Though nutricosmetics haven’t caught on in other parts of the world, market data from Datamonitor show high per capita spending in Asia, particularly in Japan. Nutricosmetics sales are  growing especially strongly in China, which is  expected to overtake Japan by 2015, according to market researcher Frost & Sullivan. Driving the phenomenon in China are rising disposable incomes, increased concerns about beauty, and strong cultural acceptance of the beauty-from-within concept, thanks to centuries of use of herbs and plants to cure beauty-related problems. In this report, Happi.com outlines nutricosmetics market opportunities for both established companies and new entrants in the Asian region.

Researchers at Teagasc, the Irish agency that provides advice and services to the agriculture and food industries, have found that two varieties of seaweeds harvested in Ireland are rich in essential fatty acids (lipids) known to reduce the risk of heart disease. Seaweeds contain a number of heart-healthy compounds, including ACE inhibitors and antioxidants, as well as fatty acids. Eight Irish and Canadian seaweed species were tested in the study, though two – Pelvetia canaliculata and the sustainable Irish seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum – had the highest percentages of lipids per dry weight. Further study is needed, but the researchers said these lipids could potentially be used in foods such as bread and soup. In Ireland, approximately 36,000 tons of seaweed are harvested annually.

Twenty-five percent of food samples tested recently in a lab in the Indian state of Bihar were found to be contaminated or adulterated. Products such as cereals, wheat and wheat flour, graham flour, refined flour and “sattu,” rice and grams were contaminated with dust, insects and fungus. Milk and milk products were found to be adulterated with starch and sodium bicarbonate. Spices and condiments were adulterated with artificial yellow color, lead chromate, brick powder and dust. Under India’s Food Safety and Standard Act, which took effect last month, people caught selling adulterated food can be fined and/or imprisoned. Genetically modified food, organic food, health food and dietary supplements, alcohol and beverages can be tested under the law act, along with tea, coffee, soft drinks, jelly, ketchup, etc.

A report from the charitable arm of the AARP says that almost nine million Americans aged 50 and over were at risk of hunger in 2009, a 79 percent increase from 2001. People aged 50 to 59 are the youngest of the Baby Boomer generation – they are too young for Social Security and too old for programs targeting families with children. In 2009, 4.9 million 50- to 59-year-olds were at risk of hunger, representing a “staggering” 38 percent increase over 2007, AARP says.  Between 2007 and 2009, the most dramatic increase in food insecurity was among those with annual incomes more than twice the poverty line. “The recession has taken an especially large toll on older people, particularly those in the middle class,” says AARP Foundation President Jo Ann Jenkins.

Software and IT services firm Solarsoft Business Systems announced that Unilever is extending implementation of Solarsoft’s manufacturing intelligence solutions to all Unilever manufacturing sites in the Americas. Informance software tracks real-time performance in manufacturing environments. Unilever says it has been using the solutions to accelerate and enhance its total productive maintenance (TPM) program in ten ice cream plants in North America and will install the software in 35 additional factories in 13 countries in 2011. The company says the software installed at the ten ice cream plants where it was tested brought “real-time actionable insights.”

With the U.N. declaring countries in the so-called Horn of Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, Kenya, etc.) in a state of crisis or emergency because of severe drought and famine, Unilever says it is working with disaster and emergency relief partners to determine how to boost relief efforts. East African countries are enduring the worst drought in six decades, according to the U.N. About 2.8 million people need immediate life-saving assistance; 450,000 are affected by the famine. The company says its local businesses in Kenya and South Africa have been donating cash and food products; the Unilever global business has pledged €500,000 in cash and food products through UNICEF, Save the Children, Oxfam, Population Services International (PSI) and WFP.

Products in the digestive health category are selling well, thanks at least in part to Dannon’s aggressive marketing campaign for its Activia yogurt. Ads featuring actress Jamie Lee Curtis have made countless people aware of the importance of digestive health, says Danielle Harrison of National Enzyme Co. And probiotics aren’t the only beneficiary of the campaign. Nonprobiotic ingredients that have experienced an uptick in sales include aloe vera, fiber and enzymes. The business development manager at Xsto Solutions says his company’s products, including a Japanese chelated zinc and L-carnosine ingredient, is experiencing double-digit growth. PepZin GI, supports a healthy mucosal lining in the digestive system.

French retail chain Carrefour reported a 2.3 percent increase in sales in the first half of 2011 to €39.6 billion ($56.3 billion), but a drop in profit of €927 million ($1.3 billion), compared to a profit of €14 million a year ago. The company attributed the drop in profit to “unsatisfactory performance” in France and a “tough environment” in Europe. Weak sales and unsatisfactory profit performance were the key problems in France, along with underperformance in Italy and Greece. Latin America, however, experienced solid growth in sales, and included an “encouraging turnaround” in Brazilian hypermarkets. The company also reported good growth in China and a confirmed recovery in Taiwan.

Nestlé announced that it has revised its Nutritional Compass food label imprint, found on 97 percent of its products globally, to help consumers “make more informed choices about a healthy balanced diet and lifestyle.” The Compass comprises four information boxes that form a circle around the corporate logo. The company has added a “Good Question” box with product specific queries that are answered in a “Good to Know” box. A “Good to Remember” box offering supporting information has been merged with a “Good to Talk” box providing company contact details. Lastly, a Nutritional Information box states nutrient content, such as amounts of protein, carbohydrate, fat and sugar.

