The row over Mayor Bloomberg’s controversial plan to curb sales of super-size sodas in New York City has intensified with the publication of new research debating the role that sugary drinks play in the nation’s expanding waistline.
Reading nutritional information placed on food labels works to help fight obesity, according to new findings confirming that people who read labels are generally thinner than those who do not.
Beverage makers have blasted New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “discriminatory ban” on sales of super-sized sodas, while supporters have dismissed the industry’s “professionally manufactured outrage” and urged other states to follow suit.
A large subset of people can be obese yet remain but metabolically healthy and fit, with no greater risk of developing or dying from heart disease or cancer than normal weight people, according to new research.
Leading corn refiners have accused sugar producers of conducting a “systematic campaign” to vilify high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in a counter claim filed in California yesterday as part of the high-profile legal dispute over the sweetener.
As the row between sugar and corn refiners heats up this week, advocacy group Citizens for Health has entered the fray with a citizen’s petition calling for the FDA to change the way high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is labeled.
A new form of a classic texturising ingredient could help people to feel full for longer, according to a new proof of concept trial for the proposed ‘anti hunger’ ingredient.
Children’s consumption of beverages sweetened with low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners has more than doubled over the past decade in the United States, according to a new study.
The more we move, the slimmer we will become, right? However, with ballooning obesity rates over the past 30 years, research suggests that this is not the case. US adults are moving more than ever – but eating more than ever too.
How many options do vegetarians and flexitarians (meat reducers) have when they go out to eat (if they are not in the mood for bean burgers and Margherita pizza)?
Back in the early ‘80s when his tempeh business was getting off the ground, the meat alternatives category was not exactly brimming with mouth-watering options, says Tofurky creator Seth Tibbott.
Obesity is a ‘global sustainability megatrend’ likely to take decades to address – but it could also provide opportunities for investors looking to support those industries aiming to be part of the solution, including parts of the food industry, according...
Quorn is outpacing rivals and bringing new consumers into a frozen meat alternatives category that has lost some momentum in recent years, claims its US boss.
Lack of physical activity is not likely to be a key factor in Western obesity rates, according to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, which suggests that over-consumption of calories is the biggest culprit.
Subconscious ‘stop signs’ placed in snack food products could help the battle against obesity by controlling overeating, according to the findings of a new study.
PureCircle’s next generation of stevia extracts, nicknamed stevia 3.0, will help the company step up its assault on the global obesity problem, according to Jason Hecker, vice president for global marketing and innovation.
US children drink less milk and more sweetened beverages like soda and sports drinks as they get older, but such drinks do not necessarily replace milk in children’s diets, according to new research published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition...
A controversial committee of doctors has petitioned the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to remove dairy milk from school menus, calling it an “ineffective placebo.”
Bunge has taken collaboration to a new level with the launch of a new state-of-the-art culinary center at its Ingredient Innovation Center for edible oils and carbohydrates in Bradley, Illinois. Check out our picture gallery to see what all the fuss is...
Milled grains and edible oils specialist Bunge is now walking the talk when it comes to collaboration with the launch of a new state-of-the-art culinary center at its Ingredient Innovation Center in Bradley, Illinois, says its North American boss.
Strengthening the Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could help tackle the dual problems of food insecurity and obesity in the United States, according to an official policy report from the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress...
Big interview: Karl Kramer, president, innovation and commercial development, Tate & Lyle
What’s in Tate & Lyle’s innovation pipeline? That’s top secret, says Karl Kramer, “but we are working on some completely new, completely novel ingredients and exciting technologies. We’re not interested in me-too products.”
The first novel algae products to emerge from a joint venture between French food ingredients giant Roquette and Californian microalgae expert Solazyme have just hit the market.
If current trends continue, stevia-based sweetener Truvia will be eyeball to eyeball with sucralose-based rival Splenda in the US retail tabletop sweeteners market within two years, brand owner Cargill has predicted.
Special edition: The New Product development process
Why is baby, toddler and kids’ food maker Plum Organics’ track record at producing sucessful new products better than average - in fact way better than average?
We've all heard the statistics - almost 36% of Americans are now obese. But 50 years ago, it was just 13%. So why did we get so fat, so quickly? And what role did sugar - and specifically high fructose corn syrup - have to play?
