Flavours and colours

Scepticism is ‘strong’ but research finds artificial sweeteners help ‘cut calories and control cravings’

18-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Low calorie sweeteners have a bad reputation – but frequent consumers use them as a means to control cravings and cut calories, suggesting that they could be an important public health tool, a researcher suggests.

FoodNavigator's biggest stories of 2018 so far

17-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From the rise of foodtech to the end of the commodities era; from the organic sector's boom to the Mediterranean diet's bust, these are the most read stories on FoodNavigator this year so far.

Mountain tea, mastic & chamomile: Greek juice firm uses local botanicals for artisan appeal

10-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Tapping into the trend for botanicals and local, artisan ingredients, Greek juice company Bfresh Spitiko adds mastic from Chios, Greek mountain tea and chamomile to its lemon, pomegranate and apple juices.

'Food innovation in Europe is slowing down. That's where EIT Food comes in,' says its CEO

09-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) creates ecosystems of entrepreneurship to solve the food industry's biggest problems. We spoke to its CEO about the challenges and the start-up success stories.

WATCH

From language to environment: Some of the surprising factors that shape taste

05-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

It is well documented that certain things affect how we perceive flavour: from smell to visual appearance. But what about some of the less obvious factors, like the room in which you are eating or your expectations around price?

From kimchi to torshi, could naturally fermented food be the next big thing in healthy snacking?

04-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Tickles’ Pickles makes naturally fermented Korean kimchi and Persian torshi that are packed with healthy vegetables and live cultures. “Naturally fermented pickles are great snacking food,” says its founder.

‘These attacks are a caricature’: French industry reacts to ultra-processed food report

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

French trade group ANIA has reacted angrily to the parliamentary report last week that called for tough measures to make 'ultra-processed' food healthier through stricter regulations.

NPD trend tracker: Pulse-based rice, sweet beet bars & seasonal launches

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From snack bars made with beetroot to rice made from pulses, manufacturers continue to invest in better-for-you products. Brands are also gearing up for Halloween and Christmas with themed products aiming to drive impulse purchases.

‘Ingredients lists are powerful purchasing motivators’: Study finds consumer care more about ingredients than brand

28-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Fresh consumer research demonstrates the ongoing importance of the clean label trend and suggests that the ingredients list trumps both the brand and product description in motivating purchase.

Dry-mix meal kits are the most sustainable plant-based products, says Life Loving Foods

28-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Yes, plant-based proteins are sustainable. But Life Loving Foods' use of dry mixes for its vegan meal kits make them even more sustainable and clean label by cutting out the need for cold storage and preservatives, it says.

French MPs attack processed & ‘ultra-processed’ food, demanding tougher laws

27-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

A French parliamentary report, voted yesterday, calls for a raft of measures to make processed and 'ultra-processed' food healthier, from maximum limits on salt, sugar and fat to caps on the number of additives used per product.

Better than bouillon: Carrés Futés blends cocoa butter & vegetables in healthy 'flavour bar'

25-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

French start-up CarréLéon has created a culinary aid that blends cocoa butter and vegetables in a bar that consumers add to sauces and other dishes to make them more healthy and tasty.

Nestlé, Unilever & suppliers push EU for potassium chloride label change

21-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers should be able to label potassium chloride, used to reduce sodium levels in food, with more consumer-friendly names such as potassium salt, argues a joint position paper.

DVees brings West African flavours to Europe with 'accessible' formats

21-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK start-up DVees is on a mission to bring West African flavours to Western Europe, starting with a hibiscus-infused drink and range of condiments. "You can find West African food if you look for it, but it's not accessible or beautifully presented,"...

Could sorghum syrup rival beet as Europe's home-grown sugar?

18-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

A Hungarian company is bringing sorghum syrup to Europe for the first time, a liquid sweetener with a caramel flavour that can be used across food and beverage categories.

MycoTech brings mushroom-based bitter blocker to Europe

17-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

As US supplier MycoTechnology turns its attention to the European market, its CEO explains how fermented mushrooms can reduce sugar, block bitterness and improve the nutritional content of plant protein. “It’s really unlimited what we can do with our...

