News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
EXCLUSIVE
This year, the chocolate industry’s most glamorous trade fair spanned five days and commanded two floors of the Paris Porte de Versailles exhibition centre, engaging and delighting the general public and attracting chocolatiers and chefs from across the...
Special report
The importance to the cocoa sector of female farmers has been increasingly recognised in the past decade with the introduction of specific support for female-led Fairtrade cooperatives in West Africa, along with initiatives from other actors in different...
Special report
PRONATEC, an owner-run Swiss family company that maintains long-standing partnerships with cooperatives in the countries of origin, has been a pioneer in the global organic and Fairtrade movement for 45 years. In 2022, it opened its own impressive and...
Investing in the Future of Food
With digital commerce sales accelerating during the pandemic and expected to climb from $35 billion to more than $250 billion by 2025, Danone North America is reallocating traditional marketing dollars to online in a bid to better drive consumer...
WATCH
Native to Patagonia, maqui berries are packed with polyphenols, have a ‘rounded’ flavour and definite superfruit potential, says freeze-dry specialist SouthAm.
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Mexican food is traditionally very meat-based but this means there are many dishes where plant-based proteins can be added. We spoke to market analysts and ingredient suppliers to find out more about the market potential.
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We talk to the head of business development at plant-based start-up NotCo about artificial intelligence-driven NPD, challenges in expanding to Brazil and which categories it plans to launch.
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Cannabis edibles are a uniquely novel category for food manufacturers to exploit. But with this market opportunity comes a huge social responsibility, warns one expert. His advice? Don't over-sell, overdose or over-market.
We know what emotions feel like – but what do they taste like? Consumers associate specific feelings with certain flavors, which can help manufacturers make multi-sensory products with 'an emotional design'.
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BioZen, which claims to be the first company to make kombucha in Brazil, is launching fruit kefir. We talked to its co-founder about low-sugar drinks, gut health and reaching male consumers.
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Dried fruit and vegetable powders allow manufacturers to add extra nutrients and color to food and drink products, says Brazilian supplier Sylvestre Natural Ingredients.
São Paulo start-up Mun is bringing tempeh - a protein made from whole, fermented pulses that originates from Indonesia - to Brazil. We caught up with the co-founder at BioBrazil last week.
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Using hydrolysis to produce tequila allows Beam Suntory-owned Casa Sauza to save energy, waste less agave and improve the tequila’s flavor. We traveled to the town of Tequila to find out more.
THE INGREDIENTS SHOW
Single origin chocolate is attracting strong sales and high product satisfaction among consumers. For ingredient suppliers, this presents an opportunity to give back to the rural communities growing the commodity. FoodNavigator caught up with an analyst,...
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Chili peppers are an essential part of Mexican cuisine, and the country's hot sauce category is a very busy space. So how can products stand out? We spoke to some companies that claim to be doing things differently.
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Bean-to-bar chocolate supplier Alerlit talks to FoodNavigator-LATAM about the origins of Mexican-style hot chocolate, the country's 'floral' cocoa flavor and its production process.
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Mexican start-up Bio B uses locally-sourced ingredients in smoothie mixes and protein bars, such as inulin from agave cacti, cocoa from Tabasco, and Mexican-grown moringa.
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Mexico's leading coconut milk brand talks about new product development and how healthy drinks can compete with soda. "Coconuts have been popular in Mexico since forever. It's just that now companies are transforming them into everyday consumer products.”
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Maza Real is creating a market for native, Mexican-grown maize by buying red, blue and white criollo varieties from farmers. Consumers want to go "back to natural and back to their roots”, it says.
From jabuticaba-flavored yogurt to guacamole mayonnaise, processed food firms are catering to Latin Americans demand for natural, healthy, and authentic foods, according to a survey by ingredient supplier Kerry.
Internationally recognized academic experts are calling for Brazil to adopt the warning sign system pioneered by neighboring Chile, and not traffic light labels favored by many industry groups.
Regenerative Agriculture, Part III
Regenerative farming is said to enhance crops and make the most of limited land resources while reducing the use of chemicals. In the third part of this series we look at how this translates into cacao production, and other crops.
There was a lot of innovation on show at the recent Fi South America event in Sao Paulo. FoodNavigator-LATAM caught up with hydrocolloids supplier CP Kelco to find out how their ingredients can provide solutions to some of the region’s big trends.
Regenerative Agriculture Part II
Regenerative agriculture is slowly making inroads into the consumer mindset but still remains a mystery to most. To get to grips with the concept this article takes a look at the most important element: the soil.
Regenerative Agriculture Part I
The rise and rise of the organic and naturals trend in the food and health and wellness industry is putting increasing pressure on farmers to produce pesticide-free, sustainable and efficient crops for raw materials.
Dispatches from Fi South America
Consumers in Brazil are trying to consume less sugar and more protein, but food and beverage brands need to ensure that taste and texture are not detrimentally affected while also boosting the perception of ‘freshness’ for their products, according to a...
The Brazilian retail market for organic food and beverages is growing at 20-25%, and the imminent entry of some of the world’s biggest food companies is “huge”, says the executive director of the Brazilian Council for Organic and Sustainable Production.
For companies with limited R&D budgets or for those seeking some external help to speed up a developmental pipeline, Ingredion has launched a free to access virtual lab, and it’s coming soon to formulators across Latin America.
Sugar reduction and ambient drinking yogurt are two of the most interesting trends in Latin America at the moment, but both present technical challenges to food and beverage companies. Hydrocolloids are part of the solution, explains CP Kelco’s regional...
Colombia and Ecuador currently export most of their palm oil but demand in Latin American is growing, and the oil crop has the advantage that consumers' minds are "a beautiful white page", according to trade group Fedepalma.
Brazil’s fast growth in the past 20 years makes it an ideal target for exporting US crops and products, and with values that closely align to those of the US it also is an ideal strategic partner to help open new markets in third countries, according to...