The Australian food watchdog has issued a warning over the low-cal
sweetener tagatose, just launched last month, saying that it could
harm consumers who are intolerant to the fruit sugar fructose,
writes Lindsey Partos.
Fibre suppliers are hoping to benefit from sustained interest in
carbohydrate intake among European and US consumers, which is
currently driving leading food makers to reformulate a wide range
of their product lines.
Researchers in Japan investigating whether vitamin K could prevent
bone loss in women with liver disease have uncovered a surprising,
secondary benefit - the vitamin also helped to prevent liver cancer
in the patients.
Indian biotech firm Avesthagen said this week that it has signed an
agreement with Finland's Raisio group to market its
cholesterol-lowering product Benecol in India.
Married women are much more likely to be on a diet than their
single counterparts, shows a new study, contradicting current
economic theories on dieting. It also confirms the massive increase
in the number of men on a diet.
Last week the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA) called for
changes to the way the FDA is implementing regulations against
bioterrorism. Since then, several other food organisations,
including the American Herbal Products Association...
European legislation on health claims could take a significant leap
forward under the new Dutch presidency of the European Union, which
appears to be aiming for the regulation to get its first reading in
the European parliament by...
Researchers at the University of Hawaii have produced further
evidence to show how pigments in yellow, red and green vegetables,
known as carotenoids, may work to prevent cancer.
Eating broiled or baked fish - but not fried fish - appears to
lower the incidence of one of the most common causes of stroke
among the elderly, according to a study published yesterday.
A UK project will use new biomarkers for phytoestrogen intake to
assess whether certain foods could influence a breast cancer
tumour's characteristics, thought to be the first study of its
kind.
The red wine compound resveratrol, thought to be responsible for
the drink's protective effects on the heart, may also extend
lifespan, report American scientists.
The European Commission is putting pressure on the Italian
government to amend legislation that effectively prohibits the
marketing of energy drinks in Italy.
Marketers of health foods will be encouraged by a new report that
shows Britain's tastebuds are increasingly favourable to fruit, now
the number one snack.
The highly splintered nature of Europe's food supplement industry
is being underlined by the divergent reactions to forthcoming new
legislation, designed to harmonise trade across all member states,
writes Dominique Patton.
Dietary niacin, or vitamin B3, may protect against the development
of Alzheimer's disease and the cognitive decline associated with
ageing in older people, suggests new research.
Removing the casein from cow's milk increased uptake of iron, shows
a new study, but in human milk it is the whey that promotes the
mineral's availability.
New Zealand food authorities are looking to change permitted levels
of folic acid and vitamin B12 in foods under a review of the
country's dietary supplement regulations.
A major push to highlight the health benefits of eggs has helped
the UK industry to increase both volume sales and their profits
over recent years, according to a new report.
Women may be able to lower their risk of endometriosis by eating
more fresh fruit and green vegetables. But, eating red meat and ham
appears to increase their risk, according to a study published
today.
Factors such as a women's weight or calcium intake may play a vital
role in the extent to which soy isoflavones can improve bone health
among postmenopausal women, suggests new research.
A new vegetable-based drink, based on a traditional Spanish recipe,
is being introduced to the fast-growing dairy alternatives sector
in the UK but it may have a tough time competing with soy
beverages, increasingly dominating this...
An increasingly sophisticated food market in the Middle East will
open up opportunities for food makers and suppliers of third
generation, added-value whey products in Saudi Arabia and Egypt,
writes Lindsey Partos.
Thousands of European food ingredient specialists will join
colleagues from around the world tomorrow to learn about the latest
ingredients formulations as the 2004 IFT Annual Meeting kicks offs
in Las Vegas.
China will introduce a new set of dietary supplement regulations
before the end of the year and has welcomed the new guidance issued
by the International Alliance of Dietary Supplement Associations
(IADSA).
The Korean biotech company Eugene Science has teamed up with Archer
Daniels Midlands (ADM), giving ADM the marketing rights in Europe
and North America for Eugene Science's Euchol phytosterol
technology.
Canadian company Forbes Medi-Tech said yesterday that it had
received a positive opinion from European authorities for the
approval of its wood-derived cholesterol-lowering ingredient
Reducol.
Women who choose to eat more healthily and lead healthier lives can
reduce their risk of developing or dying from cancer, shows a new
study that finds that following guidelines issued by a US cancer
organisation can limit the risk...
The widely-used dietary supplement, L-carnitine when combined with
L-acetyl-carnitine, a related chemical, may improve sperm motility
in men with fertility problems, according to new research by
scientists at the University of Rome.
Banana producers, processors and ingredients users could see new
opportunities in the market as an ancient banana showing strong
beta-carotene levels comes to light on a small Pacific island.
The burgeoning UK snack market is creating opportunities for food
makers to develop profitable extensions of established brands with
healthy credentials, according to market analysts Datamonitor.
Investigations into the dumping of shrimp on the US market has
caused major price rises in the joint health ingredient
glucosamine, a shrimp derivative. But if prices stabilise at these
levels, they could make higher quality glucosamine...
Demand for healthier oils and fats is increasing as obesity reaches
epidemic levels. The trend is also driving research efforts to
develop innovative methods to enhance oil and fat properties, say
market analysts at Frost & Sullivan.
Another study has demonstrated that the best-selling herbal ginseng
interferes with the blood-thinning drug warfarin, one of the most
widely used anticoagulant medicines.
Puleva Biotech, the biotech arm of Spanish food group Ebro Puleva,
has been awarded funding worth €428,290 from a regional development
fund to help it start up a new probiotics line.
Dutch ingredients firm Sensus has carried out new research to prove
the prebiotic effect of native inulin at only 5 grams, allowing
food manufacturers to make prebiotic claims on a relatively low
dose.
Japan is considering proposals for the creation of a new category
of health foods, with claims similar to the 'qualified health
claims' recently approved in the US.
Growing demand for natural colours and the increasing popularity of
probiotic cultures lifted third quarter sales at Danish ingredients
firm Chr Hansen.
An alliance of sports supplement makers has managed to stall the
launch of a new European regulation that is set to tightly regulate
foods and beverages marketed to sportspeople.
Official policy that discourages sunbathing and promotes use of
sunblock products is preventing the British from getting adequate
vitamin D, and putting them at risk of numerous chronic diseases,
claims a new report.
Eating more fruits, vegetables, fish, legumes and whole grains may
protect against stroke, finds a new study that claims a whole
eating pattern is the best way of investigating risk to health.