Financial plays

There is a  big split between the big city consumer and those in the countryside in Hungary, says expert

dispatches from vitafoods europe 2015

Hungary hungry for organic supplements

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Hungary is seeing a renaissance of its herbal sector, supported by a trend towards organic foods and supplements.

Croatian Chamber of Economy:

Dispatches from vitafoods europe 2015

Croatian supplements face challenges following EU membership

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Black market crack downs, neighbourhood kudos and moving goal posts - Croatia's supplement industry has seen big changes since it became a member of the European Union in July 2013.

SPECIAL EDITION: 25 YEARS OF FUNCTIONAL FOODS

Delayed reactions and industry in-jokes: The psychology of functional foods

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

According to Euromonitor International, fortified or functional food and drink sales jumped by 25% between 2008 and 2013 to reach $267.6bn (€249bn). But what does this industry term really mean to consumers anyway and what are the motivators behind such...

Glanbia chalked up annual sales of £2.5bn

Glanbia Ingredients Ireland takes profit hit

By Rod Addy

Turbulent dairy markets hit profit margins at Glanbia Ingredients Ireland (GII) in the past year, although sales continued to grow and the development of a major milk processing venture remained on track.

Progress at hand: by 2020 wearables will become commonplace

Wearable devices to track personal nutrition by 2020

By Rick Pendrous

Technology that helps consumers tailor what they eat to their specific health requirements – so-called ‘personalised nutrition’ – will take off over the next five years, the head of intelligence and economics at the Future Foundation think tank has predicted.

DSM CEO: Global economy continues to exhibit “microeconomic uncertainty and low consumer confidence”

Giant confronting omega-3, vitamin E challenges

DSM nutrition profits dip 7% in 2014

By Shane STARLING

Pricing and sector market challenges, currency fluctuations and some stiff economic headwinds have contributed to 2014 full-year EBITDA profits sliding 7% for the world’s biggest nutrient player, DSM.

Not everybody looking for a caffeine boost is looking for extreme sports and sugar, says maker of new caffeine strips

Big Tobacco eyes caffeine growth with oral strips

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The launch of oral caffeine strip Reon sees cigarette-making giant Imperial Tobacco diversifying its market attentions and targeting on-the-go urban professionals.

'The 400mg [daily] upper limit should also not be understood as a green light for consuming up to five energy drinks a day,' says consumer group BEUC.

EFSA caffeine opinion is not a green light

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority’s (EFSA) safety assessment on caffeine is not necessarily a green light for high caffeine consumption or for long-stalled health claims, according to industry commentators.

'It’s not all black in Europe. The regulators are learning about probiotics and the benefits,' Swedish company says

Media investment means US probiotic growth outpacing EU

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

US probiotic market growth has been bolstered by big media investment, something yet to be seen in the EU, according to the Swedish firm Probi which just secured its largest transatlantic order to date.

L’Oreal and Nestle end Inneov venture

L’Oreal and Nestle end Inneov venture

By Andrew MCDOUGALL

Cosmetics manufacturer L’Oreal and food giant Nestle have announced they will end the activity of their joint venture Innéov during the course of the first quarter 2015. 

BASF sells Norwegian omega-3 business to US firm

BASF sells Norwegian omega-3 business to US firm

By Shane STARLING

BASF has sold its Norwegian, “natural fish oils, medium-concentrated omega-3s, and customised bottled fish oil” plant to Pennsylvania firm Marine Ingredients for an undisclosed sum as the German ingredients and chemicals giant switches its focus to high-end...

Mellentin:

Special edition: Functional foods

Phood booed: Why big pharma fails at functional food

By Julian Mellentin

Faced with mounting difficulties in their drug businesses, many pharmaceutical manufacturers are looking at getting into functional foods and beverages, notes food marketing expert, Julian Mellentin in this guest article.

'On our terms': Raisio resumes global control of Benecol

“This is a good move for Raisio. They are the correct parent of this niche brand.”

Raisio brings cholesterol-lowering Benecol home for €90m

By Shane STARLING

“J&J should have sold it 10 years ago,” is one analyst’s appraisal of Finnish agro-food giant Raisio’s buy-back of the licensing rights to its cholesterol lowering, plant stanol-based Benecol brand today, referring to US market difficulties for the...

Herbalife asks Mirror to take down 'baseless' article

Herbalife shakes not responsible for Mexican death, say doctors

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A "previous serious illness" was responsible for the death of a Mexican woman - not Herbalife weight loss shakes - say local doctors following accusations in the Mexican and UK press of lead contamination.

Commission was wrong to separate med agency and EFSA: MEP

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Commission was wrong to separate the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the European Medicines Agency (EMA), nutrient profiles are unconvincing and the threat of botanical court action is unsurprising, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP)...

Omega Ingredients has recently secured a supply of Spanish orange oil

Omega Ingredients’ investment creates 16 new jobs

By Nicholas Robinson

Omega Ingredients (OI) has doubled the size of its manufacturing facility and secured 16 new jobs by pumping £300,000 into its UK operations, ceo and founder Steve Pearce has said.

EFSA wants your views on its openness...

EFSA extends consultation on ‘Open EFSA’

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority has extended the period of public consultation on its discussion paper ‘Transformation to an Open EFSA’ by a month.

Red Queen theory argues that despite inducing greater and more speedy responses from rivals, the most active and aggressive firms are the best performers.

Red Queen Rules: Understanding nutra space acquisition and evolution

By Dr Matthew Jones

By analysing the long-lasting commitments and acquisition activity of major companies Dr Matthew Jones at CPL Business Consultants uses the Red Queen theory to develop an understanding of their corporate mind-set and appetite for acquisitions and partnerships...

Mead Johnson Nutrition: A Danone target?

Is Danone feeling the need for Mead?

By Shane STARLING

 Danone shares rose today as rumours strengthened the French dairy giant would sell its medical and paediatric nutrition business (Nutricia), but is the firm streamlining its activities around its core foods businesses or just shifting infant-medical...

“Nearly eightfold lower content of the effective substance in capsules compared to the information on the food labelling were shown by a laboratory analysis of food supplements sold in shops as well as on the Internet,

"The principle is to replace costly substance by less costly substance at the expense of the consumer": CAFIA

Czech authority ‘constantly’ detects ‘serious’ adulteration in food supps

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Czech Agriculture and Food Inspection Authority (CAFIA) says it, “repeatedly reveals serious forms of adulteration of food supplements” despite efforts through its Food Pillory system.

Neptune's losses steepen as company nears end of recovery phase

Neptune's losses steepen as company nears end of recovery phase

By Hank Schultz

Neptune Technologies and Bioressources absorbed a steep loss in the first quarter of its fiscal year as the company nears the end of its recovery from an explosion and fire that destroyed its lone production plant. Net loss for the quarter was $5.3 million,...

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