Ajinomoto defends MSG as nonprofit petitions FDA to rescind its GRAS status Ajinomoto has defended the safety of flavor enhancer MSG against claims made in a citizen s petition filed by the nonprofit Truth in Labeling Campaign that urges the FDA to rescind the ingredient s GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status.
Added to many foods as a flavor enhancer, MSG is a highly concentrated glutamate salt (100% sodium glutamate) produced on a commercial scale via the bacterial fermentation of sugars.
Approved as a food additive in Europe (E621), MSG is considered GRAS by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other scientific agencies around the world, but remains on the ‘unacceptable ingredients’ list at Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Kroger (simple Truth), H.E.B (Select Ingredients), Aldi (Simply Nature), and several other high profile retailers.
Researchers find no short-term link between saccharin and development of diabetes New research findings from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that the artificial sweetener saccharin did not alter the gut microbiota or induce glucose intolerance (an indicator of the development of diabetes) in healthy adults as previous studies have suggested.
The study, published in the journal
Microbiome, was supported by institutional funds from The National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and Advent-Health.
Saccharin and public health perception
Saccharin (one of the six artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA) is a zero-calorie, high-intensity, artificial sweetener 200 to 700 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose) and has been used in formulations to sweeten beverages, jams, and baked goods. Its brand names include Sweet and Low, Sweet Twin, Sweet N Low, and Necta Sweet.
With in store sampling off the table during the pandemic, the non-alcoholic spirits brand Ritual Zero Proof drove “explosive” growth in 2020 and has high hopes for 2021 with help from partnerships with established CPG brands, including most recently Campbell’s V8, as well as lifestyle companies and passionate influencers who shared the company’s ethos of living a full, balanced life.
“Non-alcohol is not a fad, and the need for balance in our consumption is really a movement. I think we see that illustrated not only in press and discussions, but frankly in sales last year. We outsold our projections by 80% and our Q4 numbers were three times the volume of our Q1 numbers. So, the growth in the category is unmistakable,” Marcus Sakey, founding partner of Ritual Zero Proof, told FoodNavigator-USA.
PepsiCo extends reach, usage of sparkling water brand bubly, SodaStream with new bubly drops PepsiCo is driving incremental growth for two of its hottest brands by bringing together flavored sparkling water bubly and at home water carbonation platform SodaStream to launch a line of bubly drops that will hit store shelves and ecommerce this month.
By allowing consumers to use six of bubly’s most popular flavors to make unsweetened flavored carbonated water at home with SodaStream machines, the partnership will create new usage occasions for each brand and open doors to households that previously were unavailable.
“I’m sure brands are coming together saying all this all the time, but I can’t think of a better marriage” than between bubly sparkling water and SodaStream, Bryan Welsh, general manager at SodaStream USA, told FoodNavigator-USA.
Craft pickle brand SuckerPunch Gourmet’s new look shifts the focus from its iconic prizefighting mascot to the bold flavors and high-quality ingredients that set the brand apart from the competition, while also balancing the visual priorities of in-store and online marketing.
The new branding and packaging, rolling out early this year, comes as the company expands its footprint in new categories and appeals to a more diverse consumer-based with recent and upcoming product launches in the snack, beverage, and confection segments, CEO Alok Advani told FoodNavigator-USA.
He explained that while a rebranding always comes with some risks of confusing or alienating consumers, SuckerPunch was careful to maintain its