Palm oil is cheap to produce in large quantities but unsustainable production methods, notably deforestation, means the bad can far outweigh the good. As a result, brands are increasingly distancing themselves from the use of irresponsible palm oil in...
Palm oil acceptance in the European Union (EU) is not impossible if the industry engages in proper marketing based on scientific facts, with changes already being seen in some countries, according to a panel of experts.
Moolec Science – which has developed a ‘molecular farming’ platform to produce plants that express animal proteins – is going public via a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC)* in a deal expected to close later this year.
Chilean firm Benexia has made big strides in moving toward becoming a supplier of chia-based ingredients as opposed to being purely a purveyor of the seed itself.
Orbital Insight’s technology will combine satellite images of Indonesia and Brazil with geolocation data to provide specific information on ‘the first mile’ – the journey that palm oil fruit or soybeans travel from the plantation to a mill. “With a clearer...
Oleopalma is setting the standard for palm oil production in Mexico as the first company in the country to receive Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) certification.
Brazil's Marfrig pledges to keep all its meat plants operating; Mercado Libre cuts commission for non-perishable food products; Ambev brewery is now producing alcohol gel. We take a look at how the food industry is responding to the coronavirus outbreak...
When ultra-processed food costs more, it is associated with lower prevalence of overweight and obesity in Brazil, suggesting taxes could be an effective tool to fight obesity, argue the authors of a recent study.
Starting in Mexico and Brazil, Nestlé will plant three million trees, restore degraded ecosystems and help farmers switch to agroforestry methods in a bid to make its supply chain more resilient.
Mexico's nutrition label is once again on path to enter into force as a court revokes the decision to provisionally suspend it, although industry says it will continue to oppose the regulation using "all legal means".
Since going public with its zero deforestation commitment last October, the Palm Grower Association of Guatemala (GREPALMA) has more than doubled the number of signatories to its sustainable development targets.
Brazil’s GMO logo has been mandatory since 2003 but three-quarters of Brazilians do not recognize it, according to a recent study. Should it be removed - as a draft law currently proposes - or redesigned?
The Colombian government and food industry have agreed on warning nutrition labels that will become mandatory on unhealthy food and drink products sold in the country.
Certified sustainable palm oil supplier Agropalma's investment in a specialty ingredients refinery has allowed Brazilian manufacturers to source key ingredients, such as cocoa butter substitute, domestically, it says.
Big food companies are lagging on their commitments to eliminate the environmental damage being caused by the palm oil supply chain, according to the Worldwide Fund for Nature (WWF).
Growing palm oil on degraded pasture instead of deforested land can reduce net ecosystem carbon losses by 99.7% and results in a crop that is almost completely carbon neutral, according to a Colombian study.
Brazilian food regulatory agency ANVISA has announced a 2% limit on industrial trans fats in all food and drink products and total ban on partially hydrogenated oils by 2023.
With a rise in ketotogenic-friendly product launches to a recently launched low-carb front-of-pack logo, Brazil's keto market may be small but it interest is growing.
Fewer sugary breakfast cereals are using child-targeted marketing tactics since Chile’s strict food regulation, while healthier cereals are adding fun characters to their products, according to recent research.
By encouraging unhealthy food purchases, supermarkets are worsening Latin America’s childhood obesity crisis – but certain strategies can help both public health and retailer profits, according to a recent UNICEF report.
Lamb Weston and Argentina’s Sociedad Comercial del Plata (SCP) are forming a joint venture they say will open doors to the South American processed potato market.
The Mercosur parliament will study a draft bill proposing harmonized front-of-pack nutrition labeling and other measures to halt rising obesity rates in the bloc.
With support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the countries of the Americas will introduce a six-year plan to end the presence of trans fats in processed foods in a bid to prevent cardiovascular disease. We spoke to Dr. Fabio Da Silva...
The United Nations has awarded Peru’s Ministry of Health for its “outstanding contribution” to preventing non-communicable diseases through its mandatory nutrition warning label.
Brazil's proposed warning nutrient label will not encourage manufacturers to make their products healthier, ABIA’s president has said - but ingredient suppliers are gearing up for the reformulation opportunity.
Regulatory authority ANVISA has revealed the front-of-pack nutrition warning it has chosen for Brazil, and is calling for comments through a public consultation.
Trans fats may be present in almost 20% of Brazilian packaged foods and beverages, despite most of them not reporting the presence of the controversial ingredient in the ingredient deck or on the nutrition facts panel, says a new study.
Toasted babassu oil is a perfect substitute for coconut oil thanks to its delicate flavor profile, lower price, and similar nutritional and functional qualities, says Concepta Ingredients.
Front of pack nutrition labeling can have an effect on children's emotional associations with a food product, according to Brazilian researchers, who had nearly 500 children choose between 16 different emojis to capture how they feel about eating...
Produza's culinary oil, a blend of chia and extra virgin olive oil flavored with Mediterranean herbs, provides a good mix of healthy omega-3, 6, and 9 fatty acids and taste, it says.
Amid an escalating economic crisis, Argentina has cut VAT on basic food products such as bread, milk, oil and sugar, the country’s president Mauricio Macri announced.
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.
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.
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?
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.
Latin America has increased its agricultural output in the past 20 years thanks to increased investment in research and development (R&D), according to a report by the FAO and OECD.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
