Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

What are consumer attitudes to faba beans?

23-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Faba beans are a useful ingredient across a range of foods, although sensory challenges can harm their uptake. A new study explores consumers’ attitudes to faba beans in different forms.

Forever chemicals: What are they and why are they harmful?

18-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

PFAS, widely known as forever chemicals, have been found in foods, including fruits and vegetables, across Europe. But what are they? How did they get into the food chain? And are they harmful?

Could keto diet delay early Alzheimer's?

16-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The keto diet has been linked to multiple health benefits, including lowered blood pressure and reduced blood sugar, but could it also help to combat the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease?

Chocolate prices expected to climb as industry relays cocoa burden

12-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Cocoa supplier Barry Callebaut is passing on soaring costs to its customers, and predicts manufacturers will do the same.

Flour upcycled from olive waste a ‘revolution’ for industry

10-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Just 15% of the olive is used when making olive oil. But with the right technology, the remaining 85% can be valorised, according to Israeli start-up PhenOlives.

How potatoes are affected by changing climatic conditions

09-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

As climatic conditions shift, key crops must face the challenges imposed by the weather’s new regime. Potatoes, one of our most beloved crops, are also highly sensitive to these changes.

Organic alternative to chemical pesticides discovered

09-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Scientists believe they’ve found an organic solution to chemical pesticides

Free from: Allergen contamination can never be ruled out 100%

09-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

The free-from category caters to consumers with food allergies and intolerances, but contamination risk is always a possibility.

Food security: How can we create resilient food systems for the future?

08-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The rise of extreme weather events across the globe is posing a major threat to food security. So how can we create more resilient supply chains to ensure food supplies in the future?

Cocoa crisis hits chocolate: Which companies can weather the storm, financially?

04-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Unsurprisingly, some chocolate makers are struggling to afford cocoa, which has risen in price by 400% in a year.

Food as medicine: Could a healthy diet improve diabetes?

03-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Diabetes affects around 422 million people worldwide but could diet help to improve the condition and, if yes, how effective is it?

Could a plant-based diet stop sleep apnoea and snoring?

28-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Obstructive sleep apnoea and snoring have been attributed to a multitude of factors, including weight and gender, but could diet also play a significant role?

Danone, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz baby food ‘unfit for promotion’: ATNI

27-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

In fact, none of the 1,297 complementary foods tested from six companies were up to scratch, according to the Access to Nutrition Initiative. The food makers disagree.

Is kimchi a weight-loss superfood?

26-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The popularity of kimchi has been growing in recent years as consumers enjoy it for it’s gut-friendly properties as well as its taste. But is it also an aid to weight loss?

Chocolate made from faba beans? ‘We’ve developed a brand-new ingredient’

25-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

Unlike some other cocoa-free chocolate powders entering the market, this invention relies on just one raw material: the humble broad bean.

Is the UK investing enough in food and drinks manufacturing?

25-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Financial uncertainty has proved to be a major challenge for UK food and drinks manufacturers. But is the government investing in the industry and what more can it do to support them?

Changing freshwater cycle: Are we on a collision course with disaster?

22-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Human activity has significantly altered the freshwater cycle. But is this change reversible, and if not, what does it mean for the future of food and water supplies?

How is the food industry supporting childhood nutrition?

21-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

From infancy through to adolescence, nutrition is essential in ensuring a healthy body and mind for our youngsters. So how can this be achieved and what it the food industry doing to help parents?

Are ultra-processed plant-based burgers healthy? WHO investigates

21-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

The World Health Organization has funded research analysing the nutritional composition of ultra-processed plant-based burgers, and the findings are out.

Gut health business is booming: What's next for this unstoppable health trend?

20-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The gut health trend is one of the single biggest changes to hit the food and drinks industry in recent decades. So what are gut-loving consumers buying and what gut-friendly products will we see next?

‘We made the first female arousal drink’: How G Spot leans into functionality for women

18-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

Award winning actor Gillian Anderson is harnessing the power of botanicals to cater to an underserved market. We ask which ingredients align to which need state.

Plant-based: Why some consumers make the switch and others steer clear

15-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Plant-based diets have grown in popularity in recent years, so what’s encouraging the increased interest in plant-based alternatives and why might others avoid them?

Is hemp the next functional food in vegetarian nutrition?

14-Mar-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

As regulatory restrictions ease, researchers studying Cannabis sativa L. identify its nutritional benefits and potential in vegetarian diets while highlighting the need for clarity on the safety of some concentrated extracts.

Non-HFSS doughnuts: Which nutrient is toughest to cut when reinventing the wheel?

13-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

It’s very difficult to ‘crack’ better-for-you indulgence, according to maker of HFSS compliant doughnuts Urban Legend. Here’s how founder and ex-Graze CEO Anthony Fletcher claims to have done it.

Food swaps to stop biodiversity loss

12-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

We’ve all heard of the rallying World War Two cry, ‘Dig for Victory’, urging citizens to combat food shortages by growing fruits and vegetable in their allotments and gardens. Well, now people are being urged to make food swaps to stop biodiversity loss....

Is a high-protein diet damaging to heart health?

11-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

From building lean muscle to repairing body tissue, protein has been proven to provide a multitude of benefits. But could too much protein be damaging to your heart?

'A relationship turned sour’: How Yoplait plans to reverse a declining yoghurt trend

08-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

The UK kids’ yoghurt category is in long-term decline. Having researched the root causes, dairy major Yoplait now wants to reverse the trend.

