Health and nutritional ingredients

EU health claims are failing consumers and manufacturers: ‘The regulation is not working’

11-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Legislation governing health claims related to food and beverages in the European Union was introduced to provide consumers with access to reliable information and help manufacturers understand how and what they can communicate. According to a new research...

Supplier spots opportunity for healthier ready meals

10-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Cham Foods believes the ready meal sector is ripe for innovation.

‘It’s easy to say it but it’s very difficult to actually do it’: Griffith Foods on its health and sustainability goals

06-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Griffith Foods’ quest for 'purpose-driven' growth illustrates the health, nutrition and sustainability drive among ingredient suppliers as they pivot towards the demands of manufacturers and end consumers.

ADM expands probiotic production to help consumers snack their way to health

04-Nov-2020 By Gill Hyslop

The ingredients specialist has announced plans to construct a new facility in Valencia, Spain, to expand its capabilities to meet the growing demand for probiotics.

Kaffe Bueno to scale upcycled coffee grounds business with seed boost

29-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

The Danish biotech making upcycled flour from spent coffee grounds is preparing to scale up production having secured €1.1m in seed funding, co-founder and CCO Alejandro Franco tells FoodNavigator.

‘High protein beverages are ripe for NPD’: Ulrick & Short says consumers are demanding added value nutritionals

28-Oct-2020 By Katy Askew

The beverage sector is ‘ripe for NPD and health innovations’ and high protein ingredients can help deliver, according to supplier Ulrick & Short.

UK government promises new blueprint for better hospital food following review

26-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Hospital food in the UK’s National Health Service could be ripe for innovation after an independent review called for tastier, healthier and better-quality meals to be served to millions of NHS patients and staff.

Ajinomoto talks ‘nutrition without compromise’ and 'first mover advantage' in healthy ageing

21-Oct-2020 By Katy Askew

Ajinomoto has launched a nutrition strategy that the company believes will enable it to leverage its unique expertise in amino acids to deliver solutions that meet its two global strategic priorities: salt reduction and optimal protein intake for the...

Meet the 7 brands promising to disrupt the healthy snacking space

21-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A business accelerator fund has handpicked a group of start-ups it believes can help tackle the UK’s childhood obesity problem.

Danone could axe 30% of SKUs in post-COVID recovery plan, say analysts

20-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The French food and beverage giant will prune its portfolio after recording a drop in sales in its third quarter.

AI tech offers food brands a finger on the pulse of trends

16-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

An Israeli start-up has launched its AI-powered food intelligence platform in the UK. The company – called Tastewise – says it can offer real-time industry insights on how consumers order, cook, and eat, to help brands with product innovation.

How innovation can boost the ‘overlooked’ and ‘undervalued’ health benefits of cereals

15-Oct-2020 By Katy Askew

Cereal crops like maize and wheat deserve greater consideration as part of a healthy, nutritious diet, according to a new paper. FoodNavigator caught up with the authors to learn why.

Allmicroalgae continues to expand microalgae production as demand rises

14-Oct-2020 By Will Chu

Portugal’s Allmicroalgae is to ramp up production of its algae-based ingredients with the installation of a second fermenter, which the firm says will double output and meet increasing demand.

Chicken eggshell membrane upcycled for bakery: ‘Eggbrane alleviates joint stiffness and pain’

09-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

An egg membrane powder for the food and supplement industries has been developed in the Netherlands. Marketed as ‘Eggbrane’, the insoluble powder is designed to help alleviate joint stiffness and pain.

Kerry spots opportunities for gut health and food protection solutions as it targets net zero emissions by 2050

09-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ingredients supplier Kerry Group has unveiled an ambitious sustainability strategy including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve net zero before 2050. It is also exploring those sectors such as immunity and food...

Chr. Hansen CEO on M&A, ‘extraordinary’ dividends, and its ‘cautious’ financial outlook

08-Oct-2020 By Flora Southey

After a ‘defining’ financial year, in which Chr. Hansen acquired three businesses and divested one, CEO Mauricio Graber outlines the drivers behind its ‘cautious’ 2020/21 outlook.

