Dairy-based ingredients

Nestlé accused of adding sugar to baby food in lower income countries

18-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Sugar is added to some of Nestlé’s baby food products sold in poorer countries, but not in its main European markets, claims a new report.

Antibiotic use in dairy: Could traces in milk put consumers at risk?

17-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

When antibiotics are used for livestock, it can put consumers at risk of developing antimicrobial resistance, for example in dairy when traces can get into milk. Regulations, therefore, are vital.

Animal-free dairy seeks EFSA approval: What we know so far

17-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Precision fermentation-derived dairy players have started submitting novel food applications for pre-market approval in the EU.

How much time should dairy cows spend outside?

17-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

To have a fulfilling life, cows arguably must be allowed outside. But what constitutes a ‘free-range’ cow is ambiguous. For optimum welfare, farmers must balance time outdoors and time indoors.

Nestlé’s top tip for communicating regen ag in dairy? ‘Show, don’t tell’

17-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Setting up regenerative agriculture practices is no mean feat, but communicating the benefits to consumers may be even tougher.

Heatless technique does the same job as pasteurisation, but keeps key protein intact

16-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Pasteurisation has always used significant amounts of heat. A new technology, however, can fulfil the same function without this heat, thus keeping a key protein intact.

Could keto diet delay early Alzheimer's?

16-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The keto diet has been linked to multiple health benefits, including lowered blood pressure and reduced blood sugar, but could it also help to combat the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease?

Inside Danone’s methane strategy: ‘This is the most immediate opportunity we have to slow global warming’

15-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Methane reduction may not be well understood by consumers, but Danone wants to bring them along on the journey.

Why are consumers turning away from dairy?

10-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The consumption of dairy products such as milk, butter and cheese is on the decline. But what’s the reason for this and can the dairy industry turn this trend around?

Organic alternative to chemical pesticides discovered

09-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Scientists believe they’ve found an organic solution to chemical pesticides

Food security: How can we create resilient food systems for the future?

08-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The rise of extreme weather events across the globe is posing a major threat to food security. So how can we create more resilient supply chains to ensure food supplies in the future?

Foodborne bacteria can adapt to cleaning methods, research suggests

04-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Foodborne bacteria such as listeria can adapt to cleaning methods in ready-to-eat food factories, new research suggests, pointing to a potential explanation for high levels of infections.

Dairy in potatoes? Molecular farming newcomer teaches spuds to act like mammals

03-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Molecular farming newcomer Finally Foods is emerging from stealth mode to produce casein from plants – with the help of AI.

‘Vegan’ or ‘free-from’? Tackling lack of awareness of the difference between allergen and dietary labelling

26-Mar-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A ‘vegan’ label does not mean a food is safe to eat for those with allergies to animal products. New research shows the public is dangerously unaware of this distinction.

Is the UK investing enough in food and drinks manufacturing?

25-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Financial uncertainty has proved to be a major challenge for UK food and drinks manufacturers. But is the government investing in the industry and what more can it do to support them?

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

25-Mar-2024 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...

Changing freshwater cycle: Are we on a collision course with disaster?

22-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Human activity has significantly altered the freshwater cycle. But is this change reversible, and if not, what does it mean for the future of food and water supplies?

Behind FrieslandCampina’s foray into lab made lactoferrin

21-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

FrieslandCampina Ingredients is expanding its precision fermentation focus beyond HMOs. But will parents be open to feeding their babies precision fermentation-derived dairy?

How is the food industry supporting childhood nutrition?

21-Mar-2024 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 business is booming: What's next for this unstoppable health trend?

20-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The gut health trend is one of the single biggest changes to hit the food and drinks industry in recent decades. So what are gut-loving consumers buying and what gut-friendly products will we see next?

From non-HFSS cereals to desserts: How unlikely foods hit the sweet spot with regulators

20-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

How are brands cutting fat, salt, and sugar from popular product categories to hit the mark with both policymakers and consumers?

How can AI understand the functional food market and the needs that drive it?

20-Mar-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Functional food trends are driven by more than just taste: they’re driven by human need. With AI, the market can be analysed and the needs driving consumption understood.

Why precision fermentation competitors Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys are joining forces

19-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

Two producers of precision fermentation-derived dairy – developing products within the same category – have decided to work together, rather than in strict competition with each other.

Unilever to get out of ice cream, immediately

19-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

The owner of Wall’s, Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s will begin the spin-off right away, with plans to complete by the end of 2025.

Gut health: Why this consumer trend is here to stay

14-Mar-2024 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?

Is a high-protein diet damaging to heart health?

11-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

From building lean muscle to repairing body tissue, protein has been proven to provide a multitude of benefits. But could too much protein be damaging to your heart?

'A relationship turned sour’: How Yoplait plans to reverse a declining yoghurt trend

08-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

The UK kids’ yoghurt category is in long-term decline. Having researched the root causes, dairy major Yoplait now wants to reverse the trend.

Eco-friendly by stealth? Why a hybrid dairy newcomer is avoiding ‘hybrid’ labelling

08-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

PlanetDairy says its marketing is transparent, but actively avoids terminology such as ‘hybrid’, ‘more sustainable’ or ‘green’.

UK's eighth wettest winter on record: How will this affect food production?

08-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Extreme weather events are becoming commonplace across the globe as the effects of climate change really start to bite. But what does this mean for food production, and ultimately, the future of food security?

Does cheese contain too much salt?

