Dairy-based ingredients

Health, environment or lactose intolerance: Why do people drink plant-based milk?

05-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based milk is one of the most successful categories of alternative protein, predicted to reach a value of $47 Billion by 2030. But why is it so successful? The driving force behind any alternative protein’s success is the motives people have for...

Upfield prepares for dairy parity with plant-based butter, cream and cheese: ‘Only technology will close the gap in taste and texture’

05-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

The company says its plant-based butter is already as good as its conventional counterpart, and plans to close any taste and texture gaps in dairy-free creams and cheeses within the next three years.

Plant-based diets become more popular indicator of masculinity among male athletes

31-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Traditionally, eating meat has been considered a cornerstone of masculinity, especially for professional male athletes. A recent small study, however, suggests that attitudes towards plant-based diets are changing among athletes.

Fungi breeding for food: Meet the start-up developing new fungal strains previously thought to be asexual

30-May-2023 By Flora Southey

UK-based Myconeos is creating new fungal strains for food applications ranging from cheese to plant-based products.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Let them eat plant-based cake

26-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Why is the dairy industry embroiling in a silly battle about the labelling of plant-based alternatives?

Bel taps enzyme-suppression tech to produce low-methane Babybel

25-May-2023 By Flora Southey

French cheese and snacks maker Bel Group aims to achieve an annual methane reduction of 400 tons, and a CO2 reduction of 11,000 tons, by reducing methane in milk destined for Central Europe and UK markets.

What’s making a splash in alt dairy? Oatly, Stockeld Dreamery, and Willicroft talk plant-based innovation

24-May-2023 By Flora Southey

With the global dairy alternatives market projected to reach over $61bn by 2029, what started as a niche offering is now commonplace in household fridges. Innovators are leaning into new product formats and category expansion to grow alt dairy, so what’s...

Inside the dairy: How is ‘king of cheeses’ Parmigiano Reggiano made?

22-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Consumer turnover of Parmigiano Reggiano recently hit an all-time high of €2.9bn. What is it about this famed cheese that makes it unique? And as a premium product, what systems do producers put in place to protect against potential food fraud? FoodNavigator...

Protein Vision first speakers announced: Hear from Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat and more

18-May-2023 By Flora Southey

What’s the latest in alternative meat and dairy innovation? Join our expert speakers – including Nestlé, Oatly, Redefine Meat, Those Vegan Cowboys and more – at Protein Vision 2023 to find out.

‘Food and feed safety risks are not static’ - How the Border Target Operating Model could impact Great Britain-Europe trade

16-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On 11 April, the UK government released the draft of the Border Target Operating Model (BTOM). The BTOM will, if accepted, have a significant influence on the import of food from Europe into Great Britain (Northern Ireland is not affected). An online...

Start-up looks to benefits of mother’s milk to bring new bioactive ingredient for medical food space

16-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Israel’s Exosomm has developed proprietary immune supportive natural exosomes from upcycled whey.

NPD Trend Tracker: From vegan pepperoni pizza to wellness coffee

15-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

From hot-chocolate beads to oven-ready Italian food, from sugar-free plant-based milk to premium tiramisu, our latest NPD covers some of the most interesting products of the past week.

DSM and Firmenich complete merger to become ‘trailblazer’ in nutrients, flavours, and fragrances

09-May-2023 By Flora Southey

One year after DSM and Firmenich announced plans to combine their food, beverage, and taste businesses, the merger is complete. The new company, dsm-firmenich, launches today.

Italian start-up takes on ‘iconic’ cheese market with almond-based alternatives

04-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Using Mediterranean almonds predominantly grown with rainwater, rather than their ‘intensively produced’ Californian counterparts, Italian start-up Dreamfarm is development plant-based alternatives to mozzarella and spreadable cheese.

Nutri-Score 3.0? Latest algorithm update could move milk-based beverages from A to D

01-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Following a Nutri-Score algorithm update late last year, France has announced another. This time, it concerns beverages.

Plant-based products that attempt to mimic the nutritional qualities of meat and dairy are ‘playing a losing game’

01-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

It’s time plant-based manufacturers stop talking about the healthy nutrients that plants don’t have and focus on those they do have, says influential Wageningen food scientist Atze Jan van der Goot.

Nestlé enters into pizza joint venture with PAI

24-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Swiss multinational Nestlé has entered into a joint venture with private equity firm PAI Partners. The venture will focus on Nestlé’s frozen pizza brands in Europe. The company's pizzas already generate around CHF 400mn (€408.5mn) a year, but the...

