Flavours and colours

New tech in sugar reduction

23-Mar-2022 By Rachel Arthur

We take a look at some of the latest developments in sugar reduction technology.

Inside Hive: A deep-dive into Unilever's plant-based innovation drive

21-Mar-2022 By Katy Askew

“We want to outgrow the competition and we want to do it in ways that are better for people and the planet,” Unilever’s head of Food & Refreshment Hanneke Faber says. How does the company plan to do this? FoodNavigator goes inside Hive, Unilever’s...

Gousto launches smell training kits as Long COVID sufferers ‘fall out of love with food’ after losing smell and taste

14-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The recipe kit provider has introduced free limited-edition ‘Flavour Saviour’ kits in partnership with the charity AbScent to help consumers ‘retrain their senses and rediscover the joy of mealtimes’.

‘We will yield the full yellow-to-purple spectrum’: Precision fermentation food colours prepare to challenge synthetics

02-Mar-2022 By Flora Southey

Natural colour maker Phytolon is collaborating with Ginkgo Bioworks to take its biological production to the ‘next level’. FoodNavigator asks Phytolon co-founder and CEO Halim Jubran how its novel production technology works.

Givaudan mimics animal fat cells with encapsulated coconut oil to ‘reduce high fat content while improving juiciness’ in plant-based

22-Feb-2022 By Flora Southey

The Swiss flavours and fragrances company has coined the technology ‘PrimeLock+’, as it says it brings the visual appeal of beef fat to plant-based products, while allowing for controlled fat and flavour release during the cooking process.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: How big is the healthy ageing opportunity?

17-Feb-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Is the industry ignoring the growing numbers of older people? Or do older people just not want to be directly targeted by the food sector? FoodNavigator investigates.

Tackling malnutrition in ageing populations: What’s working and what’s not?

16-Feb-2022 By Flora Southey

From ready meals to health messaging and affordability, what progress has been observed and how much still needs to be made to address malnutrition in older people? EUPHA and Age UK weigh in.

Behind Nestlé’s CHF1.3bn drive to bridge the living income gap in cocoa

11-Feb-2022 By Katy Askew

Nestlé has launched an initiative that promises to help bridge the living income gap for cocoa farmers in its supply chain. With a focus on productivity, resilience, diversification and access to education the company is more than tripling its current...

Ultra-processing foods for health and sustainability: ‘Whether you like it or not, processed food is here to stay’

08-Feb-2022 By Flora Southey

Processed and ultra-processed foods get a bad rap. But done the right way, food processing can offer sustainable nutrition to the masses, according to Wageningen University’s Ciarán Forde.

Omega-3 fortified sausages? The case for enriching foods with fish by-products

07-Feb-2022 By Flora Southey

Enriching food products with marine-derived omega-3 fatty acids from sustainable sources presents an opportunity to boost EPA and DHA intake in consumers, argues SINTEF researcher Heidi Johnsen.

Safety concerns build over botanicals’ use in food: ‘There is no harmonised approach for their labelling and assessment’

03-Feb-2022 By Flora Southey

A campaign designed to address uncertainties in the assessment of botanicals’ health properties has been launched by SAFE.

Does cultivated chicken pass SuperMeat's blind taste test?

01-Feb-2022 By Katy Askew

Cultivated meat has been put to a blind taste test and the results are in. Here’s what gastronomic experts thought when they sampled SuperMeat’s cultivated chicken alongside conventional meat.

‘Ocean-cultivated seaweed is a regenerative force’: BettaF!sh and Nordic Oceanfruit founder talks turning the tide on ocean destruction

31-Jan-2022 By Flora Southey

German food brands BettaF!sh and Nordic Oceanfruit are bringing ocean-cultivated seaweed to the masses. We hear co-founder Jacob von Manteuffel talk macroalgae diversity, product formulation, and the ‘sustainable’ force of cultivation.

‘Beyond the usual suspects’: Report scrapes social media to identify emerging trends

31-Jan-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Used by Nestlé, PepsiCo, Givaudan, Campbell’s, Coca-Cola, General Mills, Dole, and more, Tastewise, the AI-powered real-time food intelligence solution, is sharing the top consumer food and beverage trends for 2022.

