The Hot Pot

Consumers Prefer Taste Over Health in Foods

Editor In Chief — Fri, 25 May 2012 21:30:00 GMT

A new consumer poll, "The 2012 Food & Health Survey: Consumer Attitudes toward Food Safety, Nutrition, and Health," commissioned by IFIC shows that taste, not health, is the most important factor when it comes to purchasing food

Happy Food Revolution Day

Editor In Chief — Sat, 19 May 2012 17:13:00 GMT

Saturday, May 19, marks the first global Food Revolution Day, a sort of holiday cooked up by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. “Food Revolution Day is about empowering people through education." And that's a great idea.

Sliming the Food Industry

Editor In Chief — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:43:00 GMT

The recent “pink slime” frenzy is just the latest in a series of fear-driven attacks on the food industry. All of this has become fodder for various interests vying to grab the microphone to blame modern food processing for all the ills of the

$3 Million Class Action Nutella Payout is Nuts

Editor In Chief — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 19:47:00 GMT

Ferrero, the maker of Nutella, agreed to pay $3 million in a settlement in a class-action lawsuit that claimed Nutella mislead consumers to believe that the sweet chocolate hazelnut spread was a health food.

Processed Foods: The Twinkie Defense

Editor In Chief — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:30:00 GMT

To paraphrase the words of Mark Twain, the reports of the demise of processed food may be greatly exaggerated. How much is perception and how much reality?

Answering Labeling Questions

Editor In Chief — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 17:17:00 GMT

Food labeling is a topic of interest to consumers as well as industry, especially when it comes to claims that link health or disease and the consumption of specific foods. Is legislating label reform the way to go?

Chip, Chip Hoo-Lay! A $10 Billion Brand

Editor In Chief — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 15:17:00 GMT

Picture the lowly potato chip. It's major components are a starchy simple carbohydrate deep-fried in processed oil, likely from GMO plants, liberally sprinkled with sodium. One would expect CSPI to call for it's immediate ban, Greenpeace to picket

Turning Up the Juice Market

Editor In Chief — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 19:56:00 GMT

A thirst for natural ingredients and the unrelenting message that sugary drinks are contributing to the obesity epidemic should mean a robust surge in juice sales. The operative word, however, is “should.”

The Cost of Food Safety

Editor In Chief — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:42:00 GMT

The health-related cost of foodborne illness in the United States is now $77.7 billion, approximately half of the cost calculated in 2010, but it’s not necessarily due to improved food safety.

Are Proteins Passé?

Editor In Chief — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 16:20:00 GMT

Does new research signal the end of protein’s public heyday? Probably not, given its role in nutritional and food science and its wide range of functionality in foods and beverages.

Food Trends: Out with the Old, In With the New

Editor In Chief — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 22:21:00 GMT

One of the most interesting phenomena as the old year closes out and the new unfolds is the veritable flood of predictions of what’s the next big thing in foods and beverages. Pierogi? Hibiscus? Bugs?

Fighting the Sodium Battle

Editor In Chief — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:43:00 GMT

In the late 80s, the Intersalt study and the subsequent National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institutefocus on sodium and blood pressure. Several decades later, sodium reduction continues to be a high priority for the food industry.

A Functional Foods Feast

Editor In Chief — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:36:00 GMT

It’s difficult to pinpoint the exact size of the functional foods market—those food and beverage products that promote optimal health and wellness and reduce the risk of chronic disease—because there are difficulties in defining exactly what does or

Lessons Learned From Dangerous Foods

Editor In Chief — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 12:00:00 GMT

A spate of safety concerns has hit the food industry this fall, leading to a heightened awareness of food across a wide swath of the country: from kitchens to factories to laboratories to legislative offices, and everywhere in between.

Adding Up Listeria, Cantaloupe and Hot Dogs

Editor In Chief — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:04:00 GMT

The reason fresh cantaloupe from Jensen Farms killed at least 25 in the recent deadly food outbreak of Listeria monocytogenes is similar to the reason for the deadly 1998 outbreak of Listeria in hot dogs—poor sanitation.

Almonds: Deliciously Healthy

Editor In Chief — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:03:00 GMT

One message that’s getting a lot of play lately is that the best way to get nutrition is through foods. Not everyone is a big fan of steamed veggies, but one food that’s hard to resist is almonds.

DHA Isn't DHA Say Lawyers

Editor In Chief — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 13:55:00 GMT

The fatty-acid molecule docosahexaenoic acid (DHA),is not always an omega-3 lcPUFA, but sometimes a short-chain fatty acid alleges lawsuits filed against Dean Foods/Whitewave Foods DHA-fortified milk.

In Favor of Functional Foods

Editor In Chief — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 13:30:00 GMT

Market demands are driving the explosive growth of the functional foods market, accelerating the development of new food and beverage products that can address health and wellness issues.

Expanding Omega-3 Possibilities for Functional Foods

Editor In Chief — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 14:00:00 GMT

Omega-3 fatty acids continue to be one of the most thoroughly researched functional food ingredients around the globe. Not only are they considered important in heart health, a host of health benefits are being revealed in ongoing research.

Arsenic and Apple Juice

Editor In Chief — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:01:00 GMT

It looks like the food industry is in for another drama: allegations of unsafe levels of arsenic in apple juice, courtesy of Dr. Oz, with a show that questions the safety of the popular juice.