French investment firm Roquette Ventures (part of ingredients company Roquette Group), which supports start-ups in the food, nutrition, and health markets, is looking to scale up production of plant protein sweeteners made using precision fermentation.
After nearly two decades of research an international team claims to have found a naturally derived cyan blue colour extracted from red cabbage that could replace synthetic blue dye often used in the food industry.
Exploring unique food pairings offers food brands the chance to tap into consumer desire to improve immunity via functional food, according to a report.
Chromologics has developed a method of producing natural colourings via a fungal biotech platform that, Co-Founder and CEO Gerit Tolborg says, addresses the ‘main challenges’ in the colourings sector, producing natural colours that are vegan, sustainable...
Food businesses must be prepared for enforcement action from regulators to tackle the issue of greenwashing, it has been warned, as the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority publishes draft guidance for companies about ‘green’ claims.
The founders of Israeli meat alternative company SavorEat are expanding into the plant-based egg space with Egg’n’up: a new start-up leveraging plant-cellulose to recreate the texture of egg.
The plant-based meat and dairy market is booming globally. But, as consumer concern over safety increases, experts from Kerry Taste and Nutrition stress that there is a need to develop food safety strategies that build consumer trust in the sector.
Zurich-based EggField is working to disrupt the conventional egg ingredient sector with alternatives that ‘use very few ingredients’. “Functionality comes before everything,” co-founder Silvan Leibacher tells FoodNavigator.
For today’s increasingly health-conscious consumers, what goes into the food they buy is more important than ever, driving the demand for shorter, more natural and less tongue-twisting ingredient lists. In turn, new and fresh grain-based snack and bakery...
Consumers are increasingly reading product labels and searching out ‘clean’ ingredients lists that are shorter and feature recognisable ingredients that are sourced from nature. Artificial or chemical ingredients are the main undesirables, while there...
An Oxford University spin-out hopes to become the first British commercial producer of cultured meat after claiming to discover a ‘cheaper, efficient and faster’ cell proliferation process.
UK food brands are currently digesting planned government legislation coming next year which will prevent marketing and advertising of HFSS being shown on TV (pre-9pm) and online from 2022 and limit where these products can be placed in bricks and mortar...
With calls to reformulate food and drink products to reduce fat, sugar and salt, we explore: What influences prompt brands to reformulate? What does the process really entail? And can it be done successfully during a global pandemic?
By Hannah Pearse, Head of Nutrition and Scientific Affairs at IGD
With the impending publication of part two of the National Food Strategy in the UK, IGD convened major retailers, manufacturers, food service companies and members of the National Food Strategy team to discuss reformulation, the challenges, and opportunities....
Fibre and next-generation stevia are expected to play key roles in sugar reduction as a growing number of manufacturers seek out ‘no added sugar’ claims, according to Mintel.
Austrian entrepreneurs are extracting cyanide from stone fruit seeds – a side stream of the fruit processing industry – before upcycling them into B2B food ingredients.
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.
Researchers are upcycling shrimp side streams to create products for the food and supplement industries, which also makes the production of peeled shrimp more sustainable, explains Associate Professor Nina Gringer from the Technical University of Denmark.
EFSA has updated its safety assessment of controversial food additive titanium dioxide, E171. The verdict: “Titanium dioxide can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.”
Chr. Hansen has developed what it describes as ‘game changing’ food cultures that utilise ‘traditional fermentation principles’ to improve quality, extend shelf life and reduce food waste.
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.
Meat and dairy are regularly targeted for their environmental impact. In the UK, for example, the government’s Committee on Climate Change has recommended a 20% cut in meat and dairy by 2030, rising to 35% by 2050 for meat only. Sugar may be next, warns...
No cell-based meat product has yet to apply for a Novel Foods Application in Europe. But supporters of this nascent but quickly growing sector are bullish on its prospects.
By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager
In this series of articles, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and FoodNavigator advisory panel member René Floris discusses some of the big issues in today’s food industry. This month, he continues his exploration of the protein transition by looking...
