Dairy Health Check

World first: Breast milk probiotic launched in Australia

Spanish supplier Biosearch Life is finding success with its patented, immune system-boosting and mastitis battling probiotic isolated from human breast milk in a world-first product launched in Australia this year.

Nestlé completes Pfizer Nutrition acquisition after ‘majority’ approval

Nestlé has completed its $11.85bn (€9bn) acquisition of Pfizer Nutrition after the deal was approved by the “majority of markets involved.”

‘More salt than seawater’ – Study slams UK cheese salt content

Consensus Action on Salt and Health (CASH) has called on the UK Department of Health to set lower salt content targets for cheese manufacturers, after a study discovered some cheese...

Vitamins: A Centenary of essential nutrients

Birthday gifts: Vitamins celebrate centenary with EU health claim wins

2012 is turning out to be a very good year for the vitamins sector. Aside from the feel good factor of the essential nutrients turning 100, vitamins have also won...

Agropur to invest $100m in US whey processing

Canadian dairy processor Agropur plans to invest more than $100m in a US whey processing facility to increase the plant’s capacity and upgrade existing technology.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Exports and overseas growth drive Volac profits

Dairy nutrition firm Volac has reported an operating profit increase of nearly 40% for the year ending February 2012, citing the impact of increased exports and improved profits from overseas operations.

Organic dairy more economically beneficial than conventional dairy – US study

The organic dairy industry has for a long time boasted of its nutritional superiority over conventionally-produce dairy products. Now, according to a US study, the organic dairy sector can also...

DuPont on EU probiotic health claim ban: “Mention specific strains”

Giant of probiotic supply, DuPont, is not afraid to admit its European business has been altered by the rejection of probiotic health claims under the EU nutrition and health claims...

PARNUTS update: Specialist foods reforms due for EU lawbooks

Revision of the laws governing specialist food products like sports foods, infant foods and gluten-free foods is set for a final vote in the European Parliament in December or January,...

Arla says UHT-friendly whey can tackle elderly malnutrition

About 60% of elderly hospital patients in the UK are malnourished according to recent data from the British Dietetic Association, a problem companies like Danish firm Arla Food Ingredients are...

December 14, 2012: EU health claims doomsday? Er, not really…

For years, probiotics and other sections of the food industry have supposedly been dreading the implementation of despised EU health claims laws.

EFSA health claim opinion

Rejected: EFSA tells Glanbia its whey “weight loss peptides” claim is “not characterised”

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected Irish dairy and ingredients giant Glanbia’s claim that its Prolibra whey-peptide ingredient can reduce body fat, failing the claim on characterisation grounds...

‘Probiotics’ term to go after December 14, 2012?

The probiotics sector is at different stages of readiness, and embracing different approaches, to EU health claim laws that appear to rule the very word ‘probiotic’ a non-authorised, implied health...

Probiotic, vitamin-enriched milk is ‘affordable health’ – manufacturer

A Northern Ireland-based dairy processor has rolled out its new ‘Super Healthy Milk’ – Europe’s first and only probiotic and vitamin K2-enriched fresh milk.

Higher dairy intake lowers semen quality – Harvard study

Young men with a high daily intake of full-fat dairy may be risking their chance of having children, US researchers have claimed.

Skooshed: UK yoghurt rapped over multiple misleading claims

The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has invoked new European Union health claim rejections due to come into force on December 14, in a ruling...

News in brief

Greek and Greek-style products accounted for 29% of US yogurt launches in year to June 2012

Launches of Greek and Greek-style products accounted for 29% of US yogurt launches in the 12 months to the end of June 2012, according to new data from Innova Market Insights.

Chobani class action litigants join forces over evaporated cane juice complaint

Civil litigation against Greek yogurt giant Chobani over its use of the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ to describe sugar (dried cane syrup) is about to move into a new phase...

Probiotic found to reduce eczema symptoms over long-term period

Clinical trials have found that a dairy culture probiotic shows significant long-term benefit for children suffering from eczema, even after they have stopped taking the supplement.

Milk protein may offer cancer protection: Study

The milk proteins may have anti-cancer properties, say researchers, after new in vitro tests reveal the cancer fighting potential of lactoferricin4-14.

NZ researchers breed first hypo-allergenic milk producing cow

Researchers in New Zealand have genetically engineered a dairy cow that produces hypo-allergenic high-protein milk.

Danone settles Canadian Activia health claims lawsuit

Danone has settled a class action lawsuit in Canada relating to claims made on labels, packaging and advertisements for its Activia yogurt and DanActive probiotic drinks products.

Sodium reduction: Scientists produce cheddar with ‘large reductions in sodium’

Potassium chloride can successfully reduce the use of sodium chloride in cheddar cheese, with taste profiles similar to full-sodium versions, says a new study from the University of Minnesota.