Dairy-based ingredients

New association to promote plant-based food launched in Finland

14-Dec-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new association in Finland brings together a range of companies to promote the consumption of plant-based meat, and educate the public about its benefits.

Disrupting cow, sheep, goat & donkey milk: Cell cultivated start-up Senara emerges from stealth

11-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

After 18 months in stealth mode, German start-up Senara is emerging to disrupt the conventional milk market (derived from cow, sheep, goat, donkey and more) with cell cultivation.

Alternative protein producer Farmless plans expand production, maintain protein production efficiency

08-Dec-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Farmless, a startup producing protein using a feedstock which combines hydrogen, nitrogen, CO2 and renewable energy, is planning to build a pilot plant after a new injection of funding. Its purpose is simple – cutting down on the land used to create protein,...

Butter’s time to shine? The innovations churning up traditional spreads

06-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

After decades of ‘very little’ innovation by heritage brands, is butter (and its plant-based counterparts) having a moment? FoodNavigator investigates.

How Mars is rethinking reformulation on its path to net zero

29-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

As part of Mars Inc.’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the confectionery major is optimising product recipes to include more environmentally friendly ingredients.

Scientists find nutrient in meat and dairy that helps fight cancer

28-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

Fresh research reveals a fatty acid in meat and dairy products improves the ability of immune cells to fight tumours.

Cell-based breast milk in development to replace ‘suboptimal’ bovine infant formula

27-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

Can the complexities of breast milk be replicated by cows? France-based Nūmi doesn’t think so. The start-up is turning to cell culture to develop the ‘closest thing possible’ to breast milk.

NPD Trend Tracker: From wholegrain spelt to Christmas dinner pie

27-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week’s NPD Trend Tracker, we have a range of festive products, including a festive wrap, festive ice-cream flavours and a pie containing an entire Christmas dinner. We also have a new flavour from Tate & Lyle, a wholegrain spelt from Merchant...

Consuming the right diet can add years onto our lives even in old age, study suggests

23-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

What are the main benefits of eating a healthy diet? Well, according to a new study, living longer for one.. In fact, some longevity-related diets, particularly involving whole grains and nuts, can increase our lives by up to a decade.

‘Until recently, LCAs have been costly and labour-intensive’: DSM-Firmenich brings environmental footprints to meat, milk and egg products

20-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

DSM-Firmenich and Sustained are collaborating to capture animal protein life cycle assessment impacts at the farm level, making it easier for food makers to assess and communicate the environmental footprint of their products.

Why Unilever wants its ice cream competitors to reformulate

15-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

The Magnum, Wall’s, and Ben & Jerry’s owner is reformulating its ice creams to withstand warmer temperatures, and wants others to do the same.

Exports of livestock for slaughter on the chopping block in UK

10-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Among the legislation announced alongside the King’s Speech on Tuesday was a ban on the export of UK livestock for fattening and slaughter. The decision, if it gets through Parliament, will have a keen impact on both animal welfare and animal agriculture...

Start-up’s chickpea-based protein isolate boosts protein content in dairy-free cheese

01-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Israel-headquartered plant-based ingredients start-up ChickP has developed a chickpea-based protein isolate that can be incorporated into a range of cheese substitutes.

Is it time for the ‘outdated’ supermarket free from aisle to evolve?

27-Oct-2023 By Oliver Morrison

As free from brands spot long-term growth potential, a perpetual debate is reigniting: is it best for these products to be in separate or standard aisles?

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Industry Insights from NIZO: Great flavour without compromise for plant-based food

26-Oct-2023 By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager

To successfully launch a plant-based product onto the market today, businesses have to go above and beyond in flavour to stand out. How can a new, more holistic flavour approach put an end to organoleptic compromise?

Quorn, mycoprotein and the push to grow a ‘third kingdom of fungi proteins’

10-Oct-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Mycoprotein and fungal proteins hope to offer a solution to the negative impact to the environment associated with industrial farming, heard FoodNavigator’s recent Climate Smart Food​​ digital summit.

