NPD Trend Tracker: Sweet-treat special
Discover the latest sweet innovations from the world of food and beverage, as brands get ready for the festive season.
Innovation & NPD
Video
Why Exberry is focusing on innovation to drive growth
Plant-based colour creator, Exberry, reveal why innovation is at the centre of its long-term growth strategy.
Dsm-firmenich focuses on trio of business-driving investments
Ingredients major dsm-firmenich will invest in a trio of areas to bolster business growth over the coming years.
FrieslandCampina Ingredients invests in health
FrieslandCampina Ingredients aims to fuel the current consumer demand for health through proteins and prebiotics.
K-pop, AI and the future of food tech – how Gen Alpha will lead the change
Tomorrow’s food technology is happening right now, a leading food futurist has claimed in his assessment of what tech is and will drive Europe’s food and drink sector forward.
Top food tech trends for 2025 revealed
Innovation in the food space has seen a boom in recent years. But this is just the beginning.
Insect protein buzz waning as patents slow
Insect protein’s predicted take off has been less than a flutter as market innovation stagnates, with worldwide patents sliding year-on-year again.
Cultivated freshwater eel tech opens new opportunities in Japanese market
A cultivated seafood tech business has developed a system of cell cultivation to allow for commercial freshwater eel farming.
Cultivated meat and precision fermentation – will consumers eat it?
Emerging meat alternatives – cultivated meat and precision fermentation-derived meat – need to present an appealing image to consumers if they are to succeed.
Why understanding allergens should be top priority for F&B manufacturers
Undeclared allergens in food and beverage products can be deadly. So why are allergen-related recalls still happening? What is industry doing to prevent them? And what NPD opportunities are being missed?
NPD Trend Tracker: From Royal whisky to festive fun
Discover the latest innovations from the world of food and beverage.
Top tips to successfully market your brand
Marketing can be complex, time consuming and costly. We run down the top tips and tricks to successfully market a food and drink brand on a tight budget.
Why biodiversity is vital to food security
Biodiversity makes soil function effectively, pollinates plants and ensures the functioning of the food system. But what's being done to support biodiversity and is it too little too late?
Customer innovation driving Tate & Lyle volume growth in strong H1 financials
Tate & Lyle has returned to volume growth in the first six months of its financial year, but revenues are down and predicted to be lower still at year end.
What do South African consumers think of plant-based meat?
South Africa has one of Africa’s largest plant-based meat markets. How do consumers view these meat-free alternatives?
Big Interview
A sensible rebel: Juicy Marbles' boss on breaking even, NPD and beyond
After raising “peanuts” to launch a plant-based meat business around Covid-19, Juicy Marbles is set to break even within its fourth year and is planning NPD along with another funding launch.
Is the Nordic Diet the next major food trend?
Health trends are big business for food and beverage brands. So, will the new Nordic Diet take the industry by storm or be a foodie flash in the pan?
NPD Trend Tracker: From Tate Modern beer to Lebanese delicacies
This week, we have a range of French, Lebanese and British treats. Plus, a beer collaborates with an art gallery, and a chewing gum brand expands to France.
Video
Start-up pitch: How Fabas Foods is making alt dairy nutritious and sustainable
Alt dairy is proving to be one of the great plant-based success stories. But associations to UPF and questions over sustainability are holding it back. Fabas Foods believes it has the solution.
How F&B is reformulating to make nutrition more affordable
Food and beverage is evolving to make nutrition affordable for all incomes. And it’s using reformulation to do it.
Consumer confidence crash hitting F&B brands hardest
Consumer confidence is crashing as financial pressures fail to ease, but what does that mean for food and beverage?
Can plant-based overcome UPF links to avoid future trust issues?
Plant-based diets remain popular, but associations with UPF and low-quality ingredients has shaken consumer trust in alt meat, fish and dairy brands. So, what can the sector do to restore public opinion?
Mars' Kellanova buyout the start of hefty snacking M&A
Mega deals within snacking are picking up pace after a quiet start to the year, with Mars’ Kellanova acquisition the tip of the iceberg as strong financial performances provide corporates with healthy cashflows.
Silver economy: Ultimate growth market sparking NPD in F&B
The ageing population is growing fast, leading to a flurry of NPD, as F&B brands innovate to cater to this growing consumer group.
Lack of imagination to novel food blocks – food and drink industry challenges
Red tape, lacking investment and negative connotations around new and novel food types are just three of many issues standing in the way of Europe’s food and drink sector progress, experts have warned.
How to identify and engage with your target market
Creating and building brand awareness, with potential customers, is essential to success. Here’s how to recognise and connect with your target market.
