Flavours and colours

Start-up takes on vegan meat market with lesser-known alternative: ‘Our mission it to get seitan into the mainstream’

20-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

UK start-up LoveSeitan wants to increase consumer awareness around this lesser-known meat substitute, “so it’s as well-known as jackfruit and tofu”, says co-founder Steve Swindon.

Robertet committed to independence as Givaudan, Firmenich build stakes

12-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

French flavours and fragrances manufacturer Robertet insisted that ‘independence remains a priority’ after it emerged that F&F giants Givaudan and Firmenich are vying to build stakes in the company.

Givaudan develops VR for citrus flavours to ‘unleash creativity’ and shorten time-to-market

11-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

The new tool will help inspire flavour creation and speed up time-to-market for citrus beverage applications, the company tells FoodNavigator.

From a cricket farm in Thailand to insect snacks in Europe: Meet the start-up making the ‘most accepted bug’ affordable

10-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

Having closed a funding round worth €1.9m, a group of entrepreneurs are working to boost the efficiency of insect protein production in Thailand and grow demand for their cricket flour snacks in Europe.

Black garlic looks to find sweet spot in functional food trend

10-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Spanish ingredients supplier Pharmactive Biotech Products has launched an aged black garlic extract designed for functional food applications.

Iberchem eyes more M&A to ‘accelerate expansion and access new markets’

10-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

Spanish ingredients supplier Iberchem Group has acquired two new flavour businesses – and the firm expects to see further M&A in 2020 and beyond.

Nicotine style ‘meat patch’ developed to help wean consumers off carnivore diet

06-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

Struggling to give up a meat-heavy diet? Plant-based food brand Strong Roots is trialling a scratch and sniff patch it says could help vegetarian and vegan consumers manage their meat cravings.

Healy leverages cocoa shells for natural sugar reduction

06-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

Healy Group, the Ireland-based ingredient supplier, has developed a process to turn cocoa shells – an otherwise under-utilised by-product of cocoa production – into a micronised cocoa fibre that can help with sugar reduction in chocolate.

Danone to ‘rethink communication’ on Alpro soy product following accusations it misleads consumers

05-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

Danone says it will ‘rethink’ the marketing of its Alpro Cuisine Soya Whippable product, after the plant-based ‘cream’ was voted ‘food bluff of the year’ by Swedish consumers.

Food tech entrepreneurs eye growth in functional ingredients trend

03-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The trend of food products ‘going beyond feeding’ is set to accelerate, according to a report.

Food label fight: Italy’s NutrInform ‘confusing and counter-intuitive’, claim consumers groups

31-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Italian consumer organisation Altroconsumo is unimpressed by the ‘battery’ nutrition labelling system NutrInform which has been officially proposed to the European Commission by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development as the country’s preferred nutrition...

Israel: ‘New opportunities’ for reformulation as gov’t imposes HFSS warnings front-of-pack

27-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

The Israeli government has introduced mandatory ‘red labels’ for products high in saturated fat, sugar or salt. Could this legislation bring ‘new opportunities’ for reformulation?

‘We are trying to push the boundaries of what is possible’: The Meatless Farm R&D chief talks innovation in the plant-based category

27-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

The Meatless Farm was founded with the aim of improving people’s heath though ‘better eating’ while supporting the environment and reducing our reliance on intensive agriculture. Innovation has been central to this ambition and its range now includes...

Foods for Tomorrow wins government backing with gastronomic approach to plant-based: ‘Food is much more than a religion’

23-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Foods for Tomorrow, the Spanish creator of the plant based Heura meat analogue line, discusses its global growth ambitions and gastronomic style of product innovation.

Good Catch plant-based tuna crosses the pond: ‘This is vegan food made for fish eaters!’

23-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Wicked Healthy brothers Derek and Chad Sarno are bringing their plant-based tuna brand Good Catch to the UK.

Sugar reduction through smell: ‘Aromas can be used to produce long-lasting sweetness-enhancing effects’

21-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

One of the easiest ways to reduce sugar is to replace it with sweeteners – but research from Netherlands-based research group NIZO suggests aromas can be leveraged as an alternative path to sugar reduction.

Vegan ‘yogurt’ fermented with lactic acid bacteria from plants an industry first, claim researchers

15-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Scientists in Denmark have developed a plant-based ‘yogurt’ made from just three ingredients: soy drink, brewer’s spent grain, and lactic acid bacteria from plant materials.