'Everybody should drink ketones — not just elite cyclists'

08-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Ketone drinks have been embraced by professional athletes looking to boost their performance. But these ‘magic potions’ have the potential for mass appeal, believes the scientist who helped develop them, although taste and price remain huge barriers in...

Equinom expands R&D centre to tackle plant-based sector’s price and sensory challenges

06-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Israeli seed specialist hopes the new facility will help food manufacturers meet the tests of plant-based food production.

What does the list of top most valuable UK brands tell us about food trends?

02-Oct-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Despite the nightmare that has been 2020, it has been a good year for food companies, according to the 2020 top 75 Most Valuable UK Brands report from ad giant WPP and insight firm Kantar.

Food waste upcycling ‘ripe for innovation’: report

30-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Food waste upcycling is an area ripe for innovation, says Oakland Innovation. Its report aims to show how food and beverage manufacturers can make upcycling a viable and effective solution to address the food waste challenge.

Cracking the clean label conundrum: Beneo discusses tapping consumer desire for fewer ingredients and improved nutritional profiles

28-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

There has been a global shift among consumers towards clean and clearer labels that promote natural claims, and a willingness to pay a premium for products that do so, notes functional ingredient manufacturer Beneo.

Food giants launch new deforestation pledge after missing 2020 objectives: ‘Our approach was not agile enough’

24-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

The Consumer Goods Forum has launched a fresh initiative to tackle deforestation in the food chain. FoodNavigator takes a look at this new effort – and asks why the CGF’s previous zero-deforestation commitment missed the mark.

Functional beverages see ‘lifestyle consumer’ boost: Kerry

21-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

The functional beverage sector is expected to gain traction as more ‘lifestyle consumers’ are attracted to the category, according to Kerry Taste and Nutrition.

Huel aims to scoop ‘time-poor, health conscious consumers’ with new hot meals

18-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Meal replacement brand Huel is expanding its powdered food range and launching its first hot meals in the UK.

ChicP founder urges shift to healthy snacking: ‘Large food companies should be fined for producing products that are literally killing us’

17-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

UK challenger brand ChicP was founded with a twofold ambition: to create healthy food and to address food waste. The company’s founder talks to FoodNavigator about her vision for a zero-waste food system that puts health at its heart and launches a blistering...

Balancing health with price: six ways food and beverage innovation is evolving in the COVID-19 era

14-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

ADM has identified six emerging behavioral changes that will power innovation and growth in the months ahead.

The key to healthy and sustainable diets… more processed foods?

09-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Opportunities abound for the food industry to address public health and environmental issues through clever food processing, say nutrition scientists.

Warnings over ‘unintended adverse consequences’ of ditching animal protein

08-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

The argument that plant-based foods are healthier and more sustainable than animal-based products has become increasingly common. However, experts warn that the ‘unintended adverse consequences’ of any push to eliminate meat, dairy, eggs and fish from...

PLT wins novel foods approval for mushroom-based Vitamin D

04-Sep-2020 By Nikki Hancocks

Earthlight Whole Food's Vitamin D, distributed by PLT Health Solutions in the US, has received novel foods approval in the EU, allowing it to be used in 'clean label' food and beverages in Europe.

Beyond the buzz: How to succeed in the ‘high-risk market’ for nootropics

03-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

Demand for food and beverage products that boost mood, memory, focus and energy is said to be soaring. However, food consultant Julian Mellentin warns that food innovators should tread lightly: “It's a high-risk market and many entrepreneurs are...

Healthy eating takes lockdown hit: IGD

02-Sep-2020 By Katy Askew

People feel that their diets have got worse during the coronavirus lockdown. And, while more people say health is an important purchase motivator, fewer consumers are going to make healthy changes to their diets, according to IGD data.

Future ready: Loryma’s sustainable wheat ingredients poised for post-corona consumer demands

02-Sep-2020 By Gill Hyslop

According to the specialist in native and modified wheat starches, wheat proteins and wheat-based functional blends, consumers will increasingly demand sustainable, safe and uncomplicated products in the post-corona era.

