Processing and Packaging

HelloFresh results illustrate meal-kit sector’s still-huge room for growth

11-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Equity analysts remain bullish on the meal-kit deliver sector after HelloFresh posted another a strong set of results.

We’ve reached ‘peak COVID-related demand’, says frozen giant Nomad

06-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The company’s sales dipped in the second quarter, but it expects ‘exciting growth opportunities’ ahead thanks to an ambitious M&A strategy, while the frozen aisle still represents ‘white space growth opportunity’.

Carbon labels for food businesses and restaurants launched in ‘world first’

05-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A company claims it is the first to make eco-labels widely available to all food businesses.

‘It cannot really be used with a clear conscience:’ Chocolate brand Fairafric on its decision to ditch aluminium foil for wood pulp alternative

04-Aug-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The company has switched to a compostable film made of wood pulp.

Best-in-glass: How Glebe Farm oat drink achieves a lower carbon footprint than Oatly

29-Jul-2021 By Flora Southey

From cradle to distribution, Glebe Farm’s oat drink produces less CO₂e per litre than any other oat drink reporting its carbon footprint in the UK, including Oatly. FoodNavigator speaks to Glebe Farm to find out how.

Why packaging made from crop waste allows companies to move towards ‘genuinely sustainable’ innovation

28-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A company is making paper packaging products for the food industry using crop waste materials such as apple skins, avocado peel and mango pips.

‘Billionaires are flying to space – why are we still struggling to open food jars?’ Company claims first major lid innovation in over 75 years

23-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A firm has unveiled what it calls the world’s first aluminium lug lid designed to assist the rising numbers who wrestle with hard-to-open lids.

Study reveals ‘unexpectedly high’ number of concerning substances in plastic products

21-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Research published in the scientific journal Environmental Science & Technology claims to provide an enlightening but worrying insight into the world of chemicals that are intentionally added to plastics.

‘We have sent signals to the Commission for many years. Somewhere it’s getting lost’: Coca-Cola bemoans poor recycling infrastructure as new EU plastic rules are enforced

06-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

As new measures come into force to reduce plastic waste in the European Union, Coca-Cola is calling for a dramatic improvement in the region’s recycling capacity to help it achieve its ambitious target of using 100% recycled rPET bottles across its total...

How mussels may help solve the microplastics problem

05-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Microplastics – minute pieces of plastic measuring less than five millimetres that result from the breakdown of larger plastic items, such as water bottles -- have been found in everything from beer and honey to seafood and bottled water​​.

Quorn looks to new extrusion technology solution to crack whole meat cut conundrum

02-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The meat alternatives company has given its latest innovation challenge award to a French start-up with new technology that differs from conventional extrusion.

Bacteria: a tasty solution to the plastic problem?

01-Jul-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists have devised a novel way of tackling the mounting issue of plastic pollution… by using bacteria to transform plastic waste into vanilla flavouring.

Plant-based ready meals the ‘fastest growing’ in category, survey finds

30-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Plant-based ready meals are becoming more available and cheaper than meat SKUs in the UK, according to a survey.

Protein from waste: a sustainable solution with consumer appeal?

24-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Quorn is hoping to make protein from crop leftovers within five years as a solution to the twin problems of climate change and food waste.

Growing food from air ‘more efficient’ than growing crops, study finds

23-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A team of researchers from the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, the University of Naples Federico II, the Weizmann Institute of Science and the Porter School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, compared the efficiency of growing...

Biotech company claims genetic selection can cut methane emissions in cattle

17-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Synomics, an Anglo-Danish biological insights business, has identified a way to reduce emissions within agricultural cattle by selecting the ones that produce less methane genetically.

Why food brands have a golden opportunity to be stewards of the environment

16-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Emissions from food production are vastly underestimated, claims a new study. But its lead author is ultimately optimistic the industry can address its environmental problems.

ANSES: ‘We have questions about nanomaterials'

09-Jun-2021 By Will Chu

In light of the recent ruling concerning titanium dioxide, French authorities have cast the net wider and urged caution over the use of nanomaterials in food as well as in antibacterial products.

