Fibres & carbohydrates

Non-bitter European quinoa offers new routes to market

19-Jul-2013 By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn

The development of a non-bitter varieties of quinoa that can be grown in Europe could mean greater versatility as an ingredient and help ease supply shortages in key growing zones like Bolivia and Peru.

Sports drinks waste shows bar and biscuit potential: Study

16-Jul-2013 By Shane Starling

Fruit and vegetable residues typically discarded in the manufacture of isotonic sports drinks could be a rich nutrient source for other foodstuffs like bars and biscuits, Brazilian researchers have found.

Cheap white bread: ‘There is no point in having it at all’, says nutritionist

05-Jul-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Consumers should be eating wholegrain breads, not basic white that offers little nutritional value, says a UK nutritionist.

New research suggests a possible link between autism and gut bacteria populations

Autism linked to decreased microbe diversity in the gut: Study

03-Jul-2013 By Nathan Gray

The diversity of beneficial bacteria in our guts may be associated with the development of autism, according to the first comprehensive analysis bacterial analysis of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

EFSA rejects Clasado prebiotic for gastro benefits (again)

28-Jun-2013 By Shane Starling

Clasado has had its Bimuno prebiotic formulation rejected by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) which said fresh data analysis provided by the UK-Maltese firm did not show gastro-intestinal benefits.

Sweet success? Study backs mannitol for Parkinson’s disease

18-Jun-2013 By Nathan Gray

The sweetener mannitol may help decrease the risk of Parkinson's disease by reducing the  potentially dangerous 'clumping' of proteins in the brain, according to new research.

EU health claims for fructose and alpha-cyclodextrin become law

14-Jun-2013 By Caroline SCOTT-THOMAS

Two ingredients – fructose and alpha-cyclodextrin – can now carry claims that they lead to a lower blood glucose rise, as the European Union adopts its latest batch of article 13 health claims.

Boweled over! Prunes win official EU health claim passage

12-Jun-2013 By Shane Starling

Prunes sold across the European Union can claim they contribute to “normal bowel function”, making the fruits the first whole fruit to win a claim under the EU’s new food marketing rules.

Tate & Lyle full year results sweetened by bulk ingredients

30-May-2013

Food ingredients giant Tate & Lyle said it expects another year of profitable growth after the firm posted a 4% rise in full year profits.

Prebiotic infant formula yields breast milk-like infant microbiota: Study

30-May-2013 By Shane STARLING

Infant formula infused with prebiotic oligofructose-enriched inulin results in an infant microbiota that is closer to that of breast milk fed infants during the first four months of life, a study has found.

Roquette outsources lab to food supplements makers

29-May-2013 By Shane STARLING

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.

Roquette backs chlorella for digestive health

03-May-2013 By Shane Starling

Roquette will showcase chlorella at Vitafoods in Geneva this month with the French supplier pointing to an unpublished in vivo study demonstrating gut health benefits for the micro-algae.

Study suggests compatibility between organic and health claims

03-May-2013 By Jane Joseph

Organic food brands should not be afraid of using health claims to market their products, as a new study suggests the two concepts are not as incompatible as the industry may fear.

Pea protein + soluble fiber may slash cholesterol levels: Animal data

24-Apr-2013 By Stephen Daniells

Combining pea protein with oat fiber or apple pectin may help reduce cholesterol, with the effects being additive, suggests new results from the University of Milan in Italy.

SPECIAL EDITION: RIDING THE HEALTH CLAIMS WAVE

The hunt for that ‘added extra’: Pushing beyond a health claim

18-Apr-2013 By Kacey Culliney

The health-conscious yet frugal consumer is increasingly difficult to convince, even when presented with a plethora of health and nutrition claims on pack. So, just how can manufacturers prompt that purchase?

SPECIAL EDITION: RIDING THE HEALTH CLAIMS WAVE

How are market-leading kids’ cereal firms tackling health claims?

18-Apr-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Use of health and nutrition claims on kids' cereal is widespread, but manufacturers are using them with caution and the majority favor nutrient content claims.

Special edition: Superfruits - old news or still super?

Faking it: Superfruit market 'ripe' for adulteration

18-Apr-2013 By Nathan Gray

Increasing raw material costs coupled with growing demand for natural health solutions has seen the market for superfruits boom in recent years, but has it may have also left the market ripe for adulteration.

