Flavours and colours

Health and taste from fruit-based sweeteners

21-Dec-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Fruit has been used for sweetness in Europe since before we even knew about refined sugar. It’s still in widespread use as the basis for sweeteners.

Peach is 2024’s flavour of the year: Chosen to inspire community, kindness and comfort

19-Dec-2023 By Gill Hyslop

It’s expected to be a year of blush – with dsm-firmenich declaring Peach+ as its 12th annual Flavour of the Year, inspired by Pantone’s Colour of the Year, Peach Fuzz.

Biggest threat to additives development? Quality data, says food industry

13-Dec-2023 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

As the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes its latest information on additives, the food industry details how insufficient quality data is the biggest threat to their growth and management.

NPD Trend Tracker: From non-alcoholic IPA to paper cheese packaging

11-Dec-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week’s NPD Trend Tracker, we’re preparing for dry January with non-alcoholic products from Lucky Saint and a collaboration between MOMO Kombucha and Orbit beers, as well as whiskey flavours from Synergy Flavours. Alongside this, we have breathable...

5 start-ups that caught our eye in 2023

08-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

From upcycling ‘spent hens’ into flavour enhancers to recreating breast milk in a lab, we round-up five of the most innovate start-ups we interviewed in 2023.

How can industry turn the tide on seaweed consumption?

07-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

In Europe, many consumers associated seaweed with the rotting, smelly kelp that washes up on beaches. How can industry cultivate consumer appetite for marine plants?

Butter’s time to shine? The innovations churning up traditional spreads

06-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

After decades of ‘very little’ innovation by heritage brands, is butter (and its plant-based counterparts) having a moment? FoodNavigator investigates.

Domino’s innovation lead talks trends, nutrition and sustainability in pizza: ‘You couldn’t do this job if you didn’t love food’

05-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

Innovation director at Domino’s Pizza Group, Louise Pilkington, talks us through the process of rethinking pizzas, sides and desserts for today’s consumer.

Recreating Willy Wonka flavours with food science: 'In principle, we could simulate any flavour'

05-Dec-2023 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

Food and flavours collide with the film world and a fictional favourite as a University of Warwick professor explores the most famous creations of chocolate idol Willy Wonka ahead of its reimagined release premiering in December 2023.

Do vertically farmed vegetables taste good?

04-Dec-2023 By Flora Southey

Vegetables grown indoors, without any soil, may not sound as appealing to consumers as their sun-blushed counterparts cultivated in open fields. But according to fresh research, they taste just as good.

Mac and cheese goes dairy-free with Kraft NotMac&Cheese launch

01-Dec-2023 By Deniz Ataman

The pantry staple by The Kraft Heinz Not Company features a plant-based sauce made of fava bean protein and coconut oil powder in two flavors—original and white cheddar—priced at $3.49 a box on shelves this month and continuing its rollout in early 2024....

Nourish Ingredients releases animal-free fat to accelerate future food systems

30-Nov-2023 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

Food tech company Nourish Ingredients launches its animal-free fat, Tastilux, calling it a “world-first” and “breakthrough” new product development designed to enhance global food security.

From split pea umami to herbal medicine in food: Which innovations caught our eye at FiE 2023?

30-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

As Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) comes to a close in Frankfurt, we round up some of the most innovative B2B ingredients and technologies from the show floor.

Bakery waste to be put to use as sustainable oils and fats in new partnership

29-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

How can bread waste products be put to good use? In a new partnership between UK-based Clean Food Group and Roberts Bakery, the former will use its fermentation technology to transform the waste products of the latter into oils and fats that can be used...

How Mars is rethinking reformulation on its path to net zero

29-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

As part of Mars Inc.’s strategy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the confectionery major is optimising product recipes to include more environmentally friendly ingredients.

Increased consumption of plant-based substitutes does not increase consumer acceptance

27-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new study suggests that repeated consumption of plant-based meat over time does not improve consumer liking. However, the context – what meals the plant-based substitutes are used in – is highly significant to how they receive it.

Plant-based kids formula: Danone mulls ‘multi-stage collaboration’ with vegan start-up

21-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

The Aptamil owner has signed a letter of intent with Else Nutrition, a start-up making formula for babies and kids from almonds, buckwheat and tapioca.

German Government to boost alternative proteins with €38m investment

20-Nov-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In its 2024 budget, the German Government has allocated €38m for the promotion of precision-fermented, plant-based and cultivated meat and dairy alternatives.

