Flavours and colours

The new hybrid? Blending plant-based proteins with fish by-products, algae, and insect larvae

18-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

A research project funded by the Research Council of Norway is leveraging high moisture extrusion technology to develop novel hybrid products.

Food industry targets cuisine pairings for low- and no-alcohol beverages as low/no innovation accelerates

11-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

With low/no alcohol consumption set to rise a third by 2026, according to some estimates, Synergy Flavours has crafted flavour pairings for premium soft drinks and alcohol-free beverages that complement some of the UK’s favourite global cuisines, including...

How an Israeli start-up developed fish-free tinned tuna with the ‘complete sensory experience’ of taste, texture and smell

11-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

In Israel, Vgarden Ltd. has developed what it claims is ‘game-changing’ vegan tinned tuna. Omer Eliav, chief of R&D and Vgarden co-founder runs us though the most challenging aspects of replicating the kitchen staple, fish-free.

Blending meat and mycoprotein: New hybrid products prepare to enter European market

10-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

Swedish mycoprotein start-up Mycorena is working to accelerate the hybrid meat category through a collaboration with meat manufacturer Nybergs Deli and supermarket retailer ICA.

Alt protein innovation in eastern Europe: Meet the new start-ups mimicking meat and seafood with fungi, plants

03-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

From Ukraine to neighbouring Romania and north-eastern Lithuania, interest in alternative proteins is on the up. Meet three new start-ups developing animal-free whole cuts, mycoprotein ingredients, and plant-based sashimi.

KraftHeinz, Wyss Institute develop new approach to make sugar healthier: ‘We thought we’d come to the Wyss with an impossible problem, and they turned it on its head to present an even crazier idea to solve it’

22-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

In 2018, the KraftHeinz Company approached the Wyss Institute to develop a solution to sugar reduction that is workable in a food production setting. After four years of collaboration, the research team has developed an answer: enzymes that convert sugar...

Socially-aware, digitally-savvy, health-conscious Gen Z force ‘radical rethink’ of natural colours

21-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

Natural colours have undergone a significant makeover. Once seen as too expensive, unstable and unable to deliver vibrancy, these challenges have been overcome by an industry working to deliver on consumer demand for cleaner labels with zero compromise....

From pastel pigments to psychedelic hues: Which colours will trend in food and beverage 2023 and why?

21-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

We investigate the hues on suppliers’ radars and ask about the factors driving these colour trends.

MycoTechnology teams up with IFF in Europe, with Novel Foods nod expected ‘any day now’

12-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Mycelia-focused MycoTechnology has teamed up with ingredients supplier IFF to expand its reach to Europe, all the while Novel Foods approval for its FermentIQ protein is imminent, Lisa Wetstone, Director, Innovation & Growth Strategy, tells FoodNavigator....

Are consumers ready for plant-based and cultivated meat hybrids?

09-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

A new survey suggests more than one-third of consumers in the UK would likely buy or eat hybrid plant-based/cultivated meat if it was on offer.

More trees, less land: How Brazil’s orange juice sector tripled its productivity

09-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Players in Brazil’s orange juice industry have been investigating a technique known as densification, whereby more citrus trees are planted in the same area to increase yield. We catch up with CitrusBR’s Tatiana Campos to learn about the productivity...

From mood-boosting algae to plant-based ‘egg’ powder: Which innovations caught our eye at FiE 2022?

07-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Food ingredients are taking centre-stage in Paris this week, and FoodNavigator is on the ground speaking with newcomers to the B2B market.

Doehler invests in lab-grown palm oil alternative

06-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

The German ingredients supplier is investing in UK-based Clean Food Group (CFG) – a start-up developing a bio-equivalent cultivated alternative to palm oil – via its investment arm, Doehler Ventures.

Kerry launches nutrition label calculator: 'Front-of-pack labels are becoming more important for brands'

02-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

Kerry has developed the KerryNutri Guide, a tool to calculate how products perform across a range of front-of-pack nutritional labelling systems and guide users towards a better score. “The KerryNutri Guide makes it easier for us to partner with our customers...

Plant-based ‘honey without bees’ prepares to create a buzz in Europe

02-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

US-based MeliBio is partnering with organic food producer Narayan Foods to bring its plant-based bee-free honey product to Europe under the Better Foodie brand.

Ice cream innovators offer sour outlook for vegan segment: ‘It doesn’t sell so well’

01-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

Vegan ice cream has been tipped as a top trend for the category. But European challenger brands are cool on its prospects, suggesting instead that consumers prefer familiar flavours and dairy-based favourites.

