News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
We catch up with Sebastian Emig, director general of the European Snacks Association (ESA) to find out why he is excited about the upcoming elections for the new European Parliament. He also talks about the Green Deal and SNACKEX 2024: an event not to be...
FNA FOOD AND BEVERAGE TRAILBLAZERS EP 49
Singapore cultivated seafood firm Umami Bioworks believes that strategic mergers are crucial to overcome doubts about the sector and achieve buy-in from major brands which can help the category scale-up.
With the recent launch of an AI-powered Smart Assistant, leading business-to-business e-commerce platform Alibaba.com wants to help level the playing field and increase the odds of success for small and medium enterprises and solopreneurs by simplifying...
Regulations
As many know, the cocoa industry is sometimes opaque and complex. Still, confessed chocolate-lover Jon Trask, who is also CEO of Dimitra, says his company's recently developed Blockchain Deforestation Platform could provide a solution to help farmers...
As arguments rage about the use of ‘meaty’ or ‘dairy-like’ names for plant-based versions of animal-based foods, we ask could plant-based sector momentum be improved if meat and dairy alternatives avoid imitating the names of animal-based products.
Plastic pollution is a global concern, with an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic enters the marine environment every year, wreaking havoc on the planet, ocean-life, and even humans. What role can innovation in food and beverage packaging play in...
Under a new CEO and with peak-pandemic receding farther into the background, the Consumer Brands Association is “going back to the future” to focus on core values that, while still priorities in recent years, took a backseat during the chaos of COVID and...
FoodNavigator’s recent Positive Nutrition Summit, a face-to-face event held in London in March, heard how innovative new R&D strategies and ingredient solutions are unlocking opportunities to cut salt, fat or sugar without sacrificing taste. Listen here...
Where once healthy diets focused on weight loss alone, today’s consumers want more from their food and drink. Enter holistic nutrition, which aims to enhance people’s wellbeing – whether that be improving sleep, stress, mood or digestion. How are brands...
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?
Johan Sanders, president of the Federation of European Manufacturers and Suppliers of Ingredients to the Bakery, Confectionery and Patisserie Industries is a believer that being one market will help the industry through its current quagmire of challenges.
Plant-based infant formula takes a tiny share of the market, all the while plant-based in adult nutrition is booming. FoodNavigator speaks to Danone, Sprout Organic, and Mills & Reeve to find out which plant-based options are available for infants in...
Dr Tom Simmons, founder and CEO of The Supplant Company, spent a decade in academic research around waste reduction before turning his attention to create a high fibre sugar that cooks, bakes and caramelises just like traditional sugar, but with fewer...
Food and beverage manufacturers are looking for ingredients that can tap into demand from end consumers for natural solutions associated with mental wellbeing benefits, FoodNavigator hears.
EU legislation on acrylamide is set to be renewed next year, meaning its crunch time for a number of manufacturers who are still producing biscuits and cookies with acrylamide levels above the 350 ppb benchmark level (BML).
How is the ‘clean label’ trend evolving? FoodNavigator invites Mintel, SAFE, and Yuka onto the podcast to discuss ultra-processed foods, the definition of ‘natural’, and what exactly shoppers want from food and drink.
In this episode we’re investigating the opportunity potentially presented by quickly evolving virtual reality technology.
The FoodNavigator Podcast speaks to the Consumer Goods Forum about what the food and beverage industry is doing to tackle plastic pollution and work towards a future free from plastic waste.
PepsiCo has developed groundbreaking tech for condensing and treating the steam evaporated from its fryers to recover more than 50% of the water used in potato chip manufacturing lines, an approach that could save 60 million litres of water a year.
From post-Arabica coffee to single-origin tea and completely traceable hot chocolate from bean to cup, what’s trending in the hot beverage category? FoodNavigator asks industry experts.
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.
Which agricultural production method, organic or GM, will ensure long term human and planetary health? The FoodNavigator Podcast investigates.
Bananas are not doomed, say experts. But their survival depends largely on retailers and consumers being prepared to pay more for their bananas, and the sector exploring different varieties.
The UK is poised for the implementation of new junk food marketing and promotional restrictions next year. This is a 'total game-changer' for healthy kids food, the FoodNavigator Podcast hears.
From forced labour to deforestation, FMCGs are committed to eliminating unethical practices in their supply chains. How is food tech helping them get there? In our latest edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we talk transparency in global supply chains...
