Proteins

Are you targetting the right 'consumer type' for meat alternatives?

23-Nov-2016 By Nathan Gray

One size does not fit all when marketing meat alternatives, say researchers. Manufacturers need to decide whether they should target price conscious consumers, healthy eaters, taste driven individuals, eco-friendly greens, organic shoppers or vegetarians.

Making microalgae big: Scaling up production is key to food security success

22-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Microalgae is often held up as the most promising sustainable protein that can feed a growing world population - but first production needs to be scaled up on industrial levels. "The costs of inaction are too steep to even contemplate,” writes the...

Health & Nutrition Week, 28 November-2 December 2016, Frankfurt, Germany

Food & nutrition futures: ‘We need to become comfortable with the uncomfortable’

18-Nov-2016 By Shane STARLING

Pressured food supply chains are pushing new foods and nutrient sources into view like insects and algae that are challenging the status quo, says a UK-based food trend watcher.

ScenoProt gives a preview of Northern Europe's protein preferences

15-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Why do Finns give more importance to protein than Swedes? Are Germans more willing to eat an all vegetarian meal than Brits? And among the 13% of Europeans who have tried insects, how many would eat them again? Finland's ScenoProt survey is providing...

Sustainable commodity commitments rocket but most firms struggle with traceability

10-Nov-2016 By David Burrows

New commitments to tackle deforestation in commodity supply chains have almost doubled in the past 12 months, but pledges remain “piecemeal” with very few companies looking beyond palm oil, according to a recent analysis.

A cheese by any other name: Let plant-based alternatives use traditional dairy terms

10-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

Why call something 'vegan cheese' when you could call it 'a plant-derived, oil-based dairy analog'? How about because it is vegan cheese. It's time for the dairy lobby to see plant-based alternatives as complementary rather than...

Meta-analysis shows eggs can reduce stroke risk by 12%

03-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Eating up to one egg a day has no association with coronary heart disease (CHD) but does reduce the risk of stroke by 12%, a meta-analysis has suggested.

Cheese: why we love it or hate it

03-Nov-2016 By Jim Cornall

Some people simply hate cheese, although exactly why has been a mystery.

‘Socially irresponsible’: UK agency bans Diet Chef advert

03-Nov-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has banned an advert from diet plan company Diet Chef after 26 viewers complained the advert exploited women’s insecurities about their bodies.

Just how nutritious are sustainable proteins?

02-Nov-2016 By Niamh Michail

The need for sustainable proteins is on the rise, but are they as healthy and nutritious as their mainstream equivalents? A public-private partnership (PPP) coordinated by Wageningen University aims to determine just that, and is on the lookout for more...

Gluten-free demand leads to substitutes vying for vacant role

31-Oct-2016 By Will Chu

The demand for ‘no compromise’ gluten-free products that exhibit the same qualities as their wheat-containing equivalents shows no signs of abating.

Cargill pairs with start-up to make spirulina from malt waste

28-Oct-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Cargill has partnered with a French start-up to turn waste water and CO2 from one of its malt production plants into spirulina production ‘fuel’.

Scouting out Europe's latest free-from innovation at SIAL

27-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

What are the latest free-from trends sweeping Europe? How is the mature gluten-free market staying innovative? And how much on-pack prominence should you give to free-from claims? FoodNavigator hit the expo floor at SIAL in Paris to find out.

Lowering protein content of formula could help reduce obesity: Study

27-Oct-2016 By Jim Cornall

High protein intake during infancy may contribute to obesity later in life in infants who are not exclusively breastfed, according to a Nestlé Nutrition-funded study.

Switzerland is on 'nose-to-tail' mission to make meat-eating more sustainable - and profitable

26-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

Pork hock, beef brisket and chicken legs used to be valued cuts of meat in Europe but now often end up as pet food. Swiss meat group Proviande has launched a 'nose-to-tail' project and is helping industry to promote lesser preferred cuts.

'This product is not against cheese'

Plant-based pioneers say lactofermented soy will enrich traditional cheese sector

25-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

"Soy is good, but lactofermented soy is better," says French firm Sojami which predicts its patented process for creating plant-based cheese will lead to a vegan cheese industry as rich and diverse as dairy. (Just don't call it cheese.)

A fortified egg a day could keep winter vitamin D deficiency away

25-Oct-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Eating seven vitamin D-fortified eggs a week could be enough to keep winter vitamin D status in adults in check, say EU-funded researchers.

The antibiotic-free dilemma: How to tap into the trend without implying conventional meat is bad?

24-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

Consumer interest in antibiotic-free meat is rising and British pork processor Karro is upping investment. But how can you promote a premium antibiotic-free range without giving the message that the rest of your products are bad? "It's a challenge,"...

France ploughs billions into 'intelligent' proteins - seeks global leadership by 2030

17-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

France aims to become a leading world supplier of protein by 2030 with an agreement signed yesterday between government and industry pledging to boost investment into 'intelligent food' from both animal and vegetable protein sources.

Alpro: 'we made a mistake and we’re really sorry'

Twitter storm blows up Alpro's dairy problem

12-Oct-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

Belgian manufacturer of plant-based dairy alternatives Alpro has been caught in a Twitter storm after it tweeted that a healthy diet consists of one third animal-based products. Disgruntled vegan followers referenced the company’s recent acquisition by...

Consumers value origin labelling - but not necessarily for processed meat, say researchers

12-Oct-2016 By Niamh Michail

Consumers do value country of origin labelling (COOL) for meat products, say the authors of a recent study, but mostly for unprocessed meat that already has mandatory labelling in the EU.

