Food Business Africa

UK consumers to face higher food prices as government regulations on junk food come into force

Jul 26, 2021Jul 26, 2021 Editor

UK – The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has warned that consumers will inevitably face higher food and drink prices if manufacturers are forced to absorb the cost of proposed Government policies during the next few years. In the report, entitled ‘Eating into household budgets: the Government’s recipe for food price inflation’, the FDF estimates that proposed government policies around public health and sustainability will cost the national industry at least £8 billion (US$9.3 billion). The association notes that if these were passed on directly to consumers, it would increase the price of…

Philippines to fight hidden hunger with recently approved “Golden Rice” variety

Jul 25, 2021Jul 26, 2021 Editor

PHILIPPINES – Filipino authorities have greenlighted the planting of “Golden Rice”; a new, nutrient enriched rice variety developed by the Department of Agriculture-Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice) in partnership with the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). Golden Rice was first conceived by Professors Ingo Potrykus and Peter Beyer in the late 1980s. IRRI became the first licensee of the scientists’ work in 2001. The rice variety adds an important nutrient to a staple food that is already consumed in volumes of almost 120kg per capita per year. Following the approval, Filipino farmers will become the first in…

Philippines bans use of trans fat to control spread of non-communicable diseases

Jul 14, 2021Jul 15, 2021 Editor

PHILIPPINES – The Philippines government is stepping up efforts to protect its people from non-communicable diseases with a new order against the production of industrial trans fats. Titled the “National Policy on the Elimination of Industrially Produced Trans-Fatty Acids for the Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases,” the new administrative order (AO) aims to remove trans fats from the Fili by 2023. Under the AO, industrially produced TFA and processed food products containing TFAs shall be prohibited from being produced, imported, and distributed for commercial sale. Once it becomes effective, it will be illegal to sell Partially-Hydrogenated Oils (PHO) to…

UK issues stringent regulations for junk food marketing to curb rise of unhealthy eating habits

Jul 7, 2021Jul 7, 2021 Editor

UK – The government of the United Kingdom has banned late-night advertising of junk food in an effort to promote a healthy society. The law is the latest attempt by the UK government to tame unhealthy eating habits that are causing its citizens to suffer from lifestyle diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Obesity is a common problem that affects around 1 in every 4 adults and around 1 in every 5 children aged 10 to 11 in the UK, according to the UK National Health Service. According to a report by the Guardian, a “growing obesity crisis” has…

Taiyo, Asiros partner to produce high-in-fiber fruit powders for the health-conscious consumer

Jul 6, 2021Jul 6, 2021 Editor

GERMANY – German expert in natural dietary fibers Taiyo has partnered with Asiros, the Danish fruit powders specialist to develop a new high-fiber fruit powder range targeted at producers of health and wellness products. The products will be marketed under BerryShield Premium Conventional and BerryShield Organic brands and will be mainly aimed at companies in the nutraceuticals sector and the food & beverage industry in the EMEA region. Taiyo says the soon-to-be-launched health and wellness products can be enjoyed pure or processed in high-quality applications. The production of BerryShield Premium Conventional and BerryShield Organic is timely as food and beverage formulations that offer health…

Nestle tops global access to nutrition index for second time in a row

Jul 5, 2021Jul 5, 2021 Editor

SWITZERLAND – Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company, has emerged the first in the 2021 global Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI), achieving a score of 6.7 out of the possible 10. The Index assesses, after every three years, the world’s largest global food and beverage manufactures and their contributions to addressing malnutrition. In 2021, Twenty-five leading F&B manufacturers were included and assessed on their commitments, practices, and disclosure – with regards to governance and management; the production and distribution of healthy, affordable, accessible products; and how they influence consumer choices and behavior. This…

FAO, AUC, UNECA call for transformation of Africa’s agri-food systems to make healthy diets more accessible, affordable

Jul 1, 2021Jul 1, 2021 Editor

AFRICA – With Africa boasting of having 60% of the world’s arable land and diverse agro- ecological zones, it is a sceptical paradox that is genuinely disturbing, that nearly three-quarters of Africans cannot afford a healthy diet of fruits, vegetable and animal proteins. This is according to the latest Africa Regional Overview of Food Security and Nutrition launched by FAO, the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Union Commission (AUC), further indicating that, over half of all Africans (51%), cannot afford a nutrient-adequate diet which provides a…

Arla Food Ingredient launches new solution that improves taste profiles of medical nutrition products

Jun 25, 2021Jun 27, 2021 Editor

DENMARK – Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new whey protein hydrolysate that improves the taste profiles of products for patients with maldigestion or malabsorption. According to Arla, Whey protein hydrolysates commonly used in medical nutrition products for people with conditions that impair their ability to digest or absorb protein usually have a bitter taste that is unpleasant to the consumers. Taste is a key factor in patients’ compliance with nutritional regimes, and malnourishment is a serious problem for health services across the world. It is linked with greater…

SA, Nigeria and Kenya driving e-commerce volumes, demand of essential and nutritious food products in Sub-Saharan Africa

Jun 11, 2021Jun 11, 2021 Editor

AFRICA – South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya have been identified as the top market contributors to e-commerce in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the last three years, with Ghana also showing growth, having replaced Kenya in the top three contributors in 2020. This is according to a recent white paper released by Visa titled ‘eCommerce developments across Sub Saharan Africa, indicating that although SSA may be one of the smallest regions of e-commerce globally, it shows steady growth potential. During the onset of the pandemic in 2020, the region saw new…

Reckitt Benckiser incurs US$3.05bn loss following sale underperforming China infant formula business

Jun 9, 2021Jun 9, 2021 Editor

CHINA – Reckitt Benckiser Group, a British consumer health, nutrition, and hygiene company, has signed an agreement to offload its Infant Formula and Child Nutrition (IFCN) business in China to private equity firm Primavera Capital Group for $2.2 billion (US$2.68bn). Following the sale, Primavera Capital Group will own IFCN’s brands in China and also assume control of manufacturing plants in Nijmegen, the Netherlands and Guangzhou, China. Sale transaction terms also give Primavera a royalty-free perpetual and exclusive licence of the Mead Johnson and Enfa family of brands (which includes Enfinitas,…