Functional foods & drinks

Asia-Pacific drives world growth in hemp-based foods

12-Sep-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Asia-Pacific is due to emerge as the leading market for hemp-based foods and sustain an annualised growth rate of over 23% until 2020.

Revealed: How Traditional Chinese Medicine plant compounds kill cancer cells

12-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

A complex mix of plant compounds derived from Traditional Chinese Medicine works to kill cancer cells, and researchers from Australia have shown how.

Decoding the secrets of Japan’s fucoidan-rich seaweed

12-Sep-2016 By Nathan Gray

Researchers have begun to decode the genetic secrets of mozuku, a famous fucoidan-rich Okinawan seaweed linked to health and longevity.

False claims risk undermining the Asia market for heart health products

07-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Global and local players in Asia’s heart health sector are adopting radically different strategies – but dubious health claims from some of the latter threaten to undermine the market, according to an industry analyst.

Vinegar a ‘promising functional food’ to combat Asia’s rising cases of type 2 diabetes

07-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Researchers in Singapore suggest vinegar could be a key functional ingredient to help fight the rising number of type 2 diabetes cases in the region.

Whey protein may provide benefits for Parkinson’s patients, finds Thai pilot study

07-Sep-2016 By Nathan GRAY

The first placebo-controlled study to test whey protein in people with Parkinson’s disease has found consumption may benefit certain biomarkers.

Popular but illegal: Legal certainty on the horizon for Tongkat ali extract?

06-Sep-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is seeking feedback on a novel food application for Tongkat ali extract, a process which could lift a formal EU ban on the ingredient which is being sold online regardless.

Can moringa, amla and turmeric spur India towards superfoods success?

05-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Indian manufacturers and suppliers can tap in to the latest wave of superfood trends both domestically and internationally by playing to the strengths of the country’s traditional ingredients.

Nestlé expert: Personalised weight management best way to tackle Asia’s obesity timebomb

05-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Asia has a chance to tackle obesity through a more personalised approach to weight management providing it avoids the mistakes made in the West where not enough attention was paid to the needs of the individual, according to Nestlé’s nutrition head.

Soaring seaweed demand raises environmental concerns for Asia

05-Sep-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Asia’s booming seaweed industry – buoyed by demand for nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, and antimicrobial products – needs to avoid the ecological and societal pitfalls experienced in agriculture and fish farming, according to a UN university institute.

UK-China probiotics centre plans GM research

02-Sep-2016 By Eliot Beer

The UK-China Joint Centre for Probiotics Research is focusing on specific probiotic applications, and plans to use GM techniques to engineer highly targeted microorganisms to fight specific pathogens.

Alkaline water brand could increase health benefits of milk powder

01-Sep-2016 By Australia

High-quality drinking water from Australia is being touted as a perfect companion product to help quench China’s thirst for “clean and green” infant milk powder.

Natural sweetener brazzein more ‘commercially viable’ thanks to Korean research

31-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Using yeast to churn out the fruit protein brazzein could enhance its commercial potential as a low calorie sweetener and aid the fight against obesity and diabetes, according to studies taking place in Korea.

a2 Milk Company to expand nutritional range amid soaring infant formula sales

31-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

New Zealand’s a2 Milk Company has signalled its intention to branch out from infant formula into a broader range of dairy-based nutritional products – with the burgeoning China market very much in its sights.

WutsupBaby’s line of infant and quinoa toddler cereals to cross the Pacific

31-Aug-2016 By Adi Menayang

Quinoa is what’s up in WutsupBaby’s line of infant and toddler cereals. It has won over East Asian consumers, reflected by its 10% revenue increase in the past 10 months. Now, the California-based company is ready to sell stateside.

Beetroot juice helps muscle recovery, but not through antioxidants

29-Aug-2016 By Eliot Beer

Drinking beetroot juice after exercise can reduce muscle pain and improve recovery, but does not improve real-world performance, according to a study also showing no benefit from antioxidants.

R&D tax boost for Gordagen ahead of US nutraceutical launch

25-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Australian nutraceutical firm Gordagen Pharmaceuticals is preparing to launch its heart health and endurance products in the US by the end of the year.

India’s omega-3 deficiency a potential ‘public health crisis’

23-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

India’s “shockingly low” level of EPA and DHA intake is storing up a potential health crisis, especially because life expectancy and therefore the rate of chronic illness is forecast to rise considerably over the coming decades.

India’s food trends: What’s hot and what's not

23-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Indian consumers are increasingly aware that all fats are not bad, are demanding more products that offer “complete wellness” and are becoming increasingly opening to exploring alternative proteins and natural sugars.

Thiamine-fortified fish sauce could help combat beriberi

11-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Fish sauce fortified with thiamine could help fight cases of beriberi in Southeast Asia – a public health concern caused by thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency.

Nutrition products to help Himalaya hit US$1bn target by 2020

10-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Bangalore-based firm The Himalaya Drug Company is expanding its “wellness and nutrition” offering as it seeks beak through the US$1bn revenue barrier by 2020.

Global health & wellness investment activity ahead of 2015

09-Aug-2016 By Shane Starling

The food and nutrition space is vibrant and in rude health according to latest merger, acquisition and investment figures globally.

Australia

Industry slams call to halt complementary medicine sales in pharmacies

05-Aug-2016 By Gary Scattergood

Australia's natural nutrition industry body has come out fighting after a government review into pharmacy regulations in the country published concerns over the sale of complementary medicines.

This week Down Under

Fourth time lucky? Aus-NZ officials consider hemp's safety once again

03-Aug-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Australia’s food safety regulators have once again called for submissions on whether to permit the sale of food derived from the seeds of low-THC hemp.

