The FoodNavigator Podcast

As arguments rage about the use of ‘meaty’ or ‘dairy-like’ names for plant-based versions of animal-based foods, we ask could plant-based sector momentum be improved if meat and dairy alternatives avoid imitating the names of animal-based products.

Plastic pollution is a global concern, with an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic enters the marine environment every year, wreaking havoc on the planet, ocean-life, and even humans. What role can innovation in food and beverage packaging play in addressing this problem?

FoodNavigator’s recent Positive Nutrition Summit, a face-to-face event held in London in March, heard how innovative new R&D strategies and ingredient solutions are unlocking opportunities to cut salt, fat or sugar without sacrificing taste. Listen here to a full transcript.

Where once healthy diets focused on weight loss alone, today’s consumers want more from their food and drink. Enter holistic nutrition, which aims to enhance people’s wellbeing – whether that be improving sleep, stress, mood or digestion. How are brands tapping into this trend? Tastewise, Vadasz, and Just Legends weigh in.

What innovations are occurring that can elevate low/no alcohol beverages from simply being premium soft drinks into something that remains a pleasurable experience for consumers?

Plant-based infant formula takes a tiny share of the market, all the while plant-based in adult nutrition is booming. FoodNavigator speaks to Danone, Sprout Organic, and Mills & Reeve to find out which plant-based options are available for infants in Europe and further afield, and what hurdles might be standing in the way of plant-based innovation.

Food and beverage manufacturers are looking for ingredients that can tap into demand from end consumers for natural solutions associated with mental wellbeing benefits, FoodNavigator hears.

How is the ‘clean label’ trend evolving? FoodNavigator invites Mintel, SAFE, and Yuka onto the podcast to discuss ultra-processed foods, the definition of ‘natural’, and what exactly shoppers want from food and drink.

In this episode we’re investigating the opportunity potentially presented by quickly evolving virtual reality technology.

The FoodNavigator Podcast speaks to the Consumer Goods Forum about what the food and beverage industry is doing to tackle plastic pollution and work towards a future free from plastic waste.

From post-Arabica coffee to single-origin tea and completely traceable hot chocolate from bean to cup, what’s trending in the hot beverage category? FoodNavigator asks industry experts.

Is the industry ignoring the growing numbers of older people? Or do older people just not want to be directly targeted by the food sector? FoodNavigator investigates.

Which agricultural production method, organic or GM, will ensure long term human and planetary health? The FoodNavigator Podcast investigates.

Bananas are not doomed, say experts. But their survival depends largely on retailers and consumers being prepared to pay more for their bananas, and the sector exploring different varieties.

The UK is poised for the implementation of new junk food marketing and promotional restrictions next year. This is a 'total game-changer' for healthy kids food, the FoodNavigator Podcast hears.

From forced labour to deforestation, FMCGs are committed to eliminating unethical practices in their supply chains. How is food tech helping them get there? In our latest edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we talk transparency in global supply chains with California-based Orbital Insight and Swiss start-up Farmer Connect.

Knowledge about the relationship between the gut, the gut microbiome, and overall health is moving at a rapid clip. Healthy gut equals healthy body, right? So what’s the best diet for gut health? What kind of products, ingredients and formats might meet the consumer demand?

Millet, sorghum, buckwheat, amaranth… Are these exotic sounding crops a realistic solution to the world’s food crisis?

The food industry is under pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. The UK has a voluntary target for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020. This is unlikely to be met and campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar reformulation targets are set.

CBD is the latest hot ingredient to infiltrate the food sector, and agile start-ups have been quick to jump onboard. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we speak with the founders of three UK-based food start-ups to get their perspectives on consumer acceptance, the state of regulation, and formulating with a somewhat bitter ingredient.

The food industry is under massive pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. And in light of the voluntary target in the UK for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020 unlikely to be met, campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar reformulation targets are set.

Innovators are looking to address food waste with technology, community, and original business models. The FoodNavigator Podcast hears from recipe box company Gousto, anti-food waste app Olio, and UK charity FareShare to find out more.