‘Synthetic vs natural’: Start-up targets fortification category disruption with organic plant-derived nutrients

06-Oct-2023 By Oliver Morrison

UK-based BIOVIT is poised to launch plant-derived nutrient blends targeting fortified food and meal-replacement markets. Its vitamins and minerals, extracted from leaves, flowers, roots and fungi extracts, guarantees nutrient content, it claims, to boost...

Most of it comes from our homes… so what role, if any, can food manufacturers play in helping to minimise food waste?

05-Oct-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Thanks to collaboration, education and labelling innovation, brand influence can pass over the threshold to help shift consumer behaviour, Danone tells FoodNavigator’s Climate Smart Food​​ summit.

NPD Trend Tracker: From plant-based steak to Children in Need jam

03-Oct-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week’s NPD trend tracker, we have a range of new plant-based products, a new look for a dairy-free drinks range, and a jam’s partnership with Children in Need.

‘More than mylk’: Alternatives to coffee, cocoa, salt and sugar on the table at Mylkcubator 3.0

27-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

The Mylkcubator programme has largely focused on next-gen dairy innovation to date. But for the incubator’s third edition, dairy-major Pascual wants to expand its focus to alt coffee, cocoa, salt, sugar and more.

Fruit seed-based alt dairy to quadruple production capacity, ‘double down’ on NPD

25-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

Kern Tec, which makes dairy alternative ingredients from stone fruit seeds, has closed a €12m Series A funding round. Co-founder Luca Fichtinger tells FoodNavigator the investment will help the team ‘double down’ efforts on NPD.

‘We’re not trying to mimic milk’: Rude Health backs nutrition-forward strategy amid plant-based ‘shakedown’

21-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

The breakfast brand’s commitment to clean label – or as clean label as functionality allows – will see it through the current plant-based ‘shakedown’, co-founder and brand director Camilla Barnard tells FoodNavigator.

Danone teams up with Chr Hansen on dairy and plant-based innovation as part of Partner for Growth initiative

19-Sep-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In a wide range of areas as diverse as transportation, education and plastic collection, Danone has teamed up with a range of companies across the private sector in its new ‘Partner for Growth’ initiative. The initiative will begin with a joint business...

Organix eyes ‘window of opportunity’ to introduce new flavours and textures to kids

19-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

Organix wants to help parents and carers introduce new flavours and textures to kids in the 6-18-month ‘window of opportunity’ prior to food fears kicking in.

‘It’s a change of agricultural practice‘: Danone’s regenerative agriculture programmes with dairy farmers

13-Sep-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

For dairy major Danone, regenerative agriculture isn’t just about the land; it’s also about animal welfare, GHG emissions reduction, and the livelihoods of its farmers.

Milk made from carbon dioxide and electricity backed by EU

06-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

A four-year project aimed at developing whey protein from CO2 and electricity has been selected for investment by the European Commission via its innovation programme.

Maolac NPD: Gut support and anti-inflammatory activity targeted with AI and breastmilk

05-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Maolac is launching two new products made from biofunctional proteins in breastmilk (sourced from colostrum) that can be used in functional beverages, sports bars and smoothies.

‘Environmental arguments are ethical arguments’: Peter Singer on ethics and meat consumption

05-Sep-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Australian philosopher Peter Singer, best known for his 1975 book Animal Liberation, spoke to FoodNavigator about his views on the ethical implications of meat eating and veganism.

Adding ‘complex component’ of milk to infant formula confers long-term cognitive benefits

04-Sep-2023 By Oliver Morrison

New research into milk fat globule membrane (MFGM) suggests early exposure to these nutritional components contribute to the long-term structure and function of the brain.

Alternative protein research hub to be opened in UK

01-Sep-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new £15 million research hub will look to improve the UK’s alternative protein sector: how to improve taste and texture of alternative proteins, reduce the cost and scale up production of alternative proteins, and even improve best practice.

Unilever turns to manure enricher to make eco-friendly ice cream

31-Aug-2023 By Oliver Morrison

German company GEA will install its new manure enricher solution ProManure E2950 on four dairy farms supplying milk to Unilever.

Report pushes for more sustainable proteins investment in UK

30-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A report published by the Good Food Institute Europe (GFI Europe) suggests that the UK government should invest between £245m and £390m, or between £49m and £78m annually, between 2025 and 2030 into the growth of sustainable proteins such as plant-based...

