Proteins

Mycoprotein and fungal proteins – The sustainability potential

06-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Mycoprotein and fungal proteins take up less land than animal farming, and can be used to aid in regenerative agriculture, explains mycoprotein major Quorn - perhaps the best-known manufacturer of mycoprotein-based meat substitutes.

Alternative protein from leaves? ‘Industry first’ development to reduce reliance on soy and pea

06-Jun-2023 By Flora Southey

A new source of alternative plant protein from amaranth leaf is in development for the food industry, with the help of vertical farming technology.

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...

Alternative protein made from brewer’s spent yeast scales up production

05-Jun-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

A new alternative protein made from brewer’s spent yeast has scaled up and will now transition to full production. The protein, which is made by the EGGcited consortium and coordinated by NIZO, can act as a substitute for egg and dairy, and can replace...

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.

UK project aims to grow ‘tasteless’ pea protein to solve ‘beany’ off flavour problem

31-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

A ‘ground-breaking’ £1 million project has been announced in the UK, which aims to both produce peas that are tasteless but retain nutritional value and have a significant impact on reducing the need for UK imports of soya.

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.

Why on earth do Africans need ‘to get more excited about plant-based diets’?

30-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

As ProVeg International, a group wanting to replace animal consumption with alternative protein by 50% by 2040, opens an office in Nigeria – where most people already follow a plant rich diet, and where greenhouse gas emissions are low compared to developed...

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?

How can consumers be ‘nudged’ towards sustainable food and drink choices?

26-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Research suggests when it comes to buying sustainable products, an ‘intention-action gap’ exists amongst consumers. Which ‘nudging’ approaches can brands and retailers take to encourage more sustainable consumption?

Boomer time: Time to target food and beverages at older consumers

25-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

There’s a big opportunity for the food and beverage industry to launch products and ingredients formulated help meet the specific nutritional requirements of older consumers and help them stay healthier for longer, the recent FoodNavigator Positive Nutrition...

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.

‘How many male chicks would not have to suffer culling as a result?’ - Study shows that chick eggs can be sexed by scent

25-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Fertilised chick eggs can be sexed by the “sniffing” of chemicals that they exude through their shells, a new study has found. The technique could lead to a better, more humane treatment of chicks, the researchers say.

Are you producing the world’s best steak?

25-May-2023 By Flora Southey

From fillet to sirloin, ribeye to Wagyu, the world’s best cuts will plated up in September for World Steak Challenge 2023.

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...

Quorn owner inks first mycoprotein deal with maker of ‘next gen alternatives that don’t imitate meat’

24-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Marlow Foods’ newly set-up ingredients division is announcing its first supply deal for the same mycoprotein used in Quorn branded meat alternatives.

Upcycled fermented seaweed and rapeseed meal combined to develop new alternative protein

23-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In the food industry’s search for alternative protein sources, upcycled ingredients are becoming more useful and more popular. But it is often with difficulty that they are developed – upcycling products into edible and palatable foods often requires...

'Once the animals are trained, you can pop them out anywhere' - Virtual fence technology could make meat and dairy more sustainable

23-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Since agriculture first developed around 8,000 BC, fences have been vital to keep livestock reigned in. For Norwegian company Nofence, however, physical barriers are not necessary. Its technology uses GPS to provide an invisible barrier, or ‘virtual fence’,...

'The acceptability of insects is influenced by their visibility': Consumer perceptions of edible insects explored

22-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Edible insects have many benefits. They are a good source of alternative protein, a rival to plant-based meat; they are often considered more sustainable than conventional meat; some insects are even higher in protein than beef. However, many consumers...

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.

WATCH: Working with fungi to ‘break the plant-based ceiling’

17-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Libre Foods is working with both fungi fruiting bodies and mycelia to boost diversity, functionality, and taste in meat-free offerings, CEO Alan Iván Ramos tells FoodNavigator.

‘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.

WATCH: Paleo talks animal-free myoglobin, regulatory challenges, and the ‘vegan’ opportunity

15-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The taste, appearance, and nutritional profile of plant-based meat analogues can be improved by a single ingredient, according to Belgian start-up Paleo: myoglobin. We catch up with co-founder and CEO Hermes Sanctorum to ask about this novel, animal-free...

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.

Why Europe’s climate-focussed food start-ups are defying the slowing global investment trend

12-May-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Start-ups in Europe with a bent towards finding solutions that promise to reduce the environmental footprint of the food system are resisting the rise of investor retrenchment globally, a new report claims.

Cultivated meat could emit 25 times more CO2e than conventional beef, finds research

12-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Fresh research out of the University of California, Davis suggests the global warming potential of cultured meat could be between 4-25 times higher than regular beef if a highly refined growth medium is used in its production.

