Processing and Packaging

UK to ban single-use plastics and EU suggests wide-ranging changes to plastic use

26-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On 1 October 2023, the UK will ban single-use plastics, with the guidance having been released on 23 May. The EU have also released wide-ranging guidance on plastics.

'The acceptability of insects is influenced by their visibility': Consumer perceptions of edible insects explored

22-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Edible insects have many benefits. They are a good source of alternative protein, a rival to plant-based meat; they are often considered more sustainable than conventional meat; some insects are even higher in protein than beef. However, many consumers...

German grocer becomes first in Europe to embrace first major jar lid innovation in 75 years

18-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The US company behind the EEASY Lid, claimed to be the world’s first aluminium lug lid designed to assist the rising numbers who wrestle with hard-to-open lids, has announced that Germany's largest supermarket EDEKA Kempken is the first to adopt...

"Even relatively large reductions in salt content go unnoticed by consumers" - Action on Salt takes on the saltiness of the pizza industry

17-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

New research by campaign group Action on Salt has revealed the vast salt content within pizzas, with one in two pizzas containing at least the entirety of daily recommended salt levels. The group, which is made up of experts and based in Queen Mary University...

‘Plastic is yesterday’s material’: Sustainable packaging innovator Xampla on how it can allow global food and beverage brands to deliver ‘breakthrough’ new product developments

17-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Meet Xampla, the British company innovating solutions for two separate industry challenges: plastic pollution and the protection of valuable vitamins and nutrients. Food-Navigator Europe caught up with Stanley Mitchell, Head of Business Development at...

Boosted by biotech: How scientists hope to deploy genome sequencing tech to disrupt the food and supplement space

15-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

It is estimated that two-thirds of European countries now use whole-genome sequencing (WGS) in food safety programmes. But it is time the technique is used to bring greater health benefits to functional foods, Dr Thomas Gurry, co-founder and CEO of gut...

'Animal agriculture is extremely wasteful': Start-up makes 'carbon negative' protein using up to 500 times less land than animal agriculture

10-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Farmless claims to be making 'carbon negative' protein. The Dutch start-up has developed the means to make this protein using between 10 and 25 times less agricultural land than your average plant-based protein, and between 250 and 500 times...

Italian start-up takes on ‘iconic’ cheese market with almond-based alternatives

04-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Using Mediterranean almonds predominantly grown with rainwater, rather than their ‘intensively produced’ Californian counterparts, Italian start-up Dreamfarm is development plant-based alternatives to mozzarella and spreadable cheese.

Satellites to drive transparency for Nestlé reforestation

04-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Nestlé will use Airbus’s Pléiades Neo satellites in an effort to ensure transparency in its reforestation efforts. The satellites will provide high-resolution images in order to help Nestlé demonstrate that the trees it plants are thriving. This is a...

Ultra-processing: The solution for safer, greener, more nutritious food?

03-May-2023 By Flora Southey

As criticism around ultra-processed food builds, a panel of nutritionists and food engineers argue the practice has huge potential in producing safer and environmentally sustainable nutrition to the masses.

‘There is a need for raising awareness’ - Brixton Brewery provides information and photo booths ahead of England local elections

03-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Tomorrow, 4 May, England will vote in its local elections, where the public will elect councillors for district and metropolitan councils and unitary authorities. Many young people are not aware that, under new laws, voters must have photo ID in order...

'Consumers don’t see a value gap' - The rise of supermarket ‘private label’ brands

02-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Traditionally, the idea of buying ‘private label’ products in supermarket retailers – products branded by the supermarket itself rather than a more widely available brand, or ‘national brand’ – has been considered the cheap option. Now, due to a range...

‘The alternative protein space is coming to terms with the reality of what is needed to build self-sustaining businesses’: The challenge of scaling up plant-based production and manufacturing

28-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The recent Plant-Based Protein Manufacturing Summit in Amsterdam brought together leading businesses in the plant-based food and beverage industry with co-manufacturers, innovative equipment and solution providers to explore the challenges and opportunities...

Ribena owner launches ‘bold’ regenerative farming project at UK blackcurrant farm

27-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain and Ireland (SBF GB&I) has unveiled an ambitious research project that aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by growing blackcurrants through regenerative farming practices. It tells FoodNavigator more about...

Heura unveils new tech for additive-free, high-protein plant-based food

25-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based company Heura, known for its meatless chorizo sausages, chorizo burgers, and chicken, has unveiled new technology to create high-protein plant-based meat, free of e-numbers.

Vertical farmers come out swinging amid industry struggles to stay upright

25-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Vertical farming remains a viable long-term solution for food system resilience, they tell FoodNavigator.

