Preservatives and acidulants

Anti-E171 group claims small battle in long war

10-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Food safety campaigners are hopeful the European Commission will rethink its stance on titanium dioxide (or E171) after a committee voted down new specifications for E171 and instead passed a resolution calling on the EC to remove E171 from the list of...

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.

UK weight-loss diet plan sparks fortification versus clean label debate

07-Sep-2020 By Oliver Morrison

A soup and shake weight-loss diet prescribed by the UK National Health Service to tackle type 2 diabetes has stirred a row over long ingredients lists.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: Sugar reformulation part 2: The taste conundrum

14-Aug-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The food industry is under pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. The UK has a voluntary target for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020. This is unlikely to be met and campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar...

Protera CEO talks AI-developed proteins, closing €5m Series A, and relocating to France

17-Jun-2020 By Flora Southey

Chilean biotech Protera Biosciences is heading for the city of lights, having closed $5.5m (€4.9m) Series A financing led by Sofinnova Partners. Europe, Protera CEO Leonardo Álvarez tells FoodNavigator, is known for its ‘vast expertise’ in producing enzymes...

Freeze-dried survival food specialist spots gap in care home market

16-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Fuel Your Preparation says it is hoping to tap into the care sector with its nutritious food which can be stored for up to 25 years.

New umami power aims to cut salt in snacks amid consumer binge

20-May-2020 By Oliver Morrison

With snacking up during the COVID-19 pandemic, sodium reduction specialist Salt of the Earth has developed a new, clean-label sodium-reduction ingredient specifically designed for snack applications.

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?

Salt campaigner ‘disappointed’ as report finds no progress on reduction

25-Mar-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Salt levels in England have shown 'no significant change' in six years, according to official data.

UK government pressed to make salt reduction targets on food companies mandatory

25-Feb-2020 By Oliver Morrison

The UK government must force the industry to reduce the amount of salt put on foods, say campaigners.

‘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’.

‘An essential piece of the puzzle’: Food giants join forces with palm oil producers to map and track deforestation

05-Nov-2019 By Oliver Morrison

The likes of Mondelēz, Nestlé and Unilever have joined a new scheme aiming to improve deforestation transparency. Just as well, as palm oil may be next to witness ‘the Attenborough effect’.

Corbion’s ‘bold pledge’ on carbon emissions: ‘Climate change will get more and more attention’

05-Nov-2019 By Katy Askew

Concerns over climate change have jumped up the agenda and sustainability experts at Corbion believe the topic will continue to gain momentum. The bio-based ingredient supplier recently announced an ‘ambitious carbon footprint reduction target’ in response.

Fighting food waste with a clean label: DuPont launches protective cultures for fermented plant-based products

04-Oct-2019 By Katy Askew

Danish ingredients supplier DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences is launching a new dairy-free protective culture that, it says, builds on key sustainability objectives around tacking food waste and improving plant-based formulations – all with a clean...

Chr. Hansen ‘future proofing’ innovation might with new R&D centre

29-Aug-2019 By Katy Askew

Danish ingredient supplier Chr. Hansen has said it wants to ‘future proof’ its innovation capacity through the development of a new research and development centre.

Food industry must cut salt from meat alternatives, urges campaigner

16-Aug-2019 By Oliver Morrison

Savoury picnic foods, including vegetarian and vegan products, conceal ‘dangerous levels of salt’, according to Action on Salt.

Are ‘reduced sodium’ labels worth their salt? Study

07-Aug-2019 By Flora Southey

Researchers in Denmark are investigating whether consumers are willing to purchase salt-reduced food products, and why.

Children ‘exceed’ acceptable daily intake of phosphates, EFSA finds

13-Jun-2019 By Katy Askew

A new opinion published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that some population groups – particularly infants, children and adolescents – have too many phosphates in their diets. The opinion calls for a maximum level of phosphates...

