Cereals and bakery preparations

How Nestlé is supporting regenerative agriculture: ‘We need to source in the right way’

28-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Seventy percent of Nestlé’s emissions lie in the raw materials it sources. Agriculture is therefore central to the Swiss food giant’s target to hit net zero by 2050. Pascal Chapot, Nestlé Head of Sustainable Agriculture, discusses the challenges and opportunities...

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.

Kerry talks Niacet acquisition: ‘We have created a global leadership position in the food preservation sector’

15-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Kerry announced yesterday (14 September) that it has completed the acquisition of preservation specialist Niacet, in a deal worth €853m. What does this mean for the ingredient supplier? FoodNavigator caught up with Bert De Vegt, Vice President of Food...

DouxMatok inks first commercial partnership outside of Israel for Incredo Sugar

14-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

DouxMatok has partnered with Italian ingredients company Hi-Food to commercialise its sugar-reduction offering Incredo Sugar. FoodNavigator hears from the start-up’s CEO and CTO to learn more about its B2B strategy.

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.

‘News of this trial will likely be welcomed by the food industry’: Europe’s first CRISPR-edited wheat set to be grown

03-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

UK scientists will run a series of field trials of wheat that has been genome edited in an effort to make break with lower levels of asparagine.

How local sourcing buffers Weetabix against supply shocks: ‘It protects us from fluctuations in the wider wheat supply chain’

23-Aug-2021 By Katy Askew

Poor harvests globally are pushing up wheat prices and raising concerns over supply constraints. But, despite ‘temperamental’ weather this summer, the UK’s biggest cereal brand says its local sourcing strategy has paid off.

Good carbs, bad carbs? Study supports that high glycemic foods (in moderation) do not lead to weight gain any more than complex carbs

13-Aug-2021 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A scientific review has called into question the validity of the commonly-held notion that foods with a high glycemic index (GI) – white bread, white rice, etc. – lead to more weight gain than low-GI foods (e.g. bran and other minimally processed grains)....

HFSS compliant doughnut developed with novel starch and protein tech: ‘Science makes it responsibly indulgent’

02-Aug-2021 By Flora Southey

The high-tech doughnuts are ‘set’ by a beam of steam rather than prolonged deep fat frying.

Why packaging made from crop waste allows companies to move towards ‘genuinely sustainable’ innovation

28-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A company is making paper packaging products for the food industry using crop waste materials such as apple skins, avocado peel and mango pips.

Baking the Future: ‘First’ accelerator for start-ups in the bakery sector launches in Spain

08-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

In an industry first, a new accelerator programme is focusing on sustainability, quality, and innovation to ‘build the future of bakery’. FoodNavigator catches up with Ana Thielen, Cereal Manager, Europastry, to ask what prompted the initiative.

Children’s cereal reformulation ‘simply not happening quickly enough’: report

07-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

While ‘small improvements’ have been made to improve the health credentials of cereal and yoghurt marketed to children in the UK, a fresh report from The Food Foundation suggests much more can be done…and faster.

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.

How UK brands are reformulating to avoid the HFSS ad ban

19-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

UK food brands are currently digesting planned government legislation coming next year which will prevent marketing and advertising of HFSS being shown on TV (pre-9pm) and online from 2022 and limit where these products can be placed in bricks and mortar...

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....

Food majors put weight behind plans to halt and reverse EU-driven deforestation

18-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A group of 11 food businesses including Nestlé, Danone, Carrefour Group, Barry Callebaut, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have announced their support for European Union plans to increase supply chain transparency and traceability for commodities that may be linked...

Kellogg cuts sugar and salt across Europe and UK: ‘The process is trial and error’

17-May-2021 By Flora Southey

The Kellogg Company has pledged to remove at least 10% of sugars and 20% of salt from its children’s cereals across European and UK brands.

CSM Ingredients eyes growth under Investindustrial ownership: ‘The future of food will be shaped by bold innovators’

05-May-2021 By Katy Askew

Following its acquisition by Investindustrial, CSM Bakery Solutions has rebranded as CSM Ingredients. FoodNavigator speaks to the group’s CEO Aldo Uva about the opportunities the new ownership structure will unlock.

Upcycled cocoa fruit waste sweetens deals in confectionery, bakery and beverage

27-Apr-2021 By Flora Southey

Swiss chocolatier Lindt and Italian confectioner Venchi are among the brands incorporating upcycled cocoa fruit into their products.

Kellogg talks rice and wheat sourcing in Europe: ‘Farmers must be supported in the transition to more sustainable practices’

09-Apr-2021 By Flora Southey

Kellogg Company is collaborating with farmers in Spain, Italy, and the UK to encourage a transition towards more regenerative agricultural systems, says Dave Fitzgerald, Head of Responsible Sourcing at Kellogg Europe.

Moolec Science eyes egg replacement and alt dairy expansion: ‘All technology based on molecular farming can find white space’

07-Apr-2021 By Flora Southey

Ag-food tech company Moolec Science is expanding its alternative protein platform to cater to plant-based bakery and beverage categories. “Moving into egg and dairy alternatives was a natural next step for our roadmap,” explained CEO and co-founder Gastón...

Farmer to fork: Growing ‘forgotten crops’ in Africa for European consumers

30-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

Food brand ZUVA is ensuring farm-to-fork traceability from its parent company’s farms in Africa through to consumers’ plates in Europe. “We have created a win-win situation for everyone participating in the value chain,” says founder and CEO Carl Heinrich...

Are healthy snacks a luxury most consumers can’t afford?

30-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

No, according to panellists at the FoodNavigator 2021 Digital Summit: Positive Nutrition, who say more people accept that healthier choices mean higher prices.

