Inflation and sustained demand drove 8.9% value sales growth of water-based drinks in Europe in the last year (full year ended August 2022) to €35.6bn, reveals analysis from IRI data from actual sales of FMCG products across Europe.
Food price inflation in Europe is a serious worry for many consumers staring down the barrel of higher prices at the checkout. What impact is this going to have on F&B innovation and consumer demand in 2023?
Despite cost and inflation concerns, trend reports note rising demand among many consumers for foods with functionality, such as those that can help bolster the immune system. Many brands are responding.
The EU is committed to the Sustainable Development Goal to halve food waste by 2030. But, with food labelling often cited as a waste driver, are restrictive regulatory requirements impeding this effort? FoodNavigator speaks to Kristen Hovland, CEO of...
With low/no alcohol consumption set to rise a third by 2026, according to some estimates, Synergy Flavours has crafted flavour pairings for premium soft drinks and alcohol-free beverages that complement some of the UK’s favourite global cuisines, including...
Biotech group Novozymes has invested in new ‘energy-friendly’ raslysation technology developed by Danish company Lyras to replace filtration processes. It is expected to result in lower costs and increased efficiency.
US-based MycoTechnology says it is set to accelerate its growth plans in Europe after the European Commission granted Novel Food status to two of its mycelium-based plant proteins.
Start-ups are under more pressure than ever in today’s turbulent economic climate. But while securing intellectual property rights might not feel affordable, the USP they deliver could prove more important than ever.
Combining cellular agriculture technology with diverse, locally available crops allows food producers the chance to provide ‘authentic, next-generation meat alternatives on an industrial scale’, claims the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.
Low-to-no beer, cider, wine and spirit products grew over 7% in volume across 10 key global markets in 2022, according to fresh data from IWSR Drinks Market Analysis.
From meatless burgers to Beanz Bowls and pasta sauces, The Kraft Heinz Company is entering multiple new categories with an expanded plant-based portfolio. Cristina Kenz, Chief Growth & Sustainability Officer, International, Kraft Heinz, explains why...
From Ukraine to neighbouring Romania and north-eastern Lithuania, interest in alternative proteins is on the up. Meet three new start-ups developing animal-free whole cuts, mycoprotein ingredients, and plant-based sashimi.
A Ukraine-based yeast maker has defied the challenges of war and launched a biotech arm producing a range of yeast-based solutions for the food industry.
In 2018, the KraftHeinz Company approached the Wyss Institute to develop a solution to sugar reduction that is workable in a food production setting. After four years of collaboration, the research team has developed an answer: enzymes that convert sugar...
Natural colours have undergone a significant makeover. Once seen as too expensive, unstable and unable to deliver vibrancy, these challenges have been overcome by an industry working to deliver on consumer demand for cleaner labels with zero compromise....
A consortium of Dutch businesses and academia have launched a five-year research project examining the use of protein-based biopolymers for potential food and healthcare applications. The outcome could have a significant impact on the cultured meat sector...
Two thirds (67%) of European consumers see plant-based dairy as complementary, not a substitute to dairy products, and ‘an opportunity to try something new’ (65%), new research from ofi shows.
No longer a lumbering giant when it comes to R&D, Nestlé significantly increased its number of new product launches and number of patents in priority areas by simplifying its innovation process, fostering an entrepreneurial culture and collaborating...
Buoyed by a fresh $6.4 million fund raise, Denmark-based aroma start-up EvodiaBio says its engineered yeast can make non-alcoholic beer taste better and provide a greener alternative to the growing, transporting and processing of hops.
Nutrition, health and bioscience company DSM’s business includes solutions it believes will help make the food system more sustainable across both human and animal nutrition. When we caught up with Elisabeth Hirschbichler, VP of Strategy, Innovation and...
Toast Ale wants to ‘rescue’ 1bn slices of surplus bread from waste streams. The company has secured fresh investor backing and is planning to collaborate with Heineken as it works toward this ‘earthshot goal’.
Taste and nutrition giant Kerry has announced a new commercial agreement with Japan-based Kameda Seika, to market and distribute the company’s rice-derived postbiotic exclusively in the Americas and Europe across a range of applications.
