Meat, fish and savoury ingredients

When the UK leaves the EU, will ‘meaty’ names leave plant-based labels?

27-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

The future is uncertain for ‘meaty’ descriptions of plant-based foods in the UK. If we ban the terms ‘burger’ and ‘sausage’ for plant-based offerings, what does that mean for ‘beef tomato’ and ‘veggie fingers’? questions the Vegan Society.

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.

Good Catch plant-based tuna crosses the pond: ‘This is vegan food made for fish eaters!’

23-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Wicked Healthy brothers Derek and Chad Sarno are bringing their plant-based tuna brand Good Catch to the UK.

Coalition for Global Protein sustainability initiative launched at Davos

21-Jan-2020 By Aidan Fortune

Processor Tyson Foods has announced the creation of a new initiative to help advance sustainable protein.

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.

Agriculture Bill: UK to reward farmers for clean air, soils and water

17-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

The UK’s first domestic agricultural policy in more than 70 years addresses food security and food safety, alongside clean air, soils and water.

'Offal is unbeatable': UK doctors push health and environmental benefits of organ meats

13-Jan-2020 By Oliver Morrison

In response to the Veganuary phenomenon, doctors in the UK are encouraging consumers to eat organ meats such as kidneys, liver and offal to help their health and the environment.

‘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.

Farmers demand Go Vegan World ‘come clean’ on campaign funding

10-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

The Irish Farmers’ Association is demanding organisers of Go Vegan World disclose the parties responsible for funding a ‘multi-million-euro advertising campaign’.

Bacon products saltier than seawater? Manufacturers slammed for ‘pathetic’ salt reduction progress

09-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Campaigners are calling out food manufacturers producing ‘incredibly salty bacon’, after a survey revealed some bacon products contain significantly more salt than competitor brands.

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.

NovaMeat develops ‘world’s first’ meat analogue with look and feel of whole beef muscle cut

07-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Spanish start-up NovaMeat claims it has developed the world’s first 3D-printed plant-based beef steak with the appearance and texture of a whole beef muscle cut.

‘Strongest link yet’ between nitrates and cancer

02-Jan-2020 By Katy Askew

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast have uncovered what they describe as the ‘strongest link yet’ between nitrates in processed meat products and cancer risk. However, they also stressed, ‘not all processed meat has the same risk’.

Tyson Foods commits to sustainable soy in poultry supply chain

02-Jan-2020 By Flora Southey

Meat giant Tyson Foods Inc. will work with the Round Table on Responsible Soy (RTRS) to purchase credits for soybean meal used to feed its chickens.

8 consumer trends to watch in the new decade

20-Dec-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Mintel has released the trends that it expects will shape the global food and drink industry over the next 10 years.

Are vegan diets detrimental to children’s health and development?

18-Dec-2019 By Katy Askew

A leading French paediatrician has hit out at what he describes as a growing problem: nutritional deficiencies in vegan children. What are the risks associated with following a vegan diet in childhood and how can they be mitigated?

Alimentaria 2020

Brexit: ‘Uncertainty for us is over, having a set date is very positive’, says FIAB

16-Dec-2019 By Jenny Eagle

Wine, olive oil and cold meat products will be the worst affected by Brexit, according to the MD of FIAB (the Spanish Food and Drink Industry Federation) but uncertainty is over, now that UK PM Boris Johnson has a stable Government with a working majority,...

Foodwatch France calls for a ban on nitrite additives in processed meats

11-Dec-2019 By Jenny Eagle

Foodwatch France has partnered with Yuka and the Cancer League to demand a diet without added nitrite including; E249 (potassium nitrite), E 250 (sodium nitrite), E251 (sodium nitrate) and E252 (nitrate) used in processed meats such as industrial sausages.

Farmers hit back as BBC documentary exposes meat production’s ‘devastating effect on ecosystems’

25-Nov-2019 By Oliver Morrison

We need to distinguish between the livestock systems and meats that are part of the problem, and those that are part of the solution, say farmers as BBC documentary suggests that consumers should cut their meat consumption for environmental reasons.

