Proteins

'It is our culture, it is our religion': How food culture shapes nutrition

23-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Italy is famous around the world for its food, and for many, food is an important part of its culture. The UK, however, is often stereotyped as having no food culture at all. As simplistic and unhelpful as these stereotypes often are, food culture - of...

Precision fermentation: Future of dairy or busted flush?

23-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

There was a notable failure in the US for ‘one of the world’s first next generation cheese alternatives’. But that shouldn’t detract from the potential benefits that precision fermentation technology can bring to the dairy alternatives category, FoodNavigator’s...

Industry tie-up for ‘meaty’ alt protein made from pumpkin seeds: ‘We don’t focus on replicating meat; our products stand on their own’

22-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up More Foods, which makes ‘meaty’ products made from pumpkin seeds, is announcing a strategic collaboration with Osem-Nestlé Group subsidiary Tivol.

Europe ‘falling behind’ after US approval of two cultivated meat products

22-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

European food standards authorities are hindering innovation, it has been claimed, after lab-grown chicken was approved for sale in the US.

Meatless Farm off the chopping block as VFC Foods confirms takeover

21-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Vegan food company VFC has announced its acquisition of Meatless Farm, rescuing the struggling plant-based meat maker from administration.

GUEST ARTICLE

Industry Insights from NIZO - The best of both worlds: plant and dairy 'hybrid' foods

21-Jun-2023 By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager

While much attention has been given to developing vegan alternative products, manufacturers are also turning towards 'blended' or 'hybrid' products that combine the advantages of animal-based and plant-based ingredients. But a more...

Vegbloc: Meet the start-up substituting, not imitating, meat with a clean label

21-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Meat substitutes, especially those aiming to mimic the real thing, can be 'ultra-processed' in nature and associated with e-numbers and additives. But some plant-based meat substitutes, such as newcomer Vegbloc - which aims to replace meat in...

Upcycled ingredients: Challenges and opportunities in securing side stream supply

20-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

How do upcycling innovators ensure they have abundant supply of side stream raw materials to develop new ingredients for the food and beverage industry?

A first for photosynthesis- and agriculture-free food: Protein ‘made from air’ officially on the menu

19-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Finnish start-up Solar Foods is marketing its novel microbial protein Solein for the first time. In partnership with Singapore-based restaurant Fico, the duo has developed a dessert made with ingredients ‘derived out of thin air’.

Eastern promise: why the UK’s Norfolk and Suffolk are vying to unlock their agri-tech potential

19-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The two agriculturally important counties of Norfolk and Suffolk in the east of the UK are aiming to untap their ‘high potential opportunity’ in plant science for nutrition, FoodNavigator learns.

A sign of investor delusion? Or just an unfortunate casualty? What Meatless Farm’s fall might signal about plant-based meat

16-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Does Meatless Farm’s decision to send employees home for good suggest a particularly challenging period for the plant-based meat sector? Are industry experts hopeful for the future of meat alternatives in the UK and further afield?

Seaweed sector buoyed as 20 species of sea lettuce found on Baltic and Scandinavian coasts

15-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The number of species of the green alga sea lettuce in the Baltic Sea region and Scandinavian coast is much larger than what was previously known.

Heat-damaged DNA in food could be linked to cancer, study shows

15-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Foods including red and processed meat have been frequently linked to cancer. A new study suggests that this could be because of the cooking process – food cooked at high heats could damage the DNA in the food, leading to increased cancer risk in those...

Soy animal feed’s trail of deforestation: What are the solutions?

14-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Soy is one of the main drivers of deforestation around the world. Forests are cut down every day to make way for the growth of soy crops. However, most of this soy, in fact almost 80%, is grown to feed not humans, but animals.

How sensory science can drive innovation and cure current food system ills

14-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

In the highly competitive, complex landscape manufacturers are now in, product acceptance is more than ever about the emotions a product generates, FoodNavigator hears.

'The ultimate goal is to foster innovation and accelerate the go-to-market of new products': Inside Roquette's new food innovation centre

13-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

French ingredients company Roquette has opened up a new food innovation centre, focusing on developing a wide range of foods with a small number of ingredients, prominently pea protein, wheat protein, polyols, soluble fibres and starches. FoodNavigator...

