Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Start-up cuts 70% sugar with sweetener-free substitute: ‘It’s a plug-and-play solution’

09-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Resugar has developed a 1:1 sugar substitute for food manufacturers, and ice cream major Froneri – owner of the Nestlé-Froneri brand in Israel – is amongst its first clients.

Valio leverages AI and dairy proteins for 30% sugar reduction in milk chocolate: ‘The taste remains the same’

07-Nov-2022 By Katy Askew

Dairy company Valio is using the power of artificial intelligence to design a milk chocolate that it describes as ‘future proof’.

Barry Callebaut unwraps ‘second generation’ of chocolate: ‘It gives a cocoa bite, instead of a sweet bite’

03-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

The chocolate major is ‘redesigning’ how it farms, ferments, and roasts cocoa beans to develop a range of chocolate. We ask Bas Smit, Vice-President, Global Marketing and R&D, how the company is putting ‘cocoa first, sugar last’.

Better Juice opens full-scale manufacturing plant to tackle sugar content in fruit juice

02-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Food tech startup Better Juice has opened its first full-scale manufacturing plant to enable commercial production of its patented sugar reduction technology, which can reduce sugar content in juice products by 30-80%.

Rare sugars expert announces sweetener breakthrough

26-Oct-2022 By Oliver Morrison

European industrial biotechnology specialist BRAIN Biotech has teamed up with Bonumose to bring the rare sugars expert’s sweetener tagatose to market globally.

BlueTree: Meet the start-up filtering out disaccharides to cut sugar but leave taste

19-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Unlike most sugar reduction solutions on the market, BlueTree Technologies isn’t replacing sugar with a substitute. Meet the Israeli start-up working with ‘simple’ technology to remove disaccharides from milk and juice.

How Givaudan is re-thinking sugar reduction: ‘Holistic profiling is not about replacing the sugar experience’

11-Oct-2022 By Katy Askew

Givaudan has developed a ‘radical approach’ that it says can assist efforts to reduce the amount of sugar in products: ‘holistic profiling’. FoodNavigator hears more about how this new technique represents a departure from conventional approaches to cutting...

Cutting 80% sugar with a multi-ingredient formula: ‘Unlike current sugar substitutes, there is no compromise on taste’

10-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Meet Sweet Balance: the Israeli start-up developing customisable ‘building block’ sugar substitutes for the food and beverage industry.

Kellogg’s invests in reformulation, new ingredients, and packaging design in UK

10-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

The breakfast cereal and snacks major has opened a new food innovation centre in northern England, dedicated to food development and packaging design.

Kraft Heinz teams up with start-up accelerator to drive innovation: ‘We can create win-wins’

29-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

The partnership will see The Kraft Heinz Company team up with agri-food tech accelerator StartLife to help meet consumer expectations across its portfolio, Miriam Ueberall, VP R&D International, Kraft Heinz, tells FoodNavigator.

Plant-based innovators push back at ‘ultra-processed, ultra-unhealthy’ critique

28-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Vegetarian diets are often characterised as healthy options delivering higher nutritional quality. But the surge seen in recent years of plant-based analogue products that many classify as ultra-processed has placed this reputation under pressure. Are...

Personalisation, the microbiome and the future of food: ‘We’ve only been able to scratch the surface of what’s possible’

27-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

As the scientific understanding of microbiome health deepens, experts are predicting it will unlock the possibility of truly personalised nutrition that delivers specific health outcomes. But there is a long way to go before this vision becomes a reality.

Do artificial sweeteners increase risk of cardiovascular diseases?

15-Sep-2022 By Flora Southey

A ‘potential direct’ link between artificial sweetener intake and increased cardiovascular disease risk has been suggested by researchers, but industry is fighting back: “There is no causal evidence that low/no calorie sweeteners could increase the risk...

Will novel rare sugar allulose resonate with European consumers?

31-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

Allulose, a novel rare sugar, is currently making its way through the Novel Foods process to gain regulatory approval in Europe. Does it have the characteristics that European shoppers are looking for in sweeteners?

