Health

Danone, Synergy Flavors and LoSalt speak to Food Manufacture about reformulation. Credit: Top - Danone/Bottom - Synergy Flavors

Feature

Food and drink reformulation: the story so far

By Bethan Grylls

Accelerated by the health-conscious consumer and new UK rules, food and drink producers have been working hard to reformulate their recipes. But what have been the obstacles in their way, is there any benefit to these tweaks, and will it help curb obesity?

The Food Manufacture team headed to Frankfurt to find out the latest trends from FiE 2023. Bottom picture credit: Fi Europe

Long read

F&B trends emerging from FiE

By Bethan Grylls

Plant-based applications with high protein claims were among the key trends at FiE 2023 which took place last week in Frankfurt, Germany.

What does the future hold for alternative proteins? Food Manufacture finds out... Credit: Getty/DronG

Feature

What’s next for the alternative protein market?

By Bethan Grylls

The alternative protein market is going through a reckoning typical of any major innovation that requires big changes in behaviour – here’s what two experts believe will happen next…

Independent drinks brand Flawsome! tells its start-up story. Credit: Getty/andresr

Q&A

Life as a start-up

By Bethan Grylls

In this exclusive Q&A, the founders of ‘wonky’ drink company Flawsome! disclose the ups and downs of their journey, how it all began and what’s next.

Barbara Bray chaired this year's IFST spring conference

Long read

Transforming the food system and where to start

By Bethan Grylls

At this year’s IFST spring conference, the discussion centred on ‘taming the perfect storm’ of food security, health and nutrition, and the environment – but where do we even begin in the face of such a ferocious gale? Bethan Grylls covers the highlights...

Food processing is here to stay. Credit: Getty / AleksandarGeorgiev

Long read

Creating a defence for food processing

By Ronan Gormley

Ronan Gormley of the University College Dublin summarises the key takeaways of the recent EFFoST conference, as experts took to the floor to debate food processing in relation to health, perception and sustainability.

Credit: Getty / JLGutierrez

Feature

Does anyone know what sustainability means anymore?

By Bethan Grylls

The meaning of sustainability has evolved to encompass a whole host of other focuses. Do we need to untangle these once separate issues, or are we all responsible in delivering to this new meaning of sustainability?

How strong is your supply chain? Credit: Getty / The_Lycan

Long read

Creating safe and secure food supply chains

By Bethan Grylls

Bethan Grylls summarises the key takeaways from our series of fireside chats presented earlier this week, sponsored by RSSL, as five food and drink leaders lend their expertise on maintaining and working towards a more secure, safer food and drink system....

If we are to deliver on Net Zero we need a clear plan. Credit: Getty / Abstract Aerial Art

Long read

We need to be climate literate

By Bethan Grylls

Sustainability strategies permeate the air as copiously as the greenhouse gases that pollute our atmosphere, so why aren’t we on track to hit 2050 Net Zero targets?

Nimisha Raja pictured (centre) at the Food Manufacture Excellence Awards

Interview

Winning at FMEAs and how it helped boost business

By Bethan Grylls

With the Food Manufacturing Awards nearing, Food Manufacture caught up with one of our previous winners to find out more about their story, how their business is faring and what impact the awards had...

Potassium report: the potential benefits ‘outweigh’ the risks

Potassium report welcomed by salt lobby group

By Noli Dinkovski

A report that concluded using potassium-based salt replacers instead of sodium in food would have a positive impact on public health has been welcomed by lobby group Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH).

Young scientists are being put off starting careers in nutrition research

UK nutrition research faces ‘potential’ crisis

By Noli Dinkovski

Nutrition research in the UK is facing a “potential crisis” and needs to have more food industry involvement if it is going to offer real benefit to people’s health, a new review has claimed.

Oban Fish Selling Co Ltd was fined £13,500 for the offences

Fish processor to pay £15,000 for hygiene offences

By Matt Atherton

Fish processor Oban Fish Selling Co Ltd has been ordered to pay more than £15,000 for food hygiene offences, after inspectors found cigarette ends in food storage areas, and inadequate food safety management procedures.

Who should pay for nutrition research, asks Food Manufacture editor Rick Pendrous?

So, who should pay for nutrition research?

By Rick Pendrous

Concern is growing that the science underpinning nutrition is being attacked by some public health researchers and lobbyists who refuse to accept a role for industry in commissioning nutrition research, regardless of any controls put in place to ensure...

Personalised nutrition works: Professor John Mathers

Innovation Conference

Personalised nutrition ‘really works’: new research

By Rick Pendrous

New EU research shows that diets targeted at an individual’s specific needs –personalised nutrition – can improve health more than general nutrition advice, but the results are not improved by honing that advice based on people's phenotype (physiological...

Nestlé ended the sponsorship deal on fears the association may have damaged its reputation

Nestlé decision sparks sports sponsorship row

By Michael Stones

Food and drink manufacturing giant Nestlé has sparked controversy by ending its sponsorship deal with the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), after the organisation became mired in both corruption and doping allegations.

Holland & Barrett's free-from store openings has helped it boost sales and profit

Health trend boosts Holland & Barrett sales and profit

By Laurence Gibbons

Health and wellness specialist Holland & Barrett International has a reported a rise in sales of 11.7% and profits of 12.2% in its full financial year, as a result of enhanced consumer awareness and spending on health, the firm claimed.

