Proteins

‘How many male chicks would not have to suffer culling as a result?’ - Study shows that chick eggs can be sexed by scent

25-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Fertilised chick eggs can be sexed by the “sniffing” of chemicals that they exude through their shells, a new study has found. The technique could lead to a better, more humane treatment of chicks, the researchers say.

Are you producing the world’s best steak?

25-May-2023 By Flora Southey

From fillet to sirloin, ribeye to Wagyu, the world’s best cuts will plated up in September for World Steak Challenge 2023.

What’s making a splash in alt dairy? Oatly, Stockeld Dreamery, and Willicroft talk plant-based innovation

24-May-2023 By Flora Southey

With the global dairy alternatives market projected to reach over $61bn by 2029, what started as a niche offering is now commonplace in household fridges. Innovators are leaning into new product formats and category expansion to grow alt dairy, so what’s...

Quorn owner inks first mycoprotein deal with maker of ‘next gen alternatives that don’t imitate meat’

24-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Marlow Foods’ newly set-up ingredients division is announcing its first supply deal for the same mycoprotein used in Quorn branded meat alternatives.

Upcycled fermented seaweed and rapeseed meal combined to develop new alternative protein

23-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In the food industry’s search for alternative protein sources, upcycled ingredients are becoming more useful and more popular. But it is often with difficulty that they are developed – upcycling products into edible and palatable foods often requires...

'Once the animals are trained, you can pop them out anywhere' - Virtual fence technology could make meat and dairy more sustainable

23-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Since agriculture first developed around 8,000 BC, fences have been vital to keep livestock reigned in. For Norwegian company Nofence, however, physical barriers are not necessary. Its technology uses GPS to provide an invisible barrier, or ‘virtual fence’,...

'The acceptability of insects is influenced by their visibility': Consumer perceptions of edible insects explored

22-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Edible insects have many benefits. They are a good source of alternative protein, a rival to plant-based meat; they are often considered more sustainable than conventional meat; some insects are even higher in protein than beef. However, many consumers...

Inside the dairy: How is ‘king of cheeses’ Parmigiano Reggiano made?

22-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Consumer turnover of Parmigiano Reggiano recently hit an all-time high of €2.9bn. What is it about this famed cheese that makes it unique? And as a premium product, what systems do producers put in place to protect against potential food fraud? FoodNavigator...

Protein Vision first speakers announced: Hear from Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat and more

18-May-2023 By Flora Southey

What’s the latest in alternative meat and dairy innovation? Join our expert speakers – including Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat, Those Vegan Cowboys and more – at Protein Vision 2023 to find out.

WATCH: Working with fungi to ‘break the plant-based ceiling’

17-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Libre Foods is working with both fungi fruiting bodies and mycelia to boost diversity, functionality, and taste in meat-free offerings, CEO Alan Iván Ramos tells FoodNavigator.

‘Food and feed safety risks are not static’ - How the Border Target Operating Model could impact Great Britain-Europe trade

16-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On 11 April, the UK government released the draft of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). The BTOM will, if accepted, have a significant influence on the import of food from Europe into Great Britain (Northern Ireland is not affected). An online...

Start-up looks to benefits of mother’s milk to bring new bioactive ingredient for medical food space

16-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Israel’s Exosomm has developed proprietary immune supportive natural exosomes from upcycled whey.

WATCH: Paleo talks animal-free myoglobin, regulatory challenges, and the ‘vegan’ opportunity

15-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The taste, appearance, and nutritional profile of plant-based meat analogues can be improved by a single ingredient, according to Belgian start-up Paleo: myoglobin. We catch up with co-founder and CEO Hermes Sanctorum to ask about this novel, animal-free...

NPD Trend Tracker: From vegan pepperoni pizza to wellness coffee

15-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

From hot-chocolate beads to oven-ready Italian food, from sugar-free plant-based milk to premium tiramisu, our latest NPD covers some of the most interesting products of the past week.

Why Europe’s climate-focussed food start-ups are defying the slowing global investment trend

12-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Start-ups in Europe with a bent towards finding solutions that promise to reduce the environmental footprint of the food system are resisting the rise of investor retrenchment globally, a new report claims.

Cultivated meat could emit 25 times more CO2e than conventional beef, finds research

12-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Fresh research out of the University of California, Davis suggests the global warming potential of cultured meat could be between 4-25 times higher than regular beef if a highly refined growth medium is used in its production.

