Floods and market conditions have not made for an easy year at Archer Daniels Midland, but a 61 per cent slump in Q4 profits is not as grave as it seems since last years figures were propped up by one-off costs.
Corn Products Specialty Ingredients has added its own brand of erythritol to the market, focusing on customized sweetener systems to improve performance when combined with other sweeteners.
PepsiCo is whipping up a storm in the beverage industry as it raises the stakes against its old rival Coca-Cola with the launch of a new natural sweetener from the stevia plant.
Gummy bear candies, not traditionally seen as a first line of defence in battling tooth decay, may play some role in providing oral health care to children when containing some sugar alcohols, according to a new clinical trial in the US.
Corn Products International and Bunge have demonstrated their potential as a combined force ahead of their merger as both report strong financial results for the second quarter of this year.
The sale of Tate & Lyle’s international sugar trading business to US oilseed firm Bunge is now unconditional, removing the UK sweetener group from the volatile sugar market.
High fructose corn syrup may be labeled natural when synthetic fixing agents do not come into contact with it during manufacturing, said the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fuelling further debate on the controversial sweetener.
Olam and Wilmar have entered a joint venture to acquire a 20 per
cent stake in PureCircle in a partnership aimed at strengthening
the supply chain and increasing sales of natural high-intensity
stevia sweeteners.
For the first of a new series to air reader views on controversial
topics affecting the food industry, FoodNavigator is seeking
comments on whether or not the sweetener high fructose corn syrup
should be considered natural.
Ingredients group Blue California says it expects to obtain
self-affirmed generally regarded as safe (GRAS) approval for its
stevia-derived sweetener compound by next month.
Sweetener manufacturer Niutang Chemical is opening an office in the
UK in a bid to expand its share in sucralose, aspartame and folic
acid in this important geographical market.
Nutrinova is looking to move into the ready-to-drink tea market as
the popularity of carbonated beverages such as energy drinks dies
down, according to one of its food technology specialists.
Nutrinova has announced progress in its mission to identify
compounds that could yield new natural sweeteners for the food and
beverage industry, in collaboration with BRAIN.
Danisco's emulsifiers sector is getting back on track after being
affected by rising cost prices, but global supply issues have
impacted heavily on its sweeteners division.
Adding fruit flavours and cyclodextrin to milk may boost consumer
acceptance of polyphenol-enriched dairy, without the need for added
sugar, report New Zealand scientists.
A row has broken out over high fructose corn syrup after the Corn
Refiners Association's attempts to boost the image of the sweetener
attracted criticism.
Bunge has announced the signature of a definitive agreement to
acquire Corn Products International for around $4.8bn, a major deal
that plunges it into the high-potential sweeteners market.
Danisco has stopped selling the sweetener alitame and has withdrawn
its Food and Drug Administration (FDA) petition for it to be used
in food in America, citing uneconomic production.
A US federal judge has rejected a claim that the use of the term
'all natural' on Snapple drinks was deceptive because the products
contained high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Lexington Pharmaceutical is seeking global manufacturing partners
for its innovative sucralose process, which it claims is greener
than methods used by leading competitors.
Wild is introducing a new version of its Fruit Up sweetener,
specially designed for use in fruit jelly confectionery products
and angled towards helping manufacturers tap the healthy
confectionery market.
The rare sugar D-psicose may be an ideal substitute for sucrose,
and have the added benefits of boosting antioxidant activity and
boosting shelf-life, say Japanese researchers.
The hype surrounding stevia has been ratcheted up another notch
after the US's largest supplier announced it is launching the
natural sweetener beyond the dietary supplements aisle for the
first time.
As the decision on patent infringement allegations in the US is
pushed back by three months, UK sucralose supplier Tate & Lyle
confirms its confidence in the outcome of the case, while Chinese
sucralose competitors affirm their...
Food makers to see alternative supplies for sucralose as new
manufacturer for this booming sweetener hits European markets for
the first time, launching today in Amsterdam.
Manufacturers are getting more adventurous over erythritol use since it gained EU-wide approval this year, says Cargill, but the real boom will come when they can make a low-calorie claim in Europe.
Galam is aiming to expand its fructose sweetener brand in the US as
new supplies come on-stream that can meet demand for natural
sweeteners, particularly for beverages.
Cargill yesterday gave a name to its stevia brand, further to the
publication of an overview of the science supporting the use of
rebiana as a sweetener.
A new joint venture by DuPont and Danisco aims to develop what
could be the first large-scale non-food ethanol production, which
could lighten the pressure of biofuels on the food industry.
A growing body of research is questioning the usefulness of
low-calorie sweeteners in stemming weight gain, according to an
editorial in JAMA, which could have an impact on diet food
development.
Some food and beverage manufacturers may switch from high fructose
corn syrup (HFCS) to sugar as a result of high corn prices, but
this is only likely to be the case for relatively small scale
users, according to a consultant.
Ajinomoto Sweeteners Europe has launched a defamation law suit
against US supermarket Asda over labelling on own-brand products
that calls aspartame a 'nasty'.
Chinese ingredients company GLG Life Tech has signed a 10-year
agreement to supply Cargill with extract from the stevia plant to
make its rebiana sweetener.
Risk management tools benefiting from volatile commodity markets
bring strong gains to US ingredients giant ADM in the latest
quarter, but profit for starch and sweeteners impacted by higher
corn prices.
Corn Products International is investing in what it sees as the
eventual approval of stevia as a sweetener by the US Food &
Drug Administration (FDA), by adding a stevia-based high-intensity
sweetener to its portfolio.
The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) has published new
labelling guidance for food manufacturers, which it hopes will help
international companies meet the nation's labeling requirements.
Coca-Cola has defeated a legal challenge that alleged it attempted
to convince consumers that Diet Coke available from soda fountains
commonly found in fast food restaurants contained the same
sweeteners as those in cans and bottles...
Cargill has reported strong growth for its third financial quarter,
largely due to increased demand for agricultural commodities in
developing countries as well as swelling global energy needs.
Danish ingredients group Danisco today inaugurated a new
application and research facility in China, which the firm hopes
will help it further expand operations in an "important growth
area".
It is hard for food companies not to get drawn into the temptation of using attractive label claims that may be shrouded by a veil of doubt. But the real risk comes when the 'if you don't know, don't ask' question is finally answered.
Government officials, nutritionists and consumer groups will next
week examine the state food labeling and marketing as part of
efforts to reduce childhood obesity globally.
Excessive intake of aspartame may inhibit the ability of enzymes in
the brain to function normally, suggests a new review that could
fan the flames of controversy over the sweetener.
FDA's comment that it does not consider high fructose corn syrup to
be 'natural' has generated heated debate in the US food industry,
with one camp relieved for the clarification, while the other camp
opposes it as...
Products containing high fructose corn syrup cannot be considered 'natural' and should not be labeled as such, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said.
Tate & Lyle is expecting to report £11m less profit that
predicted for the year ended March 31, as a result of unfavourable
exchange rates against the US dollar, but is still expecting to
maintain levels seen in the first half.
Organic food makers must make alliances with ingredients firms and
farmers to ensure they have a secure supply of organic ingredients
in the face of increasing demand, advises Frost & Sullivan.
Japan's leading chocolate maker Meiji Seika has recalled a range of
confectionery products, after it was discovered that they contained
a novel sweetener made with an unapproved genetically modified
enzyme.
Danisco is reorganising its ingredients business in a bid to target
market trends like health and wellness more closely, and deal with
issues that have been affecting parts of its portfolio.
Sweetener producer NutraSweet has said it will take legal action
against counterfeiters in China who, it alleges, are infringing its
intellectual property rights.
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