SPECIAL EDITION: RIDING THE HEALTH CLAIMS WAVE

Room to grow: Bakery sector fiber health claims

18-Apr-2013 By Shane STARLING

The bakery industry may prefer nutrition content to genuine health claims - a state-of-affairs that reflects the relative few claim-backed nutrients available to breads, cereals, bars and other baked products – but options do exist.

UK backs Omega Pharma fibre weight loss claims

17-Apr-2013

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has backed a TV weight loss campaign mounted by Omega Pharma for fibre-based food supplements.

Barley extracts show weight management potential: Human data

12-Apr-2013 By Stephen Daniells

Adding boiled barley kernels to the diet may increase levels of hormones linked to satiety and reduce subsequent energy intakes, says a new study from Sweden.

Fibrous barley and mushroom beta-glucans reduce glycemic response of extruded snacks: Study

10-Apr-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Fiber content of extruded snacks can be upped while the glycemic response is lowered with the inclusion of beta-glucan fractions from barley and mushrooms, finds new research.

Fiber boosts cardiovascular and metabolic profiles for diabetics

08-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Daily supplements of soluble fiber may improve metabolic measures and slim waistlines in type-2 diabetics with the metabolic syndrome, says new data from Brazil.

Flaxseed may offer improvements for obese pre-diabetics

04-Apr-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Adding flaxseed to the diet may decrease insulin resistance in pre-diabetics and help reduce the risk of developing type-2 diabetes, suggests new data from the US and Canada.

Seaweed is unexploited and brimming with prospects for snacks, says expert

03-Apr-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Seaweed is an extremely nutritious yet unexploited food ingredient that holds huge prospects for snack makers, a research expert says.

High-carb babies set up for lifetime of weight gain and obesity: Study

25-Mar-2013 By Nathan Gray

Consumption of high-carbohydrate foods during infancy could program people for lifelong increased weight gain and obesity, suggests new animal research.

Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods

Heart healthy foods, the next generation: ‘It’s not just about cholesterol anymore… it’s about healthy arteries’

22-Mar-2013 By Elaine WATSON

While LDL cholesterol is one biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk everybody can name, the next generation of heart healthy foods will address a broader range of risk factors from galectin-3, C-Reactive protein (CRP), and oxidized LDL (OxLDL) levels...

Study: 12% of adult Europeans consume energy drinks at ‘chronic’ levels

08-Mar-2013 By Shane Starling

A 52,000 person survey has found 30% of adult Europeans consume energy drinks at least once a year, but 12% are “high chronic” users.

Soy industry: FAO protein findings only useful in malnourished populations

07-Mar-2013 By Shane Starling

The European soy sector says a UN report that found dairy proteins offer a superior amino acid profile to plant proteins is only meaningful for the malnourished.

Raisio sells €7m oat, soy and rice business to Norwegian firm

05-Mar-2013 By Shane Starling

Finnish ag-food giant Raisio has sold its €7m a year oat, soy and rice foods business that includes its Soygurt business to €330m Norwegian food company Kavli.

Absolutely Fabuless? Pictures take Optimel Control outside EU health claim laws

04-Mar-2013 By Shane Starling

Pictures are much more powerful than words when it comes to health claim marketing according to Dutch researchers who have completed a study of Dutch dairy Campina’s weight control yoghurt, Optimel Control.

Cargill buys fibre technology after Tate & Lyle wheat processing exit

28-Feb-2013 By Shane Starling

The €55m Tate & Lyle Ventures (TLV) fund has sold off the Fugeia wheat extract business it bought into in 2008 to Cargill’s starches and sweeteners division for an undisclosed sum.

The International Year of Quinoa Launched

Ancient quinoa has future value in food security, says UN

25-Feb-2013 By Kacey Culliney

The United Nations has hailed the ancient grain quinoa as a valuable and extraordinary crop that can help in the push forward on food and nutrition security.

Resistant starch may aid in IBD and cancer resistance: Study

22-Feb-2013 By Nathan Gray

A diet packed with resistant starch may help to prevent both inflammatory bowel disease and colorectal cancer, say researchers.

