Safety and innovation were on the agenda this week, when the head
of French dairy group Lactalis met with the Croatian vice president
to discuss the company's plans for rejuvenating the country's dairy
sector.
Cargill has announced its plans to enter the omega-3 ingredient
market - a development likely to cause concern for smaller
companies already cashing in on the popularity of these fatty
acids.
Sabinsa Corporation is combining the forces of three of its
established patented ingredients in the unveiling of a new weight
management ingredient LeanGard.
New results and breakthroughs took centre stage in Berlin at the
First International Conference on Innovations and Trends in Weight
Loss and Weight Management.
German fragrance and flavours group Symrise saw a strong increase
in sales and profits for its Flavours and Nutrition Division in
full year 2006, largely attributed to innovations like its 'and'
range of products.
The European Commission is set to challenge Spain over its ban on
the import of herbal products before the European Court of Justice
- a policy it says is an unjustified and disproportionate barrier
to EU trade.
A new juice containing a host of added value ingredients, including
the latest superfruit, mangosteen, will be launched in Western
Europe this summer to target the growing functional food sector.
Fonterra has developed a technique that allows colostrum to be
added to ready-to-drink beverages with a longer shelf-life, opening
up opportunities for new kinds of products and building sales of
the ingredient in Asia.
Being prepared for a US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
inspection requires advanced and effective planning and, for
nutraceutical companies whose products do not require FDA
pre-approval, it may be their first hands on experience...
A "practical dose" of the soluble fibre beta-glucan from oats
significantly lowered cholesterol levels in high-risk patients,
says a new randomised interventional trial.
US scientists have produced a pizza with enhanced antioxidant
content in the crust, aimed to boost antioxidant defences and
protect against oxidative stress.
Australian legislation on nutritional labelling has come under the
spotlight with the announcement by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) that its
Ribena drinks brand may have misled consumers over the amount of
vitamin C it contains.
Converting food and beverage product labels from US to EC
format requires an in-depth understanding of European labeling
legislation, which is more complex than it often appears to be,
regulatory experts at consultancy firm Leatherhead...
DSM Nutritional Products is emphasising quality as the crucial
point of differentiation between the vitamin C it produces in the
green hills of Scotland - now known as Quali-C - and cheaper
material from Asia.
Proanthocyanidin-rich extracts from grape seeds may prevent skin
cancer by boosting the immune system, says a new study that used
hairless mice to model human sun exposure.
Nutritionists and policy-makers have put the issue of healthy
ageing way down the list of priorities, and the problem must be
addressed sooner rather than later, says a new report.
Pterostilbene, a compound found in blueberries, may prevent the
development of tumours in the colon, if results from an animal
study can be translated to humans, researchers have said.
Coca-Cola North America has announced its plans to launch Diet Coke
Plus, a carbonated calorie-free beverage with the added value of
vitamins and minerals, that could put the concept of functionality
at the front line of the soft...
The presence of Benecol in Portugal is increasing with the
announcement that the cholesterol-reducing ingredient is being
introduced to olive oil, said to capture all the growth in the fats
markets in Portugal by 2010.
Kyowa Hakko Europe is to increase prices across its range of
L-amino acids by ten per cent as of April 1, in an effort to stave
off margin deterioration and ensure long-term availability of the
ingredients.
Hesperidin and naringin, compounds found in oranges and grapefruit,
cut cholesterol levels by about 25 per cent in lab animals, says a
study that may boost interest in these citrus flavonones.
Watermelon juice may provide a novel source of the essential amino
acid arginine, says a new study that shows the juice is a rich
source of its metabolic precursor.
Denomega Nutritional Oils has announced the Health Canada approval
of its omega-3 ingredients for use in most foods, thereby opening
up another market to the company.
A new study has indicated the safety of Biocell's Collagen II, the
dietary ingredient for boosting joint health - an important result,
says the company, as it moves on to getting GRAS certification.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said that it will not
bow to industry pressure over scientific assessment of vitamins and
minerals submitted for the positive list of the 2002 food
supplements directive.
Ingredients supplier Taiyo International said it has received a
'letter of no objection' from the US Food and Drug Administration
(FDA) for the self-affirmed GRAS status of its L-theanine brand
Suntheanine.
The NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
(NINDS) is launching a large-scale clinical trial to assess whether
the ingredient creatine can slow the progression of Parkinson's
disease.
The American Herbal Products Association is backing two bills
introduced to Congress to expand the use of food stamps to include
nutritional supplements, as well to provide tax breaks for some
products.
The US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) risk assessment on meat
and milk from cloned animals is based on "flawed assumptions
and misrepresented findings", according to an independent
review released yesterday.
France-based Berkem is building the science behind their
ingredients, with results from a double-blind placebo-controlled
study for their lemon balm extract showing efficiency for the
developing anti-psychological stress market.
Pharmachem Laboratories has acquired the exclusive United States,
Mexico, and Canada distribution rights for patented Lactium, shown
to reduce the effects of stress and promote relaxation.
The strength of Danisco Cultures is reflected in the company's
financial report for the first nine months of 2006/7, in which the
division helped drive organic growth for both Bioingredients and
its overarching Ingredients sector.
In 2006, Datamonitor categorized the mangosteen juice category as
one of the top ten trends to watch in its online ProductScan, but
according to manufacturer and marketer Xango, the category is here
to stay.
Danisco has developed a new ice cream based on goat's milk,
plugging the formulation as a means for companies to target the
growing demand for speciality products.
Boswellia serrata extract performed as well as a selective COX-2
inhibitor in a controlled clinical study to assess its effect on
relieving osteoarthritis pain, researchers report in the Journal of
Indian Pharmacology.
Irish scientists report that a combination of five probiotic
strains may reduce food poisoning by salmonella, if results of
their pig study can be translated to humans.
Leatherhead Food International is proposing an industry
collaboration to identify end markets where use of prebiotics and
probiotics are likely to offer growth opportunities for the future.
News that a variety of GM corn produced signs of liver and kidney
toxicity in rats should be a wake-up call for better testing and
more transparency from biotechs, if GMOs are to be accepted by
increasingly sceptical consumers.
Danisco has developed a new formulation of probiotics called Howaru
Protect, specifically targeted to reducing cold and 'flu symptoms,
and is exploring its use by the food, supplements and
pharmaceutical industries.
Scientists in the US have identified a mechanism that may explain
how lutein acts against inflammation, research that deepens
understanding of the nutrient's benefits.
The Alliance for Natural Health has informed the European
Commission that it is scrutinising its procedures on food
supplements and those of EFSA, and may launch a legal challenge if
any of its 15 'test' submissions to the...