‘World’s first climate-friendly ice cream’ made with milk from cows eating methane-reducing ruminant feed

24-Aug-2023 By Oliver Morrison

What’s billed as the world’s first climate-friendly ice cream made from low-emission has arrived at tasting event in London.

Reduced consumption of meat could help develop reasoning skills, study finds

22-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A study in Finland has found that reducing meat consumption, along with spending more time reading and playing organised sports, helped develop children’s reasoning skills.

Food environments push consumers away from healthy and sustainable options, report shows

17-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new report shows that food environments, from promotional offers to the placement of food in shops, can influence consumers to make less healthy and less sustainable food choices.

Oats flourish as an ingredient in European dairy-free ice cream

17-Aug-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Oats have well and truly earned their place in the small but growing plant-based ice cream sector, according to new data. But brands still must elevate consumer expectations of texture.

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Industry Insights from NIZO: Are microorganisms responsible for your chemical spoilage?

16-Aug-2023 By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager

Industry should consider that the root cause of chemical spoilage might actually be microbial, believes NIZO Food Research.

Germany has ‘greatest market potential’ for plant-based dairy in Europe, finds research

16-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

An investigation into the drivers and barriers of plant-based dairy consumption in six European countries suggests Germany to have the highest sales and greatest market potential.

Mozzarella under the microscope: Scientists pinpoint the microbes essential to making the unique Italian cheese

15-Aug-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers use DNA analysis to reveal the microbiota in the cheesemaking process.

Reducing methane with feed and crop tech: The latest science that could help move the needle

09-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

Efforts to reduce methane emissions are urgently needed if we are to meet global climate change goals. Could innovation, informed by study findings, help move the needle? We look at the latest research promising emission reductions from agri-food production.

NPD Trend Tracker: From Olympic peanut butter to blueberry muffin popcorn

07-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

We have a lot of sweet treats this week with blueberry muffin popcorn, KitKat Chunky Hazelnut and two different types of cookie dough ice cream. We also have the renewal of an old partnership for Whole Earth, and a new plant-based cheddar for Violife....

Sustainability has been ‘normalised,’ Circana report shows

04-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Sustainability is becoming a greater part of innovation, with a greater number of manufacturers and consumers alike making it a priority.

Infant formula industry fights back at ‘misleading’ Lancet papers: ‘Advertising is not the main factor limiting breastfeeding’

04-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

A series of papers on breastfeeding, published in The Lancet this year, gives the misleading impression that infant formula advertising is the main factor limiting breastfeeding, argues implicated trade associations.

France’s ‘veggie’ burger ban escalates to the European Court of Justice

03-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

France’s Council of State is calling on the European Court of Justice for greater understanding of implications concerning a potential ban of ‘meaty’ denominations for plant-based foods.

Is being dairy-free enough? Alt dairy players share differing approaches to sustainability

03-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Alternative dairy products, by their very nature, are more sustainable in one crucial aspect compared to dairy: they cut out the animal from the production process. However, there are other ways to maximise sustainability. How central should sustainability...

To imitate or not to imitate: Should dairy alternatives copy the taste and texture of milk?

02-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The purpose of alternative dairy products, such as milk and cheese, is to act as a substitute for animal-based dairy. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it must taste exactly like the products it is replacing.

Plant-based milk less nutritious than cow’s milk, finds research

26-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Just 12% of the milk alternatives studied had a comparable or greater amount of nutrients calcium, vitamin D, and protein, compared to that found in cow’s milk.

How Unilever is using AI and big data to transform its food portfolio

25-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Unilever is tapping into the power of AI and big data biology to optimise its current food portfolio and accelerate new product development.

The ‘cheese paradox’: How vegetarians justify consuming animal products

21-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Many vegetarians choose not to consume meat for ethical reasons, believing that harming and killing animals simply to provide humans with food is wrong. However, they still eat non-meat animal products (NMAPs), which often have the same result. A new...

Danone prepared to ‘protect its rights’ after Putin takes control of Russian subsidiary

20-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Russian authorities have placed Danone’s Russian subsidiary under ‘temporary external administration’. Baltika Breweries, in which Carslberg owns a stake, is now also under Putin’s control.