute of Medicine. But is a soda tax fair? And can it do enough?
The American Heart Association (AHA) has set down strict guidelines for added sugar intake that put a woman over the daily recommended limit for drinking just one 12-once can of regular soda.
Taxes on sugary soft drinks could actually save taxpayer money through improved health, according to a journal article penned by the New York City health commissioner and a Yale University professor.
The US and Mexico have concluded an agreement under which access will be granted for US high fructose corn syrup exports to Mexico, a move that begins to address the decade long dispute between the two countries.
The salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America has rocked the food industry as hundreds were sickened across the country. It has led to one of the largest product recalls in history and even called into question the safety of the US food supply.
A federal magistrate judge has recommended approval of a $12m settlement for those who became ill or died after eating salmonella-tainted peanut products from the Peanut Corporation of America last year.
Last year’s deadly salmonella outbreak linked to peanut products will have no long term impact on peanut demand and production, according to a report from the USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS).
As the old year draws to a close, we review the significant waypoints of 2009 and look ahead to what is likely to dominate next year’s news. Join us now for a whistle-stop tour of the news topics that made the headlines on our flagship food and nutrition websites in North America and Europe.
Peanut sales have soared in the US, up 18.6 percent in August over the same period last year, due to the weakened economy, increased food bank use, a marketing push, and peanut butter’s all-American appeal.
FDA authorities finally served an inspection warrant on a New Jersey snack manufacturer on Wednesday 18 days after it refused to recall products containing peanuts supplied by the Peanut Corporation of America.
The FDA has issued guidance to food manufacturers intended to minimize potential health risks arising from salmonella contamination in peanut products.
Food companies have come out in support of stricter government regulation proposed by a bipartisan Senate bill intended to strengthen the FDA’s powers to ensure food safety.
A glut of peanuts on the back of a bumper crop could come as a blessing for food manufacturers, providing a supply of peanuts for those who eventually wish to replace products that have been discarded.
The majority of Americans are aware of the peanut product recall but many are mistaken about which products are involved and few trust food safety controls, according to a Harvard survey.
The Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) has filed for chapter 7 bankruptcy, a month after peanut products from its Blakely, Georgia facility were first recalled due to salmonella contamination.
The US Food and Drug Administration joined the Justice Department on Friday in a criminal investigation of the PCA, the manufacturer at the center of a salmonella outbreak which has sickened 529 people and may have caused eight deaths.
Legislation unveiled in the House of Representatives this week would increase Food and Drug Administration powers and the frequency of safety inspections – but would require industry to cover the cost.
The American Peanut Council is being cautious over the potential long-term impact of salmonella contamination on the industry, as the recall of salmonella-contaminated peanut products goes global.
Armed with podast recorders, video cameras and trusty pens and paper, FoodNavigator-USA scans the show floors and education seminars at the annual ingredients and foods extravaganza hosted by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT).
Martek expects sales of its algal-sourced omega-3s to food and drink manufacturers to grow in the double-digits each year for the next four to five years as it broadens its product range and gains access to new markets and customers post its takeover by DSM.
The debate about just how bad saturated fats really are for our health - and whether what we are replacing them with is potentially worse - raged on at the IFT expo earlier this month.
Bed rest studies revealing a “horrifying” loss of muscle mass in older people after just a few days of inactivity should serve as a wake-up call for industry to put tackling sarcopenia higher up the priority list, scientists have argued.
If the food industry wants journalists and consumers to get real about risk, then it has to get real too.
When it comes to potassium bicarbonate, size matters, according to UK firm Kudos Blends, which has come up with a highly innovative solution to sodium reduction for cakes, pancakes and biscuits.
The limited nature of many toxicity studies into engineered nanoparticles used in the food and dietary supplements industry makes it very difficult to draw firm conclusions about their safety, according to one expert in the field.
The next generation of healthier soybean oils are impressive, but they will not blow high oleic canola out of the water, Dow Agrosciences has predicted.
