Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

Poland to bring in mandatory origin labelling for potatoes

22-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Poland has announced plans to bring in mandatory country of origin labelling for fresh potatoes.

FAO and Coldiretti to promote family farming in Italy

22-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Italian farmers' association Coldiretti and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture (FAO) will join forces to promote sustainable farming, such as organic and biodynamic food, in an agreement signed yesterday.

WATCH

Thermal tasters: Linking phantom taste, product perception and temperature

21-Nov-2018 By Katy Askew

People who are ‘thermal tasters’ report phantom taste responses when orally exposed to different temperatures. Understanding this phenomenon is important for product development in the food industry.

Data, ag-tech & direct sourcing: How PepsiCo is climate change-proofing its crops

13-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

PepsiCo's head of European agriculture explains what the company is doing to make its directly sourced crops more resilient to climate change. "We're taking on the latest and greatest agricultural practices to figure out better ways to...

Europe retains global top spot for almond launches

09-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Nearly half (47%) of global product launches using almonds last year were in Europe, according to market research company Innova.

‘The opportunities for microalgae are massive’: AlgaEnergy eyes growth in food following Yokogawa tie-up

08-Nov-2018 By Katy Askew

Spanish biotech group AlgaEnergy has entered a strategic partnership with Japanese industrial automation and tech company Yokogawa Electric Corporation. AlgaEnergy general manager Carlos Rodríguez-Villa speaks to FoodNavigator about how this will unlock...

How collaborative urban farming allowed a French winemaker to rethink its business model

08-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

A French vineyard has found an innovative and interactive way to do business responsibly by pairing with a local urban farming collective. "We’ve left the purely capitalist way of doing business," says its owner.

Food Outlook: Coffee in crisis, trending tropical fruit & falling food prices

07-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Many coffee producers are in crisis as the price plunges while Europe's appetite for tropical fruit, such as avocados, is booming, according to a global Food Outlook report by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

'We're helping reduce reliance on processed food,' says Gousto CEO

06-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

Meal kits can help reduce the UK's reliance on processed food and help Britons adopt more "European eating habits", according to meal kit delivery company Gousto.

Towards ‘a new generation of staple foods’: Manufacturers must diversify ingredients for better farming & food

05-Nov-2018 By Niamh Michail

By diversifying the ingredients in processed food, manufacturers can contribute to healthier diets and a healthier planet with more biodiversity, say the creators of a free-to-download indicator.

Eight reasons we need to stop focusing on nutrients – and what this means for processed food makers

31-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The rise of nutritionalism – focusing on nutrient content rather than the whole food – has created a ‘nutritional cacophony’ that leaves people confused. Nutritionist Bernard Lavallée explains how manufacturers can create healthy processed foods.

Watch

Don't overlook the over 65s: Here's what seniors want from food

31-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

The ageing population is a massive – if somewhat overlooked – opportunity for the food industry. Understanding consumer expectations in this segment is key to delivering relevant product innovations.

Farm waste, sweet taste: Comet Bio transforms harvest leftovers into sweeteners and fibre

30-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Comet Bio transforms farm leftovers, such as wheat straw, into functional ingredients such as sweeteners and fibres with a lower carbon footprint.

‘Addressing key sustainability risks’: Cargill wants to strengthen waxy corn supply chain

30-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Global ingredients producer Cargill wants to build a more sustainable crop supply for food starch with a commitment to source its waxy corn “100% sustainably” from European farmers.

Time is ripe for aged vegan cheese, says French 'fauxmage' start-up

30-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

French start-up Tomm' Pousse swaps cow's milk for cashews to make its vegan Camemvert that is aged (and mouldy) like traditional Camembert. "Our product is for everybody - including the French," it says.

From quinoa couscous to green banana chips: What we saw at SIAL

29-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From quinoa couscous to green banana chips; organic ghee to 'raw' olive oil, FoodNavigator rounds up some of the most interesting products we saw at this year's SIAL in Paris.

Beyond Meat on upcoming European launch: 'We have a huge fan base already waiting for our products'

29-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The reaction to Beyond Meat's plant-based burger in Europe has been "overwhelming" even before it has been officially launched, the company says.

