Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

Call for tougher acrylamide targets: ‘Benchmarks should be based on best, not worst, performers’

11-Mar-2019 By Katy Askew

Consumer organisations are calling on the European Commission to take a tougher stance on acrylamide in food products, insisting that targets for acrylamide content should be lower.

BRUSSELS BULLETIN

Japanese milk hits EU shores, EC targets fishy behaviour, and glyphosate ruling is overturned: A round-up of EU news & views

08-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

The last two weeks have seen the EU overturn EFSA’s call on unpublished herbicide studies, the unveiling of Africa-Europe food and farming initiatives, and the authorisation of Japanese dairy imports into the EU. FoodNavigator brings you the latest news...

Transport authority jams breaks on Farmdrop advert under new HFSS policy

06-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

Online grocery service Farmdrop has cropped out butter, eggs and jam from an advertisement proposal following Transport for London's ban on HFSS product promotions.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Fazer breaks ground on side stream factory for sugar alternative

05-Mar-2019 By Flora Southey

Finnish food manufacturer Fazer has revealed its €40m production facility in Lahti will manufacture sugar alternative xylitol for the food industry.

Five health & wellness trends transforming packaged food strategies

28-Feb-2019 By Natasha Spencer

As health and wellness and snacking trends emerge as leading influences in the packaged food industry, we explore how food manufacturers and brands can appeal to consumer needs in this competitive landscape.

Gluten inequality? Report finds two thirds of coeliac sufferers in Italy are female

25-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

Women, who have more reactive immune systems than men, are more susceptible to coeliac disease, says the Italian Ministry of Health.

Cut sugar supplies and push up prices to incentivise reformulation, report urges

21-Feb-2019 By Katy Askew

Agriculture and trade policy should be used to limit supplies and push up sugar prices in order to incentivise reformulation, a new report suggests.

Food for thought

Why the food industry can’t ignore the bioeconomy boom

20-Feb-2019 By David Burrows

Publication of the European Commission’s new bioeconomy strategy last October may have passed many in the food sector by. However, the agri-food chain lies at the heart of the concept.

Grain of truth: Watchdog demands food makers clarify ‘multigrain’ content

18-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

Tighter regulations are required to stop manufacturers claiming products are ‘multigrain’ if “hardly any grains” other than the main wheat component are present in the finished product, says consumer watchdog Foodwatch.

Bridging the fibre gap: High amylose wheat flour could ‘open new area of food formulation’

15-Feb-2019 By Katy Askew

Although high amylose starches are associated with a number of health benefits their use is not widespread in the food industry. The development of new sources like high amylose wheat flour could be set to change this, researchers predict.

Sustainable stevia: Tate & Lyle to assess eco impact of sweetener

14-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

Ingredients supplier Tate & Lyle has partnered with NGO Earthwatch to assess the sustainability of its stevia supply chain, from seedling producers to industrial farms.

France ups resale threshold to favour food distributors & farmers

14-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

France has enforced measures designed to re-balance power in the supply chain and limit buy-one-get-one-free promotions.

Plant protein alliance to improve structure and taste of gluten-free bread

31-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Coeliac UK and Innovate UK are helping fund research to develop three new plant proteins for gluten-free bread, which Nandi Proteins chairman Neil Crabb says could improve its taste and texture.

CRISPR for coeliacs? Gene-editing tech makes ‘wheat with safe gluten’

29-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Gene-editing technology can be used to remove epitopes – the molecules responsible for inducing coeliac disease in susceptible individuals – from wheat, according to recent research. However, with Europe’s strict GM rules, will this make a dramatic difference...

NPD trend tracker: From vegan butter to 'wonky' veg crisps

28-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

From a functional, on-the-go apple cider vinegar juice, to a two-ingredient vegan butter, and gluten-free Japanese rice flour for French bakers. FoodNavigator looks at what is trending in Europe's new product development space.

Non-stick spaghetti? New enzyme developed to stabilise ‘overcooked’ pasta

24-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

German company Mülenchemie has developed an enzyme to improve the cooking tolerance of pasta, which the firm says could save manufacturers in raw material costs.

NPD trend tracker: Aperitif pairings, Arabica coffee & Fairtrade basmati

21-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Another chocolate and hazelnut spread enters the market, organic rice varieties come to Germany, and experts pick which snacks best match our wines. FoodNavigator looks at what is trending in new product development.

