Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

Making protein isolates from seaweed, not soy: ‘There is no reason to grow industrial ingredients on land’

19-Oct-2021 By Flora Southey

In an effort to reduce reliance on terrestrial crops for ingredients manufacture, Israeli-based Genesea is looking offshore to marine macroalgae, co-founder Alexander Golberg tells FoodNavigator.

Boosting coffee transparency with ‘100% direct trade’: Online platform works to improve farmer profits and roaster value

18-Oct-2021 By Flora Southey

Online platform Typica is allowing coffee producers and coffee roasters to directly trade coffee from a single 60kg jute bag, rather than the standard 18 tonne shipping container. The aim is to ‘ensure transparency’, we were told, and ‘help resolve the...

Food fraud: Scientists develop ‘low-cost’ country of origin detection method

12-Oct-2021 By Katy Askew

A model that can be used to determine the origin of food in ‘an efficient and low-cost manner’ has been developed by botanists at the University of Basel.

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.

'Potatoes with purpose': First carbon neutral spud produced for UK market

06-Oct-2021 By Flora Southey

Grown using sustainable farming practices and packaged in plastic-free bags, the carbon neutral spuds will be the first of many products to tackle the food industry’s ‘huge impact’ on climate change, hopes Puffin Produce CEO Huw Thomas.

Mars Wrigley and SwissDeCode team up to tackle Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease

30-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Swiss agrifood testing company SwissDeCode is working with confectionery giant Mars Wrigley to find an early detection solution that can identify Cocoa Swollen Shoot Disease (CSSD), a virus that can devastate cocoa crops.

How Nestlé is supporting regenerative agriculture: ‘We need to source in the right way’

28-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Seventy percent of Nestlé’s emissions lie in the raw materials it sources. Agriculture is therefore central to the Swiss food giant’s target to hit net zero by 2050. Pascal Chapot, Nestlé Head of Sustainable Agriculture, discusses the challenges and opportunities...

Edible insects ‘more sustainable as food rather than animal feed’

27-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Insects fed from industrial side-stream waste and then directly consumed as food have the ‘greatest potential to reduce the carbon footprints of European consumers’, claims a new study.

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.

Nutri-Score does not blight image of olive oil, finds survey

22-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Despite criticism from producers that Nutri-Score’s ‘C’ ranking of olive oil penalises the product, fresh research out of Spain suggests the nutrition labelling scheme does not negatively impact consumer perception, nor intention to purchase.

Cell-cultured coffee developed in Europe: ‘We have proved lab-grown coffee can be a reality’

20-Sep-2021 By Flora Southey

Europe’s first cup of joe developed from cellular agriculture has been brewed in Finland, with both taste and smell hitting the mark.

‘Fibre is the new protein’: Food brands lead push to boost fibre intakes

17-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

With only 9% of adults getting the recommended amount of dietary fibre a day, the UK’s Food and Drink Federation has launched a new initiative to boost the nation’s fibre consumption. But what’s the best way to make this health-boosting substance an appetizing...

ENOUGH breaks ground on ‘world’s largest’ fermented protein factory

16-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Food tech company ENOUGH broke ground on what it says will be the ‘world’s largest’ fermented protein facility today (16 September). When fully operational the site will have the capacity to produce 50,000 tonnes of mycoprotein ingredient ABUNDA per annum.

Meatless Farm, Equinom tie-up on high-protein yellow pea: ‘Food companies have merely scratched the surface when it comes to yellow peas’

09-Sep-2021 By Katy Askew

Israeli seed developer Equinom and plant-based business Meatless Farm have announced a tie up to leverage Equinom’s high-protein yellow pea varieties.

Guest article

NPA: Setting safety limit on CBD key part of regulatory process

08-Sep-2021 By Daniel Fabricant, PhD, Natural Products Association

NPA president and CEO Daniel Fabricant, PhD, argues that FDA does not need new authorities to regulate the CBD market and that determining a safe daily intake level for the substance should be an integral part of that process.

‘Alternative proteins are moving in all directions… it’s becoming like a jungle out there’: Givaudan discusses its new Protein Hub launch

07-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The Swiss company’s new Protein Hub aims to provide experts and technology to accelerate alternative protein development, Thomas Ullram, Innovation Director Savoury Europe at Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing Division, tells FoodNavigator.

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.

‘News of this trial will likely be welcomed by the food industry’: Europe’s first CRISPR-edited wheat set to be grown

03-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

UK scientists will run a series of field trials of wheat that has been genome edited in an effort to make break with lower levels of asparagine.

Plant-based market ‘could be nearing saturation point’

02-Sep-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Despite its growing popularity, the plant-based sector is not guaranteed to stay on a growth trajectory, according to a report.

'The health benefits are becoming clearer... the future looks very exciting: What's the CBD sector's next play?

27-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Many factors have held back CBD as ingredient in mainstream food and drink products. What will the market look like when these challenges recede?

'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.

Buzzing on sustainability: Half of all coffee launches carry ethical or environmental claim

25-Aug-2021 By Flora Southey

In 2020, 48% of coffee launches made at least one sustainable claim, according to Mintel Global New Products Database.

Berries, apples, pears and wine all good for the gut and heart, research reveals

24-Aug-2021 By Flora Southey

A new study suggests consuming higher levels of flavonoid-rich foods can lower blood pressure levels – which can in part be explained by greater variances in the gut microbiome.

