Ecuador's Alcopalma is increasing the amount added-value palm oil with organic and RSPO certifications - but there are "big opportunities" for conventional palm oil in Latin America, says the CEO.
Less than 10% of chocolate, tea and coffee products in Mexico and Brazil claim to be ethical or sustainable compared to 57% in France, according to recent research. How can manufacturers increase consumer engagement in these markets?
Acai's popularity is well established in Brazil but watch out for cocoa-like cupuaçu, says Frutos da Amazonia, which uses native ingredients from the Amazon in its range of premium products.
The Costa Rican Institute of Technical Standards (INTECO) has developed a technical standard and logo for companies wanting to communicate its product’s carbon and water footprint.
The Honduran palm oil industry and government have committed to a deforestation-free palm oil supply chain that NGO Solidaridad has called "very positive".
Mexico's Health Commission has approved a draft proposal to bring in front-of-pack nutrition warning labels and mandatory fortification in a bid to tackle obesity and malnutrition in the country.
Fortified chocolate and artisan vodka distilled from native varieties of potato are just two products to hit the market with the support of Peruvian investment program Innóvate Peru.
US company C16 Biosciences has developed a way to 'brew' palm oil through microbial fermentation, producing sustainable, deforestation-free palm oil. But what will the impact on smallholder farmers be - and will consumers accept it?
Brazilian confectionery and bakery decoration business Mavalério has been acquired by German food group Dr Oetker, a move they say will help drive sales in Brazil.
Brazilian chocolate maker Casa Lasevicius has launched four new bean-to-bar chocolates in partnership with NGO Solidaridad using almonds from Tuerê, one of the largest settlements of family farmers located in the Amazon region of Brazil.
Latin American government officials met in Mexico City this week to develop a regional road map to remove trans fats from food. We round up some of the region's regulatory action.
Developing new food products in Brazil, a country of continental proportions, can be a daunting task. We caught up with Brazilian NPD consultant, Cristina Leonhardt, known as Mrs Innovative, to find out where to start.
Six manufacturers that marketed blends of artificial sweeteners and stevia as 'stevia' only are misleading and must change their packaging, said Paraguayan regulatory authority, INAN.
Nestlé Brazil has launched an own-brand supermarket, Empório, at its new headquarters to give consumers a brand experience with tastings, new products and home delivery options.
Despite Venezuela's spiraling economic and political crisis, Givaudan says it remains committed to its tonka beans sourcing partnership with non-profit Conservation International.
Over 340 organizations are demanding the European Union stop trade talks with Mercosur due to a spike in deforestation and human rights violations in Brazil under the Bolsonaro's government.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Mexico’s current nutrition label is deficient, incomprehensible and should be replaced by Chilean-style warning labels, a governmental advisory committee has said.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nestlé Brazil's legal vice president Flavio de Souza, the new chair of Brazilian trade association ABIA, has slammed warning nutrition labels as misleading and alarmist.
Nuts are "delicious, nutritious and tailor-made for the functional food market"- but the market in Brazil is stagnating. FoodNavigator-LATAM caught up with the president of trade association ABNC about how it plans to change this.
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.
Ecuador’s efforts to create value at origin could be damaged by the EU’s recent regulation of heavy metal cadmium in chocolate, claims the president of the country’s cocoa export association.
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.
One of the world's favorite flavors, vanilla originates from Mexico, and the vanilla produced there has its own aromatic profile with balanced vanillin, chocolate and spice notes, according to supplier Zanilli.
