Cereals and bakery preparations

Improved recipe claims hide ingredient 'downgrading'

01-Mar-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers including Unilever, Mondelēz and Alpro are using claims of ‘new, improved recipe’ to hide ingredient "downgrading", according to a German consumer group.

Choose your category carefully for protein-rich foods, say researchers

28-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Many Europeans see protein-rich foods as unnatural and unnecessary so choosing the right kind of foods to enrich - such as dairy - is important for manufacturers, researchers say.

German biotech firm Brain bags European patent for taste technology

26-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

After bagging a European patent for its taste cell technology to develop natural sweeteners, German biotech company Brain is turning its attention to bitterness and salt reduction.

Understanding genetic flavour preference could promote healthier choices

23-Feb-2018 By Katy Askew

Children’s snacking choices – whether they prefer sweet, fatty or bitter flavours – could be genetically pre-programmed and understanding this could help people make healthier choices, new research suggests.

Retail practice causes food overproduction and waste, charity claims

23-Feb-2018 By Will Chu

The retail sector is accused of driving food overproduction and waste on UK farms that threatens to undermine supermarket initiatives that aim to cut down on surplus produce.

EU food exports 'holding strong'

22-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

EU food exports are “holding strong” with a 5.1% increase in value in 2017 compared to the previous year, according to a Commission report.

Consumers want gluten-free products with extra health benefits

21-Feb-2018 By Katy Askew

Gluten-free products are already widely perceived as a better-for-you option, but occasional gluten-free shoppers would like to see additional health claims added to the label, new consumer research reveals.

A treat for the eyes: Children are more responsive to unhealthy food cues

21-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Children are more responsive to cues for unhealthy foods than healthy ones in cartoons, researchers say.

Unilever publicly discloses palm oil supply chain: ‘You can’t outsource your responsibilities,’ says Polman

20-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Unilever has become the first consumer goods company to publicly disclose all the suppliers and mills it buys palm oil from, both directly and indirectly, it says.

Abakus Foods brings 'extremely versatile' superfruit jujubes to the West

19-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Jujubes are a nutritious superfruit with caramel flavour notes that are "extremely versatile" and ideal for bakery, confectionery and dairy products as well as beverages, says the CEO and founder of Abakus Foods.

Intermarché supermarket adds NutriScore to 1,300 products

16-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Intermarché will add the NutriScore nutrition logo to 1,300 of its private label products. "NutriScore should be the only nutrition label on the shelves," it said yesterday.

Ultra-processed food may be linked to cancer: BMJ study

15-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

There may be a causal link between eating highly processed food and cancer risk, and four reasons why this could be, according to the authors of a 105,000-strong French study published in the British Medical Journal.

Nestlé and Tesco best placed to reap plant protein profits, says FAIRR

14-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé and Tesco are the best prepared in terms of meeting consumer and investor demands for having diversified protein portfolios, according to a FAIRR report.

Food innovation in Denmark is 'a clear political goal', says Food Nation CEO

13-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Years ago, Danish food meant salted pork, pickled fish and little else to most people. Now it’s Europe’s gastronomic capital with high-value food exports. We spoke to the CEO of Food Nation about this transformation and how manufacturers are tapping into...

Commission mulls origin labelling with draft legislation: Stakeholders react

12-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

A public consultation on a draft EU regulation for EU-wide origin labelling has come to a close.

Crowdfooding's global food tech map connects start-ups and corporates

12-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

An interactive map which tracks rising food tech start-ups around the world will allow industry players to navigate the latest innovations, its creator, Crowdfooding, says.

Free-from foods are seen as healthier - especially GM-free and palm oil-free: study

09-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Free-from labelled foods seem healthier, with GM-free and palm oil-free labels having the strongest effect, according to a study of almost 2000 French, Swedish, British and Polish individuals.

Vazee app brings previously out-of-reach consumer data to brands, it says

09-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Vazee's app tells manufacturers what consumers are eating and drinking in restaurants. It's important marketing data and Heineken and Pago have already signed up, its co-founder says.

