Dairy-based ingredients

Bel Group backs plant-based innovation with Paris accelerator on the cards

10-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

The dairy major is partnering with Big Idea Ventures (BIV) to accelerate projects in alternative proteins. BIV currently runs accelerator programmes in New York and Singapore but has revealed plans to launch a Paris edition later this year.

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.

Combining precision fermentation with European cheese making: ‘Plant-based dairy can’t convince flexitarians’

08-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

German biotech LegenDairy is bringing together precision fermentation and the heritage of European cheese making to develop ‘stretchable, meltable and delicious’ cheese alternatives.

Adding climate costs to the price tag: Researchers calculate the ‘true cost’ of meat, milk, and plant-based foods

04-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Current price tags on dairy, animal- and plant-based foods do not reflect the environmental costs associated with their production. But if they did, what would the ‘true cost’ of these products be?

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.

UK government to issue new code of conduct for dairy supply chain

04-Feb-2021 By Jim Cornall

The UK Government and Devolved Administrations have published their response to last year’s consultation seeking views from dairy farmers and processors across the UK about how contracts and relationships could be improved.

Better Dairy: Meet the UK start-up tapping precision fermentation to disrupt dairy

03-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

First there was Perfect Day in the US, then Remilk in Israel, and now UK start-up Better Dairy is also vying for a piece of the precision fermentation pie. FoodNavigator catches up with CEO and co-founder Jevan Nagarajah to discuss Better Dairy’s plans...

The disruptive potential of alt dairy: ‘The dairy universe is entering a highly dynamic transformation’

03-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

Traditional dairy players are likely to face market disruption as plant-based products continue to improve and new technologies, like the fermentation of dairy proteins, gain traction. How should traditional players respond?

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?

What will the dairy aisle look like in 2030? Perfect Day weighs in

28-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

The dairy aisle is in a period of transformation, as an increasing number of animal-free alternatives compete for shelf space. If we were to fast forward a decade, what would it look like then? Tim Geistlinger, Chief Scientific Officer at animal-free...

Plant-based diets the ‘least favoured solution to climate change’, according to UN poll

27-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The largest ever opinion poll on climate change has discovered almost two thirds of people around the world now view the issue as a ‘global emergency’. However, for most, switching to plant-based eating is not their desired answer.

‘Investors have started to really see the potential in our sector:’ Alt milk start-up Sproud celebrates fund raise

25-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The Swedish company, which makes milk from peas, has raised £4.8m from London-based VGC Partners to develop its products and expand in its core markets including the UK, US and Canada.

BLC launches solution for tailored infant formula as it spots growing personalization trend

22-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Fats and oils specialist Bunge Loders Croklaan (BLC) has unveiled a new premium lipid ingredient for baby formula which it claims allows manufacturers to get closer than ever before to the gold standard of mother’s milk.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients sees four key trends for 2021

18-Jan-2021 By Jim Cornall

FrieslandCampina Ingredients has released a new report outlining the trends and developments for the future of performance and active nutrition.

‘Plant-based dairy censorship’: Oatly, Upfield and ProVeg petition to overthrow Amendment 171

14-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

Challenger brand Oatly and Flora margarine-owner Upfield are among the brands hoping to overturn a ban on dairy-like terminology for plant-based alternatives. The European Dairy Association, however, tells FoodNavigator that challenging Amendment 171...

Who’s the boss?! French food brand puts consumers in the driving seat

13-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

French food brand C’est qui le Patron, which translates to ‘Who’s the Boss’ in English, asks consumers to select which ingredients, production methods, and quality of products they want…and then makes it happen.

Kefir collaboration: Microbial teamwork makes the 'superfood' dream work

05-Jan-2021 By Nikki Hancocks

Scientists have revealed a web of interactions among bacterial species are necessary for the coexistence of health-promoting microbes in the popular fermented milk drink, kefir.

Drinking cow’s milk while breastfeeding linked to reduced food allergy risk

23-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Cow’s milk in a mother’s diet has been associated with a reduced risk of allergy in children, according to fresh research out of Sweden.

Remilk prepares to scale with $11.3m investment: ‘We estimate regulatory approval to be granted sooner than most expect’

15-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Alt milk start-up Remilk, which makes dairy alternative products through microbial fermentation, has closed a funding round worth $11.3m (€9.2m).

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.

‘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.

DuPont ties-up with food futurists at IFTF to ‘better navigate uncertainties in the future’

24-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences is advancing its innovation strategy through a partnership with non-profit research organisation the Institute for the Future (IFTF). The collaboration targets ‘far sighted’ innovation and will allow the company to ‘better...

Unilever eyes €1bn plant-based sales and ‘positive nutrition’ push

19-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Unilever has said that it wants to increase its plant-based sales to €1bn and double the number of its products that deliver ‘positive nutrition’.

‘We’re helping to advance the frontiers of yogurt making’: Chr Hansen on its latest range of cultures

18-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Danish supplier says it has cracked the challenge of helping manufacturers create luxurious and indulgent yogurts with a healthier profile.

Chickpeas: a rising star of the starch market?

18-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Israeli food-tech start-up ChickP is aiming to reinvigorate the starch market with a chickpea-based product.

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’.

Excess egg consumption linked with increased risk of diabetes: study

16-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

An observational study means the link between egg consumption and diabetes stays unsettled.

Valio researchers first to document importance of ash-protein ratio in reduced sugar chocolate

26-Oct-2020 By Jim Cornall

Researchers at Finnish dairy cooperative Valio said they have discovered '30% less sugar' chocolate made with milk-based protein is equal to regular chocolate in taste and texture.