As a new fund announces it will invest up to €30 million in the most promising companies over a span of up to four years, EIT Food identifies to FoodNavigor the problems for which it is seeking solutions.
Nactarome, an ingredient supplier majority-owned by private equity investor Ambienta, has completed its fourth bolt-on acquisition in three years with a deal to take control of the UK’s TasteConnection. FoodNavigator hears from Hans Udo Wenzel, Nactarome's...
The companies have tasked start-ups, via the next Future Food-Tech innovation challenge, to make products that can mimic whole meat cuts and deliver newer gastronomic experiences to consumers.
This month, challenger brand TENZING is rolling out carbon footprint labelling across its range. Using this information, the company has worked out how to offset more carbon that it emits. Founder Huib van Bockel fills FoodNavigator in on the details.
Over a quarter of processed, vegetarian meat-substitute products are not a source of protein, according to research by Safefood into the nutritional content of more than 350 products which claim to be meat replacements.
Mars Edge – the segment of Mars Incorporated dedicated to supporting human health through nutrition – is on a mission to reconcile the nutrition that consumers need with the food they want, it tells FoodNavigator.
A glimmer of light is appearing at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel. As we prepare to move into the ‘new normal’, how can food and beverage brands deliver a clean conscience to consumers?
As the snack sector reaches its technological limits in cutting salt and fat from products, European manufacturers are accelerating reformulating efforts using lentils, beans, other vegetables -- and even insects -- as a way of meeting consumer demand...
COVID-19 has boosted interest in functional foods that deliver wellbeing benefits like immunity and stress management. But while the pandemic may have accelerated this trend, functional foods are no flash in the pan, experts insisted at FoodNavigator’s...
The food industry should look to lessons from other sectors to fully capitalise on the massive opportunity presented by the healthy ageing market, says Finnish dairy and food company Valio.
For the first time in history, across the globe people aged over 65 now outnumber children under five, according to the UN. By the middle of this century there will be more than twice as many. In Europe, the population of over 65s is expected to reach...
Global investment in alternative proteins was the highest ever in 2020 and three times the capital invested in 2019 – signalling growing momentum for sustainable alternatives.
Nut and dried fruit supplier Importaco is leveraging innovation and deep consumer insight to build a portfolio of products targeting older people. We spoke to Teresa Cercós (PhD), Director General of Quality, Environment and Innovation, to learn more...
Plant-based foods formulated with more wheat gluten was found to exhibit softer and less chewy texture compared to commercial tofu, mock meat and animal meat products.
The FMCG giant recently tasked start-ups to find solutions that promise to improve the taste, texture, sustainability and affordability of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives. The winner? A French company with a patented plant-based fat that closely...
The Swedish oat drink company is building its first UK factory, set to be completed in early 2023. The Vegan Society says the move illustrates the growing demand for products styled as eco-friendly. But others question whether cutting dairy really is...
Despite rapidly growing consumer demand, the quality of plant-based milk products very often underwhelms. The solution? More consistent testing at R&D stage.
Consumer demand for functional products is rising. SōRSE Technology’s Director of Research and Analytics, Donna Wamsley, speaks to FoodNavigator about the ingredients that are poised to benefit.
Ingredion Incorporated, a global provider of ingredient solutions to the food and beverage industry, has added two new products to its plant-based portfolio produced at its new pea protein manufacturing facility in South Sioux City, Nebraska.
In a move said to illustrate rising investor concerns with companies’ health impacts, the UK’s largest supermarket Tesco has announced it aims to increase the proportion of sales from healthier products to 65% by 2025.
The first flavors were made from plants, but were gradually replaced by ‘artificial’ alternatives, thanks to advances in synthetic chemistry. By the end of the 20th century, however, natural flavors were back in vogue.
With the food industry under increased pressure to promote healthier diets, address obesity and reduce diet-related diseases, more evidence emerges to suggest environmental factors, specifically screen time and poor sleep, may go hand-in-hand with overconsumption.
