Breaking News on Food & Beverage Development - North AmericaEU edition | Asian edition

News in brief

Z Trim joins with Aveka for manufacturing and IP protection

Dietary fiber ingredients firm Z Trim Holdings has entered an agreement with the Aveka Group for new product development, manufacturing, and to protect and expand its intellectual property.

US organic sector stays strong

The organic sector has remained resilient over the past year despite the recession, according to new figures from market research organization Mintel.

Food landmarks 2009: Safety scandal

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.

Nestlé closes Zimbabwe operations after government pressure

Intimidation by the Zimbabwean government has forced food giant Nestle to suspend its operations in the country.

New salmonella hazard uncovered for egg processors

Wooden shelving on carts typically used for transporting eggs into processing plants can harbour salmonella-causing bacteria, a new study from the US Department of Agriculture has warned.

Health Canada proposes enzyme use to counter acrylamide

Health Canada has asked for comments on its proposal that asparaginase enzymes could be used to combat the suspected carcinogen acrylamide in food.

Home dining boosts ConAgra’s profits

US food giant ConAgra has seen its profits grow 43 percent year-on-year during Q2 boosted by the continuing trend for eating at home as well as lower commodity prices, the company said on Monday.

Wind up or down? 2009 welcomes relaxation drinks

Consumers in 2009 were greeted with a swathe of new drinks to help them enjoy a night in, as much as a night out, according to Mintel figures.

Electronic nose sniffs out food aroma quality

Reliable electronic noses capable of consistently detecting different food aromas moved a step closer recently with the invention of a new statistical methodology by Spanish researchers.

News in brief

Syngenta receives GM corn approval in Argentina

Syngenta has received approval for its double-stacked trait for genetically modified corn in Argentina, combining herbicide tolerance and pesticide resistance, the company said on Tuesday.

Seasonal Video Greetings

Welcome to this seasonal holiday video from Decision News Media. As we prepare to celebrate our tenth anniversary next year and first year as part of William Reed Business Media, we present 10 fun number facts about our company. And, later this week, the holidays begin.

FSIS seeks comments on meat nutrition labeling

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) has said it is seeking comments on proposed nutrition labeling of single ingredient ground or chopped meat and poultry products.

Raisins do not cause hike in dental plaque acidity, study

Bran cereal with unsweetened raisins does not increase the levels of acid in dental plaque than bran flakes alone, which may put paid to the commonly held perception that raisins are acidogenic, claims a new US study.

Hazelnuts recalled on salmonella fears

Oregon hazelnut processor Willamette Shelling has recalled more than 114,000 pounds of shelled hazelnuts – also known as filberts – after finding salmonella in a production lot, the company has said.

Comment

Time to speed sustainable palm oil supply

Global food giants have vowed to source all their palm oil sustainably by 2015 – but consumer pressure could grease the wheels for more rapid change.

Food processing trends and factors for success in North America

A study of North American food and beverage processors found Canadian players have closed the margin gap compared to their US rivals and there has been significant consolidation within the sectors.

Olam takes 20 percent stake in PureCircle

Olam has increased its stake in stevia company PureCircle to 20 percent, citing strong growth prospects for the company, and making PureCircle an associated company of Olam.

Report outlines climate change effects on US food production

Climate change is already affecting American food production, according to a report from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), released to coincide with the Copenhagen climate change summit.

News in brief

Canadian sausages recalled on Listeria fears

Superior Sausage and Meat Products Ltd has recalled two sausage products suspected of being contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

DSM launches new natural beta-carotene coloring

A new, natural-source beta-carotene formulation for coloring and fortifying food and beverages has been launched by DSM Nutritional Products.

Innovation could lure consumers back from private label

Product innovation could help drive consumers back to name-brand foods and beverages in 2010, according to market research organization The Nielsen Company.

Food safety top food story of 2009: Survey

The issue of food safety was the biggest food story of the year, according to an annual year-end survey commissioned by Hunter Public Relations.

Merisant expects to exit bankruptcy in January

Tabletop sweetener company Merisant has had its plan of reorganization approved, which should pave the way for it to emerge from bankruptcy in the coming weeks, the company has said.

