Financial plays

'My personal view is that, unless it is clearly explained as a property of the food, it is a health claim or a reference to general well-being, which needs to be accompanied by an authorised health claim.' © iStock.com

SPECIAL EDITION: ANTIOXIDANTS, POLYPHENOLS & CAROTENOIDS

Why antioxidant claims have been killed off in the EU

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

European regulatory restraints have killed off antioxidant health claims as lawyers advise firms to play it safe despite leniency in some EU member states. We round up the legal status of the term, and the impact this has had on the market.

The €1.62m-project PUReOPE wants to make polyphenols from brewing, distilling, malting and cereals sector waste common place. © iStock.com / mrdoomits

Special Edition: Antioxidants, polyphenols & carotenoids

Pint of polyphenols? Culture shift needed to find value in brewery waste

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The EU has offered up big money for a project to get high value polyphenol compounds from brewing industry waste. Yet the leader of the project says a business culture shift is also needed to take the practice mainstream.

Perrigo unloads US supplements business to contract manufacturer

Perrigo unloads US supplements business to contract manufacturer

By Hank Schultz

Perrigo has unloaded its US supplements business, with International Vitamin Corporation stepping up as buyer. The deal was seen by one observer as another step in the concentration of US-based supplement manufacturing backed by Chinese capital.

Flop: Network marketing company Forever Living Products has suspended a seller's account after the ASA cracked down on unauthorised health claims made on her Facebook group. © iStock.com / dolphfyn

ASA puts maca claims to bed following Facebook fallout

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has warned a Facebook user not to repost claims that a Multi-Maca supplement could up sperm count for men and enhance fertility for women.

Olympic Seafood hopes two new products - a high concentration krill oil and a krill powder - will inject life into an otherwise stagnant market. © iStock.com

Second krill player moves in on EU high dose opportunity

By Annie-Rose Harrison-Dunn from Ålesund, Norway

Rimfrost AS is the latest krill player to capitalise on a recent EU approval of high doses of the omega-3 ingredient, a move it hopes will inject life into an otherwise ‘stagnant’ market.  

'One thing foods do well that supplements don’t do well is that they tell a largestory. [Foods] engage the consumer in the story of the brand,' says BrandHive co-founder. © iStock.com / Kwangmoozaa

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2016

How to make supplement packaging sexier

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Supplement players need to make their packaging sexier if they are to bat off competition from encroaching healthy food and drink products, says marketing expert.

'This study will bring together the entire relationship between bacterial viruses and how they can alter the numbers of the good and bad bacteria in the infant gut in a way that has not been assessed before.' iStock.com / leoniepow

Gates Foundation backs African infant microbiota project

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has signed a $100,000 (€89,485) cheque for academics from the University College Cork in Ireland to study the microbiota of infants in developing countries.

Governments should be proactive not reactive when it comes to protecting marine resources, warns Canadian supplier Neptune Technologies & Bioressources. © iStock.com / svega

Special edition: Omega-3s

Carrot vs. stick: What’s the key to securing a sustainable omega-3 supply?

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

With around 20-25% of global wild caught fish used for fish meal and fish oil production, environmental certification schemes like Friend of the Sea (FoS) and the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) have been putting increasing pressure on the omega-3 sector...

The California-based energy drink giant has been locked in an appeals process for its EU trademark since 2013.

'Green Beans M Java Monster' canned

You’ve got fax: Monster mashed in EU trademark battle

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Monster Energy Company has lost a trademark battle with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) for the wording ‘Green Beans’ following a three year argument over a lost fax.

By 2020 LEDs are set to represent almost 60% of the total lighting market, but behind this energy-efficient option lies a major danger to eye health.

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2016

OmniActive taps into LED concerns with What’s Your B.L.U.E.? campaign

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The future of lighting is LED but what impact does this have on eyesight? US-Indian firm OmniActive has launched a European version of its What’s Your B.L.U.E.? campaign to shed light on the burgeoning health risk, which it says carotenoid supplements...

The profile of the sweetener has been boosted this month with the launch of STATE, a Danish sports drink fronted by Premier League football player Christian Eriksen.

Product strategy expert says palatinose's 'time has come'

By Lynda Searby

As consumer knowledge about blood sugar level management builds, low-glycaemic sweetener Palatinose could be about to enjoy its day in the sun, according to author and marketing guru Julian Mellentin. 

