The US has the highest prevalence of overweight teens according to
a new global study. But obesity in all age groups is believed to be
on the increase, according to an article in The Archives of
Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Men and women who drank more coffee and other caffeinated beverages
were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes than those who drank
few or no caffeinated beverages, report researchers in a new study.
Australian food ingredients firm Clover Corporation has formed a
joint venture to produce and market a soya-based ingredient for use
in functional foods.
Vegetables such as as broccoli and cabbage have been shown to
protect against cancer but US scientists have now patented a
compound derived from these greens with a new use - to treat
cancer.
Forthcoming European legislation on health claims could pose a
roadblock to rapid market expansion of polyphenols, the plant-based
antioxidants gaining increasing attention for their
disease-fighting actions, warns a new report.
The US Food and Drug Administration last week announced a ban on
the weight loss herbal ephedra, after an extended consultation
period including a court hearing.
German ingredients firm Nutrinova has received approval from the US
Food and Drug Administration to market its Sunett brand of the
intense sweetener acesulfame K for general use in the US.
Sports drink maker ChampionLyte Beverages is to increase
distribution with the reopening of business with J.A.M.B. Business
Enterprises, the low-carb specialist that distributed its earlier
formulation.
Bunge, the world's top oilseed processor, last week said it was
looking to cream off a gain of about $2 million, or 2 cents per
share, on the sale of its US bakery business to privately-held Dawn
Food Products.
Soy isoflavones may not offer the benefits to heart health often
attributed to soyfoods, finds a new study that suggests that
another part of the plant could be responsible for its
cholesterol-lowering ability.
A diet high in magnesium may help prevent the development of type 2
diabetes, especially in people who are overweight, suggests
evidence reported in two new studies out next month. The findings
add weight to theories that vitamins...
Ingredients manufacturer National Starch has launched a new website
to promote the health benefits of carbohydrates, coming under
considerable pressure from the growing support for low-carb diets.
The movement of foodstuffs within the European boundaries will be
changed forever once the next step towards an enlarged Europe takes
place. Food and Life Sciences lawyer Raymond O’Rourke takes us
through a detailed look at some of...
Obese men with prostate cancer are more likely to have aggressive
tumors and to experience cancer recurrence after surgery compared
to men of normal weight or those who are overweight but not obese,
according to two new studies.
Women who eat tomato products regularly may be at lower risk of
heart disease, suggests a new study that has linked higher blood
levels of the tomato compound lycopene to reduced risk of the
chronic disease in women subjects.
A researcher at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute
(UPCI) has received a $1.7 million grant from the National Cancer
Institute to study prostate cancer prevention by phytochemicals
found in broccoli.
German chemicals group Degussa said today it has sold its remaining
49-per cent share in Sudsalz to SWS-Alpensalz, a wholly-owned
subsidiary of Südwestdeutsche Salzwerke (SWS), based in Heilbronn,
Germany. The divestment is part of...
Tough new bioterrorism rules that entered into force earlier this
month have come under fire from a US consumer watchdog, accusing
the FDA of 'watering down' the rules.
New Jersey-based Bradley Pharmaceuticals is to market a new
probiotic product, supplied by Danish probiotics leader Chr.
Hansen, to the North American physicians market.
In response to an increasing worldwide demand for pectin, Danish
ingredients company Danisco is to expand its Czech production
capacity by 40 per cent to accommodate an expected growth rate of
5-6 per cent on the world market.
In a bid to reinforce customer relations in Latin America, the
dairy ingredients business unit of DSM Food Specialties' has
expanded its presence in Latin America with the opening of a new
sales and customer services office in...
Grape juice significantly improved short-term memory and some
neuro-motor skills such as coordination and balance in preliminary
research on animals, presented last month.
The FDA should change food labeling laws to allow for accurate
comparative claims in order to help consumers choose healthier
diets, said the US Federal Trade Commission in a letter to FDA this
week.
