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23-Dec-2010 - 2010 has been another tough year for the European functional food and supplements industries as health claim rejections have continued to flood in, leaving some in a state of high anxiety, fear and dread. Others are just mildly annoyed at a situation they see as being grossly unfair.

The food industry in 2010: A retrospective

20-Dec-2010 - As 2010 draws to a close, our journalists look back at the issues that have topped agendas across the food, beverage and dietary supplements industries in the last 12 months. Commodity prices, Bisphenol A, obesity, health claims, safety regulations, and more…

PepsiCo pays a high price for a gamble in Russian dairy

08-Dec-2010 - When PepsiCo put up $5.4bn last week to acquire Wimm-Bill-Dann, it was seduced by the promise of high revenue growth but like any high-yield investment the Russian deal does not come without risks.

EU food safety left rudderless by Commission move on BPA

29-Nov-2010 - The hand on the tiller that is food safety in Europe has been left somewhat unsteady by the recent regulatory actions taken by the European Commission on BPA and food colours – moves that are pandering to consumer fear and showing contempt for the food safety agency it created.

The sweet and sour of cranberry testing methods

23-Nov-2010 - As Thanksgiving approaches and minds turn to turkey and the trimmings, what better time for the cranberry industry’s main players to agree on a unified method of analysis?

For front-of-pack labels, smart choices take time

02-Nov-2010 - Uh-oh, surely not another industry-sponsored front-of-pack nutrition label! Food industry engagement is welcome, but let’s take it slowly – no one benefits until we figure out a system that works.

Regulatory clarity for nutricosmetics proves elusive

14-Oct-2010 - Somewhere, in some time, there exists a land of beauty and promise for nutricosmetics products, where beauty supplements, foods and drinks can frolic, happy in the knowledge of their justifiable claims.The problem is that getting to this promised land appears to be somewhat complex.

Bisphenol A on the brink?

05-Oct-2010 - To BPA or not to BPA? While the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) backed the continued use of bisphenol A last week, the real question is whether the verdict was a full-blown reprieve for the controversial chemical or merely a stay of execution.

High fructose corn syrup: A sugar by any other name

28-Sep-2010 - Once upon a time sugar was sugar, and sugar was most definitely not good for you. So the Corn Refiners Association move to rebrand high fructose corn syrup as corn sugar is a daring move – but should do little to sweeten its reputation.

Why cavemen could hold the key to healthy eating

20-Sep-2010 - There’s something incongruous about the hi-tech modern food industry sniffing around the Palaeolithic era for the next big consumer trend. But hold the side order of cynicism. There might just be some logic to good old-fashioned instinctive eating.

Time to embrace balanced kids’ marketing regulation

13-Sep-2010 - Kids are not going to stop liking chocolate, pizza, ice cream, or fries. Heck, neither am I. So why is industry so afraid of mandatory restrictions on marketing to children?

Don’t worry about wheat prices: Look at grain stocks

30-Aug-2010 - There’s nothing like a shortage of wheat to send some news media searching for superlatives. Talk of “soaring” wheat prices and “rocketing” bread prices were common, in the British press, after Russia decided to temporarily ban grain exports earlier this month. Three weeks later what lessons can we lean?

Let’s hear it for the sound of compostable packaging

23-Aug-2010 - The world’s first 100 percent biodegradable chip packet attracted a lot of noise last week, but not the buzz that SunChips’ maker FritoLay had been hoping for.

‘MacStatins’ are not the answer to unhealthy food

16-Aug-2010 - Do you want a statin with that cheeseburger and milkshake? Touting pharmaceuticals as the neutralisers of fast food is not the answer to unhealthy diets and even the suggestion sends out the wrong message.

Is cloned food legal? Europe must decide, and fast

09-Aug-2010 - Big oops. Meat and milk from the offspring of cloned animals has entered the UK food chain. Cue scary headlines and scared consumers. But the leviathan of EU-lawmaking means no-one actually knows if it’s legal or not. And that’s an even bigger oops.

Energy drink makers must do more to protect children

02-Aug-2010 - Energy drinks makers risk a regulatory clamp down if they fail to take action on marketing campaigns that irresponsibly target young consumers.

Nanotechnology in food: What’s the big idea?

26-Jul-2010 - Let's get talking about nanotech. The science of the very small has filled the food industry with big ideas – but industry is torn on how to present nanotechnology to consumers, stalling product development.

Don't shoot the watchdog - food industry needs a tight leash

12-Jul-2010 - Watchdogs provide much needed protection in an uncertain world. So why is the UK government determined to kill off the Food Standards Agency?

The quest for a radical new world for antioxidants

05-Jul-2010 - Here’s a radical thought for the marketers - the benefits of antioxidants may not be related to antioxidant activity. Last week’s NutraIngredients Antioxidants Conference suggested some tough choices are ahead.

Where next for ingredients since Cognis and National Starch?

28-Jun-2010 - ‘Billion dollar deal’ was not a phrase bandied about the food ingredients industry much last year. With BASF buying Cognis for €3.1bn and Corn Products International paying $1.3bn for National Starch, M&A looks to be thawing – but best not get over-excited just yet.

Europe must keep cool over country of origin labelling

22-Jun-2010 - Always read the small print. Good advice and nowhere more so than in food labelling with today’s increasingly savvy consumers demanding to know what’s in their food, where it came from and what it’s going to do to them.

World Cup is an own goal for food culture

14-Jun-2010 - Sorry guys, the World Cup is not all about football. It’s about food too, and this year’s tournament should kick off a whole new debate about our sporting food culture.

Scientific failings are the organic industry’s gain

31-May-2010 - Are organic foods healthier? The sad truth is that nearly 100,000 studies later, we just don't know. Meanwhile, this lack of certainty presents major business opportunities for the organic food industry.

Realistic prices needed for European food stability and to safeguard society

24-May-2010 - Please: A big round of applause for Jozsef Kapuvári. Who? You might well ask. Kapuvári is the author of an EU report that highlights the importance of realistic food prices – not just to underpin the food supply chain but to maintain the fabric of European society.

IOM report: One step forward, two steps back

17-May-2010 - The call for better biomarkers to substantiate health claims is a bold and timely move, but we need to move away from trying to judge foods as pharmaceuticals.