Rapeseed cake can be altered to become an alternative protein source, study shows

11-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Rapeseed is very high in protein. The rapeseed cake, which is left over after the oil is extracted, contains a significant amount of the crucial nutrient. However, because of glucosinolate defence compounds that reduce its nutritional value, there are...

Nutri-Score fake news? Scientists counter frequent ‘misunderstandings’ about FOP label

11-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Is Nutri-Score opposed to the Mediterranean diet? Does the algorithm discriminate against traditional foods? And why doesn’t it take ultra-processing into account? Scientists and health professionals address Nutri-Score ‘misunderstandings’.

Meatable on market strategy, regulatory exemptions, and the ‘first of many’ tastings

11-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The Dutch food tech pioneer is working with regulators to bring cultivated meat to Europe. But in the meantime, Meatable is focused on Singapore, where a regulatory exemption was recently achieved to hold the ‘first of many’ tastings.

'Animal agriculture is extremely wasteful': Start-up makes 'carbon negative' protein using up to 500 times less land than animal agriculture

10-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Farmless claims to be making 'carbon negative' protein. The Dutch start-up has developed the means to make this protein using between 10 and 25 times less agricultural land than your average plant-based protein, and between 250 and 500 times...

WATCH: Collagen in functional food and drink – the next ‘hot trend’ after CBD?

10-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The collagen trend has been building over the last few years and Romain Quillot, co-founder of functional collagen food and drink brand Humble+, expects it to continue. We ask about the challenges of incorporating collagen into products, the functional...

DSM and Firmenich complete merger to become ‘trailblazer’ in nutrients, flavours, and fragrances

09-May-2023 By Flora Southey

One year after DSM and Firmenich announced plans to combine their food, beverage, and taste businesses, the merger is complete. The new company, dsm-firmenich, launches today.

‘Difficult to source’ purple spectrum to be produced via microbial fermentation at scale

09-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Danish maker of bio-based ingredients Octarine Bio and US cell programming company Ginkgo Bioworks have partnered up to engineer a strain for producing violacein and its derivatives.

Microalgae strain from volcanic hot springs has ‘protein-rich food’ potential

08-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Researchers have developed a method to produce a microalga strain containing two amino acids rarely found in such high levels in animal-free protein: cystine and methionine.

How next-gen protein innovators plan to win over consumers

08-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The taste and texture of meat and dairy analogues have come a long way. But according to alternative protein experts, ‘there is still room for improvement’. How will the next generation of innovators win over consumers, and what hurdles will they need...

‘New algorithm does not incentivise reformulation’: Nutri-Score pushback from soft drink makers

05-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Based on the new algorithm, a soft drink with a sugar level as low as 0.1g cannot score higher than Nutri-Score C, laments UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe.

Italian start-up takes on ‘iconic’ cheese market with almond-based alternatives

04-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Using Mediterranean almonds predominantly grown with rainwater, rather than their ‘intensively produced’ Californian counterparts, Italian start-up Dreamfarm is development plant-based alternatives to mozzarella and spreadable cheese.

Ultra-processing: The solution for safer, greener, more nutritious food?

03-May-2023 By Flora Southey

As criticism around ultra-processed food builds, a panel of nutritionists and food engineers argue the practice has huge potential in producing safer and environmentally sustainable nutrition to the masses.

PepsiCo talks HFSS renovation amid ‘positive nutrition’ boost

02-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Just short of 18 months after the beverage-to-snacks giant launched its pep+ strategy, we check in to ask what nutritional progress has been made – and what is still left to do – for PepsiCo to meet its end-to-end objectives.

Nutri-Score 3.0? Latest algorithm update could move milk-based beverages from A to D

01-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Following a Nutri-Score algorithm update late last year, France has announced another. This time, it concerns beverages.

‘Don’t eat homegrown eggs’: Consumers warned of contamination risk in France

01-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The health authority for France’s Île-de-France region, which includes the city of Paris, is warning citizens not to consume eggs sourced from domestic coops due to risk of persistent organic pollutant contamination.

Plant-based products that attempt to mimic the nutritional qualities of meat and dairy are ‘playing a losing game’

01-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

It’s time plant-based manufacturers stop talking about the healthy nutrients that plants don’t have and focus on those they do have, says influential Wageningen food scientist Atze Jan van der Goot.