UK start-up raises $30M to scale cultured meat using RNA technology

13-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Uncommon, formerly called Higher Steaks, leverages RNA, the molecule that contains the chemical instructions that direct cells’ natural machinery into making a protein, to create cultivated bacon and pork belly from animal cells.

‘We’re prioritising innovation over profit’: Cheaper, licence-free cell banks now available for cultivated meat research

12-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

The cell bank initiative is being spearheaded by Extracellular, a CDMO concerned that cultivated meat research is being impeded by costly animal primary cells.

Unilever boosts fat release in vegan bacon with new plant tech

12-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Unilever’s plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher has updated its vegan bacon alternative to better mimic its conventional counterpart.

UK mulls rule changes to allow faster cultivated meat and animal-free dairy approvals

09-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The UK is considering novel foods regulation changes that could speed cell-based meat and precision fermentation approvals.

Danish project seeks to upcycle fish farming waste into fibre- and umami-rich algae for food sector

08-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

A major new innovation project led by the University of Copenhagen will convert nutrients and CO2 from shrimp and fish farming into seaweed for the food sector.

Plant-based fat mimics the texture of animal fat in bakery products

07-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Some products, such as croissants, need a bit of butter to get their unique texture. Israeli startup Gaven Technologies hopes to provide a vegan replacement of butter and other animal fats in bakery products, with its new plant-based fat FaTRIX.

Mycoprotein and fungal proteins – The sustainability potential

06-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Mycoprotein and fungal proteins take up less land than animal farming, and can be used to aid in regenerative agriculture, explains mycoprotein major Quorn - perhaps the best-known manufacturer of mycoprotein-based meat substitutes.

Alternative protein from leaves? ‘Industry first’ development to reduce reliance on soy and pea

06-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

A new source of alternative plant protein from amaranth leaf is in development for the food industry, with the help of vertical farming technology.

Health, environment or lactose intolerance: Why do people drink plant-based milk?

05-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based milk is one of the most successful categories of alternative protein, predicted to reach a value of $47 Billion by 2030. But why is it so successful? The driving force behind any alternative protein’s success is the motives people have for...

Alternative protein made from brewer’s spent yeast scales up production

05-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new alternative protein made from brewer’s spent yeast has scaled up and will now transition to full production. The protein, which is made by the EGGcited consortium and coordinated by NIZO, can act as a substitute for egg and dairy, and can replace...

Upfield prepares for dairy parity with plant-based butter, cream and cheese: ‘Only technology will close the gap in taste and texture’

05-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

The company says its plant-based butter is already as good as its conventional counterpart, and plans to close any taste and texture gaps in dairy-free creams and cheeses within the next three years.

UK project aims to grow ‘tasteless’ pea protein to solve ‘beany’ off flavour problem

31-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

A ‘ground-breaking’ £1 million project has been announced in the UK, which aims to both produce peas that are tasteless but retain nutritional value and have a significant impact on reducing the need for UK imports of soya.

Plant-based diets become more popular indicator of masculinity among male athletes

31-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Traditionally, eating meat has been considered a cornerstone of masculinity, especially for professional male athletes. A recent small study, however, suggests that attitudes towards plant-based diets are changing among athletes.

Why on earth do Africans need ‘to get more excited about plant-based diets’?

30-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

As ProVeg International, a group wanting to replace animal consumption with alternative protein by 50% by 2040, opens an office in Nigeria – where most people already follow a plant rich diet, and where greenhouse gas emissions are low compared to developed...

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Let them eat plant-based cake

26-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Why is the dairy industry embroiling in a silly battle about the labelling of plant-based alternatives?

How can consumers be ‘nudged’ towards sustainable food and drink choices?

26-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Research suggests when it comes to buying sustainable products, an ‘intention-action gap’ exists amongst consumers. Which ‘nudging’ approaches can brands and retailers take to encourage more sustainable consumption?

Boomer time: Time to target food and beverages at older consumers

25-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

There’s a big opportunity for the food and beverage industry to launch products and ingredients formulated help meet the specific nutritional requirements of older consumers and help them stay healthier for longer, the recent FoodNavigator Positive Nutrition...

Bel taps enzyme-suppression tech to produce low-methane Babybel

25-May-2023 By Flora Southey

French cheese and snacks maker Bel Group aims to achieve an annual methane reduction of 400 tons, and a CO2 reduction of 11,000 tons, by reducing methane in milk destined for Central Europe and UK markets.

