Emulsifiers, stabilisers, hydrocolloids

IFF unveils SEAFLOUR, a whole food seaweed stabilizer offering ‘exceptional stability’ in plant-based beverage formulations, and a clean label

03-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

IFF has launched SEAFLOUR, a hydrocolloid from red seaweed with particular potential in higher-protein plant-based milks made with pea or soy, enabling formulators to offer cleaner labels and shorten their ingredients lists.

Finnish start-up raises EUR 10M to commercialize ‘breakthrough technology’ to produce egg white without chickens

23-Feb-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Onego Bio, the cellular agriculture spin-off from the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, says it uses a commercially-proven Trichoderma technology to solve environmental problems associated with eggs, one of the world’s most used animal proteins.

DSM integrates food and beverage business for ‘one-stop-shop’

13-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

Royal DSM is launching a new integrated food and beverage operating structure that it says well deliver a ‘one-stop-shop’ of solutions for food and drink brands.

‘Creamy’ ingredient developed from plant seeds targets alt dairy: ‘Sunflower fat is highly similar to milk fat’

14-Dec-2021 By Flora Southey

A Wageningen University spin-off is developing a plant-based fat ingredient from European-grown sunflower seeds, designed to boost alt dairy’s nutritional and sustainability profile, as well as mouthfeel.

Nexira looks to locust bean gum to fuel plant beverage expansion plans

02-Nov-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The French supplier says its acquisition of Swiss-based locust bean gum specialist UNIPEKTIN Ingredients will allow it to push into new markets and applications.

'This is not a cookie cutter approach'... Reformulation challenges in wake of titanium dioxide ban

14-Oct-2021 By Oliver Morrison

With a ban on the use of controversial colouring agent titanium dioxide (E171) looking likely in the European Union in 2022, the ingredient supplier Ingredion Corporation warns that manufacturers might face extra costs when converting to clean label strategies,...

Fermenting yeast into ‘cream’: Start-up ads richness and texture to plant-based dairy

27-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Cultivated Biosciences is addressing textural challenges in plant-based dairy with a fat ingredient developed from oleaginous yeast. Co-founder and CEO Tomas Turner explains how.

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.

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.

Rising commodity prices: the next NPD challenge for industry?

10-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The locust bean gum price crisis could inspire exciting new product development.

Swapping out long ingredients lists on vegan mayo for chickpeas: ‘We’ve taken the aquafaba concept a leap further’

15-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up ChickP Ltd. says its 90% protein isolate demonstrates can be used as a clean label, one-to-one replacement for egg yolk in alt mayonnaise.

Acacia gum production funds desertification prevention in Africa: ‘We want to create concrete impact’

17-Jun-2021 By Flora Southey

French producer of acacia gum Alland & Robert has established a company foundation to help prevent desertification in Africa. “Our sole objective is to support African communities and fight the desertification of lands, droughts, or lack of access...

Alt egg start-up taps plant cellulose for ‘clean’ texture boost: ‘We want to reduce or even eliminate methylcellulose’

25-May-2021 By Flora Southey

The founders of Israeli meat alternative company SavorEat are expanding into the plant-based egg space with Egg’n’up: a new start-up leveraging plant-cellulose to recreate the texture of egg.

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.

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....

Cracking the plant-based egg market: Clean label, nutrition, and meeting ‘fanatical’ demand

07-May-2021 By Flora Southey

How are plant-based egg-sperts hatching ‘clean’ ingredients lists that deliver on functionality, taste, and nutrition?

‘It doesn’t need to bleed like a beef burger’: Snacks disrupter The Curators on how the humble mushroom can shake up the meat-free space

09-Apr-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Best known for its nuts, biltong and pork puffs, UK start-up The Curators has ventured into meat alternatives with a range of mushroom-based products. The aim is to tap into the fast-growing consumer appetite for more natural plant-based meal solutions,...

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.

Unilever looks to fat alternatives in quest to hit €1bn plant-based sales target

16-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The FMCG giant recently tasked start-ups to find solutions that promise to improve the taste, texture, sustainability and affordability of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. The winner? A French company with a patented plant-based fat that closely...

Researchers propose standardised testing methods to crack sensory challenge of plant-based milk

11-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Despite rapidly growing consumer demand, the quality of plant-based milk products very often underwhelms. The solution? More consistent testing at R&D stage.

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?

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?

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.

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.

