Health and nutritional ingredients

‘Powered by plants and biotech’: The next generation of raw tuna from Kuleana

14-Apr-2020 By Katy Askew

Plant-based seafood specialist Kuleana is targeting seafood and sushi lovers with what it describes as the ‘next generation of raw tuna powered by plants and biotechnology’. FoodNavigator speaks to co-founder and CEO Jacek Prus about developing plant-based...

Alcohol-free: Could CBD help ‘bridge the gap’ for sceptics?

03-Apr-2020 By Flora Southey

For many, alcohol-free beer or spirits doesn’t ‘feel’ quite right, according to YesMore account director Lolly Watkins. Does CBD have the potential to remedy this issue for consumers?

Coronavirus: Tech firm unveils Immunity Support TAG for retailers to tap into consumer health trend

02-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A food technology firm in the UK has launched an Immunity Support TAG to help food retailers capitalise on increased demand for immune-boosting products.

PHE salt targets: What needs to still be done

02-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With the UK government engaging with industry on new salt reduction targets for 2023, lobby group Action on Salt says it wants more ambitious targets.

Obesity body demands ‘nutritionally adequate food be made available for all’ amid coronavirus

01-Apr-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The World Obesity Federation (WOF) has called for government action to ensure that nutritionally adequate food is made available for all, after growing evidence that being overweight and obese are likely to be risk factors for worse outcomes in those...

High-salt intake bad for the immune system: study

27-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Will consumers now be demanding less salt from industry to protect themselves from coronavirus?

Farmed sea cucumbers: The new ‘superfood’ functional ingredient?

26-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Researchers in Norway are investigating commercial farming practices for sea cucumbers, which they say should be exploited as a raw ingredient for health products.

Coronavirus: How are Gousto, Mindful Chef, and Pasta Evangelists coping with recipe box boom?

26-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Unprecedented demand for home-delivered recipe boxes is putting strain on Gousto, Mindful Chef, and Pasta Evangelists in the UK as they work to meet demand.

‘Keto-flu’: Flu-like symptoms reported within several days of starting ketogenic diet

24-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

A fresh study has revealed the flu-like symptoms experienced by newcomers to the ketogenic diet, which researchers say dwindle after four weeks.

Space-grown lettuce success: ‘Our growth techniques have many similarities to terrestrial vertical farming’

18-Mar-2020 By Flora Southey

Lettuce grown on board the International Space Station has been deemed ‘safe to eat’ and at least as nutritious as Earth-grown plants. “If we ever want to be self-sustainable in space colonisation, plants will be integral,” NASA’s Gioia Massa tells FoodNavigator.

The salty truth about out-of-home meals risks plant-based consumer backlash

10-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Action on Salt bemoans a ‘shocking truth’ about the salt content and ‘dismal lack of nutritional information available’ in 290 plant-based and vegan meals collected from a total of 45 restaurant, takeaway, fast food and coffee chains.

Could ‘hybrid’ products meet booming flexitarian demand?

05-Mar-2020 By Katy Askew

Flexitarian consumers are a key segment driving the plant-based boom. But while this group might be motivated to reduce their meat consumption by health and environmental concerns, taste remains king. Could the development of ‘hybrid’ products, containing...

Food retailers failing to tackle obesity risk disinvestment, report warns

04-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

UK supermarkets that fail to take action to improve the nation’s diet are in danger of losing investor confidence, a report claims. But what responsibility, if any, do supermarkets have in bettering the health of their customers?

Why Brexit Britain may boost regenerative agriculture

28-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Any drop in food standards post-Brexit could increase demand for fresh produce from transparent supply chains, says Rich Osborn, founder of Fresh Range.

Foodie fashion for hungry hipsters: 9 food trends to watch

28-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

From seaweed snacks to ‘clean’ keto, Future Cubed food futurist Tony Hunter forecasts what consumer trends will shape food and beverage innovation.

Meat-free products continue to grow in popularity in UK, according to Twitter deep dive

26-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Meat-free products continue to grow in popularity, according to a Twitter analysis report of six of the UK’s biggest grocery retailers: Asda, Co-op, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose compiled during the Christmas 2019 trading period.

Walnuts offer women a healthy ageing boost: study

26-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

Women in their 50s and 60s who consume at least two servings of walnuts a week have a ‘greater likelihood’ of healthy ageing compared to non-consumers, according to new research.

