The FoodNavigator Podcast

The EU Packaging and Packaging Waste Directive, which sets recovery and recycling targets for EU Member States, must increase EPR (extended producer responsibility) scheme transparency and focus on minimizing post-consumer packaging waste, said Virginia Janssens, MD, Europen (European Organisation for Packaging and the Environment).

There is a raft of options now available to food manufacturers looking to reduce salt - but how about mushrooms? Frozen mushroom giant Scelta Mushrooms has two ingredients for salt replacement, including one for (non-mushroom-flavoured) bread.

Just half of UK consumers trust the food industry to provide food that is safe to eat, according to exclusive research from Mintel.

Eagle Product Inspection has identified sanitation and survivability as key factors in the design of the new machines for the meat industry it unveiled last week.

Hot and spicy, mac ‘n’ cheese, natural, healthy, clean label and cheap are just a handful of the demands ingredients firms face when developing snack seasonings, Kerry Ingredients & Flavors says.

A new interactive graphical database offering market insights for food and beverage ingredients will help manufacturers and suppliers identify new trends and grow their business, according to RTS.

The fight for public health should not be against obesity, but rather the dangerous metabolic conditions that both obese and non-obese people suffer from. And the prime target for those diseases is sugar, says Professor Robert Lustig.

Gap analysis or training audits are the best methods to start building a food safety program, according to AIB International.

Rapid microbiology has a big part to play in addressing the speed that foodborne diseases spread across the world, according to bioMérieux.

Natural colours have overtaken their synthetic counterparts for the first time ever, and the trend towards clean label products is one of the key drivers according to new data from Mintel and Leatherhead Food Research.

How manufacturers incorporate stevia into new products and how they position products with consumers are equally important for market success, says Cargill's sales director, health products for EMEA, Olivier du Chatelier.

Europe's population is getting older, bringing a range of nutrition-related health concerns to the fore, including how to maintain muscle mass as we age - an issue thought to be closely related to protein consumption.

Can bioinformatics help to add business value? Is industry innovation being put on hold for blending? And how is a shift towards ‘pure’ products affecting the market. The NutraIngredients and FoodNavigator team reflects on our highlights from the final day at HIE in Frankfurt.

Is there hope for probiotic health claims after all? What are the opportunities in functional foods? And how should companies appeal to consumers with reduced sugar and reduced salt products? The FoodNavigator and NutraIngredients team reflects on highlights from day one at HIE in Frankfurt.

A new risk management tool for flavouring substances, additives and food contact materials is due to be completed in the coming weeks, drawing together data on food chemical occurrence, concentration and food intake, says Dr Tracy McCrorie of the University of Ulster.

The energy drink market is the fastest growing segment of the European soft drinks industry, so how are newcomers looking to get in on the action?

Palm oil producers and traders have been looking for new production areas as expansion in environmentally sensitive regions in Southeast Asia has become increasingly difficult - but Latin American and African production must embrace sustainable standards from the beginning, says RSPO secretary general Darrel Webber.

'Snackified' traditional foods are among the latest snack trends on show at SIAL in Paris this week, where better-for-you snacks have made a strong appearance.

There is big interest in locally produced food in Europe – and interest is growing, according to Sophie de Reynal, marketing manager for Nutrimarketing.

The food industry could be a powerful player in ensuring food security - and that makes sense from both an ethical and a business perspective, according to Danielle Nierenberg, director of the Nourishing the Planet project at the Worldwatch Institute.

Food safety and operating efficiency are common industry concerns, according to Richard Hebel, product manager, Fat Analysis at Eagle Product Inspection.

Galam Group has unveiled Stevia Pure, an all-natural stevia-based sweetener extracted using only water via membrane technology and physical processes.

Solbar is preparing for strong global growth in the wake of its acquisition by farmer agri-cooperative CHS, according to Todd Watson, CHS global protein sales and development manager for food and food ingredients.

Omega-3 suppliers must get to grips with their manufacturing customers and with consumers if they are to market their products successfully, according to Virpi Varjonen, executive consultant at commercialisation agents Invenire.

A lack of clear regulations relating to the use of nanotechnology in the food sector could hinder the commercialisation of current food safety research, a manufacturing expert has claimed.