Can microplastics help detect bacteria in your food? This startup made it possible.
Current pathogen testing methods can take up to 7 days to yield results. This delay leads to production halts in the food and pharma industries with strict quality control requirements. The delay is mainly due to complex sample preparation and the inability to detect contaminants in real-time. In response, a startup named FluiDect has developed […]
Is Chocolate Really Evolving Into A Superfood?
Cocoa prices have been rapidly rising since 2024 due to global supply shortages. The main reasons are climate adversities in key regions like West Africa and structural farming vulnerabilities. JP Morgan’s analysis shows that these price pressures will remain high through 2025 as well. Brands are rethinking pricing strategies to manage costs while appealing to […]
Cocoa-Free Chocolate Is Out Of R&D Labs And Ready To Fool Your Taste Buds
Cocoa is at a breaking point. Climate change, crop diseases like the black pod, and supply chain instability have driven cocoa prices to an all-time high of $12,906 per metric ton. At the same time, aging cocoa trees, forced labor concerns, and looming regulations like the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) are reshaping sourcing strategies. Chocolate […]
Alcohol Won’t Drive the Beer Industry in 2025 – Here’s What Will
Gen Z alcohol consumption dropped 25% in the last four years. This has led major brands like AB InBev, Heineken, and Carlsberg to expand their non-alcoholic product lines. Rising health awareness has led to innovations that create non-alcoholic beers while maintaining the traditional taste and texture. Notably, many of these are emerging from China and […]
Alcohol Packaging is Changing Fast—Is Your Brand Ready?
The long-standing popularity of glass bottles for alcohol is slowly shattering. Their energy-intensive production and heavy weight in transportation increases carbon emissions, prompting stricter regulations. The European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), requires all packaging to be recyclable by 2030. Meanwhile, the UK’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) tax could push glass recycling costs […]
Recycled, Compostable, or Smart: How Will Food Packaging Change in 2025?
Despite the regulatory restrictions and consumer demands, the transition to sustainable food packaging solutions is hindered by rising costs, scalability concerns, and supply chain disruptions. Companies struggle to source materials that are both environmentally friendly and commercially viable. The challenge extends beyond simply finding alternatives. Many innovative packaging materials lack comprehensive performance data, complicating assessments […]
Alcohol Industry Found PPWR Compliant Solution with PET Refillable Bottles
The European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which took effect on February 11, 2025, aims to reduce packaging waste and promote a circular economy. This regulation mandates that all packaging be recyclable by 2030, with specific targets for waste reduction: a 5% decrease by 2030, 10% by 2035, and 15% by 2040, using […]
Nestlé and Danone’s Baby Steps Towards Solving Digestibility & Allergy Issues in Infant Nutrition
In 2022, Abbott’s formula contamination led to a $170 million sales drop in the U.S. in one quarter. This opened the market for infant nutrition companies like Nestle and Danone to fill the gap with safer and more compliant formulas. Nestlé developed age-specific formulas with the right protein and fat to help infant growth and […]
Safe & Scalable Red Dye No. 3 Alternatives for Food and Pharmaceuticals
The U.S. FDA banned Red Dye No. 3 in foods, dietary supplements, and oral medicines. The dye’s links to potential health risks have fueled public demand for cleaner, additive-free products. U.S. food manufacturers must find Red Dye No. 3 alternatives and remove them by January 2027, and pharmaceutical companies by January 2028. Globally, the issue […]
Nestlé, BASF, and Others Move Beyond Fermentation for Affordable HMOs in Infant Formula
Replicating the benefits of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in infant formula is costly and has limited scalability. Traditional fermentation struggles with high expenses. Safety concerns over synthetic alternatives further complicate the development of practical solutions. Advancements in HMO production are beginning to address these roadblocks. For instance, Genechem Inc.’s new method for producing 3-fucosyllactose (3-FL) […]
Make your company EUDR compliant and save forests with this nut
The European Union’s Deforestation Regulation (EUDR) requires companies to ensure their commodities—like palm oil, cocoa butter, and shea butter—are free from links to deforestation. However, traditional shea butter production methods rely heavily on firewood, leading to deforestation. This puts brands at risk of non-compliance. Set to take effect in 2025, food and cosmetics brands face […]
Ex-IBM leader turns brewery waste into sustainable egg white protein alternative
Replicating the unique functionality of egg whites, like foaming, binding, and gelling, has long been a critical challenge for the alternative protein industry. Their traditional production comes with steep trade-offs, requiring large amounts of water, land, and feed for chickens, and have Carbon emissions ~2,600 kg CO2-eq per cycle, with chicken feed contributing the majority. […]
This 3000x sweeter than sugar protein secured US regulatory approval
Reducing sugar in food without sacrificing taste has been one of the toughest challenges for the food industry. Many sugar alternatives either don’t taste the same or fail to work well in recipes. With over 74% of packaged foods containing added sugars, the global sugar reduction efforts have intensified. Yet, natural sweeteners like stevia and […]
Vegan Probiotic Trends to Watch in 2025
Dairy-based products currently dominate the probiotics market, taking up 80% of the probiotic segment. GreyB found that approximately 50% of new patents filed are moving toward these vegan solutions. Pioneering brewers like Kitaoka Honten and establishments like the Korea Institute of Science & Technology are developing newer vegan probiotic solutions. This article discusses the latest […]
6 Startups solving the demand for organic infant nutrition faster than big brands
New Zealand Milk Products(NZMP) by Fonterra reports that approximately 78% of consumers prioritize organic infant nutrition products for environmental and health concerns. This shift has pressured infant nutrition companies to innovate quickly while navigating strict regulations and rising costs. Startups like NGeneBio and Nunona are offering personalized nutrition solutions and plant-based formulas. By addressing sustainability […]
5 Food as Medicine Startups Changing Nutrition Habits
In Nutrition and healthcare, the traditional approach has often involved treating health issues reactively with pharmaceutical solutions. However, this method can overlook the pivotal role of diet in preventing and managing diseases. Nutrition-based interventions often involve generic dietary guidelines that may not effectively address individual health conditions. Such approaches’ limitations include a lack of personalization, […]
