Proteins

Replacing oils and fats with water: Deep-tech start-up secures €4.2m

22-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Healthier food-tech business MicroLub, which uses tech to replace fats and oils with water – while claiming sensory retention – has closed a €4.2 seed investment round to commercialise.

Lidl invests in own-label plant-based, targeting 25% category sales

21-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

European discounter major Lidl is betting big on plant-based following booming sales, introducing a raft of new listings under a new own-label range.

When is iron most bioavailable?

16-Oct-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

When it comes to essential nutrients, its vital to understand when they are at their most bioavailable. Iron is no exception.

Start-up fights iron deficiency through precision fermentation

16-Oct-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A biotech start-up is producing iron compounds, through precision fermentation, that are more bioavailable than much naturally occurring iron in plants.

Future Food-Tech 2024

Heura sets sights beyond meat with ‘six more patents’ incoming

10-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Heura Foods is flexing its business muscles and seeking to bolster its portfolio by expanding beyond meat alternatives into other markets, with collaboration a key tactic in its arsenal.

UK Government to create regulatory sandbox for cultivated meat

08-Oct-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

With £1.6m funding, the new regulatory sandbox aims to streamline the novel food application process of cultivated meat in the UK.

Meat-free sausages bucking category dip, but they’re on a knife-edge

08-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Sales of branded meat-free sausages are growing despite a wider plant-based category slump, but meat and alt-meat processor, Pilgrim’s, says any sales positivity could easily reverse.

EUDR: Inside the guidance

07-Oct-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On the day the EUDR was delayed, the EC released guidance, aiming to clarify some of the key elements of the regulation.

Future Food-Tech 2024

Three hot start-ups designing and creating sector-challenging proteins

04-Oct-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

There are myriad ways to design and create proteins. We spoke to some of the key players in this varied space.

Future Food-Tech 2024

Mycoprotein’s finished being quiet and about to raise its game

03-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

The OG meat alternative mycoprotein is set to retake the spotlight in a sector rife with food start-ups bringing to market products through an increasing array of food-tech innovations.

€8.1bn and 25,000 jobs predicted from alt-protein boom

02-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Private investor and government backing has sparked a jobs and revenue boom in Europe’s alternative protein market, leading to a need for specialist recruitment services.

EUDR: Are Unilever, Nestlé, Mars, Mondelēz & Danone ready?

30-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

As the clock ticks down three months to go until EUDR, FoodNavigator reviews how ready food and drink giants like Unilever, Mondelēz International and Danone are for the industry-shaking regulation.

Behind the boom: Trends driving Europe’s future ingredients market

27-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

A booming food ingredients market is feeding sector growth, with segments like carotenoids and botanicals ready for the biggest sales upticks. So, what is the current and future state of Europe’s food ingredients market?

Big names tie-up to propel cultivated meat sales

26-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Two giants have agreed a partnership with the aim of rocketing cultivated meat production and sales.

Leading meat alt maker Marlow Foods suffers profit landslide in tough market

25-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Losses have continued for Quorn and Cauldron parent company Marlow Foods as the vegetarian and vegan mycoprotein food major suffers the shocks of the relentless meat-alternative market slowdown.

Is cultivated meat cost reduction possible? The industry speaks

24-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A recent study suggested that radical cost reduction in cultivated meat production is possible. Ivy Farm, Aleph Farms and Vital Meat speak on the potential of this.

Could links to longevity boost plant-based sales?

24-Sep-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The plant-based trend has slowed in recent months, but new research could be set to restore its fortunes.

NPD Trend Tracker: From secret sauce to musical Christmas hampers

23-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Bring in the Autumn with a range of new drinks, meals, treats and a sneak peep at Christmas food and drink NPD.

Alternative meat patents are rising, but which country leads the way?

23-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Meat alternative makers are applying for patents at increasing levels, with the US leading the way, FoodNavigator reveals.

Speedier novel food approval as UK FSA changes regulation

19-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The changes could make cultivated meat, precision fermentation and animal feed additive novel food applications quicker and more efficient.

Big Interview

‘I do see an investor appetite to improve’: World Fund's principal on what investors are looking for in fermentation

17-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Fermentation is one of the main methods for producing alternative proteins. How does it look to investors?

Why is Danone removing Nutri-Score?

13-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

After a change in Nutri-Score’s algorithm, Danone has announced it will remove the front-of-pack labelling from some of its products. Why?

ADM and Carrefour among businesses ramping up cage-free food calls

12-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Europe’s biggest food and beverage companies are rallying in support of a complete ban on caged food production.

Europe’s largest food upcycling plant opened for spent grains

12-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new plant is upcycling spent grains for a whole range of uses.

Which cheeses still use animal rennet?

09-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Animal rennet is still prevalent in many of Europe’s cheeses, despite a shift towards vegetarian rennet. Geographical indicators are a key reason why.

