Emulsifiers, stabilisers, hydrocolloids

UPF watch: What’s the latest on ultra-processed food?

16-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Ultra-processed food is making headlines. In our rolling coverage of UPF, we unpack the good, the bad, and the confusion around this classification of products. Here’s the latest…

How KFC is reformulating the classics to cut fat, salt and sugar

05-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

From burgers to fries, the QSR major is cutting calories from menus in the UK and Ireland. Which reformulation strategies are at play?

Are ultra-processed plant-based burgers healthy? WHO investigates

21-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

The World Health Organization has funded research analysing the nutritional composition of ultra-processed plant-based burgers, and the findings are out.

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.

Can links be drawn between Nutri-Score and ultra-processed food?

19-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

Are ultra-processed foods more likely to have low Nutri-Score ratings? And should the Nova classification system be incorporated into the Nutri-Score algorithm?

Are we misusing the term ‘ultra-processed’? Uncoupling UPF from nutrition

14-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

The term ‘ultra-processed’ is increasingly used to describe the ‘unhealthiness’ of a product, particularly in the context of plant-based meat. But how processed a food is reveals nothing about its nutritional impact, contends new research.

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.

Tackling trans fat: WHO awards top 5 countries for elimination

01-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

World Health Organization partners with Resolve to Save Lives to recognise countries working to remove industrially produced trans fat from their national food supplies.

‘More than mylk’: Alternatives to coffee, cocoa, salt and sugar on the table at Mylkcubator 3.0

27-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

The Mylkcubator programme has largely focused on next-gen dairy innovation to date. But for the incubator’s third edition, dairy-major Pascual wants to expand its focus to alt coffee, cocoa, salt, sugar and more.

Ultra-processing and pregnancy: Emulsifier consumption could be linked to ‘minor health risks’ in offspring, warn researchers

12-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

New research out of Spain shows that when pregnant mice were fed emulsifiers, metabolic impairments, cognition deficits and anxiety-like traits were observed in their offspring. “Our data call for nutritional advice during gestation,” note the study authors.

Upfield prepares for dairy parity with plant-based butter, cream and cheese: ‘Only technology will close the gap in taste and texture’

05-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

The company says its plant-based butter is already as good as its conventional counterpart, and plans to close any taste and texture gaps in dairy-free creams and cheeses within the next three years.

‘New sustainable frontiers’: CSM ramps up fats & oils development with microorganisms and plants

11-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

CSM Ingredients wants to uncover ‘sustainable frontiers’ in fats and oils – including plant-based oil replacements made from microorganisms – with the inauguration of a new Innovation Center in Delmenhorst, Germany.

Algaia acquired by JRS Group to meet ‘fast-growing’ demand for seaweed-based products

28-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

French biomarine ingredients supplier Algaia has been acquired by JRS Group in Germany, which sees synergies with its existing alginate business.

Seaweed products in every household? Behind Amazon’s move to shake up Europe’s seaweed market

03-Mar-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The e-commerce giant has put its weight behind plans to significantly boost Europe’s seaweed sector.

Scottish start-up turns to ‘food of the future’ seaweed to launch methylcellulose replacement

24-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

OCEANIUM has developed a high-fibre seaweed-based one-for-one methylcellulose replacement for plant-based meat which can be used in other products applications including gluten-free breads and beverages. Farmed seaweed also boasts numerous environmental,...

Replacing methylcellulose in meat analogues: ‘Plant-based is perceived as better for you, using synthetic additives creates a gap between perception and reality’

03-Oct-2022 By Katy Askew

Meet the start-up that has developed a one-for-one methylcellulose replacement for plant-based products.

Plant-based innovators push back at ‘ultra-processed, ultra-unhealthy’ critique

28-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Vegetarian diets are often characterised as healthy options delivering higher nutritional quality. But the surge seen in recent years of plant-based analogue products that many classify as ultra-processed has placed this reputation under pressure. Are...

Kerry delivers cost-effective replacement for in-demand carob gum

15-Sep-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The alternative costs up to 50% less than the real thing but delivers the functional benefits that ice cream makers have come to expect from the sought-after natural stabilizer.

