Food safety

Bacteria: a tasty solution to the plastic problem?

01-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists have devised a novel way of tackling the mounting issue of plastic pollution… by using bacteria to transform plastic waste into vanilla flavouring.

Growing food from air ‘more efficient’ than growing crops, study finds

23-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, the University of Naples Federico II, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, compared the efficiency of growing...

EFSA: ‘No link between Nestlé infant formula consumption and reduced dermatitis risk’

18-Jun-2021 By Will Chu

The European Food and Safety Authority (EFSA) has rejected claims a peptide blend included in infant formula could reduce the risk of developing atopic dermatitis.

Biotech company claims genetic selection can cut methane emissions in cattle

17-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Synomics, an Anglo-Danish biological insights business, has identified a way to reduce emissions within agricultural cattle by selecting the ones that produce less methane genetically.

Unilever Food Solutions bets on the rise of ghost kitchens: ‘UFS can play an important role’

16-Jun-2021 By Katy Askew

Unilever Food Solutions (UFS), the arm of Unilever that supplies the catering sector, is supporting the growth of so-called ‘ghost kitchens’. FoodNavigator examines what the company is doing in the space and asks why UFS expects ghost kitchens to be an...

‘Water risk should be the leading ESG issue’: Water scarcity threat to food sector revealed

15-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Water scarcity is the most important environmental concern in the consumer staples sector, which includes food, ingredients, agribusiness, meat and beverages, warn market analysts at Barclays Capital.

Export or die: UK firms urged to hunt foreign growth as post-Brexit trade deals are struck

11-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

As the UK government launches a new mentorship programme to encourage more food and beverage producers to boost their exports, British companies have a golden opportunity to expand overseas, companies say.

Bacteria-killer found in fermented meat snack set to tackle twin problems of food preservation and waste

09-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A traditional Vietnamese meat snack could hold the key to developing a safe and natural food preservative, addressing the twin global problems of food waste and food-borne illnesses, scientists claim.

ANSES: ‘We have questions about nanomaterials'

09-Jun-2021 By Will Chu

In light of the recent ruling concerning titanium dioxide, French authorities have cast the net wider and urged caution over the use of nanomaterials in food as well as in antibacterial products.

Mars discusses the future of food safety: ‘We have a responsibility to help solve critical global food safety challenges’

07-Jun-2021 By Katy Askew

Food safety is a business-critical issue. People worry about food safety and security as much as global warming, pollution and poverty, research from confectionery giant Mars reveals. FoodNavigator hears from Dr Guangtao Zhang, director of the Mars Global...

Nestlé, Unilever among FMCGs backing flexible packaging fund in UK

27-May-2021 By Flora Southey

Food majors Unilever, Nestlé, PepsiCo, Mondelēz, and Mars are among the companies supporting a soft plastic recycling fund to help combat plastic pollution.

Vegan trademark taps next generation sequencing to flag animal derived materials

26-May-2021 By Flora Southey

The Vegan Society is partnering with UK food testing laboratory Food Forensics to identify and flag animal derived materials or evidence of cross-contamination in products looking to carry the Vegan Trademark. We speak to Food Forensics’ Rick Sanderson...

Allergen testing with a smartphone: ‘The self-test makes chemical analysis accessible to everyone’

24-May-2021 By Flora Southey

A self-test has been developed in the Netherlands to help consumers check whether there are traces of allergens peanut or hazelnut in a product.

‘Address food safety gaps to improve trust in plant-based meat’: Kerry

20-May-2021 By Katy Askew

The plant-based meat and dairy market is booming globally. But, as consumer concern over safety increases, experts from Kerry Taste and Nutrition stress that there is a need to develop food safety strategies that build consumer trust in the sector.

UK start-up predicts lab-grown sausages on shelves by 2023 after technology ‘breakthrough’

19-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

An Oxford University spin-out hopes to become the first British commercial producer of cultured meat after claiming to discover a ‘cheaper, efficient and faster’ cell proliferation process.