Portuguese researchers report that coriander oil is toxic enough to a variety of harmful bacteria to be used in foods to prevent food-borne illnesses. The researchers tested coriander oil against 12 bacterial strains, including Escherichia coli, Salmonella enterica, Bacillus cereus and meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Solutions containing 1.6 percent coriander oil killed or reduced the growth of the tested bacterial strains. According to the researchers, coriander oil damages the membrane surrounding the bacterial cell, inhibits essential processes and ultimately causes cell death. They suggest that in addition to use in the food industry, coriander oil could be used as a natural alternative to antibiotics in lotions, mouth rinses and pills.

British retailer and Walmart business unit Asda announced that it is creating 7,000 jobs for the Christmas holiday season this year, including opportunities for shop floor colleagues, home delivery and customer service jobs. The positions are part of a £5 million ($8.2 million) investment in customer service for Christmas shoppers, the company said. Job openings will be available at Asda stores in the U.K. beginning in September; applicants who successfully complete an assessment process will begin work in November. The company is also offering 750,000 hours overtime to existing employees.

Pallet and container pooling solutions provider CHEP says it has renewed a contract – and 15-year relationship – with Procter & Gamble. The company said it works closely with P&G to support retail supply chain activities like sustainability and standardization. CHEP’s returnable and reusable pallets are used to transfer numerous consumer goods, fresh produce, beverages and automotive products. Customers besides P&G include Sysco, Kellogg's, Kraft, Nestlé, Ford and GM.

Consumer demand for foods with functional health benefits is on the rise, especially among baby boomers who are putting their trust in foods and beverages to prevent or manage health conditions. The trend is driven by several forces, including the economic downturn, increasingly expensive health care, and a growing awareness that a healthy diet is strongly associated with good health. According to Steve French, managing partner at Natural Marketing Institute, about 70 percent of baby boomers say they want to take more responsibility for their health – particularly by eating a healthy diet – because of uncertainties regarding America’s health care system. The result is increased sales of food products that address digestive, heart and joint issues, and of functional products believed to have medicinal qualities.

Stevia developer GLG Life Tech Corporation has created a subsidiary to provide naturally sweetened zero and reduced calorie food and beverage formulations to customers outside mainland China. AN0C Stevia Solutions Company’s product lines will include natural sweeteners, natural flavors and natural colors in zero or low calorie beverage and food products. AN0C Stevia Solutions will focus on customer opportunities internationally; AN0C Anhui will focus on opportunities in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. AN0C Stevia Solutions is also developing customer opportunities in the Middle East and India.

Groupon and Incentive Targeting are partnering with SuperValu and Unilever to bring social buying to grocery shopping in Chicago, Ill. Unilever becomes the first consumer packaged goods company to allow consumers to buy certain ice cream products through Groupon at a 40 percent discount and pick them up at a neighborhood grocery store. For the Unilever "Summer of Ice Cream" program offer, a shopper purchases the deal on Groupon.com and enters a Jewel-Osco Preferred Customer Card number. Once the Groupon purchase is complete, the deal value is digitally loaded onto the shopper's loyalty card. When the shopper purchases ice cream at a Jewel-Osco store and scans the Preferred Customer Card at check-out, the deal is automatically credited on the bill.

Whole Foods Market has opened its first outlet in Glasgow, Scotland, which has a reputation for deep-fried foods. The US-based natural foods retailer plans to keep expanding its operations in the UK despite the expansion costs and operating loss. Whole Foods' promotions have helped the company reduce its losses, although overall, the UK market has proved to be more challenging than the company anticipated. Also, analysts were surprised by the company's choice of Scotland as the site for its first store outside London.

A study by Food Technology magazine has found that several key factors are driving growth in the natural foods and beverages sector. Hot buttons include terms like organic, “naturally nutritious,” clean, “less-processed,” “preservative-free,” sustainable, ethical and humane. In 2010, for example, nearly one-third of the top-selling new foods/beverages launched in the U.S. carried a natural or organic claim. Other interesting data: “natural” topped the list of descriptors consumers looked for when purchasing foods/drinks at retail stores in 2010; twenty percent of shoppers buy natural and/or organic meat/poultry when it is on sale; seventy percent of shoppers believe that describing food as fresh means it is healthier; and nearly 75 percent of adults say humanely treated animals/cruelty free is important to them when shopping for food.

European dietary supplement companies have begun to launch retail products based on Chr. Hansen’s probiotic-plus-fiber formulation designed to fight constipation. The Chr. Hansen product is a stick with a powder blend of the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium BB-12 and fiber. It is sifted over breakfast cereals or poured into a glass of water once or twice a day. In February, the product Yovis Regola was unveiled in Italy; British firm Wren Laboratories Ltd. has just introduced a consumer version of the product in the UK under the brand OptiBac Probiotics. Chr. Hansen said it is working with other companies in other countries on probiotics-plus-fiber products to “help people tackle constipation.”