Inside Food: Issue 27

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In this issue of Inside Food, we take a look at how the industry is adapting to the rise of alternative diets and find out what producers and consumers need to know about managing protein in vegan diets.

We also explore how functional foods can add value to meals and examine their claims of positive health effects, talk to Lycored about how they are developing safe and natural food colouring solutions, learn more about balancing the need to keep food fresh with a desire to reduce the use of chemicals, and investigate what the Pret a Manger inquest reveals about UK labelling regulations.

Finally, we use insight and analysis from GlobalData to see what cauliflower can offer the pasta category, how competition is changing the Indian infant formula sector, the potential of a collagen-enhanced granola butter, why product texture is the innovation tool of the future, and the role the health trend is playing in foodservice.

In this issue 

Behind the process: emulsifiers and blending

Emulsifiers are ubiquitous in food products because they help otherwise unmixable ingredients blend together. Jim Banks speaks to Michelle Maynard, executive director at the Food Additives & Ingredients Association, about the possibility of reducing the use of chemicals while still keeping food fresh.

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Catering to consumers: managing protein in vegan diets

As the number of vegans increases, the industry and consumers are having to quickly learn how best to cater to the diet. Sonia Sharma finds out more about what both need to know about getting the proper amount of protein from vegan food.

Read more.

Foods with benefits: functional foods add health and beauty to the menu

Functional foods range from protein ice cream to beauty beverages, and are standard products with added ingredients that claim to offer positive health effects beyond that of basic nutrition. Sonia Sharma explores how such products can ‘add value’ to meals and fit to changing consumer demands.

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Pret a Manger’s allergy incidents: a sign of lacking labelling regulation?

Following the allergy related death of a Pret a Manger customer in 2016, an inquest has found that six related cases of allergic reactions had been logged in the year prior. Callum Tyndall asks whether the company did enough to warn of allergens, and what role UK labelling regulation played in the case.

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Colour retention: developing safe and natural food colouring solutions

Growing consumer awareness surrounding artificial colouring has meant that customers now demand colours that are achieved safely and naturally. Sonia Sharma talks to Lycored to find out about their solutions for food colouring.

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An apple a day: The growing role of health in foodservice operations

Health is becoming increasingly important in the global foodservice market, with certain trends and consumer concerns driving a growing demand for healthier foodservice offerings and restaurant concepts. Using research from GlobalData, Callum Tyndall examines the role of ‘health’ in foodservice.

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Plus additional insight and analysis from GlobalData. 

Next issue preview

In the next issue of Inside Food, we examine how the industry is coping with issues of transparency and whether more can be done to match consumer expectations of honesty and information on-demand.

Elsewhere, we focus on hemp as an ingredient and take a look at whether its various health claims could help it find favour in new product offerings. Also, we dive further into functional foods and zoom in on how the inclusion of ingredients such as probiotics is driving product development in this sector.

Finally, using insight and analysis from GlobalData, we find out how coconut oil’s touting as a health-boosting alternative to butter and vegetable oils may be grounded in myth, examine two different moves in the dairy market as South Korea’s Lotte Group forms a supply agreement to expand into China and French giant Lactalis acquires Aspen’s infant formula division, explore how the FDA’s new food recall policy is a win for blockchain, and examine the potential of energy and performance products.

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