04-Mar-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Most hard cheeses contain an abundance of salt according to campaign group Action on Salt. But is this too much? And how easy is it for cheese producers to cut down on salt content?

Reformulating Ben & Jerry’s dairy-free: Why Unilever swapped out nuts and seeds for oats

27-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

Having experimented with almond and sunflower bases for Ben & Jerry’s vegan ice cream products, Unilever is changing tack.

Foodies are falling for luxury butters in a big way

23-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Whether you’re spreading it (generously) on a crumpet, making pastry for a pie or baking a cake, butter is a kitchen essential that’s loved by many. But this humble ingredient is having something of a luxury makeover and food lovers are flocking.

Which front-of-pack nutritional label yields the healthiest results?

22-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

Europe is not short of front-of-pack nutritional labels, with Nutri-Score, the Traffic Light scheme and Keyhole label dominating in different countries and regions. But with each label championing its own algorithm, do they yield different outcomes?

Hybrid dairy: How can innovators unlock a new category’s potential?

13-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

Hybrid dairy, whereby conventional dairy is blended with plant-based ingredients, holds ‘considerable appeal’ as a category, according to Mintel, but innovation is rare. What can industry do to win new consumers?

‘Melty and gooey’ plant-based cheese developed after 4 years of R&D: ‘Most on the market don’t melt, just soften’

12-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

After four years in development, Swedish dairy-free start-up Stockeld Dreamery claims to have mastered the meltability experience of cheese with plant-based ingredients.

Commission wants to cut GHG emissions by 90% by 2040, but is agriculture off the hook?

08-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

In the European Commission’s final text published this week, any mention of methane reduction has been omitted. So have links between dietary patterns and GHG emissions, critics lament.

Unblocking the ‘fermentation bottleneck’: Inside Planetary’s quest to optimise protein production

07-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

A fermentation bottleneck still exists for the microbial fermentation sector, according to Swiss biotech Planetary, who is working to optimise protein and fat production with not just ‘overall infrastructure, but correct infrastructure’.

How will the BTOM impact food imports into Great Britain?

06-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), the first stage of which came into force on 31 January, will have a significant impact on how the EU trades with Great Britain. Over three stages throughout 2024, new checks and declarations will be required for...

'Vegan' labels don't always mean free from animal products

02-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Despite common public understanding that the word ‘vegan’ means free from animal products, there is no legally binding definition for the term in the UK and EU. This means that products labelled ‘vegan’ can contain trace amounts of eggs or dairy. Furthermore,...

Novonesis: Chr Hansen and Novozymes merge to form €3.7bn ‘biosolutions’ major

02-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

Just over a year after announcing plans to merge, Danish enzyme and cultures suppliers Novozymes and Chr Hansen have joined forces under a new company name: Novonesis.

Food allergy breakthrough: omalizumab displays promising results for kids and teens

30-Jan-2024 By Donna Eastlake

A study on the effects of using omalizumab, in the treatment of food allergies, has shown an improved tolerance to a variety of everyday foods in children and adolescents.

NPD Trend Tracker: From blank drinks cans to regenerative agriculture bread

29-Jan-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week's NPD Trend Tracker, we have a range of bread made with regenerative agriculture-derived flour. We also have desserts, Valentine's Day doughnuts, a new range of fully loaded brownie tray bakes, and a new version of that classic...

What is the ‘protein transition’? Untangling the narratives

19-Jan-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Talk about a ‘protein transition’ is rife in the world of food. But what exactly is a protein transition? A study by Nature Food identifies three narratives through which a protein transition is interpreted, and three potential drivers of change.

How Upfield made paper tubs for oil-based spreads: ‘It took 4 years and over 300 prototypes’

19-Jan-2024 By Flora Southey

Paper and oil may be an unlikely match, but margarine major Upfield has managed to marry the two in developing the ‘world’ first’ plastic-free, recyclable tub for plant butters and spreads.

How ingredients suppliers manage global struggles: From disrupted supply chains to cost-of-living pressures

08-Jan-2024 By Flora Southey

As we leave behind a troublesome 2023, we reflect on some of the unforeseen challenges faced by ingredients companies. From supply chain disruptions to cost-of-living pressures, how have suppliers changed tact to meet manufacturers’ demands?

The next generation of confectionery? Mediterranean cocoa-free chocolate addresses the darker side of production

03-Jan-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

Spurred on by a drive to pursue positive impact and leave the corporate world, four founders came together to launch their Mediterranean cacao-free chocolate brand.

From ‘travelling through taste’ to cognitive health: The 2024 trends predicted to shake-up food and beverage

03-Jan-2024 By Flora Southey

What food and drink trends have been predicted for 2024? We catch up with ingredients suppliers ADM, Arla Foods Ingredients, and Prinova Europe to ask how they’re preparing for the year ahead.

Lower-impact protein and dietary swaps benefit climate change and health

18-Dec-2023 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

Making simple substitutions by swapping animal-based products for plant-based alternatives and opting for lower-impact protein supports climate change efforts and personal health goals, a new study reveals.

New association to promote plant-based food launched in Finland

14-Dec-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new association in Finland brings together a range of companies to promote the consumption of plant-based meat, and educate the public about its benefits.

Disrupting cow, sheep, goat & donkey milk: Cell cultivated start-up Senara emerges from stealth

11-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

After 18 months in stealth mode, German start-up Senara is emerging to disrupt the conventional milk market (derived from cow, sheep, goat, donkey and more) with cell cultivation.