Flavours and colours

'A serious health concern': Undeclared allergens are causing accidental allergic reactions

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Undeclared allergens at 'concerning' concentrations in packaged food are causing accidental allergic reactions, according to a study. "There is a perception that food allergens are no longer an issue," says one expert. "This is...

Chr Hansen to double natural colour R&D lab capacity: 'The perception of ‘naturalness’ has changed drastically in 15 years'

03-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Chr Hansen will double the capacity at its natural colour research and development (R&D) laboratory in Montpellier, France in order to meet consumers' increasingly stringent expectations of what is natural.

Tesco-Carrefour deal will have 'detrimental effect' on suppliers, FDE warns

03-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The buying alliance between retail giants Tesco and Carrefour will create an imbalance in bargaining power that has a detrimental effect on the whole supply chain, suppliers and manufacturers have warned.

UK food industry is not failing on sugar reduction targets, says expert

02-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK food and drink manufacturers are achieving "substantially better" sugar reductions than has been reported, according to a health policy expert. "It's good news for public health as well as private business."

Mérieux NutriSciences to offer French firms food safety workshops

29-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Mérieux NutriSciences is partnering with French trade group ANIA to organise workshops for food manufacturers on emerging food risks and how to prevent them.

Fat-carb combo intensifies brain reward signals and triggers overeating: Study

29-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Combining fat and carbohydrates in food intensifies the reward signalling to the brain regardless of calorie-count, liking or portion size, creating a desire to eat even beyond satiety, researchers have found.

Summer trendwatch: Jackfruit, 'naturally essenced' water and snack pairing

28-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Forget hot dogs and soda, this summer's staples will be barbecued jackfruit, naturally 'essenced' water and snacks that 'perfectly pair' with alcoholic drinks, according to market research analysts at Mintel.

Isoglucose is not more of a health risk than sugar - if its fructose content does not increase: BfR

28-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The type of isuglucose currently used in Europe poses no greater health risk than sucrose – but if manufacturers increase its proportion of fructose, the potential risks must be communicated, said the German risk authority.

‘Clean label alone is not enough’: Firmenich on why taste is still king

26-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Firmenich is launching a new business platform to focus on natural and clean label products. But, the ingredients supplier says, it is important to go beyond clean label to convert purchase intent.

UK firm claims to have first commercially viable scale-up process for brazzein

22-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Magellan Life Sciences says its patent-pending fermentation process to scale up the sweet-tasting protein brazzein will make it the first company to market the natural, zero-calorie sweetener.

A texture, taste and legal challenge: Chocolate start-up shirks sugar for dates

20-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

London start-up Kaakao managed to overcome texture and flavour challenges when sweetening its chocolate with dates instead of sugar but the regulatory challenge - the EU definition of chocolate - is proving to be more difficult.

Pea protein trio of isolate-starch-fibre best to mimic meaty texture, says Cosucra

20-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers are moving from soy to pea protein to accurately mimic the texture of meat and dairy in plant-based alternatives, according to pea supplier Cosucra. “It’s part of their new product development (NPD) priority,” says its managing director.

Bell invests in 'creativity, innovation and reliability'

18-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Bell Flavors and Fragrances is increasing investment in quality management, research and development and logistics in Europe.

Exotic but European superfoods: From Dutch vanilla to French chia seeds

15-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Instead of shipping ingredients across the world, would it be more sustainable to grow them in Europe? From Dutch vanilla to French chia or Italian goji berries, FoodNavigator takes a look at some companies doing just that.

Moving towards a plastic-free planet is 'an evolution, not a revolution'

14-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

A myriad of solutions are needed to make plastic food packaging more sustainable, said top brass at Ekoplaza, Ikea and Futamura last week. “In some cases we need to completely break free, in some we need to use different materials and in others we need...

Essentia acquires Danish protein supplier Scanflavour

06-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

US protein supplier Essentia has acquired Danish Scanflavour in a bid to increase its global presence.

In 30 years, every successful food company will be a ‘personalised food company’: Nutrino CSO

06-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

As consumers become increasingly invested in their health, personalised nutrition and gene-tailored diets will become the norm, says the chief science officer of Israeli start-up Nutrino. “The future of food is in personalisation and companies who fail...

Macadamias: On a mission to crack the on-trend nut market

01-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Macadamias only represent 1.5% of the tree nut market, held back by limited supplies and high prices, but a tree-planting programme could change that. "Customers are crying out to use macadamias as an ingredient. It’s up to us to make that opportunity...

Plant-based meat substitutes are 'useful transition foods' for a healthier diet

01-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The science is clear: a vegetarian diet is better for heart health, a study says - but does that include processed meat analogues? "While not as healthful as whole plants, they are useful transition foods," says one researcher.

ANIA sets 1000-day deadline to 'make food better'

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

The French trade group ANIA has set itself a 1000-day deadline to ‘make food better’ in a bid to close France’s food and nutrition gap.

The online store of the future: Is your business ready?

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

From unattended deliveries to 'invisible shopping' via videos or face-recognition technology for payments, e-commerce platforms are becoming more sophisticated, says market research firm IGD.

Obese people enjoy food less, say researchers

30-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Obese people get less enjoyment from food than lean people and may overeat in order to compensate for this, according to a study.

