Proteins

Are protein bars and powders damaging to gut health?

21-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

High-protein products and gut health represent two of the biggest food trends of the last decade, but is one bad for the other?

From peas to pintos: The new ingredients being tested in plant-based dairy

21-May-2024 By Flora Southey

Researchers are looking beyond soy and oat for plant-based dairy innovation. Which ingredients are being put under the microscope?

The next dairy 'superfood' could be... fortified buffalo yogurt

20-May-2024 By Teodora Lyubomirova

A nutritional powerhouse that packs more protein and less cholesterol than cow's milk yogurt, buffalo yogurt is ripe for functional innovation, a study suggests.

How 'buttery' cultivated bluefin tuna is made, and served raw

20-May-2024 By Flora Southey

Wanda Fish has succeeded where most have failed; the start-up has grown ‘very challenging’ bluefin tuna cell lines for cultivated fish production.

Disgust still poses major barrier to adoption of insect protein

16-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Despite a range of benefits, insect protein has faced strong barriers to adoption. This is largely due to consumer disgust, but some demographics are more put off than others.

How brands communicate gut health benefits, creatively

15-May-2024 By Flora Southey

In Europe, food and drink makers tapping into the gut health trend find themselves hamstrung by health claims regulations. How can they communicate benefits, without breaking the law?

A world first: How Albert Heijn shares climate footprints to the ingredient level

14-May-2024 By Flora Southey

The Dutch supermarket retailer has become the world’s first to share its products’ climate footprints – to the ingredient level – with consumers. Here’s how.

Beyond Meat ‘scaling down’ after revenue decline, but remains ‘bullish’ in Europe

13-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based pioneer Beyond Meat has seen further declines in revenue, and is scaling down its operations. However, the Beyond Burger maker remains ‘bullish’ in some areas, including the European market.

NPD Trend Tracker: From plant-based ice-cream to gluten-free fast food

13-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On our NPD Trend Tracker this week, we have a range of new products from big brands; new flavours from Kettle Chips, plant-based thighs from This, plant-based ice cream from Flora Professional, and a gluten free range from Leon. We also have a collaboration...

'Healthy longevity' trend: The food and drink potential

13-May-2024 By Flora Southey

As ageing population numbers rise in Europe, an opportunity is opening in food and beverage. How can industry best tap into the ‘healthy longevity’ trend?

Peanut shortage: What caused it and is it set to last?

25-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Peanuts are by far the most consumed nut (technically a legume) globally, but a recent shortage has caused concern for manufacturers. How serious is the issue and how long will it last?

Feeling Smug? Behind Kerry’s launch into hybrid dairy

25-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Kerry Dairy Consumer Foods is bringing ‘real innovation’ to dairy with a range of hybrid products – and tongue-in-cheek branding.

The ‘next generation’ of cultivated seafood? Affordable species from trout to seabass

24-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Unblocking persistent bottlenecks in cultivated protein is the aim of the game for Sea2Cell, a ‘next generation’ cultured seafood start-up targeting affordable fish species.

Are plant-based meats low in protein?

24-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Meat-free alternatives to burgers, sausages and steaks have become popular in recent years as consumers look to reduce their meat consumption. But do these meat-free alternatives offer the same benefits as meat itself?

Are children better at NPD for other children than adults are?

24-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

During product development, it has been speculated, children can be better judges of what their fellow children will like than adults. A new study puts this to the test.

What are consumer attitudes to faba beans?

23-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Faba beans are a useful ingredient across a range of foods, although sensory challenges can harm their uptake. A new study explores consumers’ attitudes to faba beans in different forms.

Novonesis F&B chief on post-merger strategy: ‘We’re now reaching 2bn consumers a day’

22-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

How will the merger between Chr Hansen and Novozymes impact their now joint food and beverage division?

Animal-free dairy seeks EFSA approval: What we know so far

17-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Precision fermentation-derived dairy players have started submitting novel food applications for pre-market approval in the EU.

Could keto diet delay early Alzheimer's?

16-Apr-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The keto diet has been linked to multiple health benefits, including lowered blood pressure and reduced blood sugar, but could it also help to combat the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease?

Inside Danone’s methane strategy: ‘This is the most immediate opportunity we have to slow global warming’

15-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Methane reduction may not be well understood by consumers, but Danone wants to bring them along on the journey.

Royal Cosun bets on potatoes and sugar beet for plant-based alternatives

12-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Processing potatoes and sugar beet en masse, agricultural cooperative Royal Cosun is able to use these crops as plant-based ingredients.

France suspends ban on ‘meaty’ names for plant-based alternatives

11-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Less than one month out, an upcoming ban on the use of ‘steak’, ‘sausage’ and ‘bacon’ terms for French plant-based meat products has been postponed.