‘The desire to reduce, reuse and recycle has never been higher’: Drinks brand launches vodka made from used grape skins

03-Jun-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The UK’s Discarded Spirits has just unveiled a grape-based vodka, made using waste-products recovered from the wine making process, in an attempt to tap into consumer desire for zero waste ingredients.

‘Health-harming’ PFAS chemicals ‘widespread’ in disposable food packaging

24-May-2021 By Katy Askew

A new study has highlighted the ‘widespread’ use of ‘health-harming’ per- and polyfuoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in disposable food packaging.

UK start-up predicts lab-grown sausages on shelves by 2023 after technology ‘breakthrough’

19-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

An Oxford University spin-out hopes to become the first British commercial producer of cultured meat after claiming to discover a ‘cheaper, efficient and faster’ cell proliferation process.

How UK brands are reformulating to avoid the HFSS ad ban

19-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

UK food brands are currently digesting planned government legislation coming next year which will prevent marketing and advertising of HFSS being shown on TV (pre-9pm) and online from 2022 and limit where these products can be placed in bricks and mortar...

Food majors put weight behind plans to halt and reverse EU-driven deforestation

18-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A group of 11 food businesses including Nestlé, Danone, Carrefour Group, Barry Callebaut, Tesco and Sainsbury’s have announced their support for European Union plans to increase supply chain transparency and traceability for commodities that may be linked...

Meet the start-up converting wood into food grade protein: ‘We are expanding the definition of what a food crop is’

12-May-2021 By Katy Askew

Arbiom is a start-up developing solutions to convert timber by-products into food and feed ingredients. The group recently unveiled its first protein ingredient, SylPro. We caught up with the company to find out more about its technology and commercialisation...

Does the UK’s proposed junk food ad ban reduce the motivation to reformulate?

12-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The Food and Drink Federation says UK plans to restrict in-store promotions of foods high in fat, salt and sugar will deter companies from developing lower sugar and fat alternatives.

Consumer concern about packaging presents innovation opportunities for zero-waste online grocery shopping

10-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Food brands have an opportunity to diversify their online shopping experiences to better meet quicky shifting consumer demands, according to a new report.

Meal kits ‘at tipping point’ as HelloFresh’s bumper quarter illustrates sector’s growth potential

04-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

There is room for growth in the meal kit market, according to commentators, after European kit giant HelloFresh posted a strong set of results in the first quarter of 2021.

Potato grower starts upcycling unwanted spuds to pioneer ‘high grade’ plant protein alternative

03-May-2021 By Oliver Morrison

UK supplier Branston is working on a project to convert unwanted potatoes into ‘clean-label functional protein’ for use in meat analogues.

Soya ‘still king’ in plant-based space as report hails its health and sustainability benefits

30-Apr-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A report claims to ‘overwhelmingly counter misplaced concerns’ concerning soya’s health and environmental credentials.

‘Championing visionary research’: How PepsiCo’s R&D Fellows are driving innovation

30-Apr-2021 By Katy Askew

PepsiCo R&D Fellows are a ‘select’ group of innovation specialists with ‘exceptional expertise’ and a proven track record of ‘significant technical innovation’. FoodNavigator speaks to Chief Medical Officer and executive program sponsor, Antonio...

GM crops may soon be permitted in EU as study hails health and sustainability benefits of genetic modification techniques

29-Apr-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The European Commission is gearing up to make new genetically modified organisms (GMOs) exempt from current environmental rules.

PEF can become the ‘standard in the food and drink industry’, says plastics producer

16-Apr-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The use of PEF plastic – which is made entirely from plants, is fully recyclable and which degrades in nature much faster than normal plastics -- has the potential to become the standard in the food and drink industry, claims the company attempting to...

‘We hope this initiative will help Nutri-Score to rethink’: Olive oil makers launch awards in response to ‘penalising’ FOP labelling

12-Apr-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Europe’s olive oil industry is railing against the ‘unfair’ Nutri-Score algorithm and has launched the first international awards to assess the health benefits and flavour of olive oils in the hope the food labelling scheme will review its assessment...

‘It doesn’t need to bleed like a beef burger’: Snacks disrupter The Curators on how the humble mushroom can shake up the meat-free space

09-Apr-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Best known for its nuts, biltong and pork puffs, UK start-up The Curators has ventured into meat alternatives with a range of mushroom-based products. The aim is to tap into the fast-growing consumer appetite for more natural plant-based meal solutions,...