Plant power, Asian influences, and CBD: Flavour houses reveal 2020 top trends

15-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

What key flavours will spark consumer interest in 2020? Comax Flavors, Flavorchem, Bell Flavors and Fragrances, and Kerry Group share their predictions.

Meat-free, convenience, and traceability: EHL Ingredients reveals 2020 food trends

15-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

UK ingredients supplier EHL has released its 2020 ‘top trends’, covering plant-based innovations, mindful eating, traceability and allergen awareness.

Ingredients sector tops food and drink M&A

15-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

An average of 15 food and drink acquisitions were recorded every week of 2019, according to Zenith Global. The ingredients sector was the most active, with 65 transactions listed worldwide.

‘With Pändy we can show the way’: Bayn CEO says Swedish confectionery acquisition will accelerate sugar reduction trend

14-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Swedish ingredients manufacturer Bayn Europe plans to leverage its strength in sugar reduction solutions to support synergistic growth following its acquisition of FMCG brand Pändy Foods. FoodNavigator speaks to Bayn CEO Patrik Edström about the company’s...

Mars develops novel confectionery: ‘Shelf-stable’ and ‘soft-textured’ mousse

13-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Confectionery giant Mars, Inc. has patented a shelf-stable mousse it says maintains a ‘light’ and ‘soft’ mouthfeel even when stored at an ambient temperature.

Surface texture and health perception: Smoother textures viewed as less healthy but tastier

10-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Fresh research probes the relationship between the surface texture of food – which will influence its visual appearance – and expectations of how healthy that product is.

Black truffle collector breaks with tradition to sell direct to the consumer

23-Dec-2019 By Jenny Eagle

A black truffle collector in Vic, Spain, is breaking with tradition by being the first vendor to sell black truffles direct to the consumer rather than on the black market, which is rare in this region.

Italy taps blockchain to combat Sicilian blood orange food fraud

20-Dec-2019 By Flora Southey

Italy is affixing high-tech tags to crates of PGI Sicilian blood oranges in an effort to boost transparency and protect against food fraud.

Lycored reveals the ‘invisible glow’ found in golden tomatoes

20-Dec-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The Israel-based ingredients supplier teamed up with National Geographic photographer Craig Burrows to capture the natural glow hidden in its golden tomato breed.

Relax… CBD will hit the big time, says Bravura Foods’ boss

19-Dec-2019 By Oliver Morrison

CBD innovation is in a bottleneck and poised to burst onto the mainstream, believes the Co-owner and Managing Director of Bravura Foods, Lisa Gawthorne. The only delay, she tells FoodNavigator, is a reluctance on the part of big retailers to make the...

DuPont-IFF merger will create €40 billion nutrition and flavour business

16-Dec-2019 By Nathan Gray

A mega-merger between International Flavors & Fragrances Inc (IFF) and DuPont nutrition & biosciences unit will create a new industry giant worth more than $45 billion (€40.4 billion), say those involved in the deal.

Tereos unveils ‘first-ever’ French organic beet sugar

12-Dec-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The producer has introduced brand-new organic beet sugar from its Attin sugar plant and also showcased its vegetable protein and nutritional reformulation service at FiE 2019.

Nexira eyes carbon-neutral footprint for new Inavea brand

10-Dec-2019 By Flora Southey

French ingredients supplier Nexira is launching a new ingredients brand, Inavea, dedicated to organic ingredients with a strong sustainability message, managing director Mathieu Dondain tells FoodNavigator.

New lime powder meets ‘strong market demand’ for Latin American flavours

09-Dec-2019 By Flora Southey

ABF Ingredients’ new lime powder, made from real lime puree and juice, will meet ‘strong market demand’ for citrus seasonings in salad dressings, ready-meals, and guacamole style snacks, global marketing and supply chain director Jan Bebber tells FoodNavigator.

Solvay triples, then doubles, natural vanillin capacity in France: ‘FMCGs are driving the push to natural’

06-Dec-2019 By Flora Southey

Having tripled its production capacity of natural vanillin in 2017, the French ingredients supplier is again ramping up scale to meet growing demand for its ‘natural’ vanilla alternative, Solvay’s Peter Browning tells FoodNavigator.

Dairy protein without the cow? ‘Cell factories do all the work’

05-Dec-2019 By Katy Askew

Danish researchers have developed ‘cell factories’ that can produce food ingredients from the by-products of food production that would otherwise be wasted.