Accelerated pace of innovation a ‘strain’ for plant-based sector: ADM outlines seven trends to watch

26-Feb-2020 By Katy Askew

The ‘accelerated’ pace of innovation in the plant-based space is putting a ‘strain’ on food makers. As food makers look for ways to keep up, ingredients supplier ADM shares seven ‘trends to watch’ in 2020.

Prepare for the split in plant-based demand

26-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The plant-based protein market is set to diverge as it caters to two sets of consumers: those demanding products that mimic meat, and those that want vegetables to be the ‘heroes’ of their plates, panellists told FoodNavigator during a recent webinar...

Microalgae for food: Denmark backs ‘ultra-sustainable’ protein source for new ingredient

24-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

A public-private collaboration aimed at developing a high-protein, plant-based ingredient for food manufacturers has received backing from the Danish government.

‘Meat is part of a sustainable world’: Professor Louise Fresco

24-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Professor Louise Fresco used the prestigious City Food Lecture in London to argue in favour of the shift towards flexitarian and reductionist diets. But she warned against doing away with meat consumption altogether.

Start-up takes on vegan meat market with lesser-known alternative: ‘Our mission it to get seitan into the mainstream’

20-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

UK start-up LoveSeitan wants to increase consumer awareness around this lesser-known meat substitute, “so it’s as well-known as jackfruit and tofu”, says co-founder Steve Swindon.

‘Taste and texture are key’: DuPont on the need to improve meat alternatives

19-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The ingredient giant discusses why it believes overall quality is set to become increasingly important in the plant-based protein market.

Futureproof recipes, Instagram-unfriendly restaurants and sober bars: new consumer trends identified

18-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Food brands need to keep tapping into sustainability concerns among consumers, suggests market research, while the 'look at me era' may be over.

Danone on its blockchain ‘first’: ‘Every individual baby formula pack can be traced back’

17-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

For the first time, dairy giant Danone is applying blockchain, serialisation, and aggregation to its infant formula packs, senior VP of operations David Boulanger tells FoodNavigator.

Was the failure of Nestlé’s Milkybar Wowsomes down to poor demand or poor marketing?

13-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Nestlé has pulled its reduced sugar Milkybar Wowsomes product after poor demand. But others believe big brands are scared to push their lower sugar products for fear of failure.

A new competitor to the Quorn category? Start-up brings mycoprotein product ‘one step closer to market’

13-Feb-2020 By Flora Southey

Swedish start-up Mycorena has developed a fungi-based ingredient for vegan products. Targeting the B2B – rather than the B2C – market, the mycoprotein producer is hoping to make a splash in a category largely dominated by alternative protein brand Quorn...

Brain wave: How DuPont is pushing the boundaries of sensory testing for better consumer feedback

12-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

How are we going to make food taste better if we cannot rely on what people say they like? DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences is grappling with this challenge by embracing brain testing techniques, in conjunction with traditional sensory testing panels,...

Black garlic looks to find sweet spot in functional food trend

10-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Spanish ingredients supplier Pharmactive Biotech Products has launched an aged black garlic extract designed for functional food applications.

Full of beans: Hodmedod's discusses the growing appetite for grains and pulses

06-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Producers of ancient or re-discovered crops are buoyant as consumers - rightly or wrongly - shun meat and dairy products for health and sustainability reasons.

Food tech entrepreneurs eye growth in functional ingredients trend

03-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The trend of food products ‘going beyond feeding’ is set to accelerate, according to a report.

Food label fight: Italy’s NutrInform ‘confusing and counter-intuitive’, claim consumers groups

31-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Italian consumer organisation Altroconsumo is unimpressed by the ‘battery’ nutrition labelling system NutrInform which has been officially proposed to the European Commission by the Italian Ministry of Economic Development as the country’s preferred nutrition...

‘The food industry is just realising it needs to reinvent itself’: ShakeUp Factory challenges companies to face up to disruption

30-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

We caught up with the Paris-based food tech start-up hub to discuss why it believes food corporations need to reinvent their innovation processes.

Vegetable oil sector says Nutri-Score revamp could promote healthy fats to ‘B’ or ‘C’

29-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

EU trade association FEDIOL is proposing ‘concrete’ suggestions to align Nutri-Score with nutrition and health claims, Director-General Nathalie Lecocq tells FoodNavigator.

