food
Thumbs-up for new salmonella detection kit
A new, rapid detection kit to identify salmonella species in food has received approval from international accreditation body the Association of Analytical Communities (AOAC). The Salmonella Rapid Culture Method, developed by Thermo Fisher Scientific, is said to deliver highly accurate results in less than 48 hours compared with up to four days for other methods. […]
UK snack food firm sells loss-making subsidiary
UK snack food and confectionery firm Zetar has sold a loss-making snacks business to the unit’s chief executive in a deal worth almost £2.7 million. The Baked Snacks Company Ltd (BSC) has gone to Mobeen Mehdi, following a management buy-out by his team. Mehdi has paid £590,000 up front, with the balance due over the […]
EU go-ahead for lycopene use in foods
European Commission approval for the use of several lycopene forms in foods looks set to significantly expand the market for the tomato-based antioxidant now that it is no longer restricted to food supplement applications. Offerings from Vitatene, BASF, DSM and Lycored have all won Novel Foods approval, making the market ripe for growth, according to […]
£10m boost for food waste facilities
The recent budget announcement of an additional £10 million funding for the development of reprocessing facilities for food waste has been welcomed by WRAP (Waste & Resources Action Programme). The funding will, it says, enable new composting and anaerobic digestion facilities to be built – processing over 300,000 additional tonnes of food waste every year. […]
EFSA re-confirms aspartame safety
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said there is no indication that aspartame causes cancer, following its assessment of a study that linked regular intake of the sweetener with an increased risk of certain cancers. EFSA’s panel on Food Additives and Nutrient Sources added to Food (ANS) was asked by the European Commission for […]
‘Chemical threat persists in food and beverage packaging’
Fourteen of the largest public packaged food and beverage companies still use the controversial chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in their packaging despite studies linking the synthetic sex hormone to developmental problems, heart disease, and diabetes, according to the authors of Seeking Safer Packaging, a new report by investors Green Century Capital Management and As You […]
Ulrick & Short to steer a new path
UK clean label ingredients developer, supplier and manufacturer Ulrick & Short has revealed plans to launch a range of new nutritionally beneficial ingredients later this year. The company has joined forces with Appetizing Innovation to prove the efficacy and legality of ingredients with specific health declarations, and to help the company take its first major […]
Green tea cheer for Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle has sealed a deal for the exclusive EMEA distribution rights of a new green tea extract from tea and coffee sourcing company A Holliday & Co. Called Teawell 95, the extract has a 95% concentration of the catechin Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) – among the highest purities available on the market today. EGCG is […]
Unilever unveils ‘holistic’ salt reduction strategy
Unilever has announced the launch of a global salt reduction strategy across 22,000 of its food products. By 2010, the company hopes to achieve a daily intake of 6g of salt per person – as recommended by the Food Standards Agency – and is targeting the World Health Organisation recommendation of a 5g maximum by […]
New food fraud squad
A new food fraud division will support local authorities in taking swift action to stop illegal activity, as well as helping them uncover cases where consumers have been misled, says the UK’s Food Standards Agency. The Food Fraud Advisory Unit (FFAU) is a group of 16 officials with extensive skills and experience in carrying out […]
Genome research go-ahead
A new national centre to analyse plant, animal and microbial genomes has been announced by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC) will be based on the Norwich Research Park and will provide genome sequencing to underpin advances to improve food security, protect UK agriculture from exotic animal disease and […]
New natural starch from Tate & Lyle
Tate & Lyle has introduced a new natural starch to its line of waxy maize starches in order, it says, to provide a wider range of clean label textures for snack foods. The X-Pand’R SC starch is the second to boast a clean label in the company’s X-Pand’R range of starches as the company looks […]
Heart-warming win
DSM’s blood pressure management ingredient tensVida (formerly known as TensGuard) recently won the NutrAward for the most innovative, evidence-based health and nutrition ingredient. “As a well known risk factor for coronary heart disease, kidney failure and stroke, high blood pressure is a major global concern, says Luc van-der-Heyden, business manager heart health, DSM.“TensVida represents a […]
Waitrose announces service station deal
UK upmarket retailer Waitrose has signed a franchise deal with motorway services operator Welcome Break to open a number of shops in its service stations. The grocery division of the John Lewis Partnership is to open two 2,500sq ft food shops at Welcome Break motorway service areas, the company announced this week. The deal will […]