Sweden's BioGaia says its recent clinical trials are supporting
stronger health claims on products containing its Reuteri bacteria,
which may help it distinguish its probiotics from the competition,
writes Dominique Patton.
French baker Paul has launched bread containing omega-3 fatty acids
as functional products gather pace in France's boulangeries,
despite some industry and public scepticism after years of poor
product development, reports Chris...
Green tea appears to protect against cancer by affecting a
'promiscuous' protein that pharmaceutical experts are already
targeting in their work on anti-cancer drugs, according to new
research.
Functional food makers need to take a critical look at the level of
substantiation behind the health claims they are using to guarantee
their survival under a new European regulation, reports
Dominique Patton.
Insulin resistance typical of type 2 diabetes can be 'programmed'
across two generations by poor nutrition during a grandmother's
pregnancy and lactation, suggests a groundbreaking new animal
study.
More than a quarter of China's health supplements are on sale
illegally and contain false claims on their packaging, found a
survey released last week.
French dairy ingredients firm Armor Proteines has added a
US-produced soy protein isolate to its range to give customers an
alternative to the increasingly expensive caseinates, reports
Dominique Patton.
DSM is to close down production of bulk vitamin C in the US and cut
costs at its plant in Dalry, Scotland, as part of a series of
measures to ease pressure on its vitamin business, reports
Dominique Patton.
Icelandic fish oils firm Lysi will double its annual production
capacity to 6,000 metric tons at a new plant opening next month,
writes Dominique Patton.
Varying rates of hypertension and osteoporosis in African-American
and Caucasian adolescent girls may be explained by the different
ways in which their bodies handle sodium and calcium, according to
recent research.
Flax lignans may help treat benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), a
condition said to affect more than half of all men over the age of
50, according to a new animal study commissioned by Dutch firm
Acatris.
ADM has developed a range of sterol esters for low-fat or fat-free
foods, giving it some edge over other sterol producers in a
functional food category that is taking time to reach its forecast
potential, reports Dominique Patton.
A fatty acid extracted from pine nuts can suppress appetite and
reduce the amount of food people feel like eating, according to
Dutch firm Lipid Nutrition, introducing the new weight management
ingredient to the food and supplement...
Blue California is launching four non-irradiated botanical extracts
at Vitafoods in Geneva this week, the first in a new line which
aims to meet manufacturers' demands for ingredients that meet the
strictest regulatory controls...
Israeli soy proteins firm Solbar has confirmed that it is in talks
over a new production site in the US, a region that accounts for
half of its prospective market, reports Dominique Patton.
The health ingredients unit of Irish dairy firm Glanbia has taken a
further step to diversify away from milk-based products, adding an
oat beta-glucan to its ingredients range through a new distribution
deal, reports Dominique Patton.
The quality and extent of nutritional advice given to families in
developing countries should be improved to reduce stunted growth in
infants, said The Lancet today.
Substituting a modest amount of protein for carbohydrate may reduce
abdominal obesity, say researchers reporting on data gathered from
a diverse multi-ethnic population.
Supplements, and not increased exposure to either natural or
artificial ultraviolet (UV) light, should be the preferred way of
topping up vitamin D levels, stress medical experts in a journal
this month.
Mice genetically engineered to produce the human antioxidant enzyme
catalase lived about 20 per cent longer than normal mice, reported
US scientists last week, providing further evidence for the theory
that antioxidants can slow ageing.
Price rises for soy-related ingredients are still under pressure as
drought, high production costs and a strong real all impact soybean
production for Brazil's 2004-05 crop, writes Lindsey Partos.
German health ingredients firm Cognis Nutrition & Health will
introduce a new range of high quality plant extracts for foods and
beverages at Vitafoods, the industry show opening in Geneva
tomorrow.
High doses of vitamin C may have the potential to counteract some
of the negative effects on the foetus caused by a mother's smoking,
suggests research in monkeys.
Scientists at Rutgers University are investigating whether plant
extracts can genuinely cut risk factors for heart disease, stroke,
diabetes or other serious illnesses.
In the same week that the world's number one ice cream maker
announces the roll out of health and wellness ice cream to fuel
growth, Israeli flavours firm Frutarom launches its functional ice
cream product range.
A review of current research has suggested that milk thistle -
widely used as an alternative medicine - does not lower mortality
in alcoholic or hepatitis B or C liver disease, but further study
is advised.
Lutein, its meaning and use, are on the up throughout Europe,
according to the results of a survey conducted this March. Good
news for manufacturers and marketers of this supplement, but there
still seems to be room for improvement,...
Finland's largest grocery chain Kesko has launched a range of
yogurts that include Forbes Medi-Tech's cholesterol-lowering
ingredient, Reducol, the Canadian firm said on Monday.
Supplementation with fatty acids may be a safe and effective way of
dealing with educational and behavioral problems among children
with developmental coordination disorder (DCD), according to an
Oxford University study published...
A new study carried out by Unicity International and presented at
the American Heart Association conference indicates that fiber
supplements have a dual effect on cholesterol levels in type-2
diabetes patients, lowing levels of LDL...
BASF invited in the American Institute of Baking (AIB) to audit
various production facilities and scored 910 out of a possible 1000
points for food safety at its calpan plant in Ludwigshafen,
Germany.
In a bid to help meet the nutrient needs of the vegetarian
population, Biodar is introducing its animal derivative-free
BetaCote 20VB synthetic beta carotene beadlets in Europe.
Researchers in Aberdeen have found that elderly people who
regularly took calcium and vitamin D supplements did not suffer
less fractures than their peers.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, US will host a
forum next month to examine the role that soy foods can play in
managing a person's weight.
Scientists in Oregon, US have presented a study that seems to
suggest that ginkgo biloba may help improve attention in MS
patients with cognitive impairment.
Sales and operating profit improve "considerably" in the first
quarter for the food unit of Dutch chemicals and life sciences
group DSM, the firm reports.
The majority of British consumers are 'confused' by health messages
on food products: meanwhile chocolate and snacks are the last
products to be ditched in a diet regime, finds a new report.
Global supplement maker and marketer NBTY has failed to maintain
the momentum with which it started fiscal 2005, reporting a net
income of $20.87 million in the second quarter - just over half the
figure for the prior year period.
Leading British supermarket Tesco has decided to ditch the UK
government-backed traffic light food labelling scheme, opting
instead for its own numbers based system.
A Mediterranean style diet should be recommended to those already
suffering from heart disease, says new research, which concludes
its ingredients can help them live longer.
Heart problems, weight control and diabetes are the three research
areas that will be headlining at this year's Natural Health
Research Institute's annual symposium.