News in brief

Sara Lee plans 20 percent salt reduction

Sara Lee intends to reduce the salt content in a range of products by an average of 20 percent over the next five years, the company has announced.

Breakthrough test for food poisoning bug

A new test to detect a bacteria that is a leading cause of food-poisoning is cheaper, faster and significantly more sensitive than existing assays, said the US body behind the breakthrough.

News in brief

FDA opens office in Mexico City

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it has opened a new office in Mexico City as part of its change in strategy to improve safety in the United States.

Anti-hunger aromas have real potential in obesity fight

The concept of using aroma to produce anti-hunger feelings during chewing is “promising and appealing”, says a timely review of the science-to-date.

Government proposes controls on foods marketed to kids

A federal working group has drawn up proposals for voluntary nutritional standards for foods and beverages marketed to children and young people under the age of 18.

GMA survey reveals low engagement with social media

Most consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies have low engagement with social media, according to the results of a poll conducted by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).

US dairy industry commits to emissions targets

The US dairy industry has agreed to work with the USDA to cut greenhouse gas emissions 25 per cent by 2020.

Genetic contribution to obesity smaller than thought: Study

The contribution of genetics to the development of obesity is smaller than previously thought, says new research that puts the spotlight firmly back on lifestyle and diet.

Fast food intake may boost salt preference: Study

A preference for fast food may enhance our preference for salt, says a new study from Korea with important implications for salt reduction targets around the world.

Study slams kids’ junk food advertising initiative

Despite self-regulation, food and beverage makers still contribute to childhood obesity through television advertising of junk foods, claims a new study commissioned by advocacy group Children Now.

News in brief

Campbell’s to cut sodium in SpaghettiOs

The Campbell Soup Company has announced plans to reduce sodium in its SpaghettiOs canned pastas by up to 35 percent.

Lactic acid improves stevia flavor, says Purac

Purac has become the latest company to release a natural flavor masker to help drinks makers deal with the reported bitter or licorice-like aftertaste sometimes experienced with stevia sweeteners.

Heinz recalls baby cereal on mycotoxin contamination fears

Heinz has issued a recall of some of its baby food in Canada on fears it may be contaminated with elevated levels of a mycotoxin.

Kraft questions Cadbury’s long-term targets

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.

Study says alcoholic energy drinks pose 'serious risks'

A new study in Behavioral Neuroscience has warned that there are “serious risks” associated with mixing caffeine and alcohol.

News in brief

Sara Lee to increase food focus

Sara Lee has said that it intends to concentrate on its food business as it received a €320m ($470m)binding offer for its Ambi Pur air care brand from Procter & Gamble.

BioPlus vies to supply ‘second source’ of sucralose

BioPlus Life Sciences has become the latest sucralose manufacturer to put itself forward as an alternative sucralose supplier, as it joins with Mays Chemical Company for US distribution of the sweetener.

2010 trend forecast: Authentically ethical food

Manufacturers will need to appeal to consumers’ desire for ethically sourced, sustainable foods more than ever in the year ahead, according to trend predictions for 2010 from The Food Channel.

Calorie-restriction may change protein levels: Study

Restricting calorie intake may lead to changes in the levels of certain proteins, says a new study that deepens our understanding of how low-cal diets may improve health.

Comment

Bisphenol A becomes test of leadership for FDA

Each day the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) dithers in delivering its verdict on the safety of bisphenol A (BPA), its authority is diminished and its credibility wanes.

Stevia could help reduce sugar in cereals, says PureCircle

Stevia could help ready-to-eat cereal manufacturers reduce the sugar content in their products without affecting taste, according to stevia-derived sweetener manufacturer PureCircle.

Report reveals flaws in US food tracing system

There are serious flaws in a US Government system to help federal agencies pinpoint plants implicated in outbreaks of food-borne illnesses, according to new report.

News in brief

American food prices drop for first time in 42 years

US food prices will rise by just two percent during 2009, according to a Reuters report quoting the US Department of Agriculture’s Ephraim Leibtag – the first drop in the year-on-year rate since 1967.

