10th March 2024

How European food and drink law will evolve in 2024

Manufacturers operating in the EU and UK can expect to see legal updates on pricing, nutrition, labelling, and corporate responsibility in 2024. Ingredients Network takes a deeper look.

The Staff Canteen • 8th March 2024

Women in Hospitality: Promoting Empowerment, Ensuring Inclusive Environments and Achieving Equality

Ahead of International Women’s Day (IWD), which this year highlights the importance of inspiring inclusion, we’re looking at the strides hospitality is making towards gender equality, the barriers it’s still facing, and how the sector can create a culture of empowerment, inclusion and equality.

18th January 2024

Concerns over ultra-processed food guidance

Connections between scientist-led recommendations on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and the corporations selling them risk eroding consumer confidence.

The news that scientists on a UK panel defending ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are connected to food firms that sell UPFs raised questions over whether consumers can trust this information and advice on healthy eating.

On 27 September, the Science Media Centre (SMC), an independent press office for the science industry, organised a briefing on UPF

18th January 2024

Could allergen near misses enter food safety procedures?

A new report calls for better food allergy near-miss procedures after finding a lack of reporting consistency and food industry support.

Hospitality Allergen Support UK (HASUK) has published its first report on food allergy near-misses. The campaign highlights the importance of near-miss reporting and recommends it becomes part of overall food safety procedures across the industry to prevent accidental deaths from cross-contamination with allergens.

Greenwich University collaborated with HASUK

18th January 2024

APAC pursues regulatory approval for cellular agriculture

Several Asia-Pacific nations sign an MOU and launch a new platform for cross-border collaboration to speed up regulatory review processes and approval.

bakeryandsnacks.com • 15th January 2024

How will food additives’ reputation fare in 2024?

Additives are used for various purposes in the preparation of food, including restoration, preservation, prolonging shelf life, and quality improvement. They comprise colours, preservatives, antioxidants, and flour treatment agents.

foodnavigator.com • 11th January 2024

Preserving meat with natural alternatives? It's possible, confirms research

Researchers from Zhejiang University in China found​ natural alternatives can preserve meat, in a nod to their role in progressing food safety.

foodnavigator.com • 8th January 2024

EU sets the 'gold standard' for supply chain traceability

The European Union (EU) is the leading market in pursuing traceability in supply chains, recent research by Dr Sylvain Charlebois and Noor Latif from the AgriFood Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University highlighted.

foodnavigator.com • 18th December 2023

European Commission assigns more than €185 million to grow agrifood products

Adopting a 2024 promotion policy work programme, the EC will plough the multi-million-euro investment​ into developing new market opportunities for the agrifood sector.

foodnavigator.com • 18th December 2023

Lower-impact protein and dietary swaps benefit climate change and health

A new US study​ finds dietary substitutions can help lower carbon emissions and positively affect health, encouraging further global action to produce, research and invest in environmental and health-conscious product developments.

foodnavigator.com • 15th December 2023

Food contamination risks: Old is not new

“Food safety in Europe is currently at a high level,” ​Ine van der Fels-Klerx, Professor of Food Safety Economics at Wageningen University, and who is also part of the European Food Information Council’s (EUFIC) HOLiFOOD project​, told FoodNavigator.

foodnavigator.com • 14th December 2023

Labelling landscape at risk of further turbulence in 2024

With new regulations due to come into effect, along with potential new governments and policies on the horizon, brands may fear modifying their product packaging in case further updates and changes are made. Yet, to comply with new rules, brands may need to adapt their labelling.

bakeryandsnacks.com • 12th December 2023

‘Greedflation’ muddies the food industry’s financial landscape

Amid the cost-of-living crisis, the food and non-alcoholic beverage industry has been battling rising and stubborn inflation rates, tightening the squeeze on consumer spending.

Data on European inflation (in the euro area) indicates it has dropped​ from its peak of 10.6% in October 2022 to 2.9% in October 2023​. However, food inflation was 7.4% in October 2023, Eurostat confirmed​.

foodnavigator.com • 6th December 2023

Is animal-free testing for food on the horizon?

Safety assessments to evaluate the presence and levels of chemicals in food and feed have traditionally relied on evidence from animal testing.

Safety testing with animals has been the gateway between food development and approval for decades, confirming a product’s risk profile and providing a green light for safe consumption.

foodnavigator.com • 15th November 2023

'Partnership, rather than exploitation’: Getting farmers a fair deal

“Farmers getting a fairer deal looks like trade relationships based on partnership rather than exploitation,”​ Amanda Archila, Executive Director of Fairtrade America, told FoodNavigator.

foodnavigator.com • 10th November 2023

Collaboration with government creates 'biggest opportunity' to answer climate change causes

Despite nearing targets such as Sustainable Development Goals in 2030​, over 30% of business leaders across sectors say they will still rely on fossil fuels into the 2050s, even though many of these have established net-zero goals before this date, a new Corporate Climate Stocktake report (CCSR) relays.

bakeryandsnacks.com • 9th November 2023

Food misinformation and fake news? Scientific and sustainable communication efforts expand to end misreporting

Food sustainability and securing the future of our global food systems are propelling organisations in the research community to highlight the latest insights on food in the context of the environment.

The congruence of several key industry factors and consumer behaviours has seen several platforms launch, providing information and education on food and its relationship with the environment.

foodnavigator.com • 19th October 2023

Food allergy: Is improved near-miss reporting needed in the hospitality sector?

In its first food allergy report​ ​ Hospitality Allergen Support UK (HASUK) has called for improved knowledge in the hospitality sector on allergens and the need to include near-miss reporting as a standard within Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) across the hospitality sector.

20th September 2023

UK meat consumption drops due to cost-of-living crisis

Squeezed incomes and record inflation means UK consumers are eating less meat, creating potential for affordable meat-free and vegetable-forward launches.

20th September 2023

Manufacturers await groundbreaking aspartame safety review

The WHO’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is preparing to release its findings on whether the sweetener aspartame is a possible carcinogen.

20th September 2023

Familiarity over foodtech: Is this the end of disruptive product development?

Consumers are opting for traditional product purchases over disruptive, novel launches amid growing inflation, according to a Rabobank report.

20th September 2023

EUFIC backs plant-based but warns consumers to check nutrition content

The European Food Information Council (EUFIC) has shared tips to follow a healthy and sustainable diet, and has highlighted plant-based products – but consumers should be wary of potentially high levels of salt and saturated fats, it says.

20th September 2023

German supermarket trials climate-centric pricing model

German discount supermarket Penny has trialled increasing product prices to mirror their health and environmental costs.

20th September 2023

USDA progresses project to assess ‘raised with antibiotics’ market

Consumers and the wider food industry are asking for greater transparency and accountability in placing antibiotics claims on animal-based products.

In recent weeks, several big players and legislative shifts have shaken the manufacturing industry with calls for better antibiotics claims management.

On 14 June, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that its Agricultural Research Service (ARS) would partner with the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) to conduct a n