Consumers worldwide are increasingly seeking healthier lifestyles and diets, leading to a growing demand for food products that contain fewer or no synthetic ingredients at all. Herbal extracts serve as a valuable source of biologically active components, however, they can also affect the characteristics of food products in both positive and negative ways.

As the traditional cocoa growing areas along the Equator are threatened by climate change, alternative sources of cocoa are needed.

A new analysis of federal data by the Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggests that wild caught, freshwater fish in the United States are more contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals than commercially caught ocean fish.

Concerns have recently been raised about several sweeteners. Below is a brief overview of the most important news.

We constantly identify new issues about pesticides. Here we provide a brief summary of the most important cases.

Billions of imported protective gloves arrive in the United States with potential chemical and microbiological contaminants, without any inspection procedures. For gloves used in the food industry, there is no requirement to be clean and intact, or be tested on arrival for chemical or microbiological contaminats.

Hendra and Nipah viruses, both emerging zoonotic pathogens, exhibit alarming mortality rates in both human and animal populations.

The FDA has issued a warning regarding the potential risks of probiotics given to preterm infants, following the death of an infant who received probiotics in the hospital.

Obesity is increasing almost everywhere in the world, with more overweight and obese than underweight people globally. The accepted view is that overeating and insufficient physical activity are the causes. However, a small group of researchers questions this assumption and directs attention to the role of chemicals in the expanding waistlines.

The French agency ANSES is closely monitoring the issue of prosulfocarb. Prosulfocarb is the second most used herbicide active ingredient in France.

Researchers have found that alternative drinking straws made of plant-based materials may not be as environmentally friendly as they seem.

3-MCPD (3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol) is a chemical compound recognized as a contaminant in certain food products, notably forming during the processing of foods subjected to high temperatures, such as the refining of edible oils and various heat-intensive culinary practices. While it is a studied area, its presence and levels in pre-fried foods might be underestimated.

The market for plant-based meat and dairy substitutes has grown significantly in recent years, thanks to increasing consumer demand. First seed milks appeared on the shelves, followed by plant-based alternatives to cheese. These new products differ in terms of composition and production, and can therefore pose a variety of risks when consumed.

A new Canadian study suggests that childhood allergies, including eczema, asthma, hay fever and food allergies, are linked to an imbalance of bacteria in the gut.