Health & Wellness

Trans fat is the not-so-silent killer (still) in a wide range of foods, raising people’s low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or “bad”) cholesterol, with excessive consumption possibly leading to a host of negative health conditions, such as coronary heart disease. Most trans fats consumed today are created by partially hydrogenating plant oils to make them more stable. Saturated fatty acids are also ...

Killer spinach. Dangerous peanut butter. Poison pet food. Toxic canned beans. Risky pot pies. In the wake of such events, it’s no wonder that the latest “U.S. Grocery Shopper Trends” survey from Food Marketing Institute (FMI), Arlington, VA, shows consumer confidence in food safety at an all-time low. From 1996 to 2006, 82% of consumers reported they were “completely” or ...

Leonardo da Vinci once offered the following pearl of wisdom: “Study the art of science and the science of art.” Culinologists have taken this advice to heart. As a result of advances in the emerging field of nanotechnology—which is briefly defined as manipulating atoms at the molecular level in order to make new products—culinologists may find it beneficial to apply ...

The beverage craze continues to attract consumers looking for energy, hydration, vitamins and minerals, or just people looking for a feel-good beverage that delivers all of the above. Consumers are looking for better beverage alternatives with real nutritional benefits for day-to-day consumption. They’re also looking for good options to provide to their children. Current health concerns, including obesity, are prompting ...

When Barilla cast a broad look at the entire U.S. marketplace to determine which consumer demographics to target for a new line of “reinvented” pasta, it scanned the expanse, then looked downward—and saw children. That’s because the largest consumer group purchasing the classic blue box of Barilla pasta at retail was parents.“People who really cook at home tend to be ...