The UK Cadbury salmonella scare continues to dog the company as its
local council applies for around £30,000 (€44,500) in funding to
investigate safety breaches at the factory where contamination
occurred.
As food manufacturers inch closer to the holy grail of low-calorie,
trans-fat free flavor-fantastic products one has to ask how we
veered so far from the common sense of fresh home-cooked meals.
Food and beverage makers could soon tap into a range of new
ingredients with a healthy twist as sugar and sweetener firm Tate
& Lyle launches a new venture capital arm to focus on
next-generation ingredients.
Food scientists are becoming a rare species in Britain, and things
won't change unless schools and food firms start telling young
people there is more to food than a supermarket depot.
Sweets such as chocolate and toffees will not be sold in school
canteens throughout Russia from September 1 of this year under a
new initiative announced by the country's chief sanitary doctor,
Gennady Onischenko.
An industry expert has warned that the situation could be 'dire'
for the chocolate industry if ways of preventing cacao diseases are
not effectively explored.
Last week's comment on the food industry's role in the rising
obesity epidemic has generated a flood of responses from readers
agreeing with or disputing our position that the industry deserves
a break. Some of the comments...
Laying the blame for a fatter world at the feet of the food
industry has become a convenient mistake, and until this is
recognized there is little chance of controlling the growing
obesity epidemic.
A moth with a penchant for cocoa may not sound too great an
ecological threat, but the Cocoa Pod Borer (CPB) is threatening to
ruin Papua New Guinea's entire crop.
Cargill has taken full control of its xanthan gum joint venture in
China, opening the way for it to take a bigger share of the
competitive gums market.
Fuelled by a combination of health concerns and changing tastes,
dark chocolate has become one of the most rapidly growing sectors
in the confectionery market in the last year.
The short sighted failure of greedy WTO trading partners to achieve
any sort of meaningful agreement on global agricultural tariffs is
bad for Europe's food industry.
Confectioners could soon find themselves doing their bit to help
the environment following the news that scientists have found a way
to extract hydrogen from chocolate waste.
Sugar-free alternatives are beginning to take off in a number of
food sectors, driven by health concerns and product innovation
according to new research.
New opportunities for health-focussed products in the confectionery
industry have bolstered the market, which is estimated to increase
by 16 per cent in the next four years to more than €115bn.
Functional foods are generally defined as products imbued with
additional nutrients with health-promoting properties. But the
industry needs to be wary of foods that present no actual health
benefit from piggy-backing on the popularity...
Cadbury Schweppes was the most likely source of an outbreak of
Salmonella montevideo that poisoned 37 people from February to June
this year, according to the UK's health authorities.
Global ingredients manufacturer, Tate and Lyle, has announced that
expansion at its new artificial sweetener facilities is on target -
heralding an imminent boost in supplies to manufacturers.
The Internet is offering a wealth of information to more and more
people, but also an avenue for irresponsible businesses to exploit
consumer health concerns.
Fat and calorie content remain at the top of the list when it comes
to checking food labels, according to a recent poll, which reveals
that although most consumers check labels they are still likely to
purchase 'unhealthy'...
The rise of organic food is a knee-jerk reaction to consumer health
fears, and threatens to unhelpfully steer us away from improving
the quality of food generally.
Body Shop International has donated its shares in Fairtrade
chocolate enterprise, The Day Chocolate Company - giving the money
back to the cocoa farmers who originally founded the business.
A sweetener system for bakery products is designed to reduce the
fat and calorie content of baked goods without altering the taste
and texture, according to manufacturer Cargill, which introduced
its product at the IFT show in Orlando...
Tate and Lyle has announced the launch of Meritab - a new direct
compressible dextrose that can be used in confectionary,
nutraceutical and pharmaceutical applications.
The role of food craving must be properly investigated if we are to
successfully develop measures to counter the current obesity
crisis, said Marcia Levin Pelchat from Morell Chemical Senses
Center in the US.
The obesity issue is not going to solve itself, concluded
participants in a CIAA debate this month who advocated an EU-wide
approach to tackling the problem, with the food and drink industry
forming part of the solution.
President of the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) Margaret
Lawson has become vice president for science and innovation at
global food colour manufacturer DD Williamson.
UK ingredients firm Tate & Lyle is using the IFT convention in
Orlando as a platform to introduce two new sweetener solutions on
the US market, designed to be convenient delivery systems for the
firm's proprietary sucralose...
Food technologists and manufacturers will be swarming to Florida
tomorrow to learn about the latest ingredients innovations as the
2006 IFT annual meeting and food expo opens its doors in Orlando's
Orange County Convention Center.
At a time when consumer perceptions of famous brand names are at an
all time low - and private label goods are taking an ever
increasing market share - retailers must start acting more like
brand managers to improve their bargaining...
Sales of sparkling juices, bottled water and flavoured milk soared
in Queensland this summer, as the Australian state experienced one
of the longest and hottest summers on record.
Beer, bakery, confectionery, sweet drinks, pizzas, snacks galore,
and even dog food. The list of products with World Cup tie-ins is
dominated by junk food, while healthy food makers seem content to
pass up the marketing opportunities...
Cargill Sweetness Solutions has welcomed the change in EU law
surrounding the sweetener erythritol, saying it will give food and
beverage manufactures across Europe greater flexibility in
developing their products.
The UK advertising regulator Ofcom is under pressure to reconsider
its rejection of a 9pm watershed ban on junk food advertising,
according to a UK newspaper.
Sensory perception of flavours could be boosted, and salt levels
lowered, by choosing the optimal starch thickener, say scientists,
a result that could have big implications for the food industry.
Unilever has launched Choices, a front of pack logo programme
designed to help consumers identify packaged foods and beverages
that offer a healthier choice.
The relationship between journalist 'hack' and scientist 'lab-rat'
must be developed if science is to get a fair deal in the press,
and for consumers to be presented balanced and accurate science
coverage.
New minimum nutrition standards for English school food, designed
to ensure healthier eating, has resulted in the banning of certain
products high in salt, fat and sugar.
