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Anyone who develops new products for a living must be aware of a multitude of influences. Acknowledging this, we cover

scientific discoveries

consumer trends

product design and formulation

engineering technology

process engineering

manufacturing

filling and packaging

logistics and distribution

retail merchandising

end of life disposal

Then there are the legal and regulatory issues, such as safety and labelling, as well as intellectual property rights, brand management, competition and international trade that we have to take into account.

But it all means nothing without the creativity and insights of men and women who can put things together in new ways to create new products that improve our lives.

We celebrate those people.

Ian Grant

Publisher

Novogen gets US patent for isoflavone skills
The Mouse digs dairy delights
DHC skin toner now on Net for summer
Parma takes home Asda bacon
UK’s FSA launches food intolerance Web site
Food business defies slow-down

NPD

Novogen gets US patent for isoflavone skills

Australian diet supplements maker Novogen has won a US patent covering the use of its isoflavone technology to treat the symptoms of menopause and pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS).

The patent applies to the isoflavones genistein, daidzein, formononetin and biochanin, all of which are common in pharmaceutical preparations and health supplements such as tablets, capsules, drinks and foodstuffs alleviate the adverse symptoms of menopause and PMS.

Novogen pioneered isoflavone technology through three of its own proprietary dietary supplements. It has also licensed part of its technology to the DuPont-controlled company Solae.

The Mouse digs dairy delights

The Disney Corporation’s consumer products has hired Wells' Dairy, maker of Blue Bunny ice cream, to create an innovative range of ice creams, frozen novelties and yoghurt products for the Disney brand.

All products feature Disney characters, including Mickey Mouse, Disney Princesses, Winnie the Pooh and Disney/Pixar's Buzz Lightyear. They sell alongside Blue Bunny products.

Disney claims the product flavour combinations and packaging are unique. They include Triples ice cream where each 48-ounce (1.36 kg) and three ounce (85 g) tub is divided into three different colour sections with candy Disney characters.

The Crazy Cones are kid-sized ice cream cones with vanilla ice cream and chocolate Tigger cookies wrapped in an orange cone and topped with chocolate fudge and orange sprinkles. The S'wiches mini ice cream sandwiches feature Buzz Lightyear and transform mouths to green and blue with coloured vanilla ice cream nestled between chocolate wafers.

Yo-Pals, featuring Winnie the Pooh and Friends, are 4 oz (112 g) yoghurt cups with whole milk and extra calcium in four-pack pairs in cherry and vanilla, or strawberry and banana.

Swirl'nMagic yoghurt lets kids create their own brand of Disney magic. Made with Poppin' Flavor Crystals, stirring the yoghurt produces a rainbow swirl. The yoghurt also includes bite-sized moon crystals and comes in four-packs combining either cherry and strawberry yoghurt, or watermelon and fruit punch.

DHC skin toner now on Net for summer

Japan's top mail-order skincare company DHC has released Micro Skin Water, a moisturising toner for dry skin. Made with natural extracts of green tea, thyme, and houttuynia cordata, it hydrates and detoxifies skin while fighting impurities that can lead to blemishes and other skin irritations, says DHC.

Intellectual property

Parma takes home Asda bacon

The rights to the Parma ham label now belong unequivocally to the 200 members of the Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, the trade association of traditional Parma ham producers.

This is thanks to a decision by the European Court of Justice that Walmart-owned UK retailer Asda breached EU rules by slicing and packaging pre-sliced ham from Parma outside the production region.

The ruling delighted Consorzio managing director Stefano Fanti, who claimed the decision is important for all owners of Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) products in Europe and their customers.

"Control over the whole process including slicing and packaging, guarantees quality and authenticity,” he said. “Last year we exported more than six million packets of pre-sliced Parma ham to the UK, each one supervised by independent inspectors and marked with the Consorzio's brand, the Parma Ducal Crown. The quality and consistency of the approved product is recognised by the British consumer with a 65% increase in sales in three years".

The trade body took Asda to court in 1997 to stop it slicing and packaging Parma ham outside the region. Asda has already started using Parma sources to produce pre-sliced packets of prosciutto. The decision does not affect over the counter sales of slices cut from whole hams.

The EU has more than 570 Protected Denominations of Origin (PDO) in the including Scottish beef and Stilton cheese. Last month EU Agriculture Council made a change to Regulation 2081, which protects Geographical Indications (GIs). This gives GI owners the right to prepare and package their products in the area of production to protect the quality, traceability and control of GI products.

Food safety

UK’s FSA launches food intolerance Web site

The UK’s Food Standards Agency has set up a comprehensive information service on food intolerance, including food allergy, on its Web site.

It details 24 types of food intolerance, from peanut and coconut allergy to lactose intolerance and coeliac disease.

It explains what happens in the body when someone has an allergic reaction to food and gives advice on how to deal with a severe reaction. The section also looks at why people get food allergies.

The section also highlights some of the less well-known aspects of food allergy, such as oral allergy syndrome, which means eating certain foods causes itching or rashes on the mouth or lips. View the Food intolerance section.

Finance

Food business defies slow-down

Financial results from British food companies appear to belie the slow-down affecting other parts of the global economy. This week foodservice company Compass, and retailers Marks & Spencer and J Sainsbury reported sales up strongly at 12%, 6% and 1.6% respectively, but all showing double digit increases in operating profits. All warn of uncertainty and a decline in consumer confidence in the year ahead.