Doehler boosts nut capacity with Nutrafood acquisition

25-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

German supplier Doehler is cracking into nut-based product categories, such as dairy alternatives and bread spreads, with a majority stake acquisition in Italian nut and seed processor Nutrafood.

Refreshing fruits: Exotic flavours finding favour in the Middle East beverage sector

25-Oct-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Fruits are the go-to flavours in the Middle East food and beverage market, especially in the carbonated drinks segment, according to one ingredient firm.

International Rice Congress 2018

Resilience, organisation and nutrition: Three strategies to improve the future of rice production

24-Oct-2018 By Pearly Neo

Experts have highlighted three crucial factors to enhance the rice sector, claiming that farmer resilience, organisational structures and nutritional benefits need to be improved.

‘Turning a serious business into serious business’: The accelerating plant-based protein market

22-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

The consumption of plant-based protein products is growing rapidly, driven by concerns over sustainability and health, but barriers to further uptake remain, the Proteins of the Future summit in Ede, the Netherlands, heard earlier this month.

Roquette to bring Equinom’s high-protein pea variety to market

18-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Roquette will develop protein ingredients using the high-protein pea variety developed by seed breeding company Equinom, and jointly invest $4 million (€3.5m) in the firm to develop new products.

'The situation is not sustainable': Is the coffee boom leaving producers behind?

17-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in developed markets such as Europe, where demand is growing. But the price of coffee beans reached its lowest level in 12 years. There is broad agreement that this situation is unsustainable: but what is the...

FoodNavigator's biggest stories of 2018 so far

17-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

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 vegan ice-cream to gluten-free bakery: Can chestnuts conquer new categories?

16-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Chestnuts can add creaminess to dairy-free products, work well in gluten-free bakery and are naturally sweet allowing for sugar reduction, giving them massive potential beyond Christmas, says supplier Porter Foods.

STX Corporation bringing ‘unique super fruit’ beverage Méshil from Korea to Europe

16-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

South Korea’s STX Corporation is launching a new brand – Méshil – in the French market. The brand’s founder, Donghyun Won, says they want to bring this traditional Korean plum-based beverage “to the world”.

Roquette expands pea protein capabilities: ‘This reinforces us as a pioneer in plant-based proteins’

11-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Ingredients supplier Roquette has expanded its capabilities in premium textured plant based ingredients through the acquisition of Texpall’s extrusion unit in the Netherlands.

'Feeding the world and saving it’: UK food sector backs veg consumption

10-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

More than 80% of the UK grocery market has now made a commitment to boost vegetable consumption by signing up to the Peas Please initiative, it emerged this week.

Mountain tea, mastic & chamomile: Greek juice firm uses local botanicals for artisan appeal

10-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Tapping into the trend for botanicals and local, artisan ingredients, Greek juice company Bfresh Spitiko adds mastic from Chios, Greek mountain tea and chamomile to its lemon, pomegranate and apple juices.

Food Tech Summit & Expo in Mexico

Fiber can help manufacturers meet growing cross-generational demand for functional ingredients

09-Oct-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the desire to attain a healthier, longer life through diet expands beyond niche groups focused on wellness into the mainstream population, consumers increasingly are looking for functional ingredients they recognize across categories – including in...

'Food innovation in Europe is slowing down. That's where EIT Food comes in,' says its CEO

09-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) creates ecosystems of entrepreneurship to solve the food industry's biggest problems. We spoke to its CEO about the challenges and the start-up success stories.

Tyrrells founder on ‘the next massive trend’: Fermented foods

05-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

William Chase is a farmer turned serial entrepreneur. Having built, grown and sold Tyrrells he turned his attention to vodka and – by way of a brief stint in popcorn – is now working to build what he believes will his next big brand: Willy’s Apple Cider...

New compounds shed ‘fresh light’ on whole grain health benefits

05-Oct-2018 By Katy Askew

Scientists have discovered new compounds that, they believe, may explain why diets rich in whole grains are healthy.

From kimchi to torshi, could naturally fermented food be the next big thing in healthy snacking?

04-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Tickles’ Pickles makes naturally fermented Korean kimchi and Persian torshi that are packed with healthy vegetables and live cultures. “Naturally fermented pickles are great snacking food,” says its founder.

