Global probiotics leader Danone continues to prepare for the worst under the European Union’s uber-strict health claims regime that may this year deliver a barren, claimless landscape to the world’s biggest-selling functional food category, an official...
A Danone official has said the resolution of characterisation issues may not be enough to win positive opinions for a batch of probiotic health claims just resubmitted to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Danone and Mead Johnson may make a joint bid for the €8bn infant nutrition-dominated Pfizer nutrition business that is up for sale, according to press reports.
Simply filling a soft drink bearing a trademarked brand name does not itself violate an EU directive regarding use of that sign, according to the European Court of Justice (CJEU) in a high-profile ruling involving Red Bull.
In the first part of this exclusive interview, Beneo Group executive board member, Yves Servotte, explains how European Union health claim rules have informed strategic thinking at one of Europe’s biggest and most vocal ingredient vendors.
South Africa’s San people say food giant Unilever was working off inaccurate research data when it decided to bin a €20m investment in hoodia gordonii, the Kalahari cactus the San have used for centuries to curb hunger pangs.
Food, drink and supplement makers across the European Union’s 27-member states are free to make cholesterol-lowering health claims after an oat beta-glucan health claim passed into EU law books yesterday.
Part of the reasoning for Unilever’s controversial 2008 decision to sever a €20m partnership with UK firm Phytopharm to develop the weight management plant hoodia gordonii has become apparent, with disappointing trial results published this month.
Asia Pacific markets are ripe for functional foods development as a response to the increasing prevalence of western diets, says Katrina Diamonon, consumer analyst at market researcher, Datamonitor.
The Indian press is reporting that Danone is in “advanced talks” to buy the nutrition division of billion-dollar Indian pharma-focused firm, Wockhardt’s, for a price as high as €180m.
Global energy drink leader Red Bull has taken a rare step back by withdrawing Red Bull Cola and Red Bull Energy Shots from the US market – but says it has no plans to withdraw the products from the other 20 markets where they are sold.
Unilever has confirmed that it will not apply for a fortified food registration for its yeast breakfast spread Marmite, but says it would support an application from a local distributor.
Nutricia Advanced Medical Nutrition, a subsidiary of the food multinational Danone, has acquired nutritional supplements manufacturer Complan Food UK for an undisclosed sum.
Marmite, recently withdrawn from the Danish market after it became apparent the fortified, yeast breakfast spread did not possess a fortified food authorisation under the Scandinavian country’s strict laws, could be back on-market in three months, Danish...
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claims panel says there are no grounds for alteration of its rejection last year of probiotic health claim dossiers submitted by Danone and Yakult.
The birthplace of functional foods, Japan, continues to be the world’s most robust with 38.4% of a global functional food market of $24.22bn (€16.75bn), according to a Leatherhead report utilising tight functional food definitions.
Differences in the chemical structure of citrus flavonoids may have an important impact on their ability to reduce cholesterol, according to research from Unilever scientists.
Arla Foods is to establish a whey processing joint venture with the merged Nordmilch-Humana company DMK to produce whey protein concentrate (WPC) and lactose for the food industry.
A 25-year probiotic research veteran says the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) rejection of a diarrhoea C. difficile-reducing health claim for Danone drinking yoghurt Actimel was flawed because it failed to consider the totality of the evidence in...
Global probiotics leader Danone has written a 14-page response to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) in which it accuses the Parma-based agency of ignoring positive trial data and demands to see “minority opinions” among health claim panel decisions.
Volac is investing £2.5m in upgrading and expanding its factory in Wales in order to grow capacity by 100 per cent and meet growing demand for whey protein isolates.
Yesterday a story on BeverageDaily.com and NutraIngredients.com implied that a recent European Court of Justice (ECJ) decision meant French authorities had the authority to remove Red Bull from the market if they had valid safety concerns.
Consumers are showing increasing interest in the ‘aesthetic’ benefits of functional foods, according to a new report from RTS Resource entitled ‘SuperTrends: Health & Well-Being’.
