Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

A new kind of ‘free from’ category: From cocoa-free chocolate to bean-free coffee

15-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

Start-ups are rethinking how conventional products – such as coffee and chocolate – are made in an effort to reduce environmental and human rights violations in global supply chains. Join pioneers in the cocoa-free chocolate and bean-free coffee sector...

Discovery of lupin ‘sweet gene’ could eliminate bitterness, encourage plant protein diversity

11-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

The causal mutation responsible for sweetness in white lupin beans, a traditionally bitter legume, has been identified by researchers. The discovery could help encourage greater diversity in plant protein cultivation and consumption.

From taste to texture and nutrition: How can plant-based meat reboot category growth?

10-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

Faced with a global market slowdown, plant-based meat players are looking is renew demand and encourage repeat purchases of their vegan beef, pork, and seafood alternatives. Pulling levers from taste to texture and nutrition, how can plant-based meat...

From securing cross-sector collaboration to managing red tape: tips for food tech start-ups traversing today’s headwinds

09-Aug-2023 By Oliver Morrison

In a squeezed investment climate, we spoke to Fiona Choppe-Magal, Partner, Foodtech and Agritech, at Israel-based Cukierman Investment House, who reveals some crucial advice for Europe’s agrifood tech entrepreneurs to maximize their chances in dealings...

Nanotechnology: Challenges and opportunities in rolling out new tech at scale

08-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Nanotechnology – when matter is manipulated at the microscopic level – has the potential to be transformative in many fields. One of these fields is agriculture.

Don’t repeat the mistakes of West’s ‘broken’ food system in Africa, businesses warned

03-Aug-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Developing markets in Africa are keen to avoid the mistakes of Western food systems swamped by unhealthy and unsustainable diets, FoodNavigator hears.

Agricultural fertilizer can increase presence of parasitic infections, study finds

01-Aug-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The removal of an aquatic vegetation known as hornwart along the Senegal River, Senegal has reduced the presence of parasitic infections in the area, which are carried by aquatic snails, and helped food production recover. The removal was part of a study,...

Peas picked to frozen in 150 mins: Behind the scenes at Birds Eye’s ‘just in time’ operation

31-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

At peak production, Nomad Foods-owned Birds Eye UK can produce 48 tonnes of frozen peas per hour. FoodNavigator visits its Yorkshire operation to see how ‘sweet and tender’ peas are produced for the masses within just 150 minutes, from field to freezer.

'It's so, so terrible': The rise of food allergies and the cost-of-living crisis

31-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

It is well-known that food allergies are increasing. Amid a cost-of-living crisis, this is a problem.

Specialised peanut variety unveiled for allergy treatment

27-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists in Israel have developed a peanut strain to treat peanut allergies.

As vertical farms topple, can tech sow sustainability into controlled environment agriculture?

27-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Vertical farming, and controlled environment agriculture more generally, holds the promise of environmental sustainability. But rising energy costs and challenging economic conditions are straining the sector. Can technology help overcome obstacles to...

Less food waste helps reduce levels of hunger – but the rebound effect means environmental benefits may be lost

25-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

According to the World Food Programme, one third of food produced for humans is wasted. A new study shows that reducing this could improve global food security. However, due to the ‘rebound effect,’ reducing food waste does not have correspondingly high...

Want more people to buy your vegan or vegetarian products? Then don’t label them as such

25-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Vegetarian and vegan labels on food do more harm than good, research says.

NPD Trend Tracker: From Arabic honey to watermelon kombucha

24-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

This week, we have a range of products aiming for sustainable packaging: from wine and spirits, to coffee, to ketchup. We also have kombucha made from watermelons grown in Italy, honey from the UAE, and bread from Danish bakery Ole and Steen.

Döhler acquisition of SVZ to boost red fruit and vegetable ingredients portfolio

20-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

German ingredients company Döhler has announced plans to acquire SVZ, a Dutch supplier of fruit and vegetable ingredients, from Royal Cosun. The move is expected to buildout Döhler’s portfolio, notably in red fruit and vegetable ingredients.

The success of Plumpy’nut, the barriers to producing ready-to-use therapeutic food, and the fight against hunger

17-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Levels of hunger around the world are rising. Plumpy’nut, a peanut-based paste (or sometimes biscuit) is able to feed children experiencing severe malnutrition, often saving lives. But how cost-effective is producing like this, with food costs rising...