Health campaigner takes aim at salty sliced meats

27-Jan-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Two thirds of all chilled sliced meats including sliced ham, chicken, corned beef and salami sold by leading grocery retailers in the UK are dangerously high in salt (i.e. >1.5g/100g) – with one in three (35%) failing to meet the national salt reduction...

EU titanium dioxide ban enters into force: what happens next?

27-Jan-2022 By Lynda Searby

The EU ban on titanium dioxide has created harmonisation across the bloc for food and supplements, but the colour is still legal in the UK as well as in medicine products, plus there is the challenge of reformulation.

Kerry Europe boss upbeat on regional outlook: ‘There is a great opportunity for Kerry in Europe’

26-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

Developed European markets aren't always known for their exciting growth profiles. But Kerry Group European head Thomas Hahlin Ahlinder sees some important opportunities for the ingredient supplier in the region. FoodNavigator hears more.

Codex adopts framework for steviol glycosides: ‘This benefits the entire stevia industry’

20-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

International food standards body Codex Alimentarius has adopted a Framework for steviol glycosides that encompasses four different production technologies in a move that is expected to ‘benefit the entire stevia industry’.

Synergy Flavours debuts ‘sophisticated toolkit’ promoting botanicals and provenance for the growing low-to-no sector

14-Jan-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Synergy Flavours has unveiled new extracts and flavour solutions for the “booming” low and no alcohol category. The range includes bitters, fermented notes, gin, pink gin, aperitif and rum flavours, alongside extracts that deliver warmth, such as scotch...

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.

The countdown to phase out E171 in EU foods has begun

06-Jan-2022 By Gill Hyslop

Titanium dioxide (E171) - a popular additive that confers a bright white shade to frosting and cake decorations - has been banned as a food additive in the EU, with a six-month phasing out period coming into force this month (January 2022) after which...

What do flexitarian consumers want? Plant-based innovation opportunities revealed

16-Nov-2021 By Katy Askew

A pan-European study shows ‘booming’ interest in plant-based products. But barriers to consumption remain with improved health and taste alongside availability and affordability coming out as flexitarian consumers’ top asks.

GNT announces initial investment of $30 million to expand operations in North America

25-Oct-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The Dutch natural colour company's new facility in North Carolina features an expansive warehouse, with a Technical and Culinary Experience Center set to follow in August 2022.

'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,...

‘We will become the number 2 global player in natural colours’: Givaudan talks DDW acquisition

13-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

Swiss flavours and fragrances giant Givaudan has announced plans to acquire DDW, The Color House, in a deal that will make it a ‘global leader’ in the natural colours space.

EU E171 ban set for 2022: ‘The safety of our food is not negotiable’

11-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

A ban on the use of controversial colouring titanium dioxide (E171) will come into effect in the European Union in 2022.

Casein without the cow? Meet the Estonian start-up producing milk proteins from yeast

07-Oct-2021 By Flora Southey

Using precision fermentation, ProProtein is developing the four main types of proteins in casein from microbes, rather than cows. FoodNavigator asks founder and food technologist Kaisa Orgusaar about the process.

What’s next in plant-based? Nestlé accelerates innovation with new shrimp and egg alternatives

07-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

Nestlé wants to drive growth in plant-based sales through innovation. At an event to unveil its latest creations – plant-based shrimp and egg alternatives – the company’s management weighed in on where the category is likely to go next.

Sweegen to launch high intensity sweetener brazzein in 2022

04-Oct-2021 By Elaine Watson

Sweegen will expand its high-intensity sweeteners portfolio early next year with the addition of brazzein, an ultra-sweet tasting protein found in small quantities in the fruit of a West African plant called oubli, that can be produced on a commercial...

New meat analogue developed with ‘less salt, fat, and more flavour than real meat’

23-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Researchers in Lithuania and Finland say a new plant-based product made with soybean pulp, otherwise known as okara, has the potential to change the meat analogue landscape.

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.

Food leaders advance alternative protein development

22-Sep-2021 By Natasha Spencer

The alternative protein market explodes with a wave of innovation in taste, texture and formats to meet uncompromising demands for protein-mimicking market offerings.

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.

Meet the B2B start-up innovating plant-based whole cuts and cultivated hybrids

16-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

A new platform for whole-cut texturization to produce plant-based meat alternatives and cell-based hybrids has been developed by Israeli firm Alfred’s FoodTech, Ltd.