A raft of new products from whole-grain pizza crusts under the Pillsbury brand to a Cascadian Farm granola packed with ancient grains, will hit stores this summer as General Mills ramps up its new product development activities.
Big Interview: Ilene Gordon, chairman, president and CEO, Ingredion
With R&D departments at some food manufacturers pared down to the bone as bosses slash overheads to control costs, open innovation has moved from a hot topic on the conference circuit to a practical necessity, says Ingredion CEO Ilene Gordon.
Increased regulation of the food industry is needed to protect ‘the public good’ and help win the global battle against obesity, according to one obesity policy expert.
Consumers are shifting toward positive messages of overall ‘health management’ and away from more negative associations of weight management, according to a presentation by trend experts at market research organization Mintel at IFT in Las Vegas last...
A legal dispute over Muscle Milk bars and sports beverages has moved into a new phase after a federal judge ruled an amended false advertising lawsuit against brand owner Cytosport can proceed.
Interview: Samy Jandali, VP Nutrition & Health, North America, BASF
Chat to any major ingredients supplier at a trade show and you can expect to hear liberal use of buzzwords from ‘partnership’ and ‘collaboration’ to ‘open innovation’ says Samy Jandali.
The food industry could play an important role in fighting childhood obesity and improving children’s nutrition, according to a panel of experts speaking at IFT last week.
With the row over Mayor Bloomberg’s soda ban intensifying, major investments in innovation from Tate & Lyle and BASF, business updates from Sara Lee and Kraft and the passing of the farm bill, June was an action-packed month in food and drink.
Sleep deprived but indefatigable, the FoodNavigator-USA team powered through day three of the IFT show in Las Vegas, meeting experts on sugar metabolism, natural colors, high oleic cooking oils, immune health ingredients, sodium reduction solutions and...
Looking at pictures of fattening foods can trigger reward and appetite centres of the brain – leading to increased hunger and a desire for food, say researchers.
Day two of the IFT annual meeting and expo in Las Vegas, and the FoodNavigator-USA team was still standing (just about), roaming the aisles in search of innovation, inspiration (and free snacks)...
Chinese high intensity sweeteners specialist Niutang Chemical says work on a new, 1,200 metric ton capacity sucralose production facility is scheduled to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2012.
Expensive and elaborate CSR campaigns used by the soda industry, focused on consumers rather than on the corporation, echo tactics employed by big tobacco firms, argue experts.
The Florida-based firm behind Emulin - the star ingredient in GNC’s glucose control supplement GC7X - is seeking a big gun in the ingredients supply market to help it engage with the biggest food and beverage brands in the US and Europe.
Consumption of soft drinks and other sweetened beverages is not a major contributor to the rising levels of childhood obesity, according to Canadian research that assesses consumption and risk in over 10,000 children and youths.
Just weeks after USDA published a high-profile study posing the question ‘Are Healthy Foods Really More Expensive?’, researchers in Seattle, Baltimore and the UK have responded with a new study providing the answer: ‘Yes’.
Almost two thirds of Americans oppose NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg’s radical approach to tackling obesity by cracking down on sales of super-sized soft drinks, according to a new survey.
McDonald's and Coke have blasted New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg’s radical bid to ban sales of super-sized sodas from foodservice outlets as “misguided”, while supporters have hailed it as the "boldest effort yet" to tackle obesity.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a petition by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) urging it recognize 'corn sugar' as an alternate name for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
ConAgra has reverted back to using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its Hunt’s ketchup less than two years after replacing the much-maligned sweetener with sugar.
High pressure processing (HPP) is emerging as a powerful weapon in the fight to reduce sodium, enabling formulators to eliminate or cut sodium-containing preservatives in prepared foods and clean up product labels, claims one expert.
Firms sourcing sucralose from China are struggling to secure supplies owing to a combination of factors including rising demand as sugar prices rise, electricity shortages in southern China and tighter enforcement of environmental legislation, FoodNavigator-USA...
While consumer concerns about fats appear to have waned somewhat, the percentage of Americans blaming sugars for their expanding waistlines has almost doubled since last year, according to new research.