The coronavirus pandemic has touched every part of our lives. With the social and economic consequences still largely to be felt, many commentators suggest it will mark a before and after point for society. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we ask what does COVID-19 mean for food businesses and the consumers they serve?

Fair trade standards should become watchdogs instead of the benchmark for sustainability, argues the recently appointed head of sustainable commodities NGO Solidaridad.

The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) argues palm oil boycotts pave the way for unsustainable alternatives, but Greenpeace says that if the palm industry operates as usual, brands are left with little choice.

Our teams of journalists were out in force at Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) last week. We’ve picked out some of our highlights from over one thousand exhibitors, a packed conference programme and talks on industry insights.

The quest for alternatives to animal-derived proteins has led to a huge amount of innovation - some proteins are already thriving on the market and others have some way to go. FoodNavigator looks at the latest trends at IFT.

Food manufacturers should prepare for a positive three years ahead, as the changing economy prompts consumers to spend at pre-recession levels, a leading economist has said.

Alternative proteins are a “hot area” of interest and products such as sandwich spreads made with meal worms could be a thing of the future, according to one food trend expert.

UK consumers prioritise reducing fat and sugar intake ahead of salt, according to a consumer survey conducted by Klinge Foods, the producer of LoSalt.

Science should look beyond LDL cholesterol and saturated fat, which have dominated cardiovascular research until now, towards other contributing factors and a food-group approach to guidelines, according to one researcher.

Food producers should look at the current obesity crisis as an opportunity to do good business and do good for public health through the reformulation of mass-market products, says one nutrition policy expert.

Saturated fatty acids shouldn’t be avoided as they don't cause cardiovascular disease - but 'excess' is the important word, says a human nutrition expert.

Rothamsted Research has achieved omega-3 levels comparable to fish oil in its first GM camelina harvest, something which has been surprisingly well received by the public, its senior researcher says.

Malaysia hopes to double its palm oil production by 2020 without having to dedicate more land to palm plants, according to a Malaysian minister.

All diets have similar effects and people should concentrate less on choosing a specific one and more on how to last longer following it, Canadian research has suggested.

Increased technical efficiency, plate reader accuracy, one step confirmation and dual indicator potential are some of the marketplace drivers caused by Petrifilm Plates, according to 3M Food Testing.

Genius Foods, the UK’s leading gluten-free food producer, made a big investment into its summer campaign after being asked to be an official provider of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

From the benefits of gluten-free to those of Mediterranean and Palaeolithic diets, many claims that one dietary strategy are better than another for health and weight loss are simply 'unjustified' and 'sometimes utter nonsense', according to a new review.

ACD/Labs has released an updated version of their software platform at Analytica 2014 in Munich.

Consumers don’t really want more nutritional information, they want an easy life, according to a behavioural economist talking at a conference in Brussels.

The average consumer’s desire for simplicity and the average journalist’s desire for a good headline is driving public perception of sweeteners, according to participants of a debate in Brussels.

Automated colony counting ensures results are consistently the same standard when dealing with high-throughput demands, according to Synoptics.

Israeli firm Algatechnologies will work towards gaining approval for its astaxanthin as a novel food and beverage ingredient in Europe, but first it must meet existing demands and cut prices, it said.

Open innovation can be expensive and time-consuming to manage – and many food companies are struggling to find the solutions they are looking for. Could a non-profit platform provide the keys to open innovation success?

Our team of journalists is back in the office after three very busy days at FIE. In this final round-up podcast, we share our thoughts on the show.

FoodNavigator reporters joined 1000s scouring the show floor from the moment Europe’s biggest food ingredients show opened on Tuesday.

FoodNavigator reporters joined 1000s scouring the show floor from the moment Europe’s biggest food ingredients show opened yesterday morning.

Specialty ingredients distributor IMCD says that working with a distributor, rather than individual suppliers, allows food companies to tap into application-driven expertise - beyond their own R&D capabilities.

Food manufacturing giant Unilever will work with international non-profit Solidaridad to drive the sustainable development of the sugar cane industry in Central America.