The Startup Pavilion at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual Food Improved by Research Science and Technology (IFT FIRST) in Chicago earlier this month featured cutting-edge solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing the food system, including food safety, nutrition security, climate change and diet-related chronic disease... Listen now

With an infusion of $15.2 million in funding from the European Innovation Council announced yesterday following a recent $40 million Series A round in April, precision fermentation startup Onego Bio says it is “moving at full speed” to meet regulatory requirements and build its own manufacturing unit to commercialize its bio-identical egg white protein Bioalbumen in the US and Europe... Read

France-based food-tech company Marine Biologics will launch its first macroalgae-based prototype in September, leveraging its ingredient discovery platform that searches for functional properties in seaweed to create sought-after food and beverage ingredients, two representatives shared at IFT FIRST last week... Read

Ingredient developer and supplier PLT Health Solutions is helping functional beverage brands move beyond basic benefits to meet consumers’ rising demand for more innovative health solutions that are sippable with a line of science-backed, water-soluble ingredients... Read

With Red dye No. 3 soon to be banned in California and potentially in other states, and Red dye No. 40 along with the whitener titanium dioxide also in the crosshairs of some legislators and public health activists, food and beverage companies that rely on the colors are searching for alternatives that will deliver vibrancy without significantly impacting taste or driving up costs... Listen now

US consumer and retailer demand to remove aluminum-based leavening agents from baked goods due to health concerns are rising even though FDA considers them GRAS, but efforts to replicate the speed and degree of lift of sodium aluminum phosphate (SALP) historically have fallen flat – until now... Read

Colombia-based ingredient company Alianza Team revealed its AI platform Oleum, which is designed to speed up the development process of tailor-made lipids, at the 2024 IFT FIRST event in Chicago, the company’s Chief Growth Office Maria Mashali told FoodNavigator-USA... Read

Between ongoing inflation, rising fears about climate change’s impact on the food system, and increasing physical and mental health concerns turbo-charged by the pandemic, consumers have been through a lot in recent years, and in response, new data from Cargill shows they want a lot in return... Listen now

Sweetener blends and modulators, like those showcased by Icon Foods and NutraEx at IFT FIRST in Chicago last week, could offer companies less expensive sugar-reduction and calorie-cutting solutions... Read

Food-system stakeholders must underscore the economic value of a healthy populace, as improving wellness in the US will require systemic shifts in how consumers and CPG companies think about nutrition, Katie Stebbins, executive director at the Food & Nutrition Innovation Institute at Tufts University, explained at IFT FIRST... Read

With the rise of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, ingredient suppliers are developing science-backed, plant-based proteins and fibers to help consumers feel full while consuming fewer calories... Read

The buzz around weight-loss drugs has “turbo-charged” the food as medicine movement creating opportunities and challenges for which one expert warns the food industry is unprepared to address, resulting in far more “losers” than “winners” – but he added strategies, such as collaboration, could help tip the scales for long term success... Watch now

Butter Buds, a supplier of dairy concentrates and flavor solutions, is rebranding itself to reflect its expanded product line and focus on meeting the evolving needs of the dairy and non-dairy markets, Mike Ivey, national sales director at Butter Buds told FoodNavigator-USA during IFT FIRST in Chicago... Read

FoodChain ID is quickly expanding beyond its GMO and food safety testing and certification roots to become a broader digital solutions provider that can help food and beverage manufacturers develop more quickly products that comply with regulation, customer specification and sustainability goals... Read

The global supplier Bell Flavors & Fragrances showcased its latest flavor innovations at the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) annual event, IFT FIRST, highlighting how its SPARK trend design platform identifies upcoming preferences... Read

FDA's major reorganization to house all human food oversight under one program will create a more transparent, safe and collaborative food system, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Human Foods Jim Jones said at the IFT FIRST conference in Chicago last week... Read

Tate & Lyle’s recently launched Sensation formulation tool and suite of sweeteners, soluble fiber and texture solutions, showcased at IFT FIRST Annual Event & Expo, can help food and beverage manufacturers meet growing consumer demand for healthier yet still indulgent products... Read

M2 Ingredients, a North American organic mushroom powder supplier, showcased its recent research during IFT FIRST on the prebiotic potential of its products which highlighted the possibilities mushrooms offer for the booming functional food and beverage market... Read

The American Egg Board revealed the winners of its annual Product Development Competition, as the organization shared how farmers are responding to supply chain challenges brought on by avian flu at IFT FIRST in Chicago last week... Read

Despite the vital role research plays in tackling complex food system challenges like food security, healthy eating and environmental impact, securing funding for food science research remains a hurdle, experts explained over a fireside chat during IFT FIRST in Chicago last week... Read