Latin American and Caribbean countries are the biggest consumers of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit juices in the world, according to a recent study.
As of today (June 17), all processed food and drink products sold in Peru must carry a 'stop sign' warning label if they are high in salt, sugar and saturated fat, or contain trans fat.
Benni Alimentos has launched a soluble cashew nut milk powder that has a two-year shelf life, making plant-based milk alternatives more practical, it says.
Everyone has heard of French mustard, Japanese wasabi, and Mexican hot sauce - but what about Brazil? SoulBrasil Cuisine is on a mission to create condiments that reflect Brazil's biodiversity and culinary heritage.
BioZen, which claims to be the first company to make kombucha in Brazil, is launching fruit kefir. We talked to its co-founder about low-sugar drinks, gut health and reaching male consumers.
Dried fruit and vegetable powders allow manufacturers to add extra nutrients and color to food and drink products, says Brazilian supplier Sylvestre Natural Ingredients.
São Paulo start-up Mun is bringing tempeh - a protein made from whole, fermented pulses that originates from Indonesia - to Brazil. We caught up with the co-founder at BioBrazil last week.
The rheological properties of fructans from the agave tequilana cactus make them useful as texture agents in food products, according to Mexican scientists.
Latin American millennials have grown up and are now juggling young families, jobs, and financial pressures. It's time to stop marketing to this demographic - worth an estimated US$30bn - as care-free, self-centered youths, says market research firm...
Nestlé Brazil has launched a sugar calculator that shows the percentage a given product contributes to their daily recommended sugar intake, offering consumers 'critical insight" for "more conscious choices", it says.
'The future of food is unlocking the potential of proteins’ says CEO
Protera Biosciences enzymatically engineers the proteins in food to make them healthier and more functional; turning saturated fats into healthier, unsaturated ones is just one possibility. We caught up with its CEO and founder to find out more.
Sweet Green Fields has launched a patent-pending taste modulator derived from the stevia leaf that increases the perceived sweetness of high-intensity sweeteners.
Tortillas may be an important source of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure in Guatemala, a finding that has "major implications for public health", say researchers.
Brazil's agri-food industry is feeling optimistic, as it stands to benefit from the escalating trade war between China and the US, by fostering closer ties with China.
Family farming is crucial to fighting the double burden of obesity and malnutrition, a "complex nutrition problem" present in Latin America, according to the FAO director-general, José Graziano da Silva.
Cashew nut shells are commonly discarded as a waste product but a high antioxidant content could mean they have potential to be used as meat preservatives, say Brazilian researchers.
Children in Costa Rica are exposed to "an overabundance" of unhealthy food marketing on television with over 90% of adverts against World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations, prompting calls for restrictions.
Eating a diet high in ultra-processed foods causes weight gain because the natural food matrix has been changed to remove fiber, according to the first randomized controlled trial (RCT) in this area.
PepsiCo has patented a process to co-ferment oats and dairy milk, creating a drinkable or spoonable product with "unique" metabolites and a versatile taste profile.
Bioactive peptides found in a common microalga inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus aureus and E. Coli bacteria by more than 90%, Colombian researchers have found.
Brazilian politicians are trying to bring back the National Council of Food and Nutrition Security (CONSEA), suspending a provisional measure introduced by President Jair Bolsonaro that disbanded it.
Peruvian start-up Laboratoria trains Latin American women in tech, addressing the region's digital skills gap, helping companies hire diverse workers, fighting the macho mindset - and winning praise from Barack Obama and Mark Zuckerberg.
Scientists have discovered the Vanilla bahiana orchid has 'good production potential' to become an alternative source of natural vanilla as it contains the right enzymes for vanillin biosynthesis.
Mexican start-up Xilinat has won first prize at Chivas Venture for its natural sweetener made from 'upcycled' agricultural waste thanks to a patent-protected process .
ConMéxico: 'This confirms the label is correct, truthful and transparent'
Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice has ruled the country’s nutrition label, SEFAB, is constitutional and respects the public’s right to food, health and information, a decision welcomed by the food industry but decried by civil society.
Nutrient-packed fresh spirulina has a neutral taste, creamy texture and is ideal for modern Mexicans to get the nutrients they are not finding in processed food, says supplier Spirulina Viva.
Mexico’s current nutrition label is deficient, incomprehensible and should be replaced by Chilean-style warning labels, a governmental advisory committee has said.
More than two-thirds (66.1%) of the adult population in Argentina is considered overweight, according to a recent national survey, which FIC (Fundación InterAmericana del Corazón) Argentina believes can be attributed to the lack of effective public health...
Rappi, an on-demand food delivery service, has received an investment of "up to $1bn" from SoftBank and its 'Vision Fund', marking the largest technology investment made for a Latin America-based company to date.
A new global online database of 185 underutilized varieties of vegetables, fruits, grains, and wild edibles -- 78 of which are native to Brazil -- is readily available to food industry decision-makers with the goal of sparking new conservation and nutrition...
In a small cohort of overweight children, almost 25% were diagnosed with food addition, says a new study from Brazil. Among the factors associated with this diagnosis was a higher consumption of ultra-processed foods.
The private sector forms a critical role in securing a universal health model across Latin America but it must be regulated and guided given how influential and complex industry is, says the High-level Commission of the Pan American Health Organization...
The ongoing political, economic and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela has led to increases in both food insecurity and malnutrition, particularly among children, says a new study.
The Mexican bakery giant has refined the recipes of its Arnold, Brownberry and Oroweat bread brands to shrink ingredient lists – a move it said satisfies consumer demand.
By Brazil's ANVISA wraps up whole grain labeling consultation
Brazilian food authority ANVISA's open consultation on whole grain labeling ended last month, prompting public health experts to reiterate calls for stricter criteria.
Ecuadorian start-up Takay sources fruit that has been rejected by buyers for aesthetic reasons to create its healthy, ready-to-blend smoothie and ice cream mixes.
The Salvadoran government and Greet Climate Fund (GCF) will give over US$127 million to projects in El Salvador that build climate-change resilience in farming.
Amaranth, Mexico’s native grain is now part of the country's 'basic basket' of goods, an official come-back for this nutritious superfood that was sacred to the Aztecs. We look at how manufacturers can use it in their products.
Argentina's food waste law, which encourages food businesses to donate surplus produce to food banks while protecting them from prosecution, has entered into force.
