As a new fund announces it will invest up to €30 million in the most promising companies over a span of up to four years, EIT Food identifies to FoodNavigor the problems for which it is seeking solutions.
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...
Focus on quality for the year ahead is at its highest level recorded, driven by higher earners who have the disposable income to “trade up”, according to IGD’s latest Shopper Confidence Index.
‘Significant proportions’ of the older population in the UK are lacking in required intakes of energy, protein, dietary fibre, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, folate, magnesium, potassium, selenium, iron, calcium, iodine and zinc, according to the British...
With restaurants, bars and pubs in England now open for outdoor drinking and dining and preparing to resume indoor service from 17 May, a host of new technologies have been released promising to ensure customers feel safe and protected in busy venues...
Germany’s voluntary code governing marketing food to children has been updated. “Advertising must not induce children to eat unhealthily,” Federal Minister of Food Julia Klöckner stressed. What are the changes and do they go far enough?
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...
Kellogg Company is collaborating with farmers in Spain, Italy, and the UK to encourage a transition towards more regenerative agricultural systems, says Dave Fitzgerald, Head of Responsible Sourcing at Kellogg Europe.
Eco-Score is a front-of-pack labelling system developed in France to communicate the environmental footprint of food in much the same way Nutri-Score informs consumers about nutrition. Launched at the beginning of this year, recent months have seen some...
A survey into food waste in the UK bakery sector has found that while food waste is certainly a real issue, action to reduce it is sadly not a main item on the menu.
Ag-food tech company Moolec Science is expanding its alternative protein platform to cater to plant-based bakery and beverage categories. “Moving into egg and dairy alternatives was a natural next step for our roadmap,” explained CEO and co-founder Gastón...
Eating traditions must be preserved in order to maintain the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and promote the health of the younger generations, according to Spanish research.
The companies have tasked start-ups, via the next Future Food-Tech innovation challenge, to make products that can mimic whole meat cuts and deliver newer gastronomic experiences to consumers.
A new frozen ingredients supply venture in the UK will import frozen food ingredients from around the world, specialising in Individually Quick Frozen (IQF) fruit, vegetables, spices and herbs for further processing by UK and Irish food and eventually...
Unilever has some ambitious goals on food waste. The multinational wants to halve waste from its direct operations by 2025 and is working with suppliers and customers to reduce waste across the food chain. It also hopes to tackle one of the trickiest...
Confectionery giant Mars Wrigley UK is attempting to digitise taste through a partnership with Google Cloud, which has resulted in the first ever Maltesers cake developed by artificial intelligence.
Current food classification systems for ‘processed’ food are confusing and can be misleading, a new study argues. “It is over simplistic to assume that processed equals unhealthy,” the research’s lead author tells FoodNavigator.
No, according to panellists at the FoodNavigator 2021 Digital Summit: Positive Nutrition, who say more people accept that healthier choices mean higher prices.
The joint venture between Nestlé and General Mills is taking a ‘dual strategy’ approach to cereal renovation that is ‘both reductionist and increasing’, says Gharry Eccles, Vice President UK and Oceania of Cereal Partners Worldwide.
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.
The Swiss flavours and fragrances company is launching a digital sensory tool to help crowdsource preference for ‘flavour first’ products, whereby the aroma from flavour helps to drive purchasing decision, Rahul Siva, research investigator, Taste &...
A glimmer of light is appearing at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. As we prepare to move into the ‘new normal’, how can food and beverage brands deliver a clean conscience to consumers?
COVID-19 has boosted interest in functional foods that deliver wellbeing benefits like immunity and stress management. But while the pandemic may have accelerated this trend, functional foods are no flash in the pan, experts insisted at FoodNavigator’s...
The Consumer Goods Forum (CGF), representing some of the world’s largest food makers and retailers, has launched a new framework for the implementation of human rights due diligence systems. This aligned approach is a ‘major victory’ in the fight against...
By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager
In his latest column, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and FoodNavigator advisory panel member René Floris explores the role of in-vitro studies in substantiating health benefits of food products.
For the first time in history, across the globe people aged over 65 now outnumber children under five, according to the UN. By the middle of this century there will be more than twice as many. In Europe, the population of over 65s is expected to reach...
Global investment in alternative proteins was the highest ever in 2020 and three times the capital invested in 2019 – signalling growing momentum for sustainable alternatives.
FoodNavigator hears from agri-food players – sitting at both extremes of farm-to-fork – and an MEP, who make the case for enforcing indication laws across the bloc.
Parents of children with food allergies face ‘significant worry, severe anxiety and post-traumatic stress’, according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
Who are the winners and losers of mandatory country of origin labelling? FoodNavigator hears from supporters and sceptics of the initiative less than two years out from the European Commission’s proposal.
Organic sales are on the rise in Europe. But, for some consumers, the price premium charged by the sector acts as a barrier. According to Alara Wholefoods founder Alex Smith, organic manufacturers need to make ‘affordability part of the conversation’.
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.
Europeans want to know more about where their food comes from. Would mandatory country of origin labelling mean consumers make more sustainable food choices?
The food industry has a ‘critical and urgent’ role to play to resolve the food waste crisis, according to Unilever’s president of foods and refreshment, Hanneke Faber.
In a move said to illustrate rising investor concerns with companies’ health impacts, the UK’s largest supermarket Tesco has announced it aims to increase the proportion of sales from healthier products to 65% by 2025.
London-based start-up Hoxton Farms is cultivating animal fat for plant-based meat alternatives. What is the secret to the duo’s competitive edge? Computational biology, the founders tell FoodNavigator.
With the food industry under increased pressure to promote healthier diets, address obesity and reduce diet-related diseases, more evidence emerges to suggest environmental factors, specifically screen time and poor sleep, may go hand-in-hand with overconsumption.
Despite the pandemic straining supply chains, causing food shortages and price volatility, Europe’s high-income levels and relatively low rates of inequality mean it is well placed to cope with the types of unexpected economic shocks that can drive food...
Swiss margarine and bakery fats producer Grüninger AG has developed a new technology to produce palm-free, vegan and vegetarian margarines in which any off-note flavours are effectively taste masked.
New rules on organic farming and production in the EU are set to come into effect at the beginning of 2022. In the first in a series of articles examining the update, legal experts Katia Merten-Lentz, partner at international law firm Keller and Heckman,...
Taste and nutrition company Kerry has completed a life cycle assessment comparing the environmental impact of its Tastesense Sweet ingredient against the footprint of sugar. The result? “Reducing the consumption of sugar has impressive health and environmental...
By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager
The need to preserve protein functionality is prompting food makers to explore ‘milder processing’ than traditional heat treatment. In his second monthly column, René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and member of the FoodNavigator expert advisory...
Specialty fats and oils supplier Bunge Loders Croklaan is expanding its portfolio of organic fats and oils in Europe. According to the company, this will enable it to meet growing demand for organic products in a sector that currently faces under-supply...
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?