Food safety
Food quality and safety
Objective
The activities carried out in this area are intended to help
establish the integrated scientific and technological bases needed to
develop an environmentally friendly production and distribution chain
of safer, healthier and varied food, including sea-food and to control
food-related risks, relying in particular on biotechnology tools taking
into account the results of post-genomic research, as well as to
control health risks associated with environmental changes.
Justification of the effort
and European added value
The recent food crises, and in particular bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE), have highlighted both the complexity of food
safety issues and the fact that in most cases they have international
and cross-border implications.
The integration of the European internal market as regards
agriculture and food makes it necessary to address the problems that
arise in this area, and hence to carry out related research, on a
European scale. It is against this background that the European Food
Safety Authority has been established(3).
Citizens and consumers expect that research will help to ensure that
the food and products marketed are of high quality, healthy and can be
consumed in safety. To this end, emphasis should be placed on the whole
food production chain, "from farm to fork", including, where
appropriate, application of animal and plant sciences and biotechnology
to this area. Requirements relating to animal welfare and health should
be taken into account.
This requires the availability of the most complete, precise and up
to date scientific knowledge. Apart from the public health aspect, the
prosperity of a sector representing some EUR 600 billion in terms of
annual turnover and 2,6 million jobs is at stake.
Given that small enterprises constitute a major part of the food
sector, the success of activities undertaken will rely on the
adaptation of knowledge and processes to the specific characteristics
of these enterprises.
Europe also needs to be able to make a substantial contribution to
the research efforts on these issues, which now arise at world level,
as well as a coherent contribution to the international debate on them,
based on the most precise and complete knowledge.
The same remarks apply to the various aspects of the problems
associated with the health impact of environmental factors (e.g.
endocrine disruptors, carcinogens) which are a source of growing
concern for European citizens, and which often manifest themselves on
an international scale. For all these reasons, but also in order to
derive the benefit of the combination of the best sources of expertise
available in complex areas, the research in question should be carried
out at European level in such a way as to ensure genuine coordination
of national activities.
Actions envisaged
Community activities will cover research, including, where
appropriate, post-genomics research, relating to various aspects of the
control of health risks and links between health and food:
(a) safer and environmentally friendly production and processing
methods and healthier, nutritious, functional and varied foodstuffs and
animal feed, based on systems such as integrated production,
lower-input farming including organic agriculture, and the use of plant
and animal sciences and biotechnologies;
(b) epidemiology of food-related diseases and allergies, including
the impact of diet on the health of children and methods for the
analysis of causes of food-related allergies;
(c) impact of food, for instance new products, products resulting
from organic farming, functional food, products containing genetically
modified organisms and those arising from recent biotechnology
developments on health;
(d) "traceability" processes all along the production chain, for
instance relating to genetically modified organisms, including those
based on recent biotechnology developments;
(e) methods of analysis, detection and control of chemical
contaminants and existing or emerging pathogenic micro-organisms (such
as viruses, bacteria, yeasts, fungi, parasites and new agents of the
prion type including development of ante-mortem diagnostic tests for
BSE and scrapie);
(f) impact of animal feed, including products containing genetically
modified organisms and the use of sub-products of different origins for
that feed, on human health;
(g) environmental health risks linked to the food chain (chemical,
biological and physical), and combined exposures of authorised
substances, including impact of local environmental disasters and
pollution on the safety of foodstuffs, with emphasis being placed on
cumulative risks, transmission routes to human beings, long-term
effects and exposure to small doses, as well as the impact on
particularly sensitive groups, and especially children.
Links
News
30
June 2009: A new tool is developed to predict the functionalities of
different microorganisms based on their genomes, which will help speed
the development of fermented foods and ingredients. Read
more
30 June 2009: US-based company JBS-Swift Beef Co has expanded its recall
of beef to over 421,000 pounds (191 tonnes) due to possible E.coli 0157:H7 contamination
after reports linked 18 illnesses to consumption of its meat. Read
more
30 June 2009: Researcher is studying the potential health benefits of a
specially bred purple sweet potato because of its dominant purple
color. Read more
29
June 2009: A particular gene variant is discovered that could affect
sweetness perception among different ethnic groups, raising the
possibility of more targeted flavor profiling of foods. Read
more
29 June 2009: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has issued
negative safety opinions on forms of calcium, magnesium, iron, chromium
and selenium for use in food supplements. Read
more
29 June 2009: People who eat lots of soy products have better lung
function and are less likely to develop the smoking-associated lung
disease COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease). Read
more
29 June 2009: Junk food triggers our ‘bliss point.’ Snacks, cereals and
ready meals can act on the reward centres of the brain in the same way
as tobacco. Read
more
29 June 2009: Annual USA sales of nutritional supplements top $23
billion, but where’s the quality control and lab testing with free
information accessible to consumers on either of those industries? Read
more
29 June 2009: The melon genome with hundreds of DNA markers has been
mapped by scientists. That means tastier and healthier melons are
likely for future summer picnics. Read more
29 June 2009: Worried about mercury? It's easy to choose safer fish. Read more
26
June 2009: Rice bran oil and soy protein concentrate could be used by
mayonnaise manufacturers to cut fat levels while increasing consumer
acceptability. Read
more
26 June 2009: Conjugated linolenic acid (CLA) and L-arginine consumed
together have separate but not additive effects on weight loss. Read
more
26 June 2009: In a landmark study, it is shown exactly how high carb
foods, such as white bread and corn flakes, increase the risk for heart
problems. Read more
25
June 2009: A new range of “natural and authentic” beef flavours is
released in respond to consumer demand for natural ingredients. Read
more
25 June 2009: New research from the United States suggests that consumer
confidence in food companies has plummeted after less than 1/5
consumers said they trusted firms to develop and sell healthy products.
Read
more
25 June 2009: An extract from propolis, the waxy resin collected by
honeybees, may reduce the detrimental effects prolonged exercising in
hot climates. Read
more
24
June 2009: There is criticism in Europe for approving a draft
regulation on food from cloned animals that could “keep options open”
for its eventual authorisation. Read
more
24 June 2009: A resistant starch-rich powder from unripe banana could
boost the nutritional content of pasta. Read
more
24 June 2009: The mapping of ‘taste dialects’ could help food firms
develop products that appeal to the specific preferences of consumers
in certain geographical locations. Read
more
24 June 2009: The first fully recyclable dairy pots have been launched by
a UK organic dairy brand. Read
more
24 June
2009: Increasing
knowledge of how the gut and brain is opening up the possibilities for
probiotics. At a symposium, academics find out where the current
thinking is with probiotics and brain health. Read
more
24 June 2009: Some food groups in the Mediterranean diet are more
important than others in promoting health and longer life. Read more
23
June 2009: Nestle USA has issued a voluntary recall of its Toll House
refrigerated cookie dough amid fears that it may be contaminated with
the bacteria E.coli 0157:H7. Read
more
23 June 2009: Researchers found that drinking fat-free milk in the
morning helped increase satiety, or a feeling of fullness, and led to
decreased calorie intake at the next meal. Read more
22
June 2009: Food technology is a profession under attack – and both
industry and government need to invest to ensure its future. Read
more
22 June
2009: A
new version of encapsulated sorbic acid is introduced to inhibit mould
on bread, as the food industry seeks more ways to reduce formulation
costs without impairing quality. Read
more
22 June 2009: A combination of antioxidant supplements and resistance
training may protect against bone loss in postmenopausal women. Read
more
22 June 2009: Probiotics, the so-called "friendly" bacteria with health
benefits, have busted out of the dairy case and are colonizing other
areas of the supermarket. The European Union Food Safety
Authority this week started a process to regulate health claims on
products, including probiotics. Read more
19
June 2009: Ordinary vinegar – acetic acid – may prevent the build up
of fat, and therefore weight gain. Read
more
19 June 2009: The superbug meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
(MRSA) is able to infect food but eating or handling tainted produce
does not present an increased health hazard to humans. Read
more
19 June 2009: New research shows that artificial sweeteners not
removed in waste water treatment could affect consumer acceptance. Read
more
19 June 2009: Farmed fish may pose risk for transmitting Creutzfeldt
Jakob disease--commonly known as mad cow disease--if they are fed
byproducts rendered from cows. Read
more
19 June 2009: Omega-3 fatty acids may protect against progression of
age-related macular degeneration (AMD), but the benefits appear to
depend on the stage of disease and whether certain supplements are
taken. Read more
18
June 2009: Increased intakes of calcium can increase excretion of fat
in the faeces, and may play a role in weight management and preventing
weight gain. Read
more
18 June 2009: The medical properties of carrots – including the boost
they provide to night vision – can be enhanced by the way in which
they are cooked. Read
more
17
June 2009: Nitrites and nitrates, much maligned additives in processed
and cured meats, may help cardiovascular health. Read
more
17 June 2009: EFSA has published negative safety opinions on two smoke
flavours, SmokEz C-10 and SmokEz Enviro 23, for which it considers the
safety margins at proposed levels to be insufficient. Read
more
17 June 2009: The European Food Safety Authority has reviewed the
criteria for the bulk transport of edible oils and fats and made two
recommendations for change. Read
more
17 June 2009: Higher intakes of the omega-3 fatty acids, combined with
the age related eye disease and nutrition (AREDS) supplement, may
reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Read
more
16
June 2009: The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning
against Hydroxycut weight loss supplements, a full six weeks after the
products were recalled from the US market for a suspected connection
with serious liver damage. Read
more
15
June 2009: Expertise garnered from studying super fruit is opening up
possibilities to make super veggies. New possibilities have been opened
up for transferring knowledge from super fruit to vegetables and
beyond. Read
more
15 June 2009: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has reaffirmed
that two antibiotic resistance marker genes, nptII and aadA, pose no
threat to humans or the environment. Read
more
15 June 2009: A broccoli extract has been developed, with a higher
antioxidant payload than vitamin E and which is only marginally more
expensive than its standardized grape seed extract. Read
more
15 June 2009: Red wine compound Resveratrol demonstrates significant
health benefits. Read
more
12
June 2009: Tomato peel may enhance the nutritional profile of
hamburgers with a dose of 4.9 mg of lycopene per 100 g of cooked
hamburger. Read
more
12 June 2009: Frequent low doses of plant sterols may be more effective
at cutting cholesterol levels than one daily dose. Read
more
12 June 2009: 80% of functional food product launches fail within 18
months, according to a new report that draws lessons from 15
high-profile failures. Read
more
12 June 2009: Vitamin D levels in the body at the start of a low-calorie
diet predict weight loss success. Read more
12 June 2009: Too much folic acid may cause cancer. In the decade
following fortification of cereal grains and other foods, the rate of
certain birth defects dropped dramatically. Read more
11
June 2009: Dioxin exposure through the food chain during pregnancy
could explain why some women have trouble breastfeeding or produce too
little milk. Read
more
11 June 2009: Probiotic foods and supplements don’t help the healthy and
can cause problems for those unfortunate enough to be sick, a UK
microbiology professor has said. Read
more
11 June
2009: A
recent study provided a reason for hope -- high doses of green-tea
extract can have a positive effect on Hudson's type of cancer, chronic
lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Read more
11 June 2009: Enriching meats with fiber, probiotics and omega-3 fatty
acids may help consumers to associate meat with a healthy lifestyle. Read more
10
June 2009: Nano-complexes of iron and zinc could lead to improved
opportunities for fortifying staples such as wheat and rice. Read
more
10 June
2009: The
more diet sodas a person drinks, the greater his or her risk of
becoming overweight or obese. Read
more
9
June 2009: Outstanding moisture barrier performance, improved strength
and the ability to extend product shelf life are claims made for two
new high density polyethlyne (HDPE) resins for use in food packing
films. Read
more
9 June 2009: Food and beverage companies should avoid using degradable
additives in PET packaging until four key questions can be answered. Read
more
9 June 2009: Daily consumption of stanol-enriched yoghurt may reduce
cholesterol and triacylglycerol levels. Read
more
9 June 2009: Researchers corrected inaccuracies and misunderstandings
concerning high fructose corn syrup's impact on the American diet.
Sugar may not be healthier than high fructose corn syrup. Read more
8
June 2009: Polyphenol-rich extracts from olive oil pomace may reduce
the formation of off-flavours in meats by as much as 80%. Read
more
8 June 2009: Decocainised coca leaf extract, which has been linked to
the recent alleged discovery of traces of cocaine in some samples of
Red Bull Simply Cola, will not face regulatory scrutiny regarding its
wider use in formulations. Read
more
8 June 2009: A new research suggests that the hunger hormone ghrelin is
activated by fats from the foods we eat—not those made in the body—in
order to optimize nutrient metabolism and promote the storage of body
fat. Read more
5
June 2009: Addition of a grape seed extract to bread may not only
increase the antioxidant content of the staple, but also inhibit
formation of a potential toxin. Read
more
5 June
2009: Absorption
of calcium from ice cream is no different than from low-fat milk,
highlighting the potential of the summer treat as a potential bone
health food. Read
more
5 June 2009: Vetch is an important source of phenolic compounds with a
high antioxidant activity. It is a leguminous plant of the Fabeae
family, very popular during the Spanish post-war as a basic foodstuff. Read
more
5 June 2009: A gauche alternative to bottles, multilayer aseptic cartons
may help reduce levels of substances that contribute odors to wine and
can lower its quality. Read more
5 June
2009: Drink
8 Glasses of Water Daily? Probably not. Read
more
4
June 2009: Oil-in-water emulsions formulated to improve their
stability in the harsh acidic conditions of the stomach may promote a
feeling of fullness and help with weight management. Read
more
4 June 2009: Increased intakes of vitamins C and E and beta-carotene may
reduce the risk of cancer of the uterus. Read
more
4 June 2009: Results of a new study suggest that a diet low in fat and
red meat and high in fruits and vegetables is beneficial in preventing
and treating prostate cancer. Read more
4 June 2009: Omega fatty acid balance can alter immunity and gene
expression. The increased inflammation observed may be due to humans'
shift in their consumption of omega fatty acids. Read more
3
June 2009: Consumption of fatty fish like salmon, or fish oil
supplements, may reduce blood pressure during an energy-restricted
diet. Read
more
3 June
2009: Exposure
to carcinogenic compounds known as heterocyclic amines (HCAs) can be
reduced significantly by just adding some spices – rosemary extracts or
Thai spices. Read
more
3 June 2009: A natural supplement made from tomatoes can stave off heart
disease and strokes. The tomato pill contains an active ingredient from
the Mediterranean diet - lycopene - that blocks "bad" LDL cholesterol
which can clog the arteries. Read
more
3 June 2009: Anti-Jet-Lag diet helps summer travelers beat jet lag. Read more
2
June 2009: Collagen peptides produced from bovine gelatin may stop ice
crystal formation in supercooled ice creams, opening up possible new
innovations to formulators. Read
more
2 June 2009: High intakes of soy during adolescence may reduce the risk
of breast cancer before the menopause by about 40%. Read
more
2 June 2009: China’s new food safety law, which comes into effect on 1
June 2009, will help prevent the food contamination incidents that have
caused so much damage to the reputation of its domestic producers. Read
more
2 June 2009: The ingestion of caffeine within an hour of exercise can
reduce the symptoms of exercise induced asthma (EIA). Read
more
29
May 2009:
Treating chicken breast meat with a mixture of organic acids and plant
extracts can greatly reduce the presence of pathogenic bacteria. Read
more
28
May 2009: Salt replacers in fish burgers pass taste test.Replacing
sodium chloride with potassium chloride does not affect the sensory
quality, or shelf-life of fish fillets. Read
more
28 May 2009: The cells of multivitamin users may have a younger
biological age than cells from non-users. Read
more
27
May 2009: Daily consumption of prebiotic oligofructose may lead to
weight loss by suppressing levels of hormones linked to hunger. Read
more
27 May 2009: Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), a green tea extract, shows
positive results in early leukemia clinical trials. Read more
26
May 2009: Arsenic rice study prompts new advice for parents. The UK’s
Food Standards Agency is advising that infants are not given rice
drinks as a replacement for cows’ milk, breast milk, or infant formula.
Read
more
26 May
2009: Monosodium
glutamate (MSG), a flavour-enhancer, does not increase the risk of
developing allergies such as asthma and rhinitis. Read
more
26 May 2009: Cheerios, the popular cereal, is intended for use in the
prevention, mitigation and treatment of a disease, therefore a drug. In
order to continue making the claim, the FDA of the United States said
the producer of Cheerios cannot market the cereal without an approved
new drug application. Read
more
26 May 2009: Cartons are the most environmentally friendly form of
packaging, cutting carbon dioxide emissions and fossil fuel consumption
by up to 60 % as compared with other forms of packaging. Read
more
26 May 2009: Critics of the chemical bisphenol A, or BPA, have received
powerful new ammunition in the form of a study which confirmed that the
substance can leach from polycarbonate drinking bottles into humans. Read
more
25
May 2009: Using chitosan, an emerging ingredient extracted from fungi
cell walls, may act as an anti-microbial ingredient for orange juice,
and remove the need for pasteurization. Read
more
25 May 2009: There is a general trend towards lower levels acrylamide in
food products over time, EFSA has observed – but the decrease is not
consistent across food groups and for some levels have actually
increased. Read
more
25 May 2009: Reusable food shopping bags and packages can contain a high
level of bacteria, yeast, mold and coliform counts which pose a
significant food safety risk. Read
more
22
May 2009: Bisphenol A (BPA) chemical leaches from plastic drinking
bottles into people. Exposure to BPA has been shown to interfere with
reproductive development in animals and has been linked with
cardiovascular disease and diabetes in humans. Read more
22 May 2009: Eating fish -- long considered 'brain food' -- may really
be good for the old grey matter, as is a healthy dose of sunshine. Read more
21
May 2009: The world’s first vaccination against the food poisoning
bug salmonella could result from new research in UK. Read
more
20
May 2009: Following a gluten-free diet may be detrimental to gut
health, which may also affect immune health. Read
more
20 May
2009: Supplemental
magnesium may reduce blood pressure people with high blood pressure,
but seemingly normal magnesium levels. Read
more
20 May 2009: Improved seafood safety through greater traceability are
the benefits claimed for a new collaboration between information
technology company, food software company and Vietnamese seafood
producers. Read
more
20 May 2009: People who drink several litres of cola a day risk being
hospitalised because of muscle problems. Read
more
20 May 2009: New research shows that not only are probiotics useful, but
they could even act as effective medicines - and help you control your
weight. Probiotics are the 'good' strains of gut bacteria which play an
important role in digestive health and the immune system. Read
more
19
May 2009: Adding protein and fibre sources like pea protein and
Psyllium fibre may improve the physical structure of gluten-free dough,
and boost the nutritional content. Read
more
19 May 2009: Thorough chewing of almonds may increase the absorption of
unsaturated fat and suppress hunger for longer. Read
more
18
May 2009: Dairy could mask bitter taste of antioxidants. Milk could
be the ideal functional food matrix for delivery of polyphenolic-rich
antioxidant extracts. Read
more
18 May 2009: Daily supplements of a multi-species probiotic food may
reduce the risk of eczema by 58 per cent. Read
more
18 May 2009: 3 leading cranberry suppliers discuss the merits of
proanthocyanidins (PACs) in benefiting urinary tract infections(UTIs). Read
more
18 May 2009: A combination of probiotic strains and prebiotic fibre may
reduce the incidence of childhood infections by about 25 per cent. Read
more
18 May 2009: Farmed fish having the rous sarcoma virus implanted in
their embryonic development is aimed to amplify the fish’s growth
hormone. The virus acts as a carrier. It’s called a vector (meaning a
carrier virus). The farmed fish are made to grow faster and larger. Read
more
18 May 2009: In 4 months, bakers will be forced to begin putting a
synthetic form of folic acid into almost every loaf made in New
Zealand. Read
more
15
May 2009: Increased intakes of folic acid by mandatory fortification
of grain products to reduce neural tube defects may also reduce a
baby’s risk of severe congenital heart defects. Read
more
15 May 2009: Laboratory experiments have demonstrated the immunological
effects of ginseng. Much used in traditional Chinese and other Asian
medicine, the herb has anti-inflammatory effects. Read
more
14
May 2009: The European Commission has granted novel foods approval
for the ingredient Ice Structuring Protein (ISP), used in ice cream to
reduce fat content and improve stability. Read
more
14 May
2009: Retail
chicken has been identified as the as the single largest source of food
poisoning in Scotland, according to Food Standards Agency Scotland. Read
more
14 May
2009: The
beta-carotene in so-called "Golden Rice" converts to vitamin A in
humans. Read more
13
May 2009: The European Commission is taking risk management measures
over the occurrence of high nicotine levels in wild mushrooms. Read
more
13 May 2009: Rising childhood obesity levels may also be driving the
increases in food allergies. Read
more
13 May 2009: Supplements of antioxidant vitamins after exercise may
decrease the benefits of the workout by blocking the positive effects
of reactive oxygen. Read
more
13 May
2009: Reports
that vitamins C and E may blunt the positive effects of exercise are
misleading, according to an antioxidant expert. Read
more
13 May 2009: Agricultural scientists have developed a technology that
can protect pasteurized liquid eggs from food safety threats. Read
more
13 May 2009: US federal regulators are scolding the maker of Cheerios,
saying it made inappropriate claims about the popular cereal's ability
to lower cholesterol and treat heart disease. Read more
12
May 2009: Firms in the nutrition industry have joined the battle
against malnutrition. Read
more
12 May 2009: Regularly eating fish, nuts, olive oil and other foods
containing omega-three fatty acids and avoiding trans fats appears to
be associated with a lower risk for the eye disease age-related macular
degeneration. Read
more
8 May
2009: Dietary
intakes of acrylamide are not related to increased risks of brain
cancer. Read
more
8 May 2009: Salmonella remained the European Union’s most common cause
of food-borne illness in 2007. Read
more
8 May 2009: Best wine making techniques: Use of wooden casks or steel
tanks for chardonnay influences its fermentative aroma. Read
more
8 May 2009: Researchers in France are developing a simple test for
distinguishing 100 percent natural honeys from impure versions. Read more
7 May
2009: The
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has given its view of proposed
reference intake levels for energy, total fat, saturates,
carbohydrates, sugars and salt – suggesting that the carbohydrate level
be revised upwards. Read
more
7 May 2009: A diet that includes key nutrients and low-glycemic index
foods is likely to reduce risks for age-related macular degeneration
(AMD) such as eye diseases. Read
more
6 May
2009: A
number of tasty herbal seasonings, spices and plant foods can actually
help lower blood glucose levels. Read
more
6 May 2009: A lot of Americans think they're eating a healthy diet
these days. But it's easy to be fooled by our assumptions and the ways
that food manufacturers play on them. Read
more
6 May 2009: Tea for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. Read more
5 May
2009: A
new survey by FLABEL indicates widespread listing of nutritional
information on food products across the EU and Turkey, with 85 per cent
of goods surveyed giving info back-of-pack and 48 per cent
front-of-pack. Read
more
5 May 2009: Promising research is studying the effect of 2
phytochemicals abundant in asparagus that are believed to inhibit the
growth of cancer cells in colon cancer and leukemia. Read
more
5 May 2009: To address the issue of food security, one way is working
through the genetic modification of seeds, both as a method of
improving crop yields as well as enhancing the nutritional composition
of foods. Read more
5 May
2009: Scientists
tried out the use of harpin, a substance known to boost plants'
resistance to disease, prior to harvest. Read more
5 May 2009: A new analysis of dietary factors and risks for age-related
macular degeneration (AMD), and a landmark study on glaucoma treatment
cost-effectiveness as linked to vision improvement and quality of life.
Read more
4 May
2009: Folic
acid, or vitamin B9, essential for the health of red blood cells and
known to reduce the risk of spinal birth defects, may also suppress
allergic reactions and lessen the severity of allergy and asthma
symptoms. Read
more
4 May 2009: Possible anti-obesity effects of white tea have been
demonstrated in a series of experiments on human fat cells
(adipocytes). An extract of the herbal brew effectively inhibits the
generation of new adipocytes and stimulates fat mobilization from
mature fat cells. Read
more
1 May
2009: There
has been much excitement about the promise of stevia as a natural
alternative to artificial zero-calorie sweeteners. Read
more
1 May 2009: A new series of ingredients is developed for processed meat
products that it claims can help improve yield and cut costs in
production whilst maintaining quality. Read
more
1 May 2009: Children with insufficient vitamin D levels may be at
higher risk of developing asthma. Read
more
1 May 2009: Increased intake of the flavonoid apigenin, found in
celery, parsley, and tomato sauce, may reduce the risk of ovarian
cancer by 20 per cent. Read
more
30
April 2009: Dietary intakes of acrylamide are not related to increased
risks of lung cancer. Read
more
30 April 2009: Corn, genetically modified to contain high levels of
beta-carotene, vitamin C, and folate, may help address multiple vitamin
deficiencies worldwide. Read
more
30 April 2009: Low vitamin D levels may increase the risk of bacterial
vaginosis, a common vaginal infection linked to adverse pregnancy
outcomes. Read
more
29
April 2009: Men who have undergone treatment for prostate cancer could
benefit from drinking pomegranate juice. Read
more
29 April
2009: Daily
supplements of a patented tocotrienol (vitamin E) complex may increase
hair growth in people with male pattern baldness by 42 per cent. Read
more
29 April 2009: A first direct comparison of bone properties between
calcium from supplements and milk -- dairy has an advantage over
calcium carbonate in promoting bone growth and strength. Read more
28
April 2009: Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric
its yellow colour, may prevent reduce body weight gain, and help in the
fight against obesity. Read
more
28 April 2009: Everyday foods, beverages, and spices contain healthful
compounds that help us fight harmful inflammation. Phytochemicals—the
resveratrol in red wine or the catechins in green, white and black
teas, for instance—may also reduce our risk of diseases associated with
chronic inflammation. Read
more
28 April 2009: Dietary fats trigger long-term memory formation. Recent
research work has been linking dietary fats to appetite control. Read more
28 April 2009: Chemicals in tea are the best yet discovered to make
consistent, biologically safe gold nanoparticles. More importantly,
these gold nanoparticles show promising anticancer properties. Read more
27
April 2009: Organically produced apples have a 15 per cent higher
antioxidant capacity than conventionally produced apples. Read
more
27 April 2009: Refined vegetable fats derived from palm oil, used for
margarines and infant formulae, may contain glycidol fatty acid esters.
