Nutrition information on food labels is meant to help consumers make healthier choices. But how much nutrition information is actually available on food packs across Europe? An extensive European audit conducted by EUFIC provides the answer.

Potatoes are a very common food in the diets of most Europeans, but perhaps sometimes the nutrition contribution of this staple crop is overlooked. To start with, there are considerable nutritional differences between potato dishes depending on how they are cooked, and this may have an impact on how potatoes as a food are perceived by consumers. What makes potatoes special is that they combine the characteristics of starchy foods with those of vegetables.

Food additives are used to enhance flavour, texture, shelf-life and nutritional properties of the foods we eat. As consumer interest about this often misunderstood topic continues to thrive, the key facts about a range of food additives are outlined below.

We want everything from food these days - great taste, good nutrition, value for money, convenience and safety - and we expect no less of cheese. But can cheese fulfil all these criteria? Fat and salt are fundamental components of cheese, so is it possible to make cheese healthier without compromising other attributes?

We are encouraged to consume lower fat milks for health. Contrary to popular belief, fat removal hardly affects the levels of other nutrients in milk, and processing such as pasteurisation has little impact on milk’s overall nutritional benefits.

Nutrition labelling becomes more and more widespread on food packages in Europe. But do consumers really notice these labels and do they understand them? Most critically, are they able to use such nutrition information to make healthier choices when shopping?

Anecdotal evidence of freeze-drying to preserve foods dates back to the ancient Incas. Today, this technology is used commercially to improve shelf-life whilst maintaining flavour and nutritional quality of a variety of products such as coffee, spices, or trekking meals.

Over the past 10 years, the European market for probiotics has evolved rapidly. As consumer interest surrounding food products that are principally marketed on their health-related benefits continues to increase, what is the current knowledge around probiotics?

Emerging research suggests some saturated fats carry out important functions in the body. However, this does not counteract the advice that people should reduce saturated fat consumption.

In a bid to curb the spread of diet-related diseases, governments and food companies increasingly promote nutrition labelling to help the consumer make healthy, informed food choices. The EU-funded project FLABEL (Food Labelling to Advance Better Education for Life) will assess the state of play and develop best practice guidelines for future research and policies.

The beneficial effects of consuming omega-3 fatty acids are well publicised, but omega-6 fatty acids feature far less in the news. So what are fatty acids and why is it important that we get the balance right?

In view of the increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity in Europe, the role of certain carbohydrates, like sugar, is often controversially discussed. Here are some facts about the role of carbohydrates, sugars and sugar in our diet.

Consumers like to know what is in their food. They may wish to avoid certain ingredients for a variety of reasons. In Europe, nearly all pre-packaged food must be labelled according to EU law. However, the ingredient labelling terminology may not always be clear to the consumer and for some consumers interpretation of the labelled ingredients is a problem.

Ten years ago few people had heard of probiotics although they were regularly consumed in foods like yoghurt. Now, the term is more familiar, the number of probiotic products is increasing and growing scientific evidence shows that they may benefit to our health. So what are probiotics and how can they benefit our health?

Caffeine is a naturally occurring substance (an alkaloid) found in the leaves, seeds and fruits of more than 63 plant species worldwide. Products containing caffeine including tea, coffee and some soft drinks, have been enjoyed all over the world for many years. More recently, drinks with higher levels of caffeine, ("energy drinks") have been developed.

Public and scientific interest in traditional herbal medicine has been reawakened in the West and research into this area has greatly increased in recent years. Just how effective are these products and how do we know they are safe to take? Food Today takes a look at what the science says about some of the more popular herbal remedies.

Wholegrain cereals such as brown rice, wholegrain wheat, whole oats and rye, not only taste great - they also offer potential health benefits including reduced risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Beer is produced by such a complex process that it often seems surprising how anyone would have thought of it. Nevertheless they did, and a long time ago.

The spread of maize as a staple food from the fifteenth century resulted in a devastating nutrient-deficiency disease called pellagra. The causation of pellagra posed a medical puzzle for centuries until twentieth century scientists unravelled the mystery.

Sugar cane provided sugar since ancient times, so why did sugar beet come into the picture? The answer involves a combination of scientific discoveries and historical events spanning three centuries.

There must be thousands of dishes in which the tomato is the main, or a key ingredient. Due to its colour, taste and versatility, the tomato has come a long way from the ancient Aztec civilisations to being ubiquitous in today's kitchens.

The wholesome nature of cocoa has been widely acclaimed in Europe since the sixteenth century. However, to understand where this image originated one has to go back to the folklore of the Indians of Central America, who regarded 'cacao' as an elixir.

We take many of our staple foods for granted, rarely giving a second thought to their origin and history. But where do they actually come from? The humble potato for example, would be designated a novel food if it were introduced on the European market today.

Scientists in the United Kingdom, working with colleagues in Japan and Germany, have developed tomatoes that are three times richer than normal in ß-carotene, an essential ingredient for health.

In our previous article on beneficial micro-organisms, we described the role of lactic acid bacteria in food production. Yeast is another microbe that has made an important contribution to our tables.

Touch it, smell it, taste it and you will quickly understand why chocolate was called the ‘Food of the Gods’.

Climate changes in the Fertile Crescent some 10,000 years ago lead to the spread of wild cereals, one of which was the predecessor of modern day wheat. Since those times, many genetic changes, brought about both by accident and by design, have led to a very different plant.

In Food Today 15 we looked at some of the potential health benefits of phyto-protectants and plant nutrients present in fruits, vegetables, cereals and beverages. Most of these substances are capable of protecting plants from the stresses and strains of their environment. Now research is showing that we too can get these benefits when including these foods in our diets.