Meet the start-up hooked on mycelium-based scallops: ‘We’ve left plants behind, and entered the fungi kingdom’

28-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

Achieving the ‘juicy’ and ‘bouncy’ texture of fish and seafood is possible with mycelium, according to German start-up Esencia Foods

Chr. Hansen and CP Kelco co-develop shelf-stable, plant-based yoghurt alternatives for consumers ‘unwilling to compromise’

28-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

The ingredients majors have combined expertise and technologies to develop their ‘vegurt’ offerings. FoodNavigator asks Chr. Hansen and CP Kelco about the challenges they’ve overcome to create ambient, plant-based yoghurt alternatives.

Tate & Lyle adds ERYTESSE erythritol to sweeteners portfolio

18-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Tate & Lyle has expanded its sweeteners toolbox with ERYTESSE erythritol, which provides 70% of the sweetness of sucrose, a similar temporal profile, and zero calories.

Start-up cuts 70% sugar with sweetener-free substitute: ‘It’s a plug-and-play solution’

09-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Resugar has developed a 1:1 sugar substitute for food manufacturers, and ice cream major Froneri – owner of the Nestlé-Froneri brand in Israel – is amongst its first clients.

Microalgae-based vegan ice cream developed with ‘complete nutritional profile’

08-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

Sophie’s BioNutrients has collaborated with the Danish Technological Institute to develop a dairy-free chlorella-based ice cream that mimics the texture of its conventional counterpart.

Valio leverages AI and dairy proteins for 30% sugar reduction in milk chocolate: ‘The taste remains the same’

07-Nov-2022 By Katy Askew

Dairy company Valio is using the power of artificial intelligence to design a milk chocolate that it describes as ‘future proof’.

In a world of lab-grown and processed food, what is ‘natural’?

04-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

For food to be ‘natural’, do consumers need to know where it came from? Can it be ‘natural’ if it was grown in a lab? And is defining ‘natural’ even important, anyway?

Citrus-free flavours developed to ‘alleviate global citrus sourcing challenges’

03-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

A range of flavours free from citrus-derived molecules, fractions and oils, has been developed by IFF to overcome challenges in the citrus supply chain.

EU-wide labelling scheme decision pushed forward to 2023 as Commission admits ‘complex’ situation

27-Oct-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The European Commission is expected to be delaying its food labelling plans and is unlikely to recommend one existing label.

Challenger QSR plans site expansion with long-term retail goal: ‘We want to Trojan Horse sustainability’

25-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Vegan QSR brand Neat Burger – backed by Lewis Hamilton and Leonardo DiCaprio – is expanding its presence in the UK and the US, with plans to launch into Dubai and Italy, FoodNavigator hears.

‘It’s saltier than salt’: Low-sodium alternative developed from potassium and sodium chloride

24-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Dutch ingredients start-up Fooditive has developed a new product, LowSalt, which it claims is twice as salty as conventional salt.

Post-COVID-19 supply assurance: Stable natural colours crucial to guarantee consistent high-quality products

24-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

Guaranteeing the supply chain stability of natural colours to ensure manufacturers can be assured of product consistency has taken on extra importance in the post-COVID-19 era, claims GNT.

Aqua Cultured Foods inks deal with SV Group for hospitality roll out in Switzerland

20-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Aqua Cultured Foods has signed an agreement with Swiss hospitality and catering company SV Group to bring fermentation-derived alt seafood to smart fridges, cafeterias, and event venues.

GUEST ARTICLE

Industry Insights from NIZO: Meeting consumer expectations for meat alternatives

19-Oct-2022 By René Floris, Food Research Division Manager at NIZO

Meeting consumer expectations for alt meat is a complex mission. How can ingredients and processes help take plant-based protein products to the next level?

3D printed mycoprotein in development for whole cut seafood alternatives

13-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

A new method of treating mycoprotein to make it suitable for 3D printing has been developed by supplier Mycorena, who in a research collaboration with Revo Foods is exploring its potential in vegan seafood whole cuts.

How Givaudan is re-thinking sugar reduction: ‘Holistic profiling is not about replacing the sugar experience’

11-Oct-2022 By Katy Askew

Givaudan has developed a ‘radical approach’ that it says can assist efforts to reduce the amount of sugar in products: ‘holistic profiling’. FoodNavigator hears more about how this new technique represents a departure from conventional approaches to cutting...

Cutting 80% sugar with a multi-ingredient formula: ‘Unlike current sugar substitutes, there is no compromise on taste’

10-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Meet Sweet Balance: the Israeli start-up developing customisable ‘building block’ sugar substitutes for the food and beverage industry.

Kellogg’s invests in reformulation, new ingredients, and packaging design in UK

10-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

The breakfast cereal and snacks major has opened a new food innovation centre in northern England, dedicated to food development and packaging design.

