Plant-based foods have shot up in popularity over the last couple of years with the numbers of vegans, vegetarians, and flexitarians increasing rapidly, although from a small base since 2016.
Europe’s CBD market is optimistic a ruling from the EU’s highest court not to classify the ingredient a narcotic – going against the European Commission’s shock preliminary view in July – will pave the way for Novel Food applications for CBD products...
Barry Callebaut is planning a global push for its La Morella Nuts business as it works to tap into growing demand for plant-based products and consumer interest in health and sustainability.
Marks and Spencer is launching the Innovation Hub, a new specialist team that will focus on ‘disruptive innovation’. As part of this initiative, the UK retailer is partnering with biotech start-up 3F BIO to develop a vegan range using ‘protein powerhouse’...
Ahead of Fi Europe CONNECT 2020, FoodNavigator takes a look at the latest trends in natural colours – some which suggest that the brightest hues are amongst the most popular.
Fi Europe is a red-letter event for the European food sector. This year, COVID-19 means things will be a little different. But the need to share ideas and innovation – as well as networking and business opportunities – has ‘never been more important’.
Germany’s Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture, Julia Klöckner, says she expects food manufacturers to use Nutri-Score after the controversial food labelling scheme was officially introduced in the country earlier this month.
Plant-based ready meal company BOL Foods is joining the likes of Huel and Soylent in the meal replacement market with its newly launched Power Shakes. FoodNavigator catches up with founder Paul Brown to find out how his range sets itself apart in the...
Quorn Foods, a pioneer in the plant-based category, is expanding its culinary innovation team. Tim Ingmire, Head of Research, Development & Quality, tells FoodNavigator the investment will help ‘identify the next big product opportunities’.
Global investor network FIARR warns that high street brands like Nestlé and McDonald’s risk missing their climate targets due to scant progress to reduce emissions from meat and dairy suppliers. But the food giants tell FoodNavigator that partnership...
With a vaccine breakthrough igniting the hope of a return to normal by spring, manufacturers and analysts are confident the frozen trend’s resurgence is here to stay.
A study carried out by the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) has examined the differences between vegan and mixed diets, concluding ‘Vitamin B12 is well supplemented, iodine is a matter of concern’.
Nestlé announced this week that it has acquired a majority stake in UK meal kit service Mindful Chef. The news follows on the heels of a deal in the US to take control of recipe box supplier Freshly. What opportunities - and challenges - will Nestlé’s...
The UK food industry is facing an increased risk of food fraud due to the disruptions associated with COVID-19 and Brexit. Equipment manufacturer Elementar UK is urging the industry to act.
Griffith Foods’ quest for 'purpose-driven' growth illustrates the health, nutrition and sustainability drive among ingredient suppliers as they pivot towards the demands of manufacturers and end consumers.
The ingredients specialist has announced plans to construct a new facility in Valencia, Spain, to expand its capabilities to meet the growing demand for probiotics.
Gousto has partnered with Unilever-owned spread brand Marmite to deliver recipe innovation that the recipe box company hopes will draw in consumers new to the category.
The latest round-up of innovation from around Europe spotlights a new line of 'fresh frozen' pasta in what the manufacturer claims is a UK first and details Mars' efforts to develop recyclable packaging in France with the launch of its...
Young people look for ‘spontaneous and diverse’ food choices and fear of missing out is driving up food waste among this age group, a new research study suggests.
UK retailer Asda has opened a new ‘sustainability trial store’ that leverages refill stations as part of its plastic reduction strategy. What does this latest move away from single-use packaging mean for branded manufacturers?
The Kraft Heinz Company has entered into a research partnership with APC Microbiome Ireland aimed at developing new natural cultures for fermented foods. This could unlock the ‘ultimate natural and clean label opportunities’ for product development, the...
Hospital food in the UK’s National Health Service could be ripe for innovation after an independent review called for tastier, healthier and better-quality meals to be served to millions of NHS patients and staff.
Verso Food has secured a patent covering its fava bean processing technology for plant-based foods and meat analogues. FoodNavigator hears from the company's CEO Tomi Järvenpää about the product development opportunities it could unlock, the group’s...
Nestlé’s nine-month sales for 2020 and Unilever’s third-quarter trading statement illustrate the revitalised consumer demand for staples and comfort foods, once feared to have fallen out of fashion.
Ajinomoto has launched a nutrition strategy that the company believes will enable it to leverage its unique expertise in amino acids to deliver solutions that meet its two global strategic priorities: salt reduction and optimal protein intake for the...
The United Nations has called for a concerted push to address ‘harmful’ food systems. To mark World Food Day, FoodNavigator looks at the adjustments needed to tackle one of the most pressing changes needed – a reduction in food waste.
While all the key brands in plant-based meat are exploring new protein sources, most still use soy or pea as the primary protein source. Oats, rapidly emerging as star players in the plant-based milk category, have not, however, made any real impact in...
The UK’s hospitality and food service industry – already facing an existential threat from COVID – must brace itself for rising levels of surplus food as lockdown restrictions tighten, experts warn.
An Israeli start-up has launched its AI-powered food intelligence platform in the UK. The company – called Tastewise – says it can offer real-time industry insights on how consumers order, cook, and eat, to help brands with product innovation.
Cereal crops like maize and wheat deserve greater consideration as part of a healthy, nutritious diet, according to a new paper. FoodNavigator caught up with the authors to learn why.
French consumer watchdog Consommation Logement Cadre de Vie (CLCV) has put the nutritional composition of 95 vegetarian and vegan products on French shelves to the test. The result? ‘More water than vegetable protein’, the consumer group said.
Dark kitchens, direct-to-consumer sales and online ordering have been given a significant boost by to the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. It is incumbent that as food businesses innovate and find new routes to market to stay afloat in these...
Ingredients supplier Kerry Group has unveiled an ambitious sustainability strategy including a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 33% by 2030 and achieve net zero before 2050. It is also exploring those sectors such as immunity and food...
The UK government has released a £10m funding package to help build the country’s first large-scale industrial insect farm and accelerate the development of sustainable food production systems.
Critics have rounded on the UK government’s voluntary sugar reduction plan -- which calls for a 20% cut from the food industry in key products by the end of this year -- after a report revealed it is heading for failure.
Despite the nightmare that has been 2020, it has been a good year for food companies, according to the 2020 top 75 Most Valuable UK Brands report from ad giant WPP and insight firm Kantar.
The French ingredients maker says it is on track to open the world’s largest pea protein factory in Manitoba, Canada, later this year in December, despite COVID-19 headwinds.
Sales of frozen food in the UK have continued to surge and rose by £221m in the last three months, according to the latest statistics from Kantar and the British Frozen Food Federation (BFFF).
Food waste upcycling is an area ripe for innovation, says Oakland Innovation. Its report aims to show how food and beverage manufacturers can make upcycling a viable and effective solution to address the food waste challenge.
There has been a global shift among consumers towards clean and clearer labels that promote natural claims, and a willingness to pay a premium for products that do so, notes functional ingredient manufacturer Beneo.
The Consumer Goods Forum has launched a fresh initiative to tackle deforestation in the food chain. FoodNavigator takes a look at this new effort – and asks why the CGF’s previous zero-deforestation commitment missed the mark.