Knowledge about the relationship between the gut, the gut microbiome, and overall health is moving at a rapid clip. Healthy gut equals healthy body, right? So what’s the best diet for gut health? What kind of products, ingredients and formats might meet...
Millet, sorghum, buckwheat, amaranth… Are these exotic sounding crops a realistic solution to the world’s food crisis?
The food industry is under pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. The UK has a voluntary target for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020. This is unlikely to be met and campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar...
CBD is the latest hot ingredient to infiltrate the food sector, and agile start-ups have been quick to jump onboard. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we speak with the founders of three UK-based food start-ups to get their perspectives on...
The food industry is under massive pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. And in light of the voluntary target in the UK for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020 unlikely to be met, campaigners are increasingly demanding that...
Innovators are looking to address food waste with technology, community, and original business models. The FoodNavigator Podcast hears from recipe box company Gousto, anti-food waste app Olio, and UK charity FareShare to find out more.
The coronavirus pandemic has touched every part of our lives. With the social and economic consequences still largely to be felt, many commentators suggest it will mark a before and after point for society. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast,...
Turmeric, pumpkin seeds and probiotics will be the new ingredient kids on the block – especially during these uncertain times when focus is on health and snacking has become more prevalent than ever – according to Cargill’s research to find out consumer...
Cultured meat is experiencing a wave of investment and interest of late but some proteins are being focused on more than others.
Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast
Fair trade standards should become watchdogs instead of the benchmark for sustainability, argues the recently appointed head of sustainable commodities NGO Solidaridad.
Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast
Mondelēz International’s Cocoa Life sustainability program aims to strengthen the company’s supply chain and the Cadbury maker’s on-pack claims are only to signal brands contain sustainable cocoa, says Cathy Pieters, the director of the program.
Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast
Thousands of child labourers work in coffee, but the true levels remain under-researched. Lumina Intelligence speaks to the Sustainable Coffee Challenge about the worst forms of child labour.
Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard on sustainable cocoa will help mainstream ethical cocoa, says the chair of the standard, while an NGO worries uptake will be limited.
This week’s Dairy Dialog podcast sees us discussing alternative energy, in the form of cow manure, with Arla Foods’ Swedish market head, Patrik Hansson, and Erik Bratthall, Head of Press.
Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast
The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) argues palm oil boycotts pave the way for unsustainable alternatives, but Greenpeace says that if the palm industry operates as usual, brands are left with little choice.
Sustainable Food & Drink Podcast
The World Cocoa Farmers Organization (WCFO) is asking Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire to reconsider setting a minimum cocoa price, while the International Cocoa Organization (ICCO) is suprised the price was not higher.
SUSTAINABLE FOOD & DRINK PODCAST – EPISODE TWO
Rick Scobey, the president of the World Cocoa Foundation (WCF), outlines how cocoa outside sustainability programmes can be deforestation-free and what happens to farmers encroaching on protected areas.
Podcast
There’s a trend towards smaller pack sizes in the soft drinks industry, offering more choice for consumers and opening up new avenues of innovation for packaging companies. In this podcast we take a look at a big shift towards small packs.
Editor's Spotlight: The Nutra News Review
It's not easy to keep up with the fast pace of the news, but the weekly Nutra News Review is your best shot. Our editors run down their weekly news highlights - giving you the inside track on the top news and analysis from the last seven days.
20 minute podcast
The European and US chocolate industry holds power in cocoa and is able to set the agenda for sustainability on its terms, says Dr. Kristy Leissle.
Images of mom preparing dinner alone in the kitchen for her busy family have been a staple in food and beverage marketing for decades, but new consumer research from the Benenson Strategy Group suggests brands that continue to recycle this theme are...
New ‘traditional use’ system could be source of new 13.1 claims
Simplification and centralisation of the European novel foods process means applications based on traditional use will soon be allowed – Resulting in shorter and cheaper routes to market, and the potential for using new fruits and juices that could come...
Despite significant headwinds generated by the escalating war on sugar and increasing consumer preferences for healthy products, the confectionery industry is holding its own with sales climbing 1.2% in the last year to reach a whopping $25 billion,...
The UK has announced a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages. But how hard will it hit the industry? How effective will the tax be at tackling childhood obesity? And could the tax be extended to other food categories? We take a look at the big questions...
Our teams of journalists were out in force at Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) last week. We’ve picked out some of our highlights from over one thousand exhibitors, a packed conference programme and talks on industry insights.