‘A period of non-alignment between the UK nations’ - Scotland’s DRS and the Internal Market Act

25-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Last week, the Scottish government announced that its Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) would be delayed until March 2024, having originally been planned for an August 2023 release. One of the reasons for this is the fact that it will be in breach of the Internal...

Tetra Pak report shows there’s a long way to go for sustainable packaging

21-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new report from Swedish-Swiss packaging company Tetra Pak revealed high levels of consumer support for sustainable packaging. However, due to supply chain issues and high prices, many companies are nevertheless struggling to implement changes to their...

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) delayed until 2024

19-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) has been delayed. The scheme, which had been due to start in August, will not now begin until 1 March 2024. The delay is proving controversial, with many campaign groups speaking out against it. However, some drinks...

‘Most shoppers don’t know what HFSS is’: Do consumers actually want healthy food and drink?

19-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey and Oliver Morrison

The answer is not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but nuanced, explains Flora Zwolinksi, senior insight manager at Lumina Intelligence.

‘Bisphenol A in food is a health risk’: EFSA sets new tolerable daily intake of BPA, 20,000 times lower

19-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Having identified potentially harmful health effects on the immune system, EFSA has set a new, significantly lower, tolerable daily intake of Bisphenol A.

'After the first harvest we were hooked' - Radiohead’s Jonny Greenwood on making and selling olive oil

19-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Jonny Greenwood is best known as guitarist for the bands Radiohead and The Smile, as well as the composer of soundtracks for films such as There Will Be Blood, Norwegian Wood, and Spencer. Now, he is releasing his own olive oil, which he has been making...

Overcoming coffee packaging challenge a ‘step forward’ for industry

18-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Switching to easier to recycle coffee packaging – while preserving flavour and aroma – is a key challenge facing coffee roasters, but one that Sweden-based Löfbergs claims to have solved in collaboration with Amcor.

‘A laughably self-serving study’: Industry backlash over fake manuka honey claims

14-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

New Zealand’s manuka industry is being accused of misleading consumers after it alleged honey derived from species other than the Leptospermum outside of New Zealand is inauthentic.

Fungi-based packaging: Meet the start-up replacing plastic with mycelia for ‘high performance’ alternative

13-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Israel-based MadeRight is leveraging fungi fermentation technology to turn ‘waste into gold’. Its innovative material addresses the performance ‘trade-offs’ inherent in sustainable packaging, co-founder Rotem Cahanovitc tells FoodNavigator.

Low-density polyethylene film uses antimicrobial solution to extend shelf-life of strawberries

11-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new method developed by researchers has succeeded in extending the shelf life of strawberries. Researchers tested five low-density polyethylene (LDPE) films, each infused with solutions containing combinations of plant-derived essential oils and nanoparticles...

‘Digitization is an unstoppable trend’: Why PepsiCo is digitalising food banks across Spain

05-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

As part of the Community Program of the PepsiCo Foundation in Spain, PepsiCo has been supporting the digital transformation of the biggest food bank in Madrid.

‘We’re tackling challenging categories head on’: Behind Nomad Foods’ reformulation strategy

04-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

The vast majority of Nomad Foods’ net sales come from ‘healthy’ meal choices. But not all. From ‘health through stealth’ through to pizza reformulation, group nutrition leader Lauren Woodley reveals why incoming HFSS regulations presents an opportunity...

‘Safer’ PFAS replacements in food packaging still hazardous, finds research: ‘Polymers aren’t a harmless loophole’

03-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Replacement per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) thought to be safe for use in food packaging break down into toxic PFAS, according to fresh research.

No more ‘bee-friendly juice’ or ‘carbon neutral bananas’? Commission proposes ban on misleading environmental claims

24-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

In a move against greenwashing, the European Commission is proposing common criteria to stamp out vague, misleading, or unsubstantiated environmental claims.

Is interest in gut health propelling the pickled category? ‘Kimchi has moved into the mainstream’

20-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

From kefir to kimchi, sauerkraut to kombucha, fermented foods are trending. Nick ‘The Pickles Man’ Vadasz puts this down, at least in part, to increased consumer awareness around gut health and the microbiome.

High inflation and footfall recovery driving UK food-to-go market growth

10-Mar-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Despite slow recovery in passenger volumes and high street footfall, food to go increased by +31.7% in 2022 to a value of £21.4 billion, just +0.9% ahead of its 2019 total, reveals Lumina Intelligence’s Food to Go Report 2023. The key drivers of growth...

Question marks as Sainsbury’s vacuum packs beef to save plastic

03-Mar-2023 By Oliver Morrison

An anti-plastic campaign group has questioned the effectiveness of Sainsbury’s announcement that it is swapping traditional, plastic tray packaging for a new vacuum-packed alternative across its beef mince range, saving 450 tonnes of plastic annually.

