Following the example of New York City and the state of California, the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) is launching the first phase of its plan to introduce nutrition information in a range of catering outlets. The FSA is wanting to see more consistent nutrition information for consumers at the point they make a decision about what they eat out of home and announced that the first step will be the introduction of calorie labelling. A similar plan may be unveiled in Australia later this year,... ...Read more »
Australian restaurants could soon be forced to follow some of their American counterparts by posting calorie counts on menus. The Preventative Health Taskforce, set up to provide recommendations to the Federal Government on health policy going forward, is contemplating a number of labelling approaches. The Taskforce is to submit the ‘National Preventative Health Strategy’ to the Department of Health and Ageing in June this year, with many potential changes affecting all in the food industry. Chairman... ...Read more »
A unique “healthy halo” is driving the flourishing global market for food and beverage products enhanced with omega fatty acids, according to new research, published overnight. The ‘halo’ is characterised by enhanced public awareness of omega fatty acid compounds, their proven scientific and health benefits, consumer willingness to purchase products that contain them, and positive media exposure. In the report, Omega Fatty Acids: Trends in the Worldwide Food and Beverage Markets,... ...Read more »
The Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has welcomed the release of research by Professor Timothy Olds from the University of South Australia, which discovered that rates of childhood obesity have plateaued. Professor Olds’ research, as reported in The Australian today, found that childhood overweight rates had settled at about 23% over the past five to ten years, while childhood obesity rates were hovering around 6% over the same period. The research did, however, stress that obesity... ...Read more »
The Coalition for Responsible Nutrition Information (CRNI*) has launched a campaign to pass national legislation that will provide consumers across America with detailed nutrition information in chain restaurants and other food service establishments using a uniform standard. The National Restaurant Association (NRA), which represents the 380,000 member restaurant establishments, is supporting the scheme. “People are always looking for help to make better choices especially at the beginning... ...Read more »
Every third child of school age prefers soft drinks which are not sweet. Children and young people love fish and do not think of themselves as being fussy eaters. Girls have a better sense of taste than boys. Boys have a sweeter tooth than girls. And teenagers taste differently. All this has been discovered by new Danish research. In September, 8,900 schoolchildren from all over Denmark took part in a large-scale experiment conducted by Danish Science Communication and The Faculty of Life Sciences... ...Read more »
An anticipated US$13.7 billion deficit for New York in 2009/10 has potentially paved the way for a tax on non-diet soft drinks in the region. New York Governor David Paterson has announced that he intends to place an 18 per cent sales tax on ‘non-diet’ soft drinks “to combat obesity and related diseases”, with the funds raised directed to healthcare. There have been other states in the US which have placed a tax on soft drinks and/or confectionery, but New York will be the... ...Read more »
President of IAFI, Jayne Gallagher, has welcomed news that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has advised the USA Government to amend its seafood advisory based on the latest science. The Washington Post reported on Friday that the FDA has concluded that the greatest benefits to pregnant women and women of childbearing age would come from eating more fish/seafood. There has previously been advice from food standards bodies to moderate consumption during pregnancy due to fears about mercury. “We... ...Read more »
As food manufacturers around the world step up their focus on producing new products that can cater toward a growing demand for healthy products, an Australian company has become the first to create a fruit snack bar without using puree, juice or additives. Cheeky Chewz has devised a method to produce 100% dried fruit bars that, unlike most bars, are not made from fruit juice or fruit puree. Only the stones/cores of the fruit are removed, with the whole fruit, skin and all, naturally preserved as... ...Read more »
A Senate inquiry has knocked back a Bill proposing a ban on junk food advertising to children. The Australian Food and Grocery Council has welcomed the release of a Senate Inquiry into the ‘Protecting Children from Junk Food Advertising Broadcasting Amendment) Bill 2008′. AFGC CEO Kate Carnell said that the ‘fundamentally flawed’ bill was unnecessary as industry is already set to introduce its own Responsible Children’s Marketing Initiative, on 1 January 2009. Ms... ...Read more »