Cargill agrees Australasian fats acquisition

Cargill has entered into an agreement to acquire the edible fats and oils business of Goodman Fielder in Australia and New Zealand, which it says will aid efficient future growth in the region.

Cadbury’s union moves to block Kraft takeover

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.

General Mills pledges to cut sugar in kids’ cereals

General Mills intends to reduce sugar in cereals advertised to children to single-digit grams per serving, the company said on Wednesday, but has not committed to a timeline for the reduction.

Colarome’s plant-derived colors come to the States

Canadian natural ingredients company Colarome has joined with Food Ingredients Solutions for distribution of its Vivapigments natural color range in the United States.

News in brief

Gatorade drops Tiger Woods sports drink

PepsiCo brand Gatorade plans to drop its Tiger Woods-endorsed sports drink but says allegations about extramarital affairs were not to blame.

PepsiCo opens nutrition driven research lab

PepsiCo is opening a new research laboratory in New Haven to help “fundamentally improve” the nutritional portfolio of its products.

Roasting peanuts boosts antioxidant levels

Raising the roast color intensity of peanuts boosts the antioxidant capacities of the peanuts, peanut flour and peanut skins, according to research at United States Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS).

News in brief

Kraft’s Cadbury bid review deadline delayed

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.

Nanoparticle lengthens food shelf-life, sustains health benefits

A modified nanoparticle from corn can be used to extend the shelf-life of food products and preserve their health benefits by delaying oxidation, according to new research.

Food prices rising again, FAO warns

Global food prices are on the rise again, the FAO warns, but a repeat of the 2007/08 spike does not look likely without the same disastrous confluence of factors.

Restricting sugar could cause overeating: Study

Restricting sugary foods could lead to overeating, according to a new rat study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Imperial Sugar still suffering from refinery rebuild costs

Imperial Sugar is still feeling the financial impact of the explosion at its Port Wentworth, Georgia refinery nearly two years ago, as it reported a $23.8m loss for fiscal 2009.

Talking Point

Distortion in obesity research – your views

Last week, FoodNavigator-USA.com asked its readers for comments on alleged bias in obesity research, following publication of a paper on the subject.

Taste and regulations top stevia concerns

A new survey takes a peek inside the minds of stevia industry movers and shakers today, and finds taste, regulations and supply security occupying their thoughts.

News in brief

FDA lifts Canadian canola restrictions

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has lifted import restrictions on Cargill’s canola meal, which is mainly used to boost protein content in cattle feed, according to a Reuters report.

CSPI proposes nutrition label makeover

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has proposed a makeover for nutrition labeling, including more emphasis on calories, added sugars, saturated and trans fats, and sodium.

USDA launches free advice service for small meat processors

Small meat and poultry processors in the United States can now get free expert advice on regulations thanks to the opening of a new Government advice service.

Scientists determine safe acrylamide levels

Tolerable intakes of acrylamide should be set at 2.6 micrograms per kilogram of body weight to avoid the cancer risk, says a new toxicology study from the US.

Comment

Counting the human cost of recession

Return to profitability. It’s a phrase that businesses have been yearning for, but as more of them are starting to use it, it’s time to ask: At what cost?

Chinese food sector still has room to grow

The Chinese food market is poised for a new growth spurt, according Leatherhead, despite some slowdown in runaway rates as the recession took hold.

E. coli in organics depends on manure treatment, say scientists

Organic food may not be as susceptible to E. coli as previously thought, according to researchers from the University of Florida and the Universities of Wageningen and Groningen in the Netherlands.

ChromaDex gets financial backing for expansion plans

Ingredients standards researcher ChromaDex has secured $1,000,000 in investment that it says will allow it to continue expanding the business, after spending several months consolidating the deal.

News in brief

Cadbury set to issue formal response to Kraft

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.

Unilever recalls 10m tainted slimming drinks

Unilever has recalled an estimated 10 million cans of its Slim-Fast ready-to-drink (RTD) products in North America on fears they could be infected with a bug that causes diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.

Cranberry rivals go head to head over patent case

Ocean Spray claims that a federal judge has ruled to allow an independent inspector to check whether rival cranberry company Decas has infringed its patents for producing sweetened dried cranberries (SDC).

