Eating the right foods from an early age could significantly reduce the risk of developing certain cancers, according to food bioscientists.

The heart health foods of the future will have to address multiple risk factors for cardiovascular disease instead of simply focusing on cholesterol reduction, Unilever bosses have predicted.

Renowned for their ability to ease joint pain, particularly in osteoarthritis of the knee, glucosamine supplements have witnessed healthy sales worldwide. But with a constant stream of new products saturating the market, manufacturers are starting to consider new applications for the amino sugar and the food industry beckons.

I ts leaves had been happily and quietly used for more than two centuries in Latin America as a sweetener and, more recently, in Japan and China as a preservative for pickles and soy sauce.

The health benefits of dietary fibre are well established and the need to include sufficient fibre in the diet is an important aspect of dietary recommendations around the world. So there should be no excuses for not knowing what dietary fibre is and how to eat enough of it as part of a normal, balanced, healthy diet. Well, not really.

When it comes to juices and smoothies in Europe, it's a market of two halves. While western Europe is relying on innovation and premium pricing to bolster stagnant sales, increasingly affluent consumers in the eastern countries are buying more juice, as well as nectars with a higher fruit content.

On the face of it, chocolate is a marketer's dream. Almost everyone likes it and a good proportion of us are mildly addicted. While it faces some flak from the health lobby at a time of spiralling obesity (it packs a hefty punch of saturated fat), the more classy varieties at least try to offset the damage by packing an equally large dose of phytonutrients.

Dismal weather coupled with unprecedented rises in raw materials prices made 2007 a somewhat challenging year for Europe's ice cream manufacturers. Along with other purveyors of so-called junk food, they were also in the firing line as lobbyists looked for someone to blame for the spiralling obesity epidemic.

With a total market value of euro 26bn, the EU chocolate confectionery market is a significant market sector, equivalent in value to the market for carbonated soft drinks. However, as per kilo prices of chocolate confectionery are comparatively high, this value equates to a volume of only 2.4Mt, which is slightly smaller than the consumption of frozen fruit and vegetables. This does mean, though, that we consume an average of 6.1kg of chocolate confectionery products per person per year - almost 17g a day.

Bob Fisher loves his job. "I always knew I wanted to be in applied science. I'm a nuts and bolts kind of guy. I don't believe in science for the sake of science. I love to create products for consumers because I want to make a difference. I have this sense of urgency. I always want to do more."

Amid all the whingeing about Europe's Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that this much-maligned piece of legislation could open a lot of doors that are currently slammed shut, says Dr Peter Olesen.

Applying for a patent is not for the fainthearted. It's complex and time consuming, and like any process involving lawyers, it's not cheap. But hassle and expense aside, protecting your intellectual property could be the best business decision you will ever make, says Devanand Creace, associate at Keltie, a partnership of global patent and trademark attorneys.

Most of the research and development cash spent on nutraceutical product development is driven by marketing goals and the need to comply with regulations about truth in marketing communications, although investing in safety and efficacy data is also on the rise.

Years ago, companies did all their own research and development (R&D) internally, did not need to look outside their four walls for innovation, kept themselves to themselves and did very nicely, thank you.

Following a ruling by the World Trade Organisation in April 2005 that restricted the export of subsidised EU sugar in world markets from 2006 onwards, the EU's Council of Ministers agreed in November 2005 the broad framework for reforms to the Community's sugar regime.

After two decades of debate, 2008 sees the Food Supplements Directive lumber into the end game of the setting of maximum permitted levels for vitamins and minerals in supplements.

Article 13.5 of the EU Nutrition and Health Claims Regulation is often described as the "accelerated" authorisation procedure and is applicable to health claims referring to the role of a nutrient or other substance in the growth, development and functions of the body based on newly developed scientific evidence. Unlike claims approved under article 13, those approved under 13.5 will protect applicants' proprietary data. This is great news!

A new deal between Polish fruit ingredient supplier Frubella and JO Sims will see the launch of Frubella's new vacuum-infused garden fruits in the UK.

Israeli firm Gadot is going head to head with German rival Palatinit with the launch of NRGylose, an isomaltulose bulk sweetener made by fermentation of sucrose.

The results of the EU-funded Microfunction project suggest that synbiotics (a combination of pro- and prebiotics) may help tackle oxidative stress as well as improving digestive health, researchers have revealed.

Flavours giant Firmenich and technology firm Senomyx have teamed up to develop novel flavour ingredients that will provide a cooling taste effect.

Ancient grains such as quinoa, amaranth, teff, millet and kamut will become increasingly popular in the future as manufacturers try to tap into emerging health trends, according to market researcher Mintel.

Israeli firm Solbar Plant Extracts has entered the 'beauty from within' market with the launch of skin-friendly soy isoflavone extracts designed for both topical and oral use.

Probiotics expert Chr Hansen is targeting the German market with new whey-based one-shot probiotic drinks containing a cocktail of healthy ingredients including probiotic strains BB-12 and LA-5, the enzyme Ha-Lactase and whey protein.

Slovenian nutraceutical firm Vitiva has launched AquaROX 10, a new rosemary-based natural preservative designed to extend the shelf-life of fresh and frozen prawns.

Gut feeling

Premixes firm Fortitech will open new plants in California later this year and in Malaysia next year in order to meet growing demand for fortified foods and supplements.

Japanese starch processor Nihon Starch has struck a deal to use Danisco's patented technology to produce commercial quantities of a calorie-free sweetener called anhydrofructose for the Asian market.

Palm oil prices look set to reach stratospheric new heights this year as demand continues to soar and more crops are diverted into biofuel production, manufacturers have predicted.

Mustard oil could help manufacturers improve the shelf-life of everything from bread to cheese, fruit and pet food without having to use modified atmosphere packaging, according to researchers at the Technical University of Denmark.

Fish waste could prove an abundant source of high quality proteins for the sports nutrition market and selected savoury packaged foods, according to researchers in the north of England.

The first products containing new water-in-oil-in-water (WOW) fat replacers - novel emulsions with a significantly reduced fat content - could hit the market next year.

Plans for a collaborative research project into the use of structured lipid diglyceride (DAG) saturated fat replacers have been shelved because potential partners could not agree on sharing intellectual property (IP) rights.

The European Commission has published a proposed revision of the Novel Food Regulation in order to simplify and speed up the process.

New 'antifreeze' proteins from gelatin could help improve the quality of a range of frozen food by reducing the growth of large ice crystals, according to researchers at the University of Wisconsin, Madison.

Salba, a grey-coloured seed believed to be one of the most nutrient dense foods on the planet, could finally be approved for use as a food ingredient in Europe this year following almost five years of wrangling with regulators.

US-based biotechnology firm Dynamic Food Ingredients (DFI) is in talks with food manufacturers about commercialising a technology it claims could slash production costs for xylitol and erythritol by using electrochemistry.

New voluntary guidance on labelling for food manufacturers and other companies using nanotechnology will be launched this month.