From upcycling ‘spent hens’ into flavour enhancers to recreating breast milk in a lab, we round-up five of the most innovate start-ups we interviewed in 2023.
After decades of ‘very little’ innovation by heritage brands, is butter (and its plant-based counterparts) having a moment? FoodNavigator investigates.
Vegetables grown indoors, without any soil, may not sound as appealing to consumers as their sun-blushed counterparts cultivated in open fields. But according to fresh research, they taste just as good.
Food tech company Nourish Ingredients launches its animal-free fat, Tastilux, calling it a “world-first” and “breakthrough” new product development designed to enhance global food security.
As part of Mars Inc.’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the confectionery major is optimising product recipes to include more environmentally friendly ingredients.
Climate impact labels are being applied to 2,500 food items across five Carrefour stores in Dubai, including at Expo City, in time for the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference.
Can the complexities of breast milk be replicated by cows? France-based Nūmi doesn’t think so. The start-up is turning to cell culture to develop the ‘closest thing possible’ to breast milk.
The Aptamil owner has signed a letter of intent with Else Nutrition, a start-up making formula for babies and kids from almonds, buckwheat and tapioca.
The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) is launching a food and drink incubator programme for entrepreneurs, open to ‘anyone in the wider London F&B fraternity’.
Mars Inc. plans to purchase British chocolate retailer Hotel Chocolat for £534m. Although under Mars initial focus will remain on the UK market, both parties have hinted to potential international expansion.
The Future Ocean Foods association has several activities on the agenda, including improving the nutritional profile of alternative seafood, with a particular focus on protein and omegas.
Grapevine farmers currently uses ’immersive’ amounts of pesticides to protect their crops, according to Richard Petersik, CEO of VineForecast. In response, the German start-up is tapping artificial intelligence to help farmers reduce their use of agricultural...
The number of deals in the cultivated meat market in the first eight months of 2023 has significantly declined since 2022, a report by financial advisory firm Oghma Partners shows. However, strong government investment and potential regulatory approval...
Israel-headquartered plant-based ingredients start-up ChickP has developed a chickpea-based protein isolate that can be incorporated into a range of cheese substitutes.
Finnish start-up Aircohol is working to decarbonise the alcohol industry by producing drinks from carbon dioxide released during alcohol fermentation. The result? A crop-free liquor with up to 50% reduced carbon footprint.
As free from brands spot long-term growth potential, a perpetual debate is reigniting: is it best for these products to be in separate or standard aisles?
When rethinking packaging, London-based Notpla turns to fruit for inspiration. Just like fruit peel, the start-up’s plant-based plastic alternatives are naturally biodegradable, and some can even be consumed whole ‘like a cherry tomato’.
Austrian start-up inoqo, which uses AI to help grocery retailers and food and beverage brands to reduce the environmental impact of their food supply chains, has announced a tie-up with Norway-based online grocery delivery provider Oda.
In this week's NPD Trend Tracker, we have a medical drink to help children with disease-related malnutrition and an educational programme to help children learn about food waste. We also have a dandelion-spiced rum, condiments that help metabolic...
While with any food, ‘taste is king,’ texture is also extremely important, especially in products aiming to mimic meat. For optimal texture, many manufacturers argue, animal fats, which contribute significantly to the texture of real meat, must be replicated...
French plant-based whole-cut chicken producer Umiami has secured a further €32.5 million Series A funding, bringing its total raised to date to over €100 million.
UK-based BIOVIT is poised to launch plant-derived nutrient blends targeting fortified food and meal-replacement markets. Its vitamins and minerals, extracted from leaves, flowers, roots and fungi extracts, guarantees nutrient content, it claims, to boost...
Branston, one of the UK’s largest suppliers, has begun trials to assess the viability of creating net zero potatoes. Field Technical Manager Andrew Blair shares his insights into the methods the company is following and how it hopes to establish a process...
Ivy Farm Technologies sounded the warning it will look to open its first production facility in another country, likely the US, if the Food Standards Authority drags its feet on giving regulatory approval to this fledgling industry.
Nordic tech company Cambri today announced the release of Launch AI, which provides companies with advice and predictions for NPDs. The AI, which has worked with food and beverage companies such as Carlsberg and Nestlé, reduces the risk that inevitably...
The food industry has responded to bullish predictions of a boom in plant-based meat alternatives with a gold rush mentality. But as sales slow and interest dips, can advances in food science come to the rescue of a category that is struggling to live...
Regulatory bottlenecks are threatening to hinder CBD innovation on both sides of the Atlantic, the former professional road racing cyclist Floyd Landis tells FoodNavigator.
Scotland-based OCEANIUM announces a $2.6 (€2.4) million fundraise to scale up its proprietary biorefinery technology to meet market demand for its seaweed ingredients and materials.
Researchers from Germany, Israel and the UK have been given €1.2 million in funding to work on solving the barriers to creating cultivated meat at scale, and thus to provide it on a commercial basis.
As food service giants Taco Bell, Wendy’s and Starbucks enter the metaverse with their devised lands and non-fungible tokens (NFTs), we explore whether it is only a matter of time before manufacturers take a bite out of the metaverse experience.
Researchers have hailed the landmark agreement to allow the UK to re-join the Horizon Europe research programme as an associate member, which will pave the way for pioneering food breakthroughs.
The abilities of AI are numerous, and one of its key abilities is discovery. In a new partnership between Israeli companies Agrematch and ICL, it will be used to discover new compounds and biostimulants for crop nutrition, compounds that can optimise...
Meet GreenProtein AI: the non-profit leveraging artificial intelligence and advanced machine learning to help innovators improve the texture of their plant-based meat products.
A cultivated chicken cell line has not only met kosher standards for the first time, but the world’s largest kosher certification body has recognised cultivated meat as both kosher and meat.
UK food tech start-up Dynamify has teamed up with Swedish sustainability software specialist Klimato to deliver what it claims is the UK-first digital carbon labelling system enabling the catering industry to dramatically reduce carbon emissions.
Israeli food major Tnuva is launching the ‘Vegetarian Series’: the first product line developed at its new R&D Center for Alternative Protein in Rehovot.
A four-year project aimed at developing whey protein from CO2 and electricity has been selected for investment by the European Commission via its innovation programme.
In this week's NPD round up, we look at two different types of plant-based tuna, a new alcohol-free spirit, and the redesign of a classic chocolate brand.
The world’s largest producer of ‘natural’ food ingredients derived from microorganisms is taking a 10% share in Israeli alternative protein maker Yeap.
Danish start-up UpFood is adding its upcycled ingredients technology, which leverages surplus food and vegetables to combat post-harvest food waste, to Spanish food production network Blendhub.
Loop, a division of TerraCycle, is adapting traditional reusability models to modern consumption habits. The aim is to eliminate the concept of waste, Clemence Schmid, general manager, Loop Global, tells FoodNavigator.
