News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
A symbiotic meal consisting of a breakfast cereal made of sorghum BRS 305 associated with a probiotic containing Bifidobacterium longum improves gut health, reduces body weight and reduces uremic toxin serum levels in people with chronic kidney disease...
Palm oil is cheap to produce in large quantities but unsustainable production methods, notably deforestation, means the bad can far outweigh the good. As a result, brands are increasingly distancing themselves from the use of irresponsible palm oil in...
Moolec Science – which has developed a ‘molecular farming’ platform to produce plants that express animal proteins – is going public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC)* in a deal expected to close later this year.
Could Mexico’s traditional fermented beverages offer inspiration for healthy beverages today? Researchers are calling for the recovery and conservation of ancient fermented drinks, which could offer an 'outstanding reservoir' of genetic resources such as...
Exploring unique food pairings offers food brands the chance to tap into consumer desire to improve immunity via functional food, according to a report.
Coffee pulp – a waste product in coffee production – could be used to speed up recovery of tropical forests on post-agricultural land, according to researchers.
‘Ink’ used to make foods and novel materials by additive manufacturing have been developed by food engineers from modified starch.
A Brazilian biotech start-up is custom-designing novel, natural yeast strains that can be used to make plant proteins, replace artificial additives and boost the bioavailability of minerals.
The Mexican bakery giant has invested $146m into its initiative to grow its electrically powered fleet to make emissions-free deliveries in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey.
Ice cream is a treat for most children, but a startup in Chile is incorporating a strain of probiotics as a healthy supplement in the form of a daily snack.
Brazilian brewery Ambev has introduced new microturbine technology in its factories to reduce CO2 emissions by 482 tons a year.
Since going public with its zero deforestation commitment last October, the Palm Grower Association of Guatemala (GREPALMA) has more than doubled the number of signatories to its sustainable development targets.
Marfrig Global Foods finished 2019 with record returns, posting R$14.2 billion in fourth quarter revenue, a 23.5% increase year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was R$1.6 billion, up 70.2% from the same period last year.
Cutting edge artificial intelligence technology is promising to disrupt environmental monitoring in the food and drink processing sector by dramatically improving efficiency in the way pathogen monitoring programs are managed.
Scientists are using Chilean quillaja extract to create nano-scale oleogels in plant-based proteins, mimicking the taste and texture of fat in meat and creating a 'juicy' product that, until now, has been "a real challenge", says the Good Food Istitute.
German pharmaceutical giant Bayer is leading a new global strategy to combat Fusarium TR4, a strain of the Panama disease that decimated banana crops in Central America in the mid 20th century.
Researchers at Argentina’s National Institute of Industrial Technology (INTI) are using rice stubble and husk to create amorphous silica.
Latin America's food system requires "a biological transformation" in order to become more sustainable, embracing both biotechnology and digitalization as well as traditional farming practices and native foods, according to one expert.
Soluble corn fiber can reduce the sugar content in chocolate by up to 50% while retaining similar levels of sweetness and leaving no aftertaste, according to a recently published patent by Mondelēz International.
Scientists in Denmark have developed a plant-based ‘yogurt’ made from just three ingredients: soy drink, brewer’s spent grain, and lactic acid bacteria from plant materials.
A gastronomy student and agro-industry analyst in Fortaleza, Brazil have developed a biodegradable dish made from banana crop residues.
Scientists have developed a new milk chocolate formulation that contains almost half the sugar of a standard milk chocolate recipe while also delivering a ‘similar consumer liking score’ in sensory testing.
With 30% more fruit pulp and year-round berry production, the tried-and-tested açaí cultivar BRS Pai d'Égua is being commercialized by AmazonFlora.
CBD has caught the public's imagination as an ingredient offering a host of potential health benefits. But for all the hype, CBD also courts controversy. To move from a trending ingredient to an ingredient trend, the sector will need to address some...
Research following the implementation of the Food-Labeling and Advertising Law in Chile showed a substantial reduction in the availability of competitive food and beverages sold in school kiosks.