Read
more
27 April 2009: The potential of powdered omega-3 salts as a way of taking
this big fish of the nutrition world into yet more products. Read
more
24
April 2009: As consumers seek out food with a reduced carbon footprint,
some experts believe a dietary shift from red meat and dairy
consumption may be more effective than turning to locally sourced
products. Read
more
24 April 2009: Including both walnuts and fish products in the diet is
required to reduce risks of coronary heart disease. Read
more
24 April 2009: Consuming beverages sweetened with fructose leads to weight
gain and a build up of abdominal fat, and impairs insulin sensitivity. Read
more
24 April 2009: Increased intakes of antioxidant carotenoids, and
particularly lycopene, may reduce the risk of developing the metabolic
syndrome by about 50 per cent. Read
more
24 April 2009: US and Indian scientists have developed a new biosensor for
use in a faster, more sensitive test for detecting the deadliest strain
of Listeria food poisoning bacteria. Read
more
23
April 2009: Consuming beverages sweetened with fructose leads to weight
gain and a build up of abdominal fat, and impairs insulin sensitivity. Read
more
23 April
2009: The
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said there is no indication that
aspartame causes cancer following its assessment of a study that linked
regular intake of the sweetener with increased risk of certain cancers.
Read
more
23 April 2009: Low blood levels of magnesium may increase the risk of
stroke by 25 per cent. Read
more
23 April 2009: Supplements of vitamin D may improve cardiovascular health
during weight loss, without impacting on how many pounds are shed. Read
more
23 April 2009: Eating salmon or other fatty fish just once a week helped
reduce men’s risk of heart failure. Read more
22
April 2009: Vitamin B3 may inhibit the formation of acrylamide in
French fries by over 50 per cent. Read
more
22 April 2009: Soy isoflavones do not increase or decrease the density of
breasts, say results of a new clinical trial from the US that support
the safety of the supplements. Read
more
22 April
2009: An
extract from the Middle Eastern herb Nigella sativa may not only stop
the growth of pancreatic cancer, but inhibit the development of the
tumours. Read
more
22 April 2009: While too much sugar is bad for health, scientists have
found that over-consumption of fructose is more dangerous than that of
glucose. Read
more
22 April 2009: Walnut consumption may provide the body with essential
omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants and phytosterols that reduce the risk
of breast cancer. Read
more
22 April 2009: Meat cooked at high temperatures to the point of burning
and charring may increase the risk of pancreatic cancer. Read more
21
April 2009: Reducing the salt content of low-fat cheese has a greater
impact on the flavour than similar reductions from high fat cheese. Read
more
21 April 2009: Endocrine disruptors such as phthalates used in food
packaging could be linked to childhood obesity. Read
more
21 April 2009: A new study suggests that blueberries may help reduce belly
fat, diabetes risk. Read
more
21 April 2009: Grapefruit juice boosts drug's anti-cancer effects. Read more
20
April 2009: A growing proportion of bread is produced using Bake Off
Technology (BOT). In BOT, pre-baked bread is produced on an industrial
scale and delivered to small, local outlets where the baking process is
completed. Read
more
20 April 2009: The days of cheeses coated with synthetic substances may be
drawing to a close as new research suggests that natural
polysaccharides may provide edible coatings for household favourites. Read
more
20 April 2009: A standardised oat extract may reduce cravings for smoking
and offer would-be quitters an alternative to the patches and gums. Read
more
20 April
2009: New
research findings show that an omega-3 fatty acid in the diet protects
brain cells by preventing the misfolding of a protein resulting from a
gene mutation in neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's. Read more
20 April 2009: Eating just one and a half servings of tart cherries could
significantly boost antioxidant activity in the body, specifically 5
different anthocyanins - the natural antioxidants that give cherries
their red color. Read
more
20 April 2009: Drinking at least 1 glass of low sodium vegetable juice
daily may help overweight people with metabolic syndrome achieve better
weight loss results. Read more
17
April 2009: Diet quality and mortality: a population-based prospective
study of men. Read
more
17 April 2009: The bitter taste that amino acids give to beverages could
be masked by adding alpha-cyclodextrin. Read
more
17 April
2009: Fibre-rich
bamboo shoots may improve cholesterol levels and improve female bowel
health. Read
more
17 April
2009: Nattokinase,
an enzyme extracted from fermented soy, may reduce levels of compounds
linked to blood clotting, and cut the risk of heart disease in people
at-risk of the disease. Read
more
17 April
2009: Smokers
may increase their chances of contracting colon cancer by eating fruit
and vegetables, according to a new Europe-wide scientific study. Read
more
16
April 2009: A new blend of rosemary and green tea extracts is
introduced in Europe and Asia, which it says work together to
neutralise each others’ distinctive flavours and can help retain an
appealing colour and flavour of meat products. Read
more
16 April 2009: The number of people who are allergic to fruit and
vegetables is soaring and could already surpass the number of people
suffering from peanut allergies. Read
more
16 April 2009: A chia seed has won difficult-to-come-by European Union
Novel Foods approval for use in bread products, with further categories
potentially coming… Read
more
16 April 2009: A spread containing plant sterols and bioactive peptides
from milk may reduce cholesterol levels and improve blood pressure. Read
more
15
April 2009: A textured whey protein concentrate can stabilize a
cold-setting gel over a wide range of temperatures. Read
more
15 April 2009: Powdered omega-3 salts may soon be offering supplement
makers an alternative to the traditional liquid fish oil. Read
more
15 April
2009: Removing
toxic mercury from fish oil while retaining beneficial Omega-3 fatty
acids. Read
more
15 April
2009: A
new disease called heart and skeletal muscle inflammation (HSMI) is a
serious infectious disease of farmed Atlantic salmon, with a high
potential for transmission. Read
more
15 April 2009: Mediterranean diet is healthy for your heart. A major new
study clarifies what foods and dietary patterns are best for reducing
the risk of heart disease. Read more
15 April 2009: Junk food makes kids fatter, but happier. For the first
time, researchers looked at the relationship between unhealthy dietary
habits and children's psychological health. Read more
14
April 2009: The presence of banned colouring methyl yellow in food
spices in Belgium, France, Luxembourg and Germany has led to a slate of
recalls; although not affecting finished foods for now. Read
more
14 April 2009: How air bubbles may mimic fat and help with weight loss,
and how antioxidant compounds may neutralise the allergens in peanut
butter. Read
more
14 April 2009: A combination of capsaicin and green tea could promote the
feeling of fullness and sustain satiety, indicating it could be
successful for weight management. Read
more
14 April 2009: Gum kondagogu, a ‘novel natural biopolymer’ from the tree
Cochlospermum gossypium, is a ‘good emulsifying agent even at low
concentration’, say Indian researchers. Read
more
14 April
2009: A
new weapon in the war against fusarium species in grain received
approval recently from the US national grain inspection system. Read
more
14 April
2009: Dutch
probiotics specialist has launched a six-strain probiotic supplement
that has earned a vaginal infection-related health claim certification.
Read
more
9
April 2009: Combining fat and iota- carrageenans could form edible
films for flavour encapsulation. Read
more
9 April 2009: Ice-cream as a vehicle for delivering probiotic strains has
‘great potential’, giving a health boost without affecting the sensory
profile of ice-cream. Read
more
9 April
2009: The
levels of salt and sugar in breakfast cereal formulations targeted at
children are slammed in Australia after consumer group finds key
'cereal' offenders are "heavy on marketing spin and light on good
nutrition". Read
more
9 April 2009: Scientists say they have found a way to combat intestinal
diseases in the developing world through a type of enhanced goat milk
-- to transfer a human gene into goats so they would produce a high
concentration of an enzyme that fights diarrhea-causing bacteria. Read
more
8
April 2009: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has expressed
safety concerns over the use of two smoke flavourings in food as it
publishes the first in a series of risk assessments into smoked flavour
products. Read
more
8 April 2009: The UK’s Department of Health is to raise awareness of the
need for energy balance in diets, controlling overall calories as well
as specific macronutrients such as saturated fat and added sugar. Read
more
8 April 2009: Swedish probiotics specialist’s health claim linking
probiotic consumption and improved iron absorption is dismissed by the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Read
more
8 April 2009: Cocoa drinks rich in flavanols could help consumers do
maths. Read
more
7
April 2009: Formulating pasta with oats or quinoa may offer pasta
manufacturers alternatives to traditional semolina, and open up
opportunities in the gluten-free market. Read
more
7 April
2009: Liquorice,
in the nutraceutical domain, suggests a natural chemical component in
this sweet ingredient. This new research result could offer a new
approach to preventing bowel cancer. Read
more
7 April 2009: An acid lactase enzyme is launched to be used in food
supplements that allow those with lactose intolerance to consume dairy
foods. Read
more
7 April 2009: Rates of colorectal cancer may have increased in Chile
since introduction of mandatory folic acid fortification. Read
more
7 April
2009: A
small, pilot study in 50 people in Japan suggests that eating 2.5
ounces of broccoli sprouts daily for 2 months may confer some
protection against a rampant stomach bug that causes gastritis, ulcers
and even stomach cancer. Read
more
6
April 2009: Fungal proteins could produce aerated emulsions with the
potential to act as fat replacers in foods and ease obesity. Read
more
6 April 2009: Supplements of folic acid before conception may increase
the birth of the baby by over 60 grams. Read
more
6 April 2009: When it comes to weight loss, what you drink may be more
important than what you eat. Read
more
6 April 2009: Doctors are warning of the dangers of the grapefruit diet
after blood clot scare. Read
more
6 April
2009: While
sports drinks may provide an energy boost, this popular practice is
also exposing people to levels of acid that can cause tooth erosion and
hypersensitivity. Read
more
3
April 2009: An extract from amaranth may extend the shelf-life of both
gluten-containing and gluten-free breads. Read
more
3 April
2009: Supplements
of vitamins B6 and B12, and folic acid may reduce the frequency,
severity and disability of migraines. Read
more
3 April
2009: Supplements
of coenzyme Q10 may increase the vascular health of diabetics receiving
statins. Read
more
3 April 2009: In a study of the major antioxidants in olive oil,
Portuguese researchers showed that one, DHPEA-EDA, protects red blood
cells from damage more than any other part of olive oil. Read
more
3 April 2009: Adolescent and young adult vegetarians may eat a healthier
diet, there is some evidence that they may be at increased risk for
disordered eating behaviors. Read
more
3 April 2009: Individuals who took a dietary supplement called "factor
D", which included selenium, vitamin E, and beta-carotene, continued to
have lower gastric cancer and overall mortality. Read
more
3 April 2009: Docosahexanoic acid (DHA), an omega-3 fatty acid found in
fish oils, has been shown to reduce the size of tumours and enhance the
positive effects of the chemotherapy drug cisplatin, while limiting its
harmful side effects. Read more
3 April 2009: 3 South Korean firms recall cancer-causing asbestos-tainted
baby powder. Read
more
2
April 2009: Italian scientists have identified a new member of the
vitamin E family, extracted from kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa
'Hayward'. Read
more
2 April 2009: A snack firm has become the first to use Vitiva’s Inolens 4
rosemary extract in a pork scratchings product to make frying oil last
longer, and to enable longer shelf life. Read
more
2 April 2009: A Chinese supplier has debuted a polysaccharide ingredient
sourced from Laminaria japonica seaweed, it says is scientifically
backed in animal testing to deliver immunity and liver benefits. Read
more
2 April 2009: Supplements of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) may reduce the risk of
developing pre-eclampsia in women at risk for the condition. Read
more
2 April
2009: High
fiber foods with fructooligosaccharides (FOS) are essential for a
healthy diet. Read
more
2 April 2009: Chemists synthesizes carbohydrates. It is very difficult to
synthesize specific carbohydrate molecules for study. Read more
2 April 2009: Red wine causes teeth to stain. A recent study by dental
researchers found that drinking white wine can also increase the
potential for teeth to take on dark stains. Read more
2 April 2009: Greater dietary intake of the B-vitamin, folate, also means
that abundant availability of the vitamin can enhance the development
of pre-cancerous and cancerous tumors. Read more
1
April 2009: Adding polyphenols compounds to liquid peanut butter may
reduce the level of proteins in the product responsible for peanut
allergy. Read
more
1 April 2009: An improved vitamin K2 status may reduce the risk of
prostate cancer. Read
more
1 April 2009: Tocotrienols, members of the vitamin E family, may exert
their anti-cancer benefits by accumulating in cancer cells and delaying
tumour growth. Read
more
1 April
2009: Adding
a moderate, but not high, amount of walnuts to an otherwise healthy
diet may help older individuals improve performance on tasks that
require motor and behavioral skills. Read
more
1 April 2009: US food officials are now warning people not to eat any
food containing pistachios, which could carry contamination from the
same bacteria. Read
more
31
March 2009: The way fructose is metabolised in the brain may increase
food intake and lead to obesity. Read
more
31 March 2009: Proteins from flaxseed may reduce blood pressure and
potentially reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Read
more
31 March 2009: Codex Alimentrius, the World Health Organization’s food
supplements regulations advisory body, has recommended usage levels for
nine colours commonly employed in food supplements. Read
more
31 March 2009: Plastic mineral water bottles contaminate drinking water
with estrogenic chemicals. Read
more
31 March 2009: A unique protein derived from whey — known as
glycomacropeptide, or GMP — is safe for people with PKU
(phenylketonuria) to eat. Diet is a constant struggle for patients with
PKU. Read more
30
March 2009: Flaxseed gum may enhance the nutritional profile or
beverages, and could lead to a new range of novel drinks. Read
more
30 March 2009: Women who drink two or more servings of sweetened beverages
per day may increase their risk of heart disease by 35 per cent. Read
more
30 March 2009: GM food and animal cloning are the emerging food
technologies that give rise to most concerns due to the fact that they
represent the greatest departure from what are perceived to be
‘natural’ or ‘traditional’ foods. Read
more
30 March 2009: Microsatellites have major benefits for berry research.
Microsatellites are collections of short, repetitive, non-coding DNA
sequences that can be used to compare species and varieties. Read
more
30 March 2009: Toxic
effects of chocolate on animals. A caffeine-like ingredient in
chocolate, Theobromine (aka xantheose) could kill be harmful to
creatures walking on all fours and having fur, Read
more
27
March 2009: Children's incessant desire to eat sweets has entrenched
biological roots, with new research explaining their preference for
sugary foods could be linked to actual physical growth. Read
more
27 March 2009: Increased intakes of antioxidant pigments from plants may
lower the risk of hip fracture in older men and women, according to a
17-year study from the US. Read
more
27 March 2009: Moderate consumption of alcoholic beverages could have
benefits for bone health, though any potential impacts may be lost upon
continued drinking. Read
more
27 March 2009: Women who consumed high amounts of soy during childhood may
have a lower risk of developing breast cancer, says a new study on
Asian-American females. Read
more
26
March 2009: The contamination of food with certain metals needs to be
urgently addressed in light of growing evidence linking trace elements
to negative human behaviour. Read
more
26 March 2009: Formulating salad dressings with whey cheese and a
combination of hydrocolloids could offer alternatives to food
formulators. Read
more
26 March 2009: Yoghurt fortified with antibodies extracted from chicken
eggs, can battle bacteria that cause gastritis and stomach ulcers. Read
more
26 March
2009: Daily
supplements of vitamin D may cut the risk of fractures by up to 20 per
cent. Read
more
26 March 2009: Fructose metabolism by the brain increases food intake and
obesity. Read more
26 March
2009: People
who have high blood pressure or heart disease should avoid consuming
energy drinks. Read
more
25
March 2009: Replacing rennet casein with waxy maize starch and
carrageenan may produce imitation cheeses with low protein contents. Read
more
25 March 2009: With satiety food formulations on the rise, breakthrough
research from British scientists offers a deeper insight into the role
of gut hormones on appetite and why a low GI (glycaemic index) meal,
such as a morning bowl of porridge, keeps consumers feeling fuller. Read
more
25 March 2009: The European Food Safety Authority has lowered the
tolerable weekly intake (TWI) for cadmium after studying data. Read
more
25 March 2009: Proteins from pea may reduce blood pressure and improve
kidney health. Pea protein hydrolysate extracted from the yellow garden
pea… Read
more
25 March 2009: Asian-American women who ate higher amounts of soy during
childhood had a 58 percent reduced risk of breast cancer. Read more
24
March 2009: Low to moderate drinking releases 'feel-good' endorphins in
the brain. Read
more
24 March 2009: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has warned the UK public to
avoid a brand of turmeric food supplements containing a drug called
nimesulide after it was linked to two deaths and several liver damage
cases in Scandinavia. Read
more
24 March 2009: Milk and fruit drinks enriched with proteins are growing
beyond niche market of exercise junkies by broadening into other
functional areas like satiety and clinical nutrition. Read
more
24 March 2009: Combining buckwheat flour and guar gum could lead to the
gluten-free French bread with “improved quality attributes”. Read
more
24 March 2009: Individuals who eat more red meat and processed meat appear
to have a modestly increased risk of death from all causes and also
from cancer or heart disease over a 10-year period. Read more
24 March 2009: A research team is investigating the effects of a
decade-long requirement to fortify all cereals in the United States
with folic acid, and its link with a chemical believed to play a role
in cardiovascular disease. Read more
24 March 2009: Association
between alcohol and injury: Most alcohol-related damage occurs after
moderate consumption. Read more
23
March 2009: Severe criticism was heard from food campaigners against
confectionery firms who have not fulfilled promises to remove certain
artificial food colours from products by the end of 2008. Read
more
23 March 2009: 2 large observational studies found that drinking coffee or
tea may reduce the risk of stroke. Read more
23 March
2009: Researchers
in Canada are reporting that proteins found in a common garden pea show
promise as a natural food additive or new dietary supplement for
fighting high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Read more
23 March
2009: 1
in 5 children are now affected by eczema, which is often associated
with
an allergy. Many people believe that certain foods are responsible.
Parents should be cautious about eliminating important foods from their
baby's or child's diet. Read more
20
March 2009: Muscle from jumbo squid can form stable gelled-emulsion
products, offering potential for a range of products like squid
frankfurters. Read
more
20 March 2009: National Starch Food Innovation (NSFI) has added another
product to its Novation clean label starch line. Derived from tapioca,
it is billed as an ingredient that can bestow indulgence on a product,
with reduced oil, fat or cream. Read
more
19
March 2009: Formulating cakes with sesame oil, hydrocolloids and
emulsifiers could replace fat in cakes, leading to low-fat alternatives
of family favourites. Read
more
19 March
2009: Antioxidant-rich
supplements containing polyphenols from Chardonnay grape seed may
protect against oxidative stress linked to obesity. Read
more
19 March 2009: Coenzyme Q10 may have enhanced solubility in water, and
stability to heat and light if complexed with beta-cyclodextrin. Read
more
19 March 2009: The New Zealand and Australian food safety regulator’s
affirmation of the safety of bisphenol A (BPA) has been welcomed by
trade group, the North American Metal Packaging Alliance (NAMPA). Read
more
19 March 2009: Eating a meal with a low GI (glycaemic index) increases gut
hormone production which leads to suppression of appetite and the
feeling of fullness. Read
more
19 March 2009: Chinese women who ate mushrooms and drank green tea
significantly cut their risk of breast cancer and the severity of the
cancer in those who did develop it. Read more
18
March 2009: Beta-carotene, a food colour and antioxidant, can be
nano-encapsulated in special spun fibres, offering formulators a fresh
approach to adding value to products. Read
more
18 March 2009: Several proprietary synthetic lycopene forms have been
approved for use in a variety of food applications as well as food
supplements, after gaining a green light. Read
more
18 March
2009: An
active package based on cinnamon essential oil and micro perforated
polypropylene may extend the shelf-life of bread by a week. Read
more
18 March 2009: A new study that looks at the fruit and vegetable
consumption of nearly 200,000 people in developing countries finds that
the prevalence of inadequate diet is “remarkably high” across the
globe. Read more
17
March 2009: Formulating rice noodles with alginate may enhance the
structural properties of rice dough, which could lead to the
development of a successful commercial rice noodle product.
Read more
17 March 2009: Adolescents with high intakes of vitamin D may have lower
overall body fat and lower amounts of abdominal fat. Read
more
17 March 2009: A carefully administered daily dose of peanuts has been so
successful as a therapy for peanut allergies that a select group of
children is now off treatment and eating peanuts daily. Read
more
16
March 2009: Fungal treatment of a biodiesel byproduct can produce the
omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), offering a potentially
economical source of EPA from microbes. Read
more
16 March
2009: For
many consumers, antioxidant doesn’t go beyond vitamins C and E, and
beta-carotene, but as understanding of the antioxidant compounds in
fruit and vegetables increases, more research is pointing towards the
potential of polyphenols. Read
more
16 March
2009: Omega
3 and other nutraceuticals come in stable, tasty microgels. Read
more
16 March 2009: Childhood diet affects obesity risk later in life. Early
diet is critical. Read more
13
March 2009: UK flavour maker is introducing a new collection of
flavours inspired entirely by foods and ingredients that are black in
colour. Read
more
13 March 2009: Gelling of milk proteins using the food-approved enzyme
rennet can produce microcapsules capable of encapsulating healthy
ingredients like probiotics. Read
more
13 March 2009: Increased intakes of calcium and vitamin D may improve
insulin levels, and offer protection against diabetes, independent of
dairy intake. Read
more
13 March 2009: Apparent conflicting results from randomized clinical
trials and observational studies abound in the scientific literature.
In the third part of a four-part series on antioxidants,
NutraIngredients looks to get behind the contradictions. Read
more
13 March 2009: Boosting calcium consumption aids weight loss, but only in
people whose diets are calcium deficient. Read more
12
March 2009: Salt may raise lead to hypertension by inhibiting the
action of an enzyme linked to easing blood flow. Read
more
12 March 2009: Incorporation of bioactive compounds, or ‘nutraceuticals’,
into food systems can provide a simple way to develop novel ‘functional
foods’ with health-promoting and/or disease-preventing properties. Read
more
11
March 2009: UK organic farmers will not have the option to switch to
conventional animal feed during the recession, the Soil Association has
decided, as a consultation raised concern for consumer confidence. Read
more
11 March 2009: From berry extracts to tea bags, the term antioxidant is
being used as a marketing tool for products. NutraIngredients reviews
the rise of a branding tool. Read
more
11 March 2009: Regular family meals result in better eating habits for
adolescents. Read
more
11 March 2009: Men with a higher intake of vitamin C from food or
supplements have a lower risk of developing gout, a form of arthritis
from uric acid build-up that causes inflamed joints. Read
more
11 March 2009: Study suggests salt might be 'nature's antidepressant'. One
potential reason we crave it: salt might put us in a better mood. Read more
10
March 2009: The use of salt replacers in the diet, as a means of
reducing sodium intake, may improve blood pressure and artery health. Read
more
10 March 2009: Maintaining adequate levels of vitamin D during winter
months requires a daily dose of 20 micrograms, four times the current
recommended dose. Read
more
10 March 2009: The largest study of its kind to evaluate the effect of red
versus white wine on breast-cancer risk concludes that both are equal
offenders when it comes to increasing breast-cancer risk. Read more
10 March 2009: 15-year-old males who ate fish at least once a week
displayed higher cognitive skills at the age of 18 than those who it
ate it less frequently, according to a study of nearly 4,000 teenagers.
