Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

Supplier spots opportunity for healthier ready meals

10-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Cham Foods believes the ready meal sector is ripe for innovation.

Tate & Lyle builds out texturant portfolio with tapioca M&A

30-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

The ingredients supplier is acquiring an 85% shareholding in Chaodee Modified Starch Co, a tapioca modified food starch manufacturer in Thailand, to grow its texturant portfolio.

Meet the 7 brands promising to disrupt the healthy snacking space

21-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A business accelerator fund has handpicked a group of start-ups it believes can help tackle the UK’s childhood obesity problem.

How innovation can boost the ‘overlooked’ and ‘undervalued’ health benefits of cereals

15-Oct-2020 By Katy Askew

Cereal crops like maize and wheat deserve greater consideration as part of a healthy, nutritious diet, according to a new paper. FoodNavigator caught up with the authors to learn why.

Kerry spots opportunities for gut health and food protection solutions as it targets net zero emissions by 2050

09-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ingredients supplier Kerry Group has unveiled an ambitious sustainability strategy including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve net zero before 2050. It is also exploring those sectors such as immunity and food...

'Everybody should drink ketones — not just elite cyclists'

08-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ketone drinks have been embraced by professional athletes looking to boost their performance. But these ‘magic potions’ have the potential for mass appeal, believes the scientist who helped develop them, although taste and price remain huge barriers in...

Sugar reduction scheme a ‘Soviet-style diktat’

07-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Critics have rounded on the UK government’s voluntary sugar reduction plan -- which calls for a 20% cut from the food industry in key products by the end of this year -- after a report revealed it is heading for failure.

Firmenich and Novozymes partner on sugar reduction

07-Oct-2020 By Jim Cornall

Firmenich, the world’s largest privately-owned perfume and taste company, and Danish biological solution leader Novozymes, have launched their new, jointly-developed natural sugar reduction solution: TasteGEM SWL with Saphera lactase.

Azucarera creates first-of-its kind palm oil-free sugar coating

05-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Spanish sugar maker Azucarera has created a moisture-resistant bakery coating which it claims is the only ingredient of this kind in the market that does not contain palm oil.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Subway rolls too sugary to legally be called bread, rules Irish Supreme Court

02-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

In Ireland, a supreme court judge rules Subway’s ‘bread’ contains too much sugar for it to be categorised as such.

Kraft Heinz on the ‘constant balance’ of salt reduction: ‘We can’t go too fast, or too slow’

02-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

The beans and ketchup manufacturer employs two key strategies to cut salt in its core products, Kathy La Macchia, Head of Nutrition, Consumer Science and Culinary at Kraft Heinz EMEA tells FoodNavigator, “and we’ve had some huge successes”.

Cracking the clean label conundrum: Beneo discusses tapping consumer desire for fewer ingredients and improved nutritional profiles

28-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

There has been a global shift among consumers towards clean and clearer labels that promote natural claims, and a willingness to pay a premium for products that do so, notes functional ingredient manufacturer Beneo.

Sugarcane waste upcycled into plastic-free packaging: ‘Dispose SupraPulp the same way you would your salad’

22-Sep-2020 By Flora Southey

Made from upcycled sugarcane waste, the ‘fully compostable’ offering can be used for greasy, wet, or hot food. FoodNavigator speaks to W-Cycle co-founder Joseph Siani to find out more.

Huel aims to scoop ‘time-poor, health conscious consumers’ with new hot meals

18-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Meal replacement brand Huel is expanding its powdered food range and launching its first hot meals in the UK.

Bite-sized NPD: The latest in kids snacking to hit UK shelves

16-Sep-2020 By Flora Southey

How can brands encourage children to eat ‘healthier’ snacks? Nestlé’s approach is to create breakfast cereal in the shape of a bear, Cadbury is shrinking its portion sizes to cut calories, and Kellogg is personalising covers on Corn Flakes and Rice Krispies.

Fruit snacks under fire: Is Action on Sugar's call for 'honest labelling' justified?

16-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Action on Sugar wants a ban on the use of claims such as 'one of your five a day', 'naturally occurring sugars' or 'made from real fruit' on fruit snacks for children that can contain the equivalent of five teaspoons of sugar....

Ground-breaking trial gives new hope for peanut allergies

15-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A trial suggests that oral immunotherapy treatment, which involves repeated exposure over time to gradually increase doses of the allergen, could allow sufferers to increase their tolerance to peanuts. They would not be able to eat nuts at will, but their...

Balancing health with price: six ways food and beverage innovation is evolving in the COVID-19 era

14-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

ADM has identified six emerging behavioral changes that will power innovation and growth in the months ahead.

The key to healthy and sustainable diets… more processed foods?

09-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Opportunities abound for the food industry to address public health and environmental issues through clever food processing, say nutrition scientists.

UK weight-loss diet plan sparks fortification versus clean label debate

07-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A soup and shake weight-loss diet prescribed by the UK National Health Service to tackle type 2 diabetes has stirred a row over long ingredients lists.

Healthy eating takes lockdown hit: IGD

02-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

People feel that their diets have got worse during the coronavirus lockdown. And, while more people say health is an important purchase motivator, fewer consumers are going to make healthy changes to their diets, according to IGD data.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: Sugar reformulation part 2: The taste conundrum

14-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The food industry is under pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. The UK has a voluntary target for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020. This is unlikely to be met and campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar...

Grain fermentation can produce a cost-effective, vegan alternative to B12 fortification

10-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Grains fermented with Propionibacterium freudenreichii – the bacteria usually used as a ripening culture in Swiss-type cheese -- have enough vitamin B12 to be nutritionally significant and could potentially be cheaper than fortification, according to...

Mondelēz still committed to reducing pack sizes after latest ‘shrinkflation’ row

24-Jul-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Cadbury-owner Mondelēz International says it remains committed to reformulation via reducing portion sizes after a backlash over its move to shrink the sizes of all Cadbury chocolate bars sold in multipacks in the UK without changing the price.

Coca-Cola to streamline its innovation pipeline after ‘toughest and most complex’ period ever

22-Jul-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The snacks and beverage giant says it will cut a number of its zombie brands and focus on ‘fewer but bigger and stronger’ products after its second-quarter sales fell 27% year-on-year - the sharpest quarterly sales drop in a decade.

GoodMills Innovation launches healthy aging and immunity boosting wheat germ concentrate: 'We see enormous potential in everyday foods'

21-Jul-2020 By Katy Askew

Hamburg-based ingredient supplier GoodMills Innovation is introducing SpermidinEVO, a new wheat germ concentrate with ‘added health benefits’. Johanna Imbeck, Project Manager, tells FoodNavigator the launch comes as consumer concern over healthy ageing...

Ingredion launches range of organic native starches

20-Jul-2020 By Jim Cornall

Ingredion Incorporated, a provider of ingredient solutions, has launched three new organic native starches for the US and Canada.

Advertising body rejects calls to ban junk food adverts before 9pm

16-Jul-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK’s Advertising Association has weighed in as health campaigners urge the government to ban junk food ads before the watershed to combat obesity.

Beneo eyes the rise of rice starch: ‘It is becoming ever more popular‘

13-Jul-2020 By Katy Askew

Beneo is investing €50m to increase its rice starch production capacity. Operations MD Roland Vanhoegaerden tells us demand is growing organically and being boosted by new applications.

‘Beerchos and dip’: High protein tortilla-style chips upcycled from fermentation by-products

02-Jul-2020 By Flora Southey

Sustainable chips and a dip with a ‘consistency similar to tapenade’ have been developed by fermentation experts in Denmark. Both products are made almost exclusively from upcycled by-products generated during the beer brewing process.

Nestlé urged to ‘keep KitKat Fairtrade’ as it moves to Rainforest Alliance

24-Jun-2020 By Flora Southey

The Fairtrade Foundation is dismayed that Nestlé UK & Ireland will no longer buy Fairtrade cocoa for its KitKat brand. Instead, the food giant is moving to Rainforest Alliance certification.

Beneo looks to capitalise on rising demand for organic ingredients

18-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

German supplier Beneo is expanding its portfolio to include two new organic ingredients after noting rising demand for organic produce among European consumers.

Sugar reformulation: How are big brands innovating to cut the sweet stuff?

17-Jun-2020 By Flora Southey

With mounting pressure – both via voluntary targets and mandatory taxes – to reduce sugar in food and beverage, FMCGs are getting creative. Some are substituting sugar with coconut water, others with maize flour or tiger nuts. Scroll through the gallery...

