Not all processed foods should be demonised, say nutritionists What do canned baked beans, low fat fruit yogurt, ice cream, pre-packaged sliced bread, ready-made pasta sauces, and breakfast cereals with added sugar all have in common?
They are all classed as ultra-processed foods, according to the NOVA classification, which defines ultra-processed foods as those made by industrial processing and that often contain additives such as colours, flavours, emulsifiers or preservatives.
A new campaign from the British Nutrition Foundation warns that many healthy foods are being unfairly tarnished by the increased attention currently being placed on all things ‘ultra-processed’.
It is hammering home the message to consumers that, while high consumption of many ultra-processed foods - such as fizzy drinks and sugary cereals containing high levels of added sugar, fat, and/or salt, and lacking in vitamins and fibre - can include a higher risk of cardiova
Bunge Loders Croklaan eyes fats and oils: ‘There is a lack of reliable organic supply’ Specialty fats and oils supplier Bunge Loders Croklaan is expanding its portfolio of organic fats and oils in Europe. According to the company, this will enable it to meet growing demand for organic products in a sector that currently faces under-supply issues.
Bunge Loders Croklaan is growing its organic portfolio with what it describes as a ‘stead and scalable’ supply of organic-certified fats and oils, ranging from sunflower, rapeseed and soy to palm shea and coconut.
The move lifts a ‘common barrier’ hindering companies from moving toward organic status: the difficulty of finding a reliable organic oils supplier.
Barry Callebaut has joined forces with Swiss chemistry start-up Bloom Biorenewables to investigate upcycling chocolate side streams. The first result: vanillin produced from hazelnut shells.
Swiss chocolate giant Barry Callebaut is working in partnership with Bloom Biorenewables to examine how waste produced during chocolate manufacturing could ‘support the fight against climate change’ and help Barry Callebaut become carbon positive by 2025.
Bloom is a ‘small’ organisation of scientists founded by two chemists, Dr Remy Buser and Dr Florent Héroguel, from the EPFL (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne).
The start-up’s ambition is to establish biomass as a mainstream alternative to fossil materials. Their technology converts plant material, which has stored carbon captured from the atmosphere while the plant is growing, into molecules that can replace fossil-based solutions in a ‘wide range of uses’.
Researchers from the French National Institute for Research into Agriculture, Food and the Environment (INRAE) are hoping to buck the trend of falling white truffle production in Europe.
The future of ‘clean label’? Radically transparent and naturally healthy ‘Clean label’ is an industry term that speaks to consumer demand for recognisable ‘pantry cupboard’ ingredients. But, without a clear definition, the meaning of clean label is evolving. What other mega-trends will shape the future of clean label innovation?
Producing ‘clean label’ products has been a bellwether of food industry innovation for years. And while clean label may lack a clear definition, the consensus is it has a distinct meaning for consumers: ingredients they recognise back of pack.
But food innovators are working on shifting sands. Fickle public opinion is shaped by events and meeting elevated consumer expectations remains a moving target. The meaning of ‘clean label’ is a work in progress.