We all know that too much alcohol can make you drunk, but it can also make you fat, say consumer groups who argue that bottles of beer, wine and spirits should come with a Nutrition Facts panel that clearly states how many calories they contain per serving.
Overweight and obese adults who drink sugar-free or diet beverages consume more calories from food than overweight people who drink regular soda, according to new data.
The past decade in the US has seen declining calorie intake and a leveling off of obesity rates, which a new study says may be due to a longer term shift in Americans’ dietary and health behavior, independent of recent economic turbulence.
American adults are eating out less, using nutrition labels more, and are eating better at home, according to a new report from the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.
It was a “Herculean task”, but the years spent developing the technology and protocols to comply with USDA organic regulations and produce commercially viable organic stevia crops have paid off, say bosses at Sweet Green Fields (SGF) after launching their...
THE FOODNAVIGATOR-USA BUSINESS LEADERS ROUND TABLE DEBATE
The market for high intensity sweeteners is growing rapidly, with plant-derived stevia providing the fastest growth, according to a new report from Mintel and Leatherhead Food Research.
Replacing sugar with fibers in chocolate could be more effective in reducing global sugar consumption than cutting portion sizes, but will come at a cost, according to Barry Callebaut.
It’s been 10 years since McDonald’s scrapped the ‘supersize’ menu from its restaurants, but the value concept of getting more food for the same amount of money remains an effective business tool for the food industry, and tends to have negative implications...
Consumers are demanding more nutritional information than ever, and yet obesity rates continue to climb, with some dietitians worrying that Americans are becoming complacent in their unhealthy weights. Kale, chia and wheat-free will stay hot in 2014,...
The entrepreneur who proved that vending machines can dispense more than candy and soda and still make a decent return has taken the H.U.M.A.N. Healthy Vending concept to the next level with the launch of a new breed of self-service ‘micro markets’.
Low-calorie products such as sugar-free chocolates will be the driving force behind modest growth in the US chocolate market in the next five years, according to market analysts Lucintel.
Increasing the thickness of a beverage may lead to lower intakes for women, but men were less responsive, says a new study from the University of Sussex in England.
A recent Museum of Food and Drink round table debated the merits and shortfalls of the large soda ban.
Earlier this month, New York City’s Museum of Food and Drink hosted a panel discussion at New York City’s CUNY School of Public Health examining New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s proposed cap on super-size sodas, which was rejected by the state...
The debate rages on over whether government should have a say in what consumers eat and drink, as the high-profile proposed cap on soda sizes brought the issue into the limelight in 2013. For the trade associations representing the beverage and snack...
Corn - and more specifically high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - has a “very serious image problem”, says Corn Refiners Association (CRA) president and CEO John Bode, and he’s on a mission to do something about it.
World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations for added sugar intake should be halved to protect teeth from dental caries, suggests a review published in the Journal of Dental Research.
US analyst Bonnie Herzog predicts that diet soda sales declines could fuel a 15-20% drop in overall US carbonated soft drink sales by 2020 but believes Coke is best-positioned to ride out the storm.
The FoodNavigator-USA business leaders round table debate
What are the hottest trends in food and beverage? And are the big bucks really in blue-sky innovation, or have the most successful firms played with an existing concept and just done a better job at executing, marketing and selling it?
Sugar-sweetened and sugar-free beverages produce similar satiety in children, says a new study that challenges the oft-quoted hypothesis that artificially sweetened drinks make people crave sweeter foods or serve as an appetite stimulant.
What might give the food and beverage industry's regulatory affairs teams sleepless nights in 2014? From more evaporated cane juice lawsuits to proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts panel, stay up to date with this FoodNavigator-USA gallery…
Americans’ eating habits deteriorated in 2013, as fewer adults report eating healthy all day “yesterday” in every month so far this year compared with the same months in 2012, according to the latest Gallup/Healthways poll. Moreover, healthy eating in...
Just a third (36.4%) of US adults read calorie information when it is available at fast-food and chain restaurants, but 95.4% of those that do read it use this information at least sometimes when making their food choices, according to a new study.
New York City’s Health Department has unveiled a new anti-obesity campaign highlighting the potential health risks of excessive sugary drink consumption.
While consumer concerns over artificial sweeteners have been blamed - in part - for the funk the diet soda market currently finds itself in (click here), the fact remains that they are safe and effective tools for weight management, according to one obesity...
Oatmeal increases a sense of fullness and reduces hunger due to the viscosity and hydration properties of its beta-glucan content, according to research from PepsiCo.
