Wine made from the Chinese herb wolfberry - long associated with a
variety of health benefits including its use as a preventative
against diabetes and impotence - is in line for a marketing push
after receiving UK investment.
The Japanese food company Kyowa Hakko Kogyo has developed a new
process for manufacturing amino acid dimers - also known as
di-peptides - that could increase their use as components in
infusions and enteral nutrition products.
Prices for ingredients such as soy and wheat are still vulnerable
to increases as global harvests could be impacted by weather risks
and generally low stocks.
Health experts said at a news briefing last week in London that a
quarter of Britons may suffer from a winter deficiency of vitamin D
and that supplementation and further fortification of foods may be
the answer.
Scientists have succeeded for the first time in genetically
modifying an oilseed crop - linseed - to boost its levels of very
long chain poly-unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), associated with a
raft of health-promoting properties, writes...
The European Commission is funding a project to find out how food
labelling and advertising policies could be used to stem the rapid
rise of obesity in many member states.
The recent bolt on acquisition of Rhodia Food Ingredients lifted
sales for Danisco in an otherwise challenging first quarter for
2004/2005 but efforts to improve margins appear to be paying off,
writes Lindsey Partos.
Growing competition in the probiotics market is forcing cultures
suppliers to increase collaboration with scientists and independent
laboratories that can provide them with strong evidence to support
the benefits of their products...
Japanese amino acids supplier Ajinomoto is considering
commercializing food supplements containing glycine, based on
studies showing the amino acid could help people sleep better.
Atkins Nutritionals, the US-based company behind the trendy
low-carb diet, has hired a turnaround specialist to shake up its
business in the wake of increasing competition and waning consumer
interest in low-carb diets, it said this...
Young people who consume energy drinks with alcohol to improve
their stamina on a night out are likely to see no such effect,
suggests new research on the market leader Red Bull.
An extract of the hibiscus flower may have the same health benefits
as red wine and tea according to scientists in Taiwan, who have
found the plant to lower cholesterol in rats.
Functional bakery products trail behind beverages and dairy in
terms of the global functional food market but in one European
market - Germany - functional bread is showing good growth,
according to market analysts Euromonitor.
Taking supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid DHA in combination
with vitamin A can initially slow the progression of the eye
disease retinitis pigmentosa, report researchers, but for those
already on vitamin A therapy, adding DHA...
Millions of women use yoghurt as a natural remedy to prevent thrush
while taking antibiotics but an Australian team says there is no
proof that the bacteria in yoghurt has any beneficial effect.
Four common supplements - chromium, vitamin B6, vitamin B12 and
multivitamins - may help slow weight gain in middle-age adults,
suggest results from an observational study.
Finnish bakery group Fazer has begun a three-year programme
promoting the health benefits of rye-based products - everything
from cancer prevention to reducing the risk of coronary heart
disease. And one company at least is hoping...
DSM Nutritional Products has lifted its vitamin E capacity to
25,000 tons - the world's largest - at a new plant that is being
hailed for its production efficiencies, reports Dominique
Patton.
Supplements containing essential amino acids and carbohydrates
appear to reduce the muscle wasting experienced by people confined
to bed for long periods of time, shows a small trial.
LycoRed Natural Products Industries has applied to the the UK Food
Standards Agency asking it to approve a lycopene-rich tomato
extract as a novel food ingredient.
Two recent studies have added weight to the health credentials of
fatty acids, suggesting that taking fish oil supplements and eating
fatty fishes, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and cod, can reduce
the risk of developing abnormal...
Canadian company Forbes Medi-Tech said yesterday that it had
secured a sterols sales agreement for US$24.4 million (€20.01
million) over a three-year period beginning in January 2005.
Almost all innovation in the UK's food industry is being driven by
the three key themes, according to a new report, with those meeting
criteria for all three likely to score the biggest hit in the
marketplace.
A new study by researchers at Loma Linda University in California
has found that snacking doesn't have to be bad for you, especially
if your preference is for almonds.
Plant foods as well as the spice turmeric may have a protective
effect against the childhood cancer leukaemia, the incidence of
which has increased dramatically in Britain during the twentieth
century, researchers will report today.
Scientists advising the UN food standards body Codex have
established for the first time a maximum safety level for the
carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin.
Fonterra, New Zealand's multinational dairy co-operative, has
jumped on the low-carb bandwagon by launching a strain of milk
protein designed to produce new low-carb yoghurt. But is all this
hype just another commercial gimmick,...
A UK team will investigate how much benefit arthritis patients gain
from herbal or homeopathic treatment in comparison to that gained
by other factors involved in the consultation with a practitioner.
Australian soyfoods maker So Natural Foods Australia said yesterday
that it will raise A$5 million (€2.87m) through the issue of
unlisted convertible notes to fund expansion of its new joint
venture Thorpedo Foods.
German chemicals company Celanese has been unable to find a buyer
for its food ingredients division Nutrinova, according to a report
in the Financial Times Deutschland.
The UK's medicines agency has issued advice to consumers and the
herbal sector about the poor quality of some traditional chinese
medicines on the UK market, advising them to avoid all products not
labeled in English.
UK firm Allimax, which has developed a patented form of the garlic
antioxidant compound allicin, will use ongoing research to help it
move out of the crowded garlic supplements segment into a new,
higher value 'anti-microbials'...
Green tea polyphenols reduced the severity of liver injury in a new
study on mice. The researchers say the ingredient could be a useful
supplement in the treatment of liver disease.
Scientists from Danish company Chr Hansen say they have developed a
lactic acid bacteria that may lower blood pressure when added to
yoghurt and other foods.