Cocoa-free chocolate developed from oleaginous yeast and fermented oats: ‘There is no chance consumers could taste the difference’

22-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Brother-sister duo Dr Maximilian and Dr Sara Marquart are working to ease the pressure on cocoa supply chains with an alternative developed via traditional and precision fermentation techniques. FoodNavigator catches up with one half of the ‘chocolate...

Non-nutritive sweeteners back in the spotlight as new study challenges notion they are inert and says they can impact glycemic tolerance

19-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

A new study – published a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded a cautionary note about the long-term effects of zero-calorie sweeteners such as sucralose and saccharin – suggests some diet sweeteners are not inert and can alter the...

Nutri-Score blocks ‘health-halo’ effects caused by claims on sugar, but should such claims be allowed at all?

18-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Fresh research out of Germany suggests the nutrition labelling scheme can prevent products from appearing healthier than they really are.

One ingredient that can do it all? Bio-based hydrocolloid developed to ‘clean’ up plant-based

16-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

German start-up Bioweg claims its bio-based hydrocolloid made from bacterial cellulose can improve taste, texture, and appearance of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives.

Which Reb M production method is best for the environment? Ingredion LCA probes stevia sustainability metrics

10-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

What’s more sustainable? Using acres of land, water and energy to grow plants that produce minuscule quantities of natural sweeteners; or making them via a fermentation process using a microbe that’s been engineered to produce exactly the same molecules?

Scientists identify low calorie sweetener that improves gut health

05-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

In search for a ‘better sweetener’, researchers have identified a low-calorie mixture that they claim is as sweet as table sugar and also good for your gut microbiome.

How is clean label evolving? Mintel talks regulation, processing, and linking ‘clean with green’

04-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

The ‘clean label’ trend does not remain stagnant. Mintel’s Emma Schofield, Associate Director, Global Food Science, reveals how the trend is evolving in the face of changing regulation, interest is degrees of processing, and environmentally friendly consumers.

How sugar taxes can benefit both human and planetary health

27-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

Redirecting existing sugar cropland to ethanol production can yield significant greenhouse gas emission savings, according to fresh research out of Barcelona.

‘We see huge potential all over Europe’: Better Juice sets up pilot facility in Germany for sugar reduction tech

20-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

The Israeli start-up has established a pilot facility at GEA’s innovation centre in Ahaus, Germany. FoodNavigator asks Better Juice co-CEO Eran Blachinsky about the strategy.

Clean label claims boost sales, but what categories benefit most?

20-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

The clean label ingredients market is witnessing continued growth, with evidence suggesting clean labels increase consumer willingness to pay a higher price point and build loyalty. FoodNavigator digs down into the trend to profile what categories and...

WHO: Non nutritive sweeteners should ‘not be used as a means of achieving weight control or reducing risk of non-communicable diseases’

16-Jul-2022 By Elaine Watson

Non-nutritive sweeteners such as stevia and sucralose are not a panacea, but new recommendations from the World Health Organization (WHO) questioning their value do a “disservice to public health” by failing to recognize their role in sugar/energy reduction...

Why Unilever is introducing ‘mini’ coconut trees to safeguard supply

14-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Unilever has introduced a project that it hopes will improve livelihoods and safety in the Indonesian coconut sector, while also securing future supplies of this versatile palm fruit. The European consumer goods giant is helping to introduce a specially...

Pass the salt? Adding table salt before eating linked to higher risk of premature death

11-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

Fresh research has found that people who add extra salt to their food at the table are at a higher risk of dying prematurely from any cause.

UK dentists call for sweeping action on ‘as sugary as Cola’ baby pouches

08-Jul-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The British Dental Association has warned that what it calls ‘obscene’ levels of sugar in popular baby food pouches underline the need for wide-ranging government action across the early years’ food and drink sector.

What do consumers want from dairy-free chocolate? ‘Plants and indulgence can go hand-in-hand’

28-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

With vegan chocolate ‘transitioning into the mainstream’, ingredient supplier Beneo is investigating what European consumers want and need from the category.

Consumer appetite for unhealthy food remains strong, poll reveals: ‘This demonstrates the need for brands to innovate’

24-Jun-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Nine in 10 UK shoppers would still buy sweets or chocolate if they weren’t on offer, yet most consumers think that less fat, sugar and salt in supermarket foods is a good idea.