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.

How is clean label evolving? Mintel talks regulation, processing, and linking ‘clean with green’

04-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

The ‘clean label’ trend does not remain stagnant. Mintel’s Emma Schofield, Associate Director, Global Food Science, reveals how the trend is evolving in the face of changing regulation, interest is degrees of processing, and environmentally friendly consumers.

Clean label claims boost sales, but what categories benefit most?

20-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

The clean label ingredients market is witnessing continued growth, with evidence suggesting clean labels increase consumer willingness to pay a higher price point and build loyalty. FoodNavigator digs down into the trend to profile what categories and...

Fungi-based butter: Mycoprotein maker develops ‘first prototype’ for alt dairy applications

08-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

Mycorena claims to have made the first mycoprotein butter prototype. FoodNavigator catches up with CEO Ram Nair to find out how.

Albumin substitute developed from legume wastewater: ‘Just like egg protein, it binds, emulsifies, and foams’

28-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Fabumin has developed a cost-competitive, vegan alternative to egg protein from legume wastewater. FoodNavigator hears how.

Record 75% protein content achieved in ‘minimally processed’ pea protein

21-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli seed developer Equinom claims to have broken its own industry record of 70% protein content in a minimally processed pea protein ingredient.

Firmenich and DSM merger creates ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing

31-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Firmenich and DSM have revealed plans to merge the two companies in a move that they believe will create an ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing.

IFF unveils SEAFLOUR, a whole food seaweed stabilizer offering ‘exceptional stability’ in plant-based beverage formulations, and a clean label

03-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

IFF has launched SEAFLOUR, a hydrocolloid from red seaweed with particular potential in higher-protein plant-based milks made with pea or soy, enabling formulators to offer cleaner labels and shorten their ingredients lists.

Finnish start-up raises EUR 10M to commercialize ‘breakthrough technology’ to produce egg white without chickens

23-Feb-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Onego Bio, the cellular agriculture spin-off from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, says it uses a commercially-proven Trichoderma technology to solve environmental problems associated with eggs, one of the world’s most used animal proteins.

DSM integrates food and beverage business for ‘one-stop-shop’

13-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

Royal DSM is launching a new integrated food and beverage operating structure that it says well deliver a ‘one-stop-shop’ of solutions for food and drink brands.

‘Creamy’ ingredient developed from plant seeds targets alt dairy: ‘Sunflower fat is highly similar to milk fat’

14-Dec-2021 By Flora Southey

A Wageningen University spin-off is developing a plant-based fat ingredient from European-grown sunflower seeds, designed to boost alt dairy’s nutritional and sustainability profile, as well as mouthfeel.

Nexira looks to locust bean gum to fuel plant beverage expansion plans

02-Nov-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The French supplier says its acquisition of Swiss-based locust bean gum specialist UNIPEKTIN Ingredients will allow it to push into new markets and applications.

'This is not a cookie cutter approach'... Reformulation challenges in wake of titanium dioxide ban

14-Oct-2021 By Oliver Morrison

With a ban on the use of controversial colouring agent titanium dioxide (E171) looking likely in the European Union in 2022, the ingredient supplier Ingredion Corporation warns that manufacturers might face extra costs when converting to clean label strategies,...

Fermenting yeast into ‘cream’: Start-up adds richness and texture to plant-based dairy

27-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Cultivated Biosciences is addressing textural challenges in plant-based dairy with a fat ingredient developed from oleaginous yeast. Co-founder and CEO Tomas Turner explains how.

Big food still ‘hooked’ on junk: ShareAction vows to turn up the heat on unhealthy food makers

23-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

New research reveals that 71% of UK sales at 16 of the largest food and beverage manufacturers are generated by unhealthy products. ShareAction warns that companies should expect increased investor activism on the topic.

What do consumers think about food additives? Survey

22-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Results of a new survey in Germany suggest many consumers are concerned about possible health effects associated with food additives, while at the same time expressing a lack of knowledge about such ingredients.

Carob: A ‘super-nutritious, highly sustainable hidden gem’?

