Fishy femme nets innovation award

Charlotte Jacobsen, a senior scientist at the Danish Institute for Fisheries Research, has scooped the 2003 Danisco Award for her work on enabling the use of fish oil in food without the products becoming rancid.

Fish oil can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, thanks for their omega-3 fatty acids. It may also a positive influence on other diseases such as arthritis. But raw fish is a hard sell, so governments are trying to improve their public health benefits by having manufacturers use the active ingredients in other foods. These quickly became rancid when fish oil was added, but Jacobsen is close to solving the problem.

In her acceptance speech Jacobsen said she hoped her work would lead to new food products in supermarket within five to six years.

Best 1200 ideas on Eureka show
New group to assess toxins in UK food
Future has silver lining
Atkins Nutritionals gets new parent
Litterbugs look out
New sensor sorts faster

Innovation

Best 1200 ideas on Eureka show

Brussels Eureka, the world exhibition on innovation, research and technology, will showcase new and emerging innovative ideas, how to optimise successful innovation projects and protect and leverage intellectual property rights from 11 to 16 November in Brussels.

The organisers expect 800 people from 40 countries to show over 1200 exhibits. For more details click here.

Toxicity

New group to assess toxins in UK food

The British government has set up a new working group, the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment, to investigate how people's bodies respond differently to chemicals in food and how this might be reflected in assessing risk.

The news comes hard on the heels of the European Commission’s new investigations into the potential harm of more than 20,000 everyday chemicals. It also follows earlier reports on the risk assessment of mixtures of pesticides and similar substances in 2002, and on phytoestrogens and health in 2003.

Market research

Future has silver lining

By 2005 people older than 55 will be buying more than half the consumer goods on offer in the UK, but marketers are still obsessed with building brand loyalty among young consumers.

A new report from UK market researcher TNS, based on 15,000 interviews, says over 55s will spend £53bn of a £104.4bn market for food, drink and household goods. But they are ignoring marketing messages - one in six says they buy a product because it is advertised, and most fast-forward through the ads when they can.

Oldies shop more often (fives times a week vs three) and spend more (£14 vs £10). They also spend more on alcohol they drink at home by £44 a head/y. They are also more loyal to the “Buy British” ethic, will pay more for “quality”, and enjoy cooking for themselves more. They are more open to organic, environment-friendly and free range products than younger consumers, and more likely to avoid genetically modified foods.

Over 55s are only slightly more loyal to brands than younger consumers. The researchers predict this will set off a massive battle for wallets as family demographics change and oldies pass the chance to try new ones more often.

Marketers face a dilemma, say the researchers. They can build brand loyalty among the young and hope that they stay faithful all their lives, or they can prospect for the silver pound with appropriate products and messages.

M&A

Atkins Nutritionals gets new parent

Atkins Nutritionals, the low-carbohydrate food and supplements manufacturing firm set up by the inventor of the Atkins Diet, has new owners.

Parthenon Capital has bought a majority interest, and investment banker Goldman Sachs Capital Partners is a junior partner. Terms were not disclosed and no staff changes were made.

Packaging

Litterbugs look out

The UK government wants fast feeders to clean up their act.

A 12% rise in the amount of litter near fast food outlets such as McDonald’s and KFC has prompted action from environment minister Alun Michael. He has drawn up a prospective code of practice to help fast food operators and local councils reduce litter and waste without significant extra cost to the industry.  You have until 30 January 2004 to comment on the proposed voluntary code.

NPD

New sensor sorts faster

The industry’s first 1024 element indium-gallium-arsenide (InGaAs) array with a wavelength range of 2.2 microns, 0.5 of a micron more than the present standard, makes it possible to use spectroscopy to sort items such as paper, plastics, tobacco and grain foods quicker and more accurately than ever, says the maker, Sensors Unlimited.

Recycling companies can use the sensor to sort mixed paper and plastics waste streams with real-time, non-contact analysis by near infrared photodiode array spectroscopy. The spectrometer scans conveyor belt contents to spot tiny differences in the infrared "signatures". Similarly, the sensor detects differences in the reflectivity of tobacco leaves and twigs to make sorting easier. Used with a spectrometer, the array can detect the intensity and moisture content of grain, which will indicate its ripeness. 

The SU1024LE offers 1024 pixels on a 25 micron pitch with pixel heights as tall as 250 microns. The device also has a readout integrated circuit (ROIC) with antiblooming capability, and is available in either an "LT" configuration for low temperature use, or a "T1" configuration with a thermoelectric cooler for temperature stabilisation near room temperature. The SU1024LE array is pin-compatible with previous linear arrays for ease in upgrading.