‘The alternative protein space is coming to terms with the reality of what is needed to build self-sustaining businesses’: The challenge of scaling up plant-based production and manufacturing

28-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The recent Plant-Based Protein Manufacturing Summit in Amsterdam brought together leading businesses in the plant-based food and beverage industry with co-manufacturers, innovative equipment and solution providers to explore the challenges and opportunities...

Consumers don’t know what ‘ultra-processed’ food is, but know they don’t want it

27-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Fresh research suggests consumers struggle to distinguish between ultra-processed and other processed foods, but want to cut back on both. Is a lack of trust at play?

Heura unveils new tech for additive-free, high-protein plant-based food

25-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based company Heura, known for its meatless chorizo sausages, chorizo burgers, and chicken, has unveiled new technology to create high-protein plant-based meat, free of e-numbers.

Meat, eggs and milk play ‘vital’ role in meeting global nutrition targets: FAO

25-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Globally, the consumption of animal source foods including meat, eggs and milk can help to reduce stunting, wasting and overweight amongst children, according to a new UN report.

‘Milestone’ space experiment aims to develop resilient crops to help provide sufficient food amid climate crisis

24-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Last year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) sent seeds into space. The seeds have now returned and the organisations will begin new efforts to develop resilient crops that...

Meat alternatives made from plants or mycoprotein can lower ‘bad’ cholesterol, finds research

24-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Swapping out meat with plant-based alternatives is likely to benefit cholesterol levels, and over a two-year period, could reduce the risk of developing heart disease by a quarter, say researchers.

Texturized chickpea protein for meat alternatives a ‘first-of-its kind’ breakthrough

21-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Meat.The End claims to be introducing the first meat alternative burger to market made from texturized chickpea protein isolate, using its proprietary technology. We catch up with CEO Dr Yishai Mishor to ask what makes this development an industry first.

What do Brits think about plant-based meat?

20-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Survey findings suggest ‘meat alternatives are here to stay’, says Jeremy Coller, president of the alternative proteins trade association that commissioned the research.

Why keto and other specialist diets are a 'huge growth area for the food industry'

20-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Consumer interest in diets like keto, carnivore, paleo, and intermittent fasting is mounting. Do these trending diets offer long-term opportunities for food innovators?

‘Most shoppers don’t know what HFSS is’: Do consumers actually want healthy food and drink?

19-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey and Oliver Morrison

The answer is not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’, but nuanced, explains Flora Zwolinksi, senior insight manager at Lumina Intelligence.

GUEST ARTICLE

Industry Insights from NIZO: Can your microbial biomass bring health benefits and make you money?

19-Apr-2023 By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager

With consumers increasingly aware of the health consequences of their diet and businesses facing an increasingly challenging economic environment, is there a way to repurpose leftover microbes to help both groups?

'We have to focus on growing the category': Behind Quorn parent company's move to make its mycoprotein available to others

18-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Marlow Foods has unveiled plans to supply the protein in Quorn, mycoprotein, to other food and beverage manufacturers.

Aleph Farms prepares for initial product launch: the ‘world’s first’ cultivated steak

18-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

In preparation for the launch of its cultivated steak product, Aleph Farms has developed its first product brand: Aleph Cuts.

Sub-cultures, nutrition, influencers and affordability: How to appeal to Gen Z

17-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In some ways, the Gen Z market is just like any other market. Their nutritional needs are not radically different, or radically more restricted, than those older or younger than them. However, marketing to the generation of teenagers and twenty-somethings...

Blending meat with alt protein: Does the hybrid category have a future?

17-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

An overwhelming majority of delegates at FoodNavigator’s recent Positive Nutrition Summit see potential in the ‘hybrid’ category, but meat-free innovators are not convinced.

UK government invests £12m in sustainable protein hub

14-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The UK government has invested £12m (€13.57) in a new research centre to grow sustainable protein and cultivated meat. This will be the largest investment yet made by the government in sustainable proteins.

Fungi-based packaging: Meet the start-up replacing plastic with mycelia for ‘high performance’ alternative

13-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Israel-based MadeRight is leveraging fungi fermentation technology to turn ‘waste into gold’. Its innovative material addresses the performance ‘trade-offs’ inherent in sustainable packaging, co-founder Rotem Cahanovitc tells FoodNavigator.

Fish 2.0? EU funds wave of algae-based fish substitutes

12-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Smoked salmon, canned tuna, tarama spread and roes…made from algae? The ‘Seafood Alg-ternative’ project, with support from the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund, is working to transform algae into plant-based seafood substitutes.