Euromonitor predicts consumer trends for 2024

20-Nov-2023 By Olivia Brown

Euromonitor International has published its 2024 consumer trends report, which spotlights new demands for convenient and effective wellness support, transparency around brand sustainability, and the implementation of AI to personalise the customer experience.

Why Unilever wants its ice cream competitors to reformulate

15-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

The Magnum, Wall’s, and Ben & Jerry’s owner is reformulating its ice creams to withstand warmer temperatures, and wants others to do the same.

The ‘world’s first’ alt seafood association wants to close the protein, omega gap

13-Nov-2023 By Flora Southey

The Future Ocean Foods association has several activities on the agenda, including improving the nutritional profile of alternative seafood, with a particular focus on protein and omegas.

Spilling the tea (and coffee) on natural beverage trends

10-Nov-2023 By Deniz Ataman

The functional and perceived health benefits of tea and coffee paired with their familiarity and diverse usage occasions across dayparts make them ideal platforms for beverage manufacturers to meet consumers’ evolving preferences for indulgence, health...

GUEST ARTICLE

Industry Insights from NIZO: Great flavour without compromise for plant-based food

26-Oct-2023 By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager

To successfully launch a plant-based product onto the market today, businesses have to go above and beyond in flavour to stand out. How can a new, more holistic flavour approach put an end to organoleptic compromise?

Identifying some foods as addictive could bring health benefits, scientists say

12-Oct-2023 By Oliver Morrison

An international team of researchers, writing in the British Medical Journal, have called for a global rethink of food choices.

‘More than mylk’: Alternatives to coffee, cocoa, salt and sugar on the table at Mylkcubator 3.0

27-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

The Mylkcubator programme has largely focused on next-gen dairy innovation to date. But for the incubator’s third edition, dairy-major Pascual wants to expand its focus to alt coffee, cocoa, salt, sugar and more.

‘We’re not trying to mimic milk’: Rude Health backs nutrition-forward strategy amid plant-based ‘shakedown’

21-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

The breakfast brand’s commitment to clean label – or as clean label as functionality allows – will see it through the current plant-based ‘shakedown’, co-founder and brand director Camilla Barnard tells FoodNavigator.

More studies reveal potential health benefits of turmeric

18-Sep-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Turmeric may be as good for treating indigestion as drugs to curb excess stomach acid.

Unilever R&D tie-up develops vegan döner kebab that cooks vertically, mimics ‘shaving and grilling behaviour’

15-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

Unilever-owned The Vegetarian Butcher has partnered with döner producer The Düzgün Group to reinvent the traditional döner kebab with plant-based ingredients.

Ultra-processing and pregnancy: Emulsifier consumption could be linked to ‘minor health risks’ in offspring, warn researchers

12-Sep-2023 By Flora Southey

New research out of Spain shows that when pregnant mice were fed emulsifiers, metabolic impairments, cognition deficits and anxiety-like traits were observed in their offspring. “Our data call for nutritional advice during gestation,” note the study authors.

NPD Trend Tracker: From plant-based tuna to allergen-free health snacks

04-Sep-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week's NPD round up, we look at two different types of plant-based tuna, a new alcohol-free spirit, and the redesign of a classic chocolate brand.

Solar-dried ingredients made from surplus fruit and veg expand reach

31-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

Danish start-up UpFood is adding its upcycled ingredients technology, which leverages surplus food and vegetables to combat post-harvest food waste, to Spanish food production network Blendhub.

NPD Trend Tracker: From ketchup-filled hash brown to alt chicken made from dairy

28-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

In this week’s round-up of new product development, we profile FrieslandCampina’s range of meat-free chicken alternatives which uses a protein base made from dairy, rather than pea, soy or mycoprotein. Elsewhere in the meat-free category, Wall’s has developed...

From taste to texture and nutrition: How can plant-based meat reboot category growth?

10-Aug-2023 By Flora Southey

Faced with a global market slowdown, plant-based meat players are looking is renew demand and encourage repeat purchases of their vegan beef, pork, and seafood alternatives. Pulling levers from taste to texture and nutrition, how can plant-based meat...

Pork proteins produced in soy? Molecular farming tech produces pig-plant protein hybrid soybean

24-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Molecular farming company Moolec Science is combining plant-based and cell-based technologies to produce pork protein in soy.

