The founders of Bitsy’s Brainfood, which has launched a new line of childrens’ breakfast cereals to go with its cookies, used their experience as mothers and working with kids in eductation and nonprofit organizations to drive their goals for the brand,...
A recent analysis of more than 1,500 cereals, including 181 marketed for children, by the Environmental Working Group found that a person eating an average serving of cereal a day for a year ends up consuming 10 pounds of sugar.
Consuming diet sodas along with a weight loss program may lead to shedding more pounds than when water alone is consumed along with the weight loss program, says a new study from the University of Colorado and sponsored by the American Beverage Association.
In line with the goals set forth by FDA’s proposed Nutrition Facts updates, consumers find proposed labels easier to read in less time and perceive food and beverage products with larger serving sizes to be less healthy, according to a study from the...
Sugar has a direct effect on risk factors for heart disease, and is likely to impact on blood pressure, independent of weight gain, according to new analysis of 39 clinical trials.
The steady climb in worldwide obesity rates is often dually attributed to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the energy content of modern diets, with a growing body of research linking increased sugar consumption with higher body weight (see here...
Ahead of the June 4 vote on whether New York City delis and restaurants should be allowed to serve large sugary beverages, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Lisa Young, RD, PhD of New York University on the importance of more radical approaches to curbing...
Specific foods consumed by young children are resulting in excessive intake of saturated fat and sodium in their daily diets, according to new findings from the 2008 Nestle Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS).
Two amicus (friend of the court) legal briefs have been filed in support of New York City’s proposed cap on sugary drink portions, saying the rule is a sensible step toward stemming the tide of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related chronic illnesses.
All classes of obesity in US children have increased over the past 14 years, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics. A physician specializing in food, nutrition and metabolism told FoodNavigator-USA he wouldn’t rule out stronger measures like...
Earlier this month, a California Senate committee approved a bill to mandate warning labels on sugary beverages. As SB 1000 awaits votes in the Senate Committee on Appropriations later this month before a full Senate floor vote, the question of public...
Dollar sales of diet soda plunged 9.5% in the four weeks to April 12, while sales of regular soda fared hardly any better (- 2.4%), as Americans sought out other options from energy drinks (+8.9%) to sparkling water (+24.5%), according to the latest Nielsen...
As the class-action lawsuits pile up amid growing public health concerns over obesity and ongoing labeling debates, one has to wonder: Is Big Food going the way of Big Tobacco? And who should regulate food and beverage industry marketing? Companies, government...
For the latest edition of FoodNavigator-USA’s What do you do? series, we caught up with Bunge Oils North America's head of innovation for a (slightly over) 60-second interview on what he’s learned from 23 years in lipid research and innovation, the...
As the focus has switched from fat to sugar as public enemy #1 in the battle against obesity and diabetes, juice - once promoted as a healthy alternative to soda - has been unfairly caught in the crossfire, claim manufacturers.
First Lady Michelle Obama has called it “liquid sugar” and the World Health Organization warns that much of our sugar intake is “hidden” in processed food and beverages such as soda (a 12-ounce can contains 10 teaspoons). As public health officials continue...
Rates of type two diabetes have rocketed in recent years, with poor diet and a lack of exercise largely to blame. But as dietary guidelines for people with diabetes are the same as for the general population, and the FDA doesn't think diabetics need...
Leading stevia supplier PureCircle posted a (much reduced) net loss of $1.9m in the six months to Dec 31, 2013, while sales surged 32% to $34.9m over the same period. (In the same period in 2012, net losses were $6.9m.)
Mondelēz International said it may include a pledge to reduce sugar in its new health & wellness program, but only if the World Health Organization (WHO) makes its latest sugar advice formal.
If it’s in the natural channel today, it could be in food, drug and mass merchandise stores tomorrow, so food and beverage trend-spotters were out in force at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim on March 6-9.
Flavor expert Senomyx - which is collaborating with PepsiCo over sweet taste modifier Sweetmyx (S617) - has been rapped over the knuckles by the FDA for implying that the agency had approved (ie. sent a letter of ‘no objection’ about) its GRAS determination...
Mondelēz is to cut saturated fat and sodium by 10% by 2020, but suggests reducing consumer sugar intake is manageable with portion controlled products and education.
Despite recent improvements in the American diet, public health concerns about obesity and hunger still abound. At the center of the both issues is a call for better access to and consumption of fruits and vegetables.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised halving sugar intake advice from 10% of total calories to 5% of total calories in a new dietary guideline proposal.
The word ‘game-changer’ is used so liberally these days that Cargill has not given in to the temptation to employ it here. But ViaTech - its new range of stevia-based sweeteners - opens up completely new territory for food and beverage formulators, enabling...
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has again urged the FDA to come up with its own mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labeling system and “ignore” the industry-backed, voluntary ‘Facts up Front’ scheme.
The Food and Drug Administration is proposing several changes to the nutrition labels on packaged foods and beverages. If approved, the new labels would place a bigger emphasis on total calories and update serving sizes, while also drawing attention to...
The fat composition of food not only influences cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease but also governs where the fat will be stored in the body, say researchers.
On Thursday the Obama administration unveiled the changes that the Food and Drug Administration drafted to the nutrition facts panel (see what the FDA is proposing here). In anticipation of the announcement, the Center for Science in the Public Interest...
Launching a new brand in the ultra-competitive US carbonated soft drinks market - which is facing well-documented problems right now - is notoriously tough, but the Dutch entrepreneur behind new market entrant Veri Soda is convinced he has found the sweet...
Gearing up for this week’s launch of coconut water concentrate acidified with acerola, ingredient supplier iTi Tropicals’ president Gert van Manen caught up with FoodNavigator-USA to talk about the market potential for coconut water, the ongoing attack...
Coca-Cola Life - a stevia-sweetened cola with 50% less sugar than regular Coke - will be introduced into other markets this year following a successful debut in Argentina and Chile.
High prices for fresh fruits and vegetables are associated with higher Body Mass Index (BMI) in young children in low- and middle-income households, according to new research.
As researchers uncover more about the way our mood impacts dietary choices, one research group has found that thinking about the future can help us to make better food choices.
Obesity rates in the US climbed steadily over the last four decades, from 13% of the population in 1970 to more than 34% in 2009. While some blame an increase in dietary fructose, a recent study published in the Nutrition Journal used food availability...
California is considering a controversial law change that would mean soda cans carry labels warning that added sugar contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
New non-cola products sweetened with stevia and sugar will hit the US market this year, while cola products combining stevia and sugar will be tested in other markets, says PepsiCo.
Tate & Lyle says it predicts a substantial deterioration in sucralose pricing owing to a glut of unsold Chinese sucralose which has forced it to reduce pricing in recently renewed contracts.
The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) and leading US firms say sugar has been ‘unjustly’ victimized in recent months and the public should be free to enjoy a sweet treat if they so desire.
High intakes of salt throughout adolescence may be associated with levels of obesity and inflammation, regardless of calories consumed, say researchers.
Not only do larger portions lead consumers to like the food they are eating less, they also reduce how often people consume those foods, according to the authors of a recent Carnegie Mellon University study.
Despite improving numbers among US adults in recent years when it comes to daily calorie intake, quality of food eaten and use of nutrition labels when available, the country’s collective weight is still a major concern, as more than a third (35%) of...
“This isn't meat,” said Phil Lapp’s nine-year-old daughter Morgan after wolfing down some home-made meat-free tacos one evening in 2011. “This is neat”.