Blending meat with alt protein: Does the hybrid category have a future?

17-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

An overwhelming majority of delegates at FoodNavigator’s recent Positive Nutrition Summit see potential in the ‘hybrid’ category, but meat-free innovators are not convinced.

‘What is naturalness?’ The future of plant-based food

12-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based is one of the most important trends in the food industry today. Meat- and dairy-free products are helping provide food alternatives to an ever-growing flexitarian market. But some questions still remain. For one, since many plant-based foods...

Danone targets adult gamers with move towards the metaverse: ‘It’s something of a test and learn’

12-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Probiotic drinking yoghurt brand Actimel is making preliminary steps towards the metaverse with the launch of an in-game marketing campaign via Fortnite. “It’s a first of its kind for Actimel in raising awareness of the brand with a difference audience,”...

Hybrid alt cheese made with dairy, faba and mealworms ‘similar or superior’ to the real thing

05-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Could a hybrid cheese analogue – which swaps out some dairy for faba protein and mealworm flour – improve nutrition and sensory properties? Researchers investigate.

Anti-innovation and consumer choice? Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat, cheese and fish

03-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

First it was Nutri-Score. Now Italy is waging war on lab-grown food to preserve its famous gastronomic heritage.

Food Fermentation Europe: Advocating for ‘non-discriminatory, market-based’ regulatory framework for precision fermentation

15-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

Precision fermentation leaders have banded together to launch Food Fermentation Europe (FFE), an alliance seeking to revamp current regulatory processes it describes as ‘far too lengthy and opaque’.

Coffee with olive oil? Starbucks enriches flavour and texture with EVOO in Europe

08-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

A ‘velvety smooth’ new coffee experience has landed in Italy, where Starbucks is serving up lattes, cold brews and espressos with a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.

‘90% of our portfolio will be HFSS-compliant’: A deep-dive into Danone’s new health commitments in UK & Ireland

06-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

Danone UK & Ireland is setting new health commitments for its consumer portfolio of brands. Zoe Ellis, head of consumer nutrition, talks us through the company’s strategy in achieving more than 90% HFSS compliance.

Activia joins forces with meal delivery brand to boost digestive health of Spaniards

02-Mar-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The Danone brand is collaborating with Wetaca to inspire consumers to get more natural probiotics into their diets.

If the US is allowed to use dairy descriptors, should a post-Brexit UK?

02-Mar-2023 By Flora Southey

Using dairy descriptors for plant-based alternatives, such as ‘oat milk’, is currently illegal in the UK, as in the EU. But following the US FDA’s new draft guidance encouraging such terminology, some see opportunity for the UK to change tack.

Danone incites young farmers to join France’s dairy sector

24-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Danone is strengthening commitments to support the agricultural sector as a survey reveals 85% of French consumers say they are worried about its future.

From kosher shellfish to ‘enabling’ ingredients: What is Israel looking for in food tech?

21-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

In Israel, interest in food tech ranges from alternative proteins to food waste, vertical farming to delivery robots. Which areas have ecosystem majors pinpointed as particularly strong growth opportunities?

Coffee a miracle beverage? Research boasts myriad health benefits… and it could even protect against COVID-19

17-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Recent studies reveal drinking coffee can help maintain low blood pressure and when combined with milk, may have anti-inflammatory effects. It’s even plausible a regular cup of filter coffee could offer protection from catching COVID-19, suggest researchers.

The rise and rise of healthy indulgence: ‘In tough times, food offers opportunity for delicious escapism’

15-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Macro trends, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, are driving uptake of products claiming to be both healthy and indulgent, according to ingredients suppliers.

FrieslandCampina uncovers three new global food trends

26-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

In-house industry experts and its own research capture unique market insights to help food businesses navigate consumers' needs of tomorrow.

GUEST ARTICLE

Industry Insights from NIZO: Using and optimising membrane filtration for extracting plant proteins

26-Jan-2023 By René Floris, NIZO Food Research Division Manager

Membrane filtration has proven itself as a protein extraction technology in the dairy industry, attracting attention from players across the plant protein field. The technology offers clear benefits...but what are its challenges?

Developing plant-based dairy with melon seed milk: ‘Fermentation generates cheese-like aromas’

24-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

In Spain, start-up Väcka is developing plant-based cheeses with an unlikely ingredient: fermented melon seed milk. Co-founder and CEO Ana Luz Sanz talks us through the nutritional and functional benefits of mixing water with ground melon seeds.