Denmark’s National Food Institute is contributing to a novel food application for grass protein, which researchers say need not be reserved for ruminants.
A nationwide case-crossover study in Brazil assesses the relationship between heat exposure and hospitalization for undernutrition between 2000−2015.
New research shows many infants (between 6 and 12 months) who are transitioning off of breast milk are regularly receiving "ultra-processed" foods as some of their first introduction to solid foods.
Peruvian biotech analytical firm BioAl has developed a kit that allows on-the-spot identification of fish species, clamping down on fish fraud and species substitution.
With so many drivers bolstering the meat-free movement in 2019, it’s a diet choice brimming with business opportunity, according to experts speaking at the Future Food Tech Summit in London last week.
FDA warned pregnant and breast-feeding women yesterday to avoid CBD, THC and marijuana in any form, including the proliferation of food, supplements and cosmetics containing CBD and other cannabis-derived ingredients that currently are flooding the...
The International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) is celebrating its 50th birthday this week. FoodNavigator caught up with IOFI executive director Sven Ballschmiede to learn about the challenges facing flavours manufacturers today and the...
Dietary sodium intake has become a public health priority in Costa Rica and can been linked back to the prevalence of high sodium content in many packaged food categories, wrote researchers in a recent study which analyzed the sodium content across a...
Israeli ag-tech firm Equinom is breeding 'better' quinoa with more protein, higher yields and a less bitter flavor. We talk to its CEO about its potential to be used as a plant protein isolate.
The path forward for the sale of CBD consumer products in Latin America may be constrained by high price points and the region's patchwork of regulations, but a few countries are setting the stage for a CBD retail market, according to Brightfield Group's...
Adding baru nuts to the diet may increase the activity of the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in overweight and obese Brazilian women, says a new study.
Front-of-pack labeling of nutritional bars with ‘high protein’ claims can drive consumer choice, especially among men, but only if it wasn’t associated with higher calories, says a new study from Colombian and Spanish scientists.
Native Patagonian berries such as maqui, calafate, and Patagonian raspberries are a rich source of phytochemical with potential health-promoting properties, says a new review from Chile and Argentina.
Brazilian food scientists have transformed broken rice grains, passion fruit peel flour and whey protein into a high-protein, high-fiber extruded breakfast cereal with a naturally sweet caramel flavor.
A smartphone app, powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning, can help farmers detect banana plant diseases, including the destructive TR4 that was recently reported in Colombia.
The Costa Rican Ministry of Health has invested ₡2,600 million (US$4.55m) in food safety microbiological laboratory with next-generation equipment to prevent foodborne illnesses.
A study sets the stage ‘for understanding disease resistance for all avocados’ in research that could help protect the avocado economy, preventing shortages and price increases.
Adding chia seeds or chia co-products to processed meat products boosts their nutritional profile and lowers residual nitrite levels, researchers say.
From pulp full of vitamins and fiber to seeds full of carotenoids, researchers in Brazil map out the nutraceutical potential of the papaya fruit for metabolic concerns.
Jellyfish are nutrient-rich, boast a similar taste and texture profile to oysters, and if approved as a novel food, could help ease the burden of over-exploited fisheries, according to EU-backed research.
Brazilian juice giant Citrosuco will commercialize a novel process that uses non-GM enzymes to cut the sugar in orange juice, achieving up to 80% reductions.
Argentinian start-up Carnes Validades is creating a Blockchain-based service to tighten traceability in the meat supply chain. "Consumers can see the Curriculum Vitae of the meat they eat: what, who, where and how it was produced," says its co-founder.
Developing new food products in Brazil, a country of continental proportions, can be a daunting task. We caught up with Brazilian NPD consultant, Cristina Leonhardt, known as Mrs Innovative, to find out where to start.
The effectiveness of front-of-package warning labels relies largely on the design and consistency of nutritional information communicated to the consumer, observed researchers from the University of São Paulo, Brazil.
The pulp, leaves and by-product of Brazil's native marolo fruit are rich in a range of nutrients and phytochemicals and present promise for the development of novel, functional foods, say researchers.