Breaking News on Food Marketing and Retailing

No additives or preservatives lead label claims: Mintel

23-Sep-2008 - Food products with ‘no additives/ preservatives’ claims are leading the way in European and international launches, according to data from Mintel.

Western breads bring fresh opportunities to Russian bakery market

22-Sep-2008 - New high-margin opportunities for bakers continue to open up in Russia as the economy flourishes, fuelling consumer purchasing power and raising demand for western-style breads and confections.

Chocolate: Demand flies above finance squeeze

17-Sep-2008 - Consumers in the US view chocolate as an “indulgent pleasure” that they are not willing to give up despite the tight economic environment, according to Mintel.

Sustainability less influential than cost on consumer habits: study

15-Sep-2008 - A new survey has found cost, quality and healthiness influence consumers’ purchasing choices to a much greater degree than environmental factors.

Impulse snack buys contradict healthy intentions, study

15-Sep-2008 - New product design for health-profiled snacks demands a clear message, as a new study demonstrates consumers may opt to ignore the healthy snack, despite what they say.

Soft drinks continue Eastern European surge

11-Sep-2008 - The Eastern European market for fruit juices and nectars was up by 10 per cent to €6.4bn last year, an upward trajectory expected to continue in the coming years, says a new report.

Consumers’ moods can inform flavour development, says analyst

09-Sep-2008 - Food manufacturers are well aware that, in order for a product to succeed, they must understand consumer wants and needs. But according to a new paper from Frost & Sullivan, they need to delve even deeper into the link between flavours and emotions.

Pack and functional innovation to drive candy growth

04-Sep-2008 - Innovation in the use of functional ingredients and packaging is expected to dominate worldwide growth in the confectionery market, according to a new report.

Global study spies functional soft drink shift

02-Sep-2008 - The global market for non-alcoholic beverages will remain dominated by more perceivably healthy soft drink options, amidst a growing population concerned with well being in what they drink, according to a new report.

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Omega-3 reality check

25-Aug-2008 - The market predictions for omega-3 products are endlessly buoyant but a closer look at the state of play reveals very few omega-3 functional foods and beverages have moved beyond niche sales levels.

Organics - fad or the future? Your views

19-Aug-2008 - Organic food was once seen as a niche market but now major multinationals are offering organic products. In fact it has been one of the biggest trends in the food sector in recent years but do organics have staying power, or will consumers lose interest over time?

Study links dairy to better bones in kids

14-Aug-2008 - Long-term dairy consumption, supplemented with other protein-rich foods such as meats can help maintain improved bone health in children, according to a new study.

On your marks...snack makers target the 2008 Olympics

07-Aug-2008 - On the eve of the 2008 Bejiing Olympics opening ceremony, snack makers and bakeries seeking golden sales target the athlete-watching consumer with a range of product launches set to hijack the Olympic fever.

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Bringing an end to the food waste shame

04-Aug-2008 - Have you ever scavenged through a supermarket bin looking for your next meal? It’s a strange question to put to business readers – and most would shrink at the thought. But that’s just how the ‘freegans’ decide what’s for dinner.

Med diet in decline on home turf, FAO warns

01-Aug-2008 - Populations around the Mediterranean are abandoning their traditional healthy diets, the FAO has warned, as incomes increase and consumers opt for more meat, saturated fats and time-saving processed foods.

Omega-3 in crisis as functional foods flounder

01-Aug-2008 - Muller UK has sent a shot across the bows of an apparently booming sector of the fatty acids industry by removing the omega-3 component from its Vitality yoghurt range.

Brits' healthy drink demand defies weather

24-Jul-2008 - Britain's wettest summer on record failed to quench UK soft drink demand as consumption remained virtually unchanged in 2007 amidst growing demand for health and functional products, says consumer analyst Zenith International.

Kellogg brand extension targets heart health for women

21-Jul-2008 - US cereal maker Kellogg targets the mushrooming heart healthy market with a new line extension – specifically aimed at women - to its Smart Start range.

Health boom sets sales soaring for dark chocolate

09-Jul-2008 - The wave of health and wellness comes ashore for chocolate makers, with latest figures from Mintel showing the fresh healthier image for dark chocolate has brought a much-need, and strident, upward shift in sales for 2007.

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The food industry after Lisbon

30-Jun-2008 - In the face of another rejection of a European Union treaty, the bloc's food industry has one glaring path ahead: business as normal.

Processors must pay price for organic demand

30-Jun-2008 - The organic milk market continues to show huge potential for growth, though the industry must be ready to pay more to protect the product at its source, says a leading UK farmers' cooperative.

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GM: Breaking the stalemate

23-Jun-2008 - Food industry voices are joining those of politicians in the GM debate, hailing the controversial technology as the answer to the food supply crisis. But the hearts and minds of consumers must still be won.

Cereal and dairy groups eye nutrition push

20-Jun-2008 - A UK-based breakfast cereal association says it is teaming up with its dairy counterparts to this month kick off a new promotion scheme playing up the nutritional benefits of consuming the products.

Ingredient group chews on sugar free gum potential

19-Jun-2008 - Beneo-Palatinit says that the European market for sugar-free gum continues to prosper amidst a general innovation focus on embracing consumer health concerns.