Chocolate fails to improve motor function despite increased consumption by Parkinson’s sufferers

25-May-2012 - Dark chocolate and cocoa ingredients do not improve motor function for those with Parkinson’s disease despite increased consumption among those with the disease, according to a study.

EU article 13 health claim compliance D Day: December 14, 2012

25-May-2012 - The controversial European Union article 13 health claim list has this morning been published in the Official Journal of the European Union, giving companies until December 14 to get their claim-making in order.

EFSA recommends expanding sterol-stanol cholesterol claim

23-May-2012 - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that plant stanols and sterols can more powerfully reduce cholesterol reduction after assessing fresh data submitted by category leaders, Raisio and Unilever.

EU article 13 health claims register

222 EU health claims become law; experts predict “tsunami of cheap innovation”

16-May-2012 - It’s official. Companies have six months – until December – to comply with the controversial European Union article 13, general function health claims register which today won final approval from the European Commission.

Frutarom rolls out “winter ailment” herb and mineral suite

16-May-2012 - Consumer concerns about drug resistance, promising market data and interest from the industry in established, ‘safe’ ingredients with EFSA-approved claims are behind Frutarom’s decision to roll out a range of ingredients addressing immune health.

Comment

Vitafoods: EU nutra space wriggles into new health claims clothes

15-May-2012 - Vitafoods celebrates its 15th birthday next week. It’ll be my 11th consecutive May visit to Geneva for the jamboree and promises to be one of the most intriguing chapters with the (partial and belated) resolution of years of ambiguity regarding health claims in Europe.

Black pepper extract could fight fat by blocking cell formation

09-May-2012 - Researchers have unravelled the mechanism behind black pepper’s purported weight management properties after they revealed that piperine from black pepper extract may block fat cell formation.

Guest article

Who is regulating EU cyber supplement sales?

07-May-2012 - Food supplements are ideally suited for online sales: stable, light, high-value, popular with consumers. It is therefore no surprise that online food supplement sales are on the rise with the promise of lower prices and home delivery.

Comment

Is the game up for DMAA? Why the FDA crackdown raises more questions than answers…

03-May-2012 - They’ve had the sword of Damocles hanging over their heads for months. So when 10 firms selling DMAA supplements were finally told to put up or shut up by the FDA last week, it looked like the game might finally be up for the controversial stimulant.

Plant-animal protein blend boosts post-workout muscles: Study

03-May-2012 - Blending dairy-derived whey and casein with soy protein can yield benefits in a post-workout setting, according to pioneering but unpublished research.

ADM opens new innovation centre in the Netherlands

03-May-2012 - Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) has opened a development centre in The Netherlands to provide advice on chocolate and cocoa products.

Rejected cranberry wins EU medical UTI claim

02-May-2012 - €3 million and seven years of research and development work have paid off for Medical Brands which has won the right to make medical urinary tract infection (UTI) claims in the EU and beyond with its cranberry partner, Decas Botanical Synergies (DBS).

AHPA: If DMAA is in geranium, synthesized version is a lawful dietary ingredient

30-Apr-2012 - If DMAA (1,3-Dimethylamylamine) exists naturally in geranium - which has been in the food supply for years - synthesized DMAA is also a lawful dietary ingredient permitted for use in supplements, says the American Herbal Product Association (AHPA).

Novel plant blend could be a game changer in fight vs metabolic syndrome, claim inventors

25-Apr-2012 - Florida-based ATM Metabolics is in advanced negotiations with some of the biggest food and beverage brands in the US and Europe about incorporating Emulin - the insulin-mimicking active ingredient in GNC’s top-selling glucose control supplement GC7X - into packaged foods and drinks.

Unilever aims to identify ancient plants with added nutritional value

19-Apr-2012 - A new scientific consortium led by Unilever aims to  identify nutritionally valuable varieties of fruits and vegetables from the past, in order to produce natural health ingredients for the future, says the industry giant.

Mint extract targets gut health (via the brain)

18-Apr-2012 - German firm Vital Solutions has debuted an “IP protected” mint family extract that in-vitro and ex-vivo testing has shown to reduce gastrointestinal discomfort.

Liquorice root found to contain potentially anti-diabetic substance

17-Apr-2012 - Amorfrutins found in the root of liquorice may have anti-inflammatory effects and could aslo be useful in the reduction of blood sugar levels, according to new research.

Cocoa no help for arterial stiffness: Study

16-Apr-2012 - Despite being related to a lower cardiovascular risk, cocoa intake does not necessarily improve arterial stiffness in subjects with cardiovascular risk factors, say researchers.

Eating cruciferous vegetables may boost breast cancer survival rate

13-Apr-2012 - Consumption of increased amounts of cruciferous vegetables such as turnips and bok choy is associated with improved breast cancer survival rates among Chinese women, say researchers.

Tasteless green tea extract could open beverage NPD doors

13-Apr-2012 - Taiyo has developed a taste-free green tea extract for use in beverage applications which it claims will expand new product development possibilities for beverage manufacturers.

Red wine compound can battle obesity: Study

05-Apr-2012 - A resveratrol-like compound found in red wine and fruits could have potential for fighting obesity by blocking fat uptake, according to new research.

Natural antioxidants could stabilise flaxseed omega-3 encapsulations

04-Apr-2012 - Natural polyphenols could be the final part of a solution to bring stability to omega-3 rich flax oils, say researchers.

Soy industry appeals to EC over EFSA cholesterol rejection

03-Apr-2012 - The soy industry has written to the European Commission highlighting what it sees as serious failings in EFSA’s assessment of its rejected soy protein-cholesterol claim.

Green tea extract specialist defends 1m+ ORAC measures

30-Mar-2012 - South African herbal extracts specialist Green Cell Technologies (GCT) has defended the antioxidant measures that showed its green and rooibos tea extracts could deliver ORAC values of around 1,700,000 per 100g.