Semi-solid vegetable oils created using low-calorie sugars such as mannitol and sorbitol dioctanoates could provide alternatives to trans- and saturated fats, according to new research.
From the newest developments in sweeteners, fats and oils and flavours, to the latest trends in gluten-free formulation and plant-based diets, FoodNavigator's special editions calendar for 2014 spans the hottest topics for the European food and drink...
Before we take out our crystal balls in January and look ahead to 2014, let’s take a moment to ask, how accurate was our forecast for the past year? FoodNavigator takes a look back on its predictions for 2013.
With 2013 fast drawing to a close and 2014 just around the corner, we took the chance to catch up with analysts and experts at Mintel to ask them what their highlights from this year have been ... and a few predictions for what might be in store in the...
While stevia's reputation remains sweet, sucralose and aspartame are slipping behind. Canadean looks at which sweeteners receive the best and worst press.
New guidance on colouring foods clears up a problematic question for the food industry in Europe: When is a colour a food additive, requiring an E number, and when is it a food extract with colouring properties?
In many cases, it's no longer enough for a food colour to be natural: Increasingly companies are seeking colouring foodstuffs, concentrated from foods themselves. FoodNavigator explored the evolving natural colours sector at FIE in Frankfurt.
There is a gap in the market for non-genetically modified lecithin, as the major soy producing countries are dominated by GM crops, according to Cargill’s fluid lecithin product manager Thorsten Bornholdt.
Enzymes were traditionally used to make foods cheaper and faster, but the role of enzymes is expanding, to also help make foods more sustainable and to add consumer benefits, according to director of DSM’s business unit enzymes solutions Lars Asferg.
Preservatives have a poor reputation among consumers – but that doesn’t mean that natural options are completely off the menu, says Nicole Patterson-Lett, principal analyst at Leatherhead Food Research.
Mushroom salt reduction, award-winning algal flour and musical taste buds, Leatherhead takes us through the top three new products at this year’s Food Ingredients Europe (FiE).
Fruit may have its own stand alone functionality but Taura Natural Ingredients says fortification with milk and pea proteins, green coffee and grains will bring the ingredient into new areas.
Manufacturers should look to re-address the basic levels of sweeteners and acids in their products in order to increase the success of natural flavour formulations, according to flavour and formulation expert Lindsey Bagley.
Naturex and Galactic have partnered on a research project to develop a range of natural preservation systems for anti-microbial and antioxidant protection.
Demonization of ingredients and a lack of consumer understanding has fueled clean label, but it remains niche among a small group of consumers, DuPont Nutrition & Health says.
Switching to natural ingredients often requires companies to go back to the formulation drawing board, but there have been some big improvements, according to head of food innovation at Leatherhead Food Research, Dr Wayne Morley.
Naturex has reported slower growth in the third quarter, mainly due to currency fluctuations, although revenue for the first nine months was still up 8.7% compared to the same period last year.
Bunge has developed a patented trans-free bakery shortening without the hydrogenation process in reaction to consumer concern over ‘hydrogenated’ oils on the label, its innovation director says.
The FIE show is set to open its doors in just a couple of weeks, bringing together more than 1,300 suppliers - so what are the hottest new products to look out for on the show floor? FoodNavigator takes a sneak peek at some of the ingredients making an...
Hydrocolloids firm CP Kelco has said it will invest a further 60m Danish krone (€8m) to expand its facility in Lille Skensved, Denmark, on the back of increased demand for its amidated pectin, used in low sugar and sugar-free foods.
Cargill says it is diversifying its carrageenans portfolio in both location and species to combat the associated supply risks of the texturing ingredient derived from seaweed.
DRINKTEC 2013: US TREND TOWARDS NATURAL BEVERAGE COLORS
Lycored claims its new Lyc-O-Beta Intense coloring system will bring significant cost savings for producers of beverages such as orange juice, and says US interest in such natural colors is growing.
Chr. Hansen CEO Cees de Jong talks with FoodNavigator about his vision for corporate evolution, with a definite emphasis on emerging markets – without neglecting the company’s European roots.
As consumer demand for local and organic products grow, new research asks whether it a love for these characteristics or a hate for 'conventional' food is driving purchases.
Döhler has launched an open innovation platform, including funding and equity options for those with truly innovative ideas who may be lacking the cash to bring them to life.
