Over-50s are bigger users of alternative medicine than other age
groups, with 71 percent saying they turned to at least one of six
forms (herbal medicine, acupuncture, chiropractor, massage therapy,
breathing exercises or meditation)...
Cereal makers have a major hold on the heart health foods market
but new ingredients will help other sectors tap into strong
consumer demand for these products, writes Dominique Patton.
The ingredients industry is, and always has been, driven by
science, but consumers' continuing mistrust of mainstream medicine
and the growing trend towards self care makes it more important
than ever for products to wear their...
Food manufacturers who are still not convinced that they need to
start taking a healthier approach should heed a recent survey by
the GMA, writes Philippa Nuttall.
Last week General Mills (GM) announced the launch of Wheaties and
Total multivitamins. Jess Halliday asks whether the cereal
brands are strong enough to secure a foothold in an already mature
marketplace. If so will they encourage...
A new report suggests that Americans are waking up to the health
benefits of cultured dairy products - and in particular probiotic
shots - as part of the wider trend towards functional foods,
reports Jess Halliday.
Consumers may be exposed to increasing amounts of herbals, despite
intentional usage having reached a plateau in recent years, due to
the addition of ingredients such as lutein and lycopene in
multivitamins, say researchers.
The Grain Foods Foundation has launched a multi-million dollar
campaign to educate consumers in New York and Washington, DC on the
nutritional benefits of bread and other grain products.
The popularity of low carb diets makes the message of National
Folic Acid Awareness Week more significant than ever, as women of
childbearing age may be risking the health of their babies by
cutting back on sources of the B vitamin.
Health-conscious consumers are increasingly opting for organic
packaged foods over natural foods and beverages, suggests a new
report from the National Marketing Institute (NMI).
The low-carb diet industry is defying media reports from the end of
last year which claimed the fad was on its way out, according to
the latest survey from Opinion Dynamics Corporation (ODC).
A report from market researcher Mintel suggests that soy may be
falling out of favor with consumers, and that food manufacturers
are having to be more imaginative in their bid to encourage them to
include it in their diets.
The functional foods and drinks market in the US is likely to
continue its healthy growth curve through 2009 and could be worth
$20 billion by 2007, according to a new report by Packaged Facts,
writes Jess Halliday.
The carbonated drinks market has suffered from the country's
increasing interest in weight and wellness and it needs to be more
creative if it is to avoid stagnating, reports Philippa
Nuttall.
Foods offering consumers a quick-fix way to look fit and healthy
are on the rise in the US market, with bakery and cereals set to
remain at the heart of this trend for at least the next four years,
reports Chris Mercer.
Individuals, health officials and the food industry must act now to
halt the alarming proportion of low-income Asian and Pacific
Islander children in California becoming overweight, if the figures
of study published last week are...
The older generation is leading the consumption of nutritional
supplements in the US and the aging baby boomers are the population
to invest in, according to a new report, that also shows the
supplement industry is now firmly in the...
The Institute of Medicine (IOM) on Friday launched a national
strategy aimed at stemming the rising tide of childhood obesity in
the US, and highlighted the increasing role that producers of
healthy and functional foods can play in...
This week has seen more trials and tribulations in the Atkins diet
saga with the Partnership for Essential Nutrition launching a
campaign to prevent marketers of low-carb diets from distributing
information through the nation's...
In affirming its support for Hispanic Heritage Month, the Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) and the National Alliance for Hispanic
Health, highlighted the health challenges facing the Hispanic
community; challenges the supplement...
The drinks industry believes fortified beverages are the answer to
claims that Americans are increasingly drinking sweetened soft
drinks at the expense of more nutritious alternatives.
Atkins Nutritionals' announcement on Monday that it had hired a
turnaround specialist to help it cope with tough competition from
rival food companies is the clearest sign yet that consumer
interest in low-carb diets is finally...
Earlier this week we reported how fiber-enriched products could be
the next big thing to hit the US health food market. Philippa
Nuttall spoke to dietician Pat Baird, member of the newly
formed National Fiber Council, about the importance...
