Processing is a dirty word – but we’ll need more of it to feed the world

22-Feb-2012 - Processing has become a dirty word, but we are going to need more processing, not less, in order to feed a growing population, according to professor and head of food science at Penn State University John Floros.

First lab-grown meat moves one step closer, say researchers

21-Feb-2012 - The World’s first burger made entirely from laboratory grown test-tube meat could be ready 'by fall' say the team of Dutch researchers behind the project.

Pineapple ‘waste’ could provide bromelain extract for ingredient use

08-Feb-2012 - Waste from pineapple processing could provide a range of value added ingredients for the food industry, including a new source of the enzyme bromelain, say researchers.

Ashland says new cellulose gums could provide guar gum alternatives

08-Feb-2012 - Ashland Specialty Ingredients has introduced two new cellulose gum products to provide alternatives to guar gum, for which the food industry has seen tight supply and higher prices since late 2010.

GMA report highlights ‘success stories’ in industry sustainability

07-Feb-2012 - Cargill’s reuse of methane, water-saving strategies from ConAgra and Coca-Cola, and Campbell Soup’s energy efficiency measures are among sustainability success stories highlighted in a new report from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).

Just a matter of time before canola protein enters the major league, says BioExx

30-Jan-2012 - "At least 12 major players in the food industry" are testing canola protein from BioExx, while a tie up with Century Foods to develop canola-protein-based sports products is also progressing well, claims the veggie protein specialist.

Egg laying hen welfare proposal prompts diverse criticism

26-Jan-2012 - Proposed legislation to formalize an agreement over welfare conditions for egg laying hens been criticized by farmers for involving the politics of animal welfare, and an animal welfare organization for endorsing “abusive confinement systems”.

Comment

Brazilian oranges in America’s favorite juice. Why the surprise?

24-Jan-2012 - So, the US imports quite a lot of orange juice from Brazil. The fact that so many are surprised by that underlines (again) how poorly we understand our food supply.

News in brief

'Extraordinary outcome' for NutraCea as it pays off all of its creditors

20-Jan-2012 - Stabilized rice bran (SRB) specialist NutraCea has finally paid off all of its creditors 14 months after emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

Plant ‘nourishing’ gene could help boost global crop yields

19-Jan-2012 - The discovery of a 'nourishing gene' that controls how nutrients are distributed in plants and crops could offer hope for improved crop yield and increased food production, say researchers.

Experts clash over how to measure livestock’s impact on GHG emissions

17-Jan-2012 - Debate is heating up over how to calculate the proportion of greenhouse gas emissions from meat and dairy production, with ongoing disagreement among academics over varying study methodologies.

Gum derived from cress seed could have thickener potential

09-Jan-2012 - Cress seed gum (CSG) could be an interesting and promising thickener in food formulations, finds a new study from Iran.

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.

‘Free from’ top-of-mind for health-conscious consumers, survey finds

04-Jan-2012 - Health- and eco-conscious consumers are just as interested in the ingredients their foods do not contain as those that make it onto the ingredient list – but price remains a top priority, according to a new survey.

Responsible approach to GM fish is to assume escape: Committee hearing

19-Dec-2011 - The responsible approach to considering whether genetically engineered (GE) salmon pose a risk to the environment is to assume that the fish will escape and disregard assurances from the company that they would not, said Senator Mark Begich at a committee hearing on Thursday.

Kraft’s carbon emissions from plants ‘negligible’

16-Dec-2011 - The vast majority of Kraft Foods’ carbon emissions come from outside its manufacturing facilities, according to a survey mapping its environmental footprint, but the full picture may look quite different as full results are withheld.

'Not about tree-hugging': Sustainability is simply good for business

15-Dec-2011 - Companies should be concerned about their environmental sustainability - but it has more to do with ensuring profitability than it does with saving the planet, according to president of Bluehorse Associates Sara Pax.

Quorn: ‘CSPI has had a long running grudge against us’

07-Dec-2011 - Meat-substitute maker Quorn Foods has hit back at the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) after the health lobby group again demanded that the FDA revoke its products' GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status.

Phone app checks food sustainability and health label claims

01-Dec-2011 - A mobile phone app which informs the consumer which product labels are truly meaningful and which aren’t has been developed.

FAO calls for less dependence on fossil fuels to increase food production

30-Nov-2011 - The global food system needs to become less dependent on fossil fuels and shift to ‘smart energy’ in order to meet a growing demand for food, according to a new report from the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Nestle ‘sure’ child labour occurs in supply chain as company allows probe

30-Nov-2011 - Nestle has become the first food company to allow the Fair Labor Association (FLA) to investigate whether children are working on cocoa farms supplying its factories as the company said that it would almost certainly be the case.

Unilever: We know there’s frustration, but ‘breakthrough is near’ on sustainable palm oil

29-Nov-2011 - While the uptake of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) has not been as fast as many stakeholders had hoped, a “breakthrough is near” according to Unilever’s director of sustainable sourcing development Jan Kees Vis.

NutraCea reports 'significant progress' on rice protein project with DSM

28-Nov-2011 - Stabilized rice bran maker NutraCea will update the market on the progress of its R&D tie-up with DSM to develop protein from rice bran in the first half of 2012.

Increasing cropland yields vital to meet growing food demand: Study

22-Nov-2011 - Developing nations will need to increase cropland yields and all nations will need to use nitrogen fertilizers more efficiently in order to double food production by 2050, while minimizing environmental impact, according to a new paper published in Proceedings of the National Academies of Sciences.