ABF Ingredients, the speciality ingredient arm of Associated British Foods, secured a ‘record’ performance in the face of difficult conditions seen throughout 2022. But it looks likely that the worst is not yet behind us, with expectations of a deepening...
Amano Enzyme, a Japanese-headquartered enzyme producer, is opening a European hub to ramp up its capabilities in the region and accelerate growth. We hear from Kazumi Washisaka, Managing Director at Amano Enzyme Europe Limited, to learn more about the...
Danish enzyme and cultures suppliers Novozymes and Chr. Hansen plan to merge their businesses in a move they say will create a ‘leading global biosolutions partner’.
What new food and beverage products are hitting shelves? In our latest NPD round-up, we look at Nestlé’s vegan foie gras product (Voie Gras) being rolled out in Switzerland and Spain, low carb pizza from SRLY who is rebranding from next month, and a new...
Research from scientists at Rutgers University and supported by Danone has focused on the impact COVID-19 has on the microbiome, the collection of microorganisms that live in and on the human body. The findings could feed into Danone’s R&D efforts...
In 2021, ingredient supplier BENEO launched its protein strategy. The company discusses how it is investing in innovation and capabilities to expand in plant-based, with the launch of its first semi-finished product and plans for a new fava processing...
Competing demands on finished products can sometimes place food and beverage packaging innovation ‘at risk’, according to insight from R&D consultancy Sagentia Innovation.
Israeli food tech startup Amai Proteins is finalizing the initial closing of a $100m funding round as it gears up to launch its first product next year: a designer sweet protein up to 3,000 times sweeter than sugar with a clean taste and excellent heat...
Kerry has developed the KerryNutri Guide, a tool to calculate how products perform across a range of front-of-pack nutritional labelling systems and guide users towards a better score. “The KerryNutri Guide makes it easier for us to partner with our customers...
US-based MeliBio is partnering with organic food producer Narayan Foods to bring its plant-based bee-free honey product to Europe under the Better Foodie brand.
Vegan ice cream has been tipped as a top trend for the category. But European challenger brands are cool on its prospects, suggesting instead that consumers prefer familiar flavours and dairy-based favourites.
In the US, a cultivated meat product has successfully completed the FDA’s pre-market safety review, moving it one step closer to commercialisation. What implications does this regulatory greenlight have for Europe’s cell-based meat sector?
Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) are working to improve the shelf life of omega-3 fatty acids to fortify foods for longer missions to space.
Danone has launched a new energy programme, Re-Fuel Danone, that aims to ‘transform’ the energy footprint of its global manufacturing sites. This offers the potential to make the Alpro-to-Activia manufacturer’s operations more agile, cost efficient, resilient...
Utilized in everything from lipsticks and moisturizers to baked goods and confectionery, palm oil comes with environmental and societal costs – displacing tropical forests across Asia, Latin America and West Africa, and destroying the habitats of endangered...
The ingredients majors have combined expertise and technologies to develop their ‘vegurt’ offerings. FoodNavigator asks Chr. Hansen and CP Kelco about the challenges they’ve overcome to create ambient, plant-based yoghurt alternatives.
How does the sustainability performance of plant-based alternatives stack up against conventional meat and dairy? Is the category worthy of its ‘sustainability halo’? FoodNavigator investigates.
OCEANIUM has developed a high-fibre seaweed-based one-for-one methylcellulose replacement for plant-based meat which can be used in other products applications including gluten-free breads and beverages. Farmed seaweed also boasts numerous environmental,...
Unilever has said it is exploring making ‘cow-free’ ice cream and is hoping to soon launch a product made with dairy proteins made via precision fermentation, but admitted there’s a danger they will be ultimately be rejected by shoppers if they are perceived...
Made from paper pulp and biopolymer, the new home compostable capsules – compatible with Nespresso Original machines – will enter the European market from spring next year.
New research suggests passion fruit peel offers ‘significant potential’ to preserve fresh fruit and fresh cuts in an edible coating thanks to high levels of antioxidants and polyphenols. This could help reduce food waste and decrease our reliance on plastic...
