Despite attempts by Kraft Foods to give the company a healthier
image, earnings fell for the fifth straight quarter as higher
commodity costs and retail price pressures took their toll.
Chr Hansen breaks into the lucrative Chinese market constructing
its first production facilities to provide more flexibility to
serve the burgeoning local food industry, reports Lindsey
Partos.
New rules in Europe recently opened the way for market
opportunities of GM food crops but the debate still rattles on with
the focus now turned to the co-existence of GM, organic and
conventional crops with a new UK report claiming...
Powerhouse antioxidants contained in three or more pieces of fruit
and vegetables a day could severely reduce the risk of developing
cancer of the lymphatic system with broccoli and cabbage showing
particularly strong benefits.
Coca-Cola, which until now has struggled to make its mark in the
profitable energy-drink market, hopes to rectify the situation with
the launch of Full Throttle early next year in the US.
Greater market penetration is expected for Avebe starch products as
Fiske Food Denmark, a distributor of food and beverage ingredients,
links up with the potato starch firm to distribute products from
the Dutch farming co-operative.
The New Jersey based food technology company Prime Favorites, has
started marketing a product to remove the bitter taste of potassium
chloride in foods.
The final frontier opens up opportunities for food makers and
Europe's space agency pushes its latest technologies at the massive
food fair in Paris this week.
An international team has demonstrated that women with a higher
intake of dietary fibre have lower circulating oestrogen levels, a
factor associated with lower risk of breast cancer.
Fonterra has built a new processing plant in New Zealand as part of
its strategy to move its dairy business away from commodification
and towards producing more value-added products.
Brussels will fight to appeal against a new decision by the World
Trade Organisation that rules the EU illegally subsidises exports
of sugar, ruling in favour of a legal challenge by Australia,
Thailand and Brazil, the world's...
Israeli soy proteins producer Solbar is launching a new soluble soy isoflavone extract that can be added to functional foods including drinks, soy milks and dairy products like milk and yoghurts.
Americans were warned last week that unless they up their
consumption of calcium and vitamin D, the number of people
suffering from osteoporosis and low bone mass is likely to jump,
and advised that supplements could be the answer.
Bread has been highlighted as the biggest single source of excess
salt intake in Ireland, according to the country's Food Safety
Authority, which is now stepping up the pressure on Irish bakers to
act, reports Chris Mercer.
Alpine cranberries may help to fight infection by the herpes virus,
one of the most common viral infections in humans, according to new
findings by a Taiwan team.
UK bakery ingredients firm Bakemark UK continues the drive into
value-added products, launching a new addition to its Diamond range
of bread improvers that it claims will slice away costs for bakers
making the 9 million loaves a day...
The battle for market share in the growing zero trans fats oil
marketplace has gathered pace after a small US co-operative joined
the large commercial players by rolling out its first batch of
trans fat-free soybean oil.
Despite acknowledging last week that considerable investments in
R&D and production facilities, designed to support the low carb
surge, would impact sales in the first quarter of 2005, wheat
protein and starch supplier MGP Ingredients,...
A low-carbohydrate diet improved cholesterol levels of severely
obese people and may also curb markers of inflammation better than
a reduced-fat diet, suggests a six-month study.
UK whey proteins firm Volac International has opened a major new
plant in the Netherlands, significantly increasing its output of
highly concentrated dairy proteins for the health foods market.
DSM Nutritional Products has launched its purified green tea
extract Teavigo in Italy, its first European market. The move is
likely to help the roll-out of the product in other member states.
In a move that has split the government, Italian ministers block a
motion put forward by the agriculture minister aimed at regulating
the future introduction of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in
Italy, reports CORDIS.
UK food watchdog warns this week it will bump up prevention actions
for food pathogens as salmonella cases are on the rise, but
contamination focus on Spanish eggs seems likely.
Wine players are getting bigger and exposing their businesses to
greater risk as consolidation in the industry continues and to
ensure quality remains constant, Danish ingredients firm Chr Hansen
claims to offer the solution through...
Soy products firm Solbar Industries is to set up a new company
specialized in sugar analysis, which will market its technology for
use by manufacturers of dairy products, protein-rich foods and
probiotic products.
Food makers alert to the levels of a potentially carcinogenic mould
commonly found on crops as scientists back an extension barrier
levels for ochratoxin A to grape juice, coffee and wine.
Risk assessment and market predictions translate into new pectin
opportunities for Danisco that will break ground on a new pectin
plant in Brazil, to be up and running by 2007, reports Lindsey
Partos.
An expert group in Brussels backs a Commission proposal for tighter
levels of the potentially carcinogenic compounds Polycyclic
Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) found in grilled meats.
The battle for market share in the growing zero trans fats oil
marketplace has gathered pace after a small US co-operative joined
the large commercial players by rolling out its first batch of
trans fat-free soybean oil.
Breakthroughs in the lab provide food makers with a competitively
priced technology designed by Danish enzyme leader Novozymes to cut
the artery-clogging trans fats out of food products, writes
Lindsey Partos.
A meat preserver, a gel-forming additive and an anti-microbial
agent face tougher European rules as Brussels adopts a proposal to
change the current food additive directive.
Soy appears to deliver tangible health benefits for the heart,
brain and kidney health but more research is needed in many areas,
heard a large audience attending this year's Soy and Health
conference.
Ending months of speculation, the flavours and texturants units at
Degussa, Germany's third largest chemicals group, are up for sale
as the firm looks at selling the food ingredients arm or finding a
partner for its business.
Food companies around Europe are adding heart-healthy omega-3 fatty
acids to traditional products as they seek to meet increasing
consumer demand for healthy food.
Tackling the ongoing issue of risk assessment in the food chain the
US food safety agency plans to release two draft risk assessments
related to the harmful food pathogen salmonella.
Natural Foods Group Hain Celestial has confirmed it will purchase
the new natural vanilla flavor created by Technology Flavors &
Fragrances (TFF) for use in its products.
Scientists at the Emory University Health Sciences Centre are
hoping to widen the understanding of an enzyme that breaks down
caffeine into theophylline, using bacteria that need the breakdown
product of the enzyme for survival.
Recent North American media reports claiming that parts of the
BSE-positive cow discovered in Canada in May 2003 may have been
turned into feed and mistakenly fed to cattle have been pounced on
by US beef industry groups.
A rise in global stocks of wheat after a 30-year low will offer
continued relief to the tighter prices experienced by the food
industry in previous years, but the food chain still needs to stay
on the alert.
Identifying the gene responsible for natural defense mechanism in
tomatoes could save costs for tomato producers and ultimately food
processors using this common food ingredient.
A change in attitudes to dairy products is helping to turn around
sales in Australia, according to a survey by the country's dairy
industry association.
Ending months of delays the upper house in Brazil has cleared the
biosafety bill, paving the way for new rules to regulate the
planting and sale of genetically modified (GM) crops in the
country.
The US food safety agency plans to release two draft risk
assessments in order to help manufacturers tackle the problem of
salmonella in pasteurised shell eggs and egg products.
