European scientists have been awarded a record grant, worth €11.7
million, from the European Commission for research into the ways in
which we control our body weight. It is hoped that the project will
find new treatments for obesity.
US food giant Cargill is launching its new soy isolate, Prolisse
500, across Europe, in response to growing demand for soyfoods and
high protein products.
The European energy drink market has seen something of a slowdown
in growth in the last couple of years, as we reported earlier this
week, with a plethora of 'me-too' products launched in the 1990s
falling by the wayside...
Onions and solar radiation exposure could help prevent prostate
cancer, while meat and dairy products could be risk factors, finds
a recent 32 country study.
Preliminary research in the US finds that soy isoflavones, found in
soy infant formula, do not disrupt infant development, despite
concerns from some scientists that the isoflavones could act like
female hormones in infants.
Growing sales of herbal medicines are threatening to wipe out up to
a fifth of the plant species on which the industry depends, a new
report will claim. It also accuses the herbal medicines industry of
doing nothing to stop the problem.
Healthy foods targeted at children represent a major opportunity
for the food and drink industry, according to a new report that
demonstrates growing parental concern about the family diet.
Uncertainty about recent EU proposals for health claims legislation
presents a major challenge to players in the probiotics market,
suggests a new market analysis.
Growth in the West European energy drinks market has slowed down
and market share is highly concentrated among the leading brands,
reveals a new report.
People who eat a lot of seafood may be less likely to suffer from
bipolar disorders, say researchers, who report that their findings
support the ongoing research into the effect of omega-3 fatty acids
on mental disease.
Spanish firm Algry Quimica saw sales of its choline salts rise by
14 per cent in the first half of 2003 thanks to growing use of the
ingredient, largely in Europe and the US markets, in nutritional
and infant food applications.
New European legislation on pharmaceuticals could override the
recently adopted food supplements directive and impact the future
of the supplements industry, according to legal experts.
Norway's Norsk Hydro has agreed to sell 80.1 per cent of its shares
in omega-3 producer Pronova Biocare to Norwegian industrial company
Ferd for NOK 165 million (€19.4m).
Men and women who drank more coffee and other caffeinated beverages
were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank
few or no caffeinated beverages, report researchers in a new study.
Australian food ingredients firm Clover Corporation has formed a
joint venture to produce and market a soya-based ingredient for use
in functional foods.
Forthcoming European legislation on health claims could pose a
roadblock to rapid market expansion of polyphenols, the plant-based
antioxidants gaining increasing attention for their
disease-fighting actions, warns a new report.
The US Food and Drug Administration last week announced a ban on
the weight loss herbal ephedra, after an extended consultation
period including a court hearing.
The UK government has set about tackling its dangerously growing
child obesity problem with a new scheme that aims to promote
healthier foods for children.
Soy isoflavones may not offer the benefits to heart health often
attributed to soyfoods, finds a new study that suggests that
another part of the plant could be responsible for its
cholesterol-lowering ability.
German ingredients firm Nutrinova has received approval from the US
Food and Drug Administration to market its Sunett brand of
acesulfame K for general use in the US.
A diet high in magnesium may help prevent the development of type 2
diabetes, especially in people who are overweight, suggests
evidence reported in two new studies out next month. The findings
add weight to theories that vitamins...
A compound extracted from garlic is effective against even the most
antibiotic-resistant strains of MRSA, the 'hospital superbug' that
now kills thousands of patients in the UK each year, reports a
British researcher.
Ingredients manufacturer National Starch has launched a new website
to promote the health benefits of carbohydrates, coming under
considerable pressure from the growing support for low-carb diets.
A range of low-carb chocolate bars is the latest US import hoping
to benefit from the popularity of the Atkins diet among the UK's
diet-obsessed consumers.
Women who eat tomato products regularly may be at lower risk of
heart disease, suggests a new study that has linked higher blood
levels of the tomato compound lycopene to reduced risk of the
chronic disease in women subjects.
German chemicals group Degussa said today it has sold its remaining
49-per cent share in Sudsalz to SWS-Alpensalz, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke (SWS), based in Heilbronn,
Germany. The divestment is part of...
A new tumour growth model, in which the tumour is a part of the
host's body, reveals that a low-calorie diet delays the growth of a
tumour, and thus increases life expectancy of the host, report
Dutch scientists.
Retinoic acid, a form of vitamin A, appears to cure the lung
disease emphysema in mice, according to a new study that suggests
the vitamin could one day provide a treatment for the disease in
humans, currently without cure.
Creatine supplementation is not only useful for high intensity
athletics but could also significantly boost performance of long
distance runners and those involved in sports taking place over
several days, suggests a new study from...
In response to an increasing worldwide demand for pectin, Danish
ingredients company Danisco is to expand its Czech production
capacity by 40 per cent to accommodate an expected growth rate of
5-6 per cent on the world market.
Grape juice significantly improved short-term memory and some
neuro-motor skills such as coordination and balance in preliminary
research on animals, presented last month.
Europe's first international conference on folates, taking place in
Poland early next year, is expected to shed new light on folate
bioavailability in foods and help understand how to boost
consumption of this essential vitamin.
The rye grain, and rye bran in particular, is rich in dietary fibre
and also contains a significant fructan concentration, which may
have important prebiotic properties, suggests a new publication.
Experts meeting at a symposium on probiotics this autumn said that
further scientific support is needed to explore the strong
potential for health benefits of these bacteria.
The lifestyles of today's parents, which has created the booming
market for unhealthy convenience foods, are partly to blame for the
rise in childhood obesity, suggests a new report. But a backlash
against junk food and the food...
Dutch group Numico, now focusing on babyfood and clinical
nutrition, has the potential to be among the fastest growing
companies in consumer staples, say analysts at Goldman Sachs.
German company Wacker Chemie has applied to approve
alpha-cyclodextrin as a novel food in Australia and New Zealand,
claiming it has dietary fibre-like properties.
Children should be strongly encouraged to regularly include
calcium-rich foods and drinks in their diets, report US
researchers, after a new study confirms the negative association
between the mineral and body fat.
Atkins Nutritionals, the company set up by the US pioneer of the
Atkins diet, is to launch its range of low carbohydrate foods
throughout the UK in January, the first European market for the
firm.
A food ingredient that can replace salt, add flavour and
lower cholesterol sounds too good to be true. But a Finnish
scientist says the spice Flavomare can do all of these things.
The UK's fourth biggest supermarket may introduce special labelling
for its low-carb products, reported market research firm
Datamonitor this week, which could spark a wave of diet-related
marketing.
Leading agricultural processor Archer Daniels Midland is to set up
a new business unit for speciality oils and fats, it announced
yesterday, in a bid to strengthen its position in value-added
ingredients. The company is facing increasing...
New research adds to the understanding of how obesity leads to
insulin resistance and could help improve prevention of type 2
diabetes, rising at a dramatic rate around the world.
ADM Natural Health and Nutrition has expanded its range of soya
isoflavone concentrates for use in food and food supplements.
Novasoy 700 has a minimum 70 per cent isoflavone content and
Novasoy 200 is a 20 per cent isoflavone concentrate.
