Four Indian scientists have developed a ready-to-eat paste designed for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM)—the most dangerous level of hunger.
Hurdles in food safety, taste and consumer acceptance await on the London South Bank University’s quest to join two big food innovations: 3D printing and insect-based ingredients.
A ban on manipulative junk food advertising to children is urgently needed to help fight increasing rates of childhood obesity, say University of Otago Wellington researchers.
A healthy diet is for now out of reach for low-income Australians, with climate change affecting the ability of food systems to provide sufficient nutritious and affordable foods at all times new research has revealed.
Efforts by successive Australian governments to make more healthy foods available in the country have failed, with few controls on food and beverage manufacturers being enforced, a new study has found.
Health groups in Australia have hit out at fast food chains that they say are “cashing in” by promoting seductively cheap frozen drinks that in many cases contain what they call “surprisingly large” amounts of added sugar.
The Singapore government’s scientific agency has joined forces with a university in a US$20m joint-venture to develop a variety of bread that will reduce blood sugar, among other research projects.
Polyphenol use in functional food and drink marketing has shot up 69% since 2009 even as consumer understanding remains low and approved global health claims extremely limited. But can it continue?
A paradigm shift is needed in the study of polyphenols to better understand the bioavailability, bio-activity, and the role of the gut microbiota in polyphenol metabolism and health benefits, say experts from academia and industry.
“I get personal because they [EFSA] get personal to me"
Veteran probiotic researcher professor Gregor Reid is not a happy man. It’s time the probiotic community fought back against those forces that have for too long denied a perfectly valid body of nutrition science in the form of commercial claims. It’s...
Food giant Nestlé has found a new research partner in the form of a Singaporean government agency to study, with whom it will be studying a number of food and packaging-related fields, including biotransformation.
Multiple issues in the omega-3 sector, a ‘saturated’ US food supplements market, a widespread consumer move to private label plus a strengthening euro have all impacted Dutch-Swiss ingredient giant DSM’s nutrition division in 2013, but it still delivered...
India’s rapidly growing obesity numbers have finally attracted the Weight Watchers brand of food products, which will be launched in India soon, an official with company’s Indian partner confirmed.
An analysis of Australian takeaway pizzas, including those from major national chains, supermarkets and gourmet outlets, showed more than half of those tested had more salt, sugar or fat in their products than stated on the company’s nutritional panels.
The UAE's plans to promote healthy eating are a good start, but the government and the food industry can both do more to combat obesity and diabetes, according to a Dubai-based dietitian.
A new study from New Zealand has found that nutritional food labels in use under the country’s daily intake system of labelling are not as effective as once thought and could be adversely impacting public health.
The food and nutrition industries should be focusing on bioavailablity and bioefficacy of nutrients, and not just on big numbers on product labels, says a leading social entrepreneur who has spent over a decade boosting the nutritional status of the severely...
Every day, FoodNavigator scans the scientific journals to bring you the most interesting developments in food science – but there are many that make us wonder why they were conducted in the first place.
New information released by the US-China Health Products Association gives insight into the massive export opportunity that awaits US dietary supplement manufacturers. A high proportion of Chinese consumers buy health products, and a large proportion...
At what point are consumers prepared to purchase fortified or functional foods and drinks? That’d be 0.84 according to the fortified/functional (FF) curve. Say what?...Euromonitor International analyst Diana Cowland explains why traditional markets remain...
Consumers are looking for foods and drinks that influence how they feel, whether that’s a drink that helps them sleep, or an indulgent ice cream. Mintel’s global food science analyst Laura Jones explains.
Inflation has been forcing households to cut down on their consumption of nutrient-rich foods by almost 40%, according to a new Indian chambers of industry survey.
A University of Adelaide researcher is seeking so-called “superfoodies” to participate in a study about the changing cultural perceptions of diet and health on Australian food production and consumption.
Benecol has expanded its plant stanol, cholesterol management-based health offering in the UK by adding vitamins that permit approved EU heart and bone health claims – a move analysts said should resonate with older consumers and give rival pro-activ...
Infant formula is the fastest growing healthy and functional food and drink category – adding almost $5bn (€3.63bn) in global sales in 2013 according to Euromonitor International.