Breaking away from bad science? Mars to leave ILSI in transparency bid

08-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Mars plans to quit industry-funded science group, the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI), and says it will support research regardless of results after making its science policy public.

Meet your matcha: A look at healthy indulgent launches with matcha green tea

07-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Matcha green tea has a sophisticated, adult flavour and is packed with nutrients, making it an ideal ingredient to add a health halo to indulgent desserts, says Mintel.

The six trends driving a record-breaking year for UK organic food and drink

07-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

As the UK organic sector hits a record value of £2.2 billion (€2.47bn), what's the secret to its success? Six trends are influencing our food choices today - and organic fits into all of them, says the Soil Association.

'No added sugar' plus a sweetener? 'Pure and simply illegal,' says Test Achats

06-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

If a product in the EU has a 'no added sugar', it cannot contain any added sweetener, natural or artificial. Yet too many companies are flouting this law and it's "pure and simply illegal", says Belgian consumer group Test Achats.

Spanish manufacturers promise to make 3,500 products healthier

06-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Over 500 companies in Spain have pledged a 10% voluntary reduction in salt, sugar and fat in over 3,500 products. "This is a business transformation," says the country's health minister.

Images help people who are not 'health-conscious' make better food choices

05-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

Health-conscious people will choose healthy foods anyway – but visual cues, rather than words, can help those who are less health-conscious to make better food choices, researchers say.

Commission urges Europeans to ‘vote with their purses’ through dual quality boycott

02-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

The Commission’s method to test for dual quality products will be ready in April and, when the results are published, Europeans should “vote with their purses and refuse to buy products they consider of lower quality,” the commissioner for justice, consumers...

GM labelling will be no barrier to Plenish soybean oil uptake, says trade group

02-Feb-2018 By Niamh Michail

DuPont Pioneer's soybean oil Plenish has been approved for the EU and, despite having to label on pack it as genetically modified, European manufacturers have already shown interest, says US trade group Qualisoy.

Protecting biodiversity must become a priority when ingredient sourcing, says EBBC

31-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Opting for traditional or rare crop varieties, avoiding GM and sourcing ingredients from alternative cultivation regions are just some of the ways food manufacturers can help protect biodiversity, according to the European Business and Biodiversity Campaign...

La French FoodTech: Meeting the fruit of France's 'start-up nation' ambitions

31-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Last year French President Emmanuel Macron said he wanted France to become a start-up nation. FoodNavigator headed to La French FoodTech's incubator in Lyon to meet some of the rising food stars of La French Tech.

Danish government slams 'political mudslinging' at heart of nutrient profile debate

29-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

The Danish government has reiterated its call for nutrient profiles to stop unhealthy foods making health claims, slamming the "political mudslinging" that has prevented them from becoming a reality so far.

Small ingredient tweaks could make packaged sandwiches more eco-friendly

25-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Small changes to the recipe - such as cutting out the lettuce or using less meat - could reduce the carbon footprint of the humble packaged sandwich, researchers say.

Why does a fibre-fat combo fight metabolic disease? Scientists find 'previously unappreciated' mechanism

24-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Scientists have uncovered a 'previously unappreciated' mechanism which may explain why eating dietary fibre, in particular fermentable inulin, prevents the negative health effects of a high fat diet.

Nestlé Switzerland targets 100% ‘responsible sourcing’ by 2020

23-Jan-2018 By Katy Askew

Nestlé aims to ensure 100% “responsible sourcing” in its supply chain across 12 categories of key raw materials in Switzerland by 2020.

Cargill creates clean-label bread made with plant-based protein

23-Jan-2018 By Douglas Yu

Cargill is working with bakeries to create clean-label items made with pea protein to allow bread producers to capitalize on the protein trend.

Four manufacturers face Paris High Court legal complaint over undeclared nanoparticles

23-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

French consumer group UFC-Que Choisir has filed a legal complaint to the High Court of Paris against Mars, Casino, McCormick and Jacobs Douwe Egberts due to the “significant proportion” of undeclared nanoparticles in their products.