Between 2011 and 2015, there was a 202% increase in the number of new food and drink product launches featuring the terms ‘superfood’, ‘superfruit’ or ‘supergrain’. © iStock.com / baibaz

Super growth for superfoods, but is the halo starting to slip?

By Lynda Searby

Rates of ‘superfood’ new product development have tripled in the past five years, according to Mintel, but a nutrition expert warns that with no clear definition in existence, the allure of the ‘superfoods’ sell is starting to fade. 

Older consumers aren't looking for silver bullet solutions but transparent support, research in Asia and Europe finds. © iStock.com / CharlieAJA

Healthy agers: To market older, you’d better get wiser

By Lynda Searby

Europe’s seniors see functional foods as a 'dated' concept, are uncomfortable with products that expressly mention age, and want sustainable, naturally nutritious products, finds a consumer study led by the Healthy Marketing Team.

Monsanto hits back at MEP vote: 'We believe that African nations are beginning to ignore this European NGO noise and neocolonialism and decide for themselves whether GM technology offers them any benefits.' © iStock.com / Polhansen

Monsanto slams EU attempt to block GM crops in Africa as 'neo-colonialism'

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Parliament’s Committee on Development has urged G8 member states “not to support GMO [genetically modified] crops in Africa” as part of its critical resolution on the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition - a decision agri giant Monsanto...

Kerry Group's Cheestrings sold well in the children's snack market, said the firm

Kerry Group reports growth in business volumes

By Gwen Ridler

Kerry Group has posted a 2.9% growth in business volumes, driven by its Taste & nutrition and Consumer food divisions in first quarter results, thanks partly to its children’s snack product Cheestrings.

Ginkgo producers need to gain a detailed understanding of the value chains of their products, say researchers. © iStock.com / Malgorzata Biernikiewicz

How to shut down the illicit ginkgo trade

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Research into the adulteration and poor manufacturing practices of ginkgo products has highlighted the need to reign in unregistered food supplements containing the botanical. 

Seaweed: Mintel claims it could become the next ‘superfood’

Seaweed market boosted by NPD surge

By Noli Dinkovski

Food and drink product launches with seaweed flavours, including kombu, nori, and wakame, grew by 147% in Europe between 2011 and 2015, according to latest figures.

The fortifiers and the non-fortifiers - who is doing what when it comes to folic acid and neural tube defects? © iStock.com / eyegelb

Special edition: Gender-specific nutrition

Folic acid fortification: The current global state of play

By Lynda Searby

To date 75 countries globally have implemented mandatory fortification programmes for folic acid with the aim of preventing neural tube defects (NTDs) in babies. Yet despite growing calls from NGOs, health experts and researchers, the 28 EU member countries...

'We are trying to take the sleaze out of libido and focus on health ageing,' says the supplier behind Testofen and Libifem. © iStock.com / aquatarkus

special edition: gender-specific nutrition

How to take the sleaze out of libido supplements

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The market for male libido supplements dwarfs that for women – but positioning products as healthy ageing supplements may help shake the sleaze from this niche segment, says one bawdy botanical supplier.

The deal comes as part of Holland & Barrett’s plans for major international expansion to make its global franchises bigger than its UK and Ireland core.

1000 Holland & Barrett franchise stores to open in India

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Health and nutrition retailer Holland & Barrett has secured a £20m (€25.44m) deal with Indian hospital chain Apollo Hospitals, an agreement which will see 1000 franchise stores open across India over the next five years.

The Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed (PAFF) voted to back the Commission’s draft proposals in a meeting on Tuesday.© iStock.com / ratmaner

EU committee vote backs 4 caffeine claims

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A member state committee has voted to back the European Commission’s decision to authorise four health claims on caffeine and ban a final fifth. 

Chr Hansen's human health and nutrition division performs well - while animal health faces contract challenges. © iStock.com / horkins

Chr Hansen posts strong Q2 results – but nutrition growth ‘modest’

Downturn in yoghurt probiotic use propped up by supplements: Chr Hansen CFO

By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Chief financial officer (CFO) for ingredients giant Chr Hansen says there has been a downturn in use of probiotics in yoghurts over the last five years due to the EU’s ban on the term – but food supplements are weathering the storm. 

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