Cereals and bakery preparations

Chewing the fat: 'People are still uncertain over the healthiness of new oils'

26-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Can on-trend oils such as coconut compete with olive oil? Is butter really back? And as sales fall in its biggest markets, does margarine have a future in Europe? We take a look at the different oils on offer and their perceived healthiness.

Flax packs in healthy fat, fibre and protein: 'This is not just an oil anymore,' says Shape Foods

25-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The healthy fat profile of flax oil, high in omega-3 fatty acids, means manufacturers have traditionally focused on this. But the seeds also contain protein, fibre and lignin, all of which are interesting 'stealth health' ingredients, the company...

'Ideal for relishes, jams & juices': Haskap berries gain novel food approval

24-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

With up to 13 times more antioxidants than blueberries, haskap berries - also known as honeyberries - offer manufacturers a new ingredient with superfood credentials for relishes, jams or juices, says supplier Soloberry.

Renmatix on its multifunctional simple cellulose: 'This is a new-to-the-world ingredient'

24-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

An emulsifier, humectant, texturiser and egg replacement, Renmatix's patent-protected simple cellulose is native, natural and multifunctional, it says. "This is a very unique and new-to-the-world form of cellulose,” says the CEO.

Portugal to set mandatory maximum salt levels in bread

23-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Portugal will set mandatory maximum levels for salt in bread, with incrementally increasing targets over the next four years.

Novel food approval underway

'A perfect fit' for plant-based products: Chuta nuts are coming to Europe

20-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Mexican chuta is a little-known nut with a healthy oil and high protein content, and German company JatroSolutions aims to commercialise it as "a perfect fit" within the plant protein movement.

Clash or compromise: Can consumer demands and responsible food ever match?

20-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Consumers want clean, healthy food. But are companies providing it and what if demands for clean food are in direct conflict with food safety or sustainability? Four industry stakeholders debated the issue at this week's IFT in Chicago.

Italian firm Obà brings ancient grain fonio to Europe

16-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Gluten-free ancient grain fonio could soon be in Europeans’ shopping baskets with Italian company Obà’s request for novel food approval underway.

MEPs push for a dual quality on-pack logo

13-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers could add a logo to food and drink packaging that tells consumers the product's content and quality is the same in all EU countries, consumer protection politicions said yesterday.

EFSA to consider limits for kaurenoic acid in stevia

12-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

EFSA may recommend limits for the impurity kaurenoic acid in stevia but suppliers have played down safety fears.

'Not particularly good news': Processing strips maize of healthy nutrients

12-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The process of making corn flakes strips maize of its healthy phenolic compounds and tocopherols, meaning fortification with additives is the best solution to make corn products healthier, scientists have found.

300,000-strong survey 'confirms positive impact' of NutriScore logo

11-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Leading French retailer E.Leclerc is definitively backing the NutriScore logo after a survey of 300,000-consumers showed it is best in encouraging healthy food choices, especially among younger shoppers and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

So long, spirulina? Knotted kelp adds nutrients, reduces salt & removes artificial flavours

10-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK firm Seaweed & Co's wild harvested knotted kelp (Ascophyllum) beats spirulina for iodine, potassium, calcium and magnesium, and can reduce salt in packaged foods or replace artificial smoke flavours, it says.

New product trend tracker: Seaweed-infused oils, granola for kids and cocktail sweets for adults

09-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

From algae-infused cooking oils to baobab herbal teas; cocktail-flavoured sweets and low-sugar yoghurts with no sweeteners, we take a look at some new product launches that stand out from the crowd.

DuPont gives breakfast cereal manufacturers a boost with powdered antioxidant

09-Jul-2018 By Gill Hyslop

DuPont Nutrition and Health has created a new antioxidant from naturally sourced tocopherols for use in breakfast cereal and granola products.

EFSA closes the door on titanium dioxide re-evaluation

06-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

There is no merit in re-evaluating the safety of titanium dioxide after four studies highlighted safety concerns, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has advised the Commission.