Citrus peel boosts fiber and shelf life in bread: Study

12-Jun-2019 By Kristine Sherred

A study published in Frontiers of Nutrition revealed that adding 2% of blood orange and lemon fibers to wholewheat durum flour was a viable approach to producing high-fiber bread with respectable shelf life.

Cashing in on cashew nut waste: A natural alternative to nitrates?

23-May-2019 By Niamh Michail

Cashew nut shells are commonly discarded as a waste product but a high antioxidant content could mean they have potential to be used as meat preservatives, say Brazilian researchers.

Five health & wellness trends transforming packaged food strategies

28-Feb-2019 By Natasha Spencer

As health and wellness and snacking trends emerge as leading influences in the packaged food industry, we explore how food manufacturers and brands can appeal to consumer needs in this competitive landscape.

Ketchup for kids: Start-up markets tomato ketchup with no added sugar or salt

04-Feb-2019 By Flora Southey

UK start-up Wonderchup is targeting children and families with its clean label, healthy alternative to classic tomato ketchup. “We’ve had a lot of interest from people with health problems,” co-founder Elise Daly told FoodNavigator.

Kemin combats microbial spoilage in processed meat with clean label ingredient

30-Jan-2019 By Flora Southey

A ‘clean label’ food safety ingredient made from buffered vinegar and plant extracts has launched in Europe to extend the shelf-life and stabilise the colour of processed meats.

A ‘bran’ new natural preservative? Researchers see potential in grain antioxidant

11-Jan-2019 By Katy Askew

A natural antioxidant found in grain bran could act as a food preservative that also helps to reduce food waste by utilising what is currently a production side stream, researchers suggest.

‘Highly effective in preserving safety and shelf life’: Corbion invests in vinegar production

08-Jan-2019 By Katy Askew

Biobased food ingredient supplier Corbion has completed construction of in-house production capabilities to manufacture powdered vinegar. The company says this will enable food manufacturers to deliver clean label products with an ingredient that is “highly...

UK manufacturers achieve 'mixed picture' on salt reduction targets

19-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

Manufacturers and retailers have achieved “a mixed picture” on UK salt reduction targets, according to a government report, although there has been clear progress in cutting salt since targets were first set in 2006.

Start-up nation? A round-up of France's top food start-ups

14-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

From plant-based sweeteners to clean label additives; urban farming to healthy eating apps, we round up some of the most interesting start-ups to come out of France in recent years.

EFSA okays efficacy of lactic acid dips for pork cuts

13-Dec-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spraying and dipping pork carcasses and cuts with lactic and acetic acid does not pose safety concerns but only lactic acid dips for pork cuts beats water washes for pathogen-killing efficacy, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) scientists concluded.

Eight reasons we need to stop focusing on nutrients – and what this means for processed food makers

31-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The rise of nutritionalism – focusing on nutrient content rather than the whole food – has created a ‘nutritional cacophony’ that leaves people confused. Nutritionist Bernard Lavallée explains how manufacturers can create healthy processed foods.

From quinoa couscous to green banana chips: What we saw at SIAL

29-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From quinoa couscous to green banana chips; organic ghee to 'raw' olive oil, FoodNavigator rounds up some of the most interesting products we saw at this year's SIAL in Paris.

From kimchi to torshi, could naturally fermented food be the next big thing in healthy snacking?

04-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Tickles’ Pickles makes naturally fermented Korean kimchi and Persian torshi that are packed with healthy vegetables and live cultures. “Naturally fermented pickles are great snacking food,” says its founder.

‘These attacks are a caricature’: French industry reacts to ultra-processed food report

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

French trade group ANIA has reacted angrily to the parliamentary report last week that called for tough measures to make 'ultra-processed' food healthier through stricter regulations.

‘Ingredients lists are powerful purchasing motivators’: Study finds consumer care more about ingredients than brand

28-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Fresh consumer research demonstrates the ongoing importance of the clean label trend and suggests that the ingredients list trumps both the brand and product description in motivating purchase.

