The herb kava kava is to remain banned in both medicinal and food
products in the UK, following a review of the latest scientific
evidence weighing its reputed benefits for alleviating anxiety and
inducing sleep against the risk of...
Germany remains a world giant in the packaging material and machine
sector, with a high demand, especially for plastics, about to reach
record levels according to a new report.
The UK's food and drink manufacturers and retailers will come under
more pressure to recycle more and cut the amount of waste they
produce, according to an Environment Agency report.
The European Commission today proposed drastic measures to
safeguard cod stocks in the Baltic Sea, which could lead to a
supply problem -- and higher prices -- for processors.
The UK's food regulator has published a draft law for quick-frozen
foodstuffs, amending existing requirements on sampling procedures
and official methods of temperatures analysis.
The EU is providing €7.5m toward a three-year project to develop
and extend the use of radio frequency identification (RFID)
technology in a range of industries, including the food and drink
sector.
A new Which? report on cereal nutrition, has found many popular
breakfast cereals including those for the more health conscious
palette to be high in salts, sugars, and fat.
Manufacturers managed to reduce the relative cost of reimbursing
retailers for unsaleable goods in 2005, indicating they may have
turned a corner in combatting a $2bn problem.
A test in France of radio frequency identification (RFID)
technology to track products throughout the supply chain achieves
almost full read rates, its manufacturer claims.
Food companies and administrative bureaucrats attempting to dodge
the EU's laws better watch out - the bloc's fraud and corruption
watchdog is on their trail.
Ireland's National Committee on Folic Acid Fortication today
recommended that most white, brown and wholemeal breads sold in the
country be fortificed with 120 micrograms of folic acid per 100g of
bread in a bid to reduce incidence...
Business failure in the UK food retail, plastics and rubber
industries has increased dramatically in the first half of 2006,
according to a report published by credit checking group Experian.
A new bacon-processing factory has started operating in BurySt
Edmunds, Suffolk, providing an example of what processors can
achieve when given a chance to design from the ground up.
The effects of avian influenza on Romania's poultry sectorprovides
a high-profile case study for the rest of Europe on how the
viruscould affect both the supply of the meat and consumers'
demand.
The UK's Home Grown Cereals Association (HGCA) have announced that
cereal plantings in Great Britain have grown, in a report that
spells good news for UK bread wheat exporters.
With the EU's fish stocks under threat of depletion, the European
Commission this week said it will propose reducing catches in a bid
to restore supplies to sustainable levels.
The UK's Competition Commission will investigate the proposed
acquisition by Pan Fish of Marine Harvest, due to concerns that the
creation of the world's largest producer of farmed salmon may
result in increased prices.
The US cattle association is calling for further restrictions on
beef from Canada, after regulators there confirmed a testing
program had found the country's eight case of bovine spongiform
encephalopathy (BSE).
Eating a Mediterranean diet with extra nuts or olive oil is
significantly better for heart health than a low-fat diet, says a
"landmark" clinical trial from Spain.
Italy's bid to prop up its ailing poultry sector, hit by a drop in
demand due to avian influenza, may have gone too far, the European
Commission said yesterday.
The UK's food safety regulator says it will use more social science
studies to determine priorities for reducing foodborne illness,
increasing healthy eating and targeting enforcement measures.
Polyphenols from cereals could restore the immune system function
and could potentially extend lifespan, suggests an animal study
from French and Spanish researchers.
MGP Ingredients is set to start full production of its fibre
enhancement product FiberRite RW, which has so far been available
in limited supply during a period of market testing, said the firm.
Germany's Mikro-Technik is set to expand distribution of its
functional wheat and bamboo fibres and powdered cellulose products
in the North American market, thanks to an exclusive agreement with
SunOpta.
A newly identified enzyme can break down gluten molecules before
they reach the small intestine, Dutch researchers have shown, and
may offer hope for the management of coeliac disease using oral
supplements.
The cost of transporting foods and other products are set to rise
in France and Spain, if the two countries heed an decision against
their discounted road tolls, published yesterday by the European
Commission.
The EU Commission yesterday published its outline of a common
transport policy for the bloc, promising companies supply chain
savings and increased efficiency in cross-border trade.
Leading oilseed producer Bunge has developed a new process to
incorporate protein into candy bars, which the company claims does
not have a negative impact on the product's texture and taste.
Cargill has developed a new fiber-rich ingredient that resembles a
rice crisp, targeting food makers' needs for pleasingly textured,
taste-free fiber ingredients in mainstream foods.
By increasing the oleic acid content in soybeans but keeping
linolenic levels low, researchers may have discovered a way to
lower the level of artery-clogging trans fats in products such as
cereals and energy bars.
While the EU Commission prepares to release new legal limits on the
levels of fusarium mycotoxins in unprocessed cereals, breakfast
cereals and bread next month, several UK organisations are trying
to educate farmers on how to minimize...