Using 3D printed flavour-based cues for the recall of memories in old age

07-Oct-2022 By Oliver Morrison

In research that suggests a role for the food industry in helping those with dementia re-construct memories, scientists in the UK have shown how the smell of food can enable ‘time travel’.

Coffee-free coffee developed from non-tropical ingredients: ‘With milk, it’s virtually impossible to taste the difference. In the future, it will be indistinguishable’

04-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Dutch start-up Northern Wonder is combatting coffee-related deforestation with an alternative developed from non-tropical ingredients, including barley, rye, chickpea, and chicory.

When will novel mycelium-based foods enter the European market?

30-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Innovators developing novel alternative proteins from mycelia – the root-like structure from which fungi grow – are keen to launch in Europe. We look at the hurdles standing in their way.

‘The sensory seekers are coming’: why food and beverage brands need ‘the most impactful innovations that appeal to multiple senses’

30-Sep-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Multi-sensorial food experiences offer the chance for food and beverage brands to create better product experiences at a time they’re needed more than ever, FoodNavigator hears.

Kraft Heinz teams up with start-up accelerator to drive innovation: ‘We can create win-wins’

29-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

The partnership will see The Kraft Heinz Company team up with agri-food tech accelerator StartLife to help meet consumer expectations across its portfolio, Miriam Ueberall, VP R&D International, Kraft Heinz, tells FoodNavigator.

Plant-based innovators push back at ‘ultra-processed, ultra-unhealthy’ critique

28-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Vegetarian diets are often characterised as healthy options delivering higher nutritional quality. But the surge seen in recent years of plant-based analogue products that many classify as ultra-processed has placed this reputation under pressure. Are...

European supplier CSM Ingredients eyes Latin America: ‘Our global growth strategy is centred on scaling up in other parts of the world’

26-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

CSM Ingredients is entering Latin America through a strategic partnership with Chilean player ICB. FoodNavigator catches up with CSM CEO Aldo Uva to learn more about how this expansion positions the European supplier for further growth.

CSM Ingredients and Allozymes in strategic tie-up on rapid novel enzyme development

22-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

CSM Ingredients has entered into a strategic partnership with Allozymes, a Singapore-based start-up that leverages proprietary tech to develop novel enzymes, FoodNavigator can reveal. In this global exclusive, we catch up with CSM CEO Aldo Uva to learn...

Aliga Microalgae purchases new facility to scale chlorella

22-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Food technology company Aliga Microalgae progresses its plans to scale the microalgae ingredient, chlorella, as an alternative protein after buying an existing production facility in Holland.

Why ex Alpro CEO is moving from Danone to The Protein Brewery: ‘I want us to be the leaders in fermented fungal food ingredients’

21-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Sue Garfitt has been appointed the new CEO of Dutch alternative protein start-up The Protein Brewery. FoodNavigator catches up with Garfitt to ask what factors influenced her decision, what expertise she plans to bring to the company, and what’s next...

Manufacturers focus on sugar reduction and taste retention

21-Sep-2022 By Natasha Spencer

As calls to lower sugar levels in food and beverages louden, formulators and brands centre their efforts on improving taste, testing and technology in sugar-reduced products.

New research project converts fruit waste into natural ingredients

21-Sep-2022 By Natasha Spencer

AINIA, the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, and Productos Lácteos Romar embark on a new project to turn citrus, watermelon and kaki waste into functional food items.

How mycelium innovation is ‘unlocking the potential of the fungi kingdom’

16-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

From pea protein substitutes to whole cut meat alternatives and pet food, the versatility of mycelium is helping to attract a growing number of start-ups to the space. How are entrepreneurs innovating to bring this sustainable ‘root-like’ structure to...

Berries for glucose control: New supplement on the cards after Korean researchers record positive RCT results

14-Sep-2022 By Tingmin Koe

A group of South Korean researchers plan to develop new supplements with functional claims using a mixture containing berry extract and soybean for controlling hyperglycemia, following positive human clinical trial results.

EU-backed macroalgae project wants to ‘prove the sceptics wrong’: ‘We aim to make seaweed a staple of European diets’

07-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

A public-private partnership aiming to produce 12 seaweed-based products – including fermented fibres for meat alternatives and biomaterials for packaging – has launched in the Faroe Islands.

Danish food-tech takes over defunct plant to scale-up production of chlorella

07-Sep-2022 By Nicola Gordon-Seymour

Aliga Microalgae has acquired a state-of-the-art production facility from Duplaco in the Netherlands and will use the site to scale-up production of chlorella algae to meet demand for plant-based and vegan ingredients in global analogue food and supplement...