Meat industry could ditch factory farming as investors start to pull funds

03-Oct-2016 By Natalie Morrison

The meat industry could abandon factory farming methods in the face of rising investor wariness over the rearing methods, experts said.

Pedon pulse pasta rides Europe's protein wave

30-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Dutch consumers' first impression of Pedon's red lentil pasta may have been lacklustre but the Italian pulse processor is unworried as it rides Europe's triple trend wave for healthy protein, flavoured pasta and sustainable pulses.

Edible crickets can be reared on food by-products, study says

30-Sep-2016 By Will Chu

Concerns over using crickets as a sustainable alternative to meat may be eased as a study has shown that weeds and food by-products could work as single ingredients to successfully rear this insect.

Strategic task force to help insect firms navigate novel food regulation

29-Sep-2016 By Natalie Morrison

The International Platform of Insects for Food and Feed (IPIFF) wants workable and consistent rules for insect producers across the EU and is setting up a strategic task force to help manufacturers navigate their way through EU regulation.

Boost elderly protein intake by improving taste and convenience, study suggests

28-Sep-2016 By Will Chu

Improving protein consumption in the elderly may be a matter of improving taste, convenience and affordability as a study sets out a series of strategies designed to boost intake in this demographic.

’We are investors and we expect companies to manage the risks in their supply chain’

Investors worth $1.25trn urge industry to switch to sustainable plant proteins

27-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

A group of investors worth $1.25 trillion (€1.1 trn) in assets are urging 16 food companies to accelerate the switch to sustainable, plant-based proteins.

Advertising regulator rules against Alpro over paid-for tweets

21-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Alpro did not make it clear enough that it had paid a British celebrity to post tweets about one of its products, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has ruled.

Fish trimmings: Perfect for protein and pacemakers?

20-Sep-2016 By David Burrows

Scientists at the University of Bergen have discovered how to use fish trimmings to produce versatile protein powders perfect for human consumption.

'We’re not against meat, we’re for the consumer.'

Better Buying Lab plants sustainable eating seeds

19-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Consumers say they want to eat sustainably but don't always buy sustainable food. In order to change this, The Better Buying Lab has enrolled Google, Quorn and Sodexo to understand why and accelerate the transition to plant-based proteins.

Green machines: Hinoman to open commercial facilities in Israel & the US, in 2017 as demand for plant-based protein rises

19-Sep-2016 By Elaine Watson

Hinoman – an Israeli start-up developing a novel source of vegetable protein that promises to give rivals a run for their money in the nutrition and sustainability stakes – aims to open its first commercial scale production facility in Israel in the first...

Tate & Lyle increases capacity for added value oat ingredients

16-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

Tate & Lyle has upped its manufacturing capacity for added value oat ingredients ten-fold at its Swedish facility.

Is your firm ready for 3 waves of disruptive food innovation?

16-Sep-2016 By Niamh Michail

In the next 10 years, the food industry will be profoundly changed by a series of disruptive innovations in three waves. "Some say these entrepreneurs will save the planet, others believe they will destroy our relationship with food. I believe it...

Allergen-reducing protein preparations could win the allergy battle

07-Sep-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Industry could soon be able to reduce food allergy risk by modifying culprit proteins, say researchers who have filed patents on allergen-reducing technology.

Fermented soymilk isoflavones could cut UV damage

30-Aug-2016 By Eliot Beer

Consuming fermented soymilk products may help protect against ultraviolet radiation damage by increasing the number of isoflavone compounds in the body, according to a study on mice.

Meat-packed Western diets raise the risk of Alzheimer’s

29-Aug-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Eating a meat-packed Western diet raises the chance of Alzheimer’s disease though mid-life dietary changes and increased vitamin D consumption could reduce the risk, according to a new study.

Spanish researchers develop fat- and dairy-free gels and foams using eggs

25-Aug-2016 By Niamh Michail

By processing egg whites and yolks in different ways, Spanish researchers have developed a range of novel gels and foams that are fat-free, dairy-free and have a neutral taste.

Arla Foods urges UK consumers to create new protein-rich breakfasts

23-Aug-2016 By Jim Cornall

Arla Foods UK has launched a breakfast campaign as part of its £100m ($132m) commitment to support healthier eating among consumers.

Cattle consumption must be halved to hit EU climate targets

16-Aug-2016 By Natalie Morrison

Slashing cattle consumption by 50% will have a bigger environmental impact than cutting food waste, new research suggests.

Soy may support metabolic health in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: Study

09-Aug-2016 By Will Chu

Soy isoflavones may help in improving the cardiovascular health of women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), a study has determined.

Heavy intake of animal protein points to higher risk of death: Study

08-Aug-2016 By Will Chu

Diets with an emphasis on processed and unprocessed red meats are linked to a higher risk of death whist the opposite is true for diets made up from plant-derived proteins, a landmark study has shown.

High protein and fibre pastas do not increase satiety

08-Aug-2016 By Niamh Michail

High protein and high fibre pastas are not more filling than normal pasta while high protein pasta is rated as being less tasty, say Barilla-funded scientists.

When is it best to introduce complementary feeding for infants? Commission asks EFSA

02-Aug-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

The European Commission has asked the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) to update its scientific opinion on the appropriate age for introduction of complementary feeding for infants.

‘Anti-blood clot’ fermented soybean extract safe, says EFSA

02-Aug-2016 By Annie Harrison-Dunn

A fermented soybean extract that claims to help prevent blood clots is safe for use in food supplements, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded following a novel food application from a Japanese company that sparked member state concerns.

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