Top technologies food and drink makers are using now
Using the best technologies can help food and drink businesses stand out from the competition. But what’s out there and how are companies using tech in different ways?
Video
Start-up pitch: How Roslin Technologies is making cultivated meat affordable
The cultivated meat market is growing, but price remains a major barrier to success. Roslin Technologies believes it has the answer, with its animal stem cell solution.
Innovation watch: Spotted at SIAL 2024
Edible cutlery, reimagined sushi, and vitamin-enriched cheese are just a handful of exciting food and drink innovations entering the market.
NPD Trend Tracker: Winter drinks special
Discover the latest festive, warming and wintry innovations from the world of beverages are here.
Unilever and Danone volumes up and beat Q3 financial expectations
Powerhouses Unilever and Danone have outpaced third-quarter financial forecasts, a result of increased volume sales, and in contrast to competitor Nestlé’s downgrade earlier this month.
Video
Ask the experts: What do F&B start-ups get wrong?
What do food and drink start-up businesses get wrong? It’s the big question facing many fledgling businesses. FoodNavigator speaks to nine industry experts to find out.
Growing functional food and beverage trend is an industry goldmine
Brands are reformulating to create functional foods and beverages, catering to everything from gut health to improved sleep. So, how is the sector evolving to meet consumer demand?
Redefine Meat plots NPD as plant-based market 'regains sales'
Plant-based meat alternative heavyweight Redefine Meat has plotted a series of new launches and retail listings as the market rebounds following a recent tumble and stagnation.
Personalised diet breakthrough signals future of industry
New gut health research could be beneficial to personalised nutrition brands fighting for consumer interest.
Replacing oils and fats with water: Deep-tech start-up secures €4.2m
Healthier food-tech business MicroLub, which uses tech to replace fats and oils with water – while claiming sensory retention – has closed a €4.2 seed investment round to commercialise.
Lidl invests in own-label plant-based, targeting 25% category sales
European discounter major Lidl is betting big on plant-based following booming sales, introducing a raft of new listings under a new own-label range.
Video
Start-up pitch: How BettaF!sh is creating seafood from seaweed
The plant-based seafood market is underserved – enter BettaF!sh. This week we're discovering how founder, Deniz Ficicioglu, is revolutionising the fish-free fish space in the first edition of FoodNavigator’s start-up pitch series.
Private label grows again – why brands should be worried
Private label FMCG is growing again and taking territory from big brands. But this wasn’t always the case. So, how is the category winning the battle for consumer attention?
Nestlé targets ready meals NPD and expansion in sales boost strategy
Nestlé is laser-focused on a ready meals innovation and is launching a strategy to boost sales, following weaker than expected third-quarter results that led to a financials downgrade and senior team reshuffle.
NPD Trend Tracker: From new Nestlé meal brands to Godiva heritage collection
This week, old brands are doing new things. Godiva is sending new recipes to the US, and Nestlé is delving into Mexican and Asian cuisines.
From black lime to Celtic salt: 10 radical F&B trends for 2025
These new top food and drink trends for 2025 are off the wall, featuring dramatic dried citrus, exotic spices for coffee and hormone-balancing cuisines. So, what will consumers be chowing down on next year?
Gut health: What’s next for this major F&B trend?
Consumer demand for ‘gut-friendly’ foods and beverages is growing fast, and industry is innovating just as quickly to meet it. So, what’s next for this seemingly unstoppable trend?
Start-up fights iron deficiency through precision fermentation
A biotech start-up is producing iron compounds, through precision fermentation, that are more bioavailable than much naturally occurring iron in plants.
Future Food-Tech 2024
How two start-ups are improving food safety and quality with innovation
Food safety and quality are two sides of the same coin. But how is the process of making food not only safe but beneficial for the consumer being made more efficient?
New EU novel food rules countdown begins
Novel foods in Europe will be subject to new safety assessments early next year as the European Food Safety Authority updates processes to better reflect the changing landscape and potentially speed up approvals.
Revealed: the drivers set to boost Veganuary 2025's sales
The Veganuary movement is rocketing, gaining power and influence. It has become a staple across Europe, so how will brands drive Veganuary 2025 sales to new heights?
NPD Trend Tracker: From festive treats to spooky spirits
Discover the latest innovations from the world of food and beverages.
Reformulation is rife in F&B but consumers aren't sold yet
Brands are reformulating to improve nutritional value and reduce or remove ‘unhealthy’ ingredient levels. But this is not always a vote winner with customers. Why?
Supplementary drink that combats effects of alcohol targets European growth
Hangover cure? Apparently so as one US start-up claims the consequences of a heavy night could be resigned to the past for Europeans, should the brand debut on this side of the pond.