‘An even more sustainable milk alternative’: Oat milk powder developed to cut packaging by 90%

23-Jan-2023 By Flora Southey

The ‘UK’s first’ oat milk powder is preparing to launch on the market, trading in conventional milk cartons for a flexible, recyclable pouch. We catch up with founder Sandy Eyre to ask about the sustainability benefits associated with his brand, Overherd.

‘The first dairy company to get serious’: Danone’s ambitious plan to ‘turn the tide on global heating’

17-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Global food giants are being urged to follow suit after Danone was applauded for announcing it is the first food company to set a methane reduction target and align with the ambition of the Global Methane Pledge launched at COP26.

Protein quality evaluation ‘halves’ environment impact of meat and dairy

06-Jan-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The environmental impact of beef and dairy is halved by a new assessment method that calculates a food’s protein quality, say scientists at Rothamsted Research.

Dairy alternatives increasingly seen as complementary to dairy products: survey

21-Dec-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Two thirds (67%) of European consumers see plant-based dairy as complementary, not a substitute to dairy products, and ‘an opportunity to try something new’ (65%), new research from ofi shows.

DSM squaring the circle of plant-based and animal protein for a ‘holistic food system transformation’

16-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

Nutrition, health and bioscience company DSM’s business includes solutions it believes will help make the food system more sustainable across both human and animal nutrition. When we caught up with Elisabeth Hirschbichler, VP of Strategy, Innovation and...

Ice cream innovators offer sour outlook for vegan segment: ‘It doesn’t sell so well’

01-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

Vegan ice cream has been tipped as a top trend for the category. But European challenger brands are cool on its prospects, suggesting instead that consumers prefer familiar flavours and dairy-based favourites.

Chr. Hansen and CP Kelco co-develop shelf-stable, plant-based yoghurt alternatives for consumers ‘unwilling to compromise’

28-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

The ingredients majors have combined expertise and technologies to develop their ‘vegurt’ offerings. FoodNavigator asks Chr. Hansen and CP Kelco about the challenges they’ve overcome to create ambient, plant-based yoghurt alternatives.

Unilever hopes to launch ‘cow-free’ ice cream but asks: ‘how do we position it to mainstream consumers'?

23-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Unilever has said it is exploring making ‘cow-free’ ice cream and is hoping to soon launch a product made with dairy proteins made via precision fermentation, but admitted there’s a danger they will be ultimately be rejected by shoppers if they are perceived...

Researchers find the molecules in breast milk that may protect infants from developing allergies

16-Nov-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Scientists have identified the specific molecules in breast milk which if added to formula may help address the disparity that formula-fed babies are more sensitive to allergens.

Bel Group and Standing Ovation tie-up for NPD leveraging precision fermentation

15-Nov-2022 By Katy Askew

French cheese and snacks maker Bel Group has entered into a strategic partnership with precision fermentation start-up Standing Ovation. The company says the move will help it ‘meet the challenge of proteins for the future’.

FrieslandCampina launches first-ever lactose-encapsulated DHA and ARA formula ingredients

09-Nov-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

The new algae and fungi oil-based infant milk formula ingredients also tick a long list of requirements, from clean-label to high oil loads. DairyReporter speaks exclusively to the company's Marischa Nikkels to find out more . . .

Microalgae-based vegan ice cream developed with ‘complete nutritional profile’

08-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

Sophie’s BioNutrients has collaborated with the Danish Technological Institute to develop a dairy-free chlorella-based ice cream that mimics the texture of its conventional counterpart.

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’.

In a world of lab-grown and processed food, what is ‘natural’?

04-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

For food to be ‘natural’, do consumers need to know where it came from? Can it be ‘natural’ if it was grown in a lab? And is defining ‘natural’ even important, anyway?

Dairy-based ingredient developed for sediment-free kombucha: ‘There’s potential for a new range of kombucha-style products – including options containing whey’

02-Nov-2022 By Flora Southey

By minimising cloudiness and sedimentation, the whey-based ingredient can be used to create clear, protein-enriched kombucha-style products.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients on infant nutrition trends: From Gen Z demands to plant-based and precision fermentation potential

27-Oct-2022 By Flora Southey

Looking forward to 2030, which trends will dominate the infant nutrition category? FrieslandCampina forecasts how Gen Zers will influence consumer demand and discusses the potential for plant-based and precision fermentation to coexist with dairy.