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.
The rheological properties of fructans from the agave tequilana cactus make them useful as texture agents in food products, according to Mexican scientists.
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.
Tortillas may be an important source of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) exposure in Guatemala, a finding that has "major implications for public health", say researchers.
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.
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.
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.
Costa Rica has pledged to emit zero net carbon emissions by 2050. “Costa Rica is ready for the challenge of decarbonization,” says its minister of the environment – but is its food industry?
Brand familiarity and trust create a protective 'shield’ that leads consumers to perceive a product as healthy – even if a red warning traffic light is telling them otherwise, according to data from Ecuador and Chile.
Adding fibre to beef burgers makes them healthier without impacting sensory acceptance or satiety, according to a Brazilian study. “This result is very positive," said the researchers.
The Cuban government wants more international investment in the country's food industry - a tempting proposition given there are few foreign competitors. But how easy is it to do business in a communist country?
Arcor’s head of nutrition development tells us how it is making its products healthier, from reducing sugar with prebiotics and researching fat crystallization to applying nutrient thresholds and shrinking portion sizes.
The NOVA food classification bears "striking similarity" to the way ordinary Brazilians classify food, increasing its efficacy, according to a study. "This classification has introduced a new way of thinking about food," they write.
Stevia, allulose, and fiber are Tate & Lyle’s three key ingredients for successful sugar reduction in Latin America. “These will show the biggest growth in Latin America for sugar reduction,” it says.
In price-sensitive markets such as Latin America, does clean label reformulation to make products healthier or more natural offer a return on investment?
Bean-to-bar chocolate supplier Alerlit talks to FoodNavigator-LATAM about the origins of Mexican-style hot chocolate, the country's 'floral' cocoa flavor and its production process.
Adding the Nutri-Score to food and drink resulted in Colombians choosing more green-labeled products - not fewer red ones - and spending more overall in-store. “This is a potential financial incentive to stores,” say the researchers.
Mexican start-up Bio B uses locally-sourced ingredients in smoothie mixes and protein bars, such as inulin from agave cacti, cocoa from Tabasco, and Mexican-grown moringa.
We hit Mexico's ANTAD Alimentaria last week to seek out the latest trends in finished products. From cactus snacks to green banana flour; matcha horchata to lemon popcorn, this is what we saw.
Latin American consumers want to buy better, safer food and companies need to react, according to R&D company AINIA. 'The dual forces of consumer awareness and legislation are evolving the market,' says its director of international projects.
Búho Soda is Mexico's first all-natural, low-sugar soft drink made using locally-sourced ingredients, according to its manufacturer - and inspiration came from the country's booming craft beer movement, the start-up founder says.
Chile's strict food regulations are helping mothers - and even children - make healthier food choices for the family, according to a study. The findings are “overwhelmingly positive”, say the researchers.
Young Argentinians' and Ecuadorians' perception of ultra-processed food is closely aligned with the original definition, recent research suggests, and the results can help manufacturers with successful new product development.
The high starch content of sweet potato, oca and arracacha makes them suitable for producing biobased foam trays to replace polystyrene, Peruvian researchers have found.
Barbados' tax on sugary drinks has been effective in reducing sales of sugar-sweetened beverages - however the ad valorum tax may also encourage shoppers to switch to cheaper - and possibly more sugary - brands, researchers have suggested.
Producing sugarcane according to Bonsucro sustainability standards can halve greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and boost crop yields, according to recent research. "A clear case" for seeking certification for this "very thirsty crop",...
Mexican students are transforming acidic agave waste from tequila production into a nutritious high-fiber flour. “We will create a new product to combat obesity and also have a cleaner Mexico,” they say.
Unified standards and regulations on the production and sales of beverages across Latin America and the Caribbean should happen within five years, says the International Council of Beverage Associations' (ICBA) regional group.
From jabuticaba-flavored yogurt to guacamole mayonnaise, processed food firms are catering to Latin Americans demand for natural, healthy, and authentic foods, according to a survey by ingredient supplier Kerry.
Israeli ag-tech firm Taranis says its precision agriculture tools can boost yields and cut costs - and is already doing so for millions of hectares of farmland in Latin America. “This is a one-of-a-kind patented technology," says its CEO.
Many critics of the NOVA food classification are biased due to close ties to the food industry, according to Brazilian researchers - but are the lines between criticism of NOVA and support of food processing becoming blurred?
Nopal cactus is a native vegetable commonly eaten fresh in Mexico. But it's the high-fiber, high-calcium powder format that has true superfood status, says one Mexican supplier.
Mexican households with higher untaxed beverage purchases before the country introduced its soda tax in 2014 had the “largest absolute and relative reductions in taxed beverages”, according to a new analysis.
By ABIMAPI - Brazilian Manufacturers Association of Biscuits, Pasta and Industrialized Breads & Cakes
From sugar reduction to nutritional labeling and a focus on international markets, 2018 was an intense year for the Brazilian food industry. In this guest article, ABIMAPI (Brazilian Manufacturers Association of Biscuits, Pasta and Industrialized Breads...
Mexico’s market is primed for products offering prebiotic benefits as consumer research shows that consumers in the region are more knowledgeable and interested in digestive health than those in North America and Europe, according to ingredient supplier...
As the desire to attain a healthier, longer life through diet expands beyond niche groups focused on wellness into the mainstream population, consumers increasingly are looking for functional ingredients they recognize across categories – including in...
The Guatemala sugar industry’s recently launched Sugar for Good campaign pledges to meet nine sustainability commitments by 2025, all directly tied to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
From clean label to sugar and sodium reduction, a few trends resonated throughout the 2018 Fi South America expo in Sao Paulo. Here’s our take on what’s hot…
The United States Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has concluded that raw and refined sugar produced from Brazil's first genetically-modified sugarcane variety is safe.
The 2014 tax on sugar-sweetened beverages in Chile has led to an overall decrease in the volume of sugary soft drink purchases of almost 22%, according to a new study.
Processed food and beverages in Honduras are high in sweeteners, particularly US-imported products and beverages, and action must be taken to better regulate use and labeling of the ingredient, say researchers.
Advertising of food and beverages around schools in Mexico often features unhealthy products, with almost 70% not in compliance with recommendations from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).
Making the Peruvian dessert mazamorra morada using only potato starch led to the most desirable sensory attributes, says a new study that is said to be first to assess the sensory characteristics of the dessert.
