Our Regulations & Compliance Executive, Joanna Becker, attended the Michigan State University's Global Food Law Conference in June. The conference brought together thought leaders from across the food law world, providing a platform for sharing knowledge and information around current issues internationally.
Presentations spanned a variety of innovative topics, from GM crop technology used in Sub-Saharan Africa to reduce vitamin deficiencies, to meat-free alternatives such as “bleeding” plant-based burgers.
The food community is vast and global, so conferences such as this are invaluable, allowing professionals to network, discuss and share experiences and knowledge with each other and ultimately impact and influence legislation for the better.
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Topics:
food security,
food safety,
genetic modification (GM),
food economics,
vitamins and minerals,
zinc,
meat,
novel foods,
milk and milk substitutes,
insect foods,
supplements,
caffeine,
organic,
labelling,
pet food,
nutrition,
sugar and substitutes,
animal welfare,
Escalex
Food Matters Live is an annual event, based at the ExCeL London, which brings together the food and drink industry across retailers, foodservice providers, government, education and those working in nutrition. Needless to say, it’s a huge event which allows for a massive variety of those in the industry, across the globe, to collaborate, learn and inform. With five of the IFIS team attending across Tuesday and Wednesday, we got stuck into as many of the seminars and exhibitions as possible, to hear about the latest news and innovations in food. Here, we detail just a few of our highlights from the event.
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Topics:
IFIS Publishing,
UK,
calcium,
bacteria,
cereals,
conferences and events,
dieting,
food production,
food quality,
food research,
health,
healthy eating,
labelling,
local foods,
novel foods,
nutrition,
supplements,
sugar and substitutes,
superfoods,
retail and marketing
This post was originally published on The Conversation, and was written by Sarah Bath, a lecturer in Public Health Nutrition and Margaret Rayman, a professor of Nutritional Medicine, both based at the University of Surrey.
Milk and dairy products are the main source of iodine in many diets, and an important iodine source in many countries. However, our latest research found that the iodine concentration of most alternatives to cows’ milk – such as soy and almond “milk” – is very low. This matters because deficiency of iodine, especially during pregnancy, affects brain development and is linked to lower intelligence.
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Topics:
milk and milk substitutes,
health,
dairy,
iodine,
soy,
nuts,
pregnancy,
cognitive function,
allergies and allergens,
labelling,
nutrition,
seafood,
fish,
eggs,
plant-based diets,
supplements,
vitamins and minerals
Our second brain
We have a second brain in our guts. Known as the enteric nervous system, it consists of a mesh-like network of around 100 million neurons lining the entire gastrointestinal tract. These neurons include a range of cell types operating via a complex system of circuitry largely independent of the central nervous system.
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Topics:
central nervous system,
neuroscience,
mental health,
gut health,
bacteria,
cognitive function,
fermented foods,
immune system,
dairy,
supplements,
amino acids,
tryptophan,
sleep,
zinc,
nuts,
meat,
fish,
seafood,
eggs,
vegetables,
fatty acids,
fruit,
cereals,
fibre,
soy
Stevia is the name given to extracts from leaves of the plant Stevia rebaudiana used as sweeteners or sugar substitutes. The two main compounds responsible for the sweetness of stevia are stevioside and rebaudioside A, both of which are derivatives of the diterpene, steviol.
- Stevioside is 250-300 times sweeter than sugar, but possesses a bitter aftertaste.
- Rebaudioside A is 350-450 times sweeter than sugar and is less bitter than stevioside, making it a popular option for use in sweetener preparations.
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Topics:
sugar and substitutes,
confectionery,
analytical techniques,
additives,
supplements,
obesity,
appetite and satiety,
diabetes,
functional foods,
hormones,
bacteria
