Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North America EU edition

Keys to functional foods success

22-Jun-2009 - When shopping, consumers very quickly decide on a brand’s worth and unless they are making positive ticks in their minds to an array of factors, it is likely they will pass your functional food by, according to a leading consultant.

BPA causes reproductive health defects at levels currently considered safe - study

19-Jun-2009 - Bisphenol A (BPA) causes significant reproductive health effects at levels equivalent to or below the dose that that has been thought not to produce any adverse results, new research has said.

News in brief

Oldways releases updated Med diet pyramid poster

19-Jun-2009 - The non-profit organization behind the Mediterranean diet pyramid has released a new display poster to illustrate its updated version, which was unveiled earlier this year.

Could vinegar be natural fat fighter?

18-Jun-2009 - Ordinary vinegar – acetic acid – may prevent the build up of fat, and therefore weight gain, according to results of a study with mice from Japan.

Technical challenges to reducing sugar

17-Jun-2009 - Tate & Lyle’s manager of sweetener technology development gives insight into the role of sugar beyond providing sweetness, and how to pick alternative sweeteners that build back the properties.

Nitrates and nitrites may be nutritious: Study

16-Jun-2009 - Nitrites and nitrates, much maligned additives in processed and cured meats, may help cardiovascular health, suggests a study from the US.

More support for heart healthy wholegrains

15-Jun-2009 - Consumption of wholemeal wheat foods may improve both total and ‘bad’ cholesterol levels, compared to refined foods, says new research from Italy.

Dispatches from IFT

HFCS: Controversial or just misunderstood?

11-Jun-2009 - 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.

Weekly comment

A big day for European health claims

08-Jun-2009 - Next Monday, June 15, is a big day for the European healthy foods and food supplements industries. Let’s call it Big Monday. Or J15.

Nanoscience to boost food safety, quality and shelf life

08-Jun-2009 - Nanotechnology promises big benefits for food safety, quality, and shelf life provided the challenges it brings can be overcome, delegates were told at the Institute of Food Technology's annual conference at Anaheim, California.

New collaboration for GM-free wheat traits

05-Jun-2009 - Dow AgroSciences and World Wide Wheat (W3) have teamed up to develop new wheat traits for “advancements in productivity and quality” of crops, without using genetic modification (GM).

Olive extracts may slow spoilage of meats

05-Jun-2009 - Polyphenol-rich extracts from olive oil pomace may reduce the formation of off-flavours in meats by as much as 80 per cent, suggests new research.

Grape seed may boost health and safety profile of bread

04-Jun-2009 - Addition of a grape seed extract to bread may not only increase the antioxidant content of the staple, but also inhibit formation of a potential toxin, says new research.

Many gluten-free formulations lack essential nutrients

04-Jun-2009 - Food manufacturers’ efforts to formulate gluten-free foods could leave celiacs’ diets short of essential nutrients, according to an article from Harvard Medical School.

Parents have ‘weak’ influence on children’s diets: Study

01-Jun-2009 - Parents may have less influence on their children’s eating habits than commonly believed, according to new research published in the Journal of Social Science and Medicine.

Antifreeze gelatin proteins boost ice cream structure: Study

01-Jun-2009 - Collagen peptides produced from bovine gelatin may stop ice crystal formation in supercooled ice creams, opening up possible new innovations to formulators, suggests new research.

Vinegar could be used for salt reduction: Study

29-May-2009 - Adding low concentrations of vinegar to foods may enhance perception of saltiness and enable food manufacturers to cut salt content without affecting taste, according to new research from Japan.

No conclusive link between diet and ADHD

28-May-2009 - A Harvard Medical School review has concluded that there is still not enough evidence to link diet with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Salt replacers in fish burgers pass taste test

27-May-2009 - Replacing sodium chloride with potassium chloride does not affect the sensory quality, or shelf-life of fish fillets, says new research.

Round table: The growth of nanotech

26-May-2009 - Food and nutrition is a 'hot spot' for nanotechnology, experts have said. Stephen Daniells talks to two such experts and asks where the developments are, could it really lead to a removal colours from foods, and is nanotech really like GM?

MSG: Review dismisses allergy concerns

25-May-2009 - Monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour-enhancer, does not increase the risk of developing allergies, such as asthma and rhinitis, says a new review from the US.

Examining ethics to fight food fraud

22-May-2009 - Lessons learned from the Chinese melamine scandal should stimulate greater discussion of ethical conduct in the food industry, says an article to be published in Trends in Food Science and Technology.

Health Canada’s probiotics monograph ‘insufficient’: Expert

22-May-2009 - A recently published monograph by Health Canada is ‘insufficient’ and could lead to a ‘fooling of the consumer’ according to a leading probiotics researcher.

Orange juice shelf-life may be extended by natural chitosan

22-May-2009 - Using chitosan, an emerging ingredient extracted from fungi cell walls, may act as an anti-microbial ingredient for orange juice, and remove the need for pasteurization, says a new study.