Food banks and protein appeal boost peanut sales

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.

Mint microemulsions may extend flavouring in foods

Microemulsions containing mint oil may protect the flavour compounds from degradation and extend the use of mint oil in foods, suggests a joint Sino-American study.

Tyson clashes with FDA over 'serious violations'

Tyson Foods has challenged an FDA-assessment that one of its Texas food processing plants had committed “serious violations” of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation.

News in brief

Dairy Management reveals dates for ingredients symposium

Dairy Management has revealed that the 12th annual Dairy Ingredients Symposium will be held on March 2-3, 2010 in San Francisco.

Call for Ghana cocoa to be removed from US child labor list

Retention of Ghana produced cocoa on the US Department of Labor’s list of goods produced by child or forced labour could hinder efforts to eliminate the practice, claims a senior politician of the major cocoa supplying country.

Partnership promises high quality non-GM potatoes

Cibus Global and Naturally Enhanced United Seed (NEU Seed) have come together with new technology to develop better quality non-GM potatoes, the seed trait development firms said on Wednesday.

Nebraska organic farm to lose certification

A 22,000-head beef and dairy cattle farming operation based in Nebraska and Missouri, Promiseland Livestock, will lose its organic certification for four years, a Washington, DC judge has ruled.

News in brief

Price of National Starch’s Aussie acquisition revealed

AkzoNobel’s National Starch business acquired Australian specialty starch ingredients division of the Penford Corporation for US$12m last week, Penford has disclosed.

News in brief

Funding SMEs key to biotech sector

Lack of financing for innovative small and medium enterprises is holding back the biotech sector in the EU, according to EuropaBio, which has hosted a day of meetings with EU decision-makers.

IFF targets Russian tastes with new Moscow facility

International Flavors and Fragrances cut the ribbon on a new facility in Moscow, which will help it get closer to its customers and understand tastes in the high-potential Russian market.

Study claims obesity research is distorted

Obesity research is skewed by bias, particularly when reporting the effects of nutritively-sweetened drink consumption, claims a study published in the International Journal of Obesity.

Senator Feinstein introduces food safety bill with food maker focus

Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) has introduced food safety legislation that would require all food producers to take responsibility for certifying that finished products are pathogen-free.

SunOpta enters South African soy alliance

Canadian natural and organics group SunOpta has entered into a strategic alliance with Specialized Protein Products of South Africa, to increase its profitability and access to soy ingredient markets.

News in brief

China lifts Canadian pork ban

China has reopened its borders to imports of Canadian pork, although its ban on live swine is still in place, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said on Tuesday.

Investment group seeks urgent FDA ruling on BPA

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is failing in its job to protect consumers from exposure to chemicals such as Bisphenol A (BPA) by missing the publication deadline on its re-evaluation of the safety of the packaging component, warns a ‘green’ investment fund.

Striving for sucralose market balance

CEO of JK Sucralose Alex An tells FoodNavigator-USA.com why his company is so confident in the future market for sucralose that it has invested to expand production capacity to 4000 tonnes by 2020.

Bioexx says canola protein has self-affirmed GRAS status

Canada’s Bioexx has announced it has that it has completed the self-affirmation process to qualify its specialty canola protein isolate Isolexx as self-affirmed GRAS (‘Generally Regarded as Safe’) for use in baked goods and other food products.

Kraft still most likely to win Cadbury deal, says analyst

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.

Fruit extracts offer promise for acrylamide cuts

Extracts from apples may inhibit the formation of acrylamide in potato chips, offering formulators an alternative to reduce levels of the suspected carcinogen.

Covance backs 30,000sqf lab and Kellogg’s partnership

Covance will add a 30,000 square foot lab for nutritional chemistry and food safety by the fourth quarter of 2010, that will, at least to begin with, occupy much of its time testing for Kellogg’s.

Industry is successfully self-regulating ads to kids, CFBAI

Self-regulation of food marketing to children does work, says the head of the food industry’s initiative, but change is incremental and should be measured with a broad view over the landscape.

News in brief

Food stamp usage soars

The US food stamps program, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), is currently growing at a rate of about 20,000 people a day, according to new data from the USDA.