Net profit at Nestlé fell by more than a third in 2015 as the Swiss food giant missed sales forecasts making price rises difficult in a tough economic climate.
Consumers are in conflict – they want food that is indulgent, healthy and convenient. But this conflict also opens up big opportunities to companies who know where to look for the next trend, says one consumer analyst.
Protein-packed milkshakes made from ground-up bugs are a step nearer to becoming common drinks, a consensus of leading scientists and policy makers have claimed.
Glyphosate cannot be classed as a probable carcinogen but its use in formulations could be a cause for concern, says the French food safety authority while the German safety body has called for scientific professionalism to spare consumers unnecessary...
Start-ups are more open-minded when it comes to new ingredients and flavours, while big players tend to stick with what’s in the store cupboard, says new product development (NPD) veteran.
UK food and drink manufacturing is continuing its rise – spearheaded by dairy, meat and pastry sectors – according to new figures from the Office of National Statics (ONS), interpreted by Santander Corporate & Commercial.
The interaction between genes linked with obesity and environmental upbringing is likely to determine healthy or unhealthy food choices in adult life, Canadian researchers have stated.
A walnut-rich, higher-fat diet results in favourable changes to lipid levels associated with the risk of cardiovascular disease in overweight women, a study supported by the California Walnut Commission has suggested.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil's RSPO Next allows manufacturers to demonstrate a tougher stance on deforestation, forest fires and peatland clearance – but it has been slammed by Greenpeace which says many progressive companies and governments...
Describing itself as the most "start-up friendly accelerator on the planet," MassChallenge is expanding to Switzerland under the auspices of Nestlé and Givaudan after helping 218 start-ups in the UK and US last year.
New GM crops such as CV127 soybean are not detectable with older testing methods, and food producers must update their testing protocols to avoid GM ingredients going undetected and undeclared in the food chain, according to Cert ID Europe.
Researchers at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the Integrated Research and Treatment Centre (IFB) at the University Hospital of Leipzig, Germany, claim plasticisers (phthalates) can cause weight gain.
Food-related advertisements and other marketing communications can have significant and measurable effects on children’s cognitions, emotions, and behaviours, encouraging unhealthy or risky consumption, a review paper has found.
A growing demand for organic food, coupled with healthy eating trends and a preference for premium products, is driving the growth of the natural food preservatives sector, according to a report.
Adopting a high-fibre diet may not only benefit the microbial profile of the person consuming the diet but also their future children, according to a study in Nature.
EU guidance levels for acrylamide do not protect consumers enough, according to the Danish minister for environment and food, as it sets lower indicative levels for Danish manufacturers.
High levels of trans fats in Portuguese foods, especially pastry, are contributing to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, cancer and diabetes, according to a study - but processed and packaged pastries are not the worst offenders.
While most insect products focus on hiding the insect content by using flours, French start-up Entoma sells Jimini's whole, spiced insects as a gourmet apéritif snack – a gamble that has paid off as they featured in Mintel's most innovative...
It makes simple economic sense to reduce levels of obesity and overweight because if current rates continue it will cause 700,000 new cases of cancer in the next twenty years, says a report by Cancer Research UK.
In 2015 prices of the world’s major commodities fell for the fourth year in a row, averaging nearly one fifth (19.1%) lower than in 2014, says the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The use of plain packaging on unhealthy food as an obesity prevention measure may have the opposite effect by increasing snack intake among men, a study has found.
Scientists say protein from date seeds could used as an alternative to soy protein isolate or whey protein in foods, however commercial viability needs to be further assessed.
The tendency of today’s consumers to eat when they are not hungry might be detrimental to health than eating when they are hungry, according to research.
A smartphone app that enables consumers to scan the bar code on products to determine their sugar content has been backed by some manufacturers and major UK retailers.
People tend to overeat food marketed as healthy because they assume it is less filling but food companies can counter this by portraying food as 'nourishing' or 'wholesome' instead, researchers have found.
Children should be taught how to defend themselves against marketing tactics used in online 'advergames' for unhealthy food, says one researcher - but policy changes to restrict online advertising would be the most effective way to protect children.
The impact of sugar on the human body was laid bare in a new study this week that identifies its role in breast cancer and the extent to which it spreads to the lungs.
The Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) will publish maps of all its members’ palm oil plantations – with the exception of Malaysia – in the hope closer monitoring will prevent forest fires and peat land destruction. But is this enough?
Nutrition values seen on labels can differ substantially based on the recommended serving size, with consumers buying more of the same product among one of a number of undesirable consumer behaviours, researchers have found.
It’s a crisis that is costing the UK more than war, terrorism and armed violence according to a 2014 McKinsey & Company report, but if the UK has the opportunity to become a global leader in tackling obesity it is less sure about where to start.
The ‘good for you’ trend in children’s food is growing, and small companies would do well to focus on healthy new product development in order to compete with big players who have the money to reformulate and rebrand, says one analyst.
Exclusive interview with FAO’s director for nutrition
After years of battling undernutrition, Africa is now facing an emerging threat of obesity and the two must be considered simultaneously, according to the director of nutrition at the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
The foods children define as a meal or snack is largely undetermined in their formative preschool years suggesting that eating and diet programs could use the findings of a new study to encourage a healthy balanced diet from an early age.
Protein via nutrition bars and other delivery modes has driven much of the recent M&A activity in the dietary supplement and functional foods space, experts say.
Food should taste and smell good but what else should and can it do when ‘visually stimulated’ consumers like millennials engage in eating occasions? Touch, sight and sound are increasingly in the mix and driving multi-sensory NPD as FoodNavigator discovered...
A definition of ‘artisan’ products is urgent, says one food law expert, as an Italian court cracks down on two crisps manufacturers falsely claiming to be artisanal.
The European Commission’s standing committee meets today to discuss whether or not to renew approval for glyphosate. Chances are the controversial herbicide will get the green light. Should the food industry step in and apply its own ban?
Scotland’s poor diet is not improving and urgent action must be taken to stop obesity from being the norm, according to a report from the country’s food body.
Putting the spotlight on innovative start-ups, sugar reduction, sustainable sourcing and the latest trends in colour, texture and flavour, FoodNavigator's special editions calendar and online events for 2016 spans the hottest topics for the European...
It’s that time of year where the food industry eagerly looks to market analysts’ predictions for 2016’s upcoming trends. But consumer rights group FoodWatch is asking Dutch consumers to take a look back at 2015 and vote for the most misleading product....
New research that finds men eat significantly more in the company of women than with other men begs the question whether marketers could boost sales of food and beverages by including women in marketing.