Rising diagnosis rates of coeliac disease, combined with an increased awareness of the perceived benefits of a gluten-free diet, are driving growth in the free-from sector in the UK. Euromonitor forecasts that the gluten-free sector will grow by almost 10% between 2011 and 2015 to become a channel worth GBP95.5m (US$155.2m) a year. According to Norma McGough, head of diet & health at charity Coeliac UK, some 14,000 people are newly diagnosed each year, a number which she says was “assumed... ...Read more »

A recent study by a team of Spanish and British scientists has identified different nutritional benefits within the layers of onions. They found that onions are rich in nutrition, even those layers that are typically discarded. The scientists from the Department of Agricultural Chemistry at the Autonomous University of Madrid and Cranfield University in the United Kingdom have just published their results in journal Plant Foods for Human Nutrition. The scientists had carried out laboratory experiments... ...Read more »

New research reveals Australia’s love affair with food has become even more entrenched due to our fascination with technology, and it is critical for food brands to harness the digital trend to stay ahead in their category. The theme was explored in a breakfast event held today by leading communications agency Hill & Knowlton (H&K) and research agency The Seed. Food 3.0 – Dining in the Digital Age – brought together major players from the food industry and aimed to build... ...Read more »

Australia’s market for sauces, dressings and condiments is growing, with 2008 sales clocking $1.8 billion, say market research group Datamonitor, with growing health concerns, including childhood obesity, plus an increase in at-home consumption, boosting the trend. The report, Sauces, Dressings and Condiments in Australia to 2013, found that the market for Wet cooking sauces and Seasonings, together, contributed more than half of total sales. In comparison, Table sauces, Dressings and Pickled... ...Read more »

According to the latest research from The Nielsen Company, the profile of the Australian shopper is rapidly evolving and retailers and manufacturers in the Australian retail trade will need to develop strategies that accommodate growing ethnicity, population increases and an ageing society in order to succeed in the future. The results from Nielsen’s 2010 ShopperTrends Report – The Future of Retailing were shared with around 1,000 delegates from the FMCG, Liquor and Fresh Produce sectors... ...Read more »

Chocolate that will help with oral health care and a drink designed to “bridge the hunger gap” between meals are among the world’s newest consumer goods which have led the experts at Product Launch Analytics to predict the emerging trends which are hitting shelves in Asia-Pacific region. * A natural appetite suppressant said to help consumers with weight loss and oral health care, Pinno Thin is a new ingredient added to the confectionery sector. ‘Ador Chocolate’, launched... ...Read more »

Over $A127 million is spent each year buying and eating over 18,500 tonnes of pies each year. Most would even say pies are the most typically Australian food there is. CHOICE went out and tested 20 pies on the market, mostly pies of national brands stocked in the frozen section of the supermarket to see which brands would come out as most nutritious, the meatiest, and the tastiest. “Scoring well on all three criteria, the Elmsbury (Aldi) Bakehouse Premium Grain Fed Beef Pie was the overall... ...Read more »

 The Australian Government is looking to reduce the consumption of high sugar drinks in remote communities. The move comes on the back of a study published by the Menzies School of Health Research on Monday (17 May), which found income management in the Northern Territory had done little to dampen soft-drink sales. The research showed there had been an increase in the consumption of high sugar drinks in stores from October 2006 to September 2009. The research also cited reports that soft drinks... ...Read more »

Emerging Opportunities in the Indian Ready-to-Eat Foods Market – a recent consumer insight report published by Datamonitor, predicts that the RTE foods market in India which was mainly driven by the export demand until recently, has matured to a stage where there is a tremendous potential for growth over the next few years. In 2009, Indian RTE foods market was estimated to be around $33.5m, registering a CAGR of approximately 15% over the last five years. At present, RTE foods with normal shelving,... ...Read more »

Pressure from consumers and authorities for healthier soft drinks dominated a meeting of the key movers and shakers in the UK soft drinks industry late last week. Executives from the likes of Pepsi UK and Ireland, Coca-Cola Enterprises (CCE) and Silver Spring Soft Drinks attended the 2010 UK Soft Drinks Industry Conference, organised by Zenith International. Victoria Milne, senior analyst for Zenith, forecast that the industry should expect a boost in consumption in the country in 2012, when the... ...Read more »