Scientists hail cholesterol-lowering vegetable fat discovery

Researchers at the KU Leuven university in Belgium have obtained an innovation grant from the Flemish Agency for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (VLAIO) to test and develop a new unsaturated fat which they claim remains solid at room temperature. The product, called Sterolife, can help food companies to develop healthy alternatives to existing high-fat products, the

The science of plant-based foods: Constructing next-generation meat, fish, milk, and egg analogs

Abstract Consumers are increasingly demanding foods that are more ethical, sustainable and nutritious to improve the health of themselves and the planet. The food industry is currently undergoing a revolution, as both small and large companies pivot toward the creation of a new generation of plant-based products to meet this consumer demand. In particular, there

The growth of Alternative Protein Industry

Animal-free whey smoothie, vegan frittata and cell-cultured blue fin tuna — these foods will all be part of future protein innovation in a world challenged with feeding nearly 10 billion people by 2050. The effort will require complete protein — all the essential amino acids in the amounts required by the body — from non-traditional

This Styrofoam-like packaging is made of popcorn, not plastic.

Those bits that come inside your packages are called peanuts, but of course they are made from polystyrene, not anything natural. But what if we could send things packaged in popcorn—the actual food, not another plastic-derived counterpart—instead? That’s the hope of researchers at the University of Göttingen in Germany, who have developed the plant-based packaging and are

While other startups develop alt-proteins for meat replacement, Nourish Ingredients focuses on fat

Plant-based meat replacements have commanded a huge amount of investor and consumer attention in the decade or more since new entrants like Beyond Meat first burst onto the scene. These companies have raised billions of dollars and the industry is now worth at least $20 billion as companies try to bring to supermarket aisles and restaurants around

Burger made from regenerative kelp

In a bid to take a slice of the plant-based burger market, New York-based Akua launched a burger made from kelp. This ocean-farmed seaweed burger also contains crimini mushrooms, pea protein, black beans, quinoa, and crushed tomatoes. In addition to being entirely plant-based, the burger provides consumers other perks such as a hefty dose of

Industry insights from NIZO (P3): Improving the sensory experiences of plant proteins

In this series, NIZO Food Research Division Manager and FoodNavigator advisory panel member René Floris discusses some of the big issues in today’s food industry. Today, he focuses in on the hot topic of improving the organoleptic profile of plant proteins. Continuing our exploration of the protein transition, this month I again spoke to Fred

The trends that will shape the industry in 2022 and beyond

Leveraging AI from more than 28,000 data sources along with food science, the ‘Spoonshort’s FoodBrain Predicts’ report examines nine emerging trends, with a particular emphasis on sustainability and health. “We know that a large swath of the food and beverage industry depends upon our food trend reports,”​ said Kishan Vasani, co-founder and CEO of Spoonshot.

Solving for Sugar Reduction

Consumers are staying sweet on products that reduce or eliminate sugar, but they’re getting fussier about which alternative ingredients replace the ubiquitous sweetener. Natural sweeteners that look good on a label are the flavor of the moment—as long as they can meet or exceed expectations for taste. “Today’s consumers are pressuring developers to reduce or

Fermentation cultures bubble to the top of plant-based dairy

Recently, the Good Food Institute dubbed fermentation as the third pillar of the alternative protein industry, alongside plant-based and culture-based alternatives, and its prediction has proved prophetic. As the plant-based space continues to burgeon worldwide, companies are releasing fermented cultures at a rapid clip in order to create new products with improved taste and texture