Dried fruit and vegetable powders allow manufacturers to add extra nutrients and color to food and drink products, says Brazilian supplier Sylvestre Natural Ingredients.
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.
'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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
Regenerative agriculture can be productive and profitable, according to Brazilian producer Rizoma, which aims to regenerate one million hectares of land in Brazil by 2030. “Simply sustaining is not enough,” it says.
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.
One in 10 products is failing to meet mandatory maximum salt levels in Argentina, according to a survey, prompting health campaigners to call for stricter government monitoring.
Sixty percent of Chileans were willing to try an empanada filled with insect protein, according to a study by the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.
Brazil’s Institute of Consumer Protection (IDEC) has launched a platform that allows the public to identify ‘misleading’ or ‘abusive’ food advertising.
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?
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.
Mexico's leading coconut milk brand talks about new product development and how healthy drinks can compete with soda. "Coconuts have been popular in Mexico since forever. It's just that now companies are transforming them into everyday...
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.
Maza Real is creating a market for native, Mexican-grown maize by buying red, blue and white criollo varieties from farmers. Consumers want to go "back to natural and back to their roots”, it says.
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.
'What we're wrestling with is whether CBD is an ingredient play, or something huge brands can be built around'
The fact that CBD is not a legal ingredient in foods and supplements - at least not yet - did not deter scores of exhibitors at Expo West, who added it to everything from soda to protein bars (absent any claims), with some opting for isolates, but most...
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.
Mexican bakery giant Grupo Bimbo posted record sales in 2018 and has expanded its presence in Chile with the acquisition of biscuit and cake manufacturer Nutra Bien.
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.
The Maize for Colombia partnership will invest US$1 million over the next five years to develop non-GMO corn varieties that are resistant to climate change.