NPD trend tracker: Quinoa pasta, bars for gut health & fava bean crackers

10-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Launches this month include quinoa pasta, probiotic bars and fava bean crackers while some manufacturers are gearing up for Halloween and Christmas with seasonal products.

‘Sustainable vanilla is a hot topic’: Bell innovation meets vanilla challenge

06-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Sourcing vanilla is a significant challenge for food makers. FoodNavigator speaks to flavours group Bell Flavors and Fragrances about the problems in the market and the launch of its new line of "authentic vanilla solutions".

The new soda? No sugar or sweeteners make Ugly Drinks 'an everyday staple'

06-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK firm Ugly Drinks uses fruit-based essential oils and sparkling water to create “totally unsweet” fizzy drinks with a nutritional content of “zero” that are an everyday fridge staple, it says.

Food for thought

Opinion: Do we expect too much of cheap food?

05-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Food manufacturers are caught between sometimes contradictory consumer expectations around value and values. As people understand more about what goes into their food – driving demand for higher quality standards – they may also need to swallow higher...

'Premium, luxurious and exotic': Saffron is on-trend for packaged food, says Mintel

04-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Saffron is the latest on-trend flavour for packaged food, adding intense colour, an exotic flavour and premium appeal, according to market research agency Mintel.

Taste, texture, smell or appearance: Which is most important in overall liking?

04-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

New product developers often focus on overall liking of a food or drink during the NPD stage - but which sensory characteristic is most important? Danish researchers tried to find out.

Popcorn and meat snacks need flavor innovation to boost sales, says Mintel

03-Sep-2018 By Douglas Yu

Popcorn and meat snacks have benefited from their health halo such as high protein, but these categories can further boost their sales by adding innovative flavors, a Mintel analyst has said.

Tastes like chicken: Bell launches four natural flavours

31-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

Bell Flavors & Fragrances has launched a range of natural chicken flavours, tapping into a growing global market for a meat that has "few cultural restrictions", it says.

‘We will access a larger market’: Kerry, Univar ink distribution deal to drive flavours growth

29-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

Kerry Ingredients and Flavours, part of Kerry Group, strikes a distribution deal with Univar that it says will increase the market reach of its flavours business.

Commission mulls cut in maximum levels for nitrites and nitrates in meat

29-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Commission is considering lowering the maximum authorised levels for nitrites and nitrates in processed meat for health reasons, it has revealed.

New product trend tracker: Ready-to-eat wheatberry & quinoa, spreadable skyr and gourmet instant desserts

03-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

From ready-to-eat pouches of wheatberry & quinoa, spreadable skyr and gourmet instant desserts with cocoa and chia seeds, we take a loot at some of the recent new product launches that stand out.

Aryballe's 'artificial nose' with bio-sensors can boost quality control and NPD

02-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

Using bio-optic smell sensors, French company Aryballe Technologies has developed a portable ‘artificial nose’ to help food manufacturers in quality control testing and new product development (NPD).

KiSS sweetness modulators ‘fool our sensory systems’ for sugar reduction

01-Aug-2018 By Katy Askew

KiSS UK, part of REG Chemicals, has developed a line of flavour modulators that, it says, address the three main challenges of sugar reduction: sweetness, aftertaste and mouthfeel.

DouxMatok & Südzucker bring sugar tech to Europe: 'We want to be like Intel Inside, powering industry's sugar reduction,' says CEO

01-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

Israeli start-up DouxMatok has partnered with German sugar giant Südzucker to produce, market and sell its patented sugar-reducing technology to Europe.

The flavour of food cannot be copyrighted, ECJ told. So how can you protect your product?

31-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The flavour of a food product cannot be copyrighted, the European Court of Justice was advised last week. Two intellectual property and food law experts weigh in on the opinion and suggest what companies can do to protect their products.

From almond husk sugar to nutritious okara flour: High-value ingredients from food by-products

30-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

From a nutritious (and cheap) flour made from the by-product of tofu production to sugar, beer and biodegradable plastic made from almond husks, 'waste' is a dirty word in today's food industry. FoodNavigator found out more at this year's...

What do consumers really think of meat alternatives?

