Manufacturers are hungry for ingredients that can aid weight management, says a new report from Euromonitor, but long-term advantages will only come with legislative approval and consumer education.
Investment from local, Western and Chinese companies as well as wealthier, increasingly well-educated consumers are driving rapid growth in the Russian food supplements market.
Raisio has entered its second Asian market by launching Benecol, in Indonesia, as it makes Asia a “region of focus” for its cholesterol-lowering brand.
Pan-European health and nutrition claims moved a step closer to reality after 2870 claims were delivered to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for assessment by January, 2010.
A UK start-up has launched with the aim of fast-tracking the process by which novel ingredients and technologies migrate from the academic arena to fully-branded, on-market, functional food status.
The UK arm of German dairy giant Muller has canned its '1 a Day' healthy yoghurt line after only 12 months, citing retailer disappointment with sales levels and downward pressure on its premiums as fundamental reasons.
The functional foods industry in France is booming, according to a
report from Invest In France that claims the sector attracted 7 per
cent of all new foreign investment projects in the country between
2002 and 2007.
Swiss-based CreaNutrition is demonstrating the value of approved
health claims by inking a deal with Kraft on the back of recently
approved oat-based cholesterol-lowering claims in the Netherlands.
NZTE is a government-backed scheme that has helped Kiwi ingredients start-ups compete with companies with much deeper pockets around the globe. Andrew Easdale, business development manager at NZTE's UK office, explains the benefits.
The soy ingredients market has grown up a lot in 20 years. Solbar vice president of marketing and development Gary Brenner casts an eye over a mature ingredients sector.
Unilever has withdrawn its soy juice - AdeZ - in the UK, after
little more than 18 months on market after consumers failed to
connect with its health messaging.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued guidance to assist
companies understand European Union rules regarding the addition of
vitamins and minerals to foods.
German flavour and fragrance house Symrise has built on its interest in the food supplements area by entering a strategic partnership with UK-based Cambridge Theranostics.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) expects to process
applications for 1000-2000 health claims, 900 food additives and
2800 flavours in the next 12 months, according to EFSA executive
director, Catherine Geslain-Lanéelle.
Unilever has joined the growing number of manufacturers exploring
new ways of delivering probiotics by launching an iced lolly aimed
at children in the UK.
The evaluating criteria for the Choices healthy food symbol are to
be reviewed and potentially adjusted, following the establishment
of a new international scientific committee.
Benecol, which pioneered cholesterol-lowering foods in Europe in
1995, has moved ahead of Unilever's Flora Pro.activ in the UK
market after years in its wake.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has indicated key
functional food groups may be exempt from potentially draconian
nutrient profiling regulations being debated within the European
Union and due to be written into law by January...
A new cranberry protein powder can allow food and drink companies
to add protein to their products without turning to the usual dairy
or soy sources, says its manufacturer.
Raisio, the Finnish-based manufacturer of the cholesterol-lowering
ingredient Benecol has made its first foray into Asia by inking a
deal to supply Benecol to an Indian supplements manufacturer and
distributor, British Biologicals.
The market for green tea extracts is expected to grow by more than
13 per cent for the next seven years and emerging markets in
eastern Europe will open new opportunities, a report has said.
Israel's LycoRed discusses the origins and opportunities of beauty from within, and product categories that are suitable for appearance-enhancing ingredients
A plant extract based on the Indian gooseberry has an
antioxidant capacity higher than scores of other fruits, including
blueberries and strawberries, the manufacturers claim.
The headlines are sensationalist: twenty-four people have died in a
probiotic trial. Therefore, probiotics may be fatal. Throw those
yoghurt shots away!
Reflex Nutrition is on the verge of trialing its whey protein drink
through a mainstream food wholesaler in the UK, which if successful
could be a shot in the arm for further whey products on the market.
An agreement has been reached between Raisio and Unilever to grant
non-exclusive global rights to a number of plant sterol and stanol
patents - a move which will allow both companies to develop their
business and applications and...
The whey protein industry looks set to profit from the functional
beverage trend as manufacturers say they have seen a surge in
demand for their ingredients.
Functional ingredient innovator Provexis has secured a new 12-month
deal with Unilever to investigate the use of its Fruitflow
technology in the multinational's spreads brands.
France's Danone and Japan's Yakult will continue their strategic
alliance involving closer cooperation on R&D and entry into new
markets, maintaining their positions as leaders in the probiotics
market.
Phytopharm and Unilever are expecting progress in their efforts to
develop products using the active extract of Hoodia gordonii in
2007, and report they are satisfied with efforts to address the
problem of ineffective weight-loss...
Danone is planning to introduce a new line of cosmetic yoghurts
next year, according to press reports, as it seeks the next level
of differentiation in the increasingly competitive functional dairy
market.
Carbery presented new developments in whey protein ingredients at
HIE in Frankfurt last week as it recognises they are increasingly
desirable for mainstream healthy products, not just the sports
nutrition and infant formula markets.
French dairy giant, Danone, has launched an action against Glanbia,
Yoplait International and Yoplait Marque Internationales in the
Dublin High Court, after alleged infringments on trademark after
the launch of the Yoplait Essence...
France's Danone has announced a three-year licence with US-based
Integrated Genomics for access to the ERGO database and genomic
discovery system to enhance the group's probiotic understanding and
R&D.
Unilever said yesterday that it had signed a deal with Maaf
Assurances that will see the French insurer reimbursing
policyholders for consumption of its cholesterol-lowering Pro-Activ
range.
French yoghurt and biscuit maker Danone said today that it is not
looking to acquire the Dutch infant nutrition firm Numico, after
rumours that Danone was making a bid pushed up the Dutch group's
shares.
Food-to-detergents group Unilever is selling its Dextro Energy unit
to Germany's Zertus Group, the companies said on Wednesday, without
disclosing the price.
SlimFast owner Unilever has gained the exclusive global rights to
an appetite-suppressing compound extracted from the hoodia gordonii
plant by UK-based Phytopharm, reports Dominique Patton.
Unilever yesterday turned its nose up at any talk of a decline in
the low-carb market and introduced 23 lines - the biggest launch in
the company's history - into Australian supermarkets, according to
an article in The Australian.
Young people who consume energy drinks with alcohol to improve
their stamina on a night out are likely to see no such effect,
suggests new research on the market leader Red Bull.
Unilever is to launch a range of energy-boosting products across
Europe, based on one of its most traditional brands, according to a
report in German newspaper the Lebensmittelzeitung.
Japanese probiotics pioneer Yakult and French yoghurts and biscuits
maker Danone said today they will set up a new alliance to push
growth of their functional foods businesses and cement their
leading positions in the probiotics market.