DouxMatok inks first commercial partnership outside of Israel for Incredo Sugar

14-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

DouxMatok has partnered with Italian ingredients company Hi-Food to commercialise its sugar-reduction offering Incredo Sugar. FoodNavigator hears from the start-up’s CEO and CTO to learn more about its B2B strategy.

Why do some ‘hybrid’ products make the cut, while others get the chop?

13-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Some blended meat and plant-based products are still going strong years after launch. Others, however, are withdrawn within months having failed to pique consumer interest. Instead of blaming taste, appearance, or texture, could the answer lie in…marketing?...

Sugar-free

Tazzy Candy explodes onto the market, ‘leaving sugar behind’

13-Sep-2021 By Anthony Myers

Tazzy Candy is a newly launched women-owned, better-for-you candy company on a mission to ‘create guilt-free sweets with explosive flavours that everyone can enjoy’.

Givaudan-Biosyntia partnership to convert sugar into natural flavour ingredients

13-Sep-2021 By Lynda Searby

Under a new collaboration agreement, flavours and fragrances giant Givaudan and Danish biotech firm Biosyntia are jointly exploring the use of fermentation technology for developing natural flavouring ingredients.

Fake it till you make it? Meat alternatives shown to promote ‘positive changes’ in gut microbiome in latest ‘exciting’ study

06-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Who said meat imitations can’t be healthy? New research rejects the notion fake meats should be perceived as low-quality, ultra-processed foods.

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.

Swapping out table salt for a reduced sodium added potassium alternative would ‘save millions of lives’, finds research

31-Aug-2021 By Flora Southey

Is reduced sodium substitute worth its salt? Fresh research indicates the added potassium alternative ‘significantly reduces’ risk of stroke and death.

'We know the market is there, parents need convenience products': Brands spot gap in market for 3+ age group

26-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Food companies are attempting to capitalise on shifting trends in the toddler food category.

Belfast scientists unveil testing to tackle white pepper fraud

20-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Bia Analytical, a Queen's University Belfast spin out, has added white pepper to its expanding range of authenticity tests.

Griffith Foods acquires The Flavourworks: ‘A fantastic fit, ticking all the boxes in terms of strategy, capability and capacity’

28-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

Griffith Foods has agreed to acquire UK ingredient supplier The Flavourworks in a move that European chief Wim van Roekel tells us is ‘a fantastic fit’ as the group works to double its sales and triple its bottom line.

Givaudan boasts resilience to food inflation: ‘Natural hedges help us to recoup consumers in other categories’

27-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

Givaudan has shrugged off concern that food price inflation could dent its outlook, insisting that ‘natural hedges’ mean the ingredient supplier can meet consumer needs, even when shopping budgets are squeezed.

‘A new toolkit for sugar reduction’: Sweegen’s Reb M gets safety nod in Europe

19-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Commission has approved the use of Sweegen’s non-GMO Signature Bestevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) for use in food and beverages. “We are opening the doors for product developers to explore a new toolkit for sugar reduction across all products...

Synergy Flavours debuts new fruits range

19-Jul-2021 By Jim Cornall

Synergy Flavours has launched Inspiring Fruits, a collection of fruit essences, natural flavors and depictable flavors.

‘The next phase in the evolution of Tate & Lyle’: Ingredients supplier spins-off bulk sweetener business

12-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

Tate & Lyle has sold a controlling stake in its Primary Products operations, which will be spun-out into a stand-alone business, leaving the London-listed ingredient manufacturer to focus on its faster-growing specialities business.

Low-salt formulation developed for lentil savoury snacks: ‘Our ingredient lowers sodium levels by a third’

23-Jun-2021 By Flora Southey

Israeli-based Salt of the Earth has applied its Mediterranean Umami Bold flavouring to lentil bites, presenting an opportunity to ‘overcome lentils’ natural blandness’.

Cabosse Naturals talks cocoa fruit innovation: ‘Upcycled foods are very relevant for consumers’

22-Jun-2021 By Katy Askew

Barry Callebaut brand Cabosse Naturals is launching a line of ‘next gen’ ingredients for snacks, drinks and ice cream that utilise the whole cacao fruit, while Cacao Barry, also part of Barry Callebaut, is rolling out a WholeFruit chocolate offering....