Brazilian farmers are gearing up to harvest guarana fruit as a two-year project to promote cultivation of higher-yielding and hardier guarana varieties comes to an end.
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.
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.
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.
Argentinian scientists and tech firm EnyeTech have optimized the production process for mycoprotein, allowing for cheaper production both industrially and in the home. "We are decentralizing the production of protein in the world," says the...
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.
Start-up accelerator TIC Colombia is on the hunt for innovative food, nutrition and agriculture start-ups to accelerate in its 2019 nationwide competition.
De-cocainized coca leaf extract makes diet cola sodas taste better, according to a patent, and the scientist behind it is promising "a revolution in soda beverages that benefits the people of South America, not anonymous multinationals".
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?
Through a diverse portfolio of products, ranging from commodity-style basics to premium products, Grupo Lala ensures it appeals to Mexico's diverse population. 'We want to be the number one leader in dairy R&D and product development,'...
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.
Dutch starch manufacturer Avebe is boosting its investment in potato ingredients development through the opening of a new innovation centre in the Netherlands.
'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...
By Will Chu, Niamh Michail, Hank Schultz, and Cheryl Tay
The interest in cannabidiol (CBD) use in food supplements, foods, and even as an ingredient in cosmetics has gained much momentum in the past five years, but what is the regulatory situation around the world?
DuPont is making its range of fermentation cultures for plant-based dairy alternatives, such as soy and coconut milk, available to manufacturers in South America.
Bezos Expeditions and ethical investment firm The Craftory will give Chilean plant-based start-up The Not Company US$30 million. “NotCo has the energy and capabilities to topple the traditional food production giants,” says The Craftory.
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.
Demand for plant-based products in Mexico is small but growing fast, according to supplier DuPont, as it shows customers how to incorporate soy into traditional Mexican dishes at Carne y Lacteos in Monterrey.
In a global ranking for CBD potential and cannabis market 'readiness', Latin America ranks second. We spoke to experts about how big a role Latino countries could play in an industry predicted to be worth US$2.5 billion by 2026.
Dairy giant Grupo Lala will market and distribute Blue Diamond Growers' almond milk alternatives in Mexico, a strategic deal it says will help it target premium-minded consumers.
With global demand for avocados set to rise by 15% annually until 2024, the boom is benefitting Latin American countries through job and wealth creation, according to the World Avocado Organization (WAO).
Danone Waters Brazil has launched 4U, a range of premium carbonated juices and flavored teas to meet demand for healthy, natural beverages in the country.
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.
Mexican social enterprise SmartFish is driving both supply and demand for sustainable fish and seafood by teaching local fishermen to use artisanal methods and selling their produce. “We are creating a market for sustainable fish in Mexico,” it says.
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.
Specialty nut and seed oils from the Amazon, such as murumuru, could be used to replace cocoa butter or to boost the nutritional profile of products such as margarine, Brazilian researchers say.
People, seeds and soil are the fundamentals of agriculture and, when combined, are a tool to fight climate change, say researchers working with Mayan farmers in Southern Belize.
Most packaged food products in Latin America are meeting regional salt reduction targets, according to a first-of-its-kind survey - but this is probably because the targets were set too high, researchers say.
The Social Gastronomy Movement, a network of farm-to-fork actors offering solutions to issues such as food waste and poor nutrition, is being rolled out around the world with pilot hubs in Chile and Brazil.
Food security and nutrition experts from around the world gathered in Costa Rica this week for the Sustainable Food Systems (SFS) conference. FoodNavigator-LATAM brings you the highlights.
Chile is on a drive to increase investment and innovation by offering tax breaks for research and development (R&D) in any sector. “Chile is the natural laboratory for companies who want to see how the market responds to a product," says InvestChile
Brazil’s traceability law makes origin information for fresh fruit and vegetables mandatory, and is a boost for consumer transparency – but could make small producers less competitive, stakeholders warn.
Chile's Gelymar is developing a "completely new" range of apple fiber products and making seaweed sourcing more sustainable. "Natural, unique and sustainable are the three pillars that will dominate the future hydrocolloid industry,"...
Latin American manufacturers are interested in cleaning up food labels but the region's lack of harmonization is limiting uptake, says Chr. Hansen’s LATAM vice president.
Reformulating to remove warning labels by cutting salt and fat makes a product seem healthier than creating a health halo by adding fiber or vitamins, Chilean researchers have found.
Brazilians are hungry for meat-free foods with the taste and texture of meat - and quinoa patties won't cut it anymore, says the Good Food Institute (GFI). It shares advice for new product development and marketing strategies for plant-based products.
