Like many areas of nutrition research, probiotic and prebiotic science relies on strong collaboration between academic experts and businesses. But there are some who say such links create biased science.
Probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiome science are big business, and already generate a great deal of scientific and commercial interest. But what does the future have in story for the sector?
Clinical data is building around the role of probiotics to aid athletic performance – from recovery to muscle development to immune defense. We spoke to a leading researcher at Probiota in Amsterdam this month…
Yakult at Probiota 2015: “We want to be clear that before we invest we need to have some dialogue with EFSA...”
Yakult and leading academics expressed frustration at what they see as unfair and opaque scientific requirements around probiotic health claims in the European Union – but how much is industry to blame and could social media be a data-sharing saviour?
Sports nutrition market has been rapidly growing and will continue to so as it moves away from the elite sport to more mainstream and segmented markets, say experts.
The holidays are fast upon us, so let’s put ‘business’ to one side and get into the festive mood. To keep in the spirit of things, we’ve got a ‘gift’ for you – enjoy. Happy Holidays!
There has been huge growth in functional and fortified food and drinks in recent years, but experts suggest that the next few years could see industry take a ‘naturally healthy’ approach to formulation.
Since it was created in 2012, Chapul Inc. has been on a mission to integrate edible insects into Western diets, using its cricket energy bars as the vehicle.
The French food supplements market is set for double digit growth this year as the sector adapts to changing EU regulations around health claims, according to the chairman of the country’s biggest trade group.
Companies have to be clever about proprietary research, and plant extracts may hold unique opportunities in this respect, according to a food and nutrition industry consultant.
Botanical adulteration, like doping in sports, is a problem that can be controlled but never totally resolved, but what is being done about it? Here the world’s biggest botanical players debate their attacks on the problem.
A polyphenol-rich supplement containing broccoli, green tea, tumeric, and pomegranete - a combination known as pomi-t - could have significant clinical benefits for men with prostate cancer, according to new data.
Carotenoids like lutein are well-documented to boost eye health yet the approach of the medical fraternity and some regulators lacks vision when it comes to prevention, says a leading professor in the area.
The Institute of Food Science and Technology’s Jubilee conference offered something for everyone involved in food production and research and painted a multi-coloured picture of the industry.
It has been a tumultuous few years for the European food supplements sector as it has had to learn to live under the world’s toughest health claims regime. Marketing strictures may be tighter than ever but the sector is in a good place, says the chairof...
Vital Solutions Swiss will publish in vitro research that shows its mango powder Careless mimics caloric restriction but the company is keen to invest in human trials, its CEO says.
There is much talk about sustainability in the dietary supplement ingredients marketplace, but what does it mean exactly? Consultant Chris Kilham, known as The Medicine Hunter, makes a strong case for using the term to mean a marketplace in which all...
Strong growth in the Americas and Asia is helping the probiotics industry to strong success, while the European market recovers from regulatory challenges by focusing on blends and 'piggybacking claims', say probiotics business experts.
Joerg Gruenwald, a longtime natural products industry consultant, said the advent of DSHEA was a huge event in Europe as well as America. It helped give European dietary supplement companies secure access to the biggest market in the world.
Mid-last year the chief of Norwegian omega-3 player EPAX told us, “We are the last of the big omega-3 independents.” Soon after US agri-food company FMC had snapped it up for $350m. Here FMC Nutraceuticals general manager Daniel H. Rosenbaum talks through...
Nutritious snacks have not boomed because manufacturers overwhelmed consumers in a category where indulgence remains more important, says the head of food and drink at Datamonitor Consumer.
In 2012 there were over 577 million people aged over 65 globally, but there remains a 7-year gap between life expectancy and healthy life expectancy, according to a Euromonitor analyst.
Contamination concerns mean most athletic and sporting federations advise against them despite near-ubiquitous use among top athletes and sportspeople. Busted doped athletes continue to finger them. But sports nutrition products are in a better place...
Growing interest in the potential for insects as a source of healthy and sustainable protein was demonstrated again at Vitafoods Europe, where 4ento CEO Ana Day told us that insect consumption needs to become 'sexy'.
The role of doctors and dietitians in the education of the elderly on the benefits of protein for healthy ageing is key, US whey protein manufacturer Davisco Foods International told DairyReporter.com.
Food companies need to develop online personalities to successfully connect with savvy consumers who expect a human connection, according to nutritionist and social media guru Jenny Westerkamp.
Understanding consumer expectations and respecting these, combined with a boldness to draw inspiration from new areas is the perfect mix for successful innovation, say experts.
The huge amounts of food and agricultural produce that end up as waste could be used to feed insects and produce high-quality animal protein that is better for environment, according to Professor Arnold van Huis.
Fear is a major roadblock to many food companies getting it right when it comes to social media, according to business mentor and entrepreneur Mike Greene.
Industry needs to ‘dramatically innovate’ if it is to come up with sustainable solutions to feed the world, says James Bauly of DSM, as he summarises his take away messages from the event.
Last year Professor Mark Post sparked international interest with the unveiling, and tasting, of the world's first lab-grown meat. Since then he's been working to iron out technical issues so that commercially available lab-grown meat can become...
What is the future of food? Simple communication of complex advances will be crucial, as well as picking up the pace amid a global population boom to feed the world nutritiously and sustainably, according to FoodNavigator and NutraIngredients senior editors.
Talking Rain’s Sparkling Ice brand plugs a market gap that Pepsi and Coca-Cola missed, enabling $350m in annual sales to tot up with little to no competition, its CEO says.
The use of mobile technologies and social media to connect with real consumers can help manufacturers gain better innovation insights for today and tomorrow, says Chris Cornyn.
The term ‘probiotic’ may be banned in the European Union – along with its cousin ‘prebiotic’ – but sales remain steady, and the global picture is buoyant, says leading analyst, Euromonitor International.
With 2013 fast drawing to a close and 2014 just around the corner, we took the chance to catch up with analysts and experts at Mintel to ask them what their highlights from this year have been ... and a few predictions for what might be in store in the...
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.
We gave the European food industry a check-up at this year’s Food Ingredients Europe (FiE), talking with some of the industry's top ingredients players about EU health claims, economic recovery and how to remain competitive on a global stage.
Beneo CEO Matthias Moser, PhD, shares his vision of how a European ingredients giant stays ahead of the innovation curve, built on a bedrock of age-specific nutrient solutions – even if rising obesity and diabetes rates suggest there remains much work...
Mushroom salt reduction, award-winning algal flour and musical taste buds, Leatherhead takes us through the top three new products at this year’s Food Ingredients Europe (FiE).
Irish dairy ingredients specialist Glanbia Nutritionals once filled its sights almost exclusively with the sports nutrition sector, but the explosion of interest in protein means the ‘ordinary’ mainstream food industry is a bigger and bigger target.
Nestlé may have canned Jenny Craig, and regulators clamped down on the sector's claim-making, but weight management products are booming globally, especially in increasingly image driven emerging economies like India and Brazil. It has pushed beyond...
One year on from its acquisition of Swedish beta-glucan brand OatWell, DSM talks about entering into new markets and capitalizing on European health claims.
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