Financial plays

The report called for policies to improve UK breastfeeding rates including tighter regulation of the infant formula market and paid breastfeeding breaks for women in the workplace. ©iStock/Viktorcvetkovic

Report urges UK to improve poor breastfeeding support

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Scotland and Northern Ireland have made improvements in policies that encourage women to continue breastfeeding but England and Wales still lag behind, according to scorecards in a report from the World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative (WBTi).

'Personalisation is already being practiced by consumers as individuals in their everyday food choices and it's now evolving to a more technology-based level,' says marketing expert.

P-Fit: Protein market game changer or nice little niche?

By Lynda Searby

Does P-Fit, the personalised protein service launched last month, have the potential to 'disrupt' the category, as one protein expert suggests, or will it settle quietly into a humble but high value niche? NutraIngredients seeks views from the...

SNE says experts are increasingly questioning the benefit of strict communication rules in hospitals designed to encourage breastfeeding. ©iStock/Pilin_Petunyia

Censoring choice? SNE concerned about Romanian infant formula plans

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Restricting mothers’ access to information about infant formula may have negative public health consequences, trade group Specialised Nutrition Europe (SNE) has said following a draft Romanian law banning the marketing of formula for under-2s.

Getting a probiotic health claim approved has been 'rendered impossible', says IPA Europe. ©iStock/goolyash

Is it time to admit it's impossible to get a probiotic health claim?

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

If the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) continues to treat probiotics like pharmaceuticals, it will never be possible to win a health claim, says the European arm of the International Probiotics Association (IPA). But not everyone agrees.

Krill oil supplier says the 'million dollar question' now is whether its Antarctic fishing patches will be next on the protection list. Photo credit Aker Biomarine

Krill fishery unaffected (for now)

Fishing banned in world’s largest Marine Protected Area in Antarctica

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Fishing will be banned in a newly protected area of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica the size of the UK and France combined following an agreement at a Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) meeting.

Bionov specialises in the nutrition ingredient SuperOxide Dismutase (SOD), which it says can reduce the appearance of cellulite. ©iStock/AND-ONE

French flavour firm buys nutrition partner

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

French flavours firm Robertet has completed its acquisition of melon extract producer Bionov, bringing products marketed to combat stress and cellulite into its portfolio. 

'The way protein is currently defined in labelling regulation needs to change because this is precisely the root of the protein spiking problem,' says ESSNA vice-chair. ©iStock/ogichobanov

Nitrogen spiking: The loophole jeopardising protein’s podium place

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European sports nutrition industry is calling for a ‘protein spiking’ loophole to be closed, but if there is any Brussels movement it is likely to be slow and this lapse threatens to knock the nutrition staple from the top step of the sports nutrition...

©iStock/BrianAJackson

Nutra futures

Top 10 nutrition start-ups

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Venture Scanner says 2016 is on pace to be one of the best years ever for health and nutrition start-up investment. We scan the most promising Venture Scanner ventures...

'We strongly question the way this opinion has been treated by the panel,' Probi writes to the European Commission. ©iStock/roibu

'We find it strange ‘methodological limitations’ claimed by the panel were not specified'

‘Highly unsatisfactory’: Probi takes claim complaints to EC

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Commission has asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to consider concerns raised by Swedish supplier Probi about the treatment of its rejected probiotic health claim.

EFSA says 'the role of vitamin E in protection of DNA, proteins and lipids from oxidative damage applies to all ages, including infants and young children up to three years of age'. ©iStock/Halfpoint

Antioxidant vitamin health claim authorised

EFSA backs E for infants

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has extended its approval of a health claim for vitamin E and protection from oxidative damage for adults to include young children.

Alpro says it 'remains steadfast' in its plant-based mission following criticism of its acquisition by dairy giant Danone.

Alpro: 'we made a mistake and we’re really sorry'

Twitter storm blows up Alpro's dairy problem

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Belgian manufacturer of plant-based dairy alternatives Alpro has been caught in a Twitter storm after it tweeted that a healthy diet consists of one third animal-based products. Disgruntled vegan followers referenced the company’s recent acquisition by...

© iStock / pilipenkoD

Aker, Neptune reach landmark krill oil licensing agreement

By Hank Schultz

The Thirty Years War that reshaped Europe featured myriad twists and turns. The Krill Wars have, too, with the latest being a final, formal burying of the hatchet between the two principal players, Aker BioMarine and Neptune Technologies and Bioressources.

Sage advice: Grow 'slowly, surely, safely'.  One of Nexira's offerings ©iStock/zeleno

Nexira plots 4-year growth era as it returns to family values

By Lynda Searby

After becoming fully family-owned and independent last week, French botanicals and ingredient player Nexira is chasing sales of €150-€160m by 2020 with acquisition, Asian expansion and boosted health and nutrition activity front-and-centre in its plans.

Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) committee chair 'strongly rejects' further cuts to funding for environmental and health agencies. ©iStock.com/Piotr Adamowicz

ENVI chair seeks freeze on EFSA budget squeeze

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Members of European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to fight proposals to cut 2017 budgets for EU agencies including the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).