High-intensity sweetener uncovered in truffles ‘potentially game-changing’ for sugar reduction

17-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

MycoTechnology says it is ‘standing on the brink of a sweet revolution’ having discovered a sweet protein derived from honey truffle. “Proteins are widely recognised as the future of sweeteners,” says MycoTechnology CEO Alan Hahn.

Redefine Meat ‘bullish’ in face of consolidation of plant-based brands

14-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Redefine Meat is accelerating its UK distribution to meet demand with eight wholesaler partners. Its UK wholesalers now span national and regional brands including Albion Fine Foods, Braehead Foods, Brakes, Classic Fine Foods, Elite Fine Foods, Food Republic,...

How Oddbox is combatting food waste in the UK

13-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Every year, 4.5 million tonnes of fruit and vegetables are thrown away in the UK. But this isn’t just by consumers – often it’s by growers as well, before they’ve even sold their produce. Sometimes this is because the fruit and veg are too big, sometimes...

From the ‘dusty UHT shelf’ to the dairy aisle: Oatly’s journey to category disruption

13-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

While significant disruption has already been achieved, Oatly says it’s ‘only the start’. We catch up with UK general manager Bryan Carroll to ask how the plant-based major is expanding the alt dairy aisle to entice new consumers.

'We were used to it, but we lost it...' Why Dr. Schär is reviving new varieties of ancient grain millet

11-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Italian gluten-free specialist Dr. Schär is investing in new millet varieties with improved nutritional characteristics and better adapted to changing environment, FoodNavigator hears.

Campaigners angry as EFSA identifies ‘no critical areas of concern’ over controversial herbicide glyphosate

06-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Health campaigners have reacted with disappointment after an EFSA risk assessment of glyphosate did not identify critical areas of concern.

EU novel foods regulation ‘hindering innovation’ in meat alternatives sector

04-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Notoriously costly and time-consuming novel food rules potentially limit advancement in the category, FoodNavigator’s Protein Vision event heard.

How the cooperative model can ‘empower the people behind our favourite foods’

03-Jul-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Why cooperatives are key to unleashing African food sector potential, says ingredients supplier ofi.

NPD Trend Tracker: From chocolate covered bananas to worker's tea

03-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Our latest NPD Trend Tracker looks at a range of new fruit juices, healthy snacks and interesting beverages. From historic tea and ocean conservation-supporting wine to vegan protein powder and paper-packaged straws, scroll through the gallery for more....

Inside the ‘supermarket of the future’ promising to waste less energy and less food

30-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Industrial firm Danfoss has just opened a 'Smart Store' in Denmark which employs up-to-date heating and cooling technology solutions in the hope of showing food retailers ‘the journey to a zero emissions supermarket’.

Exclusive

‘We know that time temperature indicators have huge potential to reduce food waste’: Behind HelloFresh’s push for regulatory changes to enable new food labelling solutions to be unboxed

29-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

As new research from HelloFresh reveals one in five consumers throw away perfectly safe and edible food because they rigidly follow date labelling, HelloFresh is urging the EU and UK to revise rules to allow innovative time-temperature indicators to minimize...

Alternative protein made from…broccoli? Stalks and leaves upcycled into ‘clean’ protein for industry

26-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

A new project is harvesting broccoli stems, stalks, and leaves – which would otherwise be left in the field – and upcycling them into an alternative protein ingredient for food and beverage makers.

Industry tie-up for ‘meaty’ alt protein made from pumpkin seeds: ‘We don’t focus on replicating meat; our products stand on their own’

22-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up More Foods, which makes ‘meaty’ products made from pumpkin seeds, is announcing a strategic collaboration with Osem-Nestlé Group subsidiary Tivol.

More funds for the start-up promising AI ‘superpowers’ for crop growers

21-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Holland’s Source.ag has received more investment to provide the world's fruit and vegetables growers with ‘next level’ AI for greenhouse agriculture.

Upcycled ingredients: Challenges and opportunities in securing side stream supply

20-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

How do upcycling innovators ensure they have abundant supply of side stream raw materials to develop new ingredients for the food and beverage industry?

Digital application launched to give ‘innovative advice’ on steps to improve soil health

20-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The Soil Health Scorecard aims to address the challenges of innovation and sustainability in agriculture.

Eastern promise: why the UK’s Norfolk and Suffolk are vying to unlock their agri-tech potential

19-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The two agriculturally important counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in the east of the UK are aiming to untap their ‘high potential opportunity’ in plant science for nutrition, FoodNavigator learns.

