Law professor: Sodium reduction only works if there is a level playing field

13-Feb-2012 - If consumers are not demanding lower-sodium products, and the government does not mandate reductions, the food industry has “no incentive to be at the forefront of change”, according to one legal expert.

Bread contributes most sodium to US diets, finds CDC

09-Feb-2012 - Nine out of ten Americans eat too much sodium, and bread and rolls are the biggest problem, rather than salty snacks, according to the latest Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Dietary salt intake linked to gastric cancer risk

06-Feb-2012 - A new study investigating a link between high salt intake and risk of gastric cancers could add to increasing pressure for industry-wide sodium reduction, researchers have said.

IFT urges government to take a cautious approach to sodium reduction

02-Feb-2012 - The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has submitted comments to government agencies suggesting that actions to reduce sodium should not go “too far, too fast”, and has raised concerns about consumer acceptance and the safety of reduced sodium foods.

Bakers on sodium reduction: We can’t afford to make products consumers won’t buy

02-Feb-2012 - Reducing sodium is expensive and difficult, and many bakers are beginning to wonder whether it is worth investing millions into reformulating products that consumers do not want to buy, according to the Association of Bakers (ABA).

McCormick: 40% of flavor projects with US manufacturers are in healthier foods

27-Jan-2012 - Almost four out of 10 product development projects for US food manufacturers developed by McCormick & Co last year were on “flavor solutions that feature all-natural ingredients, reduced sodium, lower calorie and other healthy attributes”, its chief executive has revealed.

Academic: Government sodium targets are incompatible with rest of dietary guidelines

19-Jan-2012 - Further evidence that government healthy eating guidelines are more ‘aspirational’ than achievable has been uncovered by researchers testing how easy it is to meet low sodium targets and get the rest of the nutrients we need.

Salt increases blood pressure by adrenalin, not volume expansion

16-Jan-2012 - It has long been thought that excessive salt consumption raises blood pressure by increasing blood volume, but researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine have conducted a research review that suggests another mechanism may be at work.

Butter, portion control, tart cherries and stevia. Welcome to 2012

06-Jan-2012 - Forget goji berries and noni juice. Tart cherries, blueberries and other more familiar fruits are likely to trump their exotic cousins in 2012 as shoppers tire of Orac-tastic superfruits, according to trend watcher Hartman Group.

Preference for salt may begin in the cradle, scientists warn

22-Dec-2011 - Early dietary exposure to foods containing added salt shapes a greater preference for salty tastes throughout infancy and childhood, suggests a new study.

Canada stalls on sodium reduction guidelines

13-Dec-2011 - Canada continues to stall on sodium reduction guidelines for industry, after a document detailing voluntary targets was conspicuously absent from a two-day healthcare summit with provincial and territorial ministers in Halifax late last month.

Too little salt may also increase risk of heart problems, suggests study

23-Nov-2011 - Consumption of too much, and too little, salt may be linked to a higher risk of heart-related hospitalisations and deaths, according to a new study.

Nu-Tek claims 30% sodium reduction for bakery salt offering

21-Nov-2011 - US ingredients firm Nu-Tek has conducted a study for its potassium chloride that it said showed its product can cut sodium in baked goods by around a third.

New technique could reduce sodium in desalted cod by half

21-Nov-2011 - A new salt replacement technique could help to reduce the levels of sodium in already desalted cod by up to 50%, with no effect on the sensory properties of the fish, report researchers.

Major review questions sodium reduction policy

10-Nov-2011 - Low sodium diets may reduce blood pressure – but could also increase other risk factors for heart disease, according to a review of 167 studies published in the journal Cochrane Library and the American Journal of Hypertension.

Tate & Lyle sees ‘considerable commercial opportunity’ for Soda-Lo

02-Nov-2011 - The microscopic salt crystals at the center of a new sodium reduction licensing deal between Tate & Lyle and UK-based start-up Eminate will initially be manufactured in the UK by toll manufacture, but might be directly produced by Tate & Lyle in the future, the firm has revealed.

Tate & Lyle signs agreement for salt reduction technology

31-Oct-2011 - Tate & Lyle has announced an exclusive, worldwide license agreement with Eminate Ltd for its novel salt reduction technology Soda-Lo.

60-second interview: Mariano Gascon, VP research & development, Wixon

Sodium reduction: To boldly go... lower and lower

27-Oct-2011 - Food manufacturers are under increasing pressure to reduce sodium, but surveys suggest many shoppers are, well, not that bothered. So where does this leave firms plugging sodium reduction solutions? Elaine Watson asks Mariano Gascon, R&D chief at seasonings, flavors and spice specialist Wixon for his take on it.

Harvard debate: ‘Judged by its impact on health, the American food supply is a disaster’

24-Oct-2011 - Spending taxpayers’ money on helping low-income shoppers buy “mostly junk and soda” is “nuts” and inexcusable, delegates were told at a lively debate between leading academics and economists on how government policy impacts the food supply at Harvard last week.

Front-of-pack labeling poll: Facts up Front or a points-based system? Tell us what you think

21-Oct-2011 - Front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labels are designed to help busy shoppers make rapid, but more informed, choices about which foods are healthier.

Comment

IOM front-of-pack labeling scheme: It’s bold, it’s simple and I love it. But is it fair?

21-Oct-2011 - The Institute of Medicine (IOM) certainly didn’t pull any punches in its front-of-pack labels report yesterday.

‘Phenomenal’ new salt enhancer takes SupplySide West by storm

19-Oct-2011 - The reaction from food manufacturers to Horphag Research Nutrition’s (HRN’s) new clean-label salt-taste enhancer Salty-R has been so positive bosses are already predicting “significant sales by mid-2012”.

Which front-of-pack labeling scheme is the most effective?

18-Oct-2011 - Results of a high-profile study into front-of-pack (FOP) food labeling schemes conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) will be published on Thursday (Oct 20), three weeks after food manufacturers announced the national rollout of an industry-driven 'Facts up Front' FOP scheme.

GMA: There is no middle ground on kids marketing proposals

14-Oct-2011 - Food manufacturers will not support a controversial government proposal on food marketing to kids - even with the promised ‘significant’ revisions – because it is not supported by evidence, says the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).