CP Kelco launches citrus-based texturizing agent for desserts

04-Oct-2018 By Jim Cornall

CP Kelco, a US-based global producer of specialty hydrocolloid ingredients, has announced the market availability of GENU Explorer Pectin ND-200, a label-friendly food ingredient solution designed for neutral pH dairy desserts.

EU starch industry looks to protein & plastic potential following isoglucose 'disappointment'

03-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

It’s been one year since the end of EU sugar quotas but contrary to the hopes (of starch producers) and fears (of public health campaigners), Europe has not been flooded with isoglucose. FoodNavigator caught up with Starch Europe to talk isoglucose, Brexit...

Campylobacter is top cause of foodborne illness in Denmark

02-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

Campylobacter continued to be the leading cause of foodborne infections in Denmark last year, according to a recent report.

EU politicians back rules to ban UTPs: ‘We are arming David, not Goliath’

02-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

European agriculture ministers have approved measures to end unfair trading practices (UTPs), with manufacturers and farmers welcoming the result.

NPD trend tracker: Pulse-based rice, sweet beet bars & seasonal launches

01-Oct-2018 By Niamh Michail

From snack bars made with beetroot to rice made from pulses, manufacturers continue to invest in better-for-you products. Brands are also gearing up for Halloween and Christmas with themed products aiming to drive impulse purchases.

‘Ingredients lists are powerful purchasing motivators’: Study finds consumer care more about ingredients than brand

28-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Fresh consumer research demonstrates the ongoing importance of the clean label trend and suggests that the ingredients list trumps both the brand and product description in motivating purchase.

Chickpea protein could disrupt the alternative protein space: Innovopro

28-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Innovopro has developed a patented method to process chickpea protein that, chief executive Taly Nechushtan says, means the company can offer a highly functional alternative to the alt proteins currently dominating the market.

French MPs attack processed & ‘ultra-processed’ food, demanding tougher laws

27-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

A French parliamentary report, voted yesterday, calls for a raft of measures to make processed and 'ultra-processed' food healthier, from maximum limits on salt, sugar and fat to caps on the number of additives used per product.

‘Making vegetarian more accessible’: The Vegetarian Butcher teams up with iconic Dutch brand Mora

27-Sep-2018 By Katy Askew

Dutch food maker Van Geloven and meat substitute innovator The Vegetarian Butcher have entered a partnership that, they say, will make vegetarian eating more accessible via Van Geloven’s iconic Mora brand.

Ex-PepsiCo & Asda exec appointed food supplies minister amid Brext fears

27-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

The UK government has appointed David Rutley, who previously held senior executive positions at PepsiCo and Asda, minister to oversee and protect food supplies during Brexit amid fears of a no-deal scenario.

Stakeholders launch International Fair Trade Charter: 'Our goal is to render Fair Trade labels unnecessary'

26-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Over 300 organisations have launched an International Fair Trade Charter that sets down the fundamental values of Fair Trade.

Better than bouillon: Carrés Futés blends cocoa butter & vegetables in healthy 'flavour bar'

25-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

French start-up CarréLéon has created a culinary aid that blends cocoa butter and vegetables in a bar that consumers add to sauces and other dishes to make them more healthy and tasty.

The Good Spoon swaps eggs for chlorella to 'democratise' microalgae

24-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

Using chlorella to replace eggs in vegan mayonnaise allows French company The Good Spoon to cut the fat content in half for a healthier, plant-based product that is also democratising microalgae, according to its co-founder.

DVees brings West African flavours to Europe with 'accessible' formats

21-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

UK start-up DVees is on a mission to bring West African flavours to Western Europe, starting with a hibiscus-infused drink and range of condiments. "You can find West African food if you look for it, but it's not accessible or beautifully presented,"...

Could sorghum syrup rival beet as Europe's home-grown sugar?

18-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

A Hungarian company is bringing sorghum syrup to Europe for the first time, a liquid sweetener with a caramel flavour that can be used across food and beverage categories.

Welcome to the age of ‘multi-localism’: How to survive and thrive with personalisation, hyper-local sourcing & tailored flavours

17-Sep-2018 By Niamh Michail

If food companies are to survive today's tariff-prone, populist global economy, they need to radically re-engineer their supply chains and start offering consumers personalised products that are locally sourced, says a report.