How local sourcing buffers Weetabix against supply shocks: ‘It protects us from fluctuations in the wider wheat supply chain’

23-Aug-2021 By Katy Askew

Poor harvests globally are pushing up wheat prices and raising concerns over supply constraints. But, despite ‘temperamental’ weather this summer, the UK’s biggest cereal brand says its local sourcing strategy has paid off.

Brand plans to be UK’s first net zero carbon ready meal

20-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The Wild Hare Group is using its environmental backstory to break into the cut throat world of ready meals.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: Are fermented foods the new cornerstone of a gut-friendly diet?

18-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Knowledge about the relationship between the gut, the gut microbiome, and overall health is moving at a rapid clip. Healthy gut equals healthy body, right? So what’s the best diet for gut health? What kind of products, ingredients and formats might meet...

What can food companies learn about sustainability from Indigenous Peoples’ food systems?

13-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Quite a lot, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Food tech ‘driving down price of alt-meat’ as another report predicts a market poised for growth

11-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Plant-based nutrition company Equinom claims its novel approach to improving seeds and deliver high-quality source ingredients is the key to driving down prices in the sector.

We’ve reached ‘peak COVID-related demand’, says frozen giant Nomad

06-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The company’s sales dipped in the second quarter, but it expects ‘exciting growth opportunities’ ahead thanks to an ambitious M&A strategy, while the frozen aisle still represents ‘white space growth opportunity’.

UK government survey points to acceptance of GE foods among consumers

03-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A survey of over 2,000 consumers in the UK has revealed that while they tend to have a very low awareness and knowledge of GE food, the more informed they are, the more accepting of GE food they become.

Heinz looks beyond beans to drive health and sustainability innovation

02-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Kraft Heinz has called on emerging talent in the food industry to help it “unlock the power of Beanz”.

Best-in-glass: How Glebe Farm oat drink achieves a lower carbon footprint than Oatly

29-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

From cradle to distribution, Glebe Farm’s oat drink produces less CO₂e per litre than any other oat drink reporting its carbon footprint in the UK, including Oatly. FoodNavigator speaks to Glebe Farm to find out how.

Why packaging made from crop waste allows companies to move towards ‘genuinely sustainable’ innovation

28-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A company is making paper packaging products for the food industry using crop waste materials such as apple skins, avocado peel and mango pips.

Healthy plant-rich diets associated with lower COVID-19 risk

27-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

How does diet impact risk and severity of COVID-19?

First-to-market nut milk concentrate promises superior plant-based taste and texture

26-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Could nut paste help remedy plant milk’s taste, texture and sustainability challenges?

Underutilised crops and emerging technologies set to shape next generation of plant-based products

21-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The current crop of start-ups under the wing of EIT Food -- Europe's largest food innovation initiative -- illustrate the challenges the plant-based sector is looking to overcome.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

From plant-based meat to plant-based….plants: What’s next after meat mimicry?

21-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

Will we forever be transforming plants into meat substitutes, or could we one day celebrate plants for being, well, plants?

‘No safe level of exposure’: EC orders mass recall of products contaminated with ethylene oxide

19-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

The European Commission’s Food and Feed Crisis Coordinators have agreed a mass recall of products containing E410 locust bean gum contaminated with ethylene oxide.

Fermented-food diet increases microbiome diversity and lowers inflammation, study finds

14-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

In what they describe as a ‘radical’ finding, researchers have claimed that fermented foods play a larger role than previously thought in eliminating unhealthy bacteria in the gut that lead to cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart conditions and chronic pain....

The big opportunities in preventative nutrition: ‘There’s a real buzz surrounding functional ingredients’

14-Jul-2021 By Katy Askew

Food and drink brands will play a lead role in growing the preventative nutrition sector. However, new research from Sagentia Innovation stresses technical and regulatory complexities need to be taken into account.

‘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.

‘Worrying’ pesticide levels found in Spanish foods

12-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Ecologists in Spain are demanding a 50% reduction of the use of pesticides - especially those more toxic and unauthorized - after data revealed a ‘worrisome’ level of exposure of pesticide residues found in food in the country.

Waitrose looks beyond deforestation-free to ‘forest positive’ palm oil supply

09-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

UK supermarket Waitrose & Partners is working to stamp out deforestation from its supply chains and is ‘early’ on its journey to becoming forest positive, according to John Lewis Partnership’s Ethics & Sustainability Manager Samuel Lee-Gammage.

Plant-based ready meals the ‘fastest growing’ in category, survey finds

30-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Plant-based ready meals are becoming more available and cheaper than meat SKUs in the UK, according to a survey.

Biotech company claims genetic selection can improve resistance to deadly virus in Cassava

29-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The company, called Synomics, says it has identified a way of selectively breeding the Cassava plant to make it more disease resistant, thus solving the twin problems of food security in developing counties and food waste.

'Sustainable agriculture is fully local': Vertical farming start-up eyes ready-to-eat salad market

25-Jun-2021 By Flora Southey

From the United Arab Emirates to Greenland, Spanish start-up Atlantic Farms says its vertical farming and high-tech greenhouse technology allows for leafy greens to be grown in any climate.

Protein from waste: a sustainable solution with consumer appeal?

24-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Quorn is hoping to make protein from crop leftovers within five years as a solution to the twin problems of climate change and food waste.

The Cashew Trail: Olam Food Ingredients targets poverty in cashew supply

23-Jun-2021 By Katy Askew

Olam Food Ingredients aims to improve the sustainability of its cashew supply chain. A key lever for the supplier is farmer incomes. “We want to do more for the livelihoods of farmers,” MD and CEO of edible nuts, Ashok Krishen explained.

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....