Fats & oils

JUST predicts mid-2020 launch in EU, yet China ‘number one priority’ for scrambled egg alternative

05-Dec-2019 By Flora Southey

JUST, Inc is eyeing international expansion. The San Francisco-based company is preparing to launch its plant-based scrambled egg alternative, Just Egg, in Europe, and according to senior sustainability and sourcing manager Udi Lazimy, Asia is...

Cradle-to-grave study answers ‘the big question’: What is the benefit of certified palm oil?

03-Dec-2019 By Flora Southey

Results of the first life cycle assessment (LCA) comparing certified and non-certified palm oil are in: RSPO-certified palm oil out performs non-certified for global warming and nature occupation.

BLC taps palm and shea fat to mimic ‘palate-appealing’ behaviour of meat

29-Nov-2019 By Flora Southey

Bunge Loders Croklaan is expanding into the vegetarian burger category with a range of plant-based offerings – made from shea and palm fat – to help bring texture, bite, appearance, and flavour closer to the ‘real thing’.

Dutch advertising watchdog rules against palm oil-free brand’s ‘bold’ messaging

28-Nov-2019 By Flora Southey

Shea margarine start-up The Flower Farm has been advised to adjust communication suggesting the palm oil industry, as a whole, is responsible for deforestation in Southeast Asia. Co-founder Marcel van Wing tells FoodNavigator the statement was ‘pretty...

Shea margarine: ‘100% sustainable, healthy and plant-based’

21-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

Bunge Loders Crocklaan is promoting the benefits of a new shea margarine that, it says, is a ‘100% sustainable, healthy and plant-based’ alternative to dairy-based butter and common vegetable oils such as palm.

RSPO chief on palm oil boycotts, brand responsibility, and the need to ‘rethink’ retail

14-Nov-2019 By Flora Southey

Retailers, brands, and their marketeers are ‘not doing enough’ to promote sustainably driven purchasing decisions in-store, RSPO CEO Datuk Darrel Webber tells FoodNavigator: “Sustainable products have to be front-and-centre to help consumers loosen their...

Nestlé and Mondelēz respond to Greenpeace allegations linking palm oil supply to forest fires

12-Nov-2019 By Flora Southey

FMCG giants Nestlé and Mondelēz have responded to the environmental watchdog’s report that claims they purchased palm oil from producers linked to Indonesia’s fire crisis.

‘Let’s put our necks on the line’: Olam Group CEO urges food companies to disclose ecological footprints

08-Nov-2019 By Flora Southey

Food companies must ‘put their necks on the line’ to address the climate emergency, according to Olam co-founder and Group CEO Sunny George Verghese, who is calling for public disclosure of carbon, water, land, and waste footprints.

Making sustainability ‘more inclusive’: RSPO adopts new palm oil standard for smallholders

06-Nov-2019 By Flora Southey

Smallholders account for almost 40% of global palm oil production, yet just a fraction is certified sustainable. The RSPO is looking to change this with a new sustainable palm oil standard for low acreage farmers.

‘An essential piece of the puzzle’: Food giants join forces with palm oil producers to map and track deforestation

05-Nov-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The likes of Mondelēz, Nestlé and Unilever have joined a new scheme aiming to improve deforestation transparency. Just as well, as palm oil may be next to witness ‘the Attenborough effect’.

Could rapeseed protein be the new soy? Start-up develops tech for ‘Raptein’ extraction

18-Oct-2019 By Flora Southey

Polish start-up NapiFeryn Biotech has developed technology that isolates and purifies rapeseed protein for food formulation. Could ‘Raptein’ challenge soy’s leading position in plant-based?

Hunter & Gather talks keto, paleo and gluten-free trends: ‘We do not compromise on health, ingredients or taste and that what makes us unique’

16-Oct-2019 By Katy Askew

Hunter & Gather Foods is a UK start-up best known for its keto, paleo and gluten-free condiments and cold-pressed oils. This might sound like hipster paradise but co-founder Amy Moring is quick to insist the brand is tapping into deeper trends rather...

UK policymakers urged to ‘rebalance’ food prices: ‘It is too easy to make money from selling unhealthy food’

10-Oct-2019 By Flora Southey

‘Children are drowning in a flood of unhealthy food’, says England’s outgoing chief medical officer Dame Professor Sally Davies, who is pushing for urgent regulation to tackle obesity.

KP Snacks under fire for cricket tournament sponsorship

07-Oct-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The owner of a host of iconic snack brands says its partnership with a new cricket tournament will help grow the sport and encourage families to get active. But campaigners reckon the promotion of HFSS food through sport sends the wrong message in light...

Flying Spark: Mediterranean fruit fly protein attracts Asian investment

25-Sep-2019 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Flying Spark says a partnership with Thai Union, the world’s largest producer of shelf-stable tuna products, will help drive down costs and scale up production.