27-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

What do consumers really think of meat alternatives - and what are they actually looking for in products? FoodNavigator caught up with a global Mintel analyst at IFT to find out.

'Ideal for relishes, jams & juices': Haskap berries gain novel food approval

24-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

With up to 13 times more antioxidants than blueberries, haskap berries - also known as honeyberries - offer manufacturers a new ingredient with superfood credentials for relishes, jams or juices, says supplier Soloberry.

Renmatix on its multifunctional simple cellulose: 'This is a new-to-the-world ingredient'

24-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

An emulsifier, humectant, texturiser and egg replacement, Renmatix's patent-protected simple cellulose is native, natural and multifunctional, it says. "This is a very unique and new-to-the-world form of cellulose,” says the CEO.

Patent-pending botanical blend cleans up lipid emulsion labels

23-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Naturex has launched a patent-pending blend of rosemary and spinach extracts that can replace the synthetic antioxidant ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) in lipid emulsions, such as mayonnaise or salad dressings.

Innova sees plant-based promise in lupin, hemp and flax seed

13-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Lupin, hemp and flaxseed are set to rise in popularity as consumers look for more "unusual" ingredients in dairy alternative products, predicts Innova Market Insights.

MEPs push for a dual quality on-pack logo

13-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers could add a logo to food and drink packaging that tells consumers the product's content and quality is the same in all EU countries, consumer protection politicions said yesterday.

Encapsulated curcumin shows potential to rival tartrazine as yellow food color

12-Jul-2018 By Stephen Daniells

With demand for natural food colors continuing to increase, supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technology may allow for encapsulated curcumin to replace artificial tartrazine, according to a new study from scientists in Colombia and Spain.

EFSA to consider limits for kaurenoic acid in stevia

12-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

EFSA may recommend limits for the impurity kaurenoic acid in stevia but suppliers have played down safety fears.

300,000-strong survey 'confirms positive impact' of NutriScore logo

11-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Leading French retailer E.Leclerc is definitively backing the NutriScore logo after a survey of 300,000-consumers showed it is best in encouraging healthy food choices, especially among younger shoppers and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

Is the UK's €5.3bn ready meal market missing a trick?

11-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

No organic ready meals, 'double standards' in meat labelling and too few vegetarian options. Manufacturers in Europe's biggest ready meal market, the UK, are failing to seize a business opportunity, a new report says.

Savory, spicy and botanical: Exotic flavors can breathe new life into soda

11-Jul-2018 By Rachel Arthur

More innovative flavors can engage consumers with the carbonated soft drink (CSD) category, according to market research company Mintel.

So long, spirulina? Knotted kelp adds nutrients, reduces salt & removes artificial flavours

10-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK firm Seaweed & Co's wild harvested knotted kelp (Ascophyllum) beats spirulina for iodine, potassium, calcium and magnesium, and can reduce salt in packaged foods or replace artificial smoke flavours, it says.

Umami flavour boost before a meal may lead to healthier eating

09-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

An umami-rich broth eaten at the start of a meal may leading to healthier food choices and more controlled food choices by activating certain brain pathways, according to a study.

ColorKitchen extends the shelf life and vibrancy of natural colors

09-Jul-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Thousands of anecdotal reports collected by the Center For Science in the Public Interest and others correlating artificial dyes, such as Red 40, with behavior problems have prompted some parents to seek naturally colored products – many of which fall...

New product trend tracker: Seaweed-infused oils, granola for kids and cocktail sweets for adults

09-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

From algae-infused cooking oils to baobab herbal teas; cocktail-flavoured sweets and low-sugar yoghurts with no sweeteners, we take a look at some new product launches that stand out from the crowd.

EFSA closes the door on titanium dioxide re-evaluation

06-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

There is no merit in re-evaluating the safety of titanium dioxide after four studies highlighted safety concerns, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has advised the Commission.

Orkla expands in Denmark with bakery filling acquisition

06-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Orkla Food Ingredients has inked a "strategically important" deal to acquire Danish fruit filling, syrup and marmalade supplier Igos.

Prepared meals and ethnic flavours on the rise in Spain

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spaniards are buying more prepared meals and the number of people eating ethnic cuisine has more than doubled in recent years, says a government report on food consumption.