Umami, the fifth basic taste, falls under the spotlight as Dr.
Jacqueline B. Marcus in the US discusses how understanding this
inexplicable taste sensation can help food technologists increase
consumer acceptance and preference in...
Published details of a Monsanto report are at the center of a new
storm over whether genetically modified (GM) food could be harmful
to human health, writes Anthony Fletcher.
The familiar pungency of the common food ingredient garlic used
extensively by food makers comes down to one particular compound
and its ability to activate specific protein thermoreceptors in the
mouth, say researchers.
Leading US supplement retailer GNC is rolling out the first product
containing the satiety ingredient Olibra, a combination of palm and
oat oil fractions developed by Sweden's LTP Lipid Technologies
Provider, reports Dominique...
The leading US food maker Kraft Foods is putting its weight behind
the increasingly popular South Beach diet, launching a new line of
foods for people following the regime, reports Lorraine
Heller.
A patented grape seed extraction process shows how mainstream
beverage makers can increasingly take advantage of the growing
niche market for health drinks, writes Anthony Fletcher.
The message about the gut health benefit probiotics can deliver is
finally getting through to US consumers, according to a new report
on the state of the functional foods sub-category.
Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's plans to place a tax on fast food
has been dismissed as a cosmetic exercise to help cover the city's
budget deficit, writes Anthony Fletcher.
Cargill argues that food and beverage manufacturers in the U.S. can
positively impact today's rising healthcare costs by developing
products that address specific health and lifestyle issues.
Postmenopausal women who consume even moderate amounts of alcohol
may face an increased risk of breast cancer, say US researchers,
particularly if their cancer is fuelled by the hormones estrogen or
progesterone.
White adolescent and African-American girls assimilate salt and
calcium differently, say researchers, claiming this may explain why
races have different rates of high blood pressure and osteoporosis.
Kraft Foods is helping to finance a seat at the Monell Chemical
Senses Center, which should help scientists - and food companies -
to learn more about the intensity and quality of flavors.
Dairy food makers looking to drill further into the health benefits
of their primary foodstuffs will welcome new findings that suggest
two servings of low-fat dairy foods a day could reduce men's risk
of developing type 2 diabetes.
After the dank summer and sales of 2004, ice cream makers looking
to boost 2005 figures will find comfort in new research that claims
ice cream actually 'makes you happy', reports Lindsey
Partos.
Health benefits of the Mediterranean diet continue to gain credence
with yet another study showing a diet rich in fruit, vegetables and
olive oil could reduce the risk of heart disease.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US will host a
forum next month to examine the role that soy foods can play in
managing a person's weight.
Highly refined soybean oil does not cause reactions in people who
are allergic to soybeans, claim US food scientists at the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
A mineral and vitamin mixture that cuts the browning and extends
the shelf-life of sliced apples could encourage consumers to eat
more fruit, say researchers, Lindsey Partos reports.
As the deadline for the food allergy bill approaches, new research
shows that the peanut testing kits used by the food industry are
around 95 percent accurate.
A genomic milestone, researchers sequence the genome of the most
destructive enemy of the world's staple food crop rice, a fungus
called Magnaporthe grisea that causes rice blast disease.
EFSA scientific experts tackle the presence of harmful foodborne
bacteria Clostridium perfringens and C. botulinum,
compiling an opinion on the risk these spore-forming bacteria pose.
A new study that suggests high consumption of processed meats could
raise the risk of pancreatic cancer was 'not capable of proving
cause and effect', claims the American meat association.
Scientists from the US reveal how a powerful chocolate ingredient
exerts anti-cancer properties, findings that could one day be used
to design novel cancer treatments.
Food makers will be encouraged by a new report that reveals food
safety actions along the supply chain appear to be paying off, with
new figures from the US government showing cases of the harmful
food pathogen E.coli have fallen...
High protein source lupin flour continues to attract attention
following new reports that this food ingredient used in pasta and
bread products could provoke severe allergic reactions, reports
Lindsey Partos.
Understanding the most extreme conditions for food products will
bring gains for product formulation, particularly functional foods,
on Earth, says Arla Food Ingredients, the firm that has developed a
new yoghurt for consumption by...
Slicing away at contamination risk in fruit, Scottish scientists
overcome obstacles to design a rapid test for the detection of the
harmful mycotoxin patulin that occurs in naturally occurring
moulds.
Eating beans or lentils at least twice a week may reduce a woman's
risk of developing breast cancer, according to research designed to
investigate the benefits of the plant compounds flavonols,writes
Dominique Patton.
Companies wanting to test their ingredients to see if they are
contaminated by the unapproved genetically modified seed corn -
that was recently announced to have been let into the US food chain
- may be interested in Genetic ID's...
Fundamental research to provide new leverage for food makers with
Swiss researchers suggesting regular onion consumption may boost
the bones and prevent osteoporosis, reports Lindsey Partos.
Evidence backing the antioxidant powers of natural cocoa could
bring new opportunities for confectionery firms looking to boost
slacking sales in a saturated market, reports Lindsey Partos
.
A new method that uses powerful enzymes to convert fructose and
sucrose into the low calorie sugar alcohol mannitol receives patent
protection, opening up cheaper sources for this chewing gum
ingredient, reports Lindsey Partos.
As food brands wrestle for leading market positions new research
suggests the consumer will be tempted by, and differentiate
between, brands that add 'utility'.
UK scientists have developed a new genetically modified strain of
golden rice that is said to produce 23 times more beta-carotene
than the previous variety, reports Dominique Patton.
One US scientist wants to make the humble orange carrot pack a
bigger health punch by boosting its nutrients, and thereby changing
its color, reports Philippa Nuttall.
The foods that children, and later adults, choose are linked to
taste profiles set at a very early age, suggest new findings from
the UK, reports Lindsey Partos.
A new egg safety centre in the US could help ensure that health
scares associated with eggs and low public confidence are far less
common in the future.
Caffeine significantly reduced insulin sensitivity in a small
study, and was not corrected by the usually beneficial effects of
weight loss or exercise.