Orkla expands in Denmark with bakery filling acquisition

06-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Orkla Food Ingredients has inked a "strategically important" deal to acquire Danish fruit filling, syrup and marmalade supplier Igos.

Aduna chooses double-digit herbal tea category to take baobab and moringa to the mainstream

05-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Ethical start-up Aduna's range of herbal teas with baobab and moringa is aiming to take the superfoods to the mass market. "That's where the real impact is going to happen," the CEO tells us.

Prepared meals and ethnic flavours on the rise in Spain

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spaniards are buying more prepared meals and the number of people eating ethnic cuisine has more than doubled in recent years, says a government report on food consumption.

'A serious health concern': Undeclared allergens are causing accidental allergic reactions

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Undeclared allergens at 'concerning' concentrations in packaged food are causing accidental allergic reactions, according to a study. "There is a perception that food allergens are no longer an issue," says one expert. "This is...

Chr Hansen to double natural colour R&D lab capacity: 'The perception of ‘naturalness’ has changed drastically in 15 years'

03-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Chr Hansen will double the capacity at its natural colour research and development (R&D) laboratory in Montpellier, France in order to meet consumers' increasingly stringent expectations of what is natural.

Tesco-Carrefour deal will have 'detrimental effect' on suppliers, FDE warns

03-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The buying alliance between retail giants Tesco and Carrefour will create an imbalance in bargaining power that has a detrimental effect on the whole supply chain, suppliers and manufacturers have warned.

UK food industry is not failing on sugar reduction targets, says expert

02-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK food and drink manufacturers are achieving "substantially better" sugar reductions than has been reported, according to a health policy expert. "It's good news for public health as well as private business."

Fat-carb combo intensifies brain reward signals and triggers overeating: Study

29-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Combining fat and carbohydrates in food intensifies the reward signalling to the brain regardless of calorie-count, liking or portion size, creating a desire to eat even beyond satiety, researchers have found.

Summer trendwatch: Jackfruit, 'naturally essenced' water and snack pairing

28-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Forget hot dogs and soda, this summer's staples will be barbecued jackfruit, naturally 'essenced' water and snacks that 'perfectly pair' with alcoholic drinks, according to market research analysts at Mintel.

Isoglucose is not more of a health risk than sugar - if its fructose content does not increase: BfR

28-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The type of isuglucose currently used in Europe poses no greater health risk than sucrose – but if manufacturers increase its proportion of fructose, the potential risks must be communicated, said the German risk authority.

‘Clean label alone is not enough’: Firmenich on why taste is still king

26-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Firmenich is launching a new business platform to focus on natural and clean label products. But, the ingredients supplier says, it is important to go beyond clean label to convert purchase intent.

'Help to avoid food waste in the sharing economy': Denmark relaxes rules on individuals selling food

25-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The Danish government has made it easier for non-food businesses to sell food as the popularity of digital food sharing applications grows, saying it will help fight food waste.

UK firm claims to have first commercially viable scale-up process for brazzein

22-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Magellan Life Sciences says its patent-pending fermentation process to scale up the sweet-tasting protein brazzein will make it the first company to market the natural, zero-calorie sweetener.

News in Brief

Eurostat: Food price levels highest in Denmark

21-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Food price levels in the European Union were highest in Denmark and lowest in Poland and Romania last year, according to Eurostat.

EU should follow our trans fat ban success: Denmark

21-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Denmark's trans fat ban is a public health and food reformulation success, and should be rolled out across the EU, says the Danish government. "The European Commission should be inspired by our good example," says the minister for food.

‘A largely unexplored opportunity’: The science linking texture and calorie reduction

20-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

The texture of food can influence people’s calorie intake, Dr Ciarán Forde of the National University of Singapore and Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences believes.

Pea protein trio of isolate-starch-fibre best to mimic meaty texture, says Cosucra

20-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers are moving from soy to pea protein to accurately mimic the texture of meat and dairy in plant-based alternatives, according to pea supplier Cosucra. “It’s part of their new product development (NPD) priority,” says its managing director.