UK's eighth wettest winter on record: How will this affect food production?

08-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Extreme weather events are becoming commonplace across the globe as the effects of climate change really start to bite. But what does this mean for food production, and ultimately, the future of food security?

Tackling texture of plant-based proteins with non-UPF discovery

07-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

‘Dry’, ‘chalky’ and even 'gritty' are just some of the less than favourable words used to describe the texture of plant-based proteins. However, scientists at the University of Copenhagen believe they have discovered the secret to significantly...

Potassium depletion in soil a major threat to food security

04-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Potassium deficiency in soil has been revealed as a major threat to livestock and agricultural farming. So what does this mean for global food security and can the current threat be reversed?

Consumers urged to engage with food industry and fight for change

01-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Food systems and supply chains can be confusing for consumers, often leaving them with little understanding of exactly where their food comes from and its environmental impact. Enter the Inclusive Food movement…

Sustainable food on a budget: Action for industry and consumers

29-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The World Wildlife Fund is launching a campaign to not only get Europeans eating sustainably, but affordably too. So, what’s involved and can anyone give it a go?

Rubisco: Overcoming extraction hurdles to market the ‘most abundant protein on earth’

29-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Day 8 has emerged from stealth mode with plans to disrupt plant-based food and drink. Its secret weapon? A protein derived from leaves: Rubisco.

Could a plant-based diet prevent chronic diseases in women?

28-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Plant-based diets are proving hugely popular amongst men and women across the globe, with everything from animal cruelty to environmental impact being cited as the reason. But could the plant-based way of life also prevent against chronic diseases in...

Stop the rot! Scientists find way to keep vegetables fresher for longer

27-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Fighting food waste is one of the most impactful ways we can help to prevent climate change. Now researchers at the University of Bath say they’ve found a way of keeping veggies fresh all the way to our fork.

Hope on the horizon for onion farmers as DEFRA works to prevent crop loss

26-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

DEFRA is putting onions high on the agenda with a new research project aimed at detecting, managing and preventing onion crop loss to fusarium basal rot. So what’s the plan and what does it mean for farmers?

Are red nets an eco-friendly alternative to pesticides?

20-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

A recent study has found that red nets are more effective than black or white nets in preventing onion thrips from damaging crops. So, could red nets be the solution environmentalists have been searching for to help reduce agricultural reliance on the...

NPD Trend Tracker: From mandarin orange juice to AI-generated recipes

19-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week's NPD Trend Tracker, we see how high orange juice prices have led to the development of mandarin orange juice, and the rise of generative AI has led to the creation of an AI cookbook. Furthermore, we see a rebranding from Mallow &...

A fair day’s wage for a fair day’s work? Banana workers could earn living wage

14-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Due to informality, lack of contracts, lack of unionisation and low awareness of workers’ rights, many banana workers do not earn a living wage. A range of UK retailers, including Sainbsury’s, aim to challenge this.

Is fibre essential for brain health?

14-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The importance of dietary fibre for a healthy gut has been hailed for years now. But is it also the secret to a healthy brain?

Fight for agricultural reform intensifies as Commission caves on pesticide bill

09-Feb-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has announced that plans to cut pesticide use across the European Union have been dropped but environmentalists say the battle is far from over.

How will the BTOM impact food imports into Great Britain?

06-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), the first stage of which came into force on 31 January, will have a significant impact on how the EU trades with Great Britain. Over three stages throughout 2024, new checks and declarations will be required for...

An ‘all time low’ for orange juice? Disease and drought squeeze supply

06-Feb-2024 By Flora Southey

Is a global orange juice shortage set to plague the beverage industry?

3 start-ups boosting food quality in Europe

05-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Food quality technology plays a vital role both in ensuring that food is safe to eat, therefore reducing food waste, and providing insights around its health and composition. Three European start-ups tell FoodNavigator how technology can help them understand...

'Vegan' labels don't always mean free from animal products

02-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Despite common public understanding that the word ‘vegan’ means free from animal products, there is no legally binding definition for the term in the UK and EU. This means that products labelled ‘vegan’ can contain trace amounts of eggs or dairy. Furthermore,...

Healthy plant-based diet could reduce risk of developing type two diabetes by 24%

31-Jan-2024 By Donna Eastlake

A recent study has found that a nutritious plant-based diet, incorporating a reduced intake of processed and sugary foods, could decrease the risk of developing type two diabetes by improving metabolism and organ function.

‘Plant-based downturn isn’t halting innovation’: Beneo talks 2024 alt protein strategy

30-Jan-2024 By Flora Southey

The ingredients supplier outlines its two-pronged alternative protein strategy, which it is betting on to reignite demand for plant-based meat.

Food allergy breakthrough: omalizumab displays promising results for kids and teens

30-Jan-2024 By Donna Eastlake

A study on the effects of using omalizumab, in the treatment of food allergies, has shown an improved tolerance to a variety of everyday foods in children and adolescents.

Bee study reveals environmental vulnerability and food production threat

29-Jan-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Research revealing bees’ ability to synthesise specific nutrients, to support the colonisation of their gut bacteria, offers insights into the symbiotic relationship they have with their gut microbiota. But changes to their habitat is placing this delicate...

How MAP packaging can extend mushroom shelf life to two weeks

29-Jan-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Mushrooms have a very short shelf life. But with a range of MAP packaging specially designed to keep out moisture, a packaging company has managed to extend it from a few days to over two weeks.