Read more
10 March
2009: Chemicals
present in cranberries prevent infection-causing bacteria from
attaching to the cells that line the urinary tract. Read more
9
March 2009: The European Food Safety Authority has concluded its
assessment of the potential risks of nanotechnologies for food and
feed, stating that a cautious, case-by-case approach is needed as many
uncertainties remain over its safe use. Read
more
9 March 2009: Supplements of the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid
(DHA) may reduce compounds associated with inflammation by up to 20 per
cent. Read
more
9 March
2009: The
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has found that inositol
hexanicotinate is a safe source of niacin in food supplements, but
cautions that safe upper limits must not be exceeded. Read
more
9 March 2009: Not so sweet: Over-consumption of sugar linked to aging. Read more
6
March 2009: Yale scientists have reportedly found the ‘missing link’ to
explain why high-fructose diets may boost the development of insulin
resistance. Read
more
6 March
2009: Researchers
claim to have discovered a method to eliminate bacteria in packaged
foods such as spinach and tomatoes, a process that could reduce the
number of food-borne outbreaks linked to the produce. Read
more
6 March
2009: Long-term
supplementation with beta-carotene may increase a smoker’s risk of lung
cancer. Read
more
6 March 2009: Recent scientific studies are beginning to establish the
potential health benefits of drinking green tea, especially in weight
loss, heart health, cancer prevention, healthy teeth and gums. Read more
5
March 2009: Encapsulating flavours in proteins in order to protect it
during food formulation, may be counter-productive if the protein
reacts with the flavour. Read
more
5 March
2009: Daily
supplements of B vitamins may improve the overall health of people with
coeliac disease by reducing levels of an amino acid linked to heart
disease. Read
more
5 March 2009: Women with low blood levels of vitamin B12 are at increased
risk of having a child with neural tube defects. Read
more
5 March
2009: Long-term
use of beta carotene and some other carotenoid-containing dietary
supplements may increase the risk of lung cancer, especially among
smokers. Read
more
5 March 2009: Children who carry a gene strongly associated with obesity
could offset its effect by eating a low energy density diet. Read more
4
March 2009: Adding the polyol glycerol to a whey protein based
nutritional bar maintains the soft texture and consumer acceptability
of the product during storage. Read
more
4 March 2009: Consumption of milk, and therefore intakes of calcium, is
falling at the expense of sweetened beverages. Read
more
4 March 2009: A new study in mice sheds light on the insulin resistance
that can come from diets loaded with high-fructose corn syrup, a
sweetener found in most sodas and many other processed foods. Read more
4 March 2009: In an epidemiological study of men and post-menopausal
women primarily over 60 years of age, regular moderate alcohol intake
was associated with greater bone mineral density (BMD). Read more
4 March 2009: Two or more drinks a day may increase pancreatic cancer
risk. Read more
3
March 2009: Eating about two portions of red meat a day may increase
the risk of age-related macular degeneration by about 50 per cent. Read
more
3 March
2009: Supplements
of lutein, long-reported to have benefits for eye health, may also
protect against the detrimental effects of long-term computer display
light exposure. Read
more
3 March 2009: Adding prebiotics to infant formula may reduce the number
of gut infections and reduce the use of antibiotics. Read
more
3 March 2009: Vitamin B-12 deficiency tied to neural tube birth defects. Read
more
3 March 2009: A new way to eliminate bacteria and thus some food-borne
illnesses in packaged foods such as spinach and tomatoes. Read more
3 March 2009: Drinking one glass of wine a day may lower the risk of
Barrett's Esophagus by 56 percent. Barrett's Esophagus is a precursor
to esophageal cancer. Read more
3 March 2009: Scientists in Italy are reporting development and
successful use of a fast new method to identify food additives that act
as so-called "xenoestrogens" — substances with estrogen-like effects
that are stirring international health concerns. Read more
3 March 2009: Broccoli may help protect against respiratory inflammation
that causes conditions like asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. Read more
3 March 2009: Development of a new, more effective method to determine
whether milk marketed as "organic" is genuine or just ordinary milk
mislabeled to hoodwink consumers. Read more
2
March 2009: Double encapsulation of bacterial strains with potential
probiotic activity may enhance the shelf-life and offer protection
against harsh stomach conditions. Read
more
2 March 2009: Feeding newborns soy protein-based formulas may favourably
boost the bone strength later in life. Read
more
2 March 2009: Food firms are increasingly working to reduce their carbon
footprint, reaping cost savings in the process and plugging into new
business opportunities. Read
more
27
February 2009: Too much snacking on potato chips may increase the risk of
hardening of the arteries, and raise the risk of cardiovascular
disease. Read
more
27 February 2009: Selenium and vitamin E may offer protection against
prostate cancer by changing the expression of certain genes in
prostates linked to tumours. Read
more
27 February 2009: A US study has found caffeine plays a protective role for
damaged skin by boosting the body's natural process called apoptosis,
or synchronised cell suicide. Read
more
27 February 2009: Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake—regardless
of differing proportions of fat, protein, or carbohydrate—can help
overweight and obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss. Read more
26
February 2009: Using amino acids to compete with, and reduce, the sources
of acrylamide should focus on the common additive cysteine. Read
more
26 February 2009: An international team of researchers has identified a gene
that could make bread wheat capable of resisting stripe rust, a disease
that causes severe crop losses in global wheat-growing regions. Read
more
26 February 2009: Heart-healthy diets that reduce calorie intake—regardless
of proportions of fat, protein, or carbohydrate—can help overweight and
obese adults achieve and maintain weight loss. Read more
25
February 2009: An extract from the edible mushroom Flammulina velutipes
may prolong the shelf-life of tuna meat, while also stabilising the
colour of the meat. Read
more
25 February 2009: Drinking three or more cups of green or black tea a day may
reduce the risk of stroke by 21 per cent. Read
more
25 February 2009: Migration of a chemical from external cereal cardboard
packaging into the food has prompted the European Commission to request
a risk assessment on the substance from the European Food Safety
Authority (EFSA). Read
more
25 February 2009: A combination of folic acid, and vitamins B6 and B12 may
reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration in women by 34 per
cent. Read
more
25 February 2009: A new phage based product is designed to reduce
contamination of cattle and poultry by bacteria such as E. coli,
Salmonella and Campylobacter. Read
more
25 February 2009: A study in nearly half a million older men and women
bolsters evidence that a calcium-rich diet may help protect against
some cancers. Read
more
24
February 2009: Extracts from paprika, annatto and marigold, rich in
antioxidant carotenoids, could significantly reduce the spoilage due to
oxygen of model oil-in-water emulsions. Read
more
24 February 2009: Consumer concerns about a synthetic growth hormone used in
milk production have prompted two leading food producers in the US to
reformulate their dairy product lines. Read
more
24 February 2009: Gradual exposure to peanut may put an end to peanut
allergy, if results of a small study from Cambridge are followed by
similar positive results. Read
more
24 February
2009: Extracts
from blueberries may reduce the size of tumours primarily found in
infants and children, and improve survival. Read
more
24 February 2009: Taking a combination of vitamins B6 and B12 and folic acid
appears to decrease the risk of age-related macular degeneration in
women. Read more
23
February 2009: Researchers in Canada are reporting evidence that eggs —
often frowned upon for their high cholesterol content — may reduce
another heart disease risk factor — high blood pressure. Read more
23 February 2009: A team of British scientists have come one step closer to
curing nut allergies after a small-scale clinical trial in which they
successfully built up children's tolerance to peanuts. Read more
20
February 2009: Nanotechnology has the potential to improve the foods we
eat, making them tastier, healthier and more nutritious. Yet little is
known about how nanoparticles behave in the body, or what kind of toxic
effects they could have. Read
more
20 February 2009: A new beverage is claiming to be the first ice tea that can
safeguard the health of teeth, thanks to the use of isomaltulose in
place of sucrose and an aseptic process that prevents bacteria without
the need for acids. Read
more
20 February 2009: Chocolate does not help children to grow, says the European
Food Safety Authority. Read
more
20 February
2009: Increased
intakes of coffee do not increase the risk of stroke, and may actually
reduce the risk. Read
more
20 February 2009: Potential health risks associated with stressed foodstuffs
such as foie gras. Read
more
20 February 2009: Dry beans inhibit development of mammary cancer. Certain
foods can reduce people’s risk of contracting chronic diseases. Read
more
20 February 2009: Healing foods like virgin coconut oil and coconut flour can
help reduce the risk of serious medical problems like cancer, heart and
liver diseases. Read
more
20 February 2009: Drinking at least three cups of green or black tea a day
can significantly reduce the risk of stroke. Read more
20 February 2009: Diet could reduce onset of Age-related Macular Degeneration
(AMD) by 20 %, by increasing the amount of fruit, vegetables and nuts
in the diet. Read
more
19
February 2009: Food-grade pigments may be obtained by fermenting bacteria
sourced from sponge. Read
more
19 February 2009: Health and safety officials in South Korea said that they
found a meningitis causing bacteria in a French baby formula product
but the company in question said the product was deemed safe following
tests. Read
more
19 February 2009: Six studies published in the past add to growing evidence
that an apple a day -- as well as other fruits and vegetables -- can
help keep the breast-cancer doctor away. Read
more
19 February 2009: Children need to eat a little dirt now and then to develop
healthy immune systems. Problem is, in many countries, people have
become too clean for their own good. Read
more
19 February 2009: Women who consume olive oil preserve their bone mass
better. Read more
19 February 2009: High-fat diets, even if consumed for a short amount of
time, can inflame fat tissue surrounding blood vessels, possibly
contributing to cardiovascular disease. Read more
18
February 2009: A blend of oils from coconut and palm could produce a
plastic fat for use as a shortening in bakery products as a trans-fat
replacer. Read
more
18 February 2009: Extracts from the New Zealand green lipped mussel may exert
anti-inflammatory effects at a protein level. Read
more
17
February 2009: Adolescents eating higher amounts of dairy goods, within
the recommended daily guidelines, generally have lower levels of fat to
those with a reduced intake. Read
more
17 February 2009: New research connecting metabolic syndrome to greater
sensitive to the effects of salt intake on blood pressure in Chinese
people could lead to the development of less salty dishes, new food
labelling, and a re-education of taste buds. Read
more
17 February 2009: A superoxide dismutase (SOD) supplement, GliSODin, may
reduce the loss of cognitive function linked to stress, according to a
new animal study from Japan. Read
more
17 February 2009: Nattokinase, an enzyme extracted from fermented soy, may
prevent the build up of certain plaques in the brain linked to
Alzheimer’s, suggests new research from Taiwan. Read
more
16
February 2009: Drinking fructose-sweetened beverages with meals may cause
bigger rises in blood levels of triglycerides in obese people after the
meal. Read
more
16 February
2009: A
coalition of different environmental organisations, the Zero Mercury
Working Group, claims that there are risks associated with eating fish
due to its mercury content, and consumers need to be made aware of
these through fish and seafood product labelling. Read
more
13
February 2009: Increased intakes of vitamin K2, but not vitamin K1, may
decrease the risk of coronary heart disease in postmenopausal women. Read
more
13 February
2009: Novel
benefits of fatty acids in arteries shown. Read
more
12
February 2009: Patients with kidney disease may be at danger from a
‘hidden threat’ of phosphorous additives found in processed and fast
foods. Read
more
12 February
2009: A
combination of probiotic and prebiotics may improve the ‘quality of
life’ for sufferers of a type of IBD (inflammatory bowel disease). Read
more
12 February 2009: A ‘smart’ barcode for food packaging can inform consumers
and retailers whether refrigerated food products such as chicken, milk
and beef are no longer fresh. Read
more
12 February 2009: Researchers have discovered that extra virgin olive oil may
help to combat breast cancer. The scientists have confirmed the
bioactivity of polyphenols (natural antioxidants) present in olive oil
in breast cancer cell lines. Read
more
11
February 2009: The cost-benefit ratio for including gut health promoting
inulin in bread formulations could bring added-value gains for
bread-makers. Read
more
11 February
2009: Multivitamin
supplements have “little or no influence” on a woman’s risk of
cardiovascular disease or cancer. Read
more
11 February 2009: Mercury found in U.S. corn syrup: Studies. Read
more
11 February 2009: Microbial inactivation and shelf life of apple juice
treated with high pressure carbon dioxide. Read more
10
February 2009: A new European review of the safety of proteins used in
milk and dairy product formulation has found no link between their
consumption and an increased risk to health. Read
more
10 February
2009: Seeds
of the Osmanthus fragrans plant may offer a novel red colour for food
formulators, and tap into the growing demand for natural colours, says
new research from China. Read
more
10 February 2009: US researchers have found a way of keeping food fresher for
longer while using less packaging material. Read
more
10 February
2009: Fortifying
fermented milk with lutein may be a suitable vehicle to boost intakes
of the compound, according to a new study from Spain. Read
more
10 February 2009: Energy drinks: The coffee of a new generation? They are
made up of sugar and caffeine, posing a negative impact on health. Read more
10 February 2009: Mediterranean diet associated with lower risk of cognitive
impairment. Read
more
9
February 2009: Researchers are aware that caffeine stimulates the central
nervous system on a short-term basis, but how is cognition affected in
the long run? A team of Finnish-Swedish researchers found that midlife
coffee or tea drinking can decrease the risk of dementia and/or
Alzheimer's disease (AD) later in life. Read
more
9 February
2009: The
application of zinc oxide nanoparticles in food systems may be
effective at inhibiting certain pathogens. Read
more
9 February 2009: Women with increased intake of lignans, and subsequently
levels of metabolites in the blood, tend to have lower BMIs and total
body fat mass. Read
more
9 February
2009: World
first fungi chitosan ready for weight loss market. Read
more
5
February 2009: A potassium lactate and sodium diacetate mix may reduce the
sodium chloride content by 40 per cent, and significantly increase
shelf-life. Read
more
5 February 2009: Low levels of vitamin D may reduce the muscle power and
force in adolescent girls. Read
more
5 February 2009: A new roll-out seeks to control pathogens in flour through
an energy-saving macrowave pasteurisation system that also minimises
the heat impact on the bulk food material. Read
more
4
February 2009: The UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) has published a list
of food products that have been voluntarily reformulated to remove 6
food colours associated with hyperactivity in young children. Read
more
4 February 2009: An edible Gelidium corneum gelatine (GCG) blend film
containing grapefruit seed extract (GFSE) or green tea extract (GTE)
could be used to the increase the microbial safety and extend the shelf
life of packaged pork loins. Read
more
4 February 2009: Study finds that green tea blocks benefits of cancer drug. Read more
4 February
2009: A
new study explores how soyfood consumption may lower the risk of
colorectal cancer, or cancer of the colon or rectum, in postmenopausal
women. Read more
3
February 2009: Most people connect DNA fingerprinting with humans, but an
international team of researchers has successfully used DNA
fingerprinting techniques to identify microbes on a 'smear-ripened'
cheese. Led by Newcastle University in the UK, the researchers detected
and identified eight microbes on the French cheese Reblochon. Read
more
3 February 2009: The European Commission has sent a second warning to Italy
that it must step up to new allergen labelling requirements. Read
more
3 February 2009: E. coli in ground beef, melamine in infant formula, and
salmonella in peanut butter - what is next? Isn’t it about time the
slices of the US food safety pie… Read
more
3 February 2009: By adding an edible mushroom-like fungus to grapefruit
juice may help to reduce the serious side effects when taking certain
prescription drugs drink grapefruit juice. Read more
3 February
2009: Salmonella
outbreak: what you need to know. Read more
2
February 2009: Modification of the milk protein casein by enzymes could
offer formulators a natural antioxidant for beef and poultry products. Read
more
2 February 2009: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has given the
thumbs up for the use of the relatively obscure zinc form, zinc
methionate, but found safety issues with calcium and magnesium
methionate forms. Read
more
2 February 2009: Long term administration of high purity and concentrated
chondroitin sulphate may prevent degradation in the joint structure of
people suffering from osteoarthritis. Read
more
2 February 2009: The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) has ruled that the
vitamin B6 compound, pyridoxamine dihydrochloride, cannot be used in
dietary supplements. Read
more
2 February 2009: Researchers have widely believed that the organic compound,
allicin – which gives garlic its aroma and flavour – acts as the
world's most powerful antioxidant. Read
more
2 February 2009: Omega-3 fatty acids ease psychological distress and
depressive symptoms often suffered by menopausal and perimenopausal
women. Read
more
2 February 2009: The mouth-watering chips have long been labelled as a “junk
food”. Yet, experts have claimed that gorging on a deep-fried potato
diet can help in beating certain cancers. Read
more
30
January 2009: A newly-released study indicates that levels of most metals
in UK foods are falling or remain stable; but the FSA says there is a
need for more research on aluminium, barium and manganese, which bucked
the trend. Read
more
30 January
2009: A
US study has found that perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), which are used
