Processing and Packaging

Which ‘green’ regulations are impacting food and beverage, and what’s around the corner?

20-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

From deposit return schemes to ‘dumpster diving’ legislation and single-use plastic bans, sustainability-driven policies are making a mark in Europe. How will this progress in 2023?

‘The opportunity for game-changing innovations might be missed’: Time and Temperature Indicator tech could fight food waste but is EU regulation holding it back?

12-Jan-2023 By Katy Askew

The EU is committed to the Sustainable Development Goal to halve food waste by 2030. But, with food labelling often cited as a waste driver, are restrictive regulatory requirements impeding this effort? FoodNavigator speaks to Kristen Hovland, CEO of...

Sucafina looks to AI to cut carbon footprint of coffee sales

10-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The Swiss-based coffee company has teamed up with Singapore-based AI-driven food ingredient profiler ProfilePrint to invest in Csmart, a Brazil-based developer of AI-powered image recognition technologies for green coffee grading.

Novozymes invests microbial control tech from Lyras for ‘less downtime, more efficiency and cost savings’

09-Jan-2023 By Katy Askew

Biotech group Novozymes has invested in new ‘energy-friendly’ raslysation technology developed by Danish company Lyras to replace filtration processes. It is expected to result in lower costs and increased efficiency.

‘We are very surprised by this accusation’: Danone sued over plastic pollution

09-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The French multi-national ‘strongly refutes’ allegations it is waning on commitments to cut its plastic footprint.

How Weetabix Original plans to get to Net Zero by 2050: ‘It’s not a quick and easy thing to do’

14-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Weetabix Food Company has committed to producing a zero-carbon box of Weetabix Original breakfast cereal by 2050. John Petre, supply chain, procurement and technical director at the Weetabix Food Company, explains how.

Behind Unilever’s energy-saving plan to warm up its ice cream freezers

28-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Unilever is warming up its ice cream freezers and reformulating products to withstand higher temperatures to help tackle emissions.

Researchers query sustainability of plant-based: Is the category’s performance any better than meat and dairy?

25-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

How does the sustainability performance of plant-based alternatives stack up against conventional meat and dairy? Is the category worthy of its ‘sustainability halo’? FoodNavigator investigates.

Unilever hopes to launch ‘cow-free’ ice cream but asks: ‘how do we position it to mainstream consumers'?

23-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Unilever has said it is exploring making ‘cow-free’ ice cream and is hoping to soon launch a product made with dairy proteins made via precision fermentation, but admitted there’s a danger they will be ultimately be rejected by shoppers if they are perceived...

The ‘magic sachets’ combatting food waste by keeping food fresher for longer

10-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

A Spanish company has invented a solution to food waste by keeping fruit and vegetables fresher for longer.

EU deforestation regulation will ‘increase poverty’, claims Indonesian Palm Oil Association

09-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Ahead of this week’s trilogue negotiations on the EU’s Deforestation Regulation, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA/GAPKI) has complained the legislation “will increase poverty, decrease sustainable development, and undermine decades of progress...

‘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.

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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?

PepsiCo puts ‘tiny bubbles’ into palette wrap, introduces cardboard for crisp multipacks

17-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

PepsiCo-owned Walkers is removing 250 tonnes of virgin plastic from its supply chain annually thanks to two packaging innovations.

Food fraud warnings amid CO2 shortage

06-Oct-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Food manufacturers are being urged to prioritise quality checks when choosing new CO2 suppliers, in order to minimise food fraud risk.

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Industry Insights from NIZO: Sustainable food processing offers path through the energy crisis

21-Sep-2022 By René Floris, Food Research Division Manager at NIZO

Sustainability goals have already made reducing energy consumption a priority for the food industry. Now, soaring energy costs are adding economic urgency to that drive. How can vital energy savings be achieved?

How new processing techniques have ‘great potential’ to make food more sustainable

20-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

Processed food can get a bad rap. But according to researchers in Norway, new processing techniques can help extend shelf-life to reduce food waste and its detrimental effects on the environment.

Researchers deliver plastic-free takeaway

30-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

In research organised by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology Food community (EIT FOOD), academics looked to eliminate the shortcomings of ordinary takeaway packaging.

‘You cannot change the recyclability of a pack by passing the responsibility onto the consumer’: Are packaging innovations forgetting the fundamentals?

