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as 2010 draws to a close, our journalists look back at the issues that have topped agendas across the food, beverage and dietary supplements industries in the last 12 months. commodity prices, bisphenol a, obesity, health claims, safety regulations, and more… sustainable supply chains amid new concerns of rising food prices and serious consideration on how to feed a growing world population, the food industry has stepped up its efforts on sustainability. major progress has been made towards transforming the supply chains of some vital ingredients, such as palm oil, with major companies – and even the whole of the dutch food industry – pledging to switch to certified oil. new supply chains, such as stevia, are being developed with sustainability issues built in. meanwhile, the european sustainable consumption and production (scp) roundtable has swung into action, identifying gaps in the scientific assessment of sustainability at various stages of the food supply chain. some industry commentators have also expressed concern at the proliferation of ethical and sustainable schemes and labels, which may cause competition between schemes and have negative impacts for small producers. jess halliday, foodnavigator health claim wrangles 2010 saw health claims continue to dominate the european functional foods and food supplements space. the european food safety authority’s rejection of reams of nutrition science backing claims has remained at an alarmingly high rate for an industry that requires health claims to exist. vitamins, some minerals, omega-3s and sterols/stanols have performed better, but pre- and probiotic players are yet to receive a direct positive opinion leaving the sector in an increasingly fraught position. some are suggesting that like botanicals, the process is inappropriate for them, and should have their science assessed some other way. but regular readers of nutraingredients will know nutrition science continues to evolve and proliferate – much of it finding positive nutrient-health benefit links. question is: can the paradigm in which that research is taking place ever impress the 21 panelists and their advisors that reside on efsa’s health claim panel? and if it doesn’t, will a cornered industry force the whole thing into the courts? watch this space. shane starling, nutraingredients takeover talk the knock on effect of kraft’s £11.5bn takeover of cadbury in february grabbed a huge chunk of the headlines in 2010. the buyout drew rancour from both politicians and the uk public, particularly when kraft reneged on a pledge to maintain 400 jobs and production at cadbury’s somerdale site. and the process led to calls for legal changes to make takeovers of uk companies more difficult. however, the consolidation trend in the confectionery industry that was expected following the kraft/cadbury deal did not emerge. in the past nine months, sweet and chocolate manufacturers’ focus has been on long-term plans to expand production capacity in emerging markets organically and enhance the presence of existing brand portfolios using methods such as distribution alliances, with russia, india and brazil proving fertile ground. jane byrne, confectionerynews.com dairy stability market stability has returned in 2010 following the crash in milk producer prices last year, leaving breathing space for the industry to prepare for further volatility. with access to financing easier, processors have started to explore consolidation as a means of reducing exposure to volatile commodity markets. m&a can also offer access to profitable growth markets as pepsico and danone are both hoping to demonstrate with their recent russian acquisitions. it is not just the industry itself that has been preparing for a potentially more volatile future. with eu quotas soon coming to an end, the commission has been working on measures to ease the transition and address any imbalance in power between processors and producers. much political lobbying and jostling surrounds this work but the likely direction of it is becoming clearer. the first commission proposals on contractual relations have just been published and we can expect the remainder to come through next year. guy montague-jones, dairyreporter.com mixed year for drinks 2010 has been a mixed year for the beverage industry, marked by continued growth in emerging markets and continued struggles in developed markets. some confidence has returned and investment is generally on the rise as can be seen from the improved financial fortunes of machinery suppliers in recent quarters. beverage companies have moved enthusiastically into niches offering solid growth opportunities in 2010. for example, in the us, big names have made investments in coconut water, ‘the natural sports drinks’, and, in european markets, us energy drinks have made an entrance. meanwhile, investment in emerging markets remains high and international brands are now paying increasing attention to local tastes and preferences.