Natural colors expert Chr. Hansen has been exploring whether it is commercially viable to produce carmine - a natural red food color currently made from crushed cochineal insects - via a controlled fermentation process.
September is set to be the month of sourdough in the UK, with The Real Bread Campaign gearing up for Britain’s first national celebration of the bread. But what makes this bread any more "real", anyway?
The FDA’s decision to give the thumbs up to spirulina as a source of blue color in candy and gum finally gives US firms a natural alternative to artificial FD&C Blue #1 ('brilliant blue') and opens up new opportunities in natural greens,...
Stevia sweeteners can now be developed through fermentation – rather than extraction from stevia plants – but it is the plant-based message that is most important to consumers, according to (plant-derived) stevia supplier PureCircle.
For Justin Woolverton, founder and CEO of premium ice cream brand Halo Top Creamery, life had become too sweet and too sour at the same time. A dissatisfaction with his career path and a dietary restriction landed him in the freezer aisle.
Welsh enzyme company Biocatalysts Ltd has developed a new enzyme as an alternative to papain, a papaya extract, which avoids susceptibility to seasonal price variations.
The US FDA has issued a ‘No Objection’ GRAS letter allowing beverage manufacturers to use Pure Circle’s high-purity Reb D stevia to sweeten US products, a move that could reignite the Pepsi/Coke cola wars.
Is it a safer bet to say 'Made with natural ingredients' than 'All-natural' on pack? Are consumers in the UK and the US looking for different cues on a label to determine if something is natural or wholesome? And did you know that...
It is no coincidence that China is leading the way across the Asia-Pacific region by moving towards natural foods. With the country’s industry sullied by an ever-evolving tale of lax food safety standards - with the will to improve in this department...
Special edition: All-natural: How clean is your label?
The term ‘natural’ has been used to mean so many things that it means less all the time, except as a starting point for class action lawsuits. But tell consumers you’re getting rid of artificial preservatives and you’ve telling them something meaningful,...
Special edition: All-natural: How clean is your label?
Consumer preference for natural flavors - seen in market research data – does not always translate into product purchasing, but the future still looks very rosy for natural flavors, say industry experts.
Market researchers tell us that consumers are seeking ‘natural’ products more than ever – and ingredient suppliers have responded by providing ways to ‘clean up’ product labels – but what do these terms really mean?
It’s boom time for makers of natural ingredients, from colours to flavours to hydrocolloids…or is it? Despite widespread demand for all things natural, some ‘natural’ ingredients still aren’t acceptable to consumers – so when does ‘clean label’ need to...
If you’re looking for a natural red food color, carmine can deliver. It’s vibrant, but stable, and prices have recently returned from the stratosphere after hikes in 2010/11. The only problem is that it’s made from crushed insects, and once they find...
Quinoa’s relatively high price compared to staple grains may restrict consumption to health-conscious consumers in high-income countries for now – but it could play an important role in food security in the long term, according to the FAO.
If it sounds like a ‘chemical’, or isn’t in the kitchen cupboard, shoppers may regard it with suspicion. But which ingredients are 'acceptable' to today's consumers, which are to be avoided, and who decides?
Recent data from Symphony Consulting (click here), shows that while US retail sales of products making ‘natural’ claims still grew in 2012, the pace of that growth slowed noticeably compared with the 2009-11 period.
Naturex has introduced a range of 100% fruit and vegetable powders produced through a low-temperature spray drying process that better preserves flavour, colour and nutrition.
Lactic acid and lactates specialist Galactic has expanded its range of ingredients for food preservation with an eye on companies looking for innovative natural ways to improve food security, the company has said.
9TH INNOBEV GLOBAL BEVERAGES CONGRESS ADDRESSES KEY ISSUES
Health, the environment and consumer choice are the three main issues facing today’s soft drinks industry, according to InnoBev Global Beverages Congress 2013 organizer Zenith International.
Scientists have outlined an eco-friendly test for certain synthetic food colours commonly used in soft drinks and sugar and gelatin-based confectionery.
NO EVIDENCE OF 'SIGNIFICANT' CHILD GI INTOLERANCE IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS: CARGILL
Cargill has failed in its second attempt to secure EU approval for use of bulk sweetener erythritol in soft drinks, after EFSA published a negative opinion relating to its introduction on child safety grounds.