Carob's health halo beats cocoa for kids confectionery, says UK start-up

29-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Far from being cocoa's poor cousin, carob powder is the ideal ingredient for healthy confectionery for kids, mimicking the "shine, snap and silky smooth texture" of milk chocolate without the stimulants caffeine and theobromine, says Supertreats...

Guest article

Can blockchain build a sustainable food industry?

28-May-2018 By Amarjit Sahota, president and founder of Ecovia Intelligence

Blockchain is taking off, with a growing number of food companies and retailers experimenting with this new technology. Consultancy Ecovia Intelligence sees blockchain bringing many sustainability benefits to the food industry.

Diet (not genes) decides fat taste sensitivity

25-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

People on a high fat diet lose the ability to sense or taste fat in the food they eat, researchers have found.

Nestlé top for tackling nutrition issues - but all global firms need to improve

23-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Nestlé is top for addressing the double burden of obesity and malnutrition, and while many firms have stepped up efforts, a "disappointing" number have too many unhealthy products in their portfolios, according to the Access to Nutrition Index...

British food firms fail on government's 5% sugar reduction target

22-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK food and drink manufacturers have fallen short of Public Health England’s 5% voluntary target for sugar reduction, achieving just 2% at the end of the first year.

France looks set to ban titanium dioxide

22-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

As France looks poised to ban titanium dioxide by the end of 2018, the government has praised “pioneering” manufacturers for voluntarily removing the colouring from food products.

Open call for candidates: PepsiCo accelerator hunts for 10 start-ups

17-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

After helping 2017's winners generate growth worth €10 million, PepsiCo's accelerator programme Nutrition Greenhouse is looking for 10 more start-ups for the 2018 round.

True blue botanicals: Why the appeal of spirulina and butterfly pea flowers is more than just colour

16-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Blue mermaid lattes and unicorn smoothie bowls may have star status on social media but their appeal is not just visual. The ingredients behind the blue hue – spirulina and butterfly pea flowers – are seen as inherently healthy.

News in Brief

Iberchem expands food flavours and colours portfolio

16-May-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Iberchem Group is to acquire a majority stake in a specialist developer and manufacturer of food flavours and colours, Versachem.

What are the best colour options for plant-based meats?

16-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

From beetroot juice to red radish colouring food or fermented vegetarian leghemoglobin, manufacturers are finding ways to mimic the colour of meat in meat analogues. We take a look at some of the offerings.

Dutch Vivera claims 'world first' with plant-based steak

14-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Dutch brand Vivera has launched a plant-based steak made with wheat and soy protein. “We worked against the clock to get this steak - the holy grail of plant-based proteins - to market," says the company.

Synergy expands reach with acquisition of natural flavours group Janoušek

14-May-2018 By Katy Askew

Synergy Flavours, part of the Carbery Group, is growing its regional presence in Europe through the acquisition of Janoušek, an Italian company that supplies natural flavouring throughout Italy and Eastern Europe.

'There is a mega-trend around fermentation': The rising star of fermented foods

08-May-2018 By Katy Askew

Fermentation is making a ‘comeback’ in western markets, with growing demand supported by consumer perceptions of it as a ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’ food preservation method.

IFF to acquire Frutarom in $7.1bn deal to create global flavors and natural ingredients empire

07-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

New York-based flavors and fragrances giant IFF is to acquire Israeli flavors and natural ingredients firm Frutarom in a $7.1bn deal that will propel it into the #2 spot in the global flavors market behind Givaudan.

Galicia sets legal definition of artisan food

30-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spain's Galicia has set a legal definition of artisan food, which prohibits the use of artificial colours, flavours and tropical fats such as palm oil and coconut oil.

Clean label 2.0: Tapping into the trends of tomorrow

30-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

What will the clean label foods of tomorrow look like? From actively healthy additives to clean packaging and connected products, five industry experts share their views.

Frutarom focuses on collaboration with start-up innovation hub

25-Apr-2018 By Katy Askew

Israeli ingredients firm Frutarom is opening FoodNxt, an innovation lab targeting food-tech start-ups, as part of its broader drive to deliver growth through industry collaboration.

'Processed food is practically 3D printed. The difference is, this is with fresh, real ingredients': Natural Machines

19-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

When Natural Machines printed a branded manufacturer's product using "fresh, real" ingredients, the company tried to shut it down. But this technology is coming and manufacturers can make it work for them, says the co-founder.

Trend tracker: 'Provenance flavours' as a mark of ingredient purity

18-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

With provenance increasingly associated with quality in consumers' minds, flavourists are coming up with bold combinations to tap into this trend. Pine cone-smoked sea salt marinade, anyone?

Symrise launches grill flavours ahead of EU ban

16-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

German supplier Symrise has developed alternative a range of grill type flavours as an EU ban on two grill flavours takes effect next week (22 April).

‘Finally, teeth to punish the cheaters’: EU outlaws dual quality food

12-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Commission’s New Deal forbids dual quality food and gives authorities the power to fine companies for marketing products that are ‘significantly different’. "Consumer authorities will finally get teeth to punish the cheaters," said...

PureCircle plays down EU stevia stumbling block

04-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

Malaysian supplier PureCircle must provide more data to prove the safety of both minor steviol glycosides and glucosylated stevia, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said in two separate opinions.

NEWS IN BRIEF

FoodNavigator

Resources