More and more Australians are turning vegetarian, part of what is a slow but steady trend towards meat-free – or at least, meat-minimal – living in Australia, new research has suggested.
Special Edition: Tackling diabetes: Formulating for healthy blood sugar
With over 90% of Americans not consuming the RDA for vitamin E, and most people eating less than half of the RDA, there exists a significant opportunity to educate consumers on the benefits of this ‘overlooked’ nutrient, including for brain health.
Sales of brain health boosting food supplements like omega-3s, the B vitamin group, vitamin C and phosphatidylserine are driving the category toward sales of €2bn globally, even as brain-boosting foods and beverages have endured a flat period.
Despite two decades of increased agricultural productivity across the world, there has not been a corresponding drop in malnutrition rates. And now, two new multidisciplinary projects at the University of Sydney hope to address this challenge.
While Thailand has successfully controlled its problems with undernutrition over recent decades, the country is now facing an outbreak of overnutrition.
'Dynamic and interactive' event returns to Cannes, France
Innovation, sustainability, cutting-edge food science, and changing consumer behaviour will drive William Reed’s Food Vision event, with the programme offering food science through the focused lens of commercial interest to identify strategies for profitability...
From the 20th International Congress of Nutrition in Granada, Spain
The food industry came under attack last week at the International Congress of Nutrition (#ICN20) for not doing enough to improve the healthiness of its portfolios…unfairly, says Unilever.
Omega 3 from herring caviar will find a new market in Southeast Asia following a deal inked last week between Norway’s Arctic Nutrition and Holista Colltech of Malaysia that will see the fatty acid added to its supplements.
Thousands of nutritionists gathered in Granada, Spain, last week for the 20th International Congress of Nutrition. It was a huge event with eight simultaneous streams of seminars over a full week.
Live from the 20th International Congress of Nutrition
Prebiotics and other fibres have a big role to play in curbing spiraling obesity, diabetic and pre-diabetic rates in emerging economies like India and China, according to one respected nutrition academic here at the ICN in Granada.
By Katherine Rich, CEO of NZ Food & Grocery Council
“Thought leadership” is the new fashion for some corporates. It has been described by some as providing ideas that intrigue, challenge and inspire, but for others the phrase can sound more than a little bit Orwellian.
A new study in Australia has suggested that people on a long term high-fat diet will find it hard to lose and then maintain their weight as nerves that tell the brain that the stomach is full could be permanently damaged.
Having an office in the Philippines is a “logical step”, according to Barentz after the ingredients company opened the doors to its new Manilla base last weekend.
Belgian pea protein player Cosucra is investing €30m to build a ‘second line’ at its processing facility as European and North American demand rockets.
Daily ingestion of a mulberry leaf extract may lower blood sugar spikes after eating and help reduce the risk of diabetes, suggests data from a randomized clinical trial with 50 healthy people.
Asian agribusiness major Wilmar has received the first Vitafoods Asia Nutrition Innovation Award at a ceremony in Hong Kong in recognition of its efforts to address the health issues of Chinese consumers.
Indian nutraceutical companies have been watching a nascent industry mature over the last couple of years, and now recently released figures have backed up the boom.
Only 3% of Indians regard breakfast as an essential meal, nearly three-quarters do not eat an adequate breakfast each day and one in four skip it completely, according to a study sponsored by Kellogg’s.
A broad new study has found that that mums with unhealthy diets of cereals and sweet drinks during pregnancy are more likely to have children with behavioural problems.
Stevia supplier GLG Lifetech is working with China’s largest food company - state-owned COFCO (China National Cereals, Oils, and Foodstuffs Corporation) - on three major healthy food and beverage formulation projects.
“The most common mistake by western fast moving consumer good (FMCG) companies who launch new food and beverage brands in emerging markets is that they jump straight in to a Pleasure position with their brands.”
Soaring whey prices are changing the face of the protein concentrate market, but hefty Asian-driven premiums won’t signal a flood to plant proteins, says an analyst.
Organic growth and a healthy boost from last year’s €500m Fortitech investment lifted Q2 pre-tax profits 19% to €345m at Dutch ingredients and chemicals giant, Royal DSM.
