Gut health, along with weight management, are driving the Polish food supplements market, with pre- and probiotic supplements experiencing strong growth, according to market researcher, PMR.
The recession has not dented the will of consumers to pay price premiums for products that deliver digestive, bone and other benefits, according to European consumer research conducted by global inulin and oligofructose leader, Beneo-Orafti.
Daily supplements of St John’s wort are not effective for improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), according to a new study from the Mayo Clinic.
Belgian ingredients giant, the Beneo Group, says new European Union health rules favour ‘active’ health claims such as phytosterols, while discounting ‘passive’ claims such as those that replace ingredients with healthier versions to make products healthier.
A dossier containing 13 randomised controlled trials, 6 observational studies, and 15 non-human studies has failed to impress European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientists because the four strains in question were not sufficiently characterised.
Dispatches from the NI Health Claims 2010 conference
Concerns abound that the approach of the European Food Safety Authority towards health claims may stifle innovation and science, none more so than for prebiotics, says a leading researcher.
For a fruit that has had more science conducted on it than most, it is surprising to some that France remains the only country to have approved a long-standing cranberry health claim.
India is developing guidelines that may mean probiotic strains will have to be backed by clinical trials conducted on Indian populations if they are to gain market approval.
In the third part of our special series on cranberries, NutraIngredients looks at the science behind the reported health benefits of the little red berry.
In the first of a four part special edition focused on cranberries, NutraIngredients looks at the market for the berry, with its entrance into the indulgence sectors an indication perhaps that health positioning is no longer the sole driving force behind...
Probiotics should be considered as living drugs rather than “simple good bacteria” in order to become effective treatment options for IBS, according to Joseph Haddad, medical director of Institut Rosell-Lallemand.
Supplements of calcium and vitamin D may promote the health of the cells in the colon and rectum, offering potential protection from tumour development, says a new study.
As a raft of non-positive opinions on probiotics floats down the health claims river, questions have been asked of the efficacy of the beneficial bacteria. Two experts discuss where we stand and how to get the good ship Probiotic back on course.
Flavour and fragrance company, Symrise, said is intending to scale up its production of ingredients for the functional food and supplements market with the development of a dedicated global business unit to drive its health and nutrition strategy.
An inulin-rich extract that also contains polyphenols and other bioactive compound is very well tolerated, says a new study from France that builds the science behind an emerging product.
The Sudzucker-owned Beneo Group established the Beneo Institute in late 2009 to give “new oxygen to a squeezed industry”, as Executive Board member, Yves Servotte, puts it, to a functional foods industry facing unprecedented regulatory and scientific...
A breakthrough in the understanding of how bacteria bind to the mucus layer protecting the gut lining could result in more effective probiotic design and selection.
US researchers have successfully transferred gut bacteria from obese humans to germ-free mice, a breakthrough that will allow a more detailed study of the link between gut microflora and obesity.
Ka-CHING! Hear that? No it’s not the sound of overflowing cash registers as consumers throw endless wads of euros at scientifically-backed, healthy foods in greater numbers than ever before.
A Swiss company extracting what it claims are antioxidant polyphenols from pulp and paper processing waste is to scale up the project to offer the product as a functional food ingredient.
Pooling nutrient information is becoming an important and time efficient way for companies seeking scientific data about nutrients – especially those seeking to back health claims under the European Union’s tough claims system.
A new partnership with chemical group Solvay will enable the distribution of a low dosage prebiotic food ingredient with multiple food and drink applications within Europe, the Middle East and Africa, claims Tate & Lyle.
Genetic typing, internationally recognised naming protocols and evidence of consistency in the final product have been highlighted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) as critical factors for probiotic health claim submissions.
The European Commission has set itself the goal of processing the 94 generic article 13.1 health claim opinions issued by EFSA recently by the end of January, meaning claim rulings could be enforceable at retail level by July, 2010.
Increased intakes of resistant starch and wheat bran may improve regular bowel habits in healthy adults, say findings from a new study funded by Tate & Lyle.
The voluntary UK advertising watchdog has told Danone to cease broadcasting TV adverts that stated its one-shot probiotic drinking yoghurt, Actimel, could boost the immune system of children.
Immune health from gut health is not too obscure for consumers, but work needs to be done on identifying the mechanisms involved, said the conclusions from a two-day meeting in Toulouse.
Three University of Reading scientists wrote to the European Commission in July expressing concern about EFSA’s approach to evaluating probiotic article 13.1 dossiers.
The European Food Safety Authority’s mass rejection of probiotic dossiers is not the disaster it appears if ‘technical’ obstacles can be overcome, according to a group that represents the biggest yoghurt players in the world.
Last week’s European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claim opinions have received a lot of mainstream media attention in the UK national consumer press, with the probiotic claim rejections gaining the most attention.
Danone’s newly submitted article 14 probiotic, diarrhoea health claim, is a product of the ongoing learning process that is occurring as companies come to grips with the reality of the European Union’s new health claim regime, according to the French...
Supplements of a prebiotic galactooligosaccharide mixture may reduce the incidence of travellers’ diarrhoea by about 34 per cent, says a new study from the UK.
Get your pitchforks ready! There are evil-doers out there! We’ve been conned: Probiotics don’t work. Dannon’s settling out of court, EFSA’s rejecting health claims, and the media is starting a witch hunt.
The UK professor who found himself at the heart of an industry storm after his remarks on the value of food supplements were misquoted in the national press has spoken out to clarify his position.
In HG Wells’ The War of the Worlds it is not the almighty weapons of humanity that defeated the invading Martians. It is a lack of immunity to the earth’s tiny pathogenic bacteria.
Danone will resubmit withdrawn article 13.5 European Union probiotic health claims by year’s end with additional trials added to the dossiers to strengthen their claims, according to a health claims expert working with the company.
The US FDA is being sued over its health claims regime – actions that are unlikely to succeed according to most pundits – but they raise serious questions about healthy food messaging and free speech that are being felt globally.
Global probiotics leader, Danone, has submitted a new disease reduction article 14 health claim linking consumption of its probiotic drinking yoghurt, Actimel, and diarrhoea, after withdrawing three article 13.5 immunity and digestive health claims in...
The products of prebiotic fermentation in the gut may prevent the growth, and promote the death of cancer cells in the colon, says a new study from Germany.
Swedish dairy pioneer, Skånemejerier, has extended its Scandinavian-leading juice range, Bravo, to incorporate probiotic strains, believed to be the first in the world to do so in a fresh 100 per cent juice product with a cold-fighting claim.
An Irish initiative is looking at ways of extracting nutritional extracts from various marine sources with seaweed and shellfish showing the most potential so far.
Daily consumption of a probiotic fermented milk product may improve gut health and well-being in women with everyday digestive problems, says a new study from Danone.
UK consumers have been warned not to drink a range of clay-based beverages marketed for digestive benefits and detoxifying qualities as they contain harmful levels of arsenic and lead.
Adding soluble fibre to the diet may improve symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome, but insoluble fibre may worsen the effects, says a new study.
A look into the probiotic crystal ball reveals that genetically engineered "friendly" bacteria could be switched on by specific prebiotic sugar, possibly leading to a new generation of pre- and probiotic products.
Postbiotic ingredients are set to open up a world of opportunities across the human health and nutrition industry, fueled by developing science demonstrating...
