From the rise of foodtech to the end of the commodities era; from the organic sector's boom to the Mediterranean diet's bust, these are the most read stories on FoodNavigator this year so far.
From the rise of foodtech to the end of the commodities era; from the organic sector's boom to the Mediterranean diet's bust, click through the slides below to see the most read stories on FoodNavigator this year so far.
In this article, FoodNavigator looked at the five mega-trends that are set to influence the future of innovation in the food sector.
The top trend is the emergence start-ups and local players that are increasingly setting the pace of innovation. Big food companies are watching closely…
The rise of health conscious consumers looking for healthy indulgence, functionally beneficial ingredients and ‘food as medicine’ will also shape new product development.
Healthy reformulation to cut sugar, salt and fat as well as more investment in flexitarian, plant-based and meat reduced products will also continue.
Finally, the way we produce, process, buy and even eat food will be increasingly influenced by technology. From blockchain to artificial intelligence, e-commerce to satellite tracking of commodities, foodtech is here to stay, analysts predict.
Read more: 2018 and beyond: Five mega-trends set to shape the food industry
Hyper-palatable and attractive, with a long shelf-life and energy-dense nutritional profile, ultra-processed foods are designed to be eaten anywhere, any time - and they are contributing to Europe's expanding waistline, according to this international study.
“The association between consumption of ultra-processed foods and obesity is consistent with the obesogenic nutritional profile of these foods,” wrote lead author Carlos Augusto Monteiro from the University of São Paulo's School of Public Health.
Using national surveys, reports and peer-reviewed papers, the researchers estimated the prevalence of obesity in a number of European countries, which they then cross-referenced with national food consumption data.
Prevalence of obesity ranged from 7.1% in France and 8.2% in Italy, which also had the lowest levels of ultra-processed foods, to nearly one quarter (24.5%) in the UK, which also had the highest intake of ultra-processed foods.
Read more: 'Ultra-processed' food is obesogenic and must be made less available & affordable, say researchers
© GettyImages/YolaWartucka
Price wars raged as German retailer Kaufland pulled around 480 Unilever branded products after the manufacturer attempted unilaterally to push through price increases.
Announcing the decision Kaufland stressed that it had built a “good business relationship” with Unilever over decades of cooperation. However, Unilever decided to “drastically” increase purchasing prices for Kaufland, which the supermarket “has not accepted”.
The group will not stock the following food and personal care brands: Knorr, Mondamin, Pfanni, Bertolli, Unox, Lipton, Ben & Jerry's, Langnese, Magnum, Coral, Viss, Domestos, Dove and Ax. These products will not be offered at Kaufland outlets in Germany “until further notice”.
Read more: Kaufland drops 480 Unilever products in pricing spat
© GettyImages/Aleksandr_Vorobev
It is frequently cited as one of the healthiest diets in the world thanks to a high proportion of fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses and olive oil, and in 2013 it was added to UNESCO’s list of humanity’s intangible cultural heritage.
But, speaking at the European Congress on Obesity in Vienna earlier this year, the Head WHO's European Office for the Prevention and Control of Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) João Breda declared it to be dead.
“The Mediterranean diet for the children in these countries is gone," he said. “There is no Mediterranean diet any more. Those who are close to the Mediterranean diet are the Swedish kids. The Mediterranean diet is gone and we need to recover it.”
Read more: The Mediterranean diet is gone, says WHO chief
© GettyImages/MarianVejcik
In 2017, the UK organic sector hit a record value of £2.2 billion (€2.47bn), continuing its six-year trajectory of solid growth for food and drink sales.
The reason for the sector’s success, according to certifying body the Soil Association, is that organic fits into the six core trends that are influencing consumer food choices today.
These trends include healthiness, taste and inspiration and making a statement.
For the others, click here: The six trends driving a record-breaking year for UK organic food and drink
© GettyImages/Baloncici
Swiss food giant Nestlé reorganised its research and development operations in a bid to further strengthen its innovation capabilities.
It announced back in May that its two scientific discovery units, the Nestlé Research Center (NRC) and the Nestlé Institute of Health Sciences (NIHC), would be integrated “to build one impactful organisation”: Nestlé Research.
Nestlé said that combining the complementary capabilities of the two facilities would take its R&D efforts to a “new level”.
Read more here: Nestlé takes innovation to 'new level' with R&D reorganisation
© GettyImages/LightFieldStudios
At the start of the year, Belgian consumer group Test Achats filed a complaint to the Belgian food authority over a company, Sweet-Switch, because its products claim to contain 'no added sugars' but are sweetened with stevia.
Test Achats based its complaint on the EU law which states that a 'no added sugar' claim "may only be made where the product does not contain any added mono- or disaccharides or any other food used for its sweetening properties".
Sweet-Switch's on-pack claim was "pure and simply illegal", it said.
But claims such as ‘no added sugar’, ‘sugar free’ or ‘low sugar’ are commonly used by some of the biggest global manufacturers and retailers - so is this the case?
FoodNavigator rounded up views from legal experts, the European Commission, Test Achats and Sweet-Switch...
Read more: Are some 'no added sugar' claims really illegal?
© GettyImages/adrian825
It's a bold statement but chief procurement and sustainability officer at Mars Barry Parkin has declared the era of commodities to be over.
Supply chains are under greater scrutiny than ever before, forcing companies to examine their sourcing strategies and the broader social and environmental impact that this has. This situation is putting strain on the traditional linear supply chain model, Parkin said.
“Extended supply chains are broken," he told us back in June. "Companies need to take responsibility for what is going on in their value chains. Farmers are not doing well. The environment is not being protected. The only way we can solve all of that is if we chance sourcing strategies. The answers will often sit with procurement: what materials we are buying, where we are buying them and how we are buying them. That is a crucial part of the whole sustainability journey.”
Read the full interview here: Why Mars thinks the commodities era is over
© GettyImages/dwart
This year, Unilever became the first consumer goods company to publicly disclose all the suppliers and mills it buys palm oil from, both directly and indirectly.
The company uses palm oil in many of its goods, from snacks, soups, soap and toothpaste, working with around 1,400 mills and 300 direct suppliers to buy its palm oil.
Mapping these suppliers has highlighted both the progress made and the “serious environmental and social issues prevalent in the industry”, it said, and by having a better idea of where its palm oil comes from, it will be able to proactively identify problems and address them both quickly and effectively.
For the full list of suppliers, read the original article here: Unilever publicly discloses palm oil supply chain: ‘You can’t outsource your responsibilities,’ says Polman
© GettyImages/Nieuwenhuisen
If sustainable eating is to become mainstream – and companies are to maximise sales – they should avoid vegan or vegetarian labels, the executive director of the non-profit organisation Good Food Institute (GFI) told us earlier this year.
“We recommend companies avoid any ‘v’ word and focus instead on the health value of the product, the protein content and so on," co-founder and executive director Bruce Friedrich said.
“Labelling a product ‘vegan’ or ‘vegetarian’ is taken to mean it is only for vegans or vegetarians."
Read about the other tips here: Avoid the ‘V’ word, and other tips to boost meat-free and dairy-free sales
© iStock/Mark Poprocki