UAE bans formula ads in attempt to promote breastfeeding

21-Jan-2019 By Cheryl Tay

The UAE Cabinet has implemented a blanket ban on the advertising of infant formula and other infant nutrition products, including follow-up formula and complementary foods.

Yofix yoghurt alternative taps into clean label trend: ‘People are fed up with ingredients they don’t know’

18-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Yofix Probiotics uses a zero waste production method to make its clean-label, plant-based yoghurt alternative, which has launched in Israel.

Innovation in new categories can help lift fibre consumption

16-Jan-2019 By Katy Askew

The health benefits of fibre are becoming more widely discussed and consumers say that they want to eat more of it. But while foods like fruits, vegetables and grains are fibre rich, most of us are still struggling to eat as much as we should. Fibre enriched...

From flax and quinoa to beans and pulses: On trend ingredients driving fibre innovation in bakery

16-Jan-2019 By Katy Askew

High fibre claims are a natural fit for bakery manufacturers working to meet growing demand for products with positive nutritional associations. What grains and ingredients have most potential?

A healthy indulgence? Dutch start-up adds prebiotic fibre to ice cream

16-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Dutch start-up Koupe makes a sugar, fat and calorie-reduced ice cream with added protein and fibre, which founder Jaco Pieper says appeals to “people that love ice cream, and are looking for additional health benefits”.

Quality not quantity: Study links minimally processed, high-fibre diets with reduced mortality

16-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Increased intake of fibre and wholegrains has been associated with a reduction in body weight, cholesterol, and non-communicable disease – the “main killers” of today, says researcher.

WATCH:

Indulgence, regionalisation & health: Tate & Lyle talks today’s ‘big challenges’

16-Jan-2019 By Katy Askew

Ingredients supplier Tate & Lyle opens up its innovation centre in Lille, France, to talk the ‘big challenges’ that its customers face in today’s market.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Fazer expands in Finland with €40m production facility for plant-based products

15-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

Finnish food manufacturer Fazer has announced plans to build a €40m production plant for in Lahti, Finland. “We want to be a forerunner in value added grain-based products”, says CEO.

Food for thought

More taxes on unhealthy foods aren’t on the cards… yet

04-Jan-2019 By Katy Askew

Momentum is growing behind calls to impose fiscal sanctions on unhealthy foods. And while such stringent action is not on the immediate horizon that could change if the food industry fails to step up its efforts on reformulation.

The future is fibre: How to cash in on the trend

18-Dec-2018 By Nikki Cutler

2019 could be the year fibre becomes fashionable as consumers learn more about gut health and weight management, according to a leading ingredient supplier.

NPD trend tracker: Lärabar in the UK, gluten-free for kids & popping nougat

17-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

General Mills is bringing its healthy snack brand Lärabar to the UK; French firm Nature & Cie creates a gluten-free brand just for kids and German confectioner Viba expands its popping nougat. Here are some product launches that caught our eye this...

'Date paste, sugar beet juice... Using pseudonyms for sugar is not acceptable,' says complainant

Kellogg, Hipp and five others told to remove misleading 'no added sugar' claims

14-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

The Dutch Advertising Authority has told seven manufacturers and retailers, including Kellogg, Albert Heijn and Hipp, to remove ‘no added sugar’ claims from products that are sweetened with date paste, apple juice concentrate and sugar beet syrup.

Start-up nation? A round-up of France's top food start-ups

14-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

From plant-based sweeteners to clean label additives; urban farming to healthy eating apps, we round up some of the most interesting start-ups to come out of France in recent years.

'An open trading zone covering one-third of global GDP'

EU vote puts EU-Japan trade deal on track to enter into force

13-Dec-2018 By EU-Japan trade deal to enter in force following EU vote

The EU Japan trade deal is set to enter into force on 1 February 2019 after receiving the backing of EU politicians yesterday.

'We're getting fatter but more healthy': The lifestyle trends having a 'profound impact' on UK food choices

12-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

Clean eating and health and wellness are having a “profound impact” on the UK’s eating and drinking habits, according to new research, but consumers still want to indulge. What does this mean for food brands and retailers?

Alkion CEO on biostimulation to scale up sweet proteins: 'Our technology massively amplifies what nature can do'

10-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

Thanks to a patented biostimulation process, Alkion BioInnovations produces sweet-tasting proteins, high-value flavours and plant proteins in a cost-effective way that (for now at least) can be labelled as organic. “This is a real advantage [over] our...