in areas such as food packaging, pesticides, clothing, carpets and
personal care products, may be linked to infertility in women. Read
more
30 January 2009: Plums are new super-food and full of
disease-fighting antioxidants. Read
more
29
January 2009: From petite fromageries in France to artisan sellers in
Quebec and Kansas, the sale of unpasteurised milk in cheese continues
to divide opinion, with recent health scares endangering the entire
sector. Read
more
29 January 2009: Opinion remains divided over the use of recombinant bovine
growth hormone (rBGH) in cows to boost milk yield. Read
more
29 January
2009: Texan
researchers have identified a pathway to explain how a compound in
cruciferous vegetables like broccoli may protect against pancreatic
cancer. Read
more
29 January 2009: New gluten-free rules from Brussels may well incur
incremental costs for bakers and snack manufacturers but with one in a
hundred UK consumers estimated to be gluten intolerant, unlocking the
market for gluten-free products could reap strong financial gains for
industry players. Read
more
29 January
2009: Scientists
have for the first time replicated an elusive seafood toxin found in
shellfish and certain algae that can cause illness and even death. Read more
28
January 2009: Reducing the intake of salt from the diet may improve the
health of blood vessels, with the effects going beyond blood pressure
benefits. Read
more
28 January
2009: Human
brain makes quick decisions on the energy and fat content in food just
by looking at it – a finding that adds to knowledge on why we choose to
eat the foods we do. Read
more
28 January 2009: UK based laboratory, Reading Scientific Services Ltd
(RSSL), claims it has developed a reliable DNA screening method for
identifying adulteration of Basmati rice. Read
more
28 January 2009: Use flaxseed to boost health. The flax plant is the source
of fiber from which linen is woven, and it also yields edible seeds and
oil. Read
more
28 January 2009: Researchers find traces of mercury in high-fructose corn
syrup. Read more
28 January
2009: Omega-6
fatty acids - found in vegetable oils, nuts and seeds - are a
beneficial part of a heart-healthy eating plan. Read more
28 January
2009: US
officials say 4 kinds of salmonella have been identified in the growing
investigation of tainted peanut products. Read more
27
January 2009: A new study has delivered positive results on the use of
platinum as a catalyst during hydrogenisation of oils, but without the
production of harmful trans fats. Read
more
27 January 2009: Antioxidant compounds in green tea could help promote
exercise-induced abdominal fat loss. Read
more
27 January 2009: A new study suggests that people trying to lower their
blood pressure should also boost their intake of potassium, which has
the opposite effect to sodium. Read more
26
January 2009: Food manufacturers are being asked to take some
responsibility for public health and make more nutritional products
after a study found that magazine adverts were mainly for foods high in
sugar, fat and salt. Read
more
26 January 2009: Switzerland’s Centre for Technology Assessment (TA-Swiss)
has called for the existing legislation on foods and chemicals to be
adapted to meet the demands of nanotechnology. Read
more
26 January 2009: A detection method to determine levels of melamine in whole
milk and milk powder is highly sensitive and the fastest technique yet,
claims researchers based at Purdue University. Read
more
26 January
2009: How
Natural Oils can be Hydrogenated without Making Unhealthy Trans Fats. Read
more
23
January 2009: More research is needed on innovative raw material sourcing
and alternative uses, according to a new report on how chemistry can
contribute to sustainable food supply, which sees novel enzyme
technology is a key area of development for ingredients, processing and
preservation. Read
more
23 January 2009: An updated guide on the recyclability of plastic packaging
can ensure savings for companies and includes chapters on recent
developments in bioplastics and mixed plastics. Read
more
23 January 2009: New study provides further evidence that apple juice can
delay onset of Alzheimer's disease. Read more
23 January 2009: A new, late-ripening apple named WineCrisp™ which carries
the Vf gene for scab resistance was developed over the past 20 plus
years through classical breeding techniques, not genetic engineering. Read more
22
January 2009: Drinking coffee reduces risk of Alzheimer’s, according to a
study by Finnish and Swedish researchers. Read
more
21
January 2009: Fresh evidence from researchers in the US suggests that
substituting refined sweeteners with unrefined equivalents in food
formulations could raise disease-fighting antioxidants in consumer
diets. Read
more
21 January 2009: The European Food Safety Authority has turned down
Unilever-submitted health claims linking black tea consumption and
improved mental focus because they failed to demonstrate causality. Read
more
21 January 2009: The European Botanical Forum (EBF) has released a
“communication tool” it says will “correct some commonly-held
misapprehensions about botanical food supplements”. Read
more
21 January 2009: Soy protein consumption could help protect against bone
loss in post menopausal women, suggests a new study that adds to
previous findings linking soy to bone health in women. Read
more
21 January
2009: Research
has shown that a flavor enhancer found in many popular foods known as
monosodium glutamate (MSG) causes weight gain and obesity in lab
animals by damaging the appetite regulation center in the area of the
brain known as the hypothalamus, causing leptin resistence. Read
more
20
January 2009: Misunderstood by consumers and misrepresented by pressure
groups, pesticides are a soft target for legislators. The latest blow
to that soft target could have hard consequences for the European food
industry and for developing countries. Read
more
20 January 2009: Maize-based dietary fibres have been found to help lower
glycemic and insulin responses, potentially opening up opportunities
for their use in foods for weight management and diabetes control. Read
more
20 January 2009: A ‘Fair Trade’-style certification for European milk
prices, designed to cover farmer cost, will soon making its way across
EU member states, according to a leading farmers association. Read
more
20 January
2009: Carb
addiction is real, according to researchers who fear that by taking fat
out of snacks, food producers are replacing it with more carbohydrates
and making them even more addictive.. Read
more
16
January 2009: Dietary fibres may control crystallisation and
recrystallisation in ice creams, and offer new formulation
possibilities for formulators. Read
more
16 January 2009: An increased intake of carotenoids, and particularly
lycopene may protect against bone loss in older men and women. Read
more
16 January 2009: Midlife coffee and tea drinking can decrease the risk of
dementia / Alzheimer’s disease later in life. Read more
15
January 2009: A consumer’s perception of a refreshing sensation in food
is driven by the cold/mint flavour, the acidity of the formulation, and
the thickness of the product. Read
more
15 January 2009: Meat from animals raised on biodiverse pastures tastes
better and is nutritionally superior than conventional meat, prompting
calls for more place-based labelling. Read
more
15 January 2009: Low levels of the mineral selenium may increase the risk of
anaemia in older people. Read
more
15 January 2009: High Caffeine Intake Linked To Hallucination Proneness. Read
more
15 January 2009: How does salmonella get into peanut butter? Read
more
14
January 2009: A Japanese bid to introduce a new black bean extract to
Europe to block the absorption of carbohydrates has received a boost. Read
more
14 January
2009: An
extruded composite food packaging film containing pectin, polylactic
acids (PLAs) and nisin can inhibit Listeria monocytogenes. Read
more
13
January 2009: Marinating beef in red wine or beer may reduce the levels
of potentially cancer-promoting compounds, according to a study from
Portugal. Read
more
13 January 2009: The commonly used hydrocolloid hydroxypropylmethylcellulose
(HPMC) may reduce cholesterol levels by over 20 per cent. Read
more
13 January 2009: Cornflakes, biscuits, soft drinks and other heavily
processed foods with a high glycaemic index (GI) trigger an addictive
sugar rush that can be hard to resist and leads to obesity. New Zealand
scientists reviewed evidence showing compulsive food consumption… Read
more
13 January 2009: Vitamin D is quickly becoming the "it" nutrient with health
benefits for diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease
and now diabetes. Read
more
12
January 2009: Adding resistant starch to milk puddings produces
formulations that are acceptable to consumers, particularly those
interested in healthy options. Read
more
12 January
2009: The
probiotic strains Lactobacillus rhamnosus HN001 and Bifidobacterium
animalis subsp. lactis HN019 are safe and well-tolerated, according to
a new study from New Zealand. Read
more
12 January 2009: Salmonella in 42 states, USA. The Minnesota Department of
Health said preliminary laboratory testing found salmonella bacteria in
a 5-pound container of creamy peanut butter. Read more
9
January 2009: The whey protein beta-lactoglobulin may spontaneously bind
the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and offer
nano-encapsulation potential for formulators. Read
more
9 January 2009: National Starch Food Innovation (NSFI) is launching a new
specialty starch derived from tapioca, which is said to enable a 75 per
cent reduction on the butter, margarine or shortening used in cakes. Read
more
9 January
2009: Fortification
of corn masa flour with folic acid could produce enriched tortilla
chips and corn chips, and serve as a new vehicle for the B vitamin. Read
more
9 January 2009: Researchers have uncovered why some dietary fats,
specifically long-chain fats, such as oleic acid (found in olive oil),
are more prone to induce inflammation. Long-chain fats, it turns out,
promote increased intestinal absorption of pro-inflammatory bacterial
molecules called lipopolysaccharides (LPS). Read more
8
January 2009: The UK’s Food Safety Authority has launched a new
consultation on the advice it should give consumers on eating fish,
with a view to balancing sustainability issues alongside nutrition and
food safety issues. Read
more
8 January 2009: A diet containing high calcium food products like dairy
goods and certain vegetables may not alone serve as an effective means
of reducing the risk of osteoporosis, say some nutritionists. Read
more
8 January 2009: Supplements of L-carnitine may reduce the oxidation of LDL
cholesterol in diabetics, indicating significant potential to boost
heart health, says a new study. Read
more
8 January 2009: No “credible evidence” exists in the literature to support
the potential of garlic to reduce the risk of cancer, according to a
new review from Korea. Read
more
7
January 2009: Careful regulation of inorganic phosphates in the diet
could aid lung cancer prevention and treatment. Read
more
7 January 2009: The potential of pomegranate extracts and juices to protect
against prostate cancer may be due to direct interaction with genes. Read
more
7 January 2009: On a high-fat diet, protective gene variant becomes bad
actor. Read more
6
January 2009: Progress has been made in pinpointing the mechanism of that
most mysterious of taste sensations, umami, with potential implications
for understanding taste preferences and undercovering the workings of
other proteins. Read
more
6 January 2009: High fat diet linked to body clock disruption. Circadian
rhythms are the body’s ‘clock’ that regulates expression and activity
of enzymes and hormones involved in metabolism. Read
more
6 January 2009: X-ray technology is effective in killing bacterial
pathogens in leafy greens without causing undesirable changes in
product quality, claim US researchers. Read
more
6 January 2009: Overweight people’s genes respond differently to dietary
changes. Read
more
5
January 2009: Cranberry extracts may play some role in supplemnting use
of the antibiotic Trimethoprim for prevention of urinary tract
infections (UTIs) in older women. Read
more
5 January 2009: The UK-based Health Food Manufacturers Association (HFMA)
has warned the European Commission may severely restrict maximum levels
of vitamins and minerals in food supplements, after an industry meeting
with the European Commission. Read
more
5 January
2009: Genetically modified soybeans
containing stearidonic acid (SDA) could be commercially available
within a couple of years. Read
more
5 January 2009: Chocolate, wine and tea improve brain performance.
According to Oxford researchers working with colleagues in Norway,
chocolate, wine and tea enhance cognitive performance. Read more
5 January 2009: An unknown fungus is wiping out vast tracts of
vanilla plantations in Madagascar, which supplies two-thirds of the
world's pods. Read
more
22
December 2008: The impact of this year’s melamine dairy crisis has rumbled
through the food chain and although quality assurance measures can
benefit responsible firms, downturn in Chinese dairy has still led to
lost of ingredients sales. Read
more
22 December 2008: A combination of gellan gum and magnesium chloride may lead
to low-fat, low salt meat products, according to new research from
Mexico. Read
more
22 December 2008: Genetically modified soybeans containing stearidonic acid
(SDA) could be commercially available within a couple of years. Read
more
19
December 2008: Researchers in Spain have discovered components of
extra-virgin olive oil that are protective against both HER2-positive
and HER2-negative breast cancers. Their findings, which have
implications for the design of new anti-breast-cancer drugs, have been
published in the journal BMC cancer. Read
more
19 December 2008: The FDA has given the long-awaited green light for Reb A,
the sweetener made from the stevia leaf, to be used in food and
beverages. Read
more
19 December 2008: An article published in the British Medical Journal today
has dismissed the commonly held belief that sugar causes hyperactivity
in children as a ‘medical myth’. Read
more
19 December 2008: The specific use of titanium nitride (TiN) nanoparticles in
a material used to make polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic drinks
bottles did not give rise to toxicological concern, claims a scientific
panel of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Read
more
19 December 2008: Calcium fluoride deemed safe in supplements in Europe. Read
more
19 December 2008: Manufacturers of juice and other fruit-based beverages may
need to rethink how they make their products amidst fears over the
level of pesticides that may reside on their ingredients. Read
more
19 December 2008: The omega-3 fatty acid EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is a
more potent inflammation inhibitor than DHA (docosahexaenoic acid),
says a new Anglo-American study. Read
more
19 December 2008: Low glycemic diet better for glycemic control of type 2
diabetes than whole grains. Read more
18
December 2008: The popularity of spelt has rocketed in recent years,
leading to a 130 per cent increase in European product launches
containing the ancient grain over the past three years. Read
more
18 December 2008: Manufacturers of children’s breakfast cereals and lunchbox
snacks have been accused of misleading parents about high levels of
salt, sugar and fat in a British Heart Foundation report. Read
more
18 December 2008: Complying with Global Food Safety Initiative standards will
become much easier for food suppliers with the launch of a new computer
program. Read
more
18 December 2008: US-based food group hopes to continue targeting growing
interest in fortified baked snacks with ongoing development of a new
range of cookies it claims contain ‘substantial’ levels of omega-3 oil.
Read
more
17 December 2008: Are Europeans knowledgeable about nutrition information? A
pan-European study by the European Food Information Council (EUFIC)
says they are. The study on consumer knowledge of food labels has shown
that the majority of European consumers recognise and understand the
improved forms of nutrition information on labels including the
Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) plan. Read
more
17 December 2008: Cutting the cost of cake-making by removing the use of eggs
may be achievable by combining a hydrocolloid with a suitable
emulsifier. Read
more
17 December 2008: European botanicals group the Herbal Forum remains
concerned about aspects of the process that is due to bring herbal
products under the remit of the Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products
Directive (THMPD) by 2011. Read
more
17 December 2008: High Pesticide Levels Found In Fruit-based Drinks In Some
Countries Outside United States. Read
more
15
December 2008: Beta-glucan-rich hydrocolloids may be able to replace
cocoa-butter in chocolate products, according to new research from the
US. Read
more
15 December
2008: A
survey into the levels of colourings in food products in Australia
showed usage far below the maximum permitted levels (MPL); FSANZ says
this shows there is no public health risk associated with their use. Read
more
15 December 2008: Researchers at Tufts University have reported that
low-carbohydrate diets may impair cognitive performance, following a
study comparing an Atkins-type diet with a reduced-calorie regime. Read
more
15 December
2008: An
anti-cancer compound found in broccoli and cabbage works by lowering
the activity of an enzyme associated with rapidly advancing breast
cancer, Read
more
15 December 2008: ETH Zurich chemists have developed a method to detect
pesticide residues in foodstuffs – a method that may also be of
interest for other areas and may enable quality checks on a running
basis. Read
more
12
December 2008: Researchers at Princeton University claim that they have
laid down the final pieces of evidence necessary to prove the existence
of sugar addiction in animal studies. Read
more
12 December 2008: An extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree
may reduce markers of inflammation in people with osteoarthritis. Read
more
11
December 2008: Fears over the dangers of peanut allergy, a potentially
deadly allergy for certain people, are becoming sensationalist and
hysterical. Read
more
10
December 2008: An extract of black radish (Raphanus niger) may provide a
natural alternative to sulphur dioxide for viticulturists, according to
a new study from Greece. Read
more
10 December 2008: Successful trial of biotech tomatoes with high anthocyanin
that saw them increase the life-span of cancer-prone rats could help
strengthen the positive side of the GM debate in the UK. Read
more
9
December 2008: The profile of dioxins found in the tainted Irish pork meat
is similar to those found in electronic transformer oils, claims the
Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI). Read
more
9 December
2008: Broccoli
compound may inhibit lung cancer from tobacco smoke: study. Read
more
9 December 2008: Here's a health tip in a nutshell: Eating a handful of nuts
a day for a year - along with a Mediterranean diet rich in fruit,
vegetables and fish - may help undo a collection of risk factors for
heart disease. Read
more
8
December 2008: Food and beverage manufacturers are adopting more
sustainable practices and seek to communicate these to consumers. But
are well-meaning consumers confused by the many different green and
ethical logos in use? Read
more
8 December 2008: The European Commission has imposed definitive anti-dumping
duties on the additive from China, stating that the impact on firms
using the additive will not be great. Read
more
8 December 2008: The addition of cranberry concentrate to ground beef may
serve as an supplementary hurdle to control potential E. coli O157:H7
outbreaks associated with ground beef, claims a new US study. Read
more
8 December 2008: Ireland issued an international warning yesterday for
people not to consume Irish-produced pork products because they could
contain dangerous levels of contaminants. Read
more
8 December 2008: GM Crops Climb to Nearly One-Tenth of Global Crop
Production. Tensions are rising over the GM foods issue as consumers
become increasingly educated about the sharp increases in infertility
resulting from the consumption of GM foods. Read
more
8 December 2008: Birth Control Pills Affect Women's Taste in Men. Read
more
5
December 2008: Organics offer market for burnt sugar colour…launching a
new organic burnt sugar to the European food sector, as its customers
are seeking new hues suitable for organic products. Read
more
5 December 2008: Increasing the alkali content of the diet by eating food
such as fruit and vegetables may reduce calcium excretion and boost
bone health, says a new study. Read
more
5 December 2008: Scientists Developing Safer Food Allergy Treatment.
Attempted treatment with allergen-specific immunotherapy, where a
patient received monthly injections with an allergen extract for three
to five years, failed because it could cause anaphylaxis as a side
effect. Read
more
4
December 2008: Addition of green and black teas to yoghurt may boost the
colour and flavour of the product, without affecting the starter
cultures. Read
more
4 December 2008: The first chocolate products endorsed by Toothfriendly
International as harmless to teeth have hit the market in Belgium,
despite containing a sugar. Read
more
4 December 2008: Would-be mothers taking folic acid supplements during the
first three months of their pregnancy may increase the risk of their
babies being hospitalized with respiratory infections. Read
more
4 December 2008: The gluten-free market is getting competitive. A growing
number of businesses are selling products aimed at celiacs - people who
have difficulty digesting gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and
barley. Read more
3
December 2008: The chemical is bisphenol-A, or BPA. Most human exposure to
the chemical clearly comes from the food supply. BPA has estrogenlike
effects, and animal studies have suggested that exposure may accelerate
puberty and raise a potential risk of cancer. Read
more
2
December 2008: The role of nutrition in living with HIV/ AIDS. Nutrition
and HIV/AIDS are intricately linked. Read
more
1
December 2008: 14 out of 26 assessed food flavouring substances are safe
for human consumption at estimated current intake levels, according to
a new scientific opinion from EFSA. Read
more
1 December 2008: Fructooligosaccharides (FOS) can be used to partially
replace sucrose in fruit juices without detrimentally affecting
physical characteristics of the juice, says new research from India. Read
more
1 December 2008: Bread, pasta, and other foods made from whole grains —
known to help protect against heart disease, cancer and diabetes — may
get even healthier in the future. Read
more
1 December 2008: Food-poisoning is costing New Zealand $83 million a year,
says a new study for the Food Safety Authority. Read
more
28
November 2008: Spreadable gels made from superheating starch and then
cooling it may lead to inexpensive fat replacers, scientists from TNO
Quality of Life tell FoodNavigator. Read
more
28 November 2008: Batches of organic oats being sold in the UK could be
flouting the law after an investigation found they contain the
pesticides Chlormequat or Glyphosate, according to the Soil
Association. Read
more
28 November 2008: An article appearing in the British Medical Journal says
that food and supplement products targeting weight loss are ineffective
and misleading for consumers. Read
more
28 November 2008: Consumption of garlic and onions may reduce the incidence
of cholesterol gallstone formation by as much as 40 per cent, says a
new study from India. Read
more
28 November 2008: Fish and shellfish are more likely to cause
foodborne-illness than any other category of food product, according to
the US Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). Read
more
28 November 2008: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has recommended
lower Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) for several active substances used
in pesticides that the European Commission considered could have
possible safety concerns for human health. Read
more
27
November 2008: A new EU-funded project has been launched to produce
state-of-the-art knowledge on food labelling for nutritional advice.
FLABEL ('Food labelling to advance better education for life') is the
first EU-funded research project on nutritional labelling and it will
research the effects of labelling on consumers in order to better
understand how it influences shoppers' buying choices. Read
more
27 November 2008: Additive and enzyme associations have welcomed the adoption
of the new FIAP package on additives, flavourings and enzymes – but
concern remains about the Southampton colours warning. Read
more
26
November 2008: Drink brewed tea to avoid tooth erosion. Today, the average
size soft drink is 20 ounces and contains 17 teaspoons of sugar. More
startling is that some citric acids found in fruit drinks are more
erosive than hydrochloric or sulfuric acid—which is also known as
battery acid. Read
more
25
November 2008: Bug-killer: Oregano, above, was found to be a more
effective antimicrobial agent than 18 pharmaceutical drugs The MRSA
super-bug could be wiped out using natural oil from oregano, scientists
revealed today. Read
more
25 November 2008: Foodborne diseases appear to be on the rise in both rich
and poor countries, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on
Thursday. More research is needed to determine how much sickness and
death stems from contaminated food, such as the tainted Chinese milk
that caused kidney problems in more than 50,000 children and killed
four, and the U.S. salmonella outbreak that made more than 1,400 people
ill. Read
more
25 November 2008: Products marketed for infants or billed as "microwave safe"
release toxic doses of the chemical bisphenol A when heated, an
analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has found. Read more
24
November 2008: Germans see environmental issues as more of arisk to their
health than food, according to a new survey from the Federal Institute
for Risk Assessment (BfR). Read
more
24 November 2008: Researchs at Rothamsted Research in the UK have analysed
200 globally-sourced whole grainser for their known health-promoting
components, which they say could lead to selective grain breeding for
healthier wholegrain foods. Read
more
24 November 2008: Lutein safe but won’t help infant eye function. Read
more
24 November 2008: An increased intake of selenium may decrease risk factors
for metabolic syndrome and inflammation, suggests a new study from
Spain. Read
more
24 November 2008: Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have developed
a simple and quick method for detecting mercury in fish and dental
samples, two substances at the center of public concern about mercury
contamination. Read
more
21
November 2008: Take a walk through a supermarket in any wealthy nation and
the promise of omega-3 health benefits screams off food products from
bread to milk to juice. But are consumers getting the superfood they
paid for? Read more
20
November 2008: A new assessment has concluded that coriander essential oil
is safe for use in foods, based on a long history of use and lack of
toxicity in limited studies. Read
more
19
November 2008: Combining chitosan and modified lecithin could offer
interesting nano-encapsulators for a variety of ingredients, according
to a new study from Japan. Read
more
19 November 2008: Recommended daily intakes of vitamin D should be raised to
2,000 International Units, says a group of 18 scientists from the
university of California. Read
more
18
November 2008: Curcumin, the natural pigment that gives the spice turmeric
its yellow colour, may reduce the potential detrimental effects of
acrylamide, says a new study from China. Read
more
18 November 2008: Armed with a ₤60 million war chest from the Scottish
government, researchers in Aberdeen are aiming to slow the progress of
Alzheimer’ with bioactive compounds from blackcurrants. Read
more
18 November 2008: New bacteria discovered in raw milk .Raw milk is illegal in
many countries as it can be contaminated with potentially harmful
microbes. Contamination can also spoil the milk, making it taste bitter
and turn thick and sticky. Now scientists have discovered new species
of bacteria that can grow at low temperatures, spoiling raw milk even
when it is refrigerated. Read more
18 November 2008: Counterintuitive as it may seem, those healthful
phytoestrogen nutrients that consumers usually associate with fruits
and vegetables also exist in foods of animal origin. After all, "phyto"
means "plant." Read
more
17
November 2008: A new study suggests that coating freeze dried strawberry
pieces with whey protein, glycerol and lactose can help reserve texture
when they are rehydrated, thereby making them suitable for use in a
broader range of moist and liquid applications. Read
more
17 November 2008: The claims were running so thick and fast that the Bureau
of Food and Drugs (BFAD) had to issue a public advisory that food
supplements have no medical benefits except as additional nutrients. Read
more
17 November
2008: Drinking
hibiscus tea can lower blood pressure in pre-hypertensive and mildly
hypertensive adults, according to new research presented to the
American Heart Association (AHA). Read
more
14
November 2008: The first shipment of sustainable palm oil is set to arrive
in Europe next week; but even if manufacturers do not use the oil
directly they can still buy into the movement with certificates. Read
more
14 November 2008: A combination of sonication and osmotic evaporation
represents a promising new technology that could be designed to
athermally produce safe, concentrated fruit juices, claims a new study.
Read
more
14 November
2008: A
manufacturer of confectionary ginger is developing a new processing
system that eliminates the need to use sulphites as a preservative,
making the ginger products allergy-free. Read
more
13
November 2008: As concerns such as avian flu, animal welfare and consumer
preferences impact the poultry industry, the reduced genetic diversity
of commercial bird breeds increases their vulnerability and the
industry's ability to adapt, according to a genetics expert. Read
more
13 November
2008: Soy
is a staple of the Asian diet. Here in America, soy is considered a
healthy addition to a diet, but sometimes it is not so easy on the
stomach. Now, a University of Missouri researcher believes she has the
answer: freeze-dried probiotic microcapsules. Read more
12
November 2008: Scientists in Switzerland are reporting that bacteria in
the human mouth play a role in creating the distinctive flavors of
certain foods. They found that these bacteria actually produce food
odors from odorless components of food, allowing people to fully savor
fruits and vegetables. Read
more
11
November 2008: Enhancing food products with odours could compensate for
the taste impact of reducing their salt content, according to a new
study, thereby giving manufacturers another tool towards healthier
formulation. Read
more
11 November 2008: Neither vitamin C nor vitamin E supplements cuts the risk
of cardiovascular disease including heart attack and stroke in a U.S.
study published on Sunday. And a second study failed to show that
taking low-dose aspirin helped prevent heart and artery disease among
Japanese people with diabetes. Read
more
10
November 2008: The dairy industry will have to step up to the challenge of
matching ongoing developments in soybeans as a replacement for a number
of milk-based products and ingredients, according to one New Zealand
dairy supplier. Read
more
10 November 2008: Children in the UK, where recommendations are to avoid
peanuts during pregnancy, breastfeeding, and infancy, were 10 times
more likely to suffer from peanut allergy than their Israeli
counterparts, according to a new study published in The Journal of
Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Read
more
10 November 2008: Extra food safety regulations could be introduced in Canada
as pressure increase to tackle the problems associated with tainted
food after 20 people died in a listeriosis outbreak. Read
more
7
November 2008: As drink manufacturers strive to provide innovative
functional products to increasingly health focused consumers, dairy
goods such as yoghurt may be an emerging route able to help bridge
demand. Read
more
7 November 2008: French claims that a genetically modified maize product
poses a potential health risk have been disputed by a newly published
scientific report by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Read
more
7 November
2008: Longer
shelf life for beverages and improved bottle clarity are the benefits
claimed for PolyShield resins, launched recently on the US market. Read
more
6
November 2008: Eating almonds significantly decreased levels of two
biomarkers for oxidative stress in a group of 27 male and female
volunteers with elevated cholesterol. The study was conducted by
scientists funded by the Agricultural Research Service, the Almond
Board of California, and the Canada Research Chair Endowment. Read
more
4
November 2008: Opportunities for low-calorie formulations open up for food
makers as Europe officially recognises Cargill's Zerose erythritol as a
zero calorie sweetener. Erythritol, a bulk sweetener polyol that occurs
at low levels in some fruits and fermented foods, contains a variety of
benefits, including low-calorie content, low GI index and a low
laxative effect. Read
more
4 November 2008: Half of the reported food allergies amongst adults are not
food allergies at all, says a new study from Germany. According to a
paper published in the journal Deutsches Ärzteblatt International,
between 10 and 20 per cent of people see themselves as suffering from a
food allergy, but the real figure may be half this. Read
more
4 November 2008: Consumption of the prebiotic fibre oligofructose at a
dietary level of almost 10 per cent is safe, according to a new
Anglo-American study. Using a variety of in vivo and in vitro
techniques, researchers from Wyeth Nutrition, Wyeth Research, The
University of Reading, and the University of Illinois report that
consumption of oligofructose at a dietary level of 9.9 per cent did not
produce any adverse effects. Read
more
4 November 2008: The first genetically modified foods with direct benefits
for human health should be available within four years after successful
experiments in the United States. A GM soya bean that can help to
prevent heart attacks has passed the first phase of trials, clearing
the way for its use in foods such as spreads, yoghurts, cereal bars and
salad dressings. The research, at the University of South Dakota, has
shown that oil from the GM soya can raise blood concentrations of
long-chain omega3 acids. Read
more
4 November 2008: British researchers may have discovered why diets rich in
fruits and vegetables can lower cancer risk. Patrick Gunning and
scientists at the Institute of Food Research in Norwich said it could
be due to a complex carbohydrate called pectin. In lab experiments they
found it binds to and may inhibit a protein believed to facilitate the
spread of cancer throughout the body. Read
more
3
November 2008: Germinating black soybeans under stress from a fungus may
give food formulators soy with less flatulence-causing carbohydrates,
says new research from Singapore. Read
more
3 November 2008: The growth potential for food irradiation technology has
contracted dramatically but the value of the sector is forecast to
exceed $2.3 bn by 2012, claims a new report into the industry. Read
more
3 November
2008: Potentially
hazardous levels of metal ions are present in many commercially
available wines. An analysis of reported levels of metals in wines from
sixteen different countries found that only those from Argentina,
Brazil and Italy did not pose a potential health risk owing to metals. Read
more
3 November 2008: The European Union's food safety agency approved two
genetically modified corns Friday, putting renewed pressure on EU
nations to drop their objections to the use of biotech crops. Read
more
3 November 2008: Here comes Golden Rice, slated for field-testing this year
and hopefully on your table soon after. Golden Rice, one of the parents
of the 3-in-1 rice, is genetically modified since it has 23 times more
carotenoid (pro-Vitamin A). Two genes from other organisms were
inserted to provide beta-carotene production, giving the rice grain its
yellow color—and name. Read
more
3 November
2008: Eating
tomatoes to help prevent cancer, garlic to prevent AIDS or drinking
fruit juice to ward off Alzheimer's? Despite a bevy of research, the
impact of food on killer diseases remains to be proved. Read more
31
October 2008: A new study may offer stroke victims a ray of hope.
Researchers say a dietary supplement containing isoflavone can give a
boost to the functioning of patients' arteries. Sources say this latest
work is probably the first randomised, controlled trial assessing how
isoflavone supplement affects the brachial artery. Read
more
31 October 2008: The industrial chemical melamine is commonly added to
animal feed in China to fake higher protein levels, state media
reported Thursday, offering what appeared to be a tacit admission by
the government that the food supply could be rife with contamination. Read
more
31 October
2008: Eating
contaminated raw tuna can be a cause of Salmonella infection, a
researcher from Hawaii warned on Tuesday. In November 2007, the Hawaii
Department of Health (HDOH) was alerted to 16 cases of Salmonella
infection. An epidemiologic investigation at the time failed to uncover
the source of the outbreak. Read
more
31 October 2008: A complex carbohydrate called pectin may help explain why
diets rich in fruits and vegetables can lower cancer risk, according to
scientists. In lab experiments, UK researchers found that particular
components of pectin bind to, and possibly inhibit, a protein believed
to facilitate the spread of cancer. Read
more
30
October 2008: Carefully selecting the yeast strain for bakery could
result in natural biofortication of the product with folate, and remove
the need to add synthetic folic acid, suggests a new study. Swedish
researchers report that using Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain CBS7764
in white bread can result in folate levels up to 5-fold higher,
compared to white bread made with commercial Baker’s yeast. Read
more
30 October 2008: The International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
has launched a new standard to determine a minimum cooking time for
durum wheat pasta, using sensory analysis. Called ISO 7304-2, the
standard is suitable for spaghetti and macaroni made from durum wheat.
It assesses quality of cooked pasta in terms of starch release and
“liveliness and firmness” – otherwise known as texture. Read
more
30 October
2008: Soybeans
may drop off the list of musical fruit. Scientists in Singapore are
reporting victory over some consumers' No. 1 complaint about soy
products — the "flatulence factor" caused by indigestible sugars found
in soy. Read
more
30 October 2008: Offering another reason why eating red meat could be bad
for you, an international research team, including University of
California, San Diego School of Medicine professor Ajit Varki, M.D.,
has uncovered the first example of a bacterium that causes food
poisoning in humans when it targets a non-human molecule absorbed into
the body through red meats such as lamb, pork and beef. Read more
29
October 2008: The requirements of the omego-3 fatty acid DHA may be
higher for pre-terms infants than previously thought, according to a
new study from Australia. Read
more
29 October
2008: Consuming
cooked or processed broccoli may result in less of the potential
anti-cancer compounds being available for absorption, suggests a new
study from TNO Quality of Life. Read
more
29 October 2008: About 5 million people in the United States suffer from
heart failure (HF). While some reports indicate that changes to diet
can reduce HF risk, few large, prospective studies have been conducted.
In a new study researchers observed over 14,000 participants for more
than 13 years and found that whole grain consumption lowered HF risk,
while egg and high-fat dairy consumption raised risk. Other food groups
did not directly affect HF risk. Read
more
28
October 2008: Scientists from the UK, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands
have used snapdragon genes to grow purple tomatoes that are high in
anthocyanin flavonoids. The new tomatoes could offer increased
protection against a range of diseases, including cancer and
cardiovascular disease. Read
more
28 October 2008: As you will know, chocolate is made from cocoa beans, which
naturally contain good amounts of the antioxidant super-nutrients known
as flavonoids. Recent research carried out on flavonoid-rich chocolate
and cocoa revealed them to have anti-clotting and anti-inflammatory
effects, which in theory could help to lower the risk of heart disease.
