Processing and Packaging

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:...

The UK's 'biggest ever' funding for plastic innovators: ‘We’re looking for projects that can make a big impact’

04-Feb-2021 By Katy Askew

The UK Government is making its ‘biggest ever’ intervention to advance the sustainability of plastic packaging by opening its ‘largest scale’ grants to researchers and innovators across the country.

Tech moves illustrate growing strength of online delivery trend

28-Jan-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Finnish online food delivery platform Wolt has raised over $500m from global investors in news that illustrates continued growth in home delivery for food and drink products is set to be one of the biggest trends of this year.

SwissDeCode eyes expansion with rapid on-site safety testing: ‘There is incredible untapped potential for our technology’

28-Jan-2021 By Katy Askew

SwissDeCode has closed its first venture round. The funds will be used to accelerate development of its technology for real-time certification of food authenticity and quality. We caught up with the start-up’s co-founders to learn about the company’s...

Unilever tests nano factory: ‘This trial is assessing a de-centralised production model’

22-Jan-2021 By Katy Askew

Unilever is trialling its first ‘nano factory’, which operates within a 40 foot sea container to deliver flexible production lines that can be moved all over the world. “This trial is assessing a de-centralised production model,” one of the engineers...

Robotics, AI and the future of food: ‘The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis that robots were built to address’

20-Jan-2021 By Katy Askew

COVID-19 has accelerated interest in the role that automation, robotics and data can play in food and agricultural production. We speak to industry leaders to learn about the latest developments.

Plant-based in Russia: Region’s ‘first’ incubator for animal-free food tech prepares to launch

20-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

The newly formed Association of Alternative Food Producers (AAFPP) is preparing to welcome its first cohort of start-ups in the plant-based space. The incubator is an industry first for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), say its...

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.

Fried chicken alternative developed from peanut protein: ‘Five years from now, we want to market every part of the chicken’

18-Jan-2021 By Flora Southey

Haofood says it is the ‘world’s first’ plant-based chicken company to tap peanut protein as its primary ingredient.

Plastics, pollution, food safety and waste: ‘These issues are interconnected’

24-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

The food sector – and society more generally – needs to take a joined-up approach to issues around plastics, pollution, food safety and waste, Dow Packaging and Specialty’s Sustainability Director Jeff Wooster tells FoodNavigator. “These issues are interconnected;...

Remilk prepares to scale with $11.3m investment: ‘We estimate regulatory approval to be granted sooner than most expect’

15-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Alt milk start-up Remilk, which makes dairy alternative products through microbial fermentation, has closed a funding round worth $11.3m (€9.2m).

‘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.

Modified starch ‘ink’ developed for 3D printing: ‘They’re simple, cheap and easy to implement on an industrial scale’

10-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

‘Ink’ used to make foods and novel materials by additive manufacturing have been developed by food engineers from modified starch.

Plant & Bean opens Europe’s 'largest' plant-based meat factory: 'To make an impact you have to drive scale'

09-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Plant & Bean, a UK-based contract manufacturer, has opened Europe’s largest plant-based meat production facility. The investment is an important milestone on its strategic journey to establish what it says would be an ‘industry-first’: a global plant-based...

Meet NoCOé: Mondelez’s first carbon neutral snack brand

08-Dec-2020 By Katy Askew

Mondelez International’s innovation hub, SnackFutures, has developed NoCOé – a French cracker brand that the company says is both carbon neutral and nutritious. “Snackers, especially the younger generation, are looking for values or purpose in brands,”...

VTT creates recyclable plastic bottles from citrus peel

08-Dec-2020 By Jim Cornall

New technology developed at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland enables the use of pectin-containing agricultural waste, such as citrus peel and sugar beet pulp, as raw material for bio-based polyethylene furanoate (PEF) plastics for replacing...

SavorEat: First food tech IPO announced on Tel Aviv Stock Exchange

07-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up SavorEat is celebrating going public on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (TASE), which co-founder and CEO Racheli Vizman says represents an industry first for 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.

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.

The case for processed foods: ‘Zero processing doesn’t work for today’s food choices’

02-Dec-2020 By Flora Southey

With backlash mounting over ultra-processed foods, a research professor from Ghent University has balanced out the argument – making a strong case for processing where appropriate.

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.

‘World’s first’ digital sandwich: How next-gen tech is tracing every ingredient in, and between, the bread

27-Nov-2020 By Flora Southey

An IoT, blockchain, and AI-powered digital food supply chain platform is being developed to boost the traceability of ingredients in pre-packaged sandwiches.

Coffee maker Meira cuts carbon footprint with bio-based packaging

26-Nov-2020 By Katy Askew

Finnish coffee producer Meira, part of the Massimo Zanetti Beverage Group, has launched Vallilan Paahtimo, a new range that offers ‘a more sustainable cup, inside and out’. In partnership with packaging manufacturer Amcor, the line includes a bio-based...