As the European consumer becomes more health-conscious, dairy
companies are finding new ways of tapping into the trend. And with
recent figures showing that butter and cheese sales in western
Europe continue to grow, it seems that...
Makers of the cholesterol-lowering ingredient Benecol, the Finnish
company Raisio, have launched a pasta containing the ingredient on
the home market this month. Benecol pasta is said to provide half
the daily dose of the stanol ester,...
A study on the effects of fatty diets on puppies, could provide
valuable insights into how oxidised fat affects growing children,
report researchers this month. The team found that even those fed a
moderate level of oxidised lipids...
Sudzucker subsidiary Palatinit reports this week that its sugar
replacer Isomalt can improve product properties and production
output of breakfast cereals. The sugar replacer is suitable for
diabetic foods and low-calorie products.
The maker of natural supplements Lichtwer Pharma has been warned
against making anti-ageing claims for a supplement designed to
promote healthy skin by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority.
Growing consumer interest in natural food ingredients has brought a
rise in the use of natural antioxidants. But synthetic varieties
are not suffering quite as much as anticipated, claim market
analysts Frost & Sullivan.
Reducing fat intake during puberty could help lower the risk of
breast cancer later on, report researchers in today's Journal of
the National Cancer Institute.
Aiming to improve its customer relations, French chemicals company
Rhodia announced this week that it is re-grouping its business
around four divisions to serve the company's key markets.
The Australian and New Zealand food agency is asking for comment on
an application that it has received to modify its brand new Food
Standards Code to permit the sale of formulated beverages or
water-based drinks containing added...
There is strong evidence that heart disease may be caused by
vitamin D deficiency, according to researchers from the University
of Bonn in Germany, who have been studying the causes of cardiac
failure. They report that there is a...
Dutch speciality foods group Wessanen said this week that 2002
earnings will be lower than previously announced, following poor
fourth quarter results at its Tree of Life North America division.
The CEO and CFO of the division are...
The entry of European brands, such as Nestle's LC-1, to the US and
Canadian market will be under scrutiny at an upcoming conference in
Canada in February. The event looks at case studies to offer
discussion on industry issues.
While some believe that people should increase their intake of
potassium, scientists warn in a recent issue of the BMJ that
in the high risk population that may benefit most from an increased
intake of the mineral, several medical...
Research into the hazards and risks of taking dietary supplements
should be a priority, according to US researchers who assessed the
adverse events caused by natural supplements.
Scientists in Spain have identified a gene in ripe strawberries
that could help create vitamin-enriched food in the future,
according to a report by ABC News. The gene encodes an
enzyme in strawberry plants that helps to convert a...
British food producers and retailers will have to comply with
strict criteria if they wish to use the new 5-A-DAY logo, to be
launched by the UK government's Department of Health, on their
packaging, the government said on Friday.
The organisers of Natural Products Expo, the health and nutritional
products tradeshow, are launching a two-day event, SupplyExpo
Europe, to coincide with the original event in Amsterdam this June.
The event will offer visitors access...
The health unit of speciality chemicals manufacturer Croda
Chemicals Europe is to expand lipid production in the UK, following
increased market demand for high purity, high potency lipids in
nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, it...
Despite the widely held belief that adolescents who come from
higher-income families tend to be less obese than comparable
children from families with less income, a new study suggests that
this may not be uniformly true for both...
Having a drink at least three times a week may help protect men
from heart attacks, report researchers in the US in this week's
New England Journal of Medicine. The observational study,
which tracked the drinking habits of nearly...
Mothers who supplement their diet with fatty acids rich in
docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) during pregnancy and lactation may
increase the IQ of their children, say researchers in this month's
Pediatrics journal.
Drinks containing caffeine can significantly affect children's
behaviour, report scientists in the US, who found that teenagers
who drink lots of fizzy drinks have trouble sleeping. They suggest
that such drinks are made less...
Northern Ireland-based Dolphin Sea Vegetable Company (DSV) is
introducing its blend of Red Marine Algae as a food supplement to
treat bacteria and viruses such as Candida albicans and
Enterococcus faecalis bacteria.
A Frost & Sullivan report on the market for fortified foods in
India finds that while food companies have understood their target
segments well, some products being offered, such as soft drinks,
are merely marketing gimmicks.
Eating fruit and vegetables rich in the antioxidant lutein may
improve eyesight in people with age-related cataracts, suggest
researchers in Spain reporting on results from a two-year study.