Consumer trends to watch for in 2020

27-Nov-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Trends towards health and wellness, plant-based and clean label will continue next year, but the need for food businesses to innovate is greater than ever, says consumer research.

‘Reducing sugar is a balancing act’: From natural sweeteners to fruity flavours

19-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

As food makers look to develop better-for-you options that are lower in sugar they are seeking out innovative approaches to formulation.

‘There is a real opportunity for growth’: ScotBio plans rapid scale-up for natural blue and green colourings

18-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

ScotBio plans to fill a gap in the market for natural blue and green colours having opened its first large-scale production facility in Lockerbie, Scotland.

‘It is important to tell the story about colour in a positive way’: GNT

08-Nov-2019 By Oliver Morrison

We spoke to GNT’s managing director, Frederik Hoeck, about the colour company’s 'field to finished product’ approach.

Nestlé and Corbion eye microalgae for ‘next generation’ plant proteins

07-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

Swiss food manufacturer Nestlé and Dutch ingredients supplier Corbion have entered into a strategic partnership to develop what they describe as the ‘next generation’ of microalgae-based ingredients for plant-based applications.

Corbion’s ‘bold pledge’ on carbon emissions: ‘Climate change will get more and more attention’

05-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

Concerns over climate change have jumped up the agenda and sustainability experts at Corbion believe the topic will continue to gain momentum. The bio-based ingredient supplier recently announced an ‘ambitious carbon footprint reduction target’ in response.

Foodvalley spotlights innovation to solve the ‘complex puzzle’ of healthy and sustainable protein

04-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

Innovation in proteins will be needed to solve the ‘complex puzzle of achieving a healthy and sustainable protein balance’, according to Dutch agrifood ecosystem FoodValley.

Anti-E171 campaigners call for independent and clear research

31-Oct-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Consumer groups hope the new EU Commission will heed to their calls for a ban on much-debated colourant E171.

Cargill invests in reformulation solution: ‘There are benefits to our soluble fibres that go beyond what’s currently available’

25-Oct-2019 By Katy Askew

Cargill is investing €32m in Europe to add soluble fibers to its existing portfolio of starches, sweeteners and texturizers.

‘Our colours are foods in their own right’: GNT showcases its ‘field to finished product’ supply chain

21-Oct-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The Netherlands and German-based colour supplier discusses why natural source, natural processing and natural application help to produce consumer trust.

When the 2% is a threat: What are the next big opportunities for plant-based foods?

21-Oct-2019 By Nikki Hancocks

With so many drivers bolstering the meat-free movement in 2019, it’s a diet choice brimming with business opportunity, according to experts speaking at the Future Food Tech Summit in London last week.

Lycored introduces online color matching tool

14-Oct-2019 By Jim Cornall

Lycored, a provider of lycopene-based color and taste-enhancing ingredients for food and beverages, has introduced HueFinder.

Chr Hansen CFO Søren Westh Lonning talks innovation, investment, and Q4 disappointment

11-Oct-2019 By Flora Southey

The Danish ingredients supplier has rounded out an overall ‘solid’ 2018/19 with a challenging quarter, CFO Søren Westh Lonning tells FoodNavigator.

‘Consumer demands, supply chain challenges and new tech have created an innovation space’: IOFI’s Sven Ballschmiede talks flavours innovation

09-Oct-2019 By Katy Askew

The International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) is celebrating its 50th birthday this week. FoodNavigator caught up with IOFI executive director Sven Ballschmiede to learn about the challenges facing flavours manufacturers today and the trends...

‘It’s been a rollercoaster’: Ugly Drinks CEO shares lessons learnt from US launch

07-Oct-2019 By Flora Southey

Twelve months on from launching in the US, Ugly Drinks CEO and co-founder Hugh Thomas shares lessons learnt from challenging the soft drink market across the pond.

‘Where consumer insight, nutritional know-how and good-tasting products come together’: FrieslandCampina Ingredients sees blurring of boundaries between food and nutra

03-Oct-2019 By Katy Askew

Dairy cooperative to ingredients manufacturer FrieslandCampina recently set out its innovation priorities for its ingredients arm: gut health, personalised nutrition and protein. Divisional head Kathy Fortmann tells FoodNavigator more.

From peel potential to functional florals: AI trend platform Spoonshot emerges from stealth mode with future forecasts

01-Oct-2019 By Katy Askew

Food artificial intelligence company Spoonshot has today emerged from an intensive 18-month R&D process to launch a new tool that it says will ‘raise the bar for insight-led innovation’ in the food and beverage sector.