Carbohydrates and fibres (sugar, starches)

The FoodNavigator Podcast: How innovation hopes to bring fun, sociability and indulgence to low/no drinks

15-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

What innovations are occurring that can elevate low/no alcohol beverages from simply being premium soft drinks into something that remains a pleasurable experience for consumers?

The researchers brewing lipids to transform waste into food

07-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Researchers say they are using ancient technology to turn agricultural waste into fats. They say the approach could help the sustainable protein industry recreate the flavours of meat and has the potential to replace palm oil or other tropical oils.

Has the UK’s sugar tax really worked for girls? And if so, why not boys?

27-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Additional strategies beyond a soft drinks levy will be needed to reduce obesity, particularly in older boys and younger children, according to new Cambridge University research that some have called ‘speculative’.

‘We evaluate this in terms of cost versus impact’: Ingredion outlines the ‘trade-offs’ needed to advance environmental sustainability

25-Jan-2023 By Katy Askew

Ingredion’s carbon reduction targets include a 25% cut in absolute GHG emissions by 2030. But progress isn’t always a linear journey and ‘trade-offs’ must sometimes be made as the food industry grapples with complex – and even competing – challenges,...

UK innovation agency report sets out future of reformulation recommendations

24-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Removing around 216 calories from the daily intake of people who are overweight or obese would set England on a path to halve obesity by 2030, according to research published by the innovation charity Nesta. The analysis found that it is possible to achieve...

KraftHeinz, Wyss Institute develop new approach to make sugar healthier: ‘We thought we’d come to the Wyss with an impossible problem, and they turned it on its head to present an even crazier idea to solve it’

22-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

In 2018, the KraftHeinz Company approached the Wyss Institute to develop a solution to sugar reduction that is workable in a food production setting. After four years of collaboration, the research team has developed an answer: enzymes that convert sugar...

How Weetabix Original plans to get to Net Zero by 2050: ‘It’s not a quick and easy thing to do’

14-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Weetabix Food Company has committed to producing a zero-carbon box of Weetabix Original breakfast cereal by 2050. John Petre, supply chain, procurement and technical director at the Weetabix Food Company, explains how.

More trees, less land: How Brazil’s orange juice sector tripled its productivity

09-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Players in Brazil’s orange juice industry have been investigating a technique known as densification, whereby more citrus trees are planted in the same area to increase yield. We catch up with CitrusBR’s Tatiana Campos to learn about the productivity...

From mood-boosting algae to plant-based ‘egg’ powder: Which innovations caught our eye at FiE 2022?

07-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

Food ingredients are taking centre-stage in Paris this week, and FoodNavigator is on the ground speaking with newcomers to the B2B market.

Plant-based ‘honey without bees’ prepares to create a buzz in Europe

02-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

US-based MeliBio is partnering with organic food producer Narayan Foods to bring its plant-based bee-free honey product to Europe under the Better Foodie brand.

Orange juice developed with 30% less sugar, more fibre, but ‘original taste’

18-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

Louis Dreyfus Company has developed a not-from-concentrate orange juice with less sugar, more fibre, while preserving its original taste and vitamin C level.

Bee-free honey developed via precision fermentation for global market

15-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

In the Netherlands, Fooditive is working on another novel ingredient: a precision fermentation-derived honey alternative. We catch up with founder Moayad Abushokhedim, who talks enzymes, sweeteners, and target markets.

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’.

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.

The keto diet and mental health: how closely should the food industry watch this trend?

06-Oct-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Most consumers go keto – often-tipped as the next big diet trend – to lose weight. But proponents hope it can gain favour amid growing awareness of the relationship between diet and mental health and wellness.

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.

Don’t fear consumer neophobia when designing upcycled food products, experts stress

27-Sep-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Food manufacturers should be bolder and braver about using ingredients from new side-streams and by-products, FoodNavigator’s Climate Smart Food has heard.