Döhler acquisition of SVZ to boost red fruit and vegetable ingredients portfolio

20-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

German ingredients company Döhler has announced plans to acquire SVZ, a Dutch supplier of fruit and vegetable ingredients, from Royal Cosun. The move is expected to buildout Döhler’s portfolio, notably in red fruit and vegetable ingredients.

Nestlé enzyme tech cuts sugars intrinsically present in malt, milk and fruit juice

18-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

The enzymatic process reduces sugar without needing to add sweeteners or bulking agents to replace its volume.

High-intensity sweetener uncovered in truffles ‘potentially game-changing’ for sugar reduction

17-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

MycoTechnology says it is ‘standing on the brink of a sweet revolution’ having discovered a sweet protein derived from honey truffle. “Proteins are widely recognised as the future of sweeteners,” says MycoTechnology CEO Alan Hahn.

‘How sweet is sweet?’ AI-powered algorithm digitises taste for food and beverage makers

11-Jul-2023 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up MAMAY Technologies has developed an AI-powered algorithm capable of determining the ‘objective’ sweetness of a food or beverage product.

‘It's almost like the grass was jumping out at you’: The benefits of grass-fed dairy

03-Jul-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Ireland’s dairy cows are famous for their grass-fed diet. But this diet isn’t just about giving the cows a tasty meal – it affects their health, has strong benefits for sustainability compared to other feeds, and creates better quality milk as an end...

Alternative protein made from…broccoli? Stalks and leaves upcycled into ‘clean’ protein for industry

26-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

A new project is harvesting broccoli stems, stalks, and leaves – which would otherwise be left in the field – and upcycling them into an alternative protein ingredient for food and beverage makers.

'We've overcome the first wave of vegan and vegetarian alternatives': Protein Distillery posits brewer’s yeast-based protein as the next stage in the market

26-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

As alternative protein develops, brewer’s yeast is emerging as a strong driver of the market. Start-up ProteinDistillery has created a protein, developed from brewer’s yeast, that can not only be used for meat and dairy alternatives, but also to replace...

Balancing taste and nutrition in clean label sweeteners: Could sugar make a comeback?

21-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

As demand for natural sweeteners grow, could consumers revert to arguably the most traditional natural sweetener of all: sugar?

Vegbloc: Meet the start-up substituting, not imitating, meat with a clean label

21-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Meat substitutes, especially those aiming to mimic the real thing, can be 'ultra-processed' in nature and associated with e-numbers and additives. But some plant-based meat substitutes, such as newcomer Vegbloc - which aims to replace meat in...

A first for photosynthesis- and agriculture-free food: Protein ‘made from air’ officially on the menu

19-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Finnish start-up Solar Foods is marketing its novel microbial protein Solein for the first time. In partnership with Singapore-based restaurant Fico, the duo has developed a dessert made with ingredients ‘derived out of thin air’.

How sensory science can drive innovation and cure current food system ills

14-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

In the highly competitive, complex landscape manufacturers are now in, product acceptance is more than ever about the emotions a product generates, FoodNavigator hears.

Unilever boosts fat release in vegan bacon with new plant tech

12-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

Unilever’s plant-based meat brand The Vegetarian Butcher has updated its vegan bacon alternative to better mimic its conventional counterpart.

Versatile high-fibre 'superfood' Madhūka arrives in the UK

12-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Found in the forests of South and South East Asia, the Madhūka flower provides a versatile ingredient that can be used as nibs for cereals, snacks and museli, as powder for coffee and milkshakes, and as tea. Now, ōForest, a new brand, is bringing it to...

'Like wine or scotch, people can find the profile they love' - The rise of single-origin coffee

08-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

From its origins in Ethiopia to its cultivation in the Ottoman Empire, coffee has always been international. But the popularity of single-origin coffee, demarcated by its origin from a single nation, is growing. What is the appeal of this kind of coffee,...

Alternative protein from leaves? ‘Industry first’ development to reduce reliance on soy and pea

06-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

A new source of alternative plant protein from amaranth leaf is in development for the food industry, with the help of vertical farming technology.

Researchers look to ‘brilliant whiteness’ in shrimp stripes to find E171 alternative

02-Jun-2023 By Oliver Morrison

A new material discovered in the Pacific Cleaner Shrimp could inspire the development of new whitening materials in foods as a replacement for titanium dioxide (E171), say scientists.