Rapeseed cake can be altered to become an alternative protein source, study shows

11-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Rapeseed is very high in protein. The rapeseed cake, which is left over after the oil is extracted, contains a significant amount of the crucial nutrient. However, because of glucosinolate defence compounds that reduce its nutritional value, there are...

Nutri-Score fake news? Scientists counter frequent ‘misunderstandings’ about FOP label

11-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Is Nutri-Score opposed to the Mediterranean diet? Does the algorithm discriminate against traditional foods? And why doesn’t it take ultra-processing into account? Scientists and health professionals address Nutri-Score ‘misunderstandings’.

Meatable on market strategy, regulatory exemptions, and the ‘first of many’ tastings

11-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The Dutch food tech pioneer is working with regulators to bring cultivated meat to Europe. But in the meantime, Meatable is focused on Singapore, where a regulatory exemption was recently achieved to hold the ‘first of many’ tastings.

'Animal agriculture is extremely wasteful': Start-up makes 'carbon negative' protein using up to 500 times less land than animal agriculture

10-May-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Farmless claims to be making 'carbon negative' protein. The Dutch start-up has developed the means to make this protein using between 10 and 25 times less agricultural land than your average plant-based protein, and between 250 and 500 times...

WATCH: Collagen in functional food and drink – the next ‘hot trend’ after CBD?

10-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The collagen trend has been building over the last few years and Romain Quillot, co-founder of functional collagen food and drink brand Humble+, expects it to continue. We ask about the challenges of incorporating collagen into products, the functional...

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.

‘Difficult to source’ purple spectrum to be produced via microbial fermentation at scale

09-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Danish maker of bio-based ingredients Octarine Bio and US cell programming company Ginkgo Bioworks have partnered up to engineer a strain for producing violacein and its derivatives.

Microalgae strain from volcanic hot springs has ‘protein-rich food’ potential

08-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Researchers have developed a method to produce a microalga strain containing two amino acids rarely found in such high levels in animal-free protein: cystine and methionine.

How next-gen protein innovators plan to win over consumers

08-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The taste and texture of meat and dairy analogues have come a long way. But according to alternative protein experts, ‘there is still room for improvement’. How will the next generation of innovators win over consumers, and what hurdles will they need...

‘New algorithm does not incentivise reformulation’: Nutri-Score pushback from soft drink makers

05-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Based on the new algorithm, a soft drink with a sugar level as low as 0.1g cannot score higher than Nutri-Score C, laments UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe.

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.

Ultra-processing: The solution for safer, greener, more nutritious food?

03-May-2023 By Flora Southey

As criticism around ultra-processed food builds, a panel of nutritionists and food engineers argue the practice has huge potential in producing safer and environmentally sustainable nutrition to the masses.

PepsiCo talks HFSS renovation amid ‘positive nutrition’ boost

02-May-2023 By Flora Southey

Just short of 18 months after the beverage-to-snacks giant launched its pep+ strategy, we check in to ask what nutritional progress has been made – and what is still left to do – for PepsiCo to meet its end-to-end objectives.

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.

‘Don’t eat homegrown eggs’: Consumers warned of contamination risk in France

01-May-2023 By Flora Southey

The health authority for France’s Île-de-France region, which includes the city of Paris, is warning citizens not to consume eggs sourced from domestic coops due to risk of persistent organic pollutant contamination.

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.

‘The alternative protein space is coming to terms with the reality of what is needed to build self-sustaining businesses’: The challenge of scaling up plant-based production and manufacturing

28-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

The recent Plant-Based Protein Manufacturing Summit in Amsterdam brought together leading businesses in the plant-based food and beverage industry with co-manufacturers, innovative equipment and solution providers to explore the challenges and opportunities...

Consumers don’t know what ‘ultra-processed’ food is, but know they don’t want it

27-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Fresh research suggests consumers struggle to distinguish between ultra-processed and other processed foods, but want to cut back on both. Is a lack of trust at play?

Heura unveils new tech for additive-free, high-protein plant-based food

25-Apr-2023 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Plant-based company Heura, known for its meatless chorizo sausages, chorizo burgers, and chicken, has unveiled new technology to create high-protein plant-based meat, free of e-numbers.

Meat, eggs and milk play ‘vital’ role in meeting global nutrition targets: FAO

25-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Globally, the consumption of animal source foods including meat, eggs and milk can help to reduce stunting, wasting and overweight amongst children, according to a new UN report.

‘Milestone’ space experiment aims to develop resilient crops to help provide sufficient food amid climate crisis

24-Apr-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Last year, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) sent seeds into space. The seeds have now returned and the organisations will begin new efforts to develop resilient crops that...

Meat alternatives made from plants or mycoprotein can lower ‘bad’ cholesterol, finds research

24-Apr-2023 By Flora Southey

Swapping out meat with plant-based alternatives is likely to benefit cholesterol levels, and over a two-year period, could reduce the risk of developing heart disease by a quarter, say researchers.