New research project converts fruit waste into natural ingredients

21-Sep-2022 By Natasha Spencer

AINIA, the Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology, and Productos Lácteos Romar embark on a new project to turn citrus, watermelon and kaki waste into functional food items.

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?

Could faba replace soy flour in bread for homegrown protein boost?

26-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

The potential for locally grown faba bean to increase the protein content in store-bought bread is being investigated by researchers in the UK.

Researchers unveil biosensor that detects hidden rot in potatoes

24-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

The innovation is a novel step to prevent looming food crisis, claim scientists.

Climate-resilient African crops to improve nutritional deficiency via gluten-free crackers

22-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

A European-African project is investigating the potential for local crops to improve the nutritional profile of gluten-free crackers in Africa.

How can food and beverage brands make fibre sexy?

17-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Supporting gut bacteria and bowel health may not be the most appealing claims to market on-pack, but ingredients experts say consumer perceptions can be changed – if they haven't already.

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.

Pizza brand experiments with fruity toppings range

15-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Chicago Town claims fruit is now one of the UK’s go-to pizza toppings, and not just pineapple.

Using genomics to tackle malnutrition in Africa: ‘It’s revolutionising the agricultural sector’

02-Aug-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Companies are exploring the potential of genetic engineering to boost the nutritional content, productivity and climatic adaptability of so-called orphan crops in the continent.

Gavan’s zero waste continuous extraction platform: ‘No part of the plant is left out’

26-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Israeli start-up Gavan Technologies has developed a novel continuous extraction method that utilises the entire plant. FoodNavigator caught up with CEO Itai Cohen to learn more.

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...

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.

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.

‘The health of people and our planet go hand-in-hand’: How conscientious consumption is driving sustainable nutrition

15-Jun-2022 By Katy Askew

Sustainable nutrition is key to the future of people and the planet. Providing it is an important opportunity for the food and beverage sector to engage with shoppers who are ever more focused on conscientious consumption, FoodNavigator hears.

UK HFSS restrictions delay met with relief and dismay

19-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

In a move which has satisfied trade bodies but disheartened health campaigners and some challenger brands, the UK government has announced a one-year delay to the proposed ban on buy-one-get-one-free deals for foods high in fat, salt or sugar.

How to bring smallholders on the journey to zero-deforestation food systems

12-May-2022 By Katy Askew

To combat deforestation, interventions must support both development and inclusion. Smallholders need to be brought on the journey towards zero deforestation. A new research collaboration aims to assess what programmes see most success on these dual deliverables.

Research takes aim at social media influencers peddling unhealthy products

09-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Most food and drink content posted by German influencers on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube is so unhealthy it fails World Health Organisation (WHO) advertising standards for children, claims research from the Medical University of Vienna.

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.

‘This is no longer moonshot technology’: Swiss venture raises $8m to ‘de-bottleneck’ food fermentation industry

20-Apr-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Geneva-based company planetary has closed on of the largest seed rounds of a European food company, collecting CHF 7.5m (€7.3), led by impact investor Astanor Ventures, with participation from XAnge, Blue Horizon, Nucleus Capital, Exceptional Ventures...

‘There is a lot of carbohydrate bashing going around’: Calls for new carb scoring system

13-Apr-2022 By Oliver Morrison

A team of world-renowned experts in carbohydrate research is proposing what it calls ‘a novel, innovative approach’ to measuring the quality of dietary value of carbohydrate foods.

Feeding the ‘first brain’: How and why F&B is innovating for wellness

30-Mar-2022 By Flora Southey

If the gut is in fact the ‘first brain’, it makes sense to nourish it. From prebiotics to postbiotics, FoodNavigator hears how and why F&B players are innovating with gut health and immunity front-of-mind.

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.

Salt campaigners take aim at meal deal snacks

15-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Almost three quarters (70%) of snacks included in meal deals sold on the high street are dangerously high in saturated fat, salt and sugar (HFSS), complains new research from Action on Salt, with some contributing to a third of an adult’s maximum daily...

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