Spanish company Natraceutical has developed a range of products
that can be sold directly to the consumer in a bid to kickstart
sales of a line inspired by the Mediterranean diet. It includes a
plant extract to rival the popular supplement...
Leading European fish oil suppliers Croda Health Care and Pronova
Biocare have completed expansion of their production facilities to
meet continuing demand for omega-3 fatty acids in supplements and
functional foods.
Spanish food ingredients developer Puleva Biotech is preparing to
enter the probiotics market with strains isolated from human milk,
writes Dominique Patton.
The Irish government is lending its support to the country's
burgeoning functional foods industry, providing specialised
training and support to help companies successfully commercialise
their functional ingredients, food and...
UK supplement manufacturer Cultech says it has created one of the
most palatable fish oil products on the market, by removing the
smell, adding flavour and even changing the texture into an
emulsion.
The recent escalation of raw material, manufacturing, energy and
packaging costs will result in an increase in price for soy protein
ingredients, says the Solae company, as soybean prices hit 15 year
highs and the firm passes rises...
SoftGel Technologies will introduce a proprietary hyaluronic acid
to the European health foods industry this week, shown in trials to
boost skin healing and alter its appearance.
Opportunities for food manufacturers and ingredients firms are set
to burgeon in the UK functional food marketplace with new Mintel
research forecasting that the £835 million market will double in
the next five years to £1.7 billion....
DSM Food Specialties has launched a new gelatin-free version of its
CaroCare beta-carotene supplement - a move prompted by increasing
consumer concern about beef-derived products following the BSE
scare.
Migros, the Swiss food retailer, has launched a range of
gluten-free products aimed specifically at coeliacs, the first time
the co-operative group has catered for sufferers of the digestive
disease.
Leading cultures firm Chr Hansen has entered a strategic alliance
with a Canadian research company to offer probiotic bacteria
specifically targeted to the substantial women's health market.
Rhodia Food has launched a range of probiotic-containing cultures
for fermented milks, such as kefir, which are increasing in
popularity as a result of their health benefits.
Europe's first pasteurized milk enriched with omega-3 fatty acids
has launched in Ireland, thanks to new technology that allows a
fish oil emulsion to be added to milk just before it goes into
cartons, writes Dominique Patton.
Israeli firm Enzymotec has developed a novel product line marketed
under the brand carDiabeat, designed to fight the major risks for
cardiovascular disorders of diabetes patients.
A New Zealand biotech firm is entering its first foreign market,
China, with a product containing a proprietary bacterial strain
said to fight off sore throats.
Sales of soft drinks in the Czech Republic are rapidly catching up
with western Europe markets, being boosted by increasing consumer
interest in health, shows a new report from market analysts
Euromonitor.
Flavours and extracts firm Frutarom has gained the worldwide
marketing rights to a range of natural antioxidants made by
Israel's RAD Natural Technologies, boosting its offering to health
and functional food makers.
US agribusiness Cargill is expanding sales of its bone health
supplement glucosamine to Japan, after approval from the country's
health and welfare labor ministry.
The Canadian subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever has joined
the growing ranks of manufacturers to cut the trans fatty acid
content out of food products.
Science-backed health claims will be the key to strong growth for
manufacturers of the gut health ingredients prebiotics looking to
drive into the soaring US market.
Burgeoning ingredients firm Corn Products International will drive
harder into the nutritional ingredients market signing on a deal to
acquire a 75 per cent stake in prebiotic supplier GTC Nutrition.
A new plant sterol-based ingredient that has added minerals to
benefit bone health and reduce blood pressure has gained regulatory
approval for use on the European market.
The world's largest dairy ingredients business is aiming to ramp up
collection of colostrum from its suppliers to meet growing demand
for the ingredient in health products.
Rhodia Food has gained rights to a new bacterial stabilisation
system that allows freeze-dried probiotics to be stored at room
temperature with guaranteed stability of up to two years, according
to the firm.
Oral spray could take over from tablets and capsules as the
preferred method of delivery for vitamins and nutrients, claims a
US company that has developed a range of patented vitamin and
mineral sprays.
