Antioxidants have had a tough ride in recent years, with a raft of negative opinions for health claims being dealt out by the European Food Safety Authority, but there is still hope, says Professor Hans Verhagen.
New ‘suspect alkaloids’ are finding their way into the controversial pre-workout supplement sector, and potentially dangerous products will continue to flourish in the marketplace while there is wider support from the industry, according to the CEO of...
Premium products, mega-spend marketing, and global ambitions are driving growth for Swisse Wellness, says its CEO, days after inking a ‘game-changing’ deal with PGT Healthcare giving it access to over 50 countries.
The vast majority of food manufacturers are open to a dialogue on how to get more from their ingredient supply chain, according to president of DSM Food Specialties Hans Christian Ambjerg.
With the global population of 'senior' consumers set to grow by almost 150 million in the next two years, there are massive opportunities for the food industry to target the older consumer, says Laura Jones of Mintel
Investment for the design and running of clinical trials is a major expense for the industry, but taking shortcuts to reduce the initial investment needed can be very costly in the long-term, according to one expert.
Food manufacturers should encourage women to eat nutrient-rich diets after the British Nutrition Foundation’s (BNF) latest Task Force Report proved women’s diets before and during pregnancy can affect an infant’s health.
US-based foods and supplements manufacturer, Now International, hasn’t sat on its hands since the EU’s new health claim laws kicked into play in 2008 – taking pre-emptive action to keep abreast of the new formulation and health claims landscape.
Geir Wilhelm Wold is a Norwegian fisherman, just like his father and his father before him. But when cod catch waste began to bother him Wold bought the Norwegian fish retail brand Vesteraalens, landing a new role as an omega-3 supplier and product maker.
French supplier Roquette is putting its R&D supplements facility up for rent by any party seeking to develop food supplements and food products – whether they are its own customers or not.
Quality control in the food supplements sector is an ongoing mission that remains top of the agenda at the group that most prominently represents both global and national players – IADSA - especially as new regions adopt GMP rules for the first time.
Food fortification with neural tube defect (NTD)-reducing folic acid is mandatory in 75 nations, but concerns over cancer and other health issues mean Europe lags far behind – a situation that needs to change and quickly, says DSM thinktank, sightandlife.
Industry must not drop interest in mechanism focused, lab-based, in vitro studies in favour of chasing human trial data, according to Dr Charles Czank of Leatherhead Food Research who argues that both in vitro and in vivo data are vital for a health claim.
Differing regulatory environments can play havoc with a company's research plans, say consultant Joerg Gruenwald, PhD. But recent, sometimes bitter, experience with the European Food Safety Authority has shed some light on how to negotiate this...
Recent research results about the effectiveness of omega 3 fatty acids in the prevention of secondary heart attacks have been generalized to cast doubt on the value of the ingredients' overall effectiveness in cardiovascular health. This is unfortunate,...
Genetic modification of oil seed crops will form an important part of the future omega-3s supply picture, according to Adam Ismail, executive director of the Global Organization of EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED).
New research results are driving interest in vitamin K2, according to NattoPharma CEO Hogne Vik. But the company has also developed a new, more potent powder form that is helping to raise the ingredient's profile.
Nations and populations are in peril of being swamped by the cost of their healthcare systems unless a severe nutrition policy rethink can occur, says a leading academic.
Personalized nutrition has been the Holy Grail of nutrition science. Dilip Ghosh, PhD, tells how the industry is getting closer to delivering on the promises that this approach implies.
With cranberry health claims rejected in the European Union, some players have ventured down the medical devices route where therapeutic claims are possible that would never succeed under the EU’s strict health claim rules. Not a good thing, says Gunter...
German yeast specialist Leiber possesses the only immune health claim in the EU assessment system at the moment. But why should its beta-glucan yeast succeed when it has already failed once?
Exposing healthy people to modified pathogens in a controlled clinical trial setting could be an exciting new way for industry to overcome the challenges of health claim substantiation, says Nizo Food Research expert.
Arla Foods used to be a Danish dairy with a Scandinavian bent. Now it is global-facing, upping its R&D spend and obsessed with finding out what consumers want, rather than delivering products it thinks they want.