06-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Food and ag tech start-up CarobWay is working to help grow the market for carob as a ‘super-nutritious’ and ‘highly sustainable’ food ingredient.

Rising commodity prices: the next NPD challenge for industry?

10-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The locust bean gum price crisis could inspire exciting new product development.

Swapping out long ingredients lists on vegan mayo for chickpeas: ‘We’ve taken the aquafaba concept a leap further’

15-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up ChickP Ltd. says its 90% protein isolate demonstrates can be used as a clean label, one-to-one replacement for egg yolk in alt mayonnaise.

Acacia gum production funds desertification prevention in Africa: ‘We want to create concrete impact’

17-Jun-2021 By Flora Southey

French producer of acacia gum Alland & Robert has established a company foundation to help prevent desertification in Africa. “Our sole objective is to support African communities and fight the desertification of lands, droughts, or lack of access...

Alt egg start-up taps plant cellulose for ‘clean’ texture boost: ‘We want to reduce or even eliminate methylcellulose’

25-May-2021 By Flora Southey

The founders of Israeli meat alternative company SavorEat are expanding into the plant-based egg space with Egg’n’up: a new start-up leveraging plant-cellulose to recreate the texture of egg.

Mimicking egg functionality with plants: ‘A functional egg replacement shouldn’t have more than 7 ingredients’

20-May-2021 By Flora Southey

Zurich-based EggField is working to disrupt the conventional egg ingredient sector with alternatives that ‘use very few ingredients’. “Functionality comes before everything,” co-founder Silvan Leibacher tells FoodNavigator.

What does the future hold for reformulation?

19-May-2021 By Hannah Pearse, Head of Nutrition and Scientific Affairs at IGD

With the impending publication of part two of the National Food Strategy in the UK, IGD convened major retailers, manufacturers, food service companies and members of the National Food Strategy team to discuss reformulation, the challenges, and opportunities....

Cracking the plant-based egg market: Clean label, nutrition, and meeting ‘fanatical’ demand

07-May-2021 By Flora Southey

How are plant-based egg-sperts hatching ‘clean’ ingredients lists that deliver on functionality, taste, and nutrition?

‘It doesn’t need to bleed like a beef burger’: Snacks disrupter The Curators on how the humble mushroom can shake up the meat-free space

09-Apr-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Best known for its nuts, biltong and pork puffs, UK start-up The Curators has ventured into meat alternatives with a range of mushroom-based products. The aim is to tap into the fast-growing consumer appetite for more natural plant-based meal solutions,...

End the cage age: Unilever and Nestlé petition to phase out caged hens in Europe

17-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

Nestlé, Unilever and Mondelēz International are among the food majors calling for an EU-wide ‘phase out’ of caged hens in farming.

Unilever looks to fat alternatives in quest to hit €1bn plant-based sales target

16-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The FMCG giant recently tasked start-ups to find solutions that promise to improve the taste, texture, sustainability and affordability of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. The winner? A French company with a patented plant-based fat that closely...

Researchers propose standardised testing methods to crack sensory challenge of plant-based milk

11-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Despite rapidly growing consumer demand, the quality of plant-based milk products very often underwhelms. The solution? More consistent testing at R&D stage.

Not all processed foods should be demonised, say nutritionists

22-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

What do canned baked beans, low fat fruit yogurt, ice cream, pre-packaged sliced bread, ready-made pasta sauces, and breakfast cereals with added sugar all have in common?

The future of ‘clean label’? Radically transparent and naturally healthy

17-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

‘Clean label’ is an industry term that speaks to consumer demand for recognisable ‘pantry cupboard’ ingredients. But, without a clear definition, the meaning of clean label is evolving. What other mega-trends will shape the future of clean label innovation?

Has science cracked the world's first animal-free egg through fermentation?

09-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Using yeast and animal protein DNA it's now possible to grow hen-free eggs in a lab. But what does an omelette made with them taste like?

Cracking progress or not up to scratch? European cage-free egg pledges in focus

04-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

Which food businesses are making progress in their transition to cage-free eggs? Are any going in the opposite direction? Compassion in World Farming shares its findings.