Hot Potato: Acrylamide concerns in New Zealand

02-May-2012 - A New Zealand report has found varied acrylamide concentrations in particular foods, with potato-based foods the worst offenders.

Sulphite safe foods in Australia?

30-Apr-2012 - ‘Nearly all’ Australian foods comply with authorised sulphite levels and this data will be used to compile dietary exposure estimates for Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ).

Clean label starch patent secured in Japan amid surging 'free-from' demand

23-Apr-2012 - National Starch has received a patent for its clean label starch technology in Japan, amid a surging demand for such ingredients across the country.

South African foods in NZ GE muddle

10-Apr-2012 - An anti-genetically engineered (GE) foods group in New Zealand is protesting infant and gluten-free products imported into the country from South Africa.

Substantial scope to reduce sodium in NZ processed foods: Study

10-Apr-2012 - New Zealand’s processed foods sector is contributing significantly to excessive salt intake in the country but there is substantial scope to reduce the sodium levels in these foods, a new study suggests.

Breaking news

Retract report, restore reputation or face legal action, Abbott tells CER

26-Mar-2012 - Infant formula maker Abbott Laboratories has demanded that CER Research retract the ‘utterly misleading’ and ‘false’ report suggesting one of its products fails to meet Chinese national standards and also take steps to restore Abbott’s reputation globally.

Breaking News - update

Abbott refutes ‘misleading’ infant formula breach allegations

22-Mar-2012 - Abbott Laboratories has scoffed at allegations that its infant formula product fails to meet Chinese national health standards, damning the findings as ‘misleading’ and reaffirming its product safety.

Salt-tolerant durum wheat to drive yields, Australia

15-Mar-2012 - Australian scientists have developed a salt-tolerant durum wheat variety that can increase yields by 25% in salty soils; the most significant environmental issue facing Australian agriculture today, according to CSIRO.

Indian push on enzyme production

09-Feb-2012 - A top agriculture expert has urged Indian scientists to increase their efforts towards locally developing enzymes and microbes for application in food and beverage processing.

New way to fingerprint manuka honey; findings may combat fraud

07-Feb-2012 - A team of New Zealand scientists recently reported that they have identified a unique marker molecule in manuka honey, which is believed to be associated with the honey’s unique antibacterial activity.

Indian food faces contamination problems, says survey

12-Jan-2012 - After the revelation that most of the milk sold in India is adulterated, there is a slight respite with a similar survey on food products, which found that a little more than 10% of such products were contaminated.

News in brief

Omega-sterol ingredient for diabetics received Australian patent

15-Dec-2011 - Israeli ingredients company, Enzymotec, has been granted a patent in Australia for its omega-3 sterol formulation, intended for use in functional foods for diabetics.

Emulsifier approved for Indonesian flavour applications

12-Dec-2011 - Singapore-based ingredients technology company, Compass Foods, has announced the legal approval of its emulsifier for use in flavour applications in the Indonesian market.

Australian consumer groups attack dairy colours use

08-Dec-2011 - A leading consumer advocate in Australia says milk product manufacturers in the region are using harmful colouring additives, despite knowing about their effects on children.

Use of toxic food colours in children foods rampant in India, says study

28-Nov-2011 - There is increasing use of prohibited food colours in food products consumed by children in India, a new study has suggested.

Australian company bets on cane flour

08-Nov-2011 - An Australian company has developed a way to turn sugarcane stalks into low-sugar, high-fibre, gluten-free flour, creating an unlikely health food segment and opening up another market for sugarcane growers.

Chinese noodles, with an essence of Norway

13-Oct-2011 - A Norwegian research project is underway to identify flavours from marine bioprospecting that could be used as a source for seafood flavouring in the Chinese noodle market.

Indian non-alcoholic beverage market to reach US$2.3bn by 2015

13-Oct-2011 - A new report from the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (ASSOCHAM) in India has said that Indian non-alcoholic beverages market would grow to US$2.3bn by 2015.

Raised expectations pressure Indian bread industry

10-Oct-2011 - Changing consumer patterns and cost pressures are dictating changes for the Indian bread industry, said industry experts and leaders last week.

Nielsen poll indicates global preference for natural food colours

06-Oct-2011 - Consumers globally prefer natural over artificial colours, claims a survey of 5,000 respondents in 10 countries worldwide that Chr. Hansen commissioned from consumer research group Nielsen.

Indian demand for reduced lactose on the rise, says Novozymes

04-Oct-2011 - Indian awareness of lactose intolerance is growing rapidly, leading consumers to seek reduced reduced lactose and lactose-free products without compromising on taste, according to a Novozymes South Asia executive.

News in brief

Biotropics Malaysia to release vegetable-based antioxidant for supplements

27-Sep-2011 - Biotropics Malaysia Berhad has developed a new vegetable-based ingredient with antioxidant activity established using the CAP-e cell-based antioxidant test, the company said.

News in brief

PepsiCo plans hub for healthy products

27-Sep-2011 - PepsiCo India will make its existing facility near Kolkata in the state of West Bengal a hub for making new products as it expands its portfolio of health and nutritious food products.

Thai distributor to launch its own ingredient for protein texture

26-Sep-2011 - Thai distribution company Rama Production Co. Ltd. has said it intends to launch its own ingredient for improved texture, binding and cost reductions in meat, seafood and bakery products, after more than 25 years in the food ingredient distribution business.