Read
more
24
October 2008: A functional food and cosmeceutical ingredient derived from
French maritime pine bark has been certified for Good Manufacturing
Practice (GMP) by the country’s health products association. Read
more
24 October 2008: UK scientists have found genetically modified (GM),
anthocyanin-boosted purple tomatoes can increase the life-span of
cancer-susceptible rats. Read
more
24 October 2008: A powerful antioxidant in green tea may prevent or delay
the onset of type 1 diabetes, Medical College of Georgia researchers
say. Researchers were testing EGCG, green tea's predominant
antioxidant, in a laboratory mouse with type 1 diabetes and primary
Sjogren's syndrome, which damages moisture-producing glands, causing
dry mouth and eyes. Read
more
23
October 2008: Despite a growing focus on finished whey products, one
leading representative believes future development of the protein will
be predominantly driven by its use as an ingredient in functional
foods. Read
more
23 October
2008: A
recent report claims a process of rapidly shaking packaged food
products during sterilization reduces the processing time significantly
and improves the colour, flavour, texture and ‘mouth feel’ of the food.
Read
more
23 October 2008: Ciguatera poisoning – which often results in acute nausea,
vomiting and painful gastrointestinal episodes – is caused by eating
fish that have fed on a micro algae that are toxic to mammals and often
associated with large algal blooms known as red tides. Read
more
23 October 2008: Have you ever picked up a cold, frosty beer on a hot
summer's day and thought that it simply couldn't get any better? Well,
you may have to think again. A team of researchers at Rice University
in Houston is working to create a beer that could fight cancer and
heart disease. Read
more
23 October
2008: People
with severe sleep apnea tend to eat a less healthy diet than people
with milder apnea symptoms and those without the disorder, a new study
suggests. Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, occurs when the soft tissues
at the back of the throat temporarily collapse during sleep, causing
repeated breathing interruptions.
Read
more
22
October 2008: Dietary intakes of acrylamide are not related to cancers of
the gastrointestinal tract, says a new study from The Netherlands. Read
more
22 October 2008: Two servings of yoghurt per day can reduce the risk of
developing bladder cancer by up to 40 per cent, say Swedish scientists.
Read
more
21
October 2008: Researchers from Sweden and Finland have developed a rapid
and specific method that may detect the bacterium Yersinia
enterocolitica, a common cause of gastric illness, in food. Read
more
20
October 2008: Bees and many other insects may be in decline almost
everywhere — but agriculture that depends on pollinators has been
surprisingly unaffected at the global scale. Read
more
20 October
2008: The
new study, performed with mice, found that resveratrol may activate two
molecules that play a role in cell signaling and the breakdown of fats
in the liver: AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and sirtuin 1
(SIRT1). These molecules are reportedly inhibited by alcohol, leading
to fat build-up and fatty liver. Read
more
20 October 2008: Bio-fortified rice could save hundreds of thousands of
lives a year, but opposition to GM crops is still preventing its
approval Biotechnology applied to crafting nutritional improvements in
rice is on the verge of offering the kinds of public health benefits to
Asia we haven't seen since the 20th-century's green revolution improved
the nutrition and longevity of billions of people. Read
more
20 October 2008: There is indeed a need to address the growing food demand
due to increasing populations, economic progress in emerging countries
and competition in the bioenergy sector when supply is affected by
climate change and declining stocks. Read more
20 October 2008: Eating too much fructose can induce leptin resistance, a
condition that can easily lead to becoming overweight when combined
with a high-fat, high-calorie diet, according to a new study with rats.
Read
more
17
October 2008: Each year, more than 160 million tonnes of fish are
consumed by the world's population. Almost half of this volume is
produced in controlled environments, where the fish is cultured rather
than harvested from the wild. The system, known as aquaculture, dates
back thousands of years and today operates as a welcome alternative to
the sea's over-exploited natural resources. Read
more
17 October 2008: The message blasting out from World Food Day events is
‘adapt now, or the consequences will be grave’. While the world’s
poorest will bear the brunt, food safety could be affected everywhere. Read
more
15
October 2008: There is a huge gap between world demand for fish and what
we can harvest from the world’s natural stocks. The figures are clear:
If we don’t do something about the over fishing, the stocks of wild
fish will be dealt a death blow. Read
more
15 October 2008: Like many similar incidents in the past, the melamine
poisoning scandal is just a symptom of a global food system
characterized by corporate greed and government neglect. Read
more
15 October
2008: Crops
must be bred to resist insects and drought rather than relying heavily
on pesticides and irrigation, Britain's chief scientist said on Monday.
This will become increasingly important in order to counter the effects
of climate change, Read
more
14
October 2008: Since the problem of milk contaminated with the industrial
chemical melamine to boost the apparent protein content came to light,
incidents of melamine-containing foods have swept the globe. Read
more
13
October 2008: Salmonella is
a particularly nasty type of
bacteria and is most frequently the primary suspect in incidences of
food
poisoning. Any attempt to tackle this bacterium must be built on an
understanding of salmonella. This is why European scientists have had
salmonella under the microscope for so long, and as a result, they have
discovered how the bacterium manages to attach itself to food,
especially
vegetables and plant leaves, in the first place. Read
more
6 October 2008: Scientists believe they have found
a way
to map the hugely complex genetic code of wheat, the staple food for 35
percent of the world's population. The move could lead to
improved crop varieties that are resistant to drought and disease at a
time when surging demand has stoked fears over future grain supply,
sending prices soaring to record highs earlier this year. Read
more
30 September 2008: Energy drinks are a
£1billion-a-year industry in the UK and hugely popular among the
young. But some experts caution that the caffeine content is a
potential health risk and can bring on symptoms of a heart attack.
Read
more
30 September 2008: A gene in rice identified by
scientists, that controls the size and weight of the grains, might open
the way to high-yield variant and benefit vast numbers for whom it is
staple.
Read
more
29 September 2008: More genetically modified crops must be
developed if agricultural producers are to meet the challenge of global
food shortages and climate change, a Biotech Week event was told
Thursday.
Read
more
25 September 2008: Researchers from John Hopkins
University suggest that the labelling and aggressive marketing of some
energy drinks, particularly towards young males, could lead to
increased incidences of caffeine dependence and withdrawal in
consumers.
Read
more
22 September 2008: Feted as a sugar to beat all sugars,
glyconutrient has become the buzzword for tackling many of our ills.
But this is not about the household sugar we put in our tea. It is a
cellular sugar, found in glycoprotein, that works naturally within our
bodies.
Read
more
22 September 2008: Super Chicken strutted a step closer to
the dinner table Thursday. The US government said it will start
considering proposals to sell genetically engineered animals as food.
Read
more
18 september 2008: The reduction or elimination of
potentially toxic metabolites from fermented foods such as cheese and
wine will lead to new formulations and starter cultures, if a new €3.4
million project delivers. The EU-funded project involves 16 partners
from various universities, research institutes and industries, and aims
to improve the quality of the fermented foods by reducing or
eliminating their biogenic amine content.
Read
more
17 september 2008: Initiatives to aid SMEs with research
efforts need better coordination to improve their impact, the EU
science Commissioner – remarks that resonate with the food industry’s
wish to see more networks and access to funding for small players.
Read
more
17 September 2008: High levels of bisphenol A (BPA) — a
chemical used in some containers for food and drink — may be associated
with an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in
humans, a new study has found.
Read
more
9 September 2008: The rise of organic farming and
rejection of GM crops in Britain and other developed countries is
largely to blame for the impoverishment of Africa, according to the
government's former chief scientist.
Read
more
9 September 2008: A vitamin found in meat, fish and milk may
help stave off memory loss in old age, a study has suggested. Older
people with lower than average vitamin B12 levels were more than six
times more likely to experience brain shrinkage, researchers concluded.
Read more
8 September 2008: People should consider eating less meat
as a way of combating global warming, says the UN's top climate
scientist. Rajendra Pachauri, who chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPCC), will make the call at a speech in London on
Monday evening. UN figures suggest that meat production puts more
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere than transport.
Read more
8 September 2008: FOOD producers will have little choice
but to use genetically modified crops to feed the growing population,
according to US agribusiness specialist John Baize. “People need to
look ahead and see what we are facing here,” he told The Australian in
an exclusive interview. “We saw the food prices this year that went
through the roof across the world. It is only going to get more intense
if you look at the population growth in the future.”
Read
more
4 September 2008: Imperfect as they may be, the European
Union’s regulatory efforts in the food area have attracted the
attention of regulators around the world, some of whom view what is
being done in the bloc as a legislative template.
Read
more
1 September 2008: The debate over products from cloned
animals entering the European food chain will enter a new phase next
week, as MEPs ask the Commission searching questions about the welfare
of cloned animals, ethics, and consumer information.
Read
more
26 August 2008: Many sushi restaurants and seafood markets
are playing a game of bait and switch, say two high school students
turned high-tech sleuths. Kate Stoeckle and Louisa Strauss, who
graduated this year from the private Trinity School in New York, took
on a freelance science project in which they checked 60 samples of
seafood, using a simplified genetic fingerprinting technique see
whether what the fish diners buy is what they think they are getting.
Read
more
21 August 2008: The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA)
has launched a public consultation on its draft opinion on food-based
dietary guidelines, in which it concluded that guidelines to span the
whole of the EU would not be feasible.
Read
more
21 August 2008: When the price of rice nearly doubled to
about 90 US cents per kilo two months ago, Liza Valino put cheaper
substitutes such as bananas and sweet potatoes on the table to feed her
10-strong family. No one was satisfied.
Read
more
19 August 2008: On the family farm run by Joao Baggio Neto
in the southern Brazilian state of Parana, you get some sense of the
determination and competitive spirit that motivates Brazil's farmers.
Blessed with what often seems like endless amounts of land and a good
climate, Brazil has grown in recent years to become an agricultural
superpower.
Read
more
14 August 2008: Low-fat ice cream made with GM yeast to
ensure a creamy consistency may soon be possible in Europe following
the European Food Standards Authority’s (EFSA) opinion on Unilever’s
novel technology.
Read
more
13 August 2008: A new partnership is set to deepen
scientific understanding of the link between diet and health, and help
food companies address obesity, heart disease, and other health
problems.
Read
more
12 August 2008: New US research hopes to determine whether
anecdotal concerns over the presence of dairy and gluten-containing
products on the behaviour of children with autism are justified.
Read
more
7 August 2008: New commercial varieties of kiwifruit
optimised for their flavour, colour and health attributes will become
available in the next few years, thanks to the publication of a huge
collection of DNA sequences from the fruit.
Read
more
7 August 2008: Compounds that enhance the sweet and salty
flavors of foods could combat obesity and heart disease.
Read more
6 August 2008: Nestled beneath verdant mountains, a
two-hour drive north of Beijing, surrounded by swaying trees and fields
of maize, lies a farm that this year's Olympic host city hopes will be
key to assuaging food safety worries.
Read
more
29 July 2008: The European Commission has launched a
campaign to inform consumers of the benefits of organic food and
support those involved in the ever-growing organic market.
Read
more
29 July 2008: The controlled release of green tea
catechins may be achieved by encapsulated in chitosan-tripolyphosphate
nanoparticles, suggests new research. Chinese researchers report that
the chitosan nanoparticles had an encapsulation efficiency of over 50
per cent, according to their findings published in the Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Read
more
29 July 2008: Amid rising demand for crops and limited
farm acreage, where are tomorrow's food, livestock feed and clothing
fibers going to come from? Scientists at a handful of large
agrochemical companies are working on answers.
Read
more
28 July 2008: The European Food Safety Authority pulled
back last week from giving milk and meat from cloned animals a clean
bill of health, making it less likely that such products could reach
store shelves in Europe anytime soon.
Read more
28 July 2008: The crop is salicornia. It is nourished by
seawater flowing from a man-made canal. And if you believe the American
who is farming it, this incongruous swath of green has the potential to
feed the world, fuel our vehicles and slow global warming.
Read
more
24 July 2008: Fusion Nutraceuticals is reporting interest
in its recently launched sucralose as a replacer for aspartame in food
and beverage products, as manufacturers seek to meet retailer and
consumer demand for aspartame-free products.
Read
more
24 July 2008: Men who eat soya-based foods may be harming
their fertility, doctors said yesterday, after a study found a link
between soya-rich diets and lower sperm counts.
Read
more
24 July 2008: Milk has a wealth of health-giving
properties and a new milk research centre plans to find and exploit
these in new 'functional' foods. These special properties are in
the sights of a new National Functional Foods Research Centre announced
last week, which is to receive €20 million in funding through
Enterprise Ireland over the next five years.
Read
more
23 July 2008: With global food prices up eighty-three
percent over the last three years, world leaders are looking for any
means available to ease the burden on consumers, especially in
developing countries.
Read
more
22 July 2008: The pulp of grapefruit may improve bone
health and reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis, according to a
new study with male rats.
Read
more
22 July 2008: The dreaded dentist's drill and common
toothbrush could become a thing of the past. Scientists have created a
solution that mimics the way the body forms new teeth - allowing
natural repairs of holes without the need for drilling and filling.
Oral hygiene experts at Leeds Dental Institute have also made a
mouthwash that kills plaque-making bacteria when a light is shone into
the mouth.
Read
more
22 July 2008: Scientists say they have genetically
engineered fruit and vegetables capable of providing most of a day's
nutrients in a single meal. Heading towards the market are potatoes
with 33 per cent more protein content, modified tomatoes that could be
capable of protecting against cancer and peanuts without the chemicals
that cause deadly nut allergies.
Read
more
17 July 2008: The pigment that gives salmon its pink
colour may reduce the symptoms of indigestion and heartburn, says a new
study.
Read
more
17 July 2008: Tomatoes could be used as a vaccine against
Alzheimer's, scientists claim. They have genetically modified the fruit
to create an edible vaccine that fires up the immune system to tackle
the disease.
Read
more
17 July 2008: China's cabinet has approved a huge budget
for research of genetically modified crops amid growing concerns over
food security, a move scientists say may speed up commercial production
of GMO rice or corn.
Read
more
16 July 2008: With food riots breaking out across the
globe and the price of food rising to new highs, researchers everywhere
are engaging themselves in the search for the discovery that will
jump-start the next Green Revolution. Researchers at the University of
Gothenburg in Sweden have taken one giant step towards achieving this
goal thanks to their discovery of a protein that has the potential to
grow safe-to-eat rice in areas previously considered too toxic.
Read
more
16 July 2008: A healthy lifestyle should include low-fat
dairy products to lower the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD)
associated with poor kidney function, suggests new research from the
US.
Read
more
16 July 2008: Black tea extract may offer heart benefits.
Extracts from black tea may reduce total cholesterol levels by nine per
cent and LDL cholesterol levels by 12 per cent, according to a new
study from Japan.
Read
more
16 July 2008: Pregnant women who eat nuts or nut products
like peanut butter daily raise the risk their children will develop
asthma by 50 percent, Dutch researchers said on Tuesday.
Read
more
2 July 2008: Milk
goes green: Cows that receive recombinant Bovine Somatotropin (rbST)
make more milk, all the while easing natural resource pressure and
substantially reducing environmental impact, according to a Cornell
University study. Read
more
2 July 2008: Austria has lifted a ban on importing and
processing genetically modified corn as part of the European Union's
efforts to comply with a World Trade Organization ruling on biotech
foods. Read
more
30 June 2008: Drought-resistant
wheat beats
Australian heat. Read
more
26 June 2008: Food scientists confirm commercial product effectively
kills bacteria in vegetable washwater. Read more
26 June 2008: New UGA
invention effectively kills foodborne pathogens in minutes. Read more
26 June 2008: Can
biosensors tell juice
manufacturers when fruit juice is about to expire? The collective
research
project QUALIJUICE is working on technology that can. Read
more
23 June 2008:
The recent tomato contamination outbreak
has many people thinking about growing their own garden-fresh fruits
and vegetables. Read
more
23 June 2008: Common cooking spice shows promise in
combating diabetes and obesity. Read
more
23 June 2008: Researchers
at Newcastle University
in the UK
have discovered that cows which are allowed to graze as nature intended
produce
better quality milk. Read
more
18 June 2008: Study indicates grape seed extract may reduce
cognitive decline associated with Alzheimer's disease. Read more
18 June 2008: Current
protein recommendations were
established with the goal of preventing deficiency, but newer research
indicates that many adults may benefit from eating more than the
minimum
requirement. Read
more
17 June 2008: New study:
Coffee drinkers have
slightly lower death rates than people who do not drink coffee. Read more
12 June 2008: Pigs raised
without antibiotics more
likely to carry bacteria, parasites. Read more
12 June 2008: A University
of Adelaide researcher will
lead an
Australian project to help address the world's biggest nutritional
deficiency –
lack of iron. Read
more
10 June 2008: Eating
fish and foods with omega-3 fatty acids linked to lower risk of
age-related eye
disease. Read more
10 June 2008: Study
finds Chinese food good for your heart. Read more
9
June 2008: Certain
Dry Foods Are Good Past Their Best-before Date, Food Scientists Say. Read
more
9
June 2008: Substance
In Red Wine, Resveratrol, Found To Keep Hearts Young. Read
more
30 May 2008: New
Vegetarian Food With Several Health Benefits. Read
more
27 May 2008: Cocoa
could be a healthy treat for diabetic patients. Read more
22 May 2008: A
Modest Glass of Wine Each Day Could Improve Liver Health. Read more
22 May 2008: A
foamy drink and the future of food. Read more
21 May 2008: New
pyramid puts oil, exercise, poultry in their place. Read more
16 May 2008: Green
tea compounds beat OSA-related brain deficits. Read more
12 May 2008: Cow's
milk may increase the risk of diabetes. Read
more
8 May 2008: Chemists measure chilli sauce hotness with
nanotubes.
Read more
8 May 2008: Nitrates in vegetables protect against
gastric ulcers.
Read more
8 May 2008: EU delays ruling on GM products. Read more
5 May 2008: Is
this the rice super-gene? Read
more
5 May 2008: Apples,
apple juice shown to prevent early atherosclerosis. Read more
2 May 2008: Amoebas
may vomit E. coli on your greens. Read
more
14 April 2008: Researcher looks to use nanoparticles for food safety.
Read more
14 April 2008: Wine
May Protect Against Dementia,
Study Suggests. Read
more
11 April 2008: Wine may
protect against dementia. Read more
11 April 2008: Researcher
looks to use nanoparticles for food safety. Read more
10 April 2008: First European
sighting of Far
Eastern 'stink bug' in Switzerland.
Read more
9 April 2008: Extracts from reishi mushroom and green tea shows
synergistic effect to slow sarcoma. Read more
9 April 2008: Food
biotechnology: real world
challenges. Read
more
9
April 2008: Adults
who eat apples, drink apple juice have lower risk for metabolic
syndrome. Read more
9
April 2008: Experts
push hybrid rice to solve soaring food prices. Read more
8 April 2008: Digestive
process affects anti-cancer activity of tea in gastrointestinal cells. Read more
8 April 2008: New
benefits of vegan diet revealed.
Read more
8 April 2008: Tart
cherries may reduce factors
associated with heart disease and diabetes. Read more
8
April 2008: Ingredient
found in green tea significantly inhibits breast cancer growth in
female mice. Read
more
7 April 2008: New And Deadly Viruses Passed Through Sweet Food And
Domestic Animals. Read
more
7 April 2008: Drinking
Tea May Offer Health
Benefits, But Evidence Still Limited. Read
more
3
April 2008: Contrary
to popular opinion, not all trans fats are bad for you. Read more
3
April 2008: Evidence
lacking on health benefits of drinking lots of water. Read more
3
April 2008: Prebiotics
-- the key to fewer food poisoning stomach upsets -- and healthy farm
animals. Read more
2
April 2008: New
study shows children benefit from drinking chocolate/flavored milk. Read more
27 March 2008: 'Diet' foods may not fool the brain. Read
more
27 March 2008: Apple
pectin, apple juice extracts
shown to have anticarcinogenic effects on colon. Read more
26 March 2008: Are organic
crops as productive as
conventional? Read
more
26 March 2008: Defining
gene's role may lead to prevention of dangerous corn toxin. Read more
26 March 2008: Mounting
evidence shows red wine antioxidant kills cancer. Read more
26 March 2008: EU-funded
researchers have developed a genetic tool which allows rice breeders to
block the action of genes which confer unwanted traits. Read
more
26 March 2008: Facts
On Fats Could Prompt Healthier
Eating. Read
more
25
March 2008: Biofuel boom
threatens food
supplies: Nestle. Read more
25
March 2008: Eating Causes Stress,
But
Antioxidants Can Help. Read
more
19 March 2008: Research
carried out by scientists at the Peninsula Medical School in the South
West of
England has found that resveratrol, a compound present naturally in
grape skin,
can protect against the cellular damage to blood vessels caused by high
production of glucose in diabetes, Read more
19 March 2008: In a finding
likely to get cheese
lovers talking, researchers in Nepal
and Canada
report that yak cheese contains higher levels of heart-healthy fats
than cheese
from dairy cattle, and may be healthier. Read
more
13 March 2008: Thousands of
research studies have
documented how the oils known as omega-3 fatty acids can benefit the
cardiovascular system, particularly among people diagnosed with
coronary artery
disease. Read
more
10 March 2008: If you're
allergic to soy, help is on
the way. Two University of Illinois
studies show that fermenting soy dramatically reduces its potential
allergenicity and also increases the number of essential amino acids in
soy
products, making them a healthy and a safe choice for consumers. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Increasing food quality risks are affecting global food supply chain. Read more
7
March 2008:
Researcher develops power-packed soy breakfast cereal. Read more
7
March 2008:
Many patients can reach LDL cholesterol goal through dietary changes
alone,
study shows. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Scientists aim to overcome allergic reactions to soy. Read more
7
March 2008:
Study finds that broccoli may help boost the aging immune system. Read more
7
March 2008:
Soaking potatoes in water before frying reduces acrylamide. Read
more
7
March 2008:
Symposium on nutrition and health from pregnancy to adolescence. Read
more
5
March 2008:
Blueberry and green tea containing supplement protects against stroke
damage. Read more
4
March 2008:
In an advance in food safety, researchers are reporting development of
a
nano-sized sensor that detects record low levels of the deadly prion
proteins
that cause Mad Cow Disease and other so-called prion diseases. Read more
4
March 2008:
Severely milk-allergic kids can be desensitized. Read
more
4
March 2008:
The incredible, hypoallergenic egg: New process to help egg-allergy
sufferers. Read
more
4
March 2008:
China
saw a
rise of almost a third in food-poisoning deaths last year even as the
total
number of incidents dropped, underscoring the food safety challenge China
still faces. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Researchers have developed a new technology that can simultaneously
screen
thousands of samples of food or water for several dangerous food-borne
pathogens in one to two hours. Read
more
3
March 2008:
A little rosemary can go a long way in reducing acrylamide in food. Read
more
3
March 2008:
Since advice about what to eat for optimal health has evolved over time
with
advances in nutrition science, dietary recommendations are sometimes
seen as
contradictory. Read
more
3
March 2008:
New study shows low-fat diets more likely to reduce risk of heart
disease than
low-carb diets. Read
more
3
March 2008:
The majority of patients with narcolepsy/cataplexy experience a number
of
symptoms of eating disorders, with an irresistible craving for food and
binge
eating as the most prominent features, according to a new study. Read
more
29 February 2008: Farmed fish
fed cheap food may be
less nutritious for humans. Read
more
29 February 2008: Extract of
broccoli sprouts may
protect against bladder cancer. Read
more
28 February 2008: Women who
regularly consume low-fat
milk or yogurt may have a lower risk of developing high blood pressure,
new
research suggests. Read
more
26 February 2008: An extract
of Coccinia indica, a
perennial herb that grows abundantly in India,
may help people with mild type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar
levels. Read
more
25 February 2008: Kava linked
to liver damage, new
evidence shows. Read
more
25 February 2008: Eating
curcumin, a natural ingredient
in the spice turmeric, may dramatically reduce the chance of developing
heart
failure, researchers have discovered. Read
more
25 February 2008: Veggies and
alcohol may ward off
prostate woes. Read
more
22 February 2008: Regularly
eating yogurt and other
foods with lactic acid may be good for your mouth, Japanese researchers
report.
Read
more
22 February 2008: Diet
patterns tied to breast, ovarian
cancers. Read
more
22 February 2008: Veneto
Victoria research
fellowship
program — Food science. Read
more
21 February 2008: Eating fish
could protect the brain
from decline. Read
more
20 February 2008: The 2008 edition of Nutrigenomics
will take place in Paris, France, on 13 & 14 March. The aim of the event is
to bring face to face the scientific vision and the Industrial
vision
of Nutrigenomics field, gathering
specialists from academic and industrial world involved in this
emerging field.