Chinese fund eyes Australian investments to supply home health market

02-Aug-2016 By RJ Whitehead

A Chinese investment management company will establish a specialist food and agriculture fund worth up to A$1bn (US$760m) in Australia to establish a vertically integrated supply chain between the countries.

Could seaweed bioactive help fight food allergies?

31-Jul-2016 By Nathan Gray

Bioactives found in a certain form of commercial red algae could help to counter symptoms of food allergies, say researchers.

Probiotics may promote weight loss and reduce BMI

29-Jul-2016 By Nathan Gray

Consumption of probiotic ‘good bacteria’ could reduce body weight and body mass index (BMI) scores according to a new Chinese meta-analysis.

Soapbox

Rewarding innovation: How to address natural nutrition's IP dilemma

29-Jul-2016 By Aiden Essery

At a time when the Australian natural nutrition industry is worth A$4.2bn (US$1.8bn), companies face stiff competition as they set out to access to bigger overseas markets, helped by our government’s focus on freer international trade.

Vitamin D status linked to cognitive decline risk in Chinese elderly

29-Jul-2016 By Nathan Gray

Low vitamin D levels could be linked to an increased risk of cognitive decline and impairment in the Chinese elderly, say researchers.

‘Chemical origami’ could customise chemicals for functional foods, study says

27-Jul-2016 By Will Chu

A form of ‘chemical origami’ may result in a new generation of compounds that could be used in food to enhance its nutrition and treat conditions such as high cholesterol, say researchers.

Review supports the appetite control effects of Taiyo’s Sunfiber

22-Jul-2016 By Stephen Daniells

As little as two grams per day of Sunfiber, Taiyo’s proprietary form of guar fiber, may help reduce calorie intake from snacking by as much as 20%, according to a new review.

PureCircle invests $100 million in stevia agronomy program

20-Jul-2016 By Adi Menayang

Stevia giant PureCircle is expanding its agronomy program to more than 15 stevia plant growing regions around the world and further developing its farming footprint outside of China.

Garlic consumption affects breast milk, says study

20-Jul-2016 By Eliot Beer

Eating garlic can lead to a garlic smell and the presence of garlic-derived compounds in breast milk, but transmission is more complex than previously thought, according to a new study.

Flavonoid intakes linked to lower depression risk for women: Harvard study

19-Jul-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Higher dietary intakes of flavonoids from fruit, vegetables and herbs are associated with a lower risk of depression in older women, says a new study from Harvard scientists.

Personalised nutrition held back by ‘lack of trust and transparency’

13-Jul-2016 By Will Chu from Amsterdam

The progress of personalised nutrition is being hampered by the food industry’s ‘lack of trust and transparency,’ in product composition and effects on health.

Japanese fermented gobo holds prebiotic potential

11-Jul-2016 By Nathan Gray

A newly identified prebiotic enzyme produced from fermented vegetables could improve colon health, say researchers.

Interview: DuPont’s Asia-Pacific president for health and nutrition

Li Yongjing: ‘Our business improves other people's lives'

11-Jul-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Last month, DuPont became the latest food and nutrition ingredients supplier to open a flagship regional headquarters in Singapore, which is fast becoming a hub in this regard.

Feature: The fight against global malnutrition

Can rice become a large-scale micronutrient fortification staple?

11-Jul-2016 By Lynda Searby

For many years, countries across the developing world have fortified staples such as maize flour, wheat flour and oil with micronutrients that are deficient in the diet. In Nigeria, for example, flour, maize, oil and sugar have been fortified with vitamin...

Academics announce Sino-British probiotics research centre

04-Jul-2016 By RJ Whitehead

Chinese academics have collaborated with British counterparts to launch a UK-China Joint-Centre for Probiotic Research.

Brexit: Britain can lead global functional foods & supplements markets

29-Jun-2016 By Peter Wennstrom

It is EFSA and the EU nutrition health claims regulation (NHCR) that is today the biggest barrier to European innovation in nutrition and Brexit, whatever else it may do, can remove some of those innovation brakes.

Summer Fancy Food Show 2016

Seaweed: How a Korean side dish became a hit with US snackers

29-Jun-2016 By Douglas Yu

In half a decade, seaweed has made the leap from traditional Korean side dish to an ingredient making a big impression on the US snacking scene.

Gut health and activity benefits from food’s short stay in the gut

28-Jun-2016 By Will Chu

Food that travels faster through the gut results in bacteria producing less harmful by-products in the digestive system, resulting in a healthier gut environment, according to a study.

Eating cereal fibre could reduce heart disease & cancer deaths – analysis

24-Jun-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Regularly eating cereal fibre could reduce the risk of heart disease-related deaths by up to 18% and cancer mortality by 15%, a new analysis claims.

CHINA

Bamboo shoots may offer prebiotic potential

22-Jun-2016 By Nathan Gray

Newly identified polysaccharides from bamboo shoots have the potential to be used as functional ingredients by industry, say researchers.

Mycoprotein reduces hunger and diabetes risk in overweight people

20-Jun-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Eating mycoprotein could reduce appetite and risk of diabetes in overweight people, new research suggests.

Fonterra’s NZ$8m upgrade for lactose

20-Jun-2016 By Jim Cornall

An NZ$8m ($5.6m) upgrade is under way at Fonterra’s Edgecumbe site to capture lactose that previously could not be extracted from the site’s waste stream.

Doctor's Best sold to Chinese company, extending trend in industry

16-Jun-2016 By Hank Schultz

The Doctor’s Best brand of supplements has been sold to a major Chinese ingredient manufacturer, which is part of a trend in the industry, one observer said.

Sector to grow 40% by 2020

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