Fats & oils

Bunge debuts balanced energy molecule for muscle health in U.S.

21-Mar-2023 By Asia Sherman

Bunge Loders Croklaan – a global producer and supplier of plant-based lipids – is bringing its novel NuliGo molecule to the US market to support muscle health in the trending sports nutrition and active aging categories.

Cargill aims to be “an inclusive protein provider” with portfolio, recent partnerships

15-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

As CPG brands look to innovate in the plant-based meats category, they often meet a host of formulation challenges, including ensuring products have a similar taste, texture, and appearance as their animal-based counterparts. At Natural Products Expo...

Are all saturated fats equal? Research examines saturated fatty acid chain length and effect on heart health

07-Mar-2023 By Lauren Nardella

Saturated fatty acid chain length should be taken into consideration when assessing the impact on heart health, a new study suggests, indicating an opening for food marketers to differentiate the types of saturated fats used in their products and for...

Aloha, Terviva team to launch plant-based protein bar featuring much-anticipated, ‘ultra-sustainable’ Ponova oil

01-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Ahead of schedule and in partnership with like-minded plant-based protein brand Aloha, California-based Terviva’s much-anticipated, “ultra-sustainable” Ponova oil is debuting in its first commercially available food – a limited edition bar that celebrates...

Upcycling sawdust to make alternative oils and fats

09-Feb-2023 By Oliver Morrison

Estonian start-up ÄIO joins the ranks of those brewing solutions to replace palm oil, coconut oil and animal fats with sustainable and healthier alternatives.

Hooray Foods’ plant-based bacon bucks declines in overall meat alternatives

09-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Against the grim backdrop of tumbling sales, units and volume for fresh and frozen alternative proteins, plant-based bacon is emerging as a bright spot – with sales inching up, thanks in part to innovative production techniques, like those championed...

Dissecting cultivated meat regulation part 1: What’s working in Europe and Israel, and what’s not?

08-Feb-2023 By Flora Southey

Achieving pre-market authorisation to put cultivated meat on people’s plates is no easy feat. With different geographies handling the regulatory process in their own unique ways, we dissect how it works in the EU and Israel, and ask how these systems...

Stricter school meal standards could require reformulation to lower sodium, fat and sugar

03-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Research shows school meals are the healthiest source of nutrition for most students in the US, but the US Department of Agriculture thinks they can be healthier, which is why it is proposing stricter standards that would reduce added sugars, fat and...

ByHeart to triple its production of infant formula, reinforce supply chain with facility acquisitions

30-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

With this month’s acquisitions of an additional domestic manufacturing facility and an FDA-registered packaging and blending facility, infant formula company ByHeart successfully consolidated its supply chain and significantly boosted its production capacity...

DSM builds algal portfolio to help meet the growing demand for omega-3

18-Jan-2023 By Stephen Daniells

DSM is expanding its algal omega-3 portfolio, driven by a gradual convergence in prices between fish and algal oil, and a focus on sustainability.

Filippo Berio USA’s new CEO sets aggressive growth strategy for olive oil focused on westward expansion, diversified consumers

18-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

After leading Filippo Berio to become the No. 1 brand for olive oil, pesto and vinegar in more than 20 countries across Central and Eastern Europe and in Russia, Dusan Kaljevic hopes to work his magic again in the US where this month he assumed the position...

‘The most comprehensive study on cultivated meat production published to date….’ Believer Meats data shines light on cell cultured meat metrics

11-Jan-2023 By Elaine Watson

A study published in the journal Nature Food outlining key production metrics at cultivated meat co Believer Meats, “shatters” some of the assumptions made in a high-profile article in The Counter, which argued that cell-cultured meat faced “intractable”...

Unilever rethinks formulation strategy, noting: ‘Just taste is no longer enough’ to win

11-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Taste may be considered king by most food and beverage makers, but at Unilever it no longer reigns supreme after the CPG giant adopted a new ‘holistically superior’ product testing framework and ‘boldly healthier’ food commitments for 2025 – a move that...

‘It all comes down to rate, titer, and yield…' Precision fermentation startup Seminal Biosciences gears up for 2024 launch of cocoa butter alternative

10-Jan-2023 By Elaine Watson

San Diego-based Seminal Biosciences – one of a growing number of startups deploying precision fermentation to produce specialty fats – is aiming to get its first product, a cocoa butter alternative, to market next year in a dark chocolate bar, with additional...

Bel Brands, Perfect Day launch animal-free cream cheese to expand exposure, appeal of dairy alternatives to mainstream shoppers

09-Dec-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the alternative cheese market remains relatively small and the focus of a niche consumer-base of vegan and lactose-intolerant consumers, a partnership between cheesemaker Bel Brands USA and animal-free dairy protein innovator Perfect Day seeks to...

