Breaking News on Food and Beverage in Asia Pacific

Low-fat foods drive emulsifiers, other ingredients

Food ingredients that are key to low-fat foods are seeing the fastest growth in their sectors as the health and wellbeing trend continues, finds a new report.

Trans-fats harm mechanism proposed

Trans fatty acids (TFA), an enfant terrible of the food industry, may promote cardiovascular disease by triggering inflammatory processes in the cells lining blood vessels, American scientists report.

Danisco sponsors research on dietary fibres

Food ingredients, sugar and industrial bioproducts firm Danisco is sponsoring a professorship in healthy dietary fibres, which could help to develop foods with health-promoting benefits.

News briefs: Kraft Foods and Fonterra

This week, Kraft posts a slight rise in first quarter sales, while Fonterra gets Vatican approval to expand its presence in South America.

Desire for satiating breakfasts opens doors for soy

Consumers increasingly seek filling breakfasts that release energy slowly, expanding opportunities for manufacturers of soy products, according to US-based Solae.

Pectin gels offer low-fat cheese possibilities

Pectin gels improved the taste and texture of low-fat cheese, says research from China that may offer interesting possibilities for mayonnaise formulators.

DSM results vindicate 'strategic vision'

DSM has turned in a strong first quarter, with its Nutrition cluster registering 18 per cent year-on-year growth despite a weak US dollar and rising raw materials costs.

Mars-Wrigley merger creates world's largest confectionery player

Leading global confectioners Mars and the Wrigley have announced that they will merge, creating what Bill Wrigley called 'the world's leading confectionery company'.

Export bans would further fuel food crisis

Countries should not use export bans to cope with the current food crisis as it would place further strains of the global situation, said the World Bank.

Record world wheat production forecast in 2008/09

The International Grains Council (IGC) and Rabobank Group, a specialist in food and agribusiness banking, forecast that the prospect of a record world wheat harvest in 2008/09 could help to reduce wheat prices on global markets.

Weekly comment

No quick fix to the food price crisis

The food crisis is neither new nor sudden. The several underlying causes have been independently, steadily gathering speed and have collided in a perfect storm not seen for generations. It is going to take a coordinated, long-term effort to untangle them.

Texture of low-fat ice cream boosted by prebiotics

The prebiotic inulin may enhance the texture of probiotic ice-cream, resulting in a potentially health friendly summer snack, according to new research.

Omega-3 and bipolar disorders: Jurys still out

More well-designed studies are required before any conclusions can be drawn on the benefits of omega-3 for people with bipolar disorders, University of Oxford researchers have reported after reviewing the literature.

Cargill cranks up European operations with Polish expansion

Ingredients firm Cargill yesterday completed the expansion of its Polish wheat processing facility, designed to meet consumer demand across the European bloc.

Solae introduces new uses for soy in CEE

Solae is seeking to build sales of its soy ingredients in Central and Eastern Europe by spearheading applications that are new to the market, such as dairy and meat replacement and nutrition bars.

Season lightly for nutrient-rich tomatoes

Differences between salt and fresh water organisms does not usually extend to land plants, but Italian researchers report that watering tomatoes with diluted seawater can boost their nutrient content.

UK firm takes soft approach to wholegrains

A new range of softer wholegrains do not need pre-soaking and so the 'hard bite' texture often associated with grain products is eliminated, the manufacturer claims.

Additive-free tops beverage claim list

Preservative and additive free knocked low sugar off the top spot of leading beverage claims in 2007, according to the Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD).

Syngenta sowing seeds to meet full-year sales growth

Syngenta expects to exceed its sales estimates for the 2008 fiscal year after a strong first quarter for its operations globally.

Weekly Comment

The dangers of selective science

Antioxidants are back under the microscope for all the wrong reasons. But the use of meta-analyses to pool data is controversial, and scientists need to keep perspective before publishing conclusions.

Yellow kiwifruit may boost immune health: study

A puree from gold kiwifruit may enhance the immune response by promoting the production of antibodies in mice, suggests a new study from the home of the fruit.

Asian countries clamp down on rice trade

The rapidly rising price of rice continues to cause concern at government, industry and consumer level this week, as the Philippines has sought to buy in supplies, Indonesia has implemented a ban on overseas sales, and US rice futures reached an all-time high.

Natural rice bran extracts could tap healthy cookie market

Antioxidant-rich extracts from rice bran may extend the shelf-life and improve the nutritive profile of cookies, suggests new research from Pakistan.

Wellness and sustainability 'enhance' Cognis results

Cognis GmbH has turned in its annual results with sales up 4.3 per cent to €3.518bn across its three business units.