Swedish probiotics firm BioGaia has developed a screw cap for use
on PET bottles, which releases ingredients such as its probiotic
bacteria or vitamins into the beverage,writes Dominique
Patton.
A UK government body, charged with protecting the country's
wildlife and nature, is considering opening up more than 200 nature
reserves to bioprospecting, or the search for wild plants and
animals that could offer valuable resources...
An essential oil, used to flavour a leading chewing gum brand
manufactured by gum giant Wrigley's, also appears to tackle the
bacteria that causes bad breath, writes Lindsey Partos.
The British are not as pushed for time as they would have everyone
believe but convenience in healthcare and eating is seen as an
opportunity to free up time for other lifestyle gains, suggests a
survey of 2000 adults by Mintel.
Coca-Cola Japan is to launch a drink flavoured with fragrances
thought to activate the fat-burning process in a new joint venture
with cosmetics firm Shiseido.
Hopping on board the fast-moving low carb train, Arla Food
Ingredients, the supplier of tooth-friendly sweetener tagatose,
says a new study from Australian scientists confirms the product's
low glycaemic response.
Leading multivitamin brand Centrum has added lutein to its
formulation for the German market, taking the ingredient firmly
into Europe's mass market and establishing as a daily health
requirement, writes Dominique Patton.
Significant investment in research and closer collaboration with
Chinese institutions could help unlock the huge potential of
natural traditional medicines to treat common Western diseases, UK
scientists on a recent trade mission...
Competition in the European non-dairy sector stepped up last month
when the American organic and natural foods giant Hain Celestial
acquired the German soya-based desserts firm Natumi. A move set to
challenge the dominant player -...
A UK nutraceutical firm is hoping to develop an extract of the
plaintain banana as a medical food, after initial research shows it
could treat inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease,
writes Dominique Patton.
Decas Cranberry Products' ingredients division has introduced a new
cranberry extract that it claims offers an increased level of
anti-microbial and antioxidant properties than the leading product
in the category.
People appear to be eternally optimistic when it comes to dieting,
always believing that the next diet will lead to weight loss. But
the results of a new study suggest that this cycle of dieting will
continue as most are not prepared...
Food safety agencies around the world have been issuing updated
advice on fish consumption to consumers, with a European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA) panel calling for further research into the
side effects of mercury.
Heinz is dropping its healthy eating logo from cans of baked beans,
spaghetti and soups amid because it believes that the products will
fall foul of health targets being set by the UK government.
American company US Nutra is seeking approval to sell its
astaxanthin to UK supplement makers, as evidence of its antioxidant
potential opens up a new market.
Dutch firm Loders Croklaan Lipid Nutrition is the first company to
demonstrate the safety of its conjugated linoleic acid, a fatty
acid hailed as the next big weight loss ingredient, writes
Dominique Patton.
New measures to improve children's diets in the UK will use
celebrity endorsements and TV to promote healthy foods to kids and
their parents, writes Dominique Patton.
A Swedish R&D company has launched a slimming pill based on a
green tea concentrate that it claims is almost as effective as the
weight loss drug Xenical, without similar side effects, writes
Dominique Patton.
The success of the 'little bottle' or 'daily dose' format in the
probiotics sector is encouraging companies to launch new functional
products in the handy sized bottle, leaving out the traditional
packs altogether,...
Endomatrix, a US-based based supplements company, has identified
Europe as the biggest potential market for its flagship product
Provasca, said to relieve key causes of cardiovascular disease.
German herbal tea company Martin Bauer says it is the first to
successfully cultivate Devil's Claw, a plant native to Southern and
Eastern Africa previously only grown in the wild.
Spanish manufacturer Vitatene moves one step closer towards market
approval for its lycopene food ingredient derived from the fungus
Blakeslea trispora with the UK's novel foods committee
satisfied by safety evidence provided...
Milk and cheese remain staples of diet in most parts of the world,
but yoghurt continues to be the main engine for growth in the
global market, not least because of its versatility as a functional
product, according a recent report...