Read more
20 February 2008: A non-profit
nutrition education
organization has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to drop
heart
disease health claims for soy protein. Read more
19 February 2008: Team seeks
to improve the black-eye
pea. Read more
19 February 2008: European
Union farm ministers fell
short of a consensus agreement on Monday to allow imports of five
genetically
modified (GMO) products. Read
more
19 February 2008: Obesity
needs to be tackled in the
same way as climate change, a top nutritional scientist has said. Read more
18 February 2008: Many snack
foods have gone
"trans-fat free". Read
more
18 February 2008: Women
tea-drinkers have less plaque
in arteries. Read
more
15 February 2008: Fast-food
binge harms liver, but
boosts good cholesterol: study. Read more
15 February 2008: "Good"
bacteria commonly
found in probiotic yoghurts and drinks may be fatal for people with
severe
cases of pancreatitis. Read
more
13 February 2008: The early
years in a child's
development have profound impacts on him or her well into adulthood.
Scientists
are only now finding out just how far-reaching the impact of the early
developmental years is for adult wellbeing. Read
more
13 February 2008: The humble
white button mushroom
(Agaricus bisporus) has as much, and in some cases, more anti-oxidant
properties than more expensive varieties. Read
more
12 February 2008: Scientists in Arkansas are
reporting new evidence that natural
pigments responsible for the beautiful blue/purple/reddish colour of
certain
fruits and vegetables may help prevent obesity. Read
more
12 February 2008: Want
to lose weight? It might help to pour that diet soda down the drain.
Researchers have laboratory evidence that the widespread use of
no-calorie
sweeteners may actually make it harder for people to control their
intake and
body weight. Read more
12 February 2008: Whole
grain diets lower risk of chronic disease, study shows. Read more
11 February 2008: Sugar isn’t the only enemy of teeth.
Acids found in diet and regular soda, energy drinks, juice and wine can
erode
tooth enamel, leading to tooth decay. The February issue of Mayo Clinic
Health
Letter suggests ways to minimize the risk of damage from acidic foods
and
drinks.
Read
more
11 February 2008: The French
government on Saturday
suspended the use of genetically modified corn crops in France
while it awaits EU approval for a full ban. Read more
11 February 2008: It's the
French paradox redux: Why
don't the French get as fat as Americans, considering all the
baguettes, wine,
cheese, pate and pastries they eat? Read more
8 February 2008: Aphids that eat Brussels
sprouts are smaller than normal and live in undersized populations,
which has a
negative knock-on effect up the food chain according to new research. Read more
8
February 2008:
Researchers have discovered that drinking just 500ml of beetroot
juice a
day can significantly reduce blood pressure. The findings could have
major
implications for the treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Read more
8
February 2008:
What Willy Wonka did for chocolate, UCLA microbiologist Wenyuan Shi
is
doing for lollipops. Read
more
8
February 2008:
Eating more apples, bananas and oranges just may help stave off
such
neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, suggests a
new
Cornell study published online in the Journal of Food Science. Read more
7 February 2008: Several outbreaks of ciguatera fish
poisoning have been confirmed in consumers who ate fish harvested in
the
northern Gulf of Mexico, the Food and Drug Administration said Tuesday.
Read more
7 February 2008: Diets
with high amounts of whole grains may help achieve significant weight
loss, and
also reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and
cardiovascular
disease, according to a team of Penn State
researchers at University
Park and the College of Medicine. Read
more
7 February 2008: The
Bush administration on Monday proposed boosting funding to better
protect the
food supply, including opening an office in China.
Read more
5
February 2008:
A compound that naturally occurs in grapefruit and other citrus
fruits may
be able to block the secretion of hepatitis C virus (HCV) from infected
cells,
a process required to maintain chronic infection. Read
more
5
February 2008:
Amid concern that people in the United
States are consuming inadequate
amounts of
iodine, scientists in Texas
have
found that 53 percent of iodized salt samples contained less than the
U.S. Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) recommended level of this key nutrient.
Iodized
table salt is the main source of iodine for most individuals, they note
in a
new study. Read
more
4 February 2007: Almost since the beginning of human evolution, people
have been searching for ways to preserve food, from smoking meat to the
invention of the humble tin can. These innovations and others like them
have revolutionised the way people eat. With current technological
advancements, food scientists are still looking at ways to
revolutionise the way we store our food. Read
more
4 February 2007: Keep
an eye on the salsa this Super
Bowl Sunday: A researcher inspired by a famous "Seinfeld" episode has
concluded that double dipping is just plain gross. Read more
4 February 2007: According
to researchers at the University of Minnesota, the
food industry has made progress in reducing the trans fat content in
its
products since a 2003 labeling mandate by the Food and Drug
Administration, but
consumers should still read labels to be certain the products are trans
fat-free. Read
more
1 Feburary 2008:Apples,
bananas, and oranges are the most common fruits in both Western and
Asian
diets, and are important sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Read
more
30 January 2008: Red wine has
long been known to
contain a substance, resveratrol, that is heart-healthy. Now research
shows
that both red wine grapes and winemaking residue, known as pomace,
contain
substances that may help prevent tooth decay. Read more
29 January 2008: Daily
consumption of caffeine in
coffee, tea or soft drinks increases blood sugar levels for people with
type 2
diabetes and may undermine efforts to control their disease. Read more
28 January 2008: Supplements
of the omega-3 docosahexaenoic
acid (DHA) can reduce levels an enzyme linked to Alzheimer's disease, Read
more
25 January 2008: From cod
liver oil to Omega 3 in
salmon, the health benefits of eating fish have long been promoted, and
still
are by modern doctors. Eager to further propagate these 'fishy'
benefits, the
EU has been providing funding to research projects investigating the
benefits
of fish and seafood in the diet. Read
more
24 January 2008: Australian states should not ban commercial production
of genetically modified (GM) plants and food as the risks are alarmist
and exaggerated, according to a new study. Read more
24 January 2008: Evidence
supports drinking cranberry
juice — a familiar home remedy — to treat urinary tract infection
(UTI),
according to a new review from Scotland.
Read more
23 January 2008: Otherwise-healthy
adults who eat two or more servings of meat a day — the equivalent of
two
burger patties — increase their risk of developing metabolic syndrome
by 25
percent compared with those who eat meat twice a week, Read more
22 January 2008: In the
1960s, Ancer Keys, a US
expert on nutrition, studied the health benefits of the Mediterranean
diet for
the first time. Since then many studies on the benefits of olive oil
have been
conducted. Read
more
16 January 2008: Today, the Food and Drug Administration posted a
summary of a final report that supports the use of cloned animals for
food. According to the report, cloned animals and their offspring are
safe to enter the U.S.
food supply. Read
more
16 January 2008: Scientists
in the United States
and India
are reporting development of a high-protein variety of rice, dietary
staple for half the world's population. Read
more
16 January 2008: Acrylamide
is a chemical formed when frying, roasting, grilling or baking
carbohydrate-rich foods at temperatures above 120°C. Acrylamide is
thus found in a number of foods, such as bread, crisps, French fries
and coffee. Tobacco smoking also generates substantial amounts of
acrylamide. Read
more
16 January 2008: The
European Commission has adopted a
proposal revising the Novel Foods Regulation so that new and innovative
foods
have better access to the EU market, while consumer protection is
guaranteed.
'Novel foods' include those which are produced using new techniques and
technologies, and those that have no history of consumption within the
EU, but
have been consumed elsewhere. Read
more
14 January 2008: Meat and
milk from cloned animals is probably safe for humans, the European
Union's food safety agency said in a preliminary report released
Friday. The report, by the European Food Safety Authority, seems likely
to fuel new debate over whether the EU should allow cloned animals to
enter the food chain. Read more
14 January 2008: Cranberry
juice, long dissed as a mere folk remedy for relieving urinary tract
infections in women, is finally getting some respect. Read
more
14 January 2008: French government moves to ban the country's
only genetically modified (GMO) crop drew fire on Sunday from the
speaker of
the country's parliament, farmers and biotechnology industry groups. Read
more
10 January 2008: If you’re worried about high cholesterol levels and
keeping heart-healthy as you get older, don’t push aside bacon and eggs
just yet. Read more
10 January 2008: A
European study has found that
increased blood levels of vitamin C may reduce the risk of having a
stroke by
42%. Read
more
9
January 2008: Oatmeal's
health claims strongly reaffirmed, science shows. Read more
8
January 2008: Benzene
concentrations in beverages. Read
more
19 December 2007: The
biggest ever study on the effect of folate and vitamin B12 on prostate
cancer
is set to go ahead at Bristol University after World Cancer Research
Fund
(WCRF) announced it would fund the project. Read more
19 December 2007: In
a study of adults aged 20 and over, researchers at Tufts University
showed that
homocysteine and methylmalonic acid are at much higher levels in
individuals
who have a combination of vitamin B12 deficiency and high blood folate
levels
than in individuals who are also vitamin B12 deficient but have normal
folate
levels. Read more
17 December 2007: Israeli
scientists claim that a wild
mushroom, used in traditional Chinese medicine for a century, could
treat
prostate cancer, the University
of Haifa
said on Friday. Read
more
14 December 2007: Does the
consumption of green tea,
widely touted to have beneficial effects on health, also protect brain
cells? Read more
13 December 2007: Pioneered
by CSIRO researchers, in
collaboration with the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center
(CIMMYT) and Sydney University,
the research illustrates the major genetic improvements possible
without
genetic modification (GM) technology. Read more
12 December 2007: New
findings provide evidence that
people who eat a lot of red and processed meats have greater risk of
developing
bowel and lung cancer than people who eat small quantities. Read more
11 December 2007: Carbon
dioxide increasing in the
atmosphere may affect the microbial life in the sea, which could have
an impact
on a major food source, warned Dr Ian Joint at a Science Media Centre
press
briefing today. Read
more
10 December 2007: Just three
servings a month of raw
broccoli or cabbage can reduce the risk of bladder cancer by as much as
40
percent, researchers reported this week. Read
more
7 December 2007: A new report
by the International
Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) states that developed countries
must
step up international agricultural research in order to help the
world's poor
and curb rising food prices. Read
more
6 December 2007: The natural
compound sulforaphane,
which is abundant in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, may
have a role
in the treatment of epidermolysis bullosa simplex. Read
more
4 December 2007: Metabolic syndrome is a condition afflicting one
quarter to one third of adult men and women and is an established
pre-cursor to diabetes, coronary heart disease, and other serious
illnesses. Read
more
4 December 2007:
We've all seen the term "super
food" used to describe those nutrition-loaded edibles that promote
health
and discourage disease. Powerhouse foods high in antioxidants and
phytochemicals that block the development of cancer cells have been
touted as nature's
way to fight off the potentially devastating disease. Read more
4 December 2007: The
Irish government is investing EUR 5.2 million in marine functional food
research under its Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation
2006-2013
(SSTI) and the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM). Read
more
29 November 2007: South Dakota
State University
researchers are looking for ways to increase the amount of the trace
mineral selenium in flour. Read more
29 November 2007: A
new test can identify take-away
paper-based food containers (such as pizza boxes) that break phthalate
safety
rules. The phthalates (plasticisers) are present because the containers
were
made from pulp that contained at least some recycled paper and
cardboard. Read
more
28 November 2007: Garbanzos, lentils, and dry peas and beans can now
make crunchy, great-tasting snacks that are also good for you. Read
more
28 November 2007: A
new research area appeared
overnight when the presence of acrylamide in heated food was discovered
in
2002. One of the first teams to investigate the finding and its
implications
was the HEATOX team, funded under the EU's Sixth Framework Programme. Read
more
27 November 2007: Eating
foods high on the glycemic
index, which measures the effect of carbohydrates on blood glucose
levels, may
be associated with the risk for developing type 2 diabetes in Chinese
women and
in African-American women. Read more
27 November 2007: Not enough 'good' cholesterol makes it harder to recover from
stroke. Read more
21 November 2007: New
research out of the Channing
Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) reports that frequent
consumption of foods containing the flavonoid kaempferol, including
nonherbal
tea and broccoli, was associated with a reduced risk of ovarian cancer.
Read
more
20 November 2007: Genetically
engineered plants which produce essential omega-3 fish oils could offer
a new
way of improving people's diets, scientists working on an EU project
said at a
conference on 'Incorporating Omega 3 in the food chain'. Read
more
20 November 2007: Scientists
at a conference organised
by the European Science Foundation (ESF) and the European Cooperation
in the
field of Scientific and Technical Research (COST) have called for a
new, more
holistic approach to the study of European eating habits. Read
more
20 November 2007: It’s
not just sugary sodas that are adding to the obesity crisis – it’s
fruit
drinks, alcohol and a combination of other high-calorie beverages. Read more
19 November 2007: The
European Commission has published
a catalogue of all projects funded under the 'Food quality and safety'
strand
of the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6). Read
more
15 November 2007: Low doses
of freeze-dried grape
powder inhibit genes linked to the development of sporadic colorectal
cancer, University of California,
Irvine
cancer researchers found. Read
more
15 November 2007: Some
doctors in Texas
are throwing cold water on a Mexican herbal tea some claim is a remedy
for
diabetes. Read more
14 November 2007: A major component of green tea could prove
the perfect elixir for severe sepsis, an abnormal immune system
response to a bacterial infection. Read more
14 November 2007: UK
researchers have developed a new technology which could lead to much
quicker detection times for a variety of potentially fatal
contaminants. Read more
14 November 2007: To
get more out of your next cup of tea, just add juice. A study found
that citrus juices enable more of green tea's unique antioxidants to
remain after simulated digestion, making the pairing even healthier
than previously thought. Read more
14 November 2007: Two
of the biggest U.S.
meat processors on Tuesday defended a packaging technique designed to
keep meat
looking fresh at grocery stores even as U.S.
lawmakers criticized it as unsafe and misleading. Read
more
13 November 2007: A diet rich in leafy vegetables may minimize the
tissue damage caused by heart attacks. Read more
13 November 2007: Ready-to-eat
meats are popular with
consumers. But after the initial food processing, they are also
vulnerable to
recontamination by pathogenic bacteria. A solution turns out to be an
application of an antimicrobial-incorporated edible film coating that
will fend
off the pathogens. Read
more
13 November 2007: Heather
Hallen spent eight years
looking for poison in all the wrong places. Alpha-amanitin is the
poison of the
death cap mushroom, Amanita phalloides. Read more
9 November 2007: A major component of green tea could prove the perfect
elixir for severe sepsis, an abnormal immune system response to a
bacterial infection. Read more
9 November 2007: There
is a new reason for the 76
million baby boomers to grab a glass of milk. Vitamin D, a key nutrient
in
milk, could have aging benefits linked to reduced inflammation,
according to a
new study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Read more
8 November 2007: The first
workshop of the EU-funded
SAFOODNET (Food safety and hygiene networking within new Member
States and Associated
Candidate
Countries) will be held in Brno, Czech
Republic, from 10 to 12 December. Read
more
7 November 2007: In a recent academic review, a University
of Minnesota professor in
the School of Public
Health has concluded that food, as opposed
to specific nutrients, may be key to having a healthy diet. Read more
7 November 2007: The
Foundation for Research, Science and Technology (FRST) reported in
August on
their support for Auckland company Vital Foods. The
company carried out two independent clinical trials of their
proprietary
kiwifruit extract Zyactinase™, which involved the Centre for Disease
Control
and Prevention in China. Vital Foods is working in
partnership with Auckland-based Bioactives Research New Zealand, which has strong
connections with China. Read
more
7 November 2007: Coca-Cola has
opened The
Coca-Cola Research Center for Chinese Medicine at the Chinese Academy of
Medical Sciences in Beijing. Read
more
31 October 2007: A European
project has found that
some organic foods, such as fruit, vegetables and milk, could be more
nutritious than non-organically produce and contain higher
concentrations of
antioxidants, believed to cut the risk of heart disease and cancer. Read
more
30 October 2007: The
first-ever attempt at a climate neutral vineyard in France is underway
in
Bordeaux's Medoc region, where winemaker Remi Lacombe plans to offset
his own
carbon emissions by investing in a carbon-reducing project elsewhere. Read more
30 October 2007: Researchers
worldwide are learning to control the key chemical processes involved
in
ripening, a development that will lead to longer lasting, better
tasting
tomatoes, apples, and other fruits and vegetables. Read more
26 October 2007: People's
intake of fatty acids --
which have been linked to cardiovascular disease and other conditions
-- can be
substantially affected by changing the type of vegetable oil they use, Read
more
25 October 2007: The European
Union has authorized imports of four genetically modified (GMO) crop
products
for sale across its 27 national markets for the next 10 years. Read
more
24 October 2007: Men who
consume a higher amount of
whole grain breakfast cereals may have a reduced risk of heart failure.
Read more
24 October 2007: When
a study in her lab showed that mate (mah’ tā) tea drinkers had
experienced a
significant increase in the activity of an enzyme that promotes HDL
(good)
cholesterol while lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, University of
Illinois
scientist Elvira de Mejia headed for Argentina where mate tea has been
grown
and taken medicinally for centuries. Read more
17 October 2007: Men who eat just
half a serving of soya a day have drastically fewer sperm than those
who do not
consume such foods, according to a small, preliminary study. Read
more
17 October 2007: Lupeol, a
compound in fruits like mangoes, grapes and strawberries, appears to be
effective in killing and curbing the spread of cancer cells in the head
and neck.
Read
more
16
October 2007: Scientists report that adding long-chain
polyunsaturated fatty acids -- typically found in fish oil -- to baby
formula may help infants better regulate their blood sugar and make
more proteins in their muscle cells. Read
more
16 October 2007: Two case studies from Japan
presented at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American
College of Gastroenterology
point to a potential health problem in the United
States, as more Americans consume raw
fish in the form of sushi and sashimi. Anisakiasis (round worm) is a
human parasitic infection caused by the consumption of raw or
undercooked seafood containing Anisakis larvae. Read more
16 October 2007: Alternative medicine has been
touting the health benefits
of garlic for centuries, from its anti-bacterial and antifungal
properties, to
its positive effects on the cardiovascular system. Read more
16 October 2007: The next time
you think about throwing out those aging strawberries or very ripe
grapes,
consider this: Belgian scientists report that fruits and vegetables do
not lose
any antioxidant content in the days after purchase, even as tell-tale
signs of
spoilage appear. In some cases, antioxidant levels actually rise. Read more
12 October 2007: Red wine is
known to have multiple health benefits. Researchers at the University
of
Missouri-Columbia have found that red wine may also protect humans from
common
food-borne diseases. Read
more
12 October 2007: A diet rich in
antioxidant vitamins and minerals does not seem to prevent the
degenerative eye
disease known as age related macular degeneration, finds a study
published on
the British Medical Journal website. Read
more
8 October
2007: Bottlegourds have been used around the world for
food,
bottles, bowls, spoons, musical instruments and even bird houses. Now a
"genetic" genie in the versatile bottlegourd may be used to reduce
virus infestation in watermelons. Read
more
8 October
2007: Tea drinkers beware. Too much of the wrong kind can
add
significantly to the amount of fluoride you consume, with the tea in
just four
cups supplying up to one-third of the maximum safe daily amount. Read
more
8 October
2007: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) commissions research
to
investigate specific issues covering the whole range of its activities. Read
more
5 October 2007: Pregnant and breast-feeding women should eat at least
12 ounces (340 grams) of fish and other seafood a week because the
benefits for infant brain development outweigh any worries about
mercury contamination. Read
more
5 October 2007: New
data from a large ethnically
diverse group of men provides no evidence that eating a lot of fats and
meat
substantially affects a man's risk of developing prostate cancer. Read
more
4
October 2007: Eating
flavonol-rich foods like apples may help reduce the risk of pancreatic
cancer, says a team of international researchers. Read more
4 October 2007: Italian food producers,
consumers and conservation groups
hope to get three million signatures in a petition drive to ban
genetically
modified food, a move they hope will renew Europe's
rejection of biotech crops. Read
more
3
October 2007: A
strong skeleton is less likely to be penetrated by metastasizing cancer
cells, so a fortified glass of milk might be the way to block cancer's
spread, according to researchers at the ANZAC Research Institute in Concord,
Australia. Read
more
3 October 2007: Many studies have suggested
that moderate red wine
consumption is beneficial to cardiovascular health. But what if you’d
like to
skip the alcohol? Read
more
1 October 2007: Eating fruits
and vegetables was not strongly associated with decreased colon cancer
risk,
according to a study published online in the September 25 Journal of
the
National Cancer Institute. Read
more
27 September 2007: Public health
advocates are lobbying for limits on the availability of sports drinks
such as
Gatorade and Powerade in high school vending machines. Read more
24 September 2007: EU-New Zealand
co-operation project - fellowships available. FOOD-FRENZ is a
co-ordinated collaboration project between
the EU and New Zealand
whose main objectives are to strengthen relationships between the
consumers,
knowledge providers and industry in the two regions, and to develop
best
practice for the delivery and production of safe, sustainable,
traceable and high quality food
in the EU and New Zealand.
Read
more
20 September 2007: Children
may eat fewer calories
throughout the day if their first meal of the day is "low-GI," new
research suggests. Read
more
19 September 2007: Building
consumer trust, food safety and quality, developing new products and
promoting sustainable production are some of the targets for research
set out by stakeholders from the EU food and drinks industry, united in
the Food for Life European Technology Platform. Read
more
19 September 2007: Cooperation
between the EU and Russia
in agro-bio-food research has become tighter in recent years, and is
set to become even stronger in the near future, according to Commission
officials. Read
more
19 September 2007: Enjoying
the eating process without
focus on dietary restrictions may be key to managing weight and staying
healthy, according to researchers who have unveiled a new and effective
model
for managing eating. Read
more
18 September 2007: A joint
Canadian-American research
team have, for the first time, demonstrated that mercury concentrations
in fish
respond directly to changes in atmospheric deposition of the chemical. Read more
17
September: A DRAMATIC shift in diet sometime during the
evolution of
modern humans has left its imprint on our genome. The discovery could
provide
some of the strongest evidence to date in support of a controversial
hypothesis
that purports to explain why humans, alone among all the apes, suddenly
evolved
such big brains. Read
more
14 September 2007: EU ministers and
national experts are due to approve a genetically modified (GMO) sugar
beet
variety this month despite a long running dispute over the use of
biotechnology. Read
more
12 September 2007: Soft drink consumption has
increased in both the USA
and the UK
over the years and this has often been blamed for a rise in childhood
body mass index (BMI). However, many of the review methodologies
investigating the alleged links have been flawed. Read more
12 September 2007: University
of Minnesota researchers
have discovered that a common amino acid, available as a health food
supplement, may help curb pathological gamblers’ addiction. Read more
12 September 2007: An intensive international
effort to improve the nutritional value of cassava -- a staple food for
millions of poverty stricken people in sub-Sahara Africa
and other areas -- has led to development of a New form of cassava that
may be easier to digest than other varieties. Read
more
12 September 2007: An international team of
scientists has produced a new type of rice that grows better and uses
water more efficiently than other rice crops. Read more
12 September 2007: Giving children a diet rich in
fish and "fruity vegetables" can reduce asthma and allergies, according
to a seven-year study of 460 Spanish children. Read
more
12 September 2007: World-first equipment, made
exclusively for UQ scientists,
will determine how to produce food which is better for us, but still
tastes
good. Read more
11 September 2007:Parents whose children
show signs of hyperactivity may find that cutting certain artificial
food
colourings from their diet may lead to an improvement in their
behaviour. Read
more
7 September 2007: An EU project has found
new uses for the 95% of every sunflower discarded after the production
of oil.
With pressure on the industry mounting due to increased production of
palm and
soybean oil outside of Europe, these new applications could offer an alternative
source of income.
Read more
7
September 2007: The
soy isoflavone genistin--at concentrations present in soy infant
formula-- may reduce a baby’s susceptibility to rotavirus infections by
as much as 74 percent, according to a University
of Illinois study published
in September’s Journal of Nutrition. Read more
7 September 2007: Higher crop prices resulting
from the global biofuel boom
could be a boon to the world's rural poor, according to a new book from
the
Worldwatch Institute, a nonprofit research and advocacy group. That
conclusion
challenges the notion that biofuels harm the poor by raising food
prices, known
as the "food versus fuel" problem. Read
more
6 September 2007 : If
you eat the right grains for breakfast, such as whole-grain barley or
rye, the regulation of your blood sugar is facilitated after breakfast,
lunch, and dinner. Read
more
6 September 2007 : It's not cast-iron proof that
high-fructose corn syrup causes diabetes, but new evidence suggests we
should think twice about using it to sweeten soft drinks. Read
more
6 September 2007 : An international
conference on the applications of polyphenols, looking at the
state-of-the-art
and future trends, will take place in St Julian's, Malta, on
15 and 16 November. Read
more
28 August 2007: If you could
see a piece of celery that’s
been magnified 10,000 times, you’d know what the scientists fighting
foodborne
pathogens are up against, said University
of Illinois microbiologist
Hans
Blaschek. Read more
27 August 2007: Scientists in France
and Italy
have
deciphered the complete genetic code for the plant producing wine
grapes,
according to a study published Sunday. Read more
22 August 2007:
Bitter taste can ruin a cup of coffee. Now, chemists in Germany
and the United States
say they have identified the chemicals that appear to be largely
responsible
for java's bitterness, a finding that could one day lead to a better
tasting
brew. Their study, one of the most detailed chemical analyses of coffee
bitterness
to date, was presented today at the 234th
national meeting of the American Chemical Society. Read
more
22 August 2007:
Scientists from France
and Portugal
have suggested that caffeine may help protect against cognitive decline
in
older women. Read more
21 August 2007:
A new guide to
microbiological food safety aims
to help food processors eliminate the pathogens in fruit and vegetables
that
cause food-borne diseases such as E-coli, salmonella and cholera. Read more
21 August 2007: A
compound found in broccoli and related vegetables may have more
health-boosting
tricks up its sleeves, according to a new study led by researchers at
the University of California,
Berkeley.