Doehler invests in lab-grown palm oil alternative

06-Dec-2022 By Flora Southey

The German ingredients supplier is investing in UK-based Clean Food Group (CFG) – a start-up developing a bio-equivalent cultivated alternative to palm oil – via its investment arm, Doehler Ventures.

c16 Biosciences gears up to launch fermentation-based palm oil replacement for personal care in 2023, food in 2024

28-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

Utilized in everything from lipsticks and moisturizers to baked goods and confectionery, palm oil comes with environmental and societal costs – displacing tropical forests across Asia, Latin America and West Africa, and destroying the habitats of endangered...

Many US adults misjudge the quality of their diets, study finds

17-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While most adults are aware of the importance of fruits and vegetables in their diets, many individuals overestimate the quality of their daily diets, new research from the American Heart Association has found.

Animal-free dairy: New Culture attracts new funding; Change Foods eyes up Abu Dhabi for new plant: 'There is a massive commercial manufacturing capacity bottleneck in the industry'

04-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

Two US-based precision fermentation startups making real dairy ingredients using microbes instead of cows have announced significant developments as they gear up to launch next year in the emerging ‘animal-free dairy’ category.

‘A golden color, slow melting curve and high smoke point…’New plant-based oil on the block from pongamia trees to hit market by mid-2023 as Terviva teams up with Ciranda

25-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Terviva – a California-based firm commercializing ingredients from low-input, high-yielding pongamia trees – has teamed up with food ingredient supplier Ciranda to launch the first commercial supplies of ‘Ponova’ oil by mid-2023.

Plant-based cheese by numbers: Small declines in dollars and units overall, but big variations within category

24-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

SPINS data shared with FoodNavigator-USA ahead of our Futureproofing the Food System virtual summit (Nov 15-17) shows a mixed picture for US retail sales of plant-based cheese, with overall dollar sales down -2.3% to $218.94m and unit sales down -3.6%...

What’s the future of meat? Join Beyond Meat, Air Protein, Meati Foods, Orbillion Bio and the GFI at Futureproofing the Food System

21-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The long-term imperative behind reducing our reliance on animal agriculture seems fairly compelling: The planet can’t sustain it. But with less engaged consumers dipping in and then out of the meat alternatives category as budgets tighten, and a subsegment...

‘A quantum leap in taste and experience of alternative protein products…’ Nourish Ingredients raises $28.6m to commercialize designer animal-free fats in 2023

19-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Nourish Ingredients – one of a new breed of startups deploying synthetic biology to program microbes to produce more animal-like fats - has raised $28.6m in a series A round led by Horizons Ventures and supported by Main Sequence Ventures and Hostplus...

More hikes imminent: EU’s deforestation stance set to cause food price rises – policy experts

11-Oct-2022 By Pearly Neo

The EU’s recent approval of its controversial deforestation regulation is expected to drive up the cost of palm oil and other affected commodities, and thus food and beverage prices, amid ongoing inflationary pressures that have already affected a majority...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From food as medicine to sustainable packaging – trendspotting at Expo East

10-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Natural Products Expo East may not be as big as its West Coast counterpart, but the 18,500 registered attendees and more than 1,200 exhibitors who convened in Philadelphia earlier this month for the annual conference were just as enthusiastic and the...

SlimFast unveils new packaging, ads, intermittent fasting line, to ‘position the brand for a return to growth in 2023’

05-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

As the brand name suggests, none too subtly, SlimFast is a brand you tend to think of when you want to lose weight, fast. But in a food culture where ‘wellness’ is in, ‘dieting’ is out, and even the word ‘slimming’ can make you sound like an ‘80s throwback,...

'The global emulsifier market is at capacity...' Kerry develops acacia-based alternative to sunflower lecithin

29-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Kerry has introduced Puremul, an acacia-based emulsifying ingredient that serves as an alternative to sunflower lecithin and mono- and diglycerides, responding to ongoing global sunflower supply challenges and manufacturers' need for a viable replacement.

What is ‘healthy’? FDA proposes new definition as added sugar, not fat, becomes nutritional bogeyman

28-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

The FDA has issued a proposed rule updating the criteria for the ‘healthy’ nutrient content claim on food labels that for the first time restricts the amount of added sugar firms can include in products bearing the claim.

Dewey's Bakery takes its thin crispy cookies nationwide tapping into permissible indulgence trend

23-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After years of a slow build, Dewey's Bakery is entering national retail accounts where it can reach consumers in search of permissibly indulgent snacks with its line of thin crispy cookies that deliver on taste without breaking the caloric bank.

SPECIAL REPORT: Bioengineered food labeling: ‘They kind of shot in the middle and missed every constituency’

23-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Advocates arguing for greater transparency about the use of GMOs in food scored a minor victory this month after a district court told USDA to re-work the digital disclosure portions of the bioengineered food labeling law, which came into effect in January....

NEWS IN BRIEF

Bunge sells oilseed processing plant in Russia

19-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Bunge has agreed to sell its oilseed processing business in Russia to Karen Vanetsyan, the controlling shareholder of Exoil Group.

Study finds link between ultra-processed foods and mental health

29-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A study exploring the connection between ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption and reported adverse mental health symptoms found that participants who had a diet high in UPF were more likely to report instances of 'mentally unhealthy' and...

