Emulsifiers, stabilisers, hydrocolloids

Scottish start-up turns to ‘food of the future’ seaweed to launch methylcellulose replacement

24-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

OCEANIUM has developed a high-fibre seaweed-based one-for-one methylcellulose replacement for plant-based meat which can be used in other products applications including gluten-free breads and beverages. Farmed seaweed also boasts numerous environmental,...

Replacing methylcellulose in meat analogues: ‘Plant-based is perceived as better for you, using synthetic additives creates a gap between perception and reality’

03-Oct-2022 By Katy Askew

Meet the start-up that has developed a one-for-one methylcellulose replacement for plant-based products.

Plant-based innovators push back at ‘ultra-processed, ultra-unhealthy’ critique

28-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Vegetarian diets are often characterised as healthy options delivering higher nutritional quality. But the surge seen in recent years of plant-based analogue products that many classify as ultra-processed has placed this reputation under pressure. Are...

Kerry delivers cost-effective replacement for in-demand carob gum

15-Sep-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The alternative costs up to 50% less than the real thing but delivers the functional benefits that ice cream makers have come to expect from the sought-after natural stabilizer.

One ingredient that can do it all? Bio-based hydrocolloid developed to ‘clean’ up plant-based

16-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

German start-up Bioweg claims its bio-based hydrocolloid made from bacterial cellulose can improve taste, texture, and appearance of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.

How is clean label evolving? Mintel talks regulation, processing, and linking ‘clean with green’

04-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

The ‘clean label’ trend does not remain stagnant. Mintel’s Emma Schofield, Associate Director, Global Food Science, reveals how the trend is evolving in the face of changing regulation, interest is degrees of processing, and environmentally friendly consumers.

Clean label claims boost sales, but what categories benefit most?

20-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

The clean label ingredients market is witnessing continued growth, with evidence suggesting clean labels increase consumer willingness to pay a higher price point and build loyalty. FoodNavigator digs down into the trend to profile what categories and...

Fungi-based butter: Mycoprotein maker develops ‘first prototype’ for alt dairy applications

08-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

Mycorena claims to have made the first mycoprotein butter prototype. FoodNavigator catches up with CEO Ram Nair to find out how.

Albumin substitute developed from legume wastewater: ‘Just like egg protein, it binds, emulsifies, and foams’

28-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Fabumin has developed a cost-competitive, vegan alternative to egg protein from legume wastewater. FoodNavigator hears how.

Record 75% protein content achieved in ‘minimally processed’ pea protein

21-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli seed developer Equinom claims to have broken its own industry record of 70% protein content in a minimally processed pea protein ingredient.

Firmenich and DSM merger creates ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing

31-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Firmenich and DSM have revealed plans to merge the two companies in a move that they believe will create an ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing.

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 adds 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...