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 »

Pizza Hut, the world’s largest pizza franchise, is launching the first stage in a menu-wide transition to pizzas made entirely from natural ingredients in the US. The new pizzas will provide their customers the opportunity to have pizza free from artificial preservatives, colours and flavours, they advised. The notion of ‘natural’ has been a popular one in the food industry over the last couple of years, with research released yesterday suggesting that “natural” was... ...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 »

According to Oxford researchers working with colleagues in Norway, chocolate, wine and tea enhance cognitive performance. The team, from Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics and Norway, examined the relation between cognitive performance and the intake of three common foodstuffs that contain flavonoids (chocolate, wine, and tea) in 2,031 older people (aged between 70 and 74). Participants filled in information about their habitual food intake and underwent a battery of cognitive... ...Read more »

The British Government is working with supermarkets, retailers and food manufacturers in an endeavour to “kick-start a lifestyle revolution” and halt rising obesity rates. A report for the government suggested that, without any intervention, 90 per cent of today’s children will be overweight or obese by 2050. This has ensured the creation of their “Change4Life” initiative. Under the Change4Life banner, the Government is galvanising support from everyone in the country... ...Read more »

Asda, one of the UK’s largest supermarket operators, is working with the British National Health Service (NHS) to provide in-store health checks to customers. The in-store clinics have been set-up as a test in one Asda store - in West Bromwich, near Birmingham - in a bid to reduce waiting times at hospitals. The scheme was launched by the Sandwell & West Birmingham Hospitals NHS trust to help process 38,000 blood tests per month. To attend the clinic customers just need a referral from... ...Read more »

Research released by the National Restaurant Association shows that Americans are looking for healthier options and “greener” restaurants when they dine out, in addition to an increased interest in value and convenience. Surveys of restaurant operators, customers and chefs indicate that restaurateurs will sharpen their appeal in 2009 in these areas and that restaurants’ responsiveness to customers’ preferences will drive these industry trends, according to the Association’s... ...Read more »