6 sustainable food trends businesses must watch

22-Nov-2019 By Oliver Morrison

As the food industry continues to explore plant-based innovations, they must deliberate the health and sustainability credentials of these products, according to experts.

‘We’re not all turning into vegans’: New Nutrition identifies meat as a growth opportunity

06-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

Despite all the buzz around plant-based, a new trend report from New Nutrition says the meat category is a growth opportunity.

‘Everybody accepts the cultured meat trend is happening’: Biotech Foods

05-Nov-2019 By Oliver Morrison

FoodNavigator caught up with the confident Spanish cell-based animal protein start up.

Foodvalley spotlights innovation to solve the ‘complex puzzle’ of healthy and sustainable protein

04-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

Innovation in proteins will be needed to solve the ‘complex puzzle of achieving a healthy and sustainable protein balance’, according to Dutch agrifood ecosystem FoodValley.

NPD trend tracker: From low-calorie ice cream to vegan popcorn

28-Oct-2019 By Oliver Morrison

From low-calorie ice cream to vegan popcorn and a CBD drinks range, here's the lowdown of all the latest product launches in Europe.

‘Daddy, I don’t want to eat animals anymore’: Tesco advert criticised for demonising meat

24-Oct-2019 By Flora Southey

A television advertisement promoting Tesco’s new Plant Chef range has been criticised by the NFU for its messaging and ‘negative connotations’, which British farmers claim have caused them ‘significant distress’.

‘We could solve a trifecta of the seafood industry’s most pressing problems’: IBM partners with Raw Seafoods to fight fraud in seafood

18-Oct-2019 By Katy Askew

Technology company IBM is launching a collaboration with Raw Seafoods to further rollout a blockchain solution for the seafood supply chain. The companies say the initiative can help tackle three of the sector’s ‘most pressing problems’: fraud, transparency...

Agroecological farming, not cultured meat, is key to a sustainable future, says campaigner

11-Oct-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Think we’re at ‘peak livestock’? Hold your horses, says Robert Verkerk from the ANH Consultancy.

Underwater nutrition: ‘An important source of protein for the future’

09-Oct-2019 By Flora Southey

As populations grow, and limited natural resources diminish, could the oceans provide a key source of protein and nutrients to the food sector? FoodNavigator speaks to researchers at UIT, The Arctic University of Norway, to learn more.

BrewDog’s Hybrid Burger: cynical cash cow or fresh frontier for flexitarinaism?

04-Oct-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Vegans are hopping mad about the craft beer company’s new 50/50 Hybrid Burger. But could it prove a milestone in flexitarianism?

No need to reduce consumption of red and processed meat, study claims

03-Oct-2019 By Oliver Morrison

A controversial new study is recommending there is no need for adults who eat red or processed meat to cut down.

Cutting meat consumption may cause ‘serious harm’, academics warn

30-Sep-2019 By Oliver Morrison

There is a lack of robust evidence to confirm link between meat eating as part of a healthy diet and the development of Western diseases, according to a paper that contends there are a wide range of benefits delivered by meat that are not always easily...

Bankrolling start-ups: What are investors looking for in alternative proteins?

27-Sep-2019 By Flora Southey

Significant investment is required to get innovative protein start-ups off the ground. So what are investors looking for when deciding to bankroll new talent? And what do they predict for the future of protein? Cargill and S2G Ventures weigh in.

Scotland to curb HFSS foods as it outlines vision to become a ‘Good Food Nation’

05-Sep-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Nicola Sturgeon’s government has detailed its ambitious plans that put organic food at the heart of its mission to improve public health and make use of its natural larder.

Plant-based diet risks worsening brain health nutrient deficiency, warns nutritionist

03-Sep-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The shift towards more plant-based foods and reduced meat consumption among Europe’s consumers risks worsening an already low intake of choline, says Dr Emma Derbyshire of Nutritional Insight.