Stevia supplier GLG Lifetech posted a net loss of $14.3m in the third quarter, but said it is making solid progress in its collaboration with COFCO, China's largest food company, to develop foods and beverages with stevia that will reach "every...
60-second interview: Matt Fifer, co-founder, 8th & Walton Group
Want to get on the shelf at Walmart? Prepare to put in some serious work, says Matt Fifer, who spent nearly 13 years in senior roles in store & club operations, people development, marketing, and international marketing at Wal-Mart before co-founding...
San-Diego-based flavor innovator Senomyx says the first products arising from a collaboration with PepsiCo using a novel sweet taste modifier called S617 should hit shelves next year - contingent upon a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) determination.
Food ingredient giant Ingredion reported a steep drop in year-over-year earnings in the third quarter of 2013, mostly from problems in South American markets. In addition, the company foresees a complicated impact from a newly-passed tax in Mexico on...
Special edition: Tackling diabetes: Formulating for healthy blood sugar
The need for dietary interventions to help diabetes sufferers is clear. But communicating how individual ingredients and foods might meet that need is fraught with regulatory peril, observers say.
Special edition: Tackling diabetes. Formulating for healthy blood sugar
Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, and poor diet and lack of exercise may be largely to blame, what can food and beverage manufacturers do to tackle this epidemic?
Special Edition: Tackling diabetes: Formulating for healthy blood sugar
The overall topic of blood sugar management is becoming increasingly important beyond the population with type 2 diabetes, as mainstream media has made consumers more aware of the health needs of blood sugar management—known more colloquially as “energy...
From the risks and rewards of energy drinks to what Americans eat for breakfast, strategies to tackle mindless eating and the next generation of gluten-free foods, Houston was the place to be this week as 8,000+ nutrition professionals gathered for the...
Special Edition: Tackling diabetes: Formulating for healthy blood sugar
When we examine the long list of noninfectious diseases that trouble modern society—which run the gamut in severity from flat feet to acid reflux, anxiety, certain cancers, high blood pressure, obesity and type 2 diabetes—it helps to look back, way back,...
Reductions in the consumption of sugar sweetened beverages are associated with improvements in biomarkers for chronic disease risk, says a new study from North Dakota State University.
If current trends continue, carbonated soft drinks volumes could decline 15-20% by 2020 driven by sharp declines in diet variants, predicts Wells Fargo. But why have Americans fallen out of love with diet soda, and what are they drinking instead?
Is there a natural ceiling to the gluten-free market? Is the party over for energy drinks? Are '100%-natural' claims worth the hassle? Find out in FoodNavigator-USA's round up of 10 of the hottest topics in US food and beverage development.Click...
Stevia scientists are still rolling the taste rock up the hill, engaged in the seemingly Sisyphean task of solving the ingredient’s lingering issues. The sweetener’s huge potential drives formulators on, and after hundreds of thousands of research man...
Most Americans think they are eating enough fiber, potassium and vitamin D, according to the 2013 Functional Food Consumer Survey from the International Food Information Council (IFIC). However, the data suggests otherwise...
Stevia specialist Steviva Ingredients has developed an organic syrup combining blue agave nectar and stevia extract that is suitable for formulators looking to cut calories and maintain clean labels in sauces and dressings, bars, beverages and baked goods.
A patent application filed by PepsiCo describes methods of enhancing the solubility of steviol glycoside Reb-D such that it can be used in higher amounts in beverages and beverage concentrates, overcoming a key formulation challenge.
Sweeteners are widely used to replace sugar in diet and low calorie products within the food and beverage industry. However, many consumers are still worried about these ingredients. So, what are the facts behind low calorie sweeteners?
The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education has teamed up with Michigan-based private label specialist V20 Foods to create Andre Agassi's Box Budd!es, a line of kids' snacks that will be sold in grocery stores nationwide.
It is hard to fool the brain by providing it with 'energyless' sweet flavours, according to new research in mice that suggests that consumption of zero-calorie sweeteners leads to higher sugar consumption later.
A bill proposing sweeping changes to food labeling laws covering everything from ‘natural’ claims to whole grain statements has been welcomed by consumer groups, but stands little chance of success, legal experts have told FoodNavigator-USA.
Weight management is not as simple as the ‘calories in, calories out’ model of energy balance, claim researchers at the International Conference of Nutrition (ICN) in Granada, Spain.
Although federal efforts have led to “modest improvements” in food quality and marketing practices in recent years, “commercial interests have consistently overridden the health concerns of children”, according to one former government health expert.
