Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science Professor Michael Gӓnzle and fellow researchers at the University of Alberta have developed a new set of food preservative agents which are naturally derived.
Food today is often prepared more by its processors than consumers, such as luncheon meats and microwaveable dinners. More convenient foods are stocking grocery shelves, and ready-to-eat items are growing in prominence.
“Most of the stuff which [was] done by the household 50 years ago is now done by the food industry,” Gӓnzle said. “Which means that less food items, [and] meals, are …

Natural, organic, whole foods are the best choice for fighting cancer, but this is not an obvious conclusion from scientific research. Scientists can ethically gather a great deal of information about how various foods and food additives increase or decrease the risk of developing cancer. It is very rare to get scientific information about how foods and food additives help the body defeat cancer.
That is because there are so many variables in treating people who already have cancer that the benefits of an organic diet cannot be identified separately from …

In July 2008, Health Canada published in Canada Gazette, Part I proposed regulatory amendments for the labelling of food allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites. The department has now reviewed the comments received and is publishing documents detailing some of the changes being made to the proposal as a result of the consultations.
As a result of the over 140 comments received up until early December 2008 following the publication of the proposed regulatory amendment in Canada Gazette, Part I in July 2008, Health Canada has made several decisions and changes …

A man was jailed for over two years today for selling “organic” products that turned out to be nothing of the sort.
Neil Stansfield, the 41-year-old director of One Food Limited, also received a six-year directorship ban for the fraud.
An investigation by Trading Standards officers revealed that Stansfield, along with his wife and the firm’s operations manager, bought non-organic ingredients from supermarkets, and had employees repackage them before they were sold to consumers across the UK. The five-year scam netted the trio £500,000.
At Northamptonshire crown court, Stansfield, from Newnham, near Daventry, …

RICHMOND, Va. — The new federal ban on flavored cigarettes took effect on Tuesday, marking one of the first visible signs of the Food and Drug Administration’s new authority to regulate tobacco.
The ban on manufacturing, importing, marketing and distribution includes candy-, fruit- and clove-flavored cigarettes, which health and federal authorities say are more appealing to youth. It does not include a ban on menthol or other flavored tobacco products like cigars — issues that the FDA is studying.
“Candy- and fruit-flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults …

Sweeteners are considered an essential ingredient of most products of the canning industry, except vegetables. They act as preservatives and maintain desirable appearance, flavor, color and body in the products.
Altering the type and amount of sugar in standardized preservation recipes will alter these characteristics.
The principal sweeteners used in canning are sugar (sucrose), and corn syrup. The non-caloric sweetener, saccharin, is found in diabetic foods. Aspartame and Acesulfame K, also considered non-caloric sweeteners, are approved for use in a limited number of foods.
When canning fruit without the addition of sugar, or …

PESCADERO — Veggie stir-fry, Caesar salad, and homemade tuna casserole sound more like restaurant fare than the daily lunch selection for students at one of the most under-resourced school districts in San Mateo County.
Getting homemade fresh, organic, locally sourced food onto the plates of students in the La Honda-Pescadero Unified School District despite budget constraints — and getting kids to like it — was the challenge faced by nutrition expert Kathy Webster, who has revamped the entire lunch menu in two years at no cost to the school district. The …

PORTLAND, Ore. — ConAgra Foods Inc. reports earnings for its fiscal first quarter on Tuesday before the market opens. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.
OVERVIEW: ConAgra Foods ( CAG – news – people ), like many food companies, has seen the benefit of consumers eating at home more often and lower commodity prices for food ingredients.
Omaha, Neb.-based ConAgra, which produces brands like Banquet, Chef Boyardee and Hebrew National, has seen its consumer food business hold strong during the recession because of …

Canadians consider obesity to be a serious health threat but many middle- and lower-income families are limited when it comes to providing healthy meals for their children, according to Bensimon Byrne’s latest “Consumerology Report,” released yesterday.
The national survey, conducted by Gandalf Group on behalf of the Toronto-based agency, revealed that high food costs are preventing Canadians from eating healthily.
According to the report, 55% of Canadian families cite cost as the largest barrier to healthy eating, followed by insufficient willpower, availability of healthy foods, lack of time and inconvenience.
“Consumerology this quarter …

GENEVA — Aldermen have given tentative approval to a break in fees and property taxes for a food research and development facility to locate in the business park on the far east side.
The City Council, acting as a Committee of the Whole, this week approved the incentive for Roquette America Inc., a U.S. unit of Roquette Freres, headquartered in Lestrem, France. The company develops food additives.
The incentive will include a 50 percent rebate of the city’s building and fire review fees and a 10-year abatement of the city’s portion of …