The Commonwealth Health Minister has been a strong advocate for the creation of a new Commonwealth government agency to be known as the Australian National Preventative Health Agency. This article questions why the government needs to establish this separate Agency in relation to initiating and implementing policies that will help counter obesity and its related adverse health consequences. The article suggests a need for the government to review its approach and to consider a better way to achieve... ...Read more »

Global use of functional ingredients in beverages grew by 3% in 2008, taking consumption to 26.5 billion litres with a retail value of €64 billion, according to the new Global Functional Ingredients report from leading drinks consultancy Zenith International.”Increasing health consciousness, obesity concerns and lifestyle choices along with an ageing population have been the main market drivers,” commented Zenith Market Intelligence Consultant and functionaldrinks Editor Jenny Foulds.... ...Read more »

To celebrate World Consumer Rights Day (15 March), the International Consumer Protection Enforcement Network has launched a website to deliver better consumer protection world-wide.”As more consumers participate in global markets there is a strong and growing need for effective cross-border consumer protection,” ICPEN president and Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy chair Peter Kell said on Monday. “The new user-friendly site, www.icpen.org, will help ICPEN members... ...Read more »

Consumer group CHOICE is calling for a new supermarket industry ombudsman to tackle competition and fairness across the grocery sector. According to CHOICE, the supermarket ombudsman would provide: Leadership – to ensure competition and fairness is driven at a national level so that real improvement can be brought about in the next five years not the next 50. Fair rules and fair play – that regulators enforce their rules and, if not sufficient, to suggest rule changes. Early stage market... ...Read more »

Disney has teamed up with Annabel Karmel, author on baby and toddler food and nutrition, to launch a “healthy snacking” range for the UK market. Using Mickey Mouse and Winnie the Pooh characters, the range is aimed at children aged 12 months plus. The range includes rice and corn snacks, strawberry and peach flavoured raisins and 100% natural fruit crisps, Disney said today (16 March). They contain “no artificial colours or flavours”, and the rice and corn snacks contain... ...Read more »

Lindt & Sprungli would “fight like hell” to stay independent if a takeover bid came in for the Swiss chocolate maker, the company told just-food today (16 March). The company, which suffered in 2009 as weak consumer demand, soaring cocoa prices and a series of restructuring measures hit profits, has been seen by industry watchers to be the next likely takeover target in the chocolate sector following Kraft Foods’ acquisition of Cadbury. However, speaking to just-food in Zurich... ...Read more »

A new study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health and Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts reveals that women who drink occasionally are less likely to gain weight than either nondrinkers or heavy drinkers. The survey, which followed 19,220 women over 38, asked participants about weight and alcohol consumption over 13 years.  Of the women, all healthy and of normal weight, 41% became overweight and 4% obese over the survey period. Women who consumed between 1.5 and 3 drinks... ...Read more »

The United States Environmental Protection Agency last week awarded PepsiCo a 2010 ENERGY STAR Sustained Excellence Award for its energy efficiency improvements. PepsiCo’s achievements in energy reduction saved the company $90 million in 2008, and the company has introduced new Sustainable Engineering Guidelines for all new construction and major re-engineering projects worldwide.  PepsioCo have designed a new plant which will run almost entirely on renewable fuels and recycled water, and... ...Read more »

Researchers at California’s Agricultural Research Service have released research highlighting the possibility of replacing gluten in oat and barley loaves to make fluffy, attractive wheat-free breads. In wheat and other gluten-containing breads, gluten traps air bubbles formed by yeast in the rising process, giving a high, soft, attractive loaf.  Existing oat and barley breads tend to be dense, heavy and less attractive to the consumer. Chemist Wallace Yokohama and nutritionist Hyunsook Kim... ...Read more »

Jamie Oliver’s latest food-centric health campaign, Ministry of Food, has launched a Sydney branch in association with The Good Guys. The campaign, first launched in 2009 in the town of Rotherham in the UK, teaches participants and first-time cooks recipes and cooking skills at a Ministry of Food centre, and then invites them to ‘pass it on’ to two other people.  The initial campaign was filmed, and became a television series. “When you know how to cook, you’ve got control... ...Read more »