German chemicals firm Merck KGaA, one the vitamin manufacturers
involved in the price fixing allegations, has reached a settlement
and is co-operating with the plaintiffs, reported the New York
Times today.
The rye grain, and rye bran in particular, is rich in dietary fibre
and also contains a significant fructan concentration, which may
have important prebiotic properties, suggests a new publication.
Experts meeting at a symposium on probiotics this autumn said that
further scientific support is needed to explore the strong
potential for health benefits of these bacteria.
Food marketers in the US can now make a claim referring to the
beneficial actions of wholegrains on reduction of heart disease
risk, following an application from Kraft Foods.
Ginger, taken by pregnant women to ease morning sickness, appears
to be safe for the foetus, report researchers, but they found it
only had a mild effect on sickness.
Lobby groups are stepping up the effort to fight a bill recently
introduced by US senators, which seeks to add considerably to the
government's current regulation of the dietary supplement industry.
Children should be strongly encouraged to regularly include
calcium-rich foods and drinks in their diets, report US
researchers, after a new study confirms the negative association
between the mineral and body fat.
Canadian company SunOpta has announced a 20 per cent expansion plan
for its US oat fiber production facility. With more than 50 per
cent of Americans now believed to be following Atkins-style diets,
the ingredient is becoming increasingly...
An eye health supplement containing gamma linolenic acid (GLA) has
been shown to increase lactoferrin production, helping to reduce
dry eye, reports its Nevada-based manufacturer ScienceBased Health.
Ontario residents are eating too few vegetables and fruits and are
missing out on their cancer fighting benefits, according to the
results of a new survey completed by Cancer Care Ontario.
The UK's fourth biggest supermarket may introduce special labelling
for its low-carb products, reported market research firm
Datamonitor this week, which could spark a wave of diet-related
marketing.
Nutritional oil manufacturer Martek Biosciences recorded its first
annual profit this year since founding almost 20 years ago,
revealing a net income of $16 million compared to losses worth $24
million last year.
Leading agricultural processor Archer Daniels Midland is to set up
a new business unit for speciality oils and fats, it announced
yesterday, in a bid to strengthen its position in value-added
ingredients. The company is facing increasing...
The US Supreme Court said yesterday it would hear an appeal by
Roche, BASF and other vitamin makers, challenging a previous ruling
that allowed foreign buyers to sue them in the US for their
activities abroad.
Both vitamin D and cod liver oil, rich in omega-3, consumed early
on in life appear to reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes, suggests
new trials out this month. But neither study finds a positive
effect from supplements.
ADM Natural Health and Nutrition has expanded its range of soya
isoflavone concentrates for use in food and food supplements.
Novasoy 700 has a minimum 70 per cent isoflavone content and
Novasoy 200 is a 20 per cent isoflavone concentrate.
Canadian firm Forbes Medi-Tech saw shares jump 10 per cent this
week following the announcement by the European Food Safety Agency
(EFSA) that its cholesterol-lowering ingredient Reducol is safe.
Bristol Myers Squibb subsidiary Mead Johnson said today it will
sell its adult medical nutrition business to Swiss pharmaceuticals
firm Novartis for $385 million in cash.
Danish ingredients company Chr. Hansen has teamed up with dairy
manufacturers to develop a new yoghurt culture - Yo-Flex - designed
to be used in products with less fat and fewer additives.
Government authorities in the United States and Canada should use
the current Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) to label nutrients in
food and dietary supplements, argues a new report from the US
National Academies' Institute...
Marketing of cholesterol-lowering foods looks set to become easier
with European bodies publishing favourable opinions on two plant
sterol manufacturers last week.
A surge in sales of its Ester-C brand in the nutraceuticals
division helped pharma and biotech company Zila offset an overall
loss for the first quarter, knocked by higher ascorbic acid costs.
A fenugreek extract made by Dutch ingredients company Acatris has
been shown to reduce blood sugar levels in both non-diabetic and
type-II diabetic subjects, reported the company today.
