With the world’s population projected, according to the UN, to reach 9.8 billion by 2050, there will be many more mouths to feed. With this in mind, we need to improve crop yields, in order to supply the world with more food to eat.
As the European Commission proposes allowing the use of new genomic techniques to grow climate-resistant crops with better nutritional value, young Europeans would be support genetically modified (GM) food if it gave them a health boost, new research...
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...
Fungal infections destroy a significant amount of crops worldwide. Scientists have warned that the crop losses due to fungal infections cause hundreds of thousands of people to miss out on calories they could have if the crops survived. And this will...
The UK government has invested £12m (€13.57) in a new research centre to grow sustainable protein and cultivated meat. This will be the largest investment yet made by the government in sustainable proteins.
Plant-based is one of the most important trends in the food industry today. Meat- and dairy-free products are helping provide food alternatives to an ever-growing flexitarian market. But some questions still remain. For one, since many plant-based foods...
The results of Europe’s first ever field trial of a gene edited (GE) variety of wheat have shown a significant reduction of the potential carcinogen acrylamide when the flour is baked.
Genetically engineering rice to have better salt tolerance could allow it to be grown in places it would otherwise fail, new research from the University of Sheffield has found.
For food to be ‘natural’, do consumers need to know where it came from? Can it be ‘natural’ if it was grown in a lab? And is defining ‘natural’ even important, anyway?
Research suggests that negative perceptions of genetically modified and genetically engineered foods could be easing, promoting some to suggest that consumers in Europe are ready to move on from debates about so-called ‘Frankenfood’ and embrace the sustainability...
Researchers at the VIB-UGent Center for Plant Systems Biology are accelerating gene discovery for crop breeding in the pursuit of a more resilient food system.
Researchers have for the first time genetically-modified a major food crop to improve photosynthesis and make them more efficient at using sunlight to their own food. The breakthrough improved soybean seed yield by over 30 per cent in field trials, they...
A survey in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland is asking the big questions: Are consumers willing to try cell-based meat? Have they heard of genetic modification? And are they reducing how much red meat, poultry, and fish are on their plates?
Companies are exploring the potential of genetic engineering to boost the nutritional content, productivity and climatic adaptability of so-called orphan crops in the continent.
Children are more likely to prefer food they perceive as ‘natural’ over processed or lab-made alternatives, a new study from scientists in Scotland and the US has found.
Belgium-based food-tech company Paleo has unveiled details of its GMO-free animal heme proteins made via precision fermentation to help food manufacturers improve the taste, aroma, colour and nutritional qualities of plant-based meat.
Researchers working to identify genes that control the development of bread wheat ‘spikelets’ have unexpectedly discovered a potential way to increase protein content by up to 25%.
A scientist in Israel is ‘tricking’ lettuce into producing nutrients in higher quantities thanks to gene editing technology CRISPR/Cas. FoodNavigator hears how.
The food system is exposed to increased food safety risks from climate change – a danger regulators must be mindful of, UK Food Safety Agency Chair Professor Susan Jebb suggests. Authorities also need to help the sector mitigate the contribution it currently...
A survey of over 2,000 consumers in the UK has revealed that while they tend to have a very low awareness and knowledge of GE food, the more informed they are, the more accepting of GE food they become.
New rules on organic farming and production in the EU are set to come into effect at the beginning of 2022. In the second in a series of articles examining the update, legal experts Katia Merten-Lentz, partner at international law firm Keller and Heckman,...
Israeli seed specialist Equinom says its new variety of protein-rich sesame seed could help the solve the taste and texture challenges of plant-based food and beverages.
A British company is developing the world’s first lab-grown ‘compassionate’ caviar to allow more people to experience the delicacy’s unique taste and nutritional benefits.
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,...
Sales of organic and Fairtrade certified products continued to shine in 2020 as concerns over the climate impact of food production and the COVID-19 crisis put ethical consumerism in the spotlight.
The newly founded European Non-GMO Industry Association (ENGA) is backing the expansion of genetically modified-free production across the bloc and supporting Member States looking to promote non-GMO labelling, says co-founder Alexander Hissting.
With 2023 likely to be designated the International Year of Millet by the UN, the ancient grain is hoping to surpass the quinoa boom to soon become part of everyday diets across the world.
UK scientists have created a new modified wheat variety that can increase grain production by up to 12%. They claim the innovation is a potential solution to help meet rapidly growing global demand, but also expect it to trigger heated debate around genetically...
The European Commission has authorised a new GMO for food and feed – a genetically modified soybean developed by Bayer. While some welcome the approval, others fear the risk of contamination threatens the GMO-free food production chain.
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.
Sustainability sells. This has given rise to scepticism among consumers that brands are ‘greenwashing’ their environmental claims. Radical transparency could be the cure.
The Food Ingredient business of Japanese conglomerate Teijin Group has introduced BARLEYmax onto the European market to enable producers capitalise on the growing demand for gut health, as well as overall health & wellbeing.
US-based Kemin Industries has received a positive safety assessment from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for its algae-sourced beta glucan ingredient, BetaVia. This unlocks the opportunity for ‘innovative product developers to be the first to...
Researchers working on molecular-level responses in crops have taken a step closer to their goal of producing heat-tolerant wheat. “This benefits the sustainability of the food system by protecting food supply as the climate changes,” project lead Dr...
Plant-based products benefit from something of a health halo. However, the nutritional profile of these often ultra-processed foods is coming under increased scrutiny. FutureBridge forecasts four-up-and coming plant-based proteins that could disrupt the...
Civil society networks, NGOs, and professional organisations are disgruntled at farmers association COPA-COGECA’s bid to further delay the new EU food policy.