Cereal Partners Worldwide talks breakfast renovation: 'Innovation can be less, rather than more'

29-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

The joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills is taking a ‘dual strategy’ approach to cereal renovation that is ‘both reductionist and increasing’, says Gharry Eccles, Vice President UK and Oceania of Cereal Partners Worldwide.

Snack sector looks to lentils, beans and insects as ‘health by stealth’ hits limit

25-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

As the snack sector reaches its technological limits in cutting salt and fat from products, European manufacturers are accelerating reformulating efforts using lentils, beans, other vegetables -- and even insects -- as a way of meeting consumer demand...

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.

Health campaigners call for ‘honest’ labelling on so-called healthy snacks

10-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers at Action on Salt are demanding a restriction on the use of what it calls misleading nutrition claims on HFSS products after its new data revealed seemingly ‘healthy’ snacks contain often higher salt levels than crisps and flavoured nuts.

Are high-sugar adverts contributing to obesity in Mediterranean countries?

01-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

The Spanish food industry is promoting unhealthy products for breakfast, according to Mireia Montaña Blasco from the Open University of Catalonia, who has undertaken research in response to rising obesity rates in Mediterranean countries.

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?

‘There’s never been a better time to push the message that healthy can equal delicious’: Start-up aims to disrupt snacking sector with low-fat, low-salt crisp

19-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Challenger brand Mindful Snacker is promising to make 2021 ‘the year of healthy snacking’ and ‘clean comfort food’.

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?

High-protein, high-fibre US potato bean offers crop diversity opportunity in Europe

16-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists have discovered that a plant native to America could be grown in the UK and Europe, bringing huge potential benefits for ‘a balanced, sustainable diet’.

Unilever and Kellogg discuss innovation priorities for 2021: From gut health to next gen plant proteins

09-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Kellogg Company and Unilever are calling on start-ups to help tackle some of the most critical issues facing the food and industry.

Cracking the ‘world’s first’ animal-free egg white through fermentation

09-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Clara Foods is leveraging precision fermentation technology to develop animal-free egg proteins. While first concentrating on the North American market, Chief Technology Officer Ranjan Patnaik says the start-up intends to commercialise in Europe.

Food trends of the future where innovation opportunities are rife

04-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

To celebrate its 20th anniversary, UK artisan chocolate brand Montezuma’s commissioned food anthropologist Caroline Hobkinson to predict food industry trends over the next two decades with a specific focus on chocolate.

Is keto tipping to the mainstream? ‘I cannot remember an underground buzz like the one ketogenic is sowing’

01-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

Keto has long been tipped as the next big diet trend. But, while it has found favour in the US, consumers this side of the pond have been slower on the uptake. Could 2021 be a breakthrough year for ketogenic food in Europe?

New legume flour improves blood glucose response to white bread

13-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

Researchers in the UK have developed a new flour made from chickpeas they claim can lower the glycaemic response in people eating white bread.

Grains of truth: scientists unveil near 100% accurate testing to tackle rice fraud

08-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A team in the UK has developed two methods – one hand-held, the other lab-based -- that can accurately detect adulteration of Basmati rice. The testing has the potential to save food manufacturers time and money in their attempts to protect their supply...

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.

Crumpet makers defend salt levels in UK comfort food favourite

17-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

British bakers have defended the salt levels in one of the nation’s favourite afternoon teatime treats after health campaigners took aim at what they called the unnecessary levels of salt found in some of the UK’s best-selling crumpets.

'Shea is a uniquely sustainable and healthy crop': Bunge Loders Croklaan on its latest cocoa butter equivalent

04-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

BLC has launched a shea-based premium cocoa butter equivalent. It says the nutritionally balanced ingredient will support food manufacturers to meet consumer demand for health-conscious and sustainable options that don’t compromise on taste and quality.

Nestlé’s net zero roadmap: ‘We have no time to lose’

04-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Swiss food giant Nestlé wants to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. “We have no time to lose,” CEO Mark Schneider told journalists at an event detailing how the company plans to get there.

‘They’re good for us, the planet and farmers’: Millets tipped for mass appeal from 2023

30-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With 2023 likely to be designated the International Year of Millet by the UN, the ancient grain is hoping to surpass the quinoa boom to soon become part of everyday diets across the world.

‘World’s first’ digital sandwich: How next-gen tech is tracing every ingredient in, and between, the bread

27-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

An IoT, blockchain, and AI-powered digital food supply chain platform is being developed to boost the traceability of ingredients in pre-packaged sandwiches.

Ancient grains and forgotten crops: the food of the future?

27-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Millet, sorghum, buckwheat, amaranth… Are these exotic sounding crops a realistic solution to the world’s food crisis?

‘Mega trends’ in clean label revealed: ‘It’s what’s not on the label that’s important’

26-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

For today’s consumers ‘clean label’ is less about the ingredients featured back-of-pack and more about what isn’t listed, be it preservatives, genetically modified ingredients or artificial sweeteners, according to L.E.K. Consulting.

New modified wheat ‘could help tackle global food shortage’

25-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

UK scientists have created a new modified wheat variety that can increase grain production by up to 12%. They claim the innovation is a potential solution to help meet rapidly growing global demand, but also expect it to trigger heated debate around genetically...

Nestlé Breakfast Cereals and General Mills JV issues worldwide governments with three-pronged strategy to champion whole grains

20-Nov-2020 By Gill Hyslop

To mark Whole Grain Day (19 November), Cereal Partners Worldwide (CPW) has again called on governments and policymakers to recognise the contribution of whole grains and help their nation make it a priority inclusion in their diets.

From immunity and sustainability to plant-based and clean label: Top trends out in force at Fi Europe CONNECT 2020

18-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Fi Europe is a red-letter event for the European food sector. This year, COVID-19 means things will be a little different. But the need to share ideas and innovation – as well as networking and business opportunities – has ‘never been more important’.