How sensory science can drive innovation and cure current food system ills

14-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

In the highly competitive, complex landscape manufacturers are now in, product acceptance is more than ever about the emotions a product generates, FoodNavigator hears.

Making chocolate without cocoa: Inside the R&D lab

14-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

WNWN Food Labs is rethinking chocolate, without cocoa. FoodNavigator visits the start-up’s R&D lab to see how its dark and ‘milk’ chocolate alternatives are made.

Versatile high-fibre 'superfood' Madhūka arrives in the UK

12-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Found in the forests of South and South East Asia, the Madhūka flower provides a versatile ingredient that can be used as nibs for cereals, snacks and museli, as powder for coffee and milkshakes, and as tea. Now, ōForest, a new brand, is bringing it to...

Artificial intelligence designs soda for Swiss market: ‘We were gripped by AI fever’

09-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

It took just two days for Swiss beverage company Vivi Kola to develop the artificial intelligence-designed beverage using ChatGPT, Midjourney and Unreal Engine.

Princes claims ‘industry-first’ human rights assessment on Argentinian pulses

08-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Napolina-owner Princes Group has completed what it claims is a first-of-its-kind Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) into pulses from Argentina – taking a major step forward in evolving its approach to human rights due diligence and supply chain transparency.

Good news for innovation or backward step into food nationalism? The ‘Made in Italy’ bill unravelled

07-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Following its criticisms of Nutri-Score and cell-based foods, Italy’s government is seeking to put its famous gastronomic heritage at the heart of its economy and national identity.

Alternative protein from leaves? ‘Industry first’ development to reduce reliance on soy and pea

06-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

A new source of alternative plant protein from amaranth leaf is in development for the food industry, with the help of vertical farming technology.

UK project aims to grow ‘tasteless’ pea protein to solve ‘beany’ off flavour problem

31-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

A ‘ground-breaking’ £1 million project has been announced in the UK, which aims to both produce peas that are tasteless but retain nutritional value and have a significant impact on reducing the need for UK imports of soya.

Why on earth do Africans need ‘to get more excited about plant-based diets’?

30-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

As ProVeg International, a group wanting to replace animal consumption with alternative protein by 50% by 2040, opens an office in Nigeria – where most people already follow a plant rich diet, and where greenhouse gas emissions are low compared to developed...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Let them eat plant-based cake

26-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Why is the dairy industry embroiling in a silly battle about the labelling of plant-based alternatives?

Boomer time: Time to target food and beverages at older consumers

25-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

There’s a big opportunity for the food and beverage industry to launch products and ingredients formulated help meet the specific nutritional requirements of older consumers and help them stay healthier for longer, the recent FoodNavigator Positive Nutrition...

Brand unveils first children’s biscuit designed to meet the criteria in allergy free school policies

22-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

With experts in the dark as to why numbers of childhood allergies are increasing, safe food options are critical, says Kirsty Dingwall, founder of Angelic Free From – a UK brand that has launched what it claims is the first dedicated kids' top 14-allergen-free...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Is consumer food waste giving the industry an unfair rap over emissions?

19-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

New research suggests food wastage – much of which comes from people simply not eating what they buy – is a bigger problem than previously thought, which if cut in half would help remove around one-quarter of total greenhouse gas emissions from the global...

WATCH: Working with fungi to ‘break the plant-based ceiling’

17-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Libre Foods is working with both fungi fruiting bodies and mycelia to boost diversity, functionality, and taste in meat-free offerings, CEO Alan Iván Ramos tells FoodNavigator.

‘Food and feed safety risks are not static’ - How the Border Target Operating Model could impact Great Britain-Europe trade

16-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On 11 April, the UK government released the draft of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). The BTOM will, if accepted, have a significant influence on the import of food from Europe into Great Britain (Northern Ireland is not affected). An online...

NPD Trend Tracker: From vegan pepperoni pizza to wellness coffee

15-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

From hot-chocolate beads to oven-ready Italian food, from sugar-free plant-based milk to premium tiramisu, our latest NPD covers some of the most interesting products of the past week.

DSM and Firmenich complete merger to become ‘trailblazer’ in nutrients, flavours, and fragrances

09-May-2023 By Flora Southey

One year after DSM and Firmenich announced plans to combine their food, beverage, and taste businesses, the merger is complete. The new company, dsm-firmenich, launches today.