'Vegan cheese' banned but 'veggie burger' still on the table, votes European Parliament

23-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

The European Parliament has voted to ban dairy-related terms for plant-based alternatives. An amendment proposing to ban ‘meaty’ terms for vegan products, however, has not passed – much to the sector’s delight.

Greencovery: Meet the start-up upcycling food side-streams into ingredients

21-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

Dutch start-up Greencovery has developed technology that helps food manufacturers recover valuable compounds from their side-streams. The resulting ‘high quality’ ingredients help the business offer an ‘attractive economical proposition’ that reduces...

Danone could axe 30% of SKUs in post-COVID recovery plan, say analysts

20-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The French food and beverage giant will prune its portfolio after recording a drop in sales in its third quarter.

JBS: 'Our suppliers are producing more while using less land'

19-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The world’s largest meatpacker says it is harnessing technology to meet the challenge of producing enough food for a growing global population without straining natural resources.

Plausible futures of dairy part 2: ‘Lab-grown dairy reaches mass scaleability’

14-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

In a plausible scenario for the future of dairy, food majors worldwide source dairy ingredients from fermentation factories, say researchers from Lund University.

Plausible futures of dairy part 1: ‘Massive changes’ to subsidy regulations, stricter animal welfare policies, and struggling factory farms

13-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

A Tetra Pak-funded research project, undertaken by Lund University, has detailed four plausible scenarios for the future of dairy. These include a ‘policy-driven food system change’ in the Green Dairy scenario and a business-as-usual approach in Dairy...

Kerry spots opportunities for gut health and food protection solutions as it targets net zero emissions by 2050

09-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ingredients supplier Kerry Group has unveiled an ambitious sustainability strategy including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve net zero before 2050. It is also exploring those sectors such as immunity and food...

Chr. Hansen CEO on M&A, ‘extraordinary’ dividends, and its ‘cautious’ financial outlook

08-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

After a ‘defining’ financial year, in which Chr. Hansen acquired three businesses and divested one, CEO Mauricio Graber outlines the drivers behind its ‘cautious’ 2020/21 outlook.

'The beverage with the ideal sensory profile is waiting to be created': DuPont

29-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The ingredient giant discusses how its latest sensory testing model allows plant-based beverage manufacturers a faster and less risky route to market.

Cracking the clean label conundrum: Beneo discusses tapping consumer desire for fewer ingredients and improved nutritional profiles

28-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

There has been a global shift among consumers towards clean and clearer labels that promote natural claims, and a willingness to pay a premium for products that do so, notes functional ingredient manufacturer Beneo.

Making camel milk 'safer': Researchers combat E. coli and salmonella with new lactic acid bacteria

25-Sep-2020 By Flora Southey

In Africa, naturally fermented camel milk sold by farmers at local markets often contain disease-causing microorganisms. Now, researchers have isolated ‘new’ strains of lactic acid bacteria they say can make the milk safer.

FrieslandCampina increases lactoferrin production in response to infant formula demand

10-Sep-2020 By Will Chu

FrieslandCampina Ingredients is to increase its lactoferrin production capacity in the Netherlands to meet rising demand in its early life nutrition and adult nutrition segments.

The key to healthy and sustainable diets… more processed foods?

09-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Opportunities abound for the food industry to address public health and environmental issues through clever food processing, say nutrition scientists.

Warnings over ‘unintended adverse consequences’ of ditching animal protein

08-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

The argument that plant-based foods are healthier and more sustainable than animal-based products has become increasingly common. However, experts warn that the ‘unintended adverse consequences’ of any push to eliminate meat, dairy, eggs and fish from...

Children with food allergies face ‘staggering’ lack of choice

04-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With one in 40 kids suffering from cow’s milk allergy alone, and with food allergies more prevalent in children than adults, food companies are way behind in servicing the demand for healthy free-from children's products, says the founder of UK dairy-free...

Lockdown life boosts Arla Foods butter sales

03-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Danish dairy giant’s half-year results are the latest to illustrate how food and beverage firms have needed to pivot to successfully negotiate the shift in consumer trends amid the pandemic.

Healthy eating takes lockdown hit: IGD

02-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

People feel that their diets have got worse during the coronavirus lockdown. And, while more people say health is an important purchase motivator, fewer consumers are going to make healthy changes to their diets, according to IGD data.

New culture for pizza cheese reduces degree of browning ‘by up to 100%’

01-Sep-2020 By Flora Southey

Chr. Hansen has developed a culture to help pasta filata makers produce mozzarella type cheeses with a tailored level of browning for foodservice. The culture was “designed to offer added control without a compromise to authentic functionality”, the company’s...

Challenger baby food brand spots gap for ‘truly organic’ premium baby formula

28-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Piccolo is countering falling baby food sales in the UK as a whole by successfully tapping into the desire for ‘truly organic’ baby products from consumers prepared to pay a premium for it.

New campaign champions environmental benefits of meat

28-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With livestock ‘getting blamed for everything from cancer to climate change’, the British Meat Processors Association has launched a new website to promote the environmental benefits of eating beef and other animals.

Chr. Hansen reviews Natural Colors division, boosts focus on plant-based fermentation

25-Aug-2020 By Flora Southey

In its newly launched 2025 Strategy, Chr. Hansen plans to increase focus on its microbial and fermentation technology programmes. Non-microbial assets therefore, such as its Natural Colors division, are not central to the new strategy, CEO Mauricio Graber...

Milking it? Free school milk under fire from plant-based backers

20-Aug-2020 By Katy Askew

A group of UK doctors has hit out at the provision of milk in schools arguing dairy is ‘not an essential part of school nutrition’. But do their claims about health and sustainability stack up – or would children lose out?