Meat, fish and savoury ingredients

Unilever looks to fat alternatives in quest to hit €1bn plant-based sales target

16-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The FMCG giant recently tasked start-ups to find solutions that promise to improve the taste, texture, sustainability and affordability of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. The winner? A French company with a patented plant-based fat that closely...

‘World’s first’ plant-based steak marbled with sunflower oil: ‘It’s not just for aesthetics. It behaves as marbling does in animal meat’

15-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

Slovenian start-up Juicy Marbles claims its plant-based filet mignon marbled with sunflower oil is an industry first.

Should Gov’t promote plant-based diets to tackle the climate crisis? 1 in 3 Brits think so….

10-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

A new survey commissioned by The Vegan Society suggests a significant number of Brits would support plans and policies that promote plant-based eating to help combat climate change.

Italy’s ambition to ‘lead the ecological transition’ sparks meat sector criticism

09-Mar-2021 By Katy Askew

“Italy can be a leader in the ecological transition,” Italy’s new environment minister said this week. But comments on the need to reduce meat consumption have proven controversial – and sparked a backlash from the meat lobby.

Supermarkets pressured to sell less meat and dairy

09-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

‘Urgent’ and ‘immediate’ action is required from UK retailers, according to NGO Feedback, which is campaigning for meat and dairy sales to halve by 2030.

Are high-sugar adverts contributing to obesity in Mediterranean countries?

01-Mar-2021 By Flora Southey

The Spanish food industry is promoting unhealthy products for breakfast, according to Mireia Montaña Blasco from the Open University of Catalonia, who has undertaken research in response to rising obesity rates in Mediterranean countries.

‘We want to offer seafood lovers a healthier and more sustainable option': Start-up unveils 3D-printed plant-based salmon

26-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A plant-based seafood company is celebrating introducing a 3D-printed plant-based smoked salmon product.

How do animal welfare standards impact the taste of meat?

23-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Achieving higher animal welfare standards comes at a cost to producers. But does it make for better quality meat?

Redefine Meat prepares for European launch with $29m boost: ‘Our alt meat products will hit Switzerland and Germany mid-year’

17-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Having closed a $29m Series A, the maker of 3D-printed alt meat is looking to expand its product line and rollout its beef alternatives into Israel, Germany and Switzerland, before moving into Asian and US markets.

The future of ‘clean label’? Radically transparent and naturally healthy

17-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

‘Clean label’ is an industry term that speaks to consumer demand for recognisable ‘pantry cupboard’ ingredients. But, without a clear definition, the meaning of clean label is evolving. What other mega-trends will shape the future of clean label innovation?

JBS doubles down on deforestation as Greenpeace denounces ‘five more years of inaction'

12-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A dispute between the meat giant and the NGO over deforestation committed by rogue farmers in the Amazon illustrates the challenge faced by big businesses in identifying malpractice in deep and complex supply chains.

Report reveals ‘hidden cost’ of salmon farming

11-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The short-term pursuit of profits by salmon producers is creating significant unaccounted environmental and social costs, which include growing mortality rates, damage to local ecosystems, pressure on wild fish stocks and poor fish welfare, reveals a...

‘To B12 Or Not to B12’: The Vegan Society slams ‘misleading’ advert promoting meat and dairy

11-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

The UK’s advertising watchdog has received a complaint from The Vegan Society, which claims AHDB’s ‘We Eat Balanced’ campaign is likely to mislead members of the public.

Behind the push for GMO transparency on-pack: ‘Non-GMO food labelling closes a loophole in EU legislation’

11-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

The newly founded European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA) is backing the expansion of genetically modified-free production across the bloc and supporting Member States looking to promote non-GMO labelling, says co-founder Alexander Hissting.

What does 2021 and the ‘new normal’ have in store for seafood?

10-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

In the UK, 2020 saw frozen fish sales surge in retail, while premium seafood struggled to find its way onto restaurant diners’ plates. What do experts predict for the post-COVID ‘new normal’? And how can brands make the most of this changing retail landscape?...

The rise and rise of frozen fish: Birds Eye talks coronavirus, freezer sales, and doubling e-commerce demand

05-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly changed consumer behaviour in retail, according to Steve Challouma, General Manager UK at Nomad Foods-owned Birds Eye. “We’ve observed an acceleration of growth in the frozen category, of which frozen fish is a...