26-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The quest for ever more eco-friendly packaging in the food and beverage industry is often done ‘without consideration for the effect on overall recyclability’, FoodNavigator hears.

Climate-resilient African crops to improve nutritional deficiency via gluten-free crackers

22-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

A European-African project is investigating the potential for local crops to improve the nutritional profile of gluten-free crackers in Africa.

One ingredient that can do it all? Bio-based hydrocolloid developed to ‘clean’ up plant-based

16-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

German start-up Bioweg claims its bio-based hydrocolloid made from bacterial cellulose can improve taste, texture, and appearance of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.

Insects or algae for dinner? Optimising 3D printing can help overcome the yuck factor for new protein sources

09-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

Researchers examine how 3D printing could be harnessed to make alternative protein sources, such as insects, more palatable and accessible.

Creating fat from thin air: Start-up hopes to bring tropical fat replacement made using carbon dioxide and electricity to market in 2024

05-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Sweden’s Green-On is developing a unique technology to produce food ingredients, especially fat for the food and feed industry, in a truly sustainable way.

Waitrose joins ranks of UK retailers ditching best before dates

02-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The upmarket supermarket will remove best before dates on nearly 500 products to help customers reduce food waste at home by 2030.

Organix unveils packaging and texture innovations in ‘biggest category shakeup in its history’

13-Jul-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The UK-based organic baby and toddler food brand has unveiled 29 new products and two new ranges: Baby Meals and Organix Kids, which will be introduced initially in Asda and the Organix Online Shop. It is also bringing further additions to its current...

Industry looks to upcycled ingredients as food price crisis bites

06-Jul-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Circular food solutions, upcycled ingredients and local production all offer the food and drink sector a solution to counter current global economic pressures and supply chain volatility.

Bühler looks to membrane and fractionation technology to drive next generation of meat and dairy analogues

29-Jun-2022 By Oliver Morrison

As the alternative protein industry looks to new technology and ingredients to fuel growth, the Swiss supplier has unveiled new partnerships designed to improve the taste and texture of plant proteins.

‘The health of people and our planet go hand-in-hand’: How conscientious consumption is driving sustainable nutrition

15-Jun-2022 By Katy Askew

Sustainable nutrition is key to the future of people and the planet. Providing it is an important opportunity for the food and beverage sector to engage with shoppers who are ever more focused on conscientious consumption, FoodNavigator hears.

Fertilizer plant closures ‘a blow’ to UK food security

10-Jun-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The closure of two of the UK’s largest fertilizer plants is ‘a massive blow’ to the already strained agriculture and food sectors in the country, FoodNavigator has been told.

Tetra Pak talks ‘industry first’ fibre-based barrier: ‘Our aim is to develop the world’s most sustainable food package’

09-Jun-2022 By Katy Askew

Tetra Pak is developing a fibre-based barrier to replace the aluminium layer currently needed in food and beverage packaging like juice boxes and milk cartons. We caught up with Tetra Pak’s Davide Braghiroli, Product Director Packaging Materials and Alternative...

Vertical farms will end imported soft fruits and herbs in ten years, claims Ocado-backed JFC

07-Jun-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Ambitious UK vertical farmer Jones Food Company claims its new research centre will help the country end its reliance on the import of soft fruits, herbs and cut flowers within the next decade.

‘We need to question the status quo’: Tetra Pak looks to accelerate innovation through collaboration

01-Jun-2022 By Katy Askew

Swiss packaging group Tetra Pak has unveiled a set of research collaborations that it hopes will help accelerate innovation to address the challenges facing the global food system.

Behind Buxton’s move to 100% rPET: ‘It hasn't been an easy journey and it hasn't happened overnight’

31-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Nestlé-owned mineral water brand Buxton has delivered on its 2019 commitment to switch to recycled PET plastic (rPET) in the UK. We caught up with Hayley Lloyd House, Nestlé Waters UK Head of Corporate of Affairs and Sustainability, to find out how this...

‘There are so many different potential applications’: Indoor farming specialist pioneers ultrasonic technology to grow plants with sound

27-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The UK’s LettUs Grow has developed a unique method of growing plants with sound and water aimed at boosting sustainable production in horticulture.

