News on Health and Nutrition

Heatox project brings new pieces of the acrylamide puzzle

November 26, 2007

Heatox project completed: brings new pieces to the Acrylamide Puzzle

Acrylamide formation in heated food became a totally new research field, when its presence in various foods was revealed in 2002. The EU Commission reacted swiftly and in DG Research Framework Programme 6 (FP6) a strategic targeted research project, ...

November 26, 2007

Acrylamide may increase female cancer risks

Increased dietary intakes of acrylamide could raise the risk of endometrial and ovarian cancer by 29 and 78 per cent, respectively, says a new study.Over 62,000 women in the Netherlands, aged between 55 and 69, took part in the research that is one of...

November 23, 2007

Hardee's pushes back conversion to canola

Hardee's is expected to complete the transition to zero trans fat cooking oil by the end of 2008, its parent company CKE Restaurants Inc. said Wednesday. CKE originally thought the conversion would be completed in Hardee's and Carl's Jr. restaurants...

November 16, 2007

Acrylamide in food possibly increases risk of endometrial + ovarian cancer

The intake of acrylamide through food possibly increases the risk of endometrial cancer and ovarian cancer. The paper in which this association is described will be published shortly in the scientific journal Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Preven...

November 15, 2007

ARS develops extrusion method for tasty lentil snacks

Researchers from the US Agricultural Research Service (ARS) claim to have stabilised a process of using extrusion technology to make healthy and tasty snacks out of legumes.

November 13, 2007

Orville Redenbacher's(R) SmartPop!(R), Now With 30% Less Sodium

More than 90 percent of Americans surveyed are quick to identify high blood pressure as one of their biggest health concerns related to sodium intake. However, according to a recent survey conducted by Orville Redenbacher's(R) Gourmet(R) Popping Corn(1...

November 10, 2007

Are french fries in the US QSR chains now trans fat free?

The check. For each of the chains, we bought and analyzed fries from five to nine restaurants in five states.CR's take. In our sampling, Wendy's still missed its mark. So did Burger King. McDonald's fries claim a high 8 g for most locations and 0 g fo...

November 07, 2007

Study firmly links Obesity and Cancer

One of the largest medical studies ever undertaken has confirmed what many public health officials already feared: Being overweight can give you cancer.It is already established that excess body fat is an important cause of diabetes, heart disease, st...

November 05, 2007

DSM's Preventase now approved everywhere in the EU and the US

DSM Food Specialities has received approval for Danish food safety authorities for the use of its Preventase, meaning that the acrylamide-reducing enzyme can now be used in food products throughout the EU and the US.At present, enzymes used in food pr...

November 04, 2007

Euromonitor: 2007 snack sales growth close to 2 percent

The sweet and salty snack industry has suffered a lower sales growth rate in 2007 due to negative press over rising obesity rates, but sales still increased by almost two per cent in 2007, according to Euromonitor analyst Irina Kazanchuk.PepsiCo has b...

October 31, 2007

Europe takes 'wait-and-see' stance on diacetyl flavouring

EU regulators and processors say they are examining the use of diacetyl for foods, following reports of hundreds of US workers falling ill from a deadly lung disease linked to the inhalation of the popcorn flavouring chemical."The experts of the ...

October 31, 2007

Popcorn Workers Lung Victims Granted Big Victory class action lawsuit

Popcorn Workers Lung victims involved in a class action lawsuit got some good news from a New York appeals court yesterday. The court ruled that if the former Missouri popcorn plant workers successfully prove their claims that diacetyl exposure cause...

October 30, 2007

CDC: US Obesity levels have not risen last year

Obesity rates did not rise last year for the first time in 25 years, a study has said, but are still too high and will continue to dominate public health agenda. The findings for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that while 34 p...

October 29, 2007

Cargill expands Clear Valley high oleic canola line

US ingredient giant Cargill is expanding its line of high oleic canola products, on the back of customer demand for oils and shortenings with no trans fat and low levels of saturated fat.Cargill has changed the brand name of its TransEnd all-purpose s...

October 29, 2007

McDonald's Hungary moves to trans fat free frying oil

From October, McDonald’s Hungary replaces its cooking oil to a newly developed mixture that is made of rapeseed and sunflower seed oil. The new oil has lower than 2% TFA content – reduced from the current maximum of 5%. And the rate of saturated fats ...

October 28, 2007

By confessing its sins and introducing healthier snacks, the fast food industry is booming again

A few years ago it looked as though the odd crumbling monument in hick, southern towns would be all that remained of the fast-food industry. The obesity epidemic, class-action lawsuits and the stomach-churning revelations in Eric Schlosser’s book Fast...

October 27, 2007

Bringing Calories Out of Hiding

There’s no telling how many calories the restaurant industry has expended running away from New York’s pioneering attempt to improve the city’s health by requiring chain eateries to prominently display calorie information. Fortunately, the city health...

October 25, 2007

New York City Reintroduces Calorie Rule

The Bloomberg administration, in its continuing fight against obesity, reintroduced a measure yesterday to force chain restaurants to display calorie information on their menus or menu boards, after a federal judge struck down a similar measure last m...