Giant of probiotic supply, DuPont, is not afraid to admit its European business has been altered by the rejection of probiotic health claims under the EU nutrition and health claims regulation (NHCR).
While EFSA’s health claims dossier may pave the way towards tighter regulations on what can and cannot be said about a food's potential benefit, the way that consumers understand and interact with functional foods seems to remain mainly unchanged....
It’s 100 years since Casimir Funk came up with the term ‘vitamin’, but with an ever-increasing global population and negative reports in the media of their ‘ineffectiveness’ for select health conditions, what does the future hold for the humble vitamin?
About 60% of elderly hospital patients in the UK are malnourished according to recent data from the British Dietetic Association, a problem companies like Danish firm Arla Food Ingredients are trying to tackle with a new whey form.
Roquette is intensifying its research efforts into the protein potential of various plant forms, and used HIE to launch a pea form targeting sports nutrition products.
The challenge of getting beneficial omega-3 fatty acids into finished products is a big one for the food ingredients and manufacturing industry. But how can suppliers and manufacturers work to get these ingredients into a wider range of products?
Recent studies using DuPont’s HOWARU strain combination, combined with a better understanding of ‘the rules of the game’, will lead to positive health claims in Europe, DuPont’s Scott Bush has confidently predicted.
Luis De La Mora from Innovative Packaging Network (IPN) tells Ben Bouckley why he believes his firm’s new ‘non spill’ aseptic spout for beverage pouches, Clean Valve, can help the format steal share from cans, cartons and PET bottles.
Evolving gut microbiota knowledge is being leveraged to drive prebiotic research forward and providing new insights into older prebiotics, according to a leading researcher.
Battling obesity is not the first port of call for prebiotics – they are much more commonly known for their role in promoting gut health and boosting immune systems. But a growing number of studies is showing different prebiotic forms can influence weight...
The first novel algae products to emerge from a joint venture between French food ingredients giant Roquette and Californian microalgae expert Solazyme have just hit the market.
A completely new source of the coveted long chain omega-3s EPA and DHA should be commercialized by the end of the decade thanks to a multi-million-dollar tie up between ingredient giants BASF and Cargill to produce the next generation of canola oils.
The Olympic Games have in the past brought the food supplements industry to the edge of its collective seat – but not necessarily in fevered anticipation of the world-class sporting fare on offer as anti-doping scrutiny has raised contamination issues.
The multi-billion euro global nutraceutical industry will never achieve its potential until it better adapts pharma protocols – and this can be done with food nutrients, says Dr Stephen de Felice, who was the keynote speaker at the recent Vitafoods expo...
The new chief of Frutarom’s Health Division says the Israeli-Swiss flavours, fragrances and ingredients firm can learn something about ‘concept marketing’ from the many years he spent at former employer, BASF-Cognis.
The functional food and nutritional supplement industry must tackle the key issues of anti-ageing in a ‘much more comprehensive’ way than it currently does, warns leading ageing expert.
Japanese CoEnzymeQ10 leader, Kaneka, is finding success in new product formats like olive oil for the heart health nutrient, even as its health claims have joined the long list of rebuttals under the EU’s new uber-strict system.
LycoRed is facing a wave of consumers demanding natural alternatives to existing colours and is responding with new formulations in addition to broader product development.
Soy protein firm Solbar has outlined big plans for growth in several fields, including dietary and sports nutrition following the completion of its acquisition by US-based farmer co-operative CHS in February 2012.
What is the world's biggest carbonated beverage company doing in a European Union satiety research project? Why, collaborating to battle obesity of course…
The new 6 million euro, EU backed satiety project will have a legacy long beyond its time-frame, as the collaborative effort looks to change the way the European market deals with the obesity crisis it faces.
Recommendations for dietary intake of vitamins and minerals may be helping to battle deficiencies, but they do not do enough to achieve optimal nutrition for brain health – suggesting a ‘growing case for supplementation’.
Sports and energy food and drink categories are blurring, according to Roberta Re, nutrition research manager at Leatherhead Food Research in this exclusive video from the Vitafoods 2012 trade show in Geneva.
