PepsiCo targeted in new class action lawsuit over ‘improper’ nutrient content claims

04-Apr-2012 - PepsiCo is facing another class action lawsuit in California – this time accusing it of making a nutrient content claim (0 grams trans fat) on Frito-Lay snacks, without adhering to the legal conditions of use for such claims.

Line between cereal bars and energy/nutrition bars is blurring, says report

04-Apr-2012 - While the food bar market has traditionally been split into two distinct categories: cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars; the boundaries between them are becoming increasingly blurred, according to a new report.

Dispatches from IFT Wellness 2012

IFT Wellness 2012 trend watch: Protein is hot hot hot

03-Apr-2012 - Once the preserve of sweaty men pumping iron, protein has emerged from an image overhaul as the ingredient of choice for food developers targeting consumers of all ages and both genders keen to battle the bulge and stay strong, according to one trends expert.

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Slimeageddon 2012: Who is really to blame for the pink slime debacle?

02-Apr-2012 - With lean finely textured beef (LFTB) now off the menu at some of the nation’s biggest retailers and fast food chains, recriminations are flying thick and fast over who is to blame for the whole sorry, pink, slimy mess currently engulfing the food industry.

Dispatches from IFT Wellness 2012

What do antioxidants do? Absolutely no idea, says IFT consumer panel

02-Apr-2012 - Baffled by ‘pink slime’, confused by probiotics and antioxidants and suspicious of anything with a name that they can’t pronounce on the ingredients list…

Dispatches from IFT Wellness 2012

Professor: Term 'antioxidant' should be banished from food labels

30-Mar-2012 - The term ‘antioxidant’ should be banished from food labels and replaced with more specific claims about the health benefits of the phytonutrients and other ingredients in question, according to one leading academic.

No more US feta or salami? Generic food names under threat, claims new consortium

29-Mar-2012 - The use of generic food names like parmesan cheese, bologna, feta, provolone, and salami could be under threat, claims the Consortium for Common Food Names, a newly formed alliance seeking to prevent naming restrictions for international producers.

Understanding the Hispanic market for new product success

29-Mar-2012 - The growing Hispanic market holds huge opportunity for food manufacturers in the United States, but understanding cultural dynamics is vital to new product success, according to a panel of experts speaking at the Research Chefs Association conference last weekend.

Eric Ripert: Consumers need to increase budgets for fresh, sustainable, non-GMO foods

28-Mar-2012 - Chef Eric Ripert added his voice to the million others supporting genetically modified ingredient labeling during his keynote speech at the Research Chefs Association conference on Friday, but said consumers need to increase their food budgets if they want to eat fresh, sustainable, non-GMO foods.

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“Pink slime”: Safe, nutritious – and icky

27-Mar-2012 - An overwhelming chorus of “eww, that sounds gross!” alongside some scary junk science about ammonium hydroxide, has led to a safe, nutritious product being pulled from stores – but there is an important lesson here for industry.

FTC chairman on IWG proposal to curb junk food marketing food to kids: ‘It’s not a priority’

27-Mar-2012 - A controversial government proposal designed to curb the marketing of junk food to kids is not high up the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) priority list, it has emerged.

Are all-natural claims worth the risk?

26-Mar-2012 - The threat of civil litigation is now so great that food manufacturers using any ingredients not found in ‘Grandma’s kitchen cupboard’ should think twice about making ‘all-natural’ claims on pack, according to one firm specializing in food label compliance.

Ongoing frugality not all doom and gloom, says SymphonyIRI

22-Mar-2012 - Shoppers are holding on to frugal habits in 2012, but there are emerging trends that food and beverage manufacturers can use to attract consumers, according to the latest research from SymphonyIRI.

‘Corn sugar’ LA hearing: Who are the defendants in HFCS lawsuit?

21-Mar-2012 - Attorneys for the Sugar Association and the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) went head to head at federal judge Consuelo Marshall's courtroom in Los Angeles at noon today as the dispute over the CRA’s right to describe high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as ‘corn sugar’ moved into a new phase.

Monk fruit sweetener firm: ‘We hear daily that people are looking for alternatives to stevia’

20-Mar-2012 - It might not have garnered as much publicity as stevia, but monk fruit (luo han guo) “has found a niche within the all-natural market but will hit mass market sooner than stevia in this space”, according to one leading supplier.

2012 World’s Most Ethical list: Solae still the lone ingredients company

20-Mar-2012 - For the third year running, soy ingredients company Solae has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World’s Most Ethical (WME) companies, but it is still the only food ingredients company on the list.

Steviol glycosides are not ‘all-natural’, says new class action lawsuit

16-Mar-2012 - A class action lawsuit filed in California this week argues that steviol glycosides should not be considered natural, owing to the "chemical processing" sometimes used to extract them from the stevia leaf.

Health Canada approves cholesterol-lowering claim for mono and polyunsaturated fats

16-Mar-2012 - Health Canada has approved a new health claim advising consumers that replacing saturated fats with mono- and polyunsaturated fats can reduce cholesterol.

PepsiCo draws fire for alleged ‘crass commercial’ choice of profit over public health

15-Mar-2012 - Leading US nutrition expert Professor Marion Nestle says that PepsiCo’s decision to invest around $500m on marketing ‘megabrands’ she describes as unhealthy was a ‘crass commercial decision’, but the firm insisted that ‘health and wellness’ was crucial to its future.

Food images alter taste perceptions, confirm Nestle researchers

15-Mar-2012 - Looking at images of calorie-rich foods could affect how the brain processes tastes, leading to greater appreciation for even neutral tasting foods, suggest researchers from Nestle.

Snyder’s-Lance starts switch to cage-free eggs

12-Mar-2012 - Snack maker Snyder’s-Lance has become the latest company to begin switching to cage-free eggs, the company has said.

The importance of ethics for consumer trust: ‘Can and should are not the same question’

12-Mar-2012 - The perception that a food company has high ethical standards may be more important to consumer trust even than its ability to demonstrate competence, according to a presentation from CEO of the Center for Food Integrity Charlie Arnot.

‘Be consistent. Be visible. And be human’: Building consumer trust through social media

09-Mar-2012 - Consumers are increasingly engaged in online conversations about food and beverage products, and there could be enormous benefits for manufacturers that get involved, according to a social media expert from The Nielsen Company.

Dispatches from Nutracon, Anaheim

Formulating the perfect cognitive health beverage: Feed your mind, don’t confuse it further

09-Mar-2012 - The thinking behind ingredient selection and dosage in some cognitive health beverages is often “pretty confused”, according to the neuropsychologist behind brain-friendly functional beverage Nawgan .