World demand for nutraceutical chemicals will advance by 6.1 per
centannually to reach $9.6 billion in 2008, serving a $173 billion
nutritional products industry, according to a new report from the
Freedonia group.
Today the US government will host a public meeting for feedback on
imminent changes to the food guide pyramid while the food
industry's largest association continues to say that the 'shape' of
the pyramid does not need...
As the 2004 Olympic Games get under way, Philippa Nuttall
speaks to Frost & Sullivan's Savithri Ramalinga, about the
challenges facing the sports beverage industry in North America.
Minneapolis based French Meadow Bakery has launched a line of
reduced-carb baked products that it claims taste as good as the
real thing. A study released this week by the Hartman Group found
the taste and texture of low-carb foods...
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.
Food manufacturers should perhaps think twice before jumping on the
low-carb band-wagon as an increasing number of reports are
suggesting that this fad is slowly running out of favour with
consumers. A survey published yesterday by...
The health of America's largest minority population is making the
headlines again as Univision Communications, the Spanish-language
media company, teams up with Longs Drug Stores to promote the
wellness of the Hispanic population....
Initiatives by food makers to push food products that can tap into
the growing health concerns from consumers have found support from
a new study that backs ongoing research to suggest a healthier diet
and lifestyle can potentially...
The majority of US citizens are still not sure which dietary
supplements they should be taking, according to a national survey
released today by San Diego based Life Force International (LFI), a
manufacturer of liquid whole food natural...
While around 76 percent of US consumers believe they eat healthily,
57 percent of them feel overweight according to a new survey by
Deloitte & Touche. This contradiction raises a host of issues
for the food industry as it works...
Mexico is going the way of its northern neighbors and turning away
from its traditional high-carb diet, often opting instead for high
protein/low carbohydrate eating habits.
Japan's elderly population is getting even older, reveals a new
government report that shows the number of people living over the
age of 100 has doubled in the last five years.
More than one third of US adults use complementary and alternative
medicine, according to a new nationwide government survey, with
almost 20 per cent of these taking natural products, such as herbs
or other botanicals.
Atkins Nutritionals, the business created to support the diet plan
developed by Robert Atkins, says its reputation and science is
being ripped off by new diets, based on reducing carbohydrates.
Food and supplement makers seeking entry to the rapidly growing
low-carb market may not need to reformulate or develop new
products, according to a market researcher.
The state of obesity in the US is due to lack of exercise rather
than eating too much. In addition TV commercials encourage people
to eat or drink more than is good for them. These are the damning
verdicts of a survey which questioned...
Almost 80 per cent of consumers are 'extremely' or 'very' satisfied
with the supplement brands they have used, according to a new
survey by ConsumerLab, which also reveals the brand names rated
most highly by consumers.
The manufacturer of energy drink Gatorade may be about to pay twice
the sum it currently invests in sponsoring the National Football
League, according to reports yesterday.
Spearing growth in emerging markets in Asia Pacific, US nutritional
supplements company Reliv International is heading for Singapore
with new operations tipped for opening next month.
Leading supplement retailer GNC will market a new heart health
supplement containing the Cargill phytosterol ingredient CoroWise.
The launch marks the expansion of phytosterols into new application
areas, following approval from the...
California's Renaissance Herbs has filed patent revocation
petitions in an Indian court in an ongoing battle over patent
rights for hydroxycitric acid (HCA), the weight loss ingredient
being promoted by the company as an ephedra...
Dutch firm Lipid Nutrition has received confirmation from the US
Food and Drug Administration that its Betapol lipid, a human milk
fat replacer, is safe for use in infant formula.
Fish oil capsules are much lower in contaminants than farmed fish,
reports Canadian paper The Globe and Mail and CTV News
today, following results of research commissioned by the news
services last month.
Global sports and energy drinks showed continued growth in 2003,
far outpacing soft drinks in general with a 7 per cent increase,
according to new data from beverage industry analysts Canadean.
