The Irish food board held a seminar last month to identify
opportunities for food companies seeking a bigger role in the €40
billion functional foods market.
The Natural Products Expo Asia event, scheduled for June at the
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, has been rescheduled
for December as a result of the SARS outbreak.
Health conscious consumers are being misled by supermarkets
capitalising on increasing interest in 'healthy' eating options,
according to a British consumer association.
DSM Food Specialties will be presenting its second generation Lafti
probiotic strains, formulated for use in dietary supplements, at
the forthcoming Vitafoods show in Geneva.
The International Alliance of Dietary Supplement Associations
(IADSA) is holding a conference in Brazil to help establish a set
of regulations for food supplements in the Latin America region.
Soy ingredients company Solbar Industries is to launch soy isolates
in September this year as part of its strategy to offer a full
range of soy proteins.
Japanese food manufacturer Kikkoman made further moves into the
functional food market with the news this week that it has selected
sensory science company TIAX to create a new line of beverages,
nutrition bars and breakfast cereals...
The latest news from the build-up to Vitafoods, taking place in
Geneva in May - Cognis Nutrition & Health is executive sponsor
for the show, and Loders Croklaan Lipid Nutrition will present new
research on CLA.
Swedish dairy company Skånemejerier has launched a probiotic
supplement under its ProViva brand. The 'shot', which is a
concentrated form of the ProViva fruit drink, contains around 250
million beneficial bacteria per ml...
Unilever brand Flora pro.activ is backing a heart health initiative
organised by the Women's Institute in the UK, with major
sponsorship, promotions and educational programmes.
A French bakery is expanding distribution of a special bread that
can apparently help the slimming process. The Régente baguette
contains a marine algae compound that speeds up fat breakdown.
UK bakers Warburtons is targeting pregnant women with the launch of
its 'Good Health Loaf for Women' fortified with various vitamins
and omega-3 DHA, as part of its Good Health range.
Nestlé has introduced its low-fat, high-fibre breakfast cereal
Nestlé Fitness to the Singaporean market. Containing key vitamins
and calcium and iron, the product is targeted at health-conscious
women.
Linnea, the Swiss manufacturer and distributor of botanical
extracts for the dietary supplement, pharmaceutical and cosmetics
industries, has extended the range of products available to
customers in the US.
Experts on medicinal plants are to gather in London next month to
discuss the potential and current hurdles for the herbal market and
the development of novel medicines.
Danish ingredients company Danisco announced this week that it is
use new production facilities in Denmark to produce Natamax - a
natural, biological preservative.
New owners of the Vitafoods trade show have added two new areas -
the Finished Products Zone, and Vitacos, dedicated to the growing
cosmeceuticals market.
With this month's launch of the Nestle/L'oreal joint venture to
produce cosmetic nutritional supplements, a beauty trade fair has
added a section reserved for this innovative new market.
Laboratoires Innéov, the new joint venture between food company
Nestlé and the cosmetics firm L'Oreal, is launching its first
product this month in selected markets. Are we likely to see this
'cosmetic food' sector...
A growing market for soy protein products and soyfoods in Western
nations is helping to create a new value-added market for soybeans
beyond the traditional uses of crushing for animal feed and
vegetable oils, according to a new report.
Inadequate consumer understanding of probiotic foods poses a
critical challenge to the immense potential for growth in the
Australia and New Zealand markets, but consumer behaviour and the
ageing demographic will ensure sustained...
The Caribbean herbal industry will be presenting its products to
the European market next month in a special exhibition at the
Natural Products show in London.
Cargill Acidulants is to market Regenasure glucosamine
hydrochloride, a product for the dietary supplement industry that
does not use shellfish as its source.
Analysis distribution company LGC Promochem is to distribute the
ChromaDex reference standards, covering more than 2500 high purity
phytochemicals, to the herbal industry in Europe.
The food intolerance and allergies market has grown 165 per cent
since 2000, according to new research by market analysts Mintel,
and is set to more than double in value by 2007 reaching £138
million (€202m).
Global sales of nutraceuticals are estimated to reach $74.7 billion
(€68.5bn) by 2007, growing at an average rate of 9.9 per cent
annually for the next five years, says a new report.
UK company Barefoot Botanicals introduced its Rosa Fina botanical
skin care products to the US market this week. The range which
contains rosehip seed oil, vitamins and natural antioxidants, is
the first to be launched by the company's...
Swiss cereal maker BioFamilia has launched a new muesli in its
functional range, targeted at people who want to keep in shape. Fit
Crisp is a crispy muesli with nine added vitamins.
New functional foods continued to hit the shelves this month with a
focus on making traditionally not-so-healthy products a little more
appealing to the growing number of consumers looking for extra
health benefits. Some of the latest...
Swedish probiotics firm BioGaia has signed a three-year agreement
with Japanese marketing company Erina for the sale of its Reuteri
tablets in Japan. The tablet has been specially designed for the
Japanese market, says the company.
Israeli company Enzymotec has launched an ingredient derived from
healthy fats for use in food applications. MultOil is based on
natural oils enriched with phytosterols and DAG, both thought to
help reduce the risk of cardiovascular...
Spanish choline manufacturer Algry Quimica has welcomed new US
regulations regarding choline salts to become effective in autumn
2003. The company said the laws will clearly define the quality of
choline-based preparations.
Norwegian firm NutriPharma says a study shows its soy composition
Abacor to be more effective at lowering cholesterol than other
commercially available soy protein.
Health ingredients manufacturer Cognis Nutrition and Health says
the US Food and Drug Administration has approved GRAS status for
the company's Xangold brand natural lutein esters products in a
variety of foods.
Increasing awareness of the need for proper hydration and other
potential health benefits of drinking bottled water are driving
market growth in the UK, but there is still a long way to go before
Continental consumption levels are...
Functional soft drinks are no longer confined to obscure avenues of
soft drinks consumption and are steadily edging towards the
mainstream, according to a new report from drinks consultancy
Zenith International.
Sales of oxygenated water in North America, western Europe and
Japan increased by 45 per cent last year, but the market still
remains niche, claims Zenith International. And it is likely to
remain so until a major soft drinks group...
The latest phase of BASF and Fortitech's human nutrition joint
venture has been completed with the transfer of BASF's Malaysian
production facility to Fortitech's new Fortitech Asia Pacific unit.
Functional products have been around for some time, but the latest
look at the Mintel Global New Products Database shows that
functional snack products are also becoming more popular, as is
greater packaging innovation in the confectionery...
Natural Inc., the US-based subsidiary of Norway's Natural group,
has launched Natto K2, a new ingredient high in vitamin K2, made
from natto, a traditional Japanese product consisting of fermented
soya beans.
The diet foods market across Europe continues to grow, but
increasing consumer disillusionment about the effectiveness of
dieting could curb growth in the future unless manufacturers and
retailers get the right nutrition message across,...