‘Vegan ranges need to adopt clear label to have wider impact following Veganuary’

29-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Integrated Food Projects, which provides project solutions for the food and drink industry, discusses what’s next for the much-discussed plant-based trend.

‘We are trying to push the boundaries of what is possible’: The Meatless Farm R&D chief talks innovation in the plant-based category

27-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

The Meatless Farm was founded with the aim of improving people’s heath though ‘better eating’ while supporting the environment and reducing our reliance on intensive agriculture. Innovation has been central to this ambition and its range now includes...

How has global food supply changed in 50 years?

23-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Researchers have noted ‘clear shifts’ in global food supply since the 1960s, including a decline in the supply of animal sourced foods and sugar in high-income English-speaking countries.

Foods for Tomorrow wins government backing with gastronomic approach to plant-based: ‘Food is much more than a religion’

23-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Foods for Tomorrow, the Spanish creator of the plant based Heura meat analogue line, discusses its global growth ambitions and gastronomic style of product innovation.

Sugar reduction through smell: ‘Aromas can be used to produce long-lasting sweetness-enhancing effects’

21-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

One of the easiest ways to reduce sugar is to replace it with sweeteners – but research from Netherlands-based research group NIZO suggests aromas can be leveraged as an alternative path to sugar reduction.

What are the emerging trends in novel foods?

20-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

What novel food applications are manufacturers pushing for authorisation? According to Chair of the UK’s Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes, Professor Peter Gregory, emerging trends include sustainability, meat analogues, and ‘healthy’ foods.

Duckweed grower hails ‘potentially game changing’ B12 discovery

17-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A company in the US claims to have unearthed a natural plant-based source of vitamin B12 in its water lentil, or duckweed, crop.

CBD: Trending ingredient or ingredient trend?

17-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

CBD has caught the public's imagination as an ingredient offering a host of health benefits. But for all the hype, CBD also courts controversy. To move from a trending ingredient to an ingredient trend, the sector will need to overcome the complex...

Mondelēz patents soluble corn fiber for reduced sugar chocolate

15-Jan-2020 By Niamh Michail

Soluble corn fiber can reduce the sugar content in chocolate by up to 50% while retaining similar levels of sweetness and leaving no aftertaste, according to a recently published patent by Mondelēz International.

‘Palatinose is perfect for video gamers’: Beneo discusses the potential mega-trends of 2020

15-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

German-based ingredients provider Beneo says there's a growing desire for its low-glycaemic sweetener Palatinose among the video gaming community, who are keen to use the product’s slow energy release to stay focused.

‘With Pändy we can show the way’: Bayn CEO says Swedish confectionery acquisition will accelerate sugar reduction trend

14-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Swedish ingredients manufacturer Bayn Europe plans to leverage its strength in sugar reduction solutions to support synergistic growth following its acquisition of FMCG brand Pändy Foods. FoodNavigator speaks to Bayn CEO Patrik Edström about the company’s...

‘Cultured meat is fool’s gold’: Environmentalists lock horns over controversial documentary

10-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Environmental campaigners clashed over the future of food in the wake of a controversial documentary 'Apocalypse Cow: How Meat Killed The Planet', aired on Channel 4 on Wednesday night (8 January) in the UK.

Surface texture and health perception: Smoother textures viewed as less healthy but tastier

10-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Fresh research probes the relationship between the surface texture of food – which will influence its visual appearance – and expectations of how healthy that product is.

‘The oat boom is just beginning’: Raisio eyes growing international demand in oats and plant-based

09-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Finnish food group Raisio wants to grow international sales of oat products following investment in increased capacity. ‘The oat boom is just beginning,’ says president and CEO Pekka Kuusniemi.

Meat alternatives warning: ‘More evidence is needed on health and sustainability claims’

08-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Many alternative meat products are highly processed, have high salt levels and contain the same amount of calories and saturated fat as beef burgers, according the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.

From fish waste to value-added ingredients: European project looks to develop circular model for seafood sector

08-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

An EU-funded project is working to optimise the utilisation of seafood side-streams through the design of ‘new holistic process lines’ that tackle inefficiency in the seafood supply chain.