Adding climate costs to the price tag: Researchers calculate the ‘true cost’ of meat, milk, and plant-based foods

04-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Current price tags on dairy, animal- and plant-based foods do not reflect the environmental costs associated with their production. But if they did, what would the ‘true cost’ of these products be?

Scientists warn factory farming raises future pandemic risk: 'COVID-19 could be a dress rehearsal'

02-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

South African scientists have warned that rising demand for affordable meat and the expansion of intensive animal agriculture creates the ‘perfect breeding ground’ for the development of viruses that could spark future pandemics.

DSM talks reducing emissions from livestock: ‘We are helping industry improve its environmental credentials and image’

01-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Intensive farming of livestock for meat production is often criticised by environmentalists for its heavy carbon footprint. Royal DSM is working to reduce livestock emissions through a new platform it says helps improve poultry, swine, and ruminant operations.

Is keto tipping to the mainstream? ‘I cannot remember an underground buzz like the one ketogenic is sowing’

01-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

Keto has long been tipped as the next big diet trend. But, while it has found favour in the US, consumers this side of the pond have been slower on the uptake. Could 2021 be a breakthrough year for ketogenic food in Europe?

Researchers create new form of cultivated meat

28-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Biomedics claim to have developed a new form of cultivated meat using a method that promises more natural flavour and texture than other alternatives.

Plant-based diets the ‘least favoured solution to climate change’, according to UN poll

27-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The largest ever opinion poll on climate change has discovered almost two thirds of people around the world now view the issue as a ‘global emergency’. However, for most, switching to plant-based eating is not their desired answer.

Meat tax backed by Western Europeans if revenues subsidise fruit and veg

27-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

Seventy percent of consumers in Germany, France and the Netherlands support a meat tax that includes environmental costs, if tax revenues are used to reduce VAT on vegetables and fruit, according to survey findings.

‘World’s biggest’ piece of cell-based whole cut analogue developed: ‘Meatballs, burgers and nuggets have already been done’

25-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

Spanish start-up Novameat has developed what it claims to be the biggest cell-based meat prototype in the world. FoodNavigator catches up with founder and CEO Giuseppe Scionti to talk R&D, investment, and collaborating with Michelin-starred Disfrutar.

Spanish government invests €5.2 million in cultured meat project

20-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The Spanish government is to invest in a €5.2 million cultured meat project led by BioTech Foods.

DNA technology ‘ready, willing and able’ to deliver transparency to meat products

20-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

DNA testing can help bolster confidence in meat products, believes traceability expert IdentiGEN.

The special tech behind new food quality test Veritaste? Renowned restaurant chefs

15-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

A new sensory analysis method that assesses the quality of raw materials and food products has been developed by Norwegian researchers. Branded ‘Veritaste’, the novel test returns subjective assessments…and the occasional ‘strong opinion’!

Organuary looks to boost organ meat sales

14-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

In response to the Veganuary event, a group in the UK is encouraging consumers to eat organ meats such as kidneys, liver and offal to help their health and the environment.

Nitrates and charcuterie: French MPs call for 2025 ban

13-Jan-2021 By Katy Askew

A French Parliamentary report recommends the use of nitrates in processed meats should be gradually phased out by 2025 over concerns that consumption of this controversial additive – used to extend the shelf life and prevent the oxidisation of processed...

Danish official dietary guidelines include C02 emissions for first time

12-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Denmark’s new official dietary guidelines offer Danes advice on how to eat healthier and also more climate-friendly.

Organic supporters dispute study questioning organic meat’s environmental impact

05-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Organic experts have hit back after a study claimed that organic meat produces the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as regular meat.

UK meat sector welcomes Third Country status, but ‘frustrated’ by absence of ‘crucial information’

24-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

The continued export of UK meat, fish and dairy to Europe has been confirmed, but industry says ‘crucial information’ has yet to be provided, which is hindering Brexit preparation.

Campaign group puts more pressure on JBS and Cargill to address deforestation

23-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The rapid clearance of forests and native vegetation to produce soy and beef for meat consumption continues, complains a new report from Mighty Earth.