Farmlogics ag-tech brings sourcing closer to SDGs by 'digitising the field'

06-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

Farmlogics' ag-tech give suppliers more control of their supply chains, aligning commodity procurement with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), it says.

ScanUp: The app that tells consumers if food is 'ultra-processed' and helps manufacturers reformulate

04-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

The developers of ScanUp, a French app that allows consumers to scan food products and see just how ‘processed’ or ‘ultra-processed’ they are, are working with manufacturers to develop simple products that score more highly.

NPD trend tracker: Oat-based cereal, 'birch sugar' baking mixes & seaweed salt

03-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

Oat-based Cheerios for people who don't like the taste or texture of porridge; sugar-free baking mixes made with wood-derived xylitol and premium sea salt with seaweed feature in this week's snapshot of new product launches across Europe.

'Patchy' roll-out of WHO advice on junk food marketing

26-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

European uptake of World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendations on junk food marketing to children has been "patchy" in part because of intense private sector lobbying, according to a WHO report.

UK watchdog reverses ban on Kellogg's Coco Pops advert

21-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

The UK advertising watchdog has reversed a previous decision to ban an advert for Kellogg’s Coco Pops Granola following an independent review.

WATCH

Thermal tasters: Linking phantom taste, product perception and temperature

21-Nov-2018 By Katy Askew

People who are ‘thermal tasters’ report phantom taste responses when orally exposed to different temperatures. Understanding this phenomenon is important for product development in the food industry.

The end of the ENL? Nestlé pulls out of Evolved Nutrition Label; others suspend involvement

20-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé is ceasing involvement in the Evolved Nutrition Label (ENL) while the four remaining companies, Unilever, Mondelez, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, have put trials for food "on hold".

Flavour beyond sweetness: Givaudan's 'counter-intuitive' approach to sugar reduction

16-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Can onion really make soda taste sweeter? By identifying the molecules responsible for complex, full-bodied flavour notes, Givaudan uses “counter-intuitive” ingredients, such as onion or celeriac, to reduce sugar by up to 50% without losing flavour.

Firms named and shamed for 'excessively' sugary milkshakes

14-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers have been slammed for excessively high levels of sugar in ambient and chilled milkshakes, with 90% of products surveyed by campaign group Action on Sugar receiving a red light.

Spain to officially adopt NutriScore

13-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spain has become the third European country to adopt the front-of-pack NutriScore as its official nutrition label.

Data, ag-tech & direct sourcing: How PepsiCo is climate change-proofing its crops

13-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

PepsiCo's head of European agriculture explains what the company is doing to make its directly sourced crops more resilient to climate change. "We're taking on the latest and greatest agricultural practices to figure out better ways to...

Natural ‘bio-irrigation’ boosts millet yield by 900%: ‘Everything about this is positive,’ say researchers

06-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Drought-resistant shrubs that grow wild in the Sahel can boost millet yields by an impressive 900% simply when planted amongst the crop, thanks to a natural ‘bio-irrigation’ method.

'We're helping reduce reliance on processed food,' says Gousto CEO

06-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Meal kits can help reduce the UK's reliance on processed food and help Britons adopt more "European eating habits", according to meal kit delivery company Gousto.

Towards ‘a new generation of staple foods’: Manufacturers must diversify ingredients for better farming & food

05-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

By diversifying the ingredients in processed food, manufacturers can contribute to healthier diets and a healthier planet with more biodiversity, say the creators of a free-to-download indicator.

Eight reasons we need to stop focusing on nutrients – and what this means for processed food makers

31-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The rise of nutritionalism – focusing on nutrient content rather than the whole food – has created a ‘nutritional cacophony’ that leaves people confused. Nutritionist Bernard Lavallée explains how manufacturers can create healthy processed foods.

Farm waste, sweet taste: Comet Bio transforms harvest leftovers into sweeteners and fibre

30-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Comet Bio transforms farm leftovers, such as wheat straw, into functional ingredients such as sweeteners and fibres with a lower carbon footprint.

‘Addressing key sustainability risks’: Cargill wants to strengthen waxy corn supply chain

30-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Global ingredients producer Cargill wants to build a more sustainable crop supply for food starch with a commitment to source its waxy corn “100% sustainably” from European farmers.