Ultra-fine wheat bran plugs health and can improve texture and structure, says Limagrain

21-Feb-2013 By Kacey Culliney

Limagrain Céréales Ingrédients (LCI) has extended its fibre range with a new ultra-fine wheat bran ingredient that it says can improve structure, texture and nutrition in a broad range of food and beverages.

Yeast beta-glucan shows benefits for stressed women

08-Feb-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements of the beta-glucan based ingredient Wellmune WGP may help stressed women stay healthy by reducing coughs and colds, says a new study.

Study: Yeast beta-glucan boosts cold-fighting potential 25%

30-Jan-2013 By Shane Starling

Yeast beta-glucan increases the body’s ability to fight pathogens, and showed a 25% better record of cold-fighting compared to placebo in a new German study.

Prebiotics can battle obesity (by influencing genetic behaviour): Researchers

30-Jan-2013 By Shane Starling

Prebiotic fibres like oligosaccharides can help ease gut ‘dysbiosis’ common among the obese and overweight, say Belgian researchers.

Wine by-product increases dietary fibre content of yogurt – US research

17-Jan-2013 By Mark Astley

Wine grape pomace (WGP) – a by-product of the winemaking process - could be utilised to increase the dietary fibre content and shelf-life of yogurt, US researchers have claimed.

Kosher gains ground as global QC measure

15-Jan-2013 By Shane Starling

Having foods and ingredients approved by Jewish rabbis may not seem a matter that would of great importance to non-Jewish food and supplement manufacturers – not so.

Coffee leaf may produce ‘healthy’ tea and other functional products

14-Jan-2013 By Nathan Gray

Tea brewed from the fruit and leaves of coffee plants could be a healthier option than either tea of coffee alone, according to new research.

Honey slapped for slow-release energy claims; but what about Nutella?

11-Jan-2013 By Shane STARLING

Rowse Honey cannot claim it gives “slow release energy” following a UK advertising watchdog ruling that has disappointed the Oxfordshire firm and left it wondering how spread rival Nutella can make similar claims.

High fibre diet ingredient IP6 backed for prostate cancer prevention

10-Jan-2013 By Nathan Gray

The compound believed to one of the ‘active ingredients’ in a high-fibre diet could have clinical potential to control the progression of prostate cancer in patients diagnosed in early stages of the disease, suggest researchers.

Health, portability and convenience are key in breakfast NPD, says Mintel

09-Jan-2013 By Kacey Culliney

New product development in the breakfast foods segment must be defined by health, portability and convenience to target key consumer needs in a snowballing US market, Mintel says.

2000-year-old food supplements found in Tuscan shipwreck

08-Jan-2013 By Shane STARLING

Italian researchers have uncovered zinc food supplements thought to treat eye problems from a shipwreck off the coast of Tuscany.

Asparagus waste: new nutrient extraction method

07-Jan-2013 By Rod Addy

Researchers are investigating the commercial potential of a process for extracting nutritional ingredients from asparagus waste for use in functional food products.

Yeast beta-glucan shows benefits for ragweed allergy sufferers

04-Jan-2013 By Stephen DANIELLS

Supplements of the beta-glucan based ingredient Wellmune WGP may reduce symptoms and severity of ragweed allergy, and boost overall ‘quality of life’, says a new study.

EU medical devices route tempts article 13 health claim losers

03-Jan-2013 By Shane Starling

European Union medicines agencies are reporting increasing numbers of ‘medical device’ applications for food supplement products rejected under strict EU health claim laws.

DSM buys Swedish oat beta-glucan brand

20-Dec-2012 By Shane Starling

A day after confirming the €500m acquisition of New York-based blends specialist Fortitech, Royal DSM has concluded the year by buying beta-glucan brand Oatwell from Swedish Oat Fiber (SOF).

Food gum may slash body fat levels: RCT data

17-Dec-2012 By Stephen DANIELLS

Consuming gum Arabic for six weeks may help healthy women shed up to 2.2% body fat, says a new randomized, placebo controlled, double-blind trial from Sudan – home of the gum.

Special edition: Fibre

Italy leads world in fibre food supplements

13-Dec-2012 By Shane Starling

Industry experts are predicting rock star status for fibre – if a global tour was planned most of the stops would be fortified and whole foods, although there might be a few more ‘gigs’ for fibre supplements as the tour progresses with Italy stop numero...