Inflammatory compounds found in cooked meat linked to childhood wheeze

22-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Inflammatory compounds found in cooked meat are linked to a heightened risk of childhood wheeze, according to research published online in the journal Thorax.

Food M&A set to continue to increase in activity into 2021

16-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Trade buyers and private equity funds are flush with funds and eyeing interesting players to invest in, says a bullish Andreas Kulcsar, Executive Director at investment bank DC Advisory.

‘How much more likely do you think you would be to make a mistake if someone was stood watching over you?’ Lawyer takes aim at ‘zero-tolerance’ abattoir rules

10-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Safety standards in UK slaughterhouses risk being compromised by the ‘stringent’ rules requiring a permanent veterinary presence in all abattoirs, a food lawyer has claimed.

Alternative seafood at scale: How will Avant, Shiok, and Hooked reach the masses?

10-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

How can cell-based shrimp, sea cucumber and fish filets, and vegan shredded salmon, reach the scale required to truly disrupt the seafood market? Trailblazers Avants Meats, Shiok Meats, and Hooked weigh in.

France’s Agricultural Minister says ‘NON’ to cell-based meat following Singapore approval

08-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Julien Denormandie has taken to social media to make his position on cell-based meat clear: ‘Meat comes from life, not from laboratories’. Is this stance a blow to French food tech?

Nestlé’s net zero roadmap: ‘We have no time to lose’

04-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Swiss food giant Nestlé wants to halve its emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050. “We have no time to lose,” CEO Mark Schneider told journalists at an event detailing how the company plans to get there.

‘A major milestone for lab-grown meat’: Could Eat Just's approval in Asia hurry the market in Europe?

04-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

How big a landmark moment is Eat Just’s approval in Singapore? What does it tell us about the opportunities for cultivated meat in Europe? We hear from enthusiasts and detractors of this quickly emerging yet controversial sector to digest the ramifications...

Animal-free FBS alternative? UK backs development of novel growth media for cell-based meat

03-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Innovate UK is funding a new animal- and xenobiotic-free method to increase the efficiency of cell-based meat.

Good Catch plant-based seafood expands in Europe, eyes innovation: 'There is an opportunity to be wildly creative from a culinary and technology standpoint'

03-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

US plant-based seafood brand Good Catch is expanding in Europe, having secured listings in the Netherlands and Spain. “We have a passion for the culinary arts, for saving our oceans and for providing craveable plant-based products for consumers that believe...

The digital labelling technology promising to ‘unlock the lost shelf life of food’

03-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A Swedish start-up has developed food labelling technology that offers real-time monitoring of food quality to help reduce waste and alert consumers of spoiled food.

UK urged to match EU ban on meat treated with antibiotics

03-Dec-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Antibiotics used in livestock are a bigger public health threat than chlorinated chicken, experts warn.

Danish Crown’s ‘record breaking’ DKK2bn investment to ‘future-proof production’

30-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Meat group Danish Crown is increasing its investment budget by 25% this year, with a focus on automation and increased production.

Knorr launches the Good Food Lab: ‘An engine room, driven by insights and founded in academic rigour’

30-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Unilever’s Knorr brand is teaming up with Wageningen University to launch the Good Food Lab. “The Good Food Lab is an opportunity to build an engine room, driven by insights and founded in academic rigour,” April Redmond, Knorr Vice President, tells FoodNavigator.

Lab-grown meat prices to ‘reach parity with regular meat before analogues’

19-Nov-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Aleph Farms, the Israeli cultured meat start-up backed by food and retail giants Cargill, Migros, and the Strauss Group, says it believes its lab-grown products will reach cost parity with conventional meat quicker than most plant-based meat alternatives.

Unilever eyes €1bn plant-based sales and ‘positive nutrition’ push

19-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Unilever has said that it wants to increase its plant-based sales to €1bn and double the number of its products that deliver ‘positive nutrition’.

From immunity and sustainability to plant-based and clean label: Top trends out in force at Fi Europe CONNECT 2020

18-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Fi Europe is a red-letter event for the European food sector. This year, COVID-19 means things will be a little different. But the need to share ideas and innovation – as well as networking and business opportunities – has ‘never been more important’.

Bird flu hits Britain: Prevention zone introduced as third case confirmed

12-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew