Innovation and NPD

Should vanilla production be stopped? GettyImages/Diana Miller

Should vanilla production be stopped?

By Donna Eastlake

Vanilla is one of the most common flavours for sweet treats around the world. But is the farming of this much-loved spice sustainable? And, if not, should we be consuming it at all?

GettyImages/asbe

NPD Trend Tracker: From PepsiCo snacks to collagen tea

By Flora Southey

The collagen trend is on an upwards trajectory, particularly in food and drink. In our latest new product development round-up, we look at a new tea inspired by collagen (it contains collagen peptides). Elsewhere, plant-based continues to trend and UK...

How is the food industry tackling salt reduction? GettyImages/AJ Paulsen

How is the food industry tackling salt reduction?

By Donna Eastlake

High levels of salt in food is becoming an increasing concern for healthcare professionals and consumers as the dangers of a high-salt diet becomes more widely understood. So how is the food industry tackling this issue?

NPD Trend Tracker: From Easter-egg ice cream to dairy-free chocolate eggs

NPD Trend Tracker: From Easter-egg ice cream to dairy-free chocolate eggs

By Donna Eastlake

We’re getting ready for Easter in this week’s new-product roundup. There’s everything from egg-cellent (not sorry!) mini-egg ice cream to egg-citing (still not sorry!) dairy-free chocolate eggs. There’s also a range of drinks from energy-sparking mixers...

How is the food industry supporting childhood nutrition? GettyImages/Image Source

How is the food industry supporting childhood nutrition?

By Donna Eastlake

From infancy through to adolescence, nutrition is essential in ensuring a healthy body and mind for our youngsters. So how can this be achieved and what it the food industry doing to help parents?

Gut-health: Why this consumer trend is here to stay. GettyImages/Meeko Media

Gut health: Why this consumer trend is here to stay

By Donna Eastlake

Consumer appetite for gut-health friendly foods shows no signs of abating as understanding of its impact on overall health continues to grow. But how will this trend evolve and grow in the future?

The researchers used wearable technology to test emotional responses. Image Source: Getty Images/Surapap Maneechote

Consumer responses to coffee assessed through wearable technology

By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Coffee is one of the world’s most popular drinks. While sensory questionnaires are a tried and tested way of assessing its quality, using technology to measure physical and mental responses can reduce biases and cut out the middleman. Now, researchers...

The salty snack sector has witnessed positive growth, largely due to the vast array of products available in Europe and their relative affordability GettyImages/Moyo Studio

Salty snack supply set to grow and diversify in 2024

By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

Affordable, better-for-you and flavourful salty snacks lead producers’ formulation considerations in 2024, while creating resilient crops and exploring the metaverse landscape drive the wider value chain.

Tackling texture of plant-based proteins. GettyImages/Jovana Stojanovic

Tackling texture of plant-based proteins with non-UPF discovery

By Donna Eastlake

‘Dry’, ‘chalky’ and even 'gritty' are just some of the less than favourable words used to describe the texture of plant-based proteins. However, scientists at the University of Copenhagen believe they have discovered the secret to significantly...

The campaign showed success, in spite of the setbacks linked to the declining plant-based market and the cost-of-living crisis. Image Source: Getty Images/ArtMarie

Veganuary 2024: Success or failure?

By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Veganuary has historically led to a significant uptick in consumption of vegan food products. However, with the plant-based sector in decline, and a cost-of-living crisis sweeping much of the world, can the early-year vegan fervour continue apace?

Digital buying is central to how Gen Zers, people born between the mid-to-late 1990s and the early 2010s, are approaching food purchasing. GettyImages/Klaus Vedfelt

‘Glocal’-loving Gen Zers seek brand reliability in 2024

By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

Falling into loyalists and reluctants, Generation Z consumers value reliability and brand experience, remaining avid trendwatchers, looking for products on social channels that appeal to their price and quality expectations.

Are red nets an eco-friendly alternative to pesticides? GettyImages/Dougal Waters

Are red nets an eco-friendly alternative to pesticides?

By Donna Eastlake

A recent study has found that red nets are more effective than black or white nets in preventing onion thrips from damaging crops. So, could red nets be the solution environmentalists have been searching for to help reduce agricultural reliance on the...

Image Source: Getty Images/D-Keine

NPD Trend Tracker: From mandarin orange juice to AI-generated recipes

By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week's NPD Trend Tracker, we see how high orange juice prices have led to the development of mandarin orange juice, and the rise of generative AI has led to the creation of an AI cookbook. Furthermore, we see a rebranding from Mallow &...

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