Taste & Wellbeing: Givaudan signals nutritional focus with Flavour name change

28-Aug-2020 By Flora Southey

Givaudan no longer feels the name of its Flavour Division fully reflects the portfolio, which has expanded into products designed for the health market space.

Attention, algae! Food agency warns against carcinogenic contamination in edible seaweed

27-Aug-2020 By Flora Southey

French food agency ANSES has published recommendations for edible algae, raising concerns about cadmium levels in seaweed eaten as vegetables or used in processed foods and supplements.

Germany mulls introduction of mandatory climate and NutriScore labels

26-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

An influential advisory group in Germany has urged the government to introduce mandatory climate labels on foodstuffs to display the greenhouse gas emissions of products, as well as for a mandatory roll out of the as yet voluntary NutriScore labelling...

Milking it? Free school milk under fire from plant-based backers

20-Aug-2020 By Katy Askew

A group of UK doctors has hit out at the provision of milk in schools arguing dairy is ‘not an essential part of school nutrition’. But do their claims about health and sustainability stack up – or would children lose out?

Organic ancient grain range from Kröner-Stärke adds wholesomeness and nutritional benefits to baked goods

19-Aug-2020 By Gill Hyslop

Kröner-Stärke has launched a range of spelt gluten, starches, flours and pregelatinized starches to allow producers to capitalise on the growing popularity of ancient grains as consumers embrace clean label.

Grain fermentation can produce a cost-effective, vegan alternative to B12 fortification

10-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Grains fermented with Propionibacterium freudenreichii – the bacteria usually used as a ripening culture in Swiss-type cheese -- have enough vitamin B12 to be nutritionally significant and could potentially be cheaper than fortification, according to...

Ice cream start-up Gemelli on surviving COVID-19: ‘Gemelli was born from resilience’

06-Aug-2020 By Katy Askew

The coronavirus crisis has hurt many food and beverage SMEs, reliant on out-of-home channels, particularly hard. We spoke to the founders of French ice cream start-up Gemelli to hear how this company has responded.

Using blockchain to boost traceability in the CBD market

05-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Cannabinoid Association of the Netherlands (CAN), a consortium of Dutch CBD producers, is harnessing blockchain technology with the hope of improving transparency, accountability and traceability in the CBD market.

Oat drink maker eyes B2B opportunity: ‘Brexit may result in more demand for our British made products’

05-Aug-2020 By Katy Askew

Glebe Farm, the maker of oat drink brand PureOaty, is developing its business-to-business model. Managing director Rebecca Rayner tells FoodNavigator the company expects to see a jump in demand, supported by category growth and Brexit disruption.

Food texture’s influence on ‘feeling fuller for longer’

04-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A new study says the next generation of ‘health conscious’ products should focus on food texture to enhance the feeling of being full.

Adjusting to the new normal: FoodBytes! by Rabobank’s four pandemic-proof innovations

03-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

As the food industry adjusts to the ebb and flow of COVID-19, FoodBytes! by Rabobank shares the trends that are here to stay.

Danone CEO sees COVID-19 polarizing the food sector: ‘There won't be a middle class anymore’

03-Aug-2020 By Katy Askew

Danone believes that the cornonavirus pandemic will result in a polarization of the food sector, as consumers trade up to healthier products in some areas and trade-down to cut household expenditure in others. “There will be a polarization of the market....

Nestlé's vegetarian and plant-based products grow 40%

30-Jul-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The Swiss food giant revealed a big rise in the meatless trend in its half-year results as more consumers experiment with new food options in home.

Unilever and Algenuity discuss the potential of microalgae: ‘Algenuity’s technology unlocks a wealth of food applications’

30-Jul-2020 By Katy Askew

Unilever has entered into a tie-up with biotech start-up Algenuity. FoodNavigator hears from both companies about the ‘huge potential’ to develop ‘future foods’ using Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as a nutritious and sustainable protein source.

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