A growing body of research suggests that what happens in the gut can affect the brain – a connection known as the gut-brain axis. A lot of prior research has suggested – inconclusively – a connection between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and the gut...
In the past 12 months, global sugar prices have risen 41.9% and to describe this sharp inflation in sugar prices, analysts have coined a new term: ‘sugarflation’. The current market volatility has also had a knock-on effect for natural alternatives with...
Swerve, one of the leading manufacturers and marketers of zero-sugar, keto-friendly, and plant-based sweeteners, is at the forefront of the sugar-free baking trend. The company’s innovation and expansion into monk fruit and allulose sweetener offerings,...
With sugar consumption continuing to increase and public health concerns about rising obesity rates, the sugar reduction trend will become more significant, experts say.
Levels of hunger around the world are rising. Plumpy’nut, a peanut-based paste (or sometimes biscuit) is able to feed children experiencing severe malnutrition, often saving lives. But how cost-effective is producing like this, with food costs rising...
MycoTechnology says it is ‘standing on the brink of a sweet revolution’ having discovered a sweet protein derived from honey truffle. “Proteins are widely recognised as the future of sweeteners,” says MycoTechnology CEO Alan Hahn.
A new report from the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) delves into the nutritional quality of the diets of UK children aged between 1 and 5, and explores what can be done to improve it.
The popular sweetener is ‘possibly carcinogenic’ according to the World Health Organization, who has also reaffirmed it is safe to consume within current permitted use levels.
In the UK, government scientists have pointed to ‘uncertainties’ surrounding the quality of evidence linking consumption of ultra-processed foods with adverse health outcomes.
Italian gluten-free specialist Dr. Schär is investing in new millet varieties with improved nutritional characteristics and better adapted to changing environment, FoodNavigator hears.
The algae spirulina has a wide range of health benefits. Now, a start-up is exploring its potential as a clean-label meat substitute, with flexibility in flavour and in use.
Tomatoes are one of Europe’s favourite fruits, and are involved in a wide range of meals from pizza and pasta to salad and full English breakfast. Several advancements have introduced new insights into tomato cultivation.
Austria’s pig industry is mostly self-sufficient. But this doesn’t mean that bacterial infection doesn’t pose a danger to livestock. A new study charts how the different networks of communication between farms, slaughterhouses and other points in Austria’s...
Plant-based meat company Heura has collaborated with schools across the Iberian peninsula to bring more plant-based meat to the diets of schoolchildren. Across 450 schools, it has introduced plant-based meat into school meals.
As the European Commission proposes allowing the use of new genomic techniques to grow climate-resistant crops with better nutritional value, young Europeans would be support genetically modified (GM) food if it gave them a health boost, new research...
While the consumer market for plant-based meat does not completely consist of vegetarians and vegans, choosing a vegan burger over a meat one remains a conscious rejection of meat-eating. This provides plant-based meat with a meaning, its presence in...
After an outbreak of Campylobacter jejuni, or C. jejuni, in 2020, researchers explored its presence in raw milk. But due to the specific properties of the bacteria, detection isn’t always straightforward.
Ireland’s dairy cows are famous for their grass-fed diet. But this diet isn’t just about giving the cows a tasty meal – it affects their health, has strong benefits for sustainability compared to other feeds, and creates better quality milk as an end...
Our latest NPD Trend Tracker looks at a range of new fruit juices, healthy snacks and interesting beverages. From historic tea and ocean conservation-supporting wine to vegan protein powder and paper-packaged straws, scroll through the gallery for more....
As alternative protein develops, brewer’s yeast is emerging as a strong driver of the market. Start-up ProteinDistillery has created a protein, developed from brewer’s yeast, that can not only be used for meat and dairy alternatives, but also to replace...
Italy is famous around the world for its food, and for many, food is an important part of its culture. The UK, however, is often stereotyped as having no food culture at all. As simplistic and unhelpful as these stereotypes often are, food culture - of...
Meat substitutes, especially those aiming to mimic the real thing, can be 'ultra-processed' in nature and associated with e-numbers and additives. But some plant-based meat substitutes, such as newcomer Vegbloc - which aims to replace meat in...
How do upcycling innovators ensure they have abundant supply of side stream raw materials to develop new ingredients for the food and beverage industry?
Plans by the UK government to ban buy-one-get-one-free (BOGOF) deals on foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) has been pushed back to 2025. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak stressed the importance of consumer choice during a time of rising food prices. But...
Finnish start-up Solar Foods is marketing its novel microbial protein Solein for the first time. In partnership with Singapore-based restaurant Fico, the duo has developed a dessert made with ingredients ‘derived out of thin air’.
Despite some recent changes in attitude, obesity, many would argue, still exists in much of the public mind as a personal flaw, a choice. However, some science suggests that the causes are far more physiological in nature than this idea suggests. At the...
Foods including red and processed meat have been frequently linked to cancer. A new study suggests that this could be because of the cooking process – food cooked at high heats could damage the DNA in the food, leading to increased cancer risk in those...
In the highly competitive, complex landscape manufacturers are now in, product acceptance is more than ever about the emotions a product generates, FoodNavigator hears.
French ingredients company Roquette has opened up a new food innovation centre, focusing on developing a wide range of foods with a small number of ingredients, prominently pea protein, wheat protein, polyols, soluble fibres and starches. FoodNavigator...
Found in the forests of South and South East Asia, the Madhūka flower provides a versatile ingredient that can be used as nibs for cereals, snacks and museli, as powder for coffee and milkshakes, and as tea. Now, ōForest, a new brand, is bringing it to...
A major new innovation project led by the University of Copenhagen will convert nutrients and CO2 from shrimp and fish farming into seaweed for the food sector.
Spain’s Rice in Action is using innovative technology to produce a healthier, sustainable and easy to cook rice which can help boost productivity for food service providers and appeal to time-poor consumers lacking culinary skills.
Some products, such as croissants, need a bit of butter to get their unique texture. Israeli startup Gaven Technologies hopes to provide a vegan replacement of butter and other animal fats in bakery products, with its new plant-based fat FaTRIX.
Mycoprotein and fungal proteins take up less land than animal farming, and can be used to aid in regenerative agriculture, explains mycoprotein major Quorn - perhaps the best-known manufacturer of mycoprotein-based meat substitutes.
Plant-based milk is one of the most successful categories of alternative protein, predicted to reach a value of $47 Billion by 2030. But why is it so successful? The driving force behind any alternative protein’s success is the motives people have for...
Obesity and associated metabolic disorders are a rising global health and social issue. But with current approaches limited by their poor long-term effectiveness (as well as potential side effects and surgical risks), researchers believe gene therapy...
A new material discovered in the Pacific Cleaner Shrimp could inspire the development of new whitening materials in foods as a replacement for titanium dioxide (E171), say scientists.
A ‘ground-breaking’ £1 million project has been announced in the UK, which aims to both produce peas that are tasteless but retain nutritional value and have a significant impact on reducing the need for UK imports of soya.
Traditionally, eating meat has been considered a cornerstone of masculinity, especially for professional male athletes. A recent small study, however, suggests that attitudes towards plant-based diets are changing among athletes.
As ProVeg International, a group wanting to replace animal consumption with alternative protein by 50% by 2040, opens an office in Nigeria – where most people already follow a plant rich diet, and where greenhouse gas emissions are low compared to developed...
Henry Dimbleby is bleak in his stinging assessment of the food system’s current ills, namely diet-related disease and environmental destruction, which are damaging both our dietary and planet’s health. But we can look to the past for solutions, he says,...
