A leading European horticultural research institute has launched a
partnership with a New Zealand science organisation in order to
develop new fruit cultivars.
The fortunes of the pomegranate, until recently unknown to most US
consumers, is changing fast, according to Datamonitor's Productscan
Online database of new products.
A new fruit ingredient claimed to have all the attributes of fresh
fruit - but with the added benefit of retaining its texture in both
dried and frozen form - has been developed.
The aesthetic demands of food retailers is leading to the mass
standardisation of fruit and vegetable produce sold in supermarkets
and causing obscene amounts of food waste, according to a UK
pressure group.
Australia's food watchdog has abandoned its 'information on
request' approach to the country of origin labelling of food,
proposing instead a package of measures to provide consumers with
tighter information.
An industrial cleaning wash for fruits and vegetables uses a
chlorine dioxide solution to reduce harmful bacteria and extend
shelf life, according to the product's manufacturer.
Cost pressures on food producers and processors operating in Russia
look likely to increase as prices for sunflower seed oil rise ever
more rapidly, reports Angela Drujinina.
A New Zealand research institute is aiming to turn fruit from a
traditional health food into one that can help food manufacturers
meet today's consumer's demands for specific health benefits,
writes Dominique Patton.
Fruit juice maker Old Orchard is once again making the most of
recent health research pertaining to various fruits, adding a
blueberry-pomegranate option to its range.
Growing demand for exotic flavours in food formulations guide UK
food ingredients firm JO Sims to source a wider range of tropical
fruits from South America.
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is trying to focus
attention away from the winter storms and towards the summer by
highlighting two new peach varieties it has developed.
Scientists have developed new tests to detect nut allergens in
processed foods that could help food makers adhere to the tough new
European rules on food allergens to be enforced later this year.
A Spanish research team has devised a bioinsecticide for pest
control in the production of fruit and vegetables which is said to
provide a more effective and cheaper means of preventing crop
infestation.
On the back of rising sales for frozen fruits UK ingredients firm
J.O.Sims has linked up with German supplier Dinter Trading, which
will provide the UK firm with a range of fruit berries from eastern
Europe. Fruit ingredients firms...
Latvian fruit and vegetable processing company Pure Food says that
it has reached an agreement with a major Chinese shopping chain to
supply its products there.
Edible wraps made of fruit and vegetables and plastic wrapping that
incorporates basil are being developed. Is this the future of
packaging, or will the concept fail to catch on or meet stringent
EU health and safety regulations?
Exalted of late for their antioxidant health benefits, fruit
berries continue to show growth in a range of food applications.
Fruit ingredients stalwart J.O. Sims has launched a new Canadian
produced berry onto the market marking...
Investigations by the Spanish competition authority, the SDC, into
the price of fresh fruit and vegetables has confirmed that most
retailers regularly include a substantial mark up on these products
but that this is in line with the...
Global stategies to improve the diet of the world's population
continue with the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) unveiling a 'unified approach to
promote greater consumption...
An insidious fuzzy grey mould that often coats refrigerated
strawberries and many other plants during growing and storage could
be prevented by a gene identified at Purdue university in the US.
Labelling issues have come to the fore for US jam maker JM Smucker
with a Californian woman suing the company over 'Simply 100 Per
Cent Fruit' that might actually be less than 50 per cent fruit.
Sharp increases in the prices of many fresh fruit and vegetables in
Spain last month are to be investigated by the country's
competition authorities. Prices have risen across Europe as the hot
weather reduced harvests, but the...
The US Department of Agriculture says it is seeking to patent a
biocontrol yeast that fights the apple nemesis 'blue mould', a
fungus which leaves a telltale sign of soft, watery, light-brown
rot.
Packaging Automation has won a contract to supply heat sealing
machines to Africa, where they will be used to ensure fruit
exported back to Europe remains fresh.
Flavour ingredients company Treatt will unveil its new selection of
natural vegetable distillates at the IFT exhibition opening this
weekend in Chicago, USA.
Could summer's delectable bounty fight the growth of cancer cells?
Scientists at the Institute of Food Research in the UK have begun
work to identify compounds in strawberries responsible for
inhibiting the growth of cancer cells....
As savoury marinades and cooking sauces gain in popularity, some
industry forecasters are predicting that the next product to fly
off grocery shelves will be dipping sauces. Meeting the trend, food
ingredients company Danisco has...
Recent food and drink highlights from Mintel's GNPD (Global New
Products Database) include fruity cappuccino, confectionery
products packaged like hair mousse and chocolate CDs featuring
Elvis Presley songs.
Food ingredients giant Danisco invests further in Mexico, and
pectin, with the announcement this week that is to construct a DKK
40 million production plant for speciality pectin in Tecomán,
Mexico.
A special orchard in Northern California is home to more than 100
different kinds of figs from around the globe. This fig genebank
ranks as one of the world's largest living assortments of edible
figs, writes the US Agriculatural...
The mysteries of peculiar shaped fruits and vegetables appear to
have been revealed. Scientists in the US have found that disabling
one gene in a tomato can make it pear-shaped. Squash, aubergines
and pears, they claim, probably owe...
Scientific research would suggest that the colorants called
anthocyanins in strong-coloured berries like red berries,
blueberries and blackcurrants may have a role in preventing heart
disease. A three-year European-funded collaborative...
Tin levels in UK canned foods are lower than five years ago and are
well within regulatory limits, according to a UK Food Standards
Agency survey released last week.
UK flavour ingredients company Treatt this week launched a new
addition to its range of TNF water-soluble distillates - Kiwifruit
Treattarome 9770, a new kiwifruit distillate. The company claims
that the new flavour can contribute...
Fresh tomatoes look set to win the industry debate - ' Fresh or
processed tomatoes - which have more lycopene?' - as researchers in
the US create a tomato which has nearly three-and-a-half times the
usual amount of the carotenoid.
Food ingredients company DSM claims this week that food
manufacturers seeking an alternative approach to mechanical and
heat treatment of fruit pieces could benefit from recent research
carried out on tomatoes by the company.
Pinot Meunier, a variety of grape used in champagne production,
could see enhanced production after the discovery of a new gene by
Australian scientists.
UK food ingredient specialist J.O. Sims this week announced record
growth in the sales of their fruit ingredients, with an increase of
over 50 per cent forecast by the end of 2002.
New Zealand's largest fruit and vegetables importer,Turners and
Growers, has entered a joint venture with the US-based SureBeam
Corporation to set up a new irradiation plant in Australia, reports
IndustrySearch.com.
Italy has tightened regulation of its fresh fruit and vegetables
sector to prevent a repeat of the soaring prices seen after drought
and ice destroyed crops, a senior government official said this
week.
Markbeech Products, a UK food ingredient importer, processor and
distributor, has sold its flavours business to Flavex
International, a UK company based in Hereford.