Givaudan helps Sweet Victory block sugar cravings in kids with ‘tutti-frutti’ gum

23-Jun-2022 By Flora Southey

The Swiss flavours and fragrances company has leveraged its flavour-masking expertise to address the bitterness of Sweet Victory’s botanical-infused chewing gum for kids.

Tate & Lyle collaborates with UAE to support sugar and calorie reduction

23-Jun-2022 By Katy Askew

Tate & Lyle is taking part in an initiative to support sugar and calorie reduction in the UAE and Middle East region more generally.

Firmenich and DSM merger creates ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing

31-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Firmenich and DSM have revealed plans to merge the two companies in a move that they believe will create an ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing.

Sweegen wins stevia Reb M patent battle… but Ingredion set to appeal

25-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Ingredient supplier Sweegen hailed its victory against PureCircle in a stevia Rebaudioside M (Reb M) patent battle as opening the door to ‘major expansion’ opportunities. However, FoodNavigator understands PureCircle owner Ingredion is already preparing...

Plastic-free chewing gum hopes to challenge 'synthetic' standards

20-Apr-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The founder of UK-based ‘super natural’ chewing gum start-up Milliways is also calling for a single-use plastic levy to make it easier for consumers to switch to a ‘more sustainable’ option.

How to turn the tide on ‘underused’ sugar taxation in Europe?

25-Mar-2022 By Flora Southey

With just 19% of countries in the WHO European Region having introduced SSB taxes, a new study has sought to identify what works and what doesn’t – to encourage effective implementation.

Scraping social media for hot beverage trends

23-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Love them or loath them, social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram offer fertile ground where brands can spot quickly emerging food and beverage trends that can guide product development.

New tech in sugar reduction

23-Mar-2022 By Rachel Arthur

We take a look at some of the latest developments in sugar reduction technology.

The FoodNavigator Podcast: How big is the healthy ageing opportunity?

17-Feb-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Is the industry ignoring the growing numbers of older people? Or do older people just not want to be directly targeted by the food sector? FoodNavigator investigates.

Codex adopts framework for steviol glycosides: ‘This benefits the entire stevia industry’

20-Jan-2022 By Katy Askew

International food standards body Codex Alimentarius has adopted a Framework for steviol glycosides that encompasses four different production technologies in a move that is expected to ‘benefit the entire stevia industry’.

The 'craving-crushing' botanically charged chewing gum that curbs sugar urges for two hours

19-Jan-2022 By Oliver Morrison

An Israeli start-up has unveiled a chewing gum designed to stop sugary treat cravings in their tracks.

Long-term study alludes to artificial sweeteners and cognitive decline link

15-Dec-2021 By Nicola Gordon-Seymour

Results of a Spanish study appear to corroborate a link between artificial sweeteners and impaired metabolism and oxidative stress, which can exacerbate cognitive decline (CD).

‘Their numbers are growing but they are unserved by NPD‘: Beneo spots ‘huge potential‘ in the over 55s

14-Dec-2021 By Oliver Morrison

Older consumers are a growing cohort -- though a pitiful number of new products specifically target them, it’s claimed. Supplier Beneo therefore sees ‘huge potential‘ for its functional ingredients aimed at this group.

Allulose approval in Europe to be sought by new ingredients consortium

07-Dec-2021 By Flora Southey

Ingredients companies have joined forces to help bring rare sugar allulose to the European and UK markets.

Chr. Hansen converts lactose into glucose to reduce added sugar content in dairy

16-Nov-2021 By Flora Southey

Chr. Hansen is leveraging fermentation technology to enhance the perception of sweetness in yogurt products.

‘Welding’ tech eliminates sugar binders in snacks category: ‘We’re the game changer of the snacking industry’

08-Nov-2021 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Torr Foodtech is replacing sugar binders with mechanical pressure and ultrasonic energy to ‘weld’ natural ingredients together in snacks.

Sweegen to launch high intensity sweetener brazzein in 2022

04-Oct-2021 By Elaine Watson

Sweegen will expand its high-intensity sweeteners portfolio early next year with the addition of brazzein, an ultra-sweet tasting protein found in small quantities in the fruit of a West African plant called oubli, that can be produced on a commercial...

FoodNavigator

Resources