Read more
17 August 2007:
Researchers have found that New Caledonian crowswhich are known to make
complex
food-getting tools in the wildcan also spontaneously use one tool on
another to
get a snack. Read more
16 August 2007:
Scientists have identified that a hormone is responsible for people's
fondness
for food, findings that could lead to a better understanding of
overeating. Read more
16 August 2007:
Symrise is investing in understanding the flavour and nutrition needs
of
consumers in Asia with the 'dramatic' expansion
of its
regional Sensory and Consumer
Science Center
in Singapore.
Read more
10 August 2007: Data from 10
studies conducted in Europe and Japan
suggest that people who drink coffee may be reducing their risk of
liver
cancer. Read
more
9 August 2007: Diet foods and drinks for children may inadvertently lead
to
overeating and obesity. Read
more
9 August 2007: A nutritious fish eaten in Kenya
could be used as a weapon against malaria. Read
more
8 August 2007: Extracts of
green tea and bamboo leaf could
reduce acrylamide formation in foods, suggests a new study from China. Read
more
7 August 2007: The European Group on
Ethics in Science and New Technologies (EGE) has launched a public
consultation
on the ethical aspects of animal cloning for food supply. Read
more
7
August 2007: Nanotechnology is not science fiction -- and
New
Zealand farmers need to be gearing up to take advantages of the
opportunities
it will offer, agricultural economists say. Read more
6 August 2007: Animals that
have eaten genetically modified (GMO) feed show no residual traces in
their
eggs or meat, the EU's food safety agency said on Friday. Read
more
3 August 2007: Blue corn tortillas have more protein and less starch than
the more common version made with white corn.
Read more.
3 August 2007: The U.S. Center for Science in
the Public Interest says
both Burger King and Wendy's New York City
french fries contain unsafe levels of trans fats. Read more
2 August 2007: A proposed
federal regulation would make nutrition labels mandatory on all beer,
wine and
other alcohol sold in the United States. Read more
31 July 2007: There are no grounds to
amend the risk assessment currently in place in Europe on hormone
residues in
beef, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded,
following a
review of new scientific data. Read
more
27 July
2007: A new EU-funded project will
investigate the impact of the chemicals found in commercially-produced
baby food on the health of newborn babies. Read
more
27 July 2007: Scientists
have provided new evidence
that using more fish oil than vegetable oil in the diet decreases the
formation
of chemicals called prostanoids, which, when produced in excess,
increase
inflammation in various tissues and organs Read
more
26 July 2007: The European Commission's Joint
Research Centre has used its crop yield forecasting system to predict
that this year's cereal harvest in the EU will rise slightly compared
to 2006.
Read more
26 July 2007: Eating
more cruciferous vegetables
like broccoli and cauliflower is associated with a reduced risk of
aggressive
prostate cancer. Read
more
25 July 2007: The European
Nutrigenomics Organisation (NuGO) has published a set of bioethics
guidelines
designed to help scientists undertaking nutrigenomics research using
human
subjects. Read
more
24 July 2007: An agricultural
researcher at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical
State University
has developed a simple process to make allergen-free peanuts. The new
process
-- believed to be a first for food science -- could provide relief to
millions
of peanut allergy sufferers, and be an enormous boon to the entire
peanut
industry. Read
more
23 July 2007: Measuring blood
levels of a chemical transporter for vitamin A may be useful in
estimating a
person's "intraabdominal fat," a type of fat inside the abdomen that
it not visible, but still adversely affects health, new research shows.
Read
more
23
July 2007: British and Irish consumers may have to eat
paler
breakfast sausages and burgers after the European Union banned the use
of a red
food coloring, Red 2G, in the European Union due to concern it could
cause
cancer. Read
more
20 July 2007: Botulism
poisoning from commercially canned foods has been virtually eliminated
in the United States,
making the new cases linked to hot
dog chili sauce all the more striking. Read more
20 July 2007: The U.S. Food
and Drug Administration announced the recall of 10-ounce cans of
possibly
contaminated hot dog chili sauce sold under various brand names. Read more
18 July 2007:
Mexico,
widely considered the birthplace of corn, is close to finalizing rules
governing experimental planting of genetically modified corn strains, a
senior biosecurity official said on Tuesday. Read
more
18 July 2007: Orange
juice,
despite its high caloric load of sugars, appears to be a healthy food
for
diabetics due to its mother lode of flavonoids, a study by
endocrinologists at
the University at Buffalo
has
shown. Read more
18 July 2007: Researchers
have isolated
bisdemethoxycurcumin, the active ingredient of curcuminoids -- a
natural
substance found in turmeric root -- that may help boost the immune
system in
clearing amyloid beta, a peptide that forms the plaques found in
Alzheimer's
disease. Read
more
17 July 2007: EU
farm ministers failed Monday to reach an agreement on allowing a new
genetically modified potato on the market, leaving the decision by
default to
the European Commission, a diplomat said. Read more
16
July 2007:
Sites in Kansas, Georgia,
Mississippi, Texas
and North Carolina are
being
considered as the possible site of a $500 million U.S. Homeland
Security
research lab. Read
more
16
July 2007:
Dr. Philippe De Wals of Université Laval's Department of
Social and
Preventive Medicine has published a study clearly indicating that the
addition
of folic acid to flours has led to a 46% drop in the incidence of
congenital
neural tube deformation (mainly anencephaly and spina bifida) in Canada.
Read
more
13 July 2007: A switch to organic farming would not reduce the
world's food supply and could also increase food security in developing
countries, say the authors of a new study. Read
more
13 July 2007: A new study of
sweetened beverages shows that cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup
have similar effects on hunger, fullness, and food consumption at
lunch. Read
more
13 July 2007: The
U.S. Food Safety and Inspection
Service announced a permanent prohibition on the slaughter of cattle
that are
unable to stand or walk. Read
more
13 July 2007: U.S.
grocers and foodmakers would be required to put country-of-origin
labels on
cuts of red meat beginning September
30, 2008, under a bill approved by a House Appropriations
subcommittee on Thursday. Read
more
13 July 2007: U.S.
oversight of genetically modified crops, which critics charge is
insufficient,
may be overhauled following a series of proposed changes released on
Thursday
by the Agriculture Department. Read
more
11
July 2007: A new study of sweetened beverages shows that cane sugar
and high
fructose corn syrup have similar effects on hunger, fullness, and food
consumption at lunch. Read
more
11 July 2007: Claims
for the cancer-preventing potential of tomatoes and lycopene should be
sharply
limited, the US
Food and Drug Administration has concluded. There is no credible
evidence that
intake of lycopene, the pigment that gives tomatoes their bright red
color,
cuts the risk of any type of cancer. Read
more
11
July 2007: Post-menopausal Chinese women who eat a Western-style
diet heavy in
meat and sweets face a higher risk of breast cancer than their
counterparts who
stick to a typical Chinese diet loaded with vegetables and soy, a study
found. Read
more
11 July
2007: Thai researchers have urged people in Southeast Asia to
stop eating
raw freshwater fish because they risk becoming infected with a
parasitic worm
that may predispose them to developing liver cancer. Read
more
11
July 2007: National
recommendations for folic acid and other micronutrients
vary widely across Europe, leaving consumers and health professionals confused,
according to
a Europe-wide survey. Read
more
11
July 2007: Most
Americans fail to get the calcium and vitamin D they need, but this
shortfall
could be affecting more than their bones. It may, at least in part, be
one
reason behind the epidemic of type 2 diabetes, suggests new research
conducted
at Tufts University.
Read more.
10 July 2007: Teenagers who
do not get enough of
the nutrients commonly found in fruits and fish are more prone to
underperforming lungs, asthma, coughing and wheezing. Read
more
10 July 2007: Farmers in the
Balkans are failing to
weed out the cause of a kidney disease, according to a new study that
appears
to have resolved a decades-long mystery. Read
more
10 July 2007: Researchers
from the University of Granada
and Hospital Carlos III
in Madrid, verified that
maslinic
acid – found in wax from olive skin – inhibits serin-protease, the
enzyme used
by HIV to release itself from the infected cell into the extracellular
environment. Read
more
10 July 2007: Food colouring Red 2G (E 128), which
is added to some breakfast sausages and burger meat, may cause cancer,
the
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) said on Monday as it reviewed
food
additives used in the European Union. Read
more
5 July 2007: Confused about which
kinds of fish are safe to eat, Americans are skipping seafood all
together --
and missing out on health benefits, said federal scientists in Seattle.
To unmuddy
the water, they're calling for a nationwide program to investigate
seafood
contamination and educate the public. Read
more
5 July 2007: A major round
of consultation has begun by the UK's Food Standards Agency on a
European directive governing baby milk, which aims to improve how
infant
nutrition is regulated. Read
more
4
July 2007: Representatives
from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) have signed the first transatlantic agreement in
the area
of food safety risk assessment. Read
More
4
July 2007: Kerry
Bio-Science has launched a new generation of trans-fat-free emulsifiers
for
low-fat spreads.
Read more
3 July 2007: It
appears some New Zealand
scientists have found unusual cows with a natural ability to produce
skim milk.
The cows have a gene that enables them to make the milk.
Read
more
3
July 2007:
Ingredient maker Chr Hansen is set to
begin large-scale tests on a new technology that could result in more
robust
and longer lasting probiotic bacteria, the firm announced last week. Read
more
3 July 2007:
Women who ate a diet high in
rapidly-absorbed carbohydrates -- nutrition experts describe these
carbohydrates as having a "high glycemic index" -- were at increased
risk of getting cardiovascular disease, especially if they were
overweight. Read
more
3 July 2007: In a
series of experiments on mice, researchers showed that the
neurochemical pathway
they identified promotes fat growth in chronically stressed animals
that eat
the equivalent of a junk-food diet. Read
more
3
July 2007:
The European Nutrition and Health
Claims Regulation came into force yesterday, meaning food companies
will only
be able to make claims about their nutritional or health benefits
approved by
the European Food Safety Authority. Read
more
2 July 2007: Bovine
spongiform encephalopathy (BSE),
also known as 'mad cow disease', has been
the target of European research for many years. Seeking to get a strong
handle
on the situation, the EU banned the use of animal proteins in farm feed
in 2000
because of heightened public concern over BSE. Seven years have since
passed
and the EU is now mulling over plans to ease this ban.. Read
more
2 July 2007: The European
Food Safety Authority's (EFSA) GMO panel has no safety
concerns after reviewing data from French scientists suggesting
toxicity
concerns in rats fed the MON863 variety of GM maize from Monsanto. Read
more
2 July 2007: The European commission
is about to give the go-ahead to the first commercially grown
genetically
modified crops since a public outcry nine years ago halted their
cultivation. Read
more
2 July 2007: Food industry
experts and academics are to convene next week to debate
the conflicts between modern food provisions and healthy living, and
how these
could be considered in devising food marketing strategies. Read
more
2 July 2007: Researchers have
strengthened
a link between aspartame -- a common sweetener in soft drinks,
medicines and
sugar-free sweets -- and cancer in rats.
The chemical is sold under the brand name NutraSweet. Read more
29 June 2007: International
food safety standards on
fish, eggs and infant formulas are likely to be adopted next week at
the annual
meeting of the Codex Alimentarius Commission. read
more
29 June 2007: China's
government has closed down about 180 plants after inspections uncovered
raw
industrial materials in food products. read
more
29 June 2007: A proposal by the European Commission
to ease novel foods regulation for foods with a safe history in other
parts of
the world is eagerly anticipated by industry experts, who believe it
will have
a positive effect on EU trade and innovation.
read
more
29 June 2007: European
trade associations for health products and food supplements have
announced that
the EU-wide industry list of hundreds of Article 13 health claims for
authorisation should be finished by the end July. read
more
29 June 2007: Climate and energy major threats to
European agriculture, conference finds. What are the major challenges
facing
European agriculture? And how can research help farmers and the wider
rural
community meet these challenges? These questions were at the heart of a
conference on the future of agricultural research held in Brussels
on 26 and 27 June. read
more
28 June 2007: Adding folic acid to bread could help
fight
depression. The additive is seen
as a means
of increasing folate intake in women so as to prevent birth defects in
unborn
children. Read
more
28 June 2007: There
may be another reason to pass on the foie gras. Scientists report that
these
livers of overstuffed waterfowl contain abnormal proteins that, when
fed to
laboratory mice, caused them to quickly develop the protein clumps
themselves.
Various human diseases - among them Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and
rheumatoid
arthritis - are associated with these clumps, known as amyloids. Read more
28 June 2007: Eating plenty
of whole grains can
help keep your arteries healthy, potentially warding off heart disease
and
stroke, a new study shows. Read
more
28 June 2007: The
EU's Plants for the Future Technology Platform this week released its
strategic research agenda, highlighting the need for farmers to
diversify and
grow environmentally-friendly crops to ensure future competitiveness.
Read
more
27 June 2007: In the next 20
years, Europeans can
expect to see plants with health properties to fight diabetes and heart
disease; tastier plants with optimised nutritional content; cheaper
drugs
thanks to plant-based production of pharmaceuticals; and plants which
break down
easily into biofuels. Read
more
27 June 2007: Concerns
over the safety of aspartame could be reignited after a new
study with rats linked regular intake of the sweetener with increased
risk of
leukaemia, lymphomas and breast cancer. Read
more
27 June 2007: Want to be sure
it's GM-free? buy
food in Moscow. While
ecologists
welcome the initiative to label all GM foods, producers say it will be
too
costly and complex to implement and could mislead consumers into
thinking the
ingredients are better than they really are. Read
more
27 June 2007:
The UK
food industry has been focusing on improving the
nutritional value of its wares, and the reduction of salt, used as a
preservative and flavour enhancer, has been one of its key targets.
Read
more
27 June 2007: FF-B,
a smoke flavouring, can damage the genetic material in cells, the Europe's food safety agency
warned on Friday. FF-B is among a group of
flavourings extracted from natural processes and that mimic the taste
obtained
through the traditional process of smoking foods. Read
more
26 June 2007: Dairy Australia
may support funding applications that address one or more of the three
key
objectives as set out in the Dairy Australia Strategic Plan. Dairy Australia
will accept applications for research and development projects from
individuals
and organisations worldwide. read
more
25 June 2007: Increasing
omega-3 fatty acid levels,
and decreasing levels of omega-6, could reduce the risk of prostate
cancer risk
in individuals with a genetic predisposition to cancer, if results from
an
animal study can be translated to humans. read
more
25 June 2007: European Union
experts will decide on
Monday whether imports of Herculex RW, a genetically modified maize
variety
developed by the multinational seed company Pioneer, should be allowed
into Europe.
read
more
22 June 2007: A new guidance
from the British Meat
Processors Association (BMPA) is designed to help manufacturers cut
down on
salt in their products without compromising quality and safety. read
more
22 June 2007: A new guide for
cereal farmers on
reducing mycotoxins aims to reduce the presence of the toxin in the
food supply
chain. read
more
22 June 2007: The most
effective method to prevent
contamination in fresh fruit and vegetables is to intervene while they
grow,
say US scientists. read
more
22 June 2007: Representatives
from the UK
organic sector have today urged the UK
environment minister David Miliband not to allow organic food to be
contaminated by genetically modified organisms (GMOs). read
more
22 June 2007: The Canadian
government called on the
food industry on Wednesday to tightly limit artery-clogging trans fats,
and
threatened mandatory cuts if enough is not done in the next two years. read
more
20 June 2007: Call for
Proposals - Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, and
Biotechnology. Deadline(s): 11 September 2007 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time), 19 February 2008 at 17:00:00 (Brussels local time) - Stage 2 (only for proposals
retained at stage 1). read
more
20 June 2007: A new guide for
EU processors on the
bloc's traceability requirements is designed to help industry comply
with legal
requirements. read
more
19 June 2007: A workshop
entitled 'The feed value
chain' will take place on 26 and 27 June in Copenhagen,
Denmark. read
more
19 June 2007: The European
Commission has issued a
call for proposals for the theme “Food, agriculture and fisheries, and
biotechnology” of the Seventh Framework Programme. read
more
18 June 2007: Claims that
chemicals used in plastic
water bottles can cause cancer are not based in science and are
unsubstiated,
according to an industry association. read
more
18 June 2007: Kiwis,
conserved vegetables, milk
powder, butter, ghee, baby food, instant coffee, alcohol, drinks,
confectionery, and hi-breed corn seeds are among the most counterfeited
articles in the world according to a new report. read
more
18 June 2007: Stand by
science on GMO foods, EU
trade chief says or risk more international lawsuits. read
more
18 June 2007: An
international symposium on
'Genetic impacts from aquaculture: meeting the challenge in Europe'
will be held in Bergen, Norway,
from 2 to 4 July 2007.
read
more
18 June 2007: Trade
Commissioner Peter Mandelson
yesterday delivered a strong exhortation to the EU to take a lead in
shaping
global rules on GM trade - particularly in defending objective science
as a
benchmark - or suffer the economic consequences. read
more
18 June 2007: The EU's
processors have called on
the bloc's administrative arm to drop a proposal that would allow the
European
Food Safety Agency (EFSA) to charge companies fees for assessments. read
more
18 June 2007: The overall
body of science does not
support the view that organic food is more nutritious than
conventionally grown
food, says a new review from the British Nutrition Foundation. read
more
15 June 2007: The EU-funded
CASCADE project on
chemicals in the food chain will hold a summer school on endocrinology:
nuclear
receptors in health and disease in Bregenz,
Austria,
from 22 to 26 July 2007.
read
more
15 June 2007:
Environmental groups have hit out at
the new organic regulation on which EU agriculture ministers reached
political
agreement this week, claiming it opens the door for GMOs in organic
foods. read
more
15 June 2007: Ireland's
food safety regulator has urged the nation's food industry to be more
involved
with the EU health claims process to make the most of the opportunities
it
offers. read
more
15 June 2007: It's
time for Europe to reassess its skepticism towards genetically modified
(GMO)
foods and trust scientists who have deemed them safe -- or risk more
international lawsuits, the EU trade chief said on Thursday. read
more
14 June 2007: European
agriculture ministers
yesterday reached agreement over new organic regulation and labelling
that will
simplify the sector for farmers and consumers and is expected to help
drive
further development. read
more
13 June 2007: A European
Commission call for member
states to check annually whether acrylamide levels are falling, serves
to put
additional pressure on processors to reduce the chemical in their
products. read
more
13 June 2007: EU ministers
ended 18 months of
squabbling on Tuesday over new rules for organic farming and came up
with a
labelling system that will tell consumers exactly what they are buying
on the
supermarket shelves. read
more
13 June 2007: China
played down the country's food-safety problems on Tuesday but at the
same time
showed off room after room of confiscated fakes, indicating the extent
of the
challenge it faces to clean up the industry. read
more
12 June 2007: A new technique
could result in
better nutritional and safety profiles for the coming generation of
genetically
modified organisms (GMOs), Spanish scientists have reported. read
more
12 June 2007: New methods to
mass-produce bioactive
paper sensors for food are being developed in Finland.
read
more
12 June 2007: Vaccination
programmes of poultry
with approved drugs and proceedures could be used to prevent outbreaks
of avian
influenza, the EU's food safety assessment agency said yesterday. read
more
12 June 2007: Quick frozen
foods should be subject
to more prescriptive safety rules rather than optional ones, the EU's
member
states said in comments on a draft international code of practice. read
more
12 June 2007: China
will ban bad foods and enforce stronger export controls as part of a
long-term
offensive, the government announced this week. read
more
6
June 2007: Europe
continues to lag behind in the use of irradiation, with only 10 member
states
approving facilities to process foods, according to the latest European
Commission report released yesterday. read
more
6 June 2007: Several
influential EU states have dug in their heels on whether their farmers
may grow
one of Europe's oldest genetically modified
(GMO) crops,
raising the stakes in the EU's long-running stalemate over biotech
policy. read
more
5
June 2007: A
two-day conference to discuss food safety issues in the Mediterranean
area
begins tomorrow in Parma, Italy.
read
more
1
June 2007: An
international congress on food and nutrition will take place in Istanbul,
Turkey, from 22 to
24
October. read
more
1
June 2007: Danone
revealed yesterday that five containers of its Evian bottled water have
been
detained in China
after failing quality control testing. read
more
31 May 2007: First bird flu made
eating poultry worrisome. Next it was tainted pork. Pesticides in
vegetables.
Toxic additives in processed foods. Chinese consumers could be forgiven
for not
knowing what to eat any more, and many wealthier urbanites are saying
the
country's string of food safety breaches is making them think twice
about what
they put into their shopping carts. read
more
30 May 2007: A
seminar on making use of residues from the production of food in the
food and
cosmetics industries will take place in Bremerhaven,
Germany, on 19 and
20
June. read
more
30 May 2007: China
is to put in place a system allowing the recall of unsafe or unapproved
food
products following a series of health scares that have led to illnesses
and
deaths, state media reported on Tuesday. read
more
29 May 2007: Last
year was busy, but this year will be better, is the European
Commission's
message in its first annual report on food safety training initiatives.
read
more
28 May 2007: Cheese
processors in the UK
have been handed tougher guidance on hygiene, following EU claims that
the
country's food safety authority was not doing enough to protect
consumers. read
more
28 May 2007: The
European Responsible Nutrition Alliance (ERNA) has welcomed the
publication of
draft guidance on nutrition and health claims submissions by EFSA, but
highlighted unclear areas that could pose problems for industry. read
more
28 May 2007: The United
States pressed China
to pursue new export safety measures on Thursday as Beijing
sought to assure its trading partners that the goods it exports,
everything
from pet food to toothpaste, are safe. read
more
25 May 2007: Researchers have created what could be the next
generation of
transgenic crops by inserting a gene for herbicide resistance from a
bacterium
into plants. The new crops could help to combat the spread of
resistance to
other commonly used herbicides. read
more
25 May 2007: Food
Standards Australia and New Zealand (FSANZ) has published a final set
of
proposals to make iodine fortification mandatory for bread. read
more
24 May 2007: The
Seventh Framework Programme for research and development (FP7), in
funding
research under Theme 2 'Food, agriculture and fisheries, and
biotechnology',
aims to establish and promote a European 'Knowledge-based bio-economy'
(KBBE).