Consumers want to get their nutrition from a healthy diet, not from popping pills. But why do so many functional foods tick all the right boxes on paper, but fail miserably on shelf? Elaine Watson caught up with George Pontiakos, chief executive of BI Nutraceuticals, to find out.
If more energy was expended on improving the nutritional profile of the foods Americans actually want to eat instead of doggedly trying to persuade them to change their eating habits, we would have a greater chance of tackling obesity, according to one leading academic.
A UK firm is hoping to take the US market by storm with a novel solution to sodium reduction that transforms potassium bicarbonate into a viable alternative to sodium bicarbonate and helps bakers slash sodium by 50 percent.
The median salary for those working in food science has increased by more than four percent over the past two years and recruitment is stable, according to the 2009 IFT Membership Employment & Salary Survey.
This year is the 70th anniversary of IFT – and the 70th anniversary of the publication of Grapes of Wrath, by John Steinbeck. Since then, have poverty and hunger been wiped out in California?
Last month, major industry players got together in Anaheim, California for this year's IFT trade show - and the FoodNavigator team was there to cover all the latest developments.
With over 300m obese adults worldwide, it is no wonder that the food industry is keen to offer tasty possibilities to consumers looking to lose weight, and keep it off. The trend is now becoming 'unstoppable', say industry executives.
At the IFT trade show in Anaheim, Jess Halliday followed the Flavor and Color Innovation trend tour, and spoke to some of the companies showing their latest developments at the show.
At the IFT trade show in Anaheim, Caroline Scott-Thomas followed the naturally sourced trend tour, and caught up with some of the companies highlighting natural products at the show.
Food technology is a profession under attack – and both industry and government need to invest to ensure its future, says former IFT president Dr John Floros.
Z Trim Holdings has expanded its range of fiber ingredients to provide a cost-effective, clean label way to boost moisture content in meat products as an alternative to starches and gums.
The safety risks of nanotechnology use by the food industry could make it “the new asbestos”, says toxicologist Dr George Burdock of the Burdock Group.
ConAgra Mills has developed a gluten-free flour that claims to have superior nutritional qualities to white rice, potato and corn flours, made with a blend of ancient grains.
Niutang is preparing to introduce its Reb A sweetener from stevia next year and is starting discussions with existing customers and new ones that have a parallel product development timeline.
Cognis has announced self-affirmed GRAS for its Betatene carotenoids, a development that allows it to be used in foods and beverages.
The almond industry has been spared the recalls experienced by other nuts, and Tim Birmingham from the Almond Board of California tells FoodNavigator-USA about the measures the almond industry has taken to deal with food safety issues.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is no different from table sugar (sucrose) and that the public cannot be expected to understand differences between the sweetener and "pure" fructose, says Dr James Rippe from the Rippe Lifestyle Institute.
In this podcast, our journalists share their thoughts on what caught their eye during the last day of the IFT show in Anaheim, California.
Frutarom is demonstrating the fruits of its latest acquisition by showcasing a range of functional beverage prototypes at the institute of Food Technologists (IFT) trade show in Anaheim, California.
Debate over high fructose corn syrup, lessons from a salmonella scare, putting omega-3 into alcoholic beverages, and the potential of black garlic... the FoodNavigator team shares thoughts on the second day of the IFT trade show in Anaheim, California.
Naturex has introduced new fruit and vegetable extracts to its NATstabil line, extending the options for manufacturers looking for natural stabilisers for food products.
Top prizes for innovation, stevia capacity and taste tests, food safety, and doing business in a tough economy... the FoodNavigator team shares thoughts on the opening day of the IFT trade show in Anaheim, California.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) already has sufficient authority to assess the safety of nanotechnology - but its regulation is not all to do with size, says Dr Annette McCarthy of the FDA.
Sweet Green Fields (SGF) has announced the opening of a new facility in China with annual production of 1,000 MT of finished product, doubling its current capacity.
Increasing demand for stevia and reb A may soon attract the adulterers to crash the party. Mel Jackson, VP science for Sweet Green Fields (SGF) told FoodNavigator that, as his company announces a doubling of their production capacity, the industry must support the establishment of standards to limit adulteration.