A UN food expert has charged the food industry with playing a key role in global obesity, saying that unhealthy food products, harmful marketing, and misguided agricultural subsidies have led to a public health disaster.
PepsiCo is aiming strike back at Coca-Cola with it mid-calorie ‘NEXT’ cola launch at the end of March, after the latter’s Diet Coke brand pulled ahead of Pepsi-Cola in 2010, but the move carries risks, according to a Datamonitor analyst.
Flavour ingredients house Senomyx has hinted at PepsiCo’s interest in its work on developing an enhancer to reduce high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) levels in beverages and foods by up to 33%.
General Mills has filed a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit accusing it of presenting products that were “little better than candy” as “healthful and nutritious”.
The inventor of 'breathable' caffeine shot AeroShot Energy says he has barely scratched the surface when it comes to potential applications for the novel delivery format.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aiming to publish a proposed rule to reform the Nutrition Facts panel and related rules by the end of this year, somewhat later than originally expected.
Clarisoy, the invisible protein developed by Burcon and commercialized by ADM, will be available in commercial quantities by the summer, ADM has revealed.
A combination of soy milk with guar gum, xanthan gum and select emulsifiers could produce low-fat, low-cholesterol mayonnaise that ‘closely matches’ commercial full-fat alternatives, suggests new research.
Most Americans do not support taxes on sugar-sweetened drinks, according to the results of a new survey published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
Industry groups have reiterated their position that sugar is fine in moderation, after a provocative commentary in the journal Nature this week called for regulating sugar like alcohol or cigarettes, arguing that it is just as toxic for the body.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published regulations governing US school meal programmes that will eliminate low-fat flavoured milk from reimbursable meal options for children.
Hawaiian governor Neil Abercrombie has said he won’t push for a soda tax this year – but he will establish a task force intended to reduce Hawaiians’ consumption of sugary beverages and try to find a solution to childhood obesity.
Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick has proposed eliminating a sales tax exemption on soda and candy in the state as part of the state’s 2013 budget, and plough extra taxes raised into public health programs.
Goya Foods has joined Michelle Obama to provide Spanish language, Hispanic-flavored nutrition resources centered on the MyPlate icon, or MiPlato, as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative.
Almost four out of 10 product development projects for US food manufacturers developed by McCormick & Co last year were on “flavor solutions that feature all-natural ingredients, reduced sodium, lower calorie and other healthy attributes”, its chief...
Color-coded labeling and rearranging products in-store could lead consumers to make healthier choices, according to a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers.
The US-based Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has taken shock tactics to consumers by posting two huge billboards in New York warning of what it claims are the obesity-related dangers of eating cheese.
Capsaicin, the main pungent compound in hot peppers, and capsiates, non-pungent compounds in sweet peppers, show ‘modest’ weight management potential, says a new meta-analysis from Purdue University.
Reflecting on a successful last year in research terms, US Dairy Research Institute (DRI) president Gregory Miller told Dairy Reporter.com about the key challenges facing the industry in 2012.
An optical illusion documented by Belgian philosopher Franz Joseph Delboeuf in the 1860s could help to explain why smaller plates could help us battle the bulge, according to a new study.
Ethical production claims such as ‘fair trade’ may influence how consumers perceive calorie content, according to new research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
Scientists claim to have discovered a fatty taste receptor in humans, which could make people more or less sensitive to the fat content of food and influence food preference, according to a new study published in the Journal of Lipid Research.
The number of obese adults in the United States declined slightly in 2011, according to a new Gallup poll, from 26.6% of the population in 2010 to 26.1%.
The US weight loss products industry is expected to grow 4.5% in 2012 to $65bn, as an increasingly overweight population looks to shift some of the extra pounds gained through recession comfort eating, according to market research organization Marketdata...
A penny-per-ounce tax on sugary soft drinks would ‘substantially reduce obesity, diabetes and heart disease amongst US adults’, according to a new study by academics at Columbia University.
Sucralose may not raise levels of blood sugar or increase the likelihood of insulin resistance, according to the results of a new study published in the journal Nutrition Research, comparing the body’s response to sucralose and sucrose.
Better defining the relationship between chemical structure and digestibility of under-used natural sugars could help industry to produce a new generation of “designer” sweeteners, say researchers.
Calorie consumption alone is responsible for increase in body fat, whilst protein intake may contribute to changes in energy expenditure, according to new research.
Lawmakers have requested a cost-benefit analysis of proposed voluntary guidelines for restricting foods marketed to children, as part of a congressional spending bill.
Kellogg might have been outpacing rivals in the cereals category in the first three quarters but its volumes have started to drop off again and it remains under pressure thanks to “weak fundamentals”, according to a new report.
There is strong evidence that childhood obesity prevention strategies are beneficial for reducing bodyweight in overweight children, particularly those aged six to 12, according to a new Cochrane Review.
Taxing food manufacturers on caloric sweeteners added to foods would be more effective for reducing their consumption than taxing finished sugary foods and drinks, according to new research published in Contemporary Economic Policy.
A third of high school students eat vegetables less often than once a day, putting them at risk of developing a range of chronic illnesses and cancers, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Losing or maintaining weight clearly involves taking responsibility for food and lifestyle choices – but creating a healthier environment could help more people do just that.
The food environment in which most of us live makes it ‘almost impossible’ to lose weight – and willpower is not enough to counter it, according to a new paper published in the journal Public Health Nutrition.
A diet high in fibre – but not necessarily one low in saturated fat or cholesterol – is associated with lower risks of heart disease and type-2 diabetes in teenagers, according to new findings.
Women who drink two or more sugary beverages a day may be more likely to develop risk factors for heart disease – regardless of body weight, according to new research due to be presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions on Wednesday.
Manipulation of food texture combined with greater control of the spatial distribution of sucrose could help to design foods that meet the demand for healthier low-sugar products, according to new research.
The number of new products launched in the US market featuring the term ‘diet’ in the brand or product name has plummeted in the last five years as weight conscious shoppers seek out more positive messages, according to market researchers.
Cooking may increase the energetic availability of food, meaning that energy assessment for food labeling could depend on how a product is prepared, according to new research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).
The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans put industry interests before public health, claim two Harvard public health professors writing in the New England Journal of Medicine.
A new report by a leading US research organisation has criticised leading soft drinks producers such as PepsiCo, Coke and Dr Pepper for aggressively marketing high sugar products to children and teens.
Scientific reviews of the evidence linking sugary drink consumption with health impacts such as obesity and type-2 diabetes are often of low quality, claim the authors of a new paper published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Skyrocketing obesity rates coupled with a growing demand for convenience have continued to drive healthy growth in the meal replacement market throughout the recession, with sales set to rise 9.3% to $2.2bn in 2011, according to a new report from IBISWorld.
Consumer groups have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) against PepsiCo and its subsidiary Frito-Lay, claiming that it uses deceptive and unfair marketing techniques to attract teenage customers.
A new US study has found ‘little evidence’ to support previously reported research suggesting that an increased intake of calcium from either calcium carbonate or dairy sources assists in weight loss or weight management.