Unilever has entered an undisclosed two-year partnership with New Jersey-base drug molecule designer and developer BioLeap, but says it has no intention of moving into drug-related activity.
The French food safety agency Anses has launched a new system for reporting adverse events linked to new foods and ingredients, supplements, enriched foods and drinks, and products for specific diets after 10 cases of concern were identified in a 2009...
Danone will contest the diarrhoea health claim rejection for its Actimel drinking yoghurt handed to it by the European Food Safety Authority this week.
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has repeatedly emphasised that the 2006 EU nutrition and health claims regulation is a learning experience for everyone involved – from its health claims assessment panel to industry stakeholders, to the member...
Dispatches from NutraIngredients Health Claims 2010
EFSA’s opinions on health claims are couched in scientific language that food and beverage manufacturers would be unlikely to use on product packaging. Unilever’s director of external affairs explains the need for linguistic flexibility.
Last month the European Food safety Authority (EFSA) rejected a range of whey-based, article 13.1 health claims, with only a muscle mass claim gaining approval. Problem? Not according to the whey industry.
The whey protein industry is gathering data to submit article 13.5 health claims after the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) last month rejected a slew of generic, article 13.1 protein and whey protein-related dossiers.
Danone is poised to establish a new international R&D centre for baby and medical nutrition in The Netherlands after signing an agreement to purchase land on Utrecht Science Park.
Ingredients giant the Beneo Group claims that the current EU Commission approach to functional food health claims risks leaving a scientific ‘vacuum’, as industry players delay publishing proprietary science regarding new claims.
A new food research collaboration between Unilever and TNO will examine ways in which diet can help improve health and reduce the incidence of chronic diseases by looking at the body’s overall balance rather than any one specific biomarker.
French probiotic leader Danone, Swedish dairy firm Skånemejerier and ingredient supplier Probi yesterday closed a three-way probiotic juice deal, bringing the firms one step closer to an international launch of the ProViva brand.
Unilever has submitted a health claim dossier to the European Food Safety Authority for a skin health food supplement composed of a similar formulation to the market leading Innéov product that had its skin health claim rejected in May this year.
Danone has decided not to roll out its high-dose, calcium-fortified bone health yoghurt Densia in France after a disappointing trial in a small French town.
Omega-3 spread maker Unilever says a 40 month study that found omega-3 spreads don’t protect elderly heart attack sufferers from further cardiac events, requires further analysis and won’t affect approved methods of usage.
As Danone’s share price continues to fall three days after its half year results were released, the company cites several potential reasons for the dip but insists that health claims uncertainty is not among them.
Global probiotics leader Danone has paid an undisclosed sum to Swedish dairy Skånemejerier for a 51 per cent stake in its probiotic juice brand, ProViva.
Energy drinks are outselling all other convenience beverage formats in Australia and growing at 19.9 per cent according to data from market analyst, AC Nielsen.
Dutch-British food company Unilever says Slim.Fast, the brand name for its highly popular weight management product, is not under threat of being construed as an unauthorised health claim in the European Union.
The head of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claims unit has defended its methods after being criticised by Danone and academics following its rejection of the French dairy giant's prebiotic, infant nutrition claim.
Global probiotics leader Danone says its withdrawn probiotic health claim dossiers will remain untouched on its shelves at least until it attends a gut and immune health claim workshop to be hosted by EFSA this year.
The firm behind heart-friendly beetroot juice Beet It is aiming to complete its first production run of a ‘one-shot’ 70ml version this month to provide a healthy alternative to drinks such as Red Bull Energy Shots and Lucozade Alert Plus.
Almost a year to the day after Danone first withdrew submissions for its best-selling probiotic yoghurts from the European Union health claims system, the French dairy giant has pulled its claims from the system once again.
The president of Danone Baby Nutrition (DBN) says European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) health claim assessment methodologies are threatening the reputation of the scientific peer-review process and sections of the medical fraternity.
