Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

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.

From quinoa couscous to green banana chips: What we saw at SIAL

29-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From quinoa couscous to green banana chips; organic ghee to 'raw' olive oil, FoodNavigator rounds up some of the most interesting products we saw at this year's SIAL in Paris.

Unavoo Food’s fibre-based sweetener offers natural health HEYLO

26-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

HEYLO, the sugar substitute product developed by Unavoo Food Technologies, utilises a unique combination of dietary fibre and stevia to hit a healthy and natural sweet spot.

FoodNavigator's biggest stories of 2018 so far

17-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From the rise of foodtech to the end of the commodities era; from the organic sector's boom to the Mediterranean diet's bust, these are the most read stories on FoodNavigator this year so far.

From vegan ice-cream to gluten-free bakery: Can chestnuts conquer new categories?

16-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Chestnuts can add creaminess to dairy-free products, work well in gluten-free bakery and are naturally sweet allowing for sugar reduction, giving them massive potential beyond Christmas, says supplier Porter Foods.

Food Tech Summit & Expo in Mexico

Fiber can help manufacturers meet growing cross-generational demand for functional ingredients

09-Oct-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the desire to attain a healthier, longer life through diet expands beyond niche groups focused on wellness into the mainstream population, consumers increasingly are looking for functional ingredients they recognize across categories – including in...

'Food innovation in Europe is slowing down. That's where EIT Food comes in,' says its CEO

09-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) creates ecosystems of entrepreneurship to solve the food industry's biggest problems. We spoke to its CEO about the challenges and the start-up success stories.

EU starch industry looks to protein & plastic potential following isoglucose 'disappointment'

03-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

It’s been one year since the end of EU sugar quotas but contrary to the hopes (of starch producers) and fears (of public health campaigners), Europe has not been flooded with isoglucose. FoodNavigator caught up with Starch Europe to talk isoglucose, Brexit...

EU politicians back rules to ban UTPs: ‘We are arming David, not Goliath’

02-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

European agriculture ministers have approved measures to end unfair trading practices (UTPs), with manufacturers and farmers welcoming the result.

UN commitment to tackling NCDs: ‘Landmark step’ or 'lacking ambition'?

02-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Heads of state and global governments came together last week with a commitment to tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as obesity and diabetes. The food sector has welcomed the initiative but health campaigners warn the measures ‘lack ambition’.

‘These attacks are a caricature’: French industry reacts to ultra-processed food report

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

French trade group ANIA has reacted angrily to the parliamentary report last week that called for tough measures to make 'ultra-processed' food healthier through stricter regulations.

NPD trend tracker: Pulse-based rice, sweet beet bars & seasonal launches

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From snack bars made with beetroot to rice made from pulses, manufacturers continue to invest in better-for-you products. Brands are also gearing up for Halloween and Christmas with themed products aiming to drive impulse purchases.

‘Ingredients lists are powerful purchasing motivators’: Study finds consumer care more about ingredients than brand

28-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Fresh consumer research demonstrates the ongoing importance of the clean label trend and suggests that the ingredients list trumps both the brand and product description in motivating purchase.

Chickpea protein could disrupt the alternative protein space: Innovopro

28-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Innovopro has developed a patented method to process chickpea protein that, chief executive Taly Nechushtan says, means the company can offer a highly functional alternative to the alt proteins currently dominating the market.

Brussels Bulletin

Fake food, origin labelling & cheap US soy: A round-up of EU news and views

28-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

From fake food to cheap soy; origin labelling to EU exports, we round up the biggest news from Brussels affecting the food industry this month so far.

French MPs attack processed & ‘ultra-processed’ food, demanding tougher laws

27-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

A French parliamentary report, voted yesterday, calls for a raft of measures to make processed and 'ultra-processed' food healthier, from maximum limits on salt, sugar and fat to caps on the number of additives used per product.