Food industry pressure over nutrition labelling has begun to pay
off as the UK Food Standards Agency launches a consultation for the
final stage in its simple signposting project using guideline daily
amounts as one of two central...
Italian firm Labochim has introduced a new alpha-lipoic acid
(ALA)chemically combined with the vitamin-like substance
L-carnitine, which increases the antioxidant's solubility,
reports Dominique Patton.
Folic acid supplements, recommended to women who are trying for a
baby, do not appear to significantly boost the chances of having
twins, finds a large study, despite some evidence of this effect in
previous trials.
Manufacturers of sports nutrition products will have to clean up or
face the consequences of increased scrutiny from Europe, which this
week called for further action against doping.
Food manufacturers need to take account of the marked shift in the
way consumers approach weight loss and dieting by emphasising a
healthy lifestyle over calorie control, suggests a new report.
Dutch whey ingredients firm Borculo Domo has gained an award for a
novel ingredient said to protect teeth from the enamel erosion
caused by acidic drinks, writes Dominique Patton.
UK and Spanish scientists have explained why the active compound in
green tea, EGCG, can stop cancer cells growing even in people that
only drinks two cups of the beverage a day.
Atkins Nutritionals, the company behind the trendy low-carb diet,
is closing its operations in the UK, in a move that seems to herald
the end of its presence in Europe and signal an upturn for
carbohydrate-rich foods, writes Dominique...
Snack makers will have the chance to extend their presence in
healthy eating trends after British food ingredients firm Tate
& Lyle unveiled a new ingredients formula for wholegrain
crackers claiming extra fibre and a lower glycaemic...
Taking vitamin E supplements for several years did not reduce the
risk of cancer or cardiovascular events in a group of elderly
diabetics and heart disease patients, report researchers today.
The cellulose derivative HPMC, used for years to add texture to
foods and in drug delivery, could become a new functional food
ingredient, researchers said yesterday, as it appears to slow down
fat absorption from foods, writes Dominique...
Finnish plant sterol maker Raisio has acquired a 25 per cent stake
in Polish dairy Obory that will allow it to launch new Benecol
products in the emerging market.
US firm Nutrition 21 will seek to boost sales of chromium
piocolinate in Europe, following acceptance of a scientific dossier
in the UK that gives the ingredient up to four years of derogation
from the food supplements directive,...
New voluntary labelling initiatives, a tighter advertising code and
increased investment in innovation could be on the way for food
manufacturers as the European Commission, along with a dozen
stakeholders, launches a platform to...
Fish oil supplements and foods fortified with marine-source omega-3
fats on the UK market have gained the scientific go-ahead to
promote the heart health benefits of their products.
Greater levels of selenium, vitamin E and the tomato carotenoid
lycopene have been shown to reduce prostate cancer in one out of
every four Caucasian males, or those who inherit a specific genetic
variation that is particularly sensitive...
Doses of carotenoids easily gained from the diet have a significant
effect on reducing oxidative damage, said researchers at a
nutrition conference in Paris earlier this month.
German firm Finzelberg is the first plant extracts producer to gain
GMP certification under new European rules for active agents in
pharmaceuticals, it said this week.
Increasing fruit and vegetable intake at the same time as a
reduction in saturated fat will have a greater protective effect
against heart disease death than using either strategy alone, say
US researchers.
Plans to encourage Britons to eat healthier foods, published by the
UK government last week, mark a paradigm shift in the public policy
approach to health, believes a food industry consultant.
Another study on chocolate finds that the dark variety decreases
blood pressure and improves insulin sensitivity in healthy people,
lending weight to its potential for heart health.
The prevalence of neural tube defects in Europe has not declined
substantially in the past decade, despite national policies of
folic acid supplementation in half the countries, write UK
researchers in tomorrow's issue of the...
Eating almonds significantly increases vitamin E levels in the
plasma and red blood cells and simultaneously lowers cholesterol
levels, finds a small study.
The Scottish government is promoting healthy eating through a
scheme designed to increase purchasing of fruit and nutritional
foods in convenience stores.
An amendment to the nutrition and health claims regulation
currently being discussed by members of the European parliament
could give Britain an opt-out clause to the food supplements
directive being enforced across the EU from August...
Herbal medicines on the Australian market may need to be
reformulated after the government's decision this week to back a
wave of expert recommendations to tighten scrutiny of the
complementary medicines sector.
Demand for vitamins and minerals in developing countries is being
boosted by UN-backed funding for flour fortification that seeks to
eliminate common nutrient deficiencies.
The number two vitamin maker BASF yesterday reported strong
earnings increases across the board although vitamin prices
continue to eat into profits at its fine chemicals unit, reports
Dominique Patton.
The market for tryptophan supplements is set to expand in the UK if
proposed changes to current laws on the amino acid go ahead,
writes Dominique Patton.
Healthy eating is key if Britain is to get into shape,
HealthSecretary John Reid told attendees today at the launch of his
plan to improve the health of the nation.
Regular use of high performance sports drinks could lead to
troubling levels of tooth erosion, opening the door for the
development of low-corrosive alternatives, said scientists at the
University of Birmingham, UK yesterday.
Scientists in the US believe they may have found a new type of
diabetes after discovering that insulin and its related proteins
are produced in the brain and that reduced levels of both
contribute to Alzheimer's.
The potential health benefits of a glass or two of red wine are
frequently in the press, while beer is often described as a
calorie-ridden alternative. The British Beer and Pub Association
wants to set the record straight.
Soon-to-be-sold ingredients unit at Degussa, Germany's third
largest chemical company, fails to impress in 2004 with sales
falling by 4 per cent, contributing just under 5 per cent of total
sales to overall €11.2 billion turnover...
Further support for the action of omega-3 fatty acids on
inflammatory conditions comes from new research on lipids in humans
that are triggered by aspirin, as well as fish oil.
Scant evidence supports increased consumption of dairy products to
promote children's bone health, claim researchers in a review of
almost 40 studies investigating milk's benefit to bones.
US-based PharmaNutrients has developed a digylceride form of the
fatty acid CLA, which it says could offer enhanced fat loss through
an additional mechanism, reports Dominique Patton.
Spanish olive oil R&D firm Genosa I+D has gained regional
government backing for its novel function food ingredients, which
look set to boost the olive oil sector as it copes with changes to
EU funding.
An 85-year-old specimen of black cohosh root still contained most
of the chemical compounds believed to help reduce hot flushes and
other menopause symptoms when analysed in a recent study, writes
Dominique Patton.
Indian glucosamine supplier Pharmed Medicare started production at
a new facility near Banaglore last week, adding a further 500 tons
in yearly capacity for the firm, reports Dominique Patton.
UK-based Micap has bought the German microencapsulation firm Rendel
& Scherer for around €1 million in a bid to grow its sales in a
new market, reports Dominique Patton.
Canadian biotech firm Forbes Medi-Tech said this week that it has
gained European approval to market its cholesterol-lowering
ingredient Reducol in seven new food applications.
British consumers are increasingly seeking convenient food and
drinks that are also healthy but food makers are failing to answer
their needs, claims a new report.
Giving high dose vitamin D supplements to elderly housebound people
should be seriously considered as a means of preventing falls and
fractures, writes a consultant in this week's BMJ.
Irish dairy ingredients supplier Glanbia said yesterday that it has
completed restructuring of the group and is ready to reap greater
profits from its ingredients, reports Dominique Patton.