Cheese, ready-meals and egg alternatives most in demand among plant-based eaters

04-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Plant-based cheese, ready meals, seafood, and alternatives to eggs are among the biggest opportunities in the plant-based sector, a survey of over 6,000 consumers has found.

Tate & Lyle aims to cut carbon emissions 30% by 2025 as reformulation lifts profits

22-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Tate & Lyle has announced a set of ambitious environmental targets including a commitment to cut Scope 1 and 2 CO2e emissions 20% by 2025 and 30% by 2030. Scope 1 and 2 are defined as direct emissions from owned or controlled sources, and indirect...

Beyond sugar and salt reformulation: The case for ‘positive nutrition’ targets to help curb obesity

13-May-2020 By Flora Southey

Implementing ‘positive nutrition’ policies – to increase the amount of whole grains, fruit, nuts and seeds, and vegetables in our diet – could help the UK combat childhood obesity, argue experts.

Ingredion launches polyol sweetener to tap health-conscious trend

04-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ingredion EMEA has launched its first polyol sweetener -- ERYSTA Erythritol – to enable manufacturers to reduce or replace sugar to achieve nutrition-related claims, such as ‘no added sugar’ or ‘calorie-reduced’, in multiple applications.

Plant-based ingredients: a budding hangover cure?

04-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A 2009 study at Newcastle University claimed the best cure for a hangover was a bacon butty. But new research published online in BMJ Nutrition Prevention & Health suggests eating fruits, leaves and roots may help to relieve symptoms of too much alcohol.

Making sweet food taste sweeter: Could coffee hold the key to sugar reformulation?

23-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

Fresh research out of Denmark reveals that drinking coffee changes our sense of taste, making sweet foods even sweeter. Could these findings help inform sugar reformulation strategies?

‘We innovate, we create, and we have a track record of delivering:’ Nim’s Fruit Crisps on life in the healthy snacking fast lane

23-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

We caught up with the healthy snacking pioneer to discuss the importance of innovation in what is one of the world’s fastest moving sectors.

COVID-19 and self-sufficiency: Is local food production capable of meeting demand?

22-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

The coronavirus pandemic emphasises the importance of local food production, but are such food systems able to fulfil global demand?

Coronavirus and obesity: Doctors take aim at food industry over poor diets

22-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A cardiologist has blamed the food industry for ‘normalising’ ultra-processed junk food as more evidence emerges suggesting poor diet is the root cause behind increased mortality from Covid-19.

Coronavirus: Company results reveal shift to indulgence among consumers

21-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Trading updates from Premier Foods and Danone illustrate how the Covid-19 crisis has shifted consumer demand towards familiar foods and pantry staples.

McVitie’s hails sugar reformulation ‘breakthrough’

03-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

McVitie’s is reducing sugar in nine of its best-selling UK biscuits by up to 10%, in what it calls a breakthrough in sugar reduction that doesn’t compromise taste.

Junk food advertising: WHO calls for legally binding treaty to end ‘predatory commercial practices’

21-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

The WHO-UNICEF-Lancet Commission is proposing a global, legally binding protocol to prevent brands marketing fast foods and sugary drinks to children.

Chocolate brands deny ‘marketing timidity’ of reduced sugar variants

21-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Mars, Mondelez and Nestlé have insisted they are committed to their sugar-reduced items following accusations they do not back healthier versions of products with the necessary marketing spend.

Sugar taxes work even among poor… just: study

14-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Sugary drink consumption in Chile fell nearly a quarter after the country introduced a raft of regulatory measures on foods high in sugar, fat, salt and calorie content. The affect was slightly greater among middle and high socioeconomic groups.

Healy leverages cocoa shells for natural sugar reduction

06-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

Healy Group, the Ireland-based ingredient supplier, has developed a process to turn cocoa shells – an otherwise under-utilised by-product of cocoa production – into a micronised cocoa fibre that can help with sugar reduction in chocolate.

Israel: ‘New opportunities’ for reformulation as gov’t imposes HFSS warnings front-of-pack

27-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

The Israeli government has introduced mandatory ‘red labels’ for products high in saturated fat, sugar or salt. Could this legislation bring ‘new opportunities’ for reformulation?

How has global food supply changed in 50 years?

23-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Researchers have noted ‘clear shifts’ in global food supply since the 1960s, including a decline in the supply of animal sourced foods and sugar in high-income English-speaking countries.