The team noted that vitamin E did not produce...
Taking a combination of different fatty acids in supplements may
improve cholesterol levels in healthy women, and lower their risk
of heart attack, report Canadian researchers in the recent issue of
the American Journal of Clinical...
The Scottish government has launched a major long-term campaign to
improve the diet of its population in a bid to combat the nation's
poor record in health problems. The campaign includes an extra
investment of £40 million (€61.5m)...
Obesity and being overweight in adulthood are associated with large
decreases in life expectancy and increases in early mortality,
according to the latest research. The report, published in this
month's Annals of Internal Medicine,...
Some soybean varieties may be able to improve the nutritional
levels of women who are marginally iron deficient, suggest US
researchers who have been studying iron bioavailability in
different varieties of the seed.
Eating fish may help to reverse some of the damage caused by
smoking, according to new research by scientists in Ireland. The
researchers found that taurine, an amino acid present in fish,
restored normal vessel function in smokers,...
In what is likely to prove controversial, researchers in India have
almost completed development of genetically modified protein-rich
potatoes, designed to tackle malnutrition among poor Indian
children.
German chemicals company Degussa has sold its Frankfurt/Main-based
biopharmaceutical company Zentaris to Canadian firm AEterna
Laboratories for approximately €50 million, the company said last
week. The move marks the much-talked...
DuPont, the largest US chemical company, and the leading oilseed
processor Bunge, are joining forces to launch a soy ingredients
business, the firms announced this week. The venture will tap into
the booming market for health foods.
New methods to analyse the essential B vitamin folate, both in
foods and in blood products, are being developed by scientists to
help in setting recommended folate levels.
A homeopathic cold remedy derived from zinc significantly reduces
the severity and duration of common cold symptoms, even when
treatment is started as late as the second day of illness, finds a
new study.
A new study calls into question the use of supplements for people
with high blood pressure. The latest research suggests that vitamin
A and E could both raise blood pressure levels, although it
confirms the benefits of vitamin C.
French chemicals company Rhodia is to sell its UK-based brewing and
enzymes businesses to US biotech company Genencor International in
a bid to strengthen its focus on food additives.
New evidence suggests that nicotine may not only cause addiction
but the compound and its derivatives could also promote cancer
development and progression. The findings, which support other
recent results, could lead to an evaluation...
Adding high-dose calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, to
weekly treatment with the chemotherapy agent docetaxel (Taxotere)
appears to improve the therapeutic response in men with
androgen-independent prostate cancer without compromising...
While the diabetic food sector remains largely undeveloped by major
food producers, certain factors such as limited distribution and
consumer uncertainty may prevent further growth of the category. A
new report investigates.
Parents should beware the many new fruit-based drinks on the market
as children are drinking less of the healthier pure fruit juice,
suggests new research published in the Journal of the American
Dietetic Association.
Nestle subsidiary Cereal Partners UK has entered the rapidly
growing cereal bar market, with the launch of three new bars. The
'Cereal and Milk Bars', already available in France, Portugal and
Spain, are made from the Nestle...
Farm-raised fish eating specially formulated diets high in fatty
acids could improve people's health and also satisfy different
palates, according to US researchers who are testing additives of
conjugated linoleic acid, an omega-6...
A beer a day may help keep heart attacks away, according to a group
of Israeli researchers. In preliminary clinical studies of a group
of men with coronary artery disease, the researchers showed that
drinking one beer every day for...
A survey of supplement use among more than 45,000 American men and
women shows that many people are self-treating medical conditions
with natural remedies. The authors urged doctors to be aware of the
the conditions their patients...
The popular herbal remedy kava, commonly used to treat stress and
anxiety, has been banned in the UK by the Medicines Control Agency
(MCA) following concerns that it can lead to liver poisoning. The
UK previously issued a voluntary...
The European Commission today cleared the joint venture between
Swiss food group Nestle and New Zealand's dairy cooperative
Fonterra to produce and distribute dairy products in North and
South America.
A public health initiative to enrich cereal grain foods in Canada
with folic acid has halved the prevalence of neural-tube defects
among both unborn and newborn children, report authors of a
research letter in this week's issue...
American company RiceX, which makes rice bran-based functional food
ingredients, is to launch its product range in Europe, following a
distribution agreement with Belgium's Kreglinger.