Consumers associate plant-based with clean label: There is a ‘disconnect’ between perception and reality

16-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Demand for plant-based products is booming and many consumers identify the sector as being ‘natural’, ‘healthy’ and ‘artisan’, new research reveals. “There is an apparent disconnect between the consumer understanding of natural products and the reality...

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...

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’.

Alland & Robert to ‘massively increase’ acacia gum production following spike in demand

03-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

COVID-19 has accelerated demand for FMCG, and with that, acacia gum, Alland & Robert tells FoodNavigator.

Kraft Heinz partners with APC Microbiome Ireland to unlock the ‘ultimate natural and clean label opportunities’

28-Oct-2020 By Katy Askew

The Kraft Heinz Company has entered into a research partnership with APC Microbiome Ireland aimed at developing new natural cultures for fermented foods. This could unlock the ‘ultimate natural and clean label opportunities’ for product development, the...

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.

Azucarera creates first-of-its kind palm oil-free sugar coating

05-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Spanish sugar maker Azucarera has created a moisture-resistant bakery coating which it claims is the only ingredient of this kind in the market that does not contain palm oil.

'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.

Huel aims to scoop ‘time-poor, health conscious consumers’ with new hot meals

18-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Meal replacement brand Huel is expanding its powdered food range and launching its first hot meals in the UK.

Anti-E171 group claims small battle in long war

10-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Food safety campaigners are hopeful the European Commission will rethink its stance on titanium dioxide (or E171) after a committee voted down new specifications for E171 and instead passed a resolution calling on the EC to remove E171 from the list of...

UK weight-loss diet plan sparks fortification versus clean label debate

07-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A soup and shake weight-loss diet prescribed by the UK National Health Service to tackle type 2 diabetes has stirred a row over long ingredients lists.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: Sugar reformulation part 2: The taste conundrum

14-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The food industry is under pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. The UK has a voluntary target for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020. This is unlikely to be met and campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar...

Upfield’s carbon labelling plans: Gimmick or triumph for consumer choice?

13-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Amsterdam-based owner of Flora, Blue Band, Stork, Becel, Country Crock and I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! is introducing on-pack carbon labelling to 100 million packs of its margarine and spreads by the end of 2021 in order to “help consumers...

Study reviews the latest approaches towards improved gluten-free bread properties

23-Jul-2020 By Gill Hyslop

A recent study analysed recent advances to improve the quality of gluten-free bread, focusing not only on the latest conventional ingredients and innovative approaches to replace the gluten-network, but also on technological and processes methods that...

Nanomaterials: Food agency identifies main uses, reveals ‘most affected’ food categories

12-Jun-2020 By Flora Southey

French food agency ANSES has identified the main uses of manufactured nanomaterials in food, and named the sub-categories most affected.

Seaweed supplier Algaia enjoys sales boom as coronavirus accelerates shift to traceable food solutions

15-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The French company also notes that food manufacturers in Europe are becoming increasingly wary of using ingredients sourced from China owing to the pandemic.

Making sustainable waves: SeaGrown on its plans for the UK's first offshore seaweed farm

13-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Fast-growing, robust, sustainable, nutritious... it even tastes like bacon. Is there no end to seaweed's talents? Meet the firm establishing what it claims is the UK’s first and only commercial offshore seaweed farm.

RSPO requests support from governments to reframe the palm oil narrative

30-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), which promotes the use of sustainable palm oil products and which counts the likes of Nestle, Unilever, Danone and Kellogg among its members, has called for assistance from European governments in its effort...

Disrupting the disruptors: Next generation plant-based proteins bridge health and sustainability gap

23-Apr-2020 By Katy Askew

Plant-based products benefit from something of a health halo. However, the nutritional profile of these often ultra-processed foods is coming under increased scrutiny. FutureBridge forecasts four-up-and coming plant-based proteins that could disrupt the...

Freeze drying technology could result in tastier, clean label ice-cream

08-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Freeze-dried berry powders have been found to act as ‘outstanding’ stabilizers, according to US research, offering manufacturers exiting clean label solutions for customers.

E414 supplier backs reforestation in Africa: ‘Our customers will know how many trees were planted thanks to their business’

20-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Acacia gum manufacturer Alland & Robert has teamed with an environmental charity to support acacia tree planting in Mali, Niger and Ethiopia. “We base our support on our sold volume of acacia gum,” explains marketing manager Violaine Fauvarque.

DuPont’s bakery emulsification system responds to clean label, health and sustainability trends: 'POWERBake consistently outperformed existing benchmarks'

12-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences is launching a new emulsification system for the global bakery sector that, the company says, responds to three important trends: sustainability, health and clean label.