Dry-mix meal kits are the most sustainable plant-based products, says Life Loving Foods

28-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Yes, plant-based proteins are sustainable. But Life Loving Foods' use of dry mixes for its vegan meal kits make them even more sustainable and clean label by cutting out the need for cold storage and preservatives, it says.

French MPs attack processed & ‘ultra-processed’ food, demanding tougher laws

27-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

A French parliamentary report, voted yesterday, calls for a raft of measures to make processed and 'ultra-processed' food healthier, from maximum limits on salt, sugar and fat to caps on the number of additives used per product.

Extending shelf life: Corbion develops clean label, taste neutral preservative

18-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Ingredients supplier Corbion has developed what it describes as a clean label mold control solution that “matches” calcium propionate for performance.

Commission mulls cut in maximum levels for nitrites and nitrates in meat

29-Aug-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Commission is considering lowering the maximum authorised levels for nitrites and nitrates in processed meat for health reasons, it has revealed.

What do consumers really think of meat alternatives?

27-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

What do consumers really think of meat alternatives - and what are they actually looking for in products? FoodNavigator caught up with a global Mintel analyst at IFT to find out.

Portugal to set mandatory maximum salt levels in bread

23-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Portugal will set mandatory maximum levels for salt in bread, with incrementally increasing targets over the next four years.

'A serious health concern': Undeclared allergens are causing accidental allergic reactions

04-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

Undeclared allergens at 'concerning' concentrations in packaged food are causing accidental allergic reactions, according to a study. "There is a perception that food allergens are no longer an issue," says one expert. "This is...

Tesco-Carrefour deal will have 'detrimental effect' on suppliers, FDE warns

03-Jul-2018 By Niamh Michail

The buying alliance between retail giants Tesco and Carrefour will create an imbalance in bargaining power that has a detrimental effect on the whole supply chain, suppliers and manufacturers have warned.

Essentia acquires Danish protein supplier Scanflavour

06-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

US protein supplier Essentia has acquired Danish Scanflavour in a bid to increase its global presence.

Maths can make food ‘tastier and healthier’

05-Jun-2018 By Katy Askew

Danish researchers are deploying predictive software tools based on mathematical algorithms to reformulate food for a “more natural taste and higher food safety”.

FoodProfiler app shines light onto European's eating habits

05-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Which vegetable do Brits eat the most? When do Belgian girls eat yoghurt? And do Dutch men prefer dessert or fruit? An app that gathers insights into European's eating habits could help fine-tune new product development.

Plant-based meat substitutes are 'useful transition foods' for a healthier diet

01-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

The science is clear: a vegetarian diet is better for heart health, a study says - but does that include processed meat analogues? "While not as healthful as whole plants, they are useful transition foods," says one researcher.

ANIA sets 1000-day deadline to 'make food better'

31-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

The French trade group ANIA has set itself a 1000-day deadline to ‘make food better’ in a bid to close France’s food and nutrition gap.

'Complex' cultures meet rising demand for Feta-style cheese, says Chr Hansen

24-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Feta-style cheese is the fastest growing cheese type globally, according to Danish supplier Chr. Hansen, which has launched culture strains that produce a "rich and complex flavour" to meet the demand.

'There is a mega-trend around fermentation': The rising star of fermented foods

08-May-2018 By Katy Askew

Fermentation is making a ‘comeback’ in western markets, with growing demand supported by consumer perceptions of it as a ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’ food preservation method.

Galicia sets legal definition of artisan food

30-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

Spain's Galicia has set a legal definition of artisan food, which prohibits the use of artificial colours, flavours and tropical fats such as palm oil and coconut oil.

Clean label 2.0: Tapping into the trends of tomorrow

30-Apr-2018 By Niamh Michail

What will the clean label foods of tomorrow look like? From actively healthy additives to clean packaging and connected products, five industry experts share their views.