In the wheat of the moment: Cargill cans corn for wheat protein and starch

22-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Cargill is considering switching from corn to wheat processing at one of its German plants to meet demand for plant protein, starches for sustainable packaging and biofuels.

EJC opinion suggests genetic engineering exempt from GMO regs

19-Jan-2018 By Katy Askew

The European Court of Justice Advocate General has issued an opinion that genetic engineering techniques such as CRISPR should be considered exempt from European regulations governing GMOs.

'Ultra-processed' food is obesogenic and must be made less available & affordable, say researchers

19-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

There is a "significant" link between eating ultra-processed food and obesity levels in adults, say researchers who studied data for 19 European countries.

Food firms pledge more inclusive advertising in France

18-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Nespresso, Unilever, Danone and Avril are among the companies that have pledged to advertise responsibly with fewer stereotypes, signing a 15-point voluntary chart launched by the Union of Advertisers (UDA).

What categories will win as free-from foods gain popularity?

17-Jan-2018 By Katy Askew

Demand for free-from foods has jumped in Europe as consumers buy into the concept as part of a broader understanding of what constitutes a “healthy lifestyle”. FoodNavigator examines the categories that will be the biggest winners.

Calorie caps in processed food: Industry welcomes ‘focus beyond sugar’

17-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Calories in processed foods such as pizzas and readymade sandwiches could be capped in the UK, according to recommendations in an upcoming report by advisory body Public Health England (PHE).

CO2 emissions cut by half as food firms step up on sustainability: FDF

17-Jan-2018 By Will Chu

Sustainability efforts made by some of Europe’s leading food manufacturers slashed CO2 emissions from manufacturing operations by more than half in 2016 compared to a 1990 baseline, says the Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

New CEO for Tate & Lyle

16-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Nick Hampton, the company’s current chief financial officer, will take over as CEO of ingredient supplier Tate & Lyle in April.

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EFSA wants feedback on how to calculate maximum levels for sugar

10-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) wants feedback on the method it plans to use to calculate the maximum amount of sugar that can be included in a healthy diet.

FlavorWiki's digital flavour profiling promises to slash NPD costs

10-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

FlavorWiki’s patent-pending digital technology measures taste perception and consumer flavour preferences at scale, promising to fine-tune the new product development (NPD) process at a tenth of the price of traditional sensory panels.

‘90% sugar and fat but no red light': Foodwatch slams industry’s Evolved Nutrition logo

09-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers' Evolved Nutrition logo makes foods high in sugar, fat and salt seem healthier than they are, according to campaign group Foodwatch which has compared products under the UK's traffic light and the industry-own label.

Government enterprise pairs gluten-free benefits with eco-friendly methods

09-Jan-2018 By Will Chu

Gluten-free products’ health benefits can be combined with environmental advantages, says an industrial-academia pact looking into boosting sustainability practices whilst improving the products’ nutritional value.

Fast food in Asia, health & wellness in the West fuels global sesame demand: “The open sesame moment is coming," says Olam

08-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Global demand for sesame seeds is set to explode thanks to two very different macro-trends – the rise of fast food in Asia and healthy food in the West. Agrifood giant Olam is doubling capacity in its plants to meet that demand.

Organic Trade Board overcomes final hurdle to bag €10m in EU funding

05-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

Sustainable bank Triodos has stepped in to ensure the UK’s Organic Trade Board (OTB) can unlock over €10m in EU funding to promote the British organic industry.

Making the cut: Is fat more important in sweet or savoury foods?

05-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

A liking for fatty foods is linked to obesity. But when these foods are also sweet, salty or both, to what extent is the fat content driving our taste preferences?

Pasta maker La Molisana taps demand for authenticity and wellness

04-Jan-2018 By Katy Askew

Italian pasta maker La Molisana is planning an “official attack” on international markets in 2018 - supported by its messaging around authenticity and health - as it targets growth of more than 40% over the next three years.