Ukraine’s growing soy output could be vital to Europe

06-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Ukraine is Europe’s largest soy exporter and could be the key to sustainable soy for the continent.

Is duckweed the next miracle plant protein?

05-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Duckweed is far more than just a pond-dwelling plant. It’s a nutrient-dense, easy-to-produce alternative protein.

Filtration technique could slash the cost of cultivated meat

03-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

One of the key barriers to upscaling cultivated meat is cost. With a more efficient process and a cheaper culture medium, a new study claims to have reduced this input.

How AI can help design proteins for the food industry

30-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Using a combination of artificial intelligence and synthetic biology, one start-up is enhancing proteins into a wide array of functions across the food industry.

The 'carnivore' diet trend: what is it and can it be profitable?

29-Aug-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The increasingly popular carnivore diet is shaping up to be a powerful new food trend. But what is it, why has it become so popular, and what opportunities does it create for food manufacturers?

Unpacking sweet proteins

29-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Sweet proteins can provide benefits that other sweeteners can’t, and without some of the drawbacks they provide. But how can they be produced?

UK government announced £15m funding for alternative protein hub

28-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The UK’s new National Alternative Protein Innovation Hub (NAPIC) aims to commercialise alternative proteins.

How generative AI could boost plant-based protein functionality

27-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Functionality is a key element of producing plant-based products. Generative AI, one start-up suggests, could boost research into protein functionality.

Will consumers accept mycelium?

22-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Mycelium can be a protein-rich alternative to animal products. But will consumers accept it? The interplay of disgust and naturalness perceptions is the key, a new study suggests.

Plant-based diet linked to good gut health

21-Aug-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Could two of the biggest trends in the food and beverage sector be powerful allies? And what opportunities could this create for food and beverage manufacturers?

‘We're going to work with meat companies, not compete with them’: Meatable on how cultivated meat can help farmers

19-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Cultivated meat has traditionally been posited as an alternative to traditional animal agriculture. Now, Meatable suggests that it could help farmers, not hurt them.

How much can the protein transition reduce emissions?

14-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Reducing meat intake and shifting towards a healthier diet has the potential to moderate greenhouse gas emissions. But by how much?

PDO-protected cheeses rampant with diverse bacteria

13-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

PDO-protected cheeses are legislated to have unique geographical origins. This may impact the diversity of their microbiotas.

Redefine Meat: ‘We want to be the world’s biggest meat company’:

12-Aug-2024 By Megan Tatum

A few weeks after launching it flagship flank steak into European retailers, Redefine Meat co-founder Eshchar Ben-Shitrit talks early feedback, navigating the UPF debate and the plant-based plateau.

Extracting more value from spent grains: a brewery-backed blueprint

12-Aug-2024 By Lynda Searby

Working with one of the world’s largest breweries, Duynie Group is extracting value from brewer’s spent grains by transforming the protein fraction into concentrate that can be used by the food and feed industries.

NPD Trend Tracker: From Belizean rum to drought-resistent beer

12-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

This week, we have a range of beverages, from beer using drought-resistant 'fonio grain', energy drinks made by Estonia's oldest brewery, and rum developed from raw materials on Belizean farms.

The demand for ‘clean label’ meat alternatives?

09-Aug-2024 By Megan Tatum

With many consumers classing plant-based meats as ultra-processed, the race is on for manufacturers to ‘clean up’ labels.

Cultivated meat and seafood watch: What's the latest in cultivated?

08-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Cultivated meat, despite only being on the market in one country (Singapore), is on the rise.

Cultivated meat on a farm? Putting farmers at the centre of a new technology

06-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Cultivated meat is often seen as anathema to traditional farming practices. But what if it can be produced on a farm, by farmers?

Responsible sourcing of high-risk commodities: The latest

06-Aug-2024 By Flora Southey

From palm oil to soy, cocoa to coffee, some of the industry’s most used ingredients have strong links to deforestation. How can environmental violations best be eliminated from supply chains?

Finally, an approval application for cultivated meat submitted in the EU

01-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

French start-up Gourmey has submitted a novel food application to the EU for cultivated foie gras. This is the EU’s first cultivated meat application.

Five food tech start-ups working on dairy-free alternatives

01-Aug-2024 By Megan Tatum

As pressure grows on plant-based dairy to address concerns from taste and texture to environmental impact, European food tech start-ups are working on a dairy-free solution that ticks all boxes.

Is cultivated meat a concern or an opportunity for farmers?

29-Jul-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Cultivated meat aims to replicate traditional meat. How concerned are UK farmers about this, and how open are they to potential opportunities?

Is a high-protein diet damaging to brain health?

26-Jul-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The high-protein trend has dominated food and beverage sales for several years now. But could a high-protein diet lead to neurological disorders?

Start-ups that caught our eye at Bread and Jam 2024

24-Jul-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

At the Bread and Jam festival in London last week, we saw a range of start-ups try to plug perceived gaps in the market, in ingredients, cheese and alcoholic drinks.