The FoodNavigator Podcast

As arguments rage about the use of ‘meaty’ or ‘dairy-like’ names for plant-based versions of animal-based foods, we ask could plant-based sector momentum be improved if meat and dairy alternatives avoid imitating the names of animal-based products.

Plastic pollution is a global concern, with an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic enters the marine environment every year, wreaking havoc on the planet, ocean-life, and even humans. What role can innovation in food and beverage packaging play in addressing this problem?

FoodNavigator’s recent Positive Nutrition Summit, a face-to-face event held in London in March, heard how innovative new R&D strategies and ingredient solutions are unlocking opportunities to cut salt, fat or sugar without sacrificing taste. Listen here to a full transcript.

Where once healthy diets focused on weight loss alone, today’s consumers want more from their food and drink. Enter holistic nutrition, which aims to enhance people’s wellbeing – whether that be improving sleep, stress, mood or digestion. How are brands tapping into this trend? Tastewise, Vadasz, and Just Legends weigh in.

What innovations are occurring that can elevate low/no alcohol beverages from simply being premium soft drinks into something that remains a pleasurable experience for consumers?

Plant-based infant formula takes a tiny share of the market, all the while plant-based in adult nutrition is booming. FoodNavigator speaks to Danone, Sprout Organic, and Mills & Reeve to find out which plant-based options are available for infants in Europe and further afield, and what hurdles might be standing in the way of plant-based innovation.

Food and beverage manufacturers are looking for ingredients that can tap into demand from end consumers for natural solutions associated with mental wellbeing benefits, FoodNavigator hears.

How is the ‘clean label’ trend evolving? FoodNavigator invites Mintel, SAFE, and Yuka onto the podcast to discuss ultra-processed foods, the definition of ‘natural’, and what exactly shoppers want from food and drink.

In this episode we’re investigating the opportunity potentially presented by quickly evolving virtual reality technology.

The FoodNavigator Podcast speaks to the Consumer Goods Forum about what the food and beverage industry is doing to tackle plastic pollution and work towards a future free from plastic waste.

From post-Arabica coffee to single-origin tea and completely traceable hot chocolate from bean to cup, what’s trending in the hot beverage category? FoodNavigator asks industry experts.

Is the industry ignoring the growing numbers of older people? Or do older people just not want to be directly targeted by the food sector? FoodNavigator investigates.

Which agricultural production method, organic or GM, will ensure long term human and planetary health? The FoodNavigator Podcast investigates.

Bananas are not doomed, say experts. But their survival depends largely on retailers and consumers being prepared to pay more for their bananas, and the sector exploring different varieties.

The UK is poised for the implementation of new junk food marketing and promotional restrictions next year. This is a 'total game-changer' for healthy kids food, the FoodNavigator Podcast hears.

From forced labour to deforestation, FMCGs are committed to eliminating unethical practices in their supply chains. How is food tech helping them get there? In our latest edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we talk transparency in global supply chains with California-based Orbital Insight and Swiss start-up Farmer Connect.

Knowledge about the relationship between the gut, the gut microbiome, and overall health is moving at a rapid clip. Healthy gut equals healthy body, right? So what’s the best diet for gut health? What kind of products, ingredients and formats might meet the consumer demand?

Millet, sorghum, buckwheat, amaranth… Are these exotic sounding crops a realistic solution to the world’s food crisis?

The food industry is under pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. The UK has a voluntary target for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020. This is unlikely to be met and campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar reformulation targets are set.

CBD is the latest hot ingredient to infiltrate the food sector, and agile start-ups have been quick to jump onboard. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we speak with the founders of three UK-based food start-ups to get their perspectives on consumer acceptance, the state of regulation, and formulating with a somewhat bitter ingredient.

The food industry is under massive pressure to reformulate products with less sugar. And in light of the voluntary target in the UK for manufacturers to meet a 20% cut in sugar by 2020 unlikely to be met, campaigners are increasingly demanding that mandatory sugar reformulation targets are set.

Innovators are looking to address food waste with technology, community, and original business models. The FoodNavigator Podcast hears from recipe box company Gousto, anti-food waste app Olio, and UK charity FareShare to find out more.

The coronavirus pandemic has touched every part of our lives. With the social and economic consequences still largely to be felt, many commentators suggest it will mark a before and after point for society. In this edition of The FoodNavigator Podcast, we ask what does COVID-19 mean for food businesses and the consumers they serve?

Fair trade standards should become watchdogs instead of the benchmark for sustainability, argues the recently appointed head of sustainable commodities NGO Solidaridad.

The Roundtable for Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) argues palm oil boycotts pave the way for unsustainable alternatives, but Greenpeace says that if the palm industry operates as usual, brands are left with little choice.