Protecting against a ‘dystopian’ future: ‘Coffee, bananas, and chocolate could soon be much harder to buy’

28-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Climate change, coupled with ‘deeply unfair trade’, means that some consumer staples could soon be missing from supermarket aisles, predicts the Fairtrade Foundation. What challenges and opportunities exist in encouraging industry to support ethical trade?

Converting food waste to protein… first-time research reveals the benefits and burdens

23-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Transforming food waste using sustainable technologies could produce enough protein to tackle the global food crisis and more, says fresh research.

EC approval of hexane alternative methyloxolane a ‘breakthrough’ for ingredient production

21-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Although ‘many thought approving a new solvent would be impossible’, the European Parliament and Council have added plant-based solvent methyloxolane to the list of permitted processing aids for the manufacture of food ingredients.

The start-up making upcycled soil enhancer to cut emissions and address the food production demands of a growing global population

09-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

A recent Food Tech Challenge winner, the UK’s Aquagrain tells FoodNavigator it is optimistic that its soil improver will help cut food industry emissions and boost food and water security for millions.

Ready meals have ‘lower nutritional quality, higher greenhouse gas emissions and are more expensive’: study

07-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Research into the nutritional and sustainability attributes of ready meals suggests scope for innovation in this category.

The researchers brewing lipids to transform waste into food

07-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers say they are using ancient technology to turn agricultural waste into fats. They say the approach could help the sustainable protein industry recreate the flavours of meat and has the potential to replace palm oil or other tropical oils.

Which ‘green’ regulations are impacting food and beverage, and what’s around the corner?

20-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

From deposit return schemes to ‘dumpster diving’ legislation and single-use plastic bans, sustainability-driven policies are making a mark in Europe. How will this progress in 2023?

‘The opportunity for game-changing innovations might be missed’: Time and Temperature Indicator tech could fight food waste but is EU regulation holding it back?

12-Jan-2023 By Katy Askew

The EU is committed to the Sustainable Development Goal to halve food waste by 2030. But, with food labelling often cited as a waste driver, are restrictive regulatory requirements impeding this effort? FoodNavigator speaks to Kristen Hovland, CEO of...

Sucafina looks to AI to cut carbon footprint of coffee sales

10-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The Swiss-based coffee company has teamed up with Singapore-based AI-driven food ingredient profiler ProfilePrint to invest in Csmart, a Brazil-based developer of AI-powered image recognition technologies for green coffee grading.

Novozymes invests microbial control tech from Lyras for ‘less downtime, more efficiency and cost savings’

09-Jan-2023 By Katy Askew

Biotech group Novozymes has invested in new ‘energy-friendly’ raslysation technology developed by Danish company Lyras to replace filtration processes. It is expected to result in lower costs and increased efficiency.

‘We are very surprised by this accusation’: Danone sued over plastic pollution

09-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The French multi-national ‘strongly refutes’ allegations it is waning on commitments to cut its plastic footprint.

How Weetabix Original plans to get to Net Zero by 2050: ‘It’s not a quick and easy thing to do’

14-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Weetabix Food Company has committed to producing a zero-carbon box of Weetabix Original breakfast cereal by 2050. John Petre, supply chain, procurement and technical director at the Weetabix Food Company, explains how.

Behind Unilever’s energy-saving plan to warm up its ice cream freezers

28-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Unilever is warming up its ice cream freezers and reformulating products to withstand higher temperatures to help tackle emissions.

Researchers query sustainability of plant-based: Is the category’s performance any better than meat and dairy?

25-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

How does the sustainability performance of plant-based alternatives stack up against conventional meat and dairy? Is the category worthy of its ‘sustainability halo’? FoodNavigator investigates.

Unilever hopes to launch ‘cow-free’ ice cream but asks: ‘how do we position it to mainstream consumers'?

23-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Unilever has said it is exploring making ‘cow-free’ ice cream and is hoping to soon launch a product made with dairy proteins made via precision fermentation, but admitted there’s a danger they will be ultimately be rejected by shoppers if they are perceived...

The ‘magic sachets’ combatting food waste by keeping food fresher for longer

10-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

A Spanish company has invented a solution to food waste by keeping fruit and vegetables fresher for longer.

EU deforestation regulation will ‘increase poverty’, claims Indonesian Palm Oil Association

09-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Ahead of this week’s trilogue negotiations on the EU’s Deforestation Regulation, the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA/GAPKI) has complained the legislation “will increase poverty, decrease sustainable development, and undermine decades of progress...