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A UK government-commissioned study into food security has called for urgent action to avert global hunger. (By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News) A UK government-commissioned study into food security has called for urgent action to avert global hunger. The Foresight Report on Food and Farming Futures says the current system is unsustainable and will fail to end hunger unless radically redesigned. It is the first study across a range of disciplines... read more →

Interest in seaweed granules as a salt replacer has soared in the last year, according to the producer, as the first results of a UK government-funded study indicate high consumer acceptability of various bread in which it replaced 50 or 100 per cent of the salt. (Bakery&snacks.co.uk) The Outer Hebridean Seaweed Company, which produces Seagreens branded consumer products and ingredients from Arctic wrack (Ascophyllum nodosum) attracted UK government... read more →

A UK robotics body is incentivising the food and drink industry to look at ways investment in the technology can optimise manufacturing and enable more flexible ways of working. (Foodproductiondaily.com) CenFRA (the Centre for Food Robotics and Automation), a not-for-profit collaboration between North of England regional development agencies, food industry professionals and experts in robotics, is launching a cheque book scheme, offering the industry £1,000... read more →

Combining broccoli powder with broccoli sprouts may boost the absorption of sulforaphane – the compound in broccoli reputed to have anti-cancer benefits, says a new study from the University of Illinois. (Nutraingredientsusa.com) The tissue of cruciferous vegetables, like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts, contain high levels of the active plant chemicals glucosinolates. These are metabolized by the body into isothiocyanates, which... read more →

Israeli scientists have said their new nano-coated “killer paper” could be used in food packaging to combat bacteria such as E.coli to extend product shelf life. (APfoodtechnology.com) The team from Institute of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, Bar-Ilan University, claim to have developed a “simple one-stop process” of coating paper with antimicrobial colloidal silver nanoparticles using ultrasonic radiation. The study – Sonochemical... read more →

Milk fats, used as ingredients in confectionary and bakery, could be enriched with compounds called diacylglycerols which may aid weight control, according to a team of Dutch researchers. (Confectionerynews.com) A new study, published in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, proposes a three step process to enrich the levels of diacylglycerols (DAG) – which are associated with improved appetite control and better energy balance – in milk... read more →

A Medical Journal of Australia study has found blood folate levels have increased in the Australian population after mandatory folic acid fortification of bread products was introduced in September, 2009. (Nutraingredients.com) They found a 77 per cent reduction in low serum folate levels after analysing more than 20,000 blood samples collected from a varied group of hospital patients between April 2007 and April 2010. The 77 per cent drop occurred between... read more →

Technology to extract water from potatoes for reuse in processing will go some way to helping PepsiCo UK and Ireland achieve its pledge of unplugging its largest sites from the water mains by 2018, said the snack maker in a new report. (Bakeryandsnacks.com) And the producer of the Walkers crisp brand, in its dissemination of its progress on its original environmental sustainability pledges, said it hopes to scale up the innovative technology and share it... read more →