Eye health

'GOED does a good job but it has resource restrictions too...' ©iStock/Magone

GOED challenged by French omega-3 supplier

By Shane STARLING

French marine and algae-sourced omega-3 specialist Polaris has called on marquee trade group the Global Organisation for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) to up its presence in Europe.

GOED: 'Now you will have a fish feed based on the economics of vegetable oils but with the EPA/DHA of the fish meal market.' ©iStock/PhotoShoppin

Global omega-3 supply set for GM plant shock?

By Shane STARLING

The omega-3 sector has faced down some mega challenges in recent times: Sustainability concerns; research questioning health benefits that has affected global markets. But maintaining volumes may be its greatest challenge yet.

NGOs like Helen Keller International are using BioAnalyt kits to determine intakes in places like Indonesia. ©BioAnalyt

The power of portable nutrient testing

By Holly McKee & Dr Anna Zhenchuk

German tech company BioAnalyt explains how its portable testing kits are providing fast, affordable nutrient data that is crucial in the fight against global malnutrition.

56% of the RUTF products UNICEF procured in 2016 came from suppliers in malnutrition programme countries, up from 38% in 2015. ©UNICEF US

‘We want to enable countries to look after their own children’

UNICEF goes local with RUTF products in war against malnutrition

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Gone are the days when the supply of humanitarian nutrition products relied on just a handful of western companies. UNICEF is pushing its supply of Ready to Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF) into a more competitive future driven by local suppliers ready to...

'A lot of people only think of the social cost, that it's socially and morally unacceptable for people to be obese or malnourished. But in my view the economic impact is very important too,' says FAO economist. ©iStock/ajcabeza

The €3.3 trillion cost of malnutrition inaction

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Economic impact assessments for malnutrition are helping present a “convincing argument” for nutrition investment, says a top economist from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

'How many people know that omega-3 is just chemical nomenclature?' asks Aker Biomarine chief scientist. ©iStock/DavidCarillet

Dispatches from HiE 2016 in Frankfurt

Is the term omega-3 specific enough?

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The term omega-3 doesn’t really mean anything, says chief scientist for supplier Aker Biomarine. 

© istock/piotr_malczyk

'No need for alarm over declining omega-3 levels in salmon'

By Jane Byrne

The head of the research center of the global aqua feed leader, Skretting, has weighed in on the debate generated by BBC coverage of a Scottish study showing omega 3 oils in farmed salmon have halved in the past five years due to more plant based oils...

Astaxanthin powder ©iStock

Chinese astaxanthin wins EU novel foods approval

By Lynda Searby

Competition is hotting up in the astaxanthin space, as Novel Food authorisation for BGG’s AstaZine line of natural astaxanthin ingredients marks the entry of a new player into the European carotenoid market.

415 million people suffer from diabetes globally, with a growing number living with lifestyle & diet-driven type 2 diabetes.

#WorldDiabetesDay #WDD

World Diabetes Day: 1000 actions to help 400+m people

By Shane Starling

Nearly 1000 actions – from screenings to policy statements to conferences and diet and lifestyle change promotion – are underway in 130+ countries as part of World Diabetes Day.

At 80ºC with 20 litres per minute air flow, the oxidation induction time was 42 hours. ©iStock

Is new DHA oil the ultimate in omega-3 stability?

By Lynda Searby

French marine lipid specialist Polaris claims its new generation algal source DHA oil takes fish-free omega-3 “to a new level” by offering “unmatched” stability.

©iStock

Indian carotenoid player enters Europe

Bangalore-based lutein and carotenoid specialist Katra Phyto has enlisted UK-based ingredient player and distributor Gee Lawson as its European partner.

Research that enhances compounds contained in broccoli may lead to a lower risk of coronary heart disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). ©iStock

Studies look to enhance broccoli’s ability to ward off disease

By Will Chu

Research that enhances compounds contained in broccoli may lead to a lower risk of coronary heart disease and age-related macular degeneration (AMD), according to two studies that reinforce the vegetable’s reputation as a superfood.

A Higher Nature astaxanthin-based product...set to receive marketing support from its supplier AstaReal

British campaign takes astaxanthin to the people

By Shane Starling

Swedish-Japanese astaxanthin specialist AstaReal is working with its UK brand partners to push awareness of the carotenoid’s skin health benefits – even in the absence of approved health claims.

'My personal view is that, unless it is clearly explained as a property of the food, it is a health claim or a reference to general well-being, which needs to be accompanied by an authorised health claim.' © iStock.com

SPECIAL EDITION: ANTIOXIDANTS, POLYPHENOLS & CAROTENOIDS

Why antioxidant claims have been killed off in the EU

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

European regulatory restraints have killed off antioxidant health claims as lawyers advise firms to play it safe despite leniency in some EU member states. We round up the legal status of the term, and the impact this has had on the market.

Olympic Seafood hopes two new products - a high concentration krill oil and a krill powder - will inject life into an otherwise stagnant market. © iStock.com

Second krill player moves in on EU high dose opportunity

By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn from Ålesund, Norway

Rimfrost AS is the latest krill player to capitalise on a recent EU approval of high doses of the omega-3 ingredient, a move it hopes will inject life into an otherwise ‘stagnant’ market.  

Governments should be proactive not reactive when it comes to protecting marine resources, warns Canadian supplier Neptune Technologies & Bioressources. © iStock.com / svega

Special edition: Omega-3s

Carrot vs. stick: What’s the key to securing a sustainable omega-3 supply?

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

With around 20-25% of global wild caught fish used for fish meal and fish oil production, environmental certification schemes like Friend of the Sea (FoS) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have been putting increasing pressure on the omega-3 sector...

Daesang Corp follows in Martek Biosciences and Ocean Nutrition Canada's footsteps with Schizochytrium sp. microalgae oil for the EU. © iStock.com / pichet_w

Korean firm seeks EU access for novel algal DHA oil

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The South Korean company Daesang Corp has applied for novel food approval for its DHA-rich algal oil, claiming ‘substantial equivalence’ to an already-approved oil produced by DSM-owned Martek Biosciences.

By 2020 LEDs are set to represent almost 60% of the total lighting market, but behind this energy-efficient option lies a major danger to eye health.

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2016

OmniActive taps into LED concerns with What’s Your B.L.U.E.? campaign

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The future of lighting is LED but what impact does this have on eyesight? US-Indian firm OmniActive has launched a European version of its What’s Your B.L.U.E.? campaign to shed light on the burgeoning health risk, which it says carotenoid supplements...

Older consumers aren't looking for silver bullet solutions but transparent support, research in Asia and Europe finds. © iStock.com / CharlieAJA

Healthy agers: To market older, you’d better get wiser

By Lynda Searby

Europe’s seniors see functional foods as a 'dated' concept, are uncomfortable with products that expressly mention age, and want sustainable, naturally nutritious products, finds a consumer study led by the Healthy Marketing Team.