Free from: Allergen contamination can never be ruled out 100%

09-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

The free-from category caters to consumers with food allergies and intolerances, but contamination risk is always a possibility.

Why Portugal is officially adopting Nutri-Score

08-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Portugal has become the eighth country in Europe to officially adopt Nutri-Score.

How KFC is reformulating the classics to cut fat, salt and sugar

05-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

From burgers to fries, the QSR major is cutting calories from menus in the UK and Ireland. Which reformulation strategies are at play?

Cultivated quail: Yet another lab-grown meat greenlit outside of EU

04-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

The latest victory for cultivated meat shines a light on the situation in the EU, where not one novel food application for cell-based meat has been submitted for regulatory approval.

Dairy in potatoes? Molecular farming newcomer teaches spuds to act like mammals

03-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Molecular farming newcomer Finally Foods is emerging from stealth mode to produce casein from plants – with the help of AI.

No, consumers aren’t shunning plant-based meat for the real thing

02-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

Consumer appetite for plant-based meat may have waned, but they’re still eating meat-free.

Animal-free collagen: The food and drink potential

28-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

As demand for collagen ‘surges’, will its animal-free alternative edge further into food and drink?

Danone, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz baby food ‘unfit for promotion’: ATNI

27-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

In fact, none of the 1,297 complementary foods tested from six companies were up to scratch, according to the Access to Nutrition Initiative. The food makers disagree.

Chocolate made from faba beans? ‘We’ve developed a brand-new ingredient’

25-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

Unlike some other cocoa-free chocolate powders entering the market, this invention relies on just one raw material: the humble broad bean.

Behind FrieslandCampina’s foray into lab made lactoferrin

21-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

FrieslandCampina Ingredients is expanding its precision fermentation focus beyond HMOs. But will parents be open to feeding their babies precision fermentation-derived dairy?

Are ultra-processed plant-based burgers healthy? WHO investigates

21-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

The World Health Organization has funded research analysing the nutritional composition of ultra-processed plant-based burgers, and the findings are out.

How is animal-free collagen made and does it work?

20-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

From plant-based to slaughter-free, we ask innovators how they make collagen – without the cow.

From non-HFSS cereals to desserts: How unlikely foods hit the sweet spot with regulators

20-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

How are brands cutting fat, salt, and sugar from popular product categories to hit the mark with both policymakers and consumers?

Why precision fermentation competitors Formo and Those Vegan Cowboys are joining forces

19-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

Two producers of precision fermentation-derived dairy – developing products within the same category – have decided to work together, rather than in strict competition with each other.

Unilever to get out of ice cream, immediately

19-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

The owner of Wall’s, Magnum and Ben & Jerry’s will begin the spin-off right away, with plans to complete by the end of 2025.

Plant-based: Why some consumers make the switch and others steer clear

15-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Plant-based diets have grown in popularity in recent years, so what’s encouraging the increased interest in plant-based alternatives and why might others avoid them?

‘World’s first’ meat-free octopus tentacles mimic ‘intense colour and distinct suckers’

15-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

You’ve heard of plant-based burgers, vegan nuggets, and perhaps even fish-free tuna. But whole cut meat-free octopus tentacles, with ‘distinct suckers’ to boot?

Gut health: Why this consumer trend is here to stay

14-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Consumer appetite for gut-health friendly foods shows no signs of abating as understanding of its impact on overall health continues to grow. But how will this trend evolve and grow in the future?

Is hemp the next functional food in vegetarian nutrition?

14-Mar-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Joilliffe

As regulatory restrictions ease, researchers studying Cannabis sativa L. identify its nutritional benefits and potential in vegetarian diets while highlighting the need for clarity on the safety of some concentrated extracts.

Non-HFSS doughnuts: Which nutrient is toughest to cut when reinventing the wheel?

13-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

It’s very difficult to ‘crack’ better-for-you indulgence, according to maker of HFSS compliant doughnuts Urban Legend. Here’s how founder and ex-Graze CEO Anthony Fletcher claims to have done it.

Single-ingredient meat analogue developed in ‘happy accident’: ‘We’re the first and only ones doing this’

12-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

Although developing meat alternatives from a single ingredient was not Nosh Bio’s initial aim, the start-up very quickly realised it had something ‘super powerful’ on its hands.

Is a high-protein diet damaging to heart health?

11-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

From building lean muscle to repairing body tissue, protein has been proven to provide a multitude of benefits. But could too much protein be damaging to your heart?

NPD Trend Tracker: From gut-friendly sweets and flapjacks to edible insects

11-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Healthy living is firmly on the agenda in this week’s new product roundup: There are immunity-boosting drinks, gut-friendly sweets and flapjacks, and an alternative protein source in the form of edible insects. Elsewhere we have a sparkling lemonade that's...

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