Slow-fermented chickpea miso is full of natural umami notes, making it a great way to enhance flavor, reduce salt and add beneficial bacteria to food, says Brazilian company Missô Origem.
Benni Alimentos has launched a soluble cashew nut milk powder that has a two-year shelf life, making plant-based milk alternatives more practical, it says.
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.
São Paulo start-up Mun is bringing tempeh - a protein made from whole, fermented pulses that originates from Indonesia - to Brazil. We caught up with the co-founder at BioBrazil last week.
'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.
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.
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...
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".
In price-sensitive markets such as Latin America, does clean label reformulation to make products healthier or more natural offer a return on investment?
Chili peppers are an essential part of Mexican cuisine, and the country's hot sauce category is a very busy space. So how can products stand out? We spoke to some companies that claim to be doing things differently.
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,'...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
In addition to being 'on-trend', sprouted quinoa flour can improve the taste, texture and nutritional quality of gluten-free baked goods, according to Argentinean researchers.
From Chobani's new coconut-based range of spoonable and drinkable products to US food tech firm JUST aiming to take its plant-based product, JUST Egg, into China, a lot has happened over the past seven days. Here’s a round-up of the top seven global...
La Huerta de Elisa has developed a range of all-natural baby foods made with native fruit and veg and will launch an organic line next year, plugging a significant gap in a monopolized market, its founder says.
Gluten-free leads the way for ‘free-from’ claims on the labels of probiotic products available online in Brazil, according to data from Lumina Intelligence.
Regenerative farming is said to enhance crops and make the most of limited land resources while reducing the use of chemicals. In the third part of this series we