Halo eyes European expansion with 100% compostable coffee pods: ‘Ours is a totally natural product’

08-Apr-2021 By Katy Askew

UK start-up Halo Coffee is preparing to expand into continental Europe with its compostable coffee pods that are produced from a by-product of sugar cane processing. The company believes that this offers an important point of difference that will help...

Why Mars is betting on personalised nutrition for the masses

29-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Mars Edge – the segment of Mars Incorporated dedicated to supporting human health through nutrition – is on a mission to reconcile the nutrition that consumers need with the food they want, it tells FoodNavigator.

Upcycling food waste into a biobased plastic alternative

23-Mar-2021 By Natasha Spencer

New technology upcycles milk proteins into plastic and cotton-like fibres to create more sustainable fabric and packaging to reduce food wastage.

Researchers propose standardised testing methods to crack sensory challenge of plant-based milk

11-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Despite rapidly growing consumer demand, the quality of plant-based milk products very often underwhelms. The solution? More consistent testing at R&D stage.

Health campaigners call for ‘honest’ labelling on so-called healthy snacks

10-Mar-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers at Action on Salt are demanding a restriction on the use of what it calls misleading nutrition claims on HFSS products after its new data revealed seemingly ‘healthy’ snacks contain often higher salt levels than crisps and flavoured nuts.

Seebo’s AI for food waste reduction: ‘Our customers save millions of dollars’

04-Mar-2021 By Katy Askew

Food tech start-up Seebo has completed an investment round that, it says, will support global rollout of its waste reduction platform.

Indoor farmer unveils latest high-yield concept

24-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Infarm has launched new Growing Centres which it says will help tackle the high costs often associated with the sector.

UK food makers surpass CO₂ reduction targets 5 years early, set new goals

24-Feb-2021 By Flora Southey

Members of the Food and Drink Federation have achieved a 55% reduction in CO₂ emissions five years ahead of schedule, prompting a revision of sustainability targets.

Not all processed foods should be demonised, say nutritionists

22-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

What do canned baked beans, low fat fruit yogurt, ice cream, pre-packaged sliced bread, ready-made pasta sauces, and breakfast cereals with added sugar all have in common?

Givaudan leverages AI for ‘next generation’ product development

19-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

Givaudan’s flavour business, Givaudan Taste & Wellness, is launching a new tool that leverages artificial intelligence for the ‘next generation’ of product development. “Success comes from combining the output of the tools with the sensitivity and...

Closing the loop in chocolate: Barry Callebaut collaborates on ‘ground-breaking’ process to turn hazelnut shells into vanillin

19-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

Barry Callebaut has joined forces with Swiss chemistry start-up Bloom Biorenewables to investigate upcycling chocolate side streams. The first result: vanillin produced from hazelnut shells.

Want to create a healthy food brand? It’s all in the name

18-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

A brand’s name can influence how likely consumers are to perceive it as healthy, reveals new research.

‘We can focus on quality over transportability’: Vertical famers have high hopes for Swiss project

17-Feb-2021 By Oliver Morrison

The launch of the first vertical farm project in Zürich promises to lay the groundwork for ‘large-scale industrial vertical farming in smart cities’ and ‘showcase the incredible benefits of a circular economy’.

Vertical Future and Heck Food in vertical farming tie-up to ‘supercharge’ flavour and nutrition

12-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

UK vertical farming company Vertical Future is creating an on-site vertical farm for sausage maker Heck Food in a move that the company says will ‘supercharge’ the health and nutrition of Heck’s vegan range.

FoodDocs AI food safety specialist: ’Our mission is to make all food safe to eat and safety rules easy to follow’

09-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) is an internationally recognised method of identifying and managing food safety risk. In an area that is both strictly regulated and highly complex, setting up an HACCP system requires a ’great knowledge’...

CellulaREvolution aims to ‘revolutionise’ cultured meat with tech ‘to produce at real scale’

08-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

UK biotech start-up CellulaREvolution hopes that a new funding round will help accelerate its vision to ‘revolutionise’ the cultured meat space. The company has developed technology that offers an important unlock for so-called ‘clean’ meat producers:...