Fats & oils

Mission Barns tests cell-cultured pork fat with leading pork producer; gears up for hybrid plant/animal bacon tasting

03-Aug-2020 By Elaine Watson

Berkeley-based startup Mission Barns – which is carving a niche in the nascent cell-cultured meat industry by focusing on animal fat – is in talks with leading food companies about incorporating animal fat grown in bioreactors into a range of hybrid meats...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Baby food doesn’t have an ‘added sugar problem’ it has a ‘too much sugar’ problem

03-Aug-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recent recommendations that children under 2 years avoid all added sugar to ensure they consume the nutrients they need without excessive caloric intake may not go far enough to drive a significant change in...

IPO: Pasture-raised egg co Vital Farms goes public, plans moves into new categories

31-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

Vital Farms - which launched with 20 hens in Austin, Texas, in 2007 and is now the #1 pasture-raised egg and butter brand in the US and the #2 egg brand in retail dollar sales with products in 13,000 stores – is going public today.

SHIFT20: ‘Keto really did just explode last year…’

30-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

Maintaining a metabolic state of ketosis requires a level of discipline that’s pretty hard to sustain; however, the high fat, moderate protein and ultra-low carb keto diet is nevertheless exerting a growing influence on new product development across...

‘At first it seemed like science fiction…’ Cell-cultured meat startup Artemys Foods emerges from stealth mode

28-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

San Leandro-based Artemys Foods – one of the latest startups to emerge from stealth mode in the nascent cell-cultured (a.k.a cell-based, cultivated) meat arena – aims to launch its first prototype, a hybrid burger combining cell-based meat and fat with...

O’dang Foods launches egg-free mayo alternative: 'We’ve reached a different level of experimentation with folks,' says CEO

24-Jul-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

O’dang Foods has entered the niche category of plant-based mayonnaise offering consumers an egg-free alternative made with 20% chickpea protein and broth (a.k.a. aquafaba), creating a better-for-you alternative to traditional mayonnaise.

Industry urgently needs standards for avocado oil as study highlights scope of oxidation, adulteration

18-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

A recent study showing that four out of five samples of commercially available avocado oils were either rancid or adulterated generated a few negative headlines, but probably passed most consumers by. But it should serve as a wake-up call for industry,...

Americans need to more than halve their consumption of added sugars, says Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

15-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

Americans need to more than halve their consumption of added sugars, reducing average consumption from 13% of daily energy intake to just 6%, the equivalent of 30g for someone on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, according to the expert committee advising the...

FoodStory Brands embraced digital rebates to offer financial relief while driving sales, foot traffic during pandemic

10-Jul-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

In the early days of the pandemic when many retailers suspended in-store promotions to focus on stocking shelves, Arizona-based FoodStory Brands turned to online third-party deal vendors to offer digital rebates to consumers who rely on sales to fill...

Investing in the Future of Food: Letting go, leaning on others helped Sweet Loren’s grow 3,000% in 3 years

08-Jul-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Founders who wear multiple hats during the lean early years of a startup may struggle to pass responsibilities to others as their companies grow, but, according to the founder of Sweet Loren’s, to fully maximize companies’ potential entrepreneurs need...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Food System 6, Huhtamaki team to launch Circular Economy Startup Program

06-Jul-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has exposed many vulnerabilities and inequities in the current food system, ranging from supply chain fragility to worker safety, it also is opening minds – and doors – to promising sustainability solutions brought...

Rainforest Alliance unveils new certification standard: ‘We need new approaches that move beyond a simple pass-fail system’

01-Jul-2020 By Flora Southey

From September this year, Rainforest Alliance will start rolling out the 2020 Sustainable Agriculture Standard worldwide. How does this newly enhanced standard set itself apart in the field? FoodNavigator speaks with the NGO’s director of standards and...

SHIFT20: Collagen gains popularity in functional foods, especially bars, sports nutrition & beverage powders

30-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Once primarily restricted to dietary supplements or powders used primarily by the most dedicated fans for at-home DIY smoothies or drink enhancers, collagen is now one of the fastest growing ingredients in the functional food space with countless applications...

SHIFT20: Brands rediscovered during pandemic may need updated, clean labels to keep new shoppers, says DDW

30-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

To keep consumers who discovered center-of-the-store products during the early pantry-stocking days of the pandemic from reverting to their pre-coronavirus shopping preferences, brands that have not already done so should update formulas and labels quickly...

Trending topics at SHIFT20, the virtual IFT show, from plant-based protein trends to sustainable packaging

29-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

From plant-based protein trends to sustainable packaging, managing food waste, using artificial intelligence to track consumer sentiment, and the latest developments in cell-cultured meat and keto diet trends, here are some of the education sessions that...