Insecticide detected in Ocado organic egg sample

19-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

One sample of organic eggs sold by Ocado contained high levels of an insecticide, according to an environmental action group.

Blockchain agri-marketplace Ositrade launches

18-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

French start-up Ositrade has launched a new online marketplace for the agri-food sector that aims to “directly connect” stakeholders using blockchain technology.

Exotic but European superfoods: From Dutch vanilla to French chia seeds

15-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Instead of shipping ingredients across the world, would it be more sustainable to grow them in Europe? From Dutch vanilla to French chia or Italian goji berries, FoodNavigator takes a look at some companies doing just that.

Food Safety Recall round-up 9-15 June 2018

Recalls: Salmonella, foreign bodies and beer mislabelling

15-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Recalls and alerts were made by England, Ireland, US, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Germany and Switzerland.

Moving towards a plastic-free planet is 'an evolution, not a revolution'

14-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

A myriad of solutions are needed to make plastic food packaging more sustainable, said top brass at Ekoplaza, Ikea and Futamura last week. “In some cases we need to completely break free, in some we need to use different materials and in others we need...

'Sustainable pioneers' Lotus Foods innovates with heirloom coloured rice

14-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Using heirloom coloured rice, Lotus Foods' premium products pack a nutritional punch and are grown in a sustainable way that yields 'more crop per drop'. "I don’t know of any other farming system that does both environmental and social...

Germany recalls eggs from Netherlands due to fipronil

12-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Tens of thousands of eggs from the Netherlands have been recalled in six German states due to contamination with fipronil.

Exclusive Interview

Mondelēz expands sustainable wheat program to cover 100% of European biscuits by 2022

11-Jun-2018 By Gill Hyslop

The Oreo maker has announced it is expanding its Harmony program to ensure that its entire European biscuit production will be made from sustainable wheat within the next five years.

‘Eggs are a target for replacement’: Arla says its whey protein egg replacer is a solution

07-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Arla Foods Ingredients wants to cash in on volatile egg supplies to grow sales of its whey protein egg replacer, Nutrilac.

In 30 years, every successful food company will be a ‘personalised food company’: Nutrino CSO

06-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

As consumers become increasingly invested in their health, personalised nutrition and gene-tailored diets will become the norm, says the chief science officer of Israeli start-up Nutrino. “The future of food is in personalisation and companies who fail...

Spain to adopt EU gluten-free licensing system

06-Jun-2018 By Gill Hyslop

The Federation of Coeliac Associations of Spain (FACE) has pledged to use the European licencing system Espiga Barrada (the Crossed Grain Trademark) from 2020.

FoodProfiler app shines light onto European's eating habits

05-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Which vegetable do Brits eat the most? When do Belgian girls eat yoghurt? And do Dutch men prefer dessert or fruit? An app that gathers insights into European's eating habits could help fine-tune new product development.

Acrylamide, arsenic and lead intake high if Dutch diet guidelines followed

05-Jun-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Intake of most contaminants is within an acceptable range if people follow Dutch Dietary Guidelines, according to an analysis.

Macadamias: On a mission to crack the on-trend nut market

01-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Macadamias only represent 1.5% of the tree nut market, held back by limited supplies and high prices, but a tree-planting programme could change that. "Customers are crying out to use macadamias as an ingredient. It’s up to us to make that opportunity...

Plant-based meat substitutes are 'useful transition foods' for a healthier diet

01-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The science is clear: a vegetarian diet is better for heart health, a study says - but does that include processed meat analogues? "While not as healthful as whole plants, they are useful transition foods," says one researcher.

ANIA sets 1000-day deadline to 'make food better'

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

The French trade group ANIA has set itself a 1000-day deadline to ‘make food better’ in a bid to close France’s food and nutrition gap.

The online store of the future: Is your business ready?

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

From unattended deliveries to 'invisible shopping' via videos or face-recognition technology for payments, e-commerce platforms are becoming more sophisticated, says market research firm IGD.