Exclusive interview

Beneo: Prebiotic health claim rejections have put prospects “on hold”

21-Dec-2011 - The second part of this exclusive interview sees Beneo executive board member, Yves Servotte, explaining the cooling but not crushing effect of EU prebiotic health claim rejections on its inulin-chicory business.

Exclusive interview

Beneo board: “Let us not forget that functional food responds to a clear demand of the consumer”

20-Dec-2011 - 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.

SME entrepreneurs the lifeblood of the food sector, says former Unilever NPD expert

16-Dec-2011 - The difficult and rarely successful task of taking a food product all the way from idea-to-shelf, particularly in the current stagnant European market, is not deterring small start-ups or individual entrepreneurs from trying, claims an NDP expert at the recent FIE show in Paris.

FHI "getting its act together" for positive EFSA opinions

09-Dec-2011 - A trial underway will provide the substantiation that EFSA needs in order to get a health claim for a protein mix used in combination with an exercise programme for improving muscle mass in the elderly, claims value-added dairy project Food for Health Ireland (FHI).

Dispatches from FIE 2011

VP on Bio Serae and CNI merger: “It was difficult for the customer to understand who we were”

07-Dec-2011 - When French firm Iranex announced in November that it was merging Bio Serae Laboratoires and Colloides Naturels International (CNI) to form Nexira (an anagram of Iranex), some wondered about the wisdom of scrapping two established and recognised brands.

Dispatches from FIE

Consumer pressure over biodiversity in food chain growing, says UEBT

01-Dec-2011 - Companies that have been championing biodiversity in their supply chain were recognised at the BioDiversity Awards at the FIE trade show in Paris this week, with an ethical biotrade organisation claiming that only 39% of consumers it polled are confident that the food industry pays serious attention to ethical sourcing.

Exclusive interview

Chinese market opens up for Naturex for flavour modifier; Burgundy integration underway

21-Nov-2011 - Naturex has just received novel foods approval in China for its flavour masking system, Talin. President and chief executive of the botanicals group, Jacques Dikansky, revealed the news and discussed the integration of Burgundy when we caught up with him at Naturex HQ in Avignon.

Turning the spotlight on regional Asian trends

22-Aug-2011 - FoodNavigator-Asia spoke to suppliers at the recent Vitafoods show in Geneva about launching new foods and supplements on the Asian market. What are the main challenges? And where are the most promising opportunities?

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2011

‘We have to look to different sources’ says GOED chief as omega-3 sectors unite

25-May-2011 - The plant (ALA) and marine (DHA and EPA) sectors have not always agreed about omega-3 bioavailability and sustainability, but they recently came together against the negative health effects of omega-6 over-consumption.

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2011

Oceans may provide ‘new wave’ of natural ingredients

23-May-2011 - The marine environment may be hiding a bounty of untapped natural ingredients that have potential for use in foods and supplements, says Dr Jon Williams of Aquapharm.

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2011

Measure for measure: Cranberry wars rage on

20-May-2011 - The long-standing dispute within the cranberry industry about the most appropriate way to measure the urinary tract infection (UTI)-battling berry’s active constituents was resolved in France recently when a government body backed a version of the DMAC method. Or did it?

Dispatches from Vitafoods Europe 2011

Vitafoods expansion offers broad regional promise

19-May-2011 - At Vitafoods Europe 2011, Jess Halliday caught up with event director Chris Lee to talk about the show’s ambitious expansion plans into Asia and South America.

Disptaches from Vitafoods Europe 2011

DSM on Vitatene, Martek and its investment “shortlist”

18-May-2011 - DSM’s head of global marketing in human nutrition and health, Gareth Barker, explains why it has bought a carotenoid supplier (approval permitting), how the Martek acquisition is progressing, and why the company is not finished spending yet.

DSM and Anchor Yeast's joint venture markets first crop of wine ingredients

21-Apr-2011 - A year on from the formation of Oenobrands, a joint venture between DSM and Anchor Yeast, we went down to their offices in Montpellier, France, to find out about its first crop of wine yeasts and enzymes.

How health claims could impact marketing ethics

08-Dec-2010 - The tough health claims environment in Europe could turn manufacturers towards more subtle – and maybe less ethical – marketing approaches, believes Henry Dixon of PR firm BDB.

DISPATCHES FROM HIE

Innovations in microencapsulation techniques

07-Dec-2010 - A new microencapsulation technique that produces smaller more uniform particles could replace less accurate microencapsulation techniques, according to researchers at Dutch institute TNO.

Dispatches from NutraIngredients Health Claims 2010

Linguistic flexibility needed when using health claims on packs, Unilever

03-Dec-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.

Dispatches from HIE 2010

Natural food colourings now the consistent choice

01-Dec-2010 - Paul Collins, managing director, GNT International, charts the growth in interest of clean-label natural fruit and vegetable-based colours “that use food to provide the colour to food”, as the industry moves away from chemical alternatives.

Dispatches from HIE 2010

Improving perceptions of oat beta glucans

01-Dec-2010 - David Peters, head of business development at Swedish life sciences firm Biovelop discusses how his firm has worked to overcome poor perceptions of oat-based beta-glucans by improving their aesthetic and technical qualities.

Does salt reduction mean taste reduction?

26-Nov-2010 - Salt is a major contributor to the taste intensities of foods, and large reductions in salt levels can severely affect taste and consumer preference. But does low salt always mean lower taste?