‘Need for greater focus on fish and legumes in food at day-care institutions’: Danish study

30-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

A study commissioned by Denmark’s food administration has found that nutrient-rich protein sources such as fish, legumes and eggs should be served more frequently in day-care institutions.

‘A holistic approach’: EU-backed project taps microbiome to optimise food production

26-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

An EU-funded initiative is harnessing the power of the microbiome to optimise the food production system. The project aims to match the right food additives to the correct animals – starting with salmon and chicken – for maximum output.

Hybrid burger helps meat-eaters overcome 'mindset gap': 'It tastes like 100% beef'

21-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

Austrian start-up Rebel Meat had developed a burger made from 50% meat and 50% plant-based ingredients. The hybrid patty will ‘reach those that purely vegan brands cannot’, CEO Philipp Stangl tells FoodNavigator.

What impact does diet have on biodiversity loss?

13-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

A study comparing the effects of vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets on biodiverse ‘hotspots’ in the tropics has been published by researchers in Scotland and Germany.

Brussels Bulletin: A round-up of news and views from the EU

09-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

In this edition of the Brussels Bulletin, the European Union agrees to accept 35,000 tonnes of non-hormone treated beef from the United States, EFSA questions the safety of a whipworm egg as a food supplement, and pesticide chlorphyrifos comes under the...

Research links egg and meat nutrients with reduced risk of dementia

08-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

Finnish research has linked dietary phosphatidylcholine – an essential nutrient found in eggs and meat –with enhanced cognitive performance and a lower risk of incident dementia.

Unlocking the ‘pegan’ potential: Germany taps vegan-paleo trend

01-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

‘Peganism’ – a diet that combines aspects of paleo and veganism – presents an opportunity for food manufacturers in Germany, according to market research firm Mintel.

‘Get your story right and develop it from there’… Sea Chips’ founder on innovation and a vegan seafood jerky in the pipeline

31-Jul-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The company behind the world's first salmon skin crisps is planning to launch the world’s first vegan seafood jerky.

Jellyfish: A new sustainable, nutritious, and ‘oyster-like’ food for the Western world?

30-Jul-2019 By Flora Southey

Jellyfish are nutrient-rich, boast a similar taste and texture profile to oysters, and if approved as a novel food, could help ease the burden of over-exploited fisheries, according to EU-backed research.

Eating fish may lower risk of bowel cancer: study

24-Jul-2019 By Oliver Morrison

A new study provides stronger evidence on the health benefits of eating more fish.

‘Start taking bold action’: Food companies urged to step-up deforestation efforts

17-Jul-2019 By Katy Askew

The food industry is largely failing to provide transparent information detailing the impact of their supply chains on deforestation, despite growing investor and consumer pressure, a new report finds.

Canned tuna brands fail to tackle modern slavery in supply chains, says human rights group

12-Jul-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Around 80% of tuna companies don’t know who caught their fish, putting workers in the industry at risk of exploitation, according to the UK-based Business and Human Rights Resource Centre.

Researchers call for rethink of WHO saturated fat draft guidelines

12-Jul-2019 By Flora Southey

The WHO’s draft guidelines on saturated fat have been challenged by a group of international researchers, who say different types of fatty acids, and the diversity of foods, should be taken into consideration.

Cracking the egg-free market: Egg-secution key to boosting quality perception

10-Jul-2019 By Katy Askew

Demand for egg-free packaged foods is growing. But poor quality-perception and formulation challenges make the increasingly competitive sector a tough one to crack.

Plant-based raw tuna and freshwater eel with ‘fishlike texture’ come to Europe

10-Jul-2019 By Flora Southey

US-based Ocean Hugger Foods says it will launch plant-based alternatives to raw tuna and freshwater eel in the UK this year to meet growing demand for vegan seafood.