The CORDIS FP7 Service has launched a new KBBE Service, developed in
collaboration with the European Commission's DG Research, to support
these
aims. read
more
23 May 2007: US
food processors are continuing to boycott Chinese exports over fears
regarding
the safety of products coming from the country. read
more
23 May 2007: Europeans
are willing to buy foods produced, processed or packaged using
nanotechnology
techniques, so long as they perceive the benefits, according to new
research. read
more
22 May 2007: Natural
alternatives to growth-promoting antibiotics in livestock feed may soon
be on
the menu for pigs, poultry and fish in Europe, thanks to research
conducted by
REPLACE, an EU-funded project. read
more
21 May 2007: China
must continue to reform its food safety practices if it is to maintain
consumer
confidence in its products, says a food safety expert from the World
Health
Organisation (WHO). read
more
21 May 2007: The
European poultry industry has just six weeks left to prepare itself for
new
proposals designed to prevent the spread of H5N1 avian influenza into
the food
chain, the European Commission has warned. read
more
21 May 2007: Rice modified to express proteins often found in
breast milk
will be planted in Kansas. The go-ahead for the planting came on 16 May
from the
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). read
more
18 May 2007: British
food experts agreed on Thursday that folic acid should be routinely
added to
either flour or bread in an attempt to reduce birth defects. read
more
17 May 2007: Leading
proponents of the benefits of organic agriculture put their heads
together last
week to discuss how organic methods could help preserve food security
for the
future. read
more
17 May 2007: The
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) is today publishing for
consultation its
draft guidance to applicants on the submission of health claims for
authorisation. EFSA’s NDA Panel will assess the scientific evidence
substantiating these claims. The Panel is also progressing work on
other
nutrition issues including nutrient profiles, which will help define
the
nutrient criteria that foods should comply with in order to bear
nutrition and
health claims. A scientific colloquium on nutrient profiles is planned
for
September. read
more
17 May 2007: Over
1,300 food safety incidents were investigated by the UK Food Standards
Agency
(FSA) last year, according to report published yesterday. read
more
17 May 2007: The UK's
Food Standards Agency (FSA) has today announced the start of a review
of its
own guidance, which aims to make regulations easier to understand and
follow
for firms. read
more
15 May 2007: The
European Commission is holding a laboratory workshop on Highly
Pathogenic Avian
Influenza (HPAI) diagnostic techniques from 21 to 23 May in Oldenburg,
Germany. read
more
14 May 2007: China's
farmers overuse pesticides, skip protective clothing and have at their
fingertips
an array of banned and counterfeit products, raising another area of
concern in
the country's fragile food chain. read
more
14 May 2007: As
agricultural conditions change as a result of global warming,
genetically-modified crops will have an increasing role to play in
safeguarding
food supply for the future, says a leading researcher who thinks the
issue will
increase pressure for consumer acceptance. read
more
11 May 2007: The
new health claims regulations for foods could prompt more companies to
tout the
beauty benefits of their products, says analyst, since cosmetics are
not
generally subject to the same stringent rules as foods and supplements.
read
more
11 May 2007: The
German Government is providing EUR 100 million over 10 years to two
research
networks on diabetes and obesity. Education and Research Minister
Annette
Schavan presented the initiative in Berlin
on 10 May. Ms Schavan called on scientists to network themselves
better: 'With
this extensive support we are making a significant contribution to
German
research on nutrition and diabetes. From the science I hope for
excellent,
complementary project proposals, from which disease-oriented networks
of
competence can develop. read
more
10 May 1007: EU
regulators are investigating whether the banned chemical melamine has
made its
way into Europe's food and feed supply chain
from China.
read
more
8 May 2007: The
new health claims regulation has rekindled interest in exploring the
benefits
of whole grains, said consultant Prof David Richardson, but there is a
need for
action to ensure grains do not miss out in the implementation process. read
more
8 May 2007: A new
system that measures the texture of food could provide processors with
results
to improve the shelf life and taste of products, its manufacturer
claims. read
more
8 May 2007: GMO
crop rules should also weigh pluses - UK
report. Time for a more balanced and holistic approach to regulation. read
more
7 May 2007: Three
new hygiene products have been created, which can be used by food
processors in
compliance with food safety procedures. read
more
7 May 2007: The European Patent Office (EPO) has revoked a
patent owned
by global agricultural giant Monsanto for the genetic modification (GM)
of
soybeans, saying the technique it approved 13 years ago lacked
"novelty". read
more
7 May 2007: EFSA
and food safety in EU: achievements and challenges - Rome,
7 June 2007 -
Istituto
superiore di Sanità. On the occasion of EFSA's Five Year
Anniversary, a
Scientific Conference is organised aimed at reviewing the contribution
EFSA has
made so far to Food Safety in Europe and at
providing
advice on future challenges that EFSA has to meet to accomplish its
mission. read
more
4 May 2007: Food
reformulations to remove salt and sugar and improve the health profile
of food
must factor in the effect on pathogens in the food, Irish researchers
have
said. read
more
3 May 2007: The
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has called on industry and other
groups
to submit scientific information as part of its review on cloned meat. read
more
3 May 2007: EU
laws to protect regional foods do not necessarily spell the end for
copycat
products, as Arla Foods has shown with its Danish 'feta' cheese brand. read
more
3 May 2007: The
sponsor awards fellowships to applicants whose research interests are
in the
area of dairy research. Postdoctoral fellowships would normally be for
up to
three years, and should provide relevant scientific skills that are not
available in Australian research organisations. Visiting scientists are
expected to have a strong role in training Australian researchers. read
more
1 May 2007: As
consumers increasingly come to expect high quality for the food they
purchase,
a group of research centres has joined forces to examine ways of
improving both
safety and quality along the supply chain for citrus products. Their
research
aims to help processors reduce or eliminate the chance of pathogens
contaminating their final products. The EuroMedCitrusNet project is
designed to
promote stronger research collaboration between the EU and Mediterranean
partner countries from which processors source their citrus supplies. read
more
1 May 2007: The
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has launched an investigation into
whether a
chemical thought to be responsible for a number of pet deaths has
entered the
human food chain. read
more
1 May 2007: A new
class of toxins produced when meats and cheeses are grilled, fried or
broiled,
can lead to a host of diseases associated with aging, say researchers. read
more
1 May 2007: From
yesterday, US
egg products destined for the EU must come from premises operating with
procedures based on international safety standards known as hazard
analysis and
critical control plan (HACCP) principles. read
more
1 May 2007: The
food industry is failing to grasp the importance of adopting
sustainable crop
techniques to protect against the effects of climate change, says an
expert on
business agriculture. read
more
27 April 2007: U.S.
congressional leaders on Wednesday threatened to make sweeping changes
to the
Bush administration's food safety system in light of fresh concerns
over
contaminated pet food. read
more
26 April 2007: A group
of research centres have banded together to examine ways of improving
safety
and quality along the supply chain for citrus products. read
more
26 April 2007: EU may
take two years to develop biotech crop rules. Of the 27 nations that
make up
the EU, only seven countries have laws in place for separating
traditional,
organic and biotech crops. read more
26 April 2007: Europe's
olive growers face two major challenges: on the one hand, they have to
adhere
to strict EU environmental legislation, but at the same time
competition from
overseas olive growers is pressurising them to keep their prices low. read
more
26 April 2007: A major
shift in agricultural methods and their environmental impact is urgenty
required to protect productivity and food security in the future, the
UN's Food
and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) warns today. read
more
24 April 2007: A technology
session and partnership
event on nutraceutics and functional foods will be held on 18 May in Rimini,
Italy, in the
framework
of the international RiminiWellness Fair. read
more
23 April 2007: Funds have
been announced to save 165,000 varieties of 21 food crops, from wheat
to
potatoes, some of which form the staple diet of people living in
developing
countries. read
more
20 April 2007: An
international seminar on
methodology and tools for improving agro-biotech clusters management
will be
held at the CREALYS Science
Park in Belgium
on 22 May. read
more
20 April 2007: EU biotech
experts will discuss three
applications this week to approve new genetically modified (GMO) plants
but are
unlikely to break the bloc's long-standing deadlock on GMO foods,
officials
said on Wednesday. read
more
19 April 2007: EU Science and
Research Commissioner
Janez Potocnik has urged small businesses to make the most of the
research
funding opportunities available for the future competitiveness of the
European
food industry. Speaking at the 'Perspective for Food 2030' conference,
Mr
Potocnik recommended that the EU's food industry, consisting mainly of
small
and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), to undertake research that takes
into
account the whole food chain - from the beginning to the end of the
food cycle
- in order to meet the industry's innovation challenge. read
more
19 April 2007: EU biotech
experts will discuss three
applications this week to approve new genetically modified (GMO) plants
but are
unlikely to break the bloc's longstanding deadlock on GMO foods,
officials said
on Wednesday. read
more
18 April 2007: The European
food and drink industry
is falling behind its global competitors in terms of research and
development
(R&D), finds a new report. read
more
18 April 2007: British crop
researchers are claiming that they have developed a method to stop
transgenic
crops from damaging the biodiversity of weeds and seeds. By leaving two
rows in
every 100 unsprayed with pesticides, enough diversity can be preserved
to
prevent knock-on effects on birds and other animals, they calculate. read
more
17 April 2007: EFSA's GMO
panel has reconfirmed its
opinion that the use of the nptII gene as a selectionable marker in GM
plants
for food or feed poses no risk to human or animal health or the
environment. read
more
13 April 2007: European
Parliament Committee on the
Environment, Public Health and Food Safety yesterday voted through
amendments
to upcoming new legislation on food additives aimed at making the laws
more transparent.
read
more
13 April 2007:
Packaging gases and other additives
used for prolonging the shelf life of foods are some of the substances
targeted
by proposed safety regulations passed yesterday by an EU parliamentary
committee. read
more
12 April 2007: A workshop on
heavy metals in the
environment and the wellbeing of humans and animals will be held in Bucharest,
Romania, on 20 and
21
April. read
more
12 April 2007: Europeans have
been looking for ways
to curb aflatoxin contamination in the peanut, both in the field and
post-harvest, for some time. While a complex task at best, a team of
European
researchers took part in an initiative entitled 'New tools for
groundnut
aflatoxin control in Sahel Africa,' to get some answers. The finished
project
has effectively provided methods for better varietal screening and for
growing
groundnut under rain-fed conditions. With the export value of peanuts
taking a
hit in recent years, the CIRAD-led initiative will prove advantageous
for the
industry. read
more
12
April 2007: Meeting
and contributing to increases EU measures on
food safety remains a priority for the industry according to policies
outlined
by the bloc's industry association. read
more
11 April 2007: Research and
industry actors have
long set their sights on marrying the extended shelf life of frozen
foods and
preserving their tastes. Norway's
SINTEF Energy Research has come up with the right formula to process
foods:
superchilling. This method chills fresh fish or meat to one or two
degrees
below zero, effectively keeping the food fresh for longer periods of
time.
Until now, crushed ice was used to store fish or meat, but this method
proved
troublesome as it resulted in heavier transport and melting ice, which
only
increased the risk of contamination spreading. read
more
10 April 2007: Furcellaran, a
co-polymer of beta and
kappa-carrageenan extracted from red algae, has been identified as a
novel new
encapsulation material, researchers from Estonia
report. read
more
10 April 2007: Many European
food consumers believe
farm animal welfare is important. But what consumers can actually do to
help
improve animal welfare propelled a team of European researchers to
launch a
project, a part of the research programme of Welfare Quality, (a major
research
programme funded by the EU in the FP6 programme), to investigate the
links
between consumers and animal welfare. The findings, which show that
linkages
vary across Europe, are presented in a Welfare
Quality
report, published by Cardiff
University
in March. read
more
10 April 2007:
A typical Mediterranean
diet rich in fruit, vegetables and nuts appears to offer children
protection
against allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms, according to new
research. read
more
10 April 2007:
Improving food
quality and safety is the goal of the EU-funded MONIQA (Monitoring and
Quality
Assurance in the food supply chain) project, which started recently. read
more
30 March 2007: 'Feeding
the planet, energy of life' is the theme that the Italian city of Milan
is
hoping to explore, should it win the bid to host the 2015 Universal
Exhibition
(Expo 2015). Representatives from the city and the Italian Government
were in Brussels
on 28 March to share with MEPs the spirit and philosophy of their bid,
which
places a great emphasis on the importance of scientific and
technological
discoveries. read
more
29 March 2007: An open forum
on REACH, the new EU
regulatory system for hazardous chemical substances, will take place on
18
April in Helsinki, Finland.
The session will serve as a platform for open discussions on the
implications
of the new policy from different stakeholder perspectives. Short
presentations
will be followed by a moderated panel debate. read
more
29 March 2007: The UK's
Food Standards Agency has launched a three-month consultation on ways
to reduce
saturated fat in the diet and make healthy eating easier. read
more
28 March 2007: The US
Department of Agriculture
(USDA) has identified the source of a recent GM contamination in rice,
and has
said that it poses no food safety concerns. read
more
28 March 2007: The US Food
and Drug Administration's
(FDA) risk assessment on meat and milk from cloned animals is based on
"flawed assumptions and misrepresented findings", according to an
independent review. read
more
28 March 2007: Denomega
Nutritional Oils has
announced the Health Canada approval of its omega-3 ingredients for use
in most
foods, thereby opening up another market to the company. read
more
27 March 2007: Anti-hay fever
GMO rice may win over
Japanese doubts. Japanese researchers have successfully cultivated a
genetically modified rice that contains some of the allergy-related
proteins
found in Japanese cedar pollen, the most common cause of hay fever in Japan.
read
more
27 March 2007: Developing
crop protection strategies
which are both environmentally friendly and economically viable is the
goal of
the EU-funded ENDURE (European Network for the Durable Exploitation of
Crop
Protection Strategies) project, which started recently. The project
brings
together over 130 researchers from 18 European organisations into a
Network of
Excellence covering disciplines as diverse as agronomy, genetics,
ecology,
economics and sociology. The four-year project has received €11.2
million in
funding under the 'Food Quality and Safety' thematic area of the Sixth
Framework Programme. read
more
27 March 2007: In line with
the belief that we are
what we eat, organic food has become a billion euro industry as
consumers
increasingly choose to put their wallet where their health is and 'go
organic'.
The QualityLowInputFood (QLIF) project, funded under the EU's Sixth
Framework Programme
(FP6), aims to develop higher-quality, safer and cheaper organic foods
to meet
the growing demand for more natural, healthier foods, produced using
fewer
chemicals and additives. read
more
27 March 2007: The European
Food Safety Authority
(EFSA) is consulting with EU member states to ascertain whether further
data
are available to help it with its renewed assessment of Monsanto's GM
maize MON
863; its evaluation, based on this input and the work of its GMO panel,
is
expected to take several weeks. read
more
20 March 2007: Three new
Community Reference
Laboratories (CRLs) opened their doors for business on 16 March.
Located at the
Joint Research Centre's Institute for Reference Materials and
Measurements
(IRMM), in Geel, Belgium,
the laboratories will be responsible for providing the certified
reference
materials and methods needed for the control of heavy metals,
mycotoxins and
polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in food across the European
Union. read
more
20 March 2007: A conference
entitled 'Early
nutrition programming and health outcomes in later life: obesity and
beyond'
will take place on 20 and 21 April in Budapest,
Hungary. read
more
16 March 2007: The EU-funded
SEAFOODplus project
will hold its fourth open conference in Bilbao,
Spain on 4 to 8
June. read
more
16 March 2007: EFSA has
issued an opinion on the
possible health risks from certain proposed residue levels of
pesticides in
food and feed. read
more
16 March 2007: The European
Food Safety Authority
(EFSA) has revealed that it will review the new data presented by
French
scientists that revealed toxicity concerns in rats fed the MON863
variety of GM
maize from Monsanto. read
more
15 March 2007: Monsanto's
genetically modified maize MON863, authorised for human consumption
since 2006,
showed signs of liver and kidney toxicity in a rat study, raising
concerns
about its safety. read
more
15 March 2007: A UK
health pressure group has called on Europe to
reform the
CAP - for health reasons. read
more
14 March 2007: EU researchers
will discuss ways to
improve the safety and processing of organic and other "low-input"
foods at an upcoming meeting in Stuttgart,
Germany.
read
more
14 March 2007: Meat and milk
from cloned animals
could soon become available in the EU, depending on the outcome of a
European
Food Safety Authority scientific review. read
more
14 March 2007: About 900
tonnes of poulty meat
passed through a UK
farm infected with bird flu and into the food chain during an outbreak
of the
disease last month, according to the country's public health minister. read
more
13 March 2007: The
development of genetically
modified crops to improve human health could be the golden ticket for
advocates
to persuade the wary public that GM is not a wholly nefarious idea
after all.
But will a new, healthy spin be enough to counter deep-rooted fears
that
genetic modification, by its very nature, poses an equal and opposite
threat to
human health? read
more
13 March 2007: A congress
entitled 'Improving
sustainability in organic and low input food production systems' will
take
place from 20 to 23 March in Stuttgart,
Germany.
read
more
12 March 2007: The emerging
science of
nanotechnology is the next Big Bang in food formulation, processing and
packaging. read
more
12 March 2007: A new non-GM
plant breeding
technology is expected in the next two years to result in the launch of
'environmentally friendly' trait-enhanced crops, such as canola,
sorghum and
rice. read
more
12 March 2007: Bakers could
soon be benefiting from
new technology developed to ensure high standards of product quality
and
appearance are met while maximising efficiency, cutting costs and
reducing
waste. read
more
12 March 2007: The growing
commercialization and
continued innovation of genetically modified crops (GM) could have
significant
benefits for the food industry in Eastern Europe
over
the coming decade, says a leading Biotech expert. read
more
9 March 2007: The growing commercialisation
of GM crops could have significant benefits for the food industry in Eastern
Europe over the coming decade. read
more
9
March 2007: EFSA
believes that the findings of a recent US
study on citrus canker are not supported by sound scientific evidence. read
more
8
March 2007: On
July 1, the city of Moscow
will
introduce a voluntary system of food labels indicating that a product
does not
contain genetically modified (GM) ingredients. read
more
8
March 2007: The
U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted preliminary approval for a
large-scale plan to grow genetically altered rice in the Midwest
state of Kansas,
prompting some
critics to raise safety concerns. read
more
8
March 2007: From
Karnal to Coimbatore,
genetically
modified (GM) crops are becoming a matter of great concern for Indians
worried
about safety as well as loss of biodiversity. read
more
7
March 2007: Three
new EU regulations on contaminant levels in food came into force this
month,
requiring tougher safety controls in manufacturing plants. read
more
7
March 2007: Genetically
modified rice containing human genes has received preliminary approval
in the US,
sparking new concerns and fears on both sides of the Atlantic.
read
more
6 March 2007: The UK
's Food Standards Agency has launched a consultation on its draft
guidance for compliance with the new EU regulation on voluntary
fortification of foods with vitamins and minerals, asking for input
from industry on interpretation. read
more
6 March 2007: Increasing the
maximum levels of aflatoxins in certain nuts would have a minor effect
on the risk to consumer health, according to EFSA. read
more
5 March 2007: Three new EU
regulations on contaminant levels in food came into force this month,
requiring tougher safety controls in manufacturing plants. read
more
2 March 2007: The UK
has outlined its commitment to developing environmental labelling for
food. read
more
2 March 2007: Two leading UK
health organisations want the food industry to radically reduce the
amount of saturated fat used in its products and to eliminate trans
fats altogether. read
more
2 March 2007: Codes of practice to
help UK farmers reduce the
levels of mycotoxins in cereals could improve the safety of the
ingredient supply chain. read
more
2 March 2007: When it comes to GM
food, the EU needs to wake up from its political inertia, according to
biotechnology pressure group EuropaBio. read
more
2 March 2007: Two more additives
for plastic packaging for use in direct contact with food have been
assessed by the European food safety authority. read
more
1 March 2007: Europe's food
safety authority has issued information on current food additive laws
ahead of the upcoming Codex meeting in China . read
more
28 February 2007: The UK
's food advertising unit has welcomed Ofcom's decision to phase in new
restrictions on marketing food to children. read
more
27 February 2007: The number of food
quality assurance schemes (QAS) in Europe is growing constantly. Some
highlight the region the product is from or the production method used;
others cover issues such as the environment or animal welfare. They
offer benefits to consumers who are able to make informed purchasing
decisions, while producers are able to charge a higher price for these
value-added products. read
more
27 February 2007: The European
Commission's Environment Directorate-General has published a call for
tenders for a study on the long-term effects of genetically modified
(GM) crops on health, biodiversity and the environment. read
more
26 February 2007: At their recent annual
meeting in San Francisco, California, the American Association for the
Advancement of Sciences (AAAS) handed this year’s science journalism
award in the “magazine reporting” category to freelance journalist
Craig Canine. Canine had described ongoing efforts to build a “better
banana” in a feature story which appeared in Smithsonian magazine. The
EU’s role in supporting CARBAP in Africa to find new varieties of
bananas, which are a major source of food intake in developing
countries, were highlighted. read
more
26 February 2007: A seminar to
discuss the research needs for the sustainable production of palm oil
will take place on 5 March in Paris, France
. read
more
22 February 2007: The EU recently
funded a project that will study the processes that cause food to lose
its nutritional value as it travels from the farm to the supermarket.
The research will be headed by experts from The Scottish Crop Research
Institute (SCRI) in Dundee, and is supported by a grant totalling €3.7
million. Once fruit and vegetables are harvested, the concentration of
beneficial nutrients begins to steadily decline, and the recently
funded project is aimed at understanding ways to stem that loss. read
more
22 February 2007: A conference on
the latest agrifood technologies will take place on 22 and 23 March in
Montpellier, France . read
more
21 February 2007: A pressure group
plans to legally challenge the UK
's Food Standards Agency (FSA) over its alleged failure to act over
imports of illegal GM rice. read
more
20 February 2007: Although we rely
on food packaging materials to protect our food and keep it fresh until
we are ready to eat it, the additives contained in plastic, paper,
glass and carton packaging can migrate into foods. read
more
20 February 2007: The EU's
agriculture commissioner has promised to establish a framework within
which the organic food sector can develop to its full potential. read
more
16 February
2007: The UK 's food standards agency is planning a
comprehensive review of EU labelling at its annual board meeting this
morning. read
more
16 February
2007: Further proposals on revising the
UK
's meat inspection system will be
debated tomorrow at a meeting of the Food Standards Agency's (FSA)
board of directors. read
more
16 February
2007: The UK has published its first industry good
hygiene practice guide, part of a series intended to help manufacturers
comply with new EU-wide regulations on food safety. read
more
15 February 2007: A new
collaboration between Australian and New Zealand
food safety authorities is to target high levels of unhealthy saturated
fats within their national diets. read
more
12 February 2007: EFSA has met with
the four member states currently involved in GM environmental risk
assessments in order to discuss the development of an EU-wide approach.
read
more
9 February 2007: Quality will be
key to a strong European food sector, agriculture commissioner Mariann
Fischer Boel told a Brussels conference on food quality certification
yesterday. read
more
9 February 2007: Representatives of
regulators in the EU's 27 members begin a two-day meeting today to
discuss common proposed projects on food safety issues, data
collection, folic acid supplementation, and fees for mandatory risk
assessments. read
more
8 February 2007: Greenpeace
presents petition demanding GM labelling. Lobby group wants tougher EU
labelling requirements for food products derived from animals fed with
genetically modified food. read
more
7 February 2007: Quality will be
key to a strong European food sector, agriculture commissioner Mariann
Fischer Boel told a Brussels conference on food quality certification
yesterday. read
more
7 February 2007: The UK
's Institute of Food Science & Technology has published an updated
information statement on salt and salt reduction - one of the hottest
topics in the food industry at the moment. read
more
01 February 2007: A UK-government
research study on the environmental impacts of food production casts
doubt on commonly held opinions, such as claims that organics are
greener than conventionally-grown produce or that preserved products
have less of a effect than frozen ones. read
more
31 January 2007: The European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA) has established the maximum daily human intake
for Bisphenol A or BPA, a chemical found in many household plastics. read
more
31 January 2007: Asia to drive
growth of GMO crops in next 10 years. India
replaces China as the world's
top grower of genetically modified cotton - ISAAA report. read
more
30 January 2007: Juices containing
100% fruit and vegetable can help to reduce the risk factors related to
cancer and coronary heart disease, according to a UK
study published in the International Journal of Food Science and
Nutrition. read
more
29 January 2007: European farmers are lagging
behind the rest of the world in terms of access to agricultural
biotechnology, according to the president of the European Federation of
Biotechnology. read
more
29 January 2007: The presence of low-level
formaldehyde in gelling agents like carrageenans and alginates does not
pose a threat to human health, the European Food Standards Authority
(EFSA) has reported. read
more
29 January 2007: One in six broiler flocks in Germany
is infected with salmonella, according to a pilot survey by the
country's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR). read
more
26 January 2007: LOCAL farmers are
producing genetically modified (GM) crops at a world-beating rate, with
the area under cultivation up 180% last year to 1,4-million hectares
from 500000ha in 2005, farmers' union Agri SA said yesterday. This
ranks SA as the world's eighth-biggest producer of these crops. SA's
rate of increase is second only to India
's, which has reported a 192% year-on-year rise. GM crops in SA remain
controversial, despite enabling legislation in terms of which food
safety and environmental health is controlled. read
more
26 January 2007: Signs that EU milk
quotas have outlived their usefulness grew stronger this week after the
bloc’s agriculture commissioner openly criticised the system in front
of industry officials. read
more
25 January 2007: The European
Commission has adopted the EU agriculture minister's proposals to shake
up the bloc's fruit and vegetable sector. read
more
25 January 2007: The US Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) has published a proposed rule to define the term
‘gluten-free’ for use on food labels. read
more
23 January 2007: The European
commissioner for agriculture has outlined the sectors targeted for
reform in 2007. read
more
23 January 2007: A review of UK
food safety laws for meat processing plants could end up with companies
paying more for inspections. read
more
18 January 2007: Despite bread
being a staple of the European diet for millennia, determining the
grain quality of its ingredients is still not an exact science. Taste
and personal preferences aside, the quality of the bread we eat can be
frustratingly difficult to establish. A quality control team can be
effective at eliminating substandard wheat grains, for example, based
on visual defects; it is quite a different story, however, to determine
internal composition. Two European small and medium-sized enterprises
(SMEs) have come together in a Eureka project to develop technology for
an improved grain-sorting system using infrared light to analyse grain
quality. read
more
18 January 2007: There will be no
special measures to cover food products from cloned animals in the EU,
member states have agreed, following news the offspring of a cloned cow
was growing up in the UK . read
more
18 January 2007: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has
launched its consultation regarding the implementation of EU directives
in England on food additives
other than colours and sweeteners and sweeteners for use in foodstuffs.
read
more
18 January 2007: The European
Commission has lifted extra controls on imports of US
corn products for unauthorised genetically modified material, claiming
that these are no longer necessary. read
more
16 January 2007: EU environment
ministers will rekindle Europe's simmering row on genetically modified
(GMO) foods next month when they tackle three different strands of the
debate, including whether to authorize a "live" biotech crop. read
more
15 January 2007: Food safety scares
could result in a long lasting impact on purchasing decisions, with new
research revealing that 15 percent of consumers stop eating a product
entirely after a food safety incident. read
more
15 January 2007: Officials in the
EU and New Zealand have
agreed on a common strategy for maintaining meat and dairy exports in
the event of a serious animal disease outbreak. read
more
15 January 2007: The European
Commission plans to review the EU's new hygiene laws to determine
whether further amendments are needed to strengthen provisions related
to meat inspection, gela