‘How many male chicks would not have to suffer culling as a result?’ - Study shows that chick eggs can be sexed by scent

25-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Fertilised chick eggs can be sexed by the “sniffing” of chemicals that they exude through their shells, a new study has found. The technique could lead to a better, more humane treatment of chicks, the researchers say.

Are you producing the world’s best steak?

25-May-2023 By Flora Southey

From fillet to sirloin, ribeye to Wagyu, the world’s best cuts will plated up in September for World Steak Challenge 2023.

What’s making a splash in alt dairy? Oatly, Stockeld Dreamery, and Willicroft talk plant-based innovation

24-May-2023 By Flora Southey

With the global dairy alternatives market projected to reach over $61bn by 2029, what started as a niche offering is now commonplace in household fridges. Innovators are leaning into new product formats and category expansion to grow alt dairy, so what’s...

Quorn owner inks first mycoprotein deal with maker of ‘next gen alternatives that don’t imitate meat’

24-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Marlow Foods’ newly set-up ingredients division is announcing its first supply deal for the same mycoprotein used in Quorn branded meat alternatives.

Upcycled fermented seaweed and rapeseed meal combined to develop new alternative protein

23-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In the food industry’s search for alternative protein sources, upcycled ingredients are becoming more useful and more popular. But it is often with difficulty that they are developed – upcycling products into edible and palatable foods often requires...

'Once the animals are trained, you can pop them out anywhere' - Virtual fence technology could make meat and dairy more sustainable

23-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Since agriculture first developed around 8,000 BC, fences have been vital to keep livestock reigned in. For Norwegian company Nofence, however, physical barriers are not necessary. Its technology uses GPS to provide an invisible barrier, or ‘virtual fence’,...

'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...

Inside the dairy: How is ‘king of cheeses’ Parmigiano Reggiano made?

22-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Consumer turnover of Parmigiano Reggiano recently hit an all-time high of €2.9bn. What is it about this famed cheese that makes it unique? And as a premium product, what systems do producers put in place to protect against potential food fraud? FoodNavigator...

Protein Vision first speakers announced: Hear from Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat and more

18-May-2023 By Flora Southey

What’s the latest in alternative meat and dairy innovation? Join our expert speakers – including Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat, Those Vegan Cowboys and more – at Protein Vision 2023 to find out.

WATCH: Working with fungi to ‘break the plant-based ceiling’

17-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Libre Foods is working with both fungi fruiting bodies and mycelia to boost diversity, functionality, and taste in meat-free offerings, CEO Alan Iván Ramos tells FoodNavigator.

‘Food and feed safety risks are not static’ - How the Border Target Operating Model could impact Great Britain-Europe trade

16-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On 11 April, the UK government released the draft of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). The BTOM will, if accepted, have a significant influence on the import of food from Europe into Great Britain (Northern Ireland is not affected). An online...

Start-up looks to benefits of mother’s milk to bring new bioactive ingredient for medical food space

16-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Israel’s Exosomm has developed proprietary immune supportive natural exosomes from upcycled whey.

WATCH: Paleo talks animal-free myoglobin, regulatory challenges, and the ‘vegan’ opportunity

15-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The taste, appearance, and nutritional profile of plant-based meat analogues can be improved by a single ingredient, according to Belgian start-up Paleo: myoglobin. We catch up with co-founder and CEO Hermes Sanctorum to ask about this novel, animal-free...

NPD Trend Tracker: From vegan pepperoni pizza to wellness coffee

15-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

From hot-chocolate beads to oven-ready Italian food, from sugar-free plant-based milk to premium tiramisu, our latest NPD covers some of the most interesting products of the past week.

Why Europe’s climate-focussed food start-ups are defying the slowing global investment trend

12-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Start-ups in Europe with a bent towards finding solutions that promise to reduce the environmental footprint of the food system are resisting the rise of investor retrenchment globally, a new report claims.

Cultivated meat could emit 25 times more CO2e than conventional beef, finds research

12-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Fresh research out of the University of California, Davis suggests the global warming potential of cultured meat could be between 4-25 times higher than regular beef if a highly refined growth medium is used in its production.