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...
The French are the most weight-conscious Europeans, reveals a new
study, with almost a third constantly trying to lose weight. They
are also the biggest eaters of 'light' foods and most likely to
check labels for lower calories,...
Germany is Europe's largest soft drink market with the UK following
fast behind, reports a new study that predicts consumption will
soar to 186 litres per person per year by 2007.
UK drug development company Phytopharm has raised approximately
£6.5 million (€9.7m) through a new share placement in preparation
for future supply of its plant-based appetite suppressant to
manufacturers of meal replacements.
Almost one in four (23 per cent) German adults admits to often
skipping meals to keep their weight down - a massive 17.5 million
people. But according to a new survey of European dieting habits,
Germans are also the least likely to...
Dosic, the Chinese evening primrose oil supplier, pulled off a 30
per cent climb in European sales last year - with a mature product
in a mature market - by addressing the crux problem for all Chinese
producers targeting Europe.
High blood pressure patients can significantly reduce their
prescription medication by taking an antioxidant supplement to
improve heart health, show the results of a new clinical study.
Global sports and energy drinks showed continued growth in 2003,
far outpacing soft drinks in general with a 7 per cent increase,
according to new data from beverage industry analysts Canadean.
The firm that introduced CLA to the functional foods industry is
going back to its roots to concentrate on further developing
technology for health-promoting lipids.
A polyphenol extract made from selected red grapes from the south
of France has been shown to signficantly reduce lipid deposits in
arteries, and produced a greater effect than red wine, reports its
manufacturer.
The rapidly growing sales of waters with added vitamins and
minerals, or functional waters are the result of slick marketing
with little real benefit for consumers' health, according to a
report by an Australian consumer magazine.
An increasing tendency to diet is restricting intake of essential
vitamins and minerals among UK consumers, suggests the Health
Supplements Information Service, an education initiative funded by
UK supplement makers.
The US company Martek Biosciences is taking legal action against
Nutrinova Nutrition Specialties & Food Ingredients and its
owner Celanese Ventures for patent infringement, it announced on
Friday.
Spanish manufacturer of choline salts Algry Quimica has signed
several new research agreements to develop active ingredients for
pharma and food applications.
European vitamin C prices look set to rise this year despite few
signs of respite from Chinese competition. The move is seen by some
as a final attempt to make money on the commodity.
Prebiotic ingredients, said to promote gut health, have much wider
food applications than live probiotic bacteria, and could one day
be found in a greater number of functional foods than their more
established gut health cousin, suggests...
Proposals to tax fatty foods, under discussion at the World
Economic Forum in Davos last week, were once again strongly
rejected by food makers, who highlighted the progress already made
by their industry.
India's largest pharmaceutical firm Ranbaxy Laboratories has
expanded its herbals range with the launch yesterday of three new
products, to be marketed under the 'New Age Herbals' name.
Finland's National Food Agency is to investigate the marketing of
infant formulae and draw up an action plan to ensure compliance
with regulations after feedback from consumers prompted concern.
Functional waters have exploded onto the global drinks scene in
recent years and become the fastest growing functional beverage,
according to new data from market research firm Euromonitor.
The New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) is warning users of
dietary supplements containing lecithin to check whether the
product is safe for them to take if they are allergic to eggs or
soy, the common sources of the ingredient.
The European energy drink market has seen something of a slowdown
in growth in the last couple of years, as we reported earlier this
week, with a plethora of 'me-too' products launched in the 1990s
falling by the wayside...
Growing sales of herbal medicines are threatening to wipe out up to
a fifth of the plant species on which the industry depends, a new
report will claim. It also accuses the herbal medicines industry of
doing nothing to stop the problem.
Healthy foods targeted at children represent a major opportunity
for the food and drink industry, according to a new report that
demonstrates growing parental concern about the family diet.
Growth in the West European energy drinks market has slowed down
and market share is highly concentrated among the leading brands,
reveals a new report.
Spanish firm Algry Quimica saw sales of its choline salts rise by
14 per cent in the first half of 2003 thanks to growing use of the
ingredient, largely in Europe and the US markets, in nutritional
and infant food applications.
German ingredients firm Nutrinova has received approval from the US
Food and Drug Administration to market its Sunett brand of
acesulfame K for general use in the US.
A range of low-carb chocolate bars is the latest US import hoping
to benefit from the popularity of the Atkins diet among the UK's
diet-obsessed consumers.
The launch of a new low-fat version of Unilever Bestfood's
Hellmann's mayonnaise brand in the UK is the first step in the
company's bid to turn Hellman's into a 'master brand' over the next
five years...
The lifestyles of today's parents, which has created the booming
market for unhealthy convenience foods, are partly to blame for the
rise in childhood obesity, suggests a new report. But a backlash
against junk food and the food...
German company Wacker Chemie has applied to approve
alpha-cyclodextrin as a novel food in Australia and New Zealand,
claiming it has dietary fibre-like properties.
Atkins Nutritionals, the company set up by the US pioneer of the
Atkins diet, is to launch its range of low carbohydrate foods
throughout the UK in January, the first European market for the
firm.
A food ingredient that can replace salt, add flavour and
lower cholesterol sounds too good to be true. But a Finnish
scientist says the spice Flavomare can do all of these things.
The UK's fourth biggest supermarket may introduce special labelling
for its low-carb products, reported market research firm
Datamonitor this week, which could spark a wave of diet-related
marketing.
Danish ingredients company Chr. Hansen has teamed up with dairy
manufacturers to develop a new yoghurt culture - Yo-Flex - designed
to be used in products with less fat and fewer additives.
Functional food makers present in the UK market will reap the
rewards of consumers who are among the biggest spenders on
functional foods and drinks in Europe.
The black elderberry extract Sambucol has been shown to reduce
symptoms and shorten duration of flu, according to a new study to
be published in The Journal of International Medical
Research.
Swiss chemicals company Lonza this week report on a new study
showing that supplements of its L-Carnitine Crystalline
significantly increases fatty acid oxidation in healthy adults.
Cognis Nutrition and Health has added a new vegetable sterol esters
ingredient to its product range. The company, which launched the
product for the US market at the SupplySide West tradeshow last
week, said vegetable sterol esters...