Health benefits of curcumin

The benefits of curcumin explained

The health benefits of bioavailable curcumin, a food-grade supplement, were highlighted in a seminar at Vitafoods Europe in Geneva by OmniActive Health Technologies last month.

Families with young children have the least healthy shopping baskets

Tesco to use nutrient profiles to target health

By Rick Pendrous

Tesco plans to use the average nutrient profiles of food within its shoppers’ baskets as a means of informing its future new product development (NPD) and providing targeted healthy eating advice and marketing strategies.

The report argues that waste food redistribution needs better coordination

Government must appoint food security coordinator

By Rod Addy

The government must appoint a food security coordinator to spearhead efforts to redistribute waste food to needy UK consumers, according to an Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee report.

The food industry must shout about its impact on health, says Whitlock

Oxford Farming Conference

Promote health benefits or risk political sidelining

By Laurence Gibbons

The food industry must promote about its health benefits or risk being sidelined in the lead-up to the General Election in May, according to the chairman of the Oxford Farming Conference.

Brainwave contains green tea extract, which is claimed to boost cognitive health

Help fight dementia, food and drink industry urged

By Nicholas Robinson

The fight against the rise of dementia in the UK could be helped if functional food and drink manufacturers did more to promote good brain health, an industry leader has claimed.

Young and temporary workers are at risk in factories over the summer

Pay extra attention to safety of summer workers

By Laurence Gibbons

Food manufacturers have been warned to pay extra attention to young and temporary workers hired for summer work, as they are more likely to be injured at work than experienced employees.

Professor Graham MacGregor said the Public Health Responsibility Deal may not be dead but it does need intensive care

CASH boss slams government health campaigns

By Rick Pendrous

The government’s voluntary Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD) may not yet be dead, but it is clearly in need of intensive care, according to the chairman of Consensus Action on Salt & Health (CASH) Professor Graham MacGregor.

Without tougher legislation, childhood obesity will worsen, say experts

Government under pressure as obesity rises

By Rick Pendrous

Mounting calls for Britain's food and drink manufacturers to be more closely regulated to cap the levels of salt, fat and sugar in their products are likely to lead to a government consultation to delay making any difficult decisions before the next...

Health minister Anna Soubry: 'I'm not a food fascist … I’m never going to say to anybody ‘you should not eat this’

Health minister urges food industry action to avoid regulation

By Rick Pendrous

Health minister Anna Soubry has put the food and drink industry on notice that the government would be prepared to regulate on food’s salt, fat and sugar content if further progress is not made to stem the growing obesity epidemic afflicting the UK, which...

Two new awards from the British Nutrition Foundation aim to benefit the science of nutrition

Nutrition science receives a financial boost

By Rick Pendrous

The science of nutrition is set to benefit from two new awards from the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF), which will support newly appointed lecturers and researchers and those demonstrating excellence in the communication of the subject.

Many minor incidents are unreported

Stop the slide

By Paul Gander

With the Health and Safety Executive facing cuts to its budget, what will be the impact on the industry's safety record? Asks Paul Gander

Guilty as charged? You decide

Asda boss in PR gaffe: when radio interviews turn nasty

By Mike Stones

A BBC Radio 4 Today programme interview took an unexpected turn this week after an Asda public relations boss admitted to presenter James Naughtie that two out of three Asda checkouts were “guilty” of tempting mums to buy sweets for children.

BNF launches online nutrition and health training for SMEs

New plan to raise food manufacturers’ nutritional skills

By Rick Pendrous

Small- and medium-sized (SME) food and drink firms will be able to raise the level of nutritional skills within their businesses, following the launch of online nutrition training courses by the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF).

Nestlé acquired Pfizer in a £7.35bn deal

Nestlé beats Danone to Pfizer baby-food takeover

By Freddie Dawson

KitKat maker Nestlé has beaten rival manufacturer Danone in the takeover battle for baby-food business Pfizer Nutrition after agreeing an offer of £7.35bn ($11.85bn) for the firm.

Public health role for food industry

Public health role for food industry

By Rick Pendrous

The food industry must get much more closely involved in public health issues if we are to deal with the problems of obesity the nation faces, the co-chair of the government’s food Public Health Responsibility Deal (PHRD) Network has argued.

If nudging people towards healthier lifestyles fails, it should be replaced by legislaton, warns a cross-party group of MPs

Public Health Responsibility Deal ‘no silver bullet’

By Mike Stones

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has welcomed comments from the Health Select Committee about the government’s Public Health Responsibility Deal describing the plan as “no silver bullet” to tackle obesity.

Is the government's obesity Call to Action sound sense or

Manufacturers come out fighting in obesity row

By Dan Colombini

Food firms have rejected criticisms that the industry is failing to combat obesity after the government’s framework to tackle the problem drew flack from campaign groups.

Spotlight

Chief executive Chris Ormrod will continue to head up the business. Credit: Cakesmiths Cakesmiths to become part of rebranded Onore Food Group The impacted batch of stuffing mix has now been taken out of circulation. Credit: Getty / DronG Tesco recalls stuffing mix because of possible presence of moths The Food and drink industry is the four fastest adopter of AI tech in the UK. Image: Getty, Da-Kuk Food industry fourth fastest adopter of AI tech in UK Cold store workers have previously suffered from serious injuries such as frostbite. Credit: Getty / bluecinema New guidance issued to protect food workers in extreme cold conditions The manufacturer installed solar panels at its facility as part of the project. Credit: Beacon Foods Beacon Foods completes £6m expansion project, installs 1,428 solar panels

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