Impossible Foods tweaks formulation, slashes saturated fat: ‘The category has done a lousy job of explaining itself,' says CEO

26-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

While weakening retail sales and grim quarterly earnings from some publicly listed players have prompted intense debate about the future of meat alternatives, the “crisis of confidence” this has prompted has overshadowed the fact that amid all this noise,...

Aleph Farms CEO: ‘It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat’

22-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

“It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat,” says the CEO of Israeli cell-cultured (a.k.a. ‘cultivated’) meat co Aleph Farms. “The addressable market is larger for cultivated meat than for plant-based because the products...

Food as medicine continues to gain traction and inspire innovation post-pandemic

18-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The acute health threat of COVID-19 may be ebbing for most Americans, but the desire it instilled in many to bolster their physical and mental wellbeing continues to push consumers to seek food as medicine, according to industry insiders.

Prices for key food commodities remain high even as overall wholesale costs dip

12-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

In another sign that inflation may be peaking, wholesale prices fell month-over-month for the first time in July since April 2020, but commodities remain significantly higher than last year, suggesting it may be well into next year before food manufacturers...

IFT FIRST

Plant-based pain points: Solutions for cleaner labels, improved moisture retention and a better bite

11-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers become more familiar with plant-based alternatives to animal products they are becoming more sophisticated in how they evaluate their options and less willing to compromise on nutrition, taste, texture and variety – pushing industry to find...

Paragon Pure unveils OléPBM vegan fat targeting plant-based meat applications

09-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fresh off closing a $3.9m seed funding round* led by Unovis Asset Management, Paragon Pure is debuting its OléPBM alternative fat technology made from rice bran oil, which it claims outperforms palm and coconut oils in plant-based meat products.

New CEO at Motif FoodWorks after recent round of layoffs

04-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Boston-based food tech firm Motif FoodWorks has promoted its CTO Dr Michael Leonard to the role of CEO, effective immediately, as current CEO Jonathan McIntyre moves to an advisory role in the company.

Trendspotting at IFT First 2022: From upcycled foods to plant-based meat and dairy innovation

27-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The IFT First 2022 show floor was abundant with companies touting their upcycled ingredients and other exhibitors highlighting plant-based meat and dairy innovation. Take a look at some of the trends highlighted at the show this year.

‘Cooking oil made by fermentation…’ Zero Acre Farms unveils 'cultured oil' boasting high smoke point and ‘clean, neutral taste’

26-Jul-2022 By Elaine Watson

Bay area startup Zero Acre Farms - which is deploying microbial fermentation to produce oils and fats it claims can outperform rivals in the nutrition and sustainability stakes – has launched direct to consumer with a ‘cultured’ cooking oil boasting a...

Gavan’s zero waste continuous extraction platform: ‘No part of the plant is left out’

26-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Israeli start-up Gavan Technologies has developed a novel continuous extraction method that utilises the entire plant. FoodNavigator caught up with CEO Itai Cohen to learn more.

IFT First

Spoonshot: ‘The need for seafood alternatives has become absolutely vital’

26-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Two incompatible trends – increasing interest in seafood and climate change – are opening the door for the alternative seafood market, but for this emerging segment to reach its full potential, stakeholders must better align their go-to ingredients with...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: ‘We’ve gone past the optional phase’ -- sustainability is mandatory

18-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As noted in the opening session of the IFT FIRST conference in Chicago last week, the food that brought us together during the pandemic and which fuels us everyday is in a crisis as climate change intensifies – pushing companies to weave sustainability...

IFT FIRST: Mintel highlights need for fat innovation in plant-based foods

15-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While still a growing $7.4bn industry, plant-based foods have some significant hurdles to overcome around formulation especially in the area of fat content, according to Mintel.

High-protein edible crop variety developed that ‘thrives’ on fallow land

14-Jul-2022 By Flora Southey

In Switzerland, a seed variety has been developed that appears to do it all: the edible Jatropha curcas seed produces vegetable oil and protein, captures CO2 from the atmosphere, and thrives on previously unproductive fallow land.

Why Unilever is introducing ‘mini’ coconut trees to safeguard supply

14-Jul-2022 By Katy Askew

Unilever has introduced a project that it hopes will improve livelihoods and safety in the Indonesian coconut sector, while also securing future supplies of this versatile palm fruit. The European consumer goods giant is helping to introduce a specially...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Sundial Foods leverages edible films, layers & novel processing to create more realistic plant-based meat

11-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While homogenous plant-based patties, nuggets and sausages abound, few currently available meat alternatives recreate the multi-layered experience of biting though skin to release a juicy burst of flavor that is reinforced by a marbling of fat or the...

Layoffs at Motif FoodWorks: ‘We’re pivoting our focus to key priorities that we know will return maximum ROI’

06-Jul-2022 By Elaine Watson

Boston-based foodtech firm Motif FoodWorks – which has raised $345m since spinning off from synthetic biology firm Ginkgo BioWorks in February 2019 – has just engaged in a round of layoffs, FoodNavigator-USA understands.