Sweegen wins stevia Reb M patent battle… but Ingredion set to appeal

25-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Ingredient supplier Sweegen hailed its victory against PureCircle in a stevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) patent battle as opening the door to ‘major expansion’ opportunities. However, FoodNavigator understands PureCircle owner Ingredion is already preparing...

'Private label is on the war path, so everything matters': Double down on sensory appeal to reward consumers, brands told

17-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Multi-sensorial food and beverage experiences can attract mainstream appeal despite the backdrop of the cost of living crisis, according to MMR Research.

'It might replace cheap chicken or grass-fed beef or even prove irrelevant... we don't know yet': Project to probe if lab-grown meat is friend or foe to farmers

16-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Farmers are teaming up with cultured meat businesses, food companies, charities and government to explore the pros and cons of cell-based meat.

EU initiative aims to drive digital innovation to cut the energy costs for food SMEs

11-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

A project aims to slash the energy costs of small and medium-sized food companies in the EU.

Private labels to stay ‘formidable competitors​’ to the brands, believes IRI

11-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Private label loyalists (shoppers that buy them over 75% of the time) now equal those of national brands in all key European markets, claims fresh IRI data.

Plastic-free chewing gum hopes to challenge 'synthetic' standards

20-Apr-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The founder of UK-based ‘super natural’ chewing gum start-up Milliways is also calling for a single-use plastic levy to make it easier for consumers to switch to a ‘more sustainable’ option.

‘This is no longer moonshot technology’: Swiss venture raises $8m to ‘de-bottleneck’ food fermentation industry

20-Apr-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Geneva-based company planetary has closed on of the largest seed rounds of a European food company, collecting CHF 7.5m (€7.3), led by impact investor Astanor Ventures, with participation from XAnge, Blue Horizon, Nucleus Capital, Exceptional Ventures...

The FoodNavigator Podcast: What needs to be done to tackle plastic pollution in food and beverages?

20-Apr-2022 By Katy Askew

The FoodNavigator Podcast speaks to the Consumer Goods Forum about what the food and beverage industry is doing to tackle plastic pollution and work towards a future free from plastic waste.

‘It’s all about the whole cuts’: alt meat start-up reveals tech is key as it celebrates ‘largest ever’ fund raise

14-Apr-2022 By Oliver Morrison and Katy Askew

France-based Umiami tells FoodNavigator its proprietary high moisture extrusion process surpasses other commercially available technologies by producing thicker, whole cuts of substitute meat.

'Private labels are hiding in plain sight': but where are the growth areas to watch?

30-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Private labels are bouncing back after stalling during the pandemic when consumers sought sanctuary from the familiarity offered by the big-name brands.

Let there be light: Netherlands probes photonics for food security solution

28-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Precision technology, assisted by photonic technology, allows a faster, lighter, more durable, and much cheaper way of producing plants and animals believe Dutch growers.

Why high moisture extrusion could solve alt meat’s nutritional as well as structural challenges

24-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

High moisture extrusion (HME) technology is currently all about improving the texture of meat analogues. But it may also be the key to improving the nutritional profile of plant-based meat and seafood.

Digitising the beef sector to reduce emissions

22-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Fintech app Breedr wants to ‘put data at the heart of farming’ to make the beef supply chain more efficient and improve farmers’ profits and environmental footprints.

Inside Hive: A deep-dive into Unilever's plant-based innovation drive

21-Mar-2022 By Katy Askew

“We want to outgrow the competition and we want to do it in ways that are better for people and the planet,” Unilever’s head of Food & Refreshment Hanneke Faber says. How does the company plan to do this? FoodNavigator goes inside Hive, Unilever’s...

AAK, Chr. Hansen, Givaudan and Ingredion co-create plant-based yoghurt base: ‘We identified a gap in terms of taste and texture’

18-Mar-2022 By Flora Southey

The first plant-based customer-ready product has been developed by four MISTA members from the ingredients sector. FoodNavigtor asks MISTA what makes its plant-based yoghurt base unique.

HPP milk concerns flagged as EFSA endorses high pressure processing for food products

11-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

High-pressure processing (HPP) of food is effective at destroying harmful microorganisms and poses no more food safety concerns than other treatments. However, HPP is not as effective on milk and some ready-to-eat foods (RTE), according to an EFSA opinion.