Syngenta to establish research base in China

Swiss biotech Syngenta is investing US$65m in the construction of a new biotech centre in China for to evaluate genetically-modified and native traits in soy and corn.

Peanuts and chocolate point to greater soy beverage potential

Greater acceptability for soy beverages could be achieved by formulating with peanut proteins and flavour masking with chocolate, suggests a new study from the US.

Chalk-based dairy packaging enters home market

A new packaging product produced from chalk by Swedish firm Ecolean has been launched in its home market after several successful years in China and Russia.

FAO forecasts cereal production increase

A 2.6 per cent increase in world cereal production in 2008 could help ease the current tight global cereal supply, according to forecasts by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).

Canola protein shows anti-diabetes potential

Substituting milk proteins for proteins from rapeseed (canola) could delay the onset of insulin resistance and protect against diabetes, suggests a new study with rats.

Indian herbal provides food hydrogel advance

The production of stable, cross-linked hydrogels could be possible by using the well-known Indian herbal genipin, suggest Indian researchers.

Americhem targets cross-industry pack innovation

Americhem, a manufacturer of encapsulated additives for the packaging industry, has opened a new research centre it claims will allow food and beverage processors to adapt technologies from other industries into their own products.

Pectin replaces gum arabic for better beverage stability: study

Replacing gum Arabic with low levels of pectin can lead to more stable orange beverage emulsions, suggests new research from Malaysia.

Danisco consolidates Shanghai operations

Danish ingredients group Danisco today inaugurated a new application and research facility in China, which the firm hopes will help it further expand operations in an "important growth area".

Sustainable labels planned for global beverage brands

Plans for a new global system to measure and record the carbon footprint of beverages on their packaging labels is being launched at the InnoBev Global Soft Drinks Congress in Moscow today.

Global consumer conscience to boost fair-trade sales

Increased consumer sensitivity to ethical shopping will send the UK fair-trade market rocketing to over £800m (€1,000m) by 2012, according to a new report.

Agri-groups are fighting anti-child labor bill, group warns

A US advocacy organization has accused commodity companies Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) and Cargill of lobbying against a bill that would protect against child labor practices in supply countries.

Potatoes seen as 'food of the future'

Potatoes, and ingredients derived from the crop, are set to experience growing demand as cereal prices continue to soar.

Sime Darby plans major investment in oils and fats

Malaysian multinational Sime Darby is to channel €34m into expanding its value-added oils and fats presence in Europe, including upgrading its existing Unimills facility and setting up new palm oil facilities.

Fytexia pushes into Chinese market

French supplier Fytexia has launched three specialty ingredients on the Chinese market in a bid to tap into the growing numbers consuming food supplements in the world's fastest growing economy.

Weekly comment

HFCS and the battle for natural

It is hard for food companies not to get drawn into the temptation of using attractive label claims that may be shrouded by a veil of doubt. But the real risk comes when the 'if you don't know, don't ask' question is finally answered.

Leatherhead proposes green tea research project

Leatherhead Food International is looking for industry collaboration in research into how to maximise absorption of green tea from food products.

Ocean Spray goes for Asian bakery market

Ocean Spray is continuing to push into the Asia-Pacific bakery market with a new partnership with Taiwan-based baker ChiaTe, the company announced yesterday.

More water better health: Where's the proof? Scientists ask

There remains insufficient clinical evidence either way to back claims that increased consumption of water can grant additional health benefits to consumers, a group of scientists have claimed.

Profits remain flat for Barry Callebaut

Barry Callebaut today said profits for the first half of the year remained stable as high input and expansion costs offset overall sales volume increases for the Switzerland-based firm.

US dairy industry to rethink export plans

The US dairy industry is having to change its attitudes towards export markets, amidst growing international demand for both finished products and ingredients, an industry organization has said.

Monsanto claims immunity from commodity flux

Monsanto says it is poised for major growth over the next five years irrespective of commodity prices and other issues that are affecting the financial results of other companies in the agriculture sector.

Naturex targets margin growth after year of consolidation

Naturex is targeting an operating margin of 11 per cent in 2008 as its acquisitions of Chart and Berkem's Actifs Innovants yield profits, but it will take longer to turn loss-making Hammer Pharma into a positive contributor.

News briefs: ADM, Hershey and Sweet China

In recent confectionery news, ADM reshuffles its management team, Hershey launches a new premium line to try and boost its US market share, and Sweet China reports a quarterly profit loss.

China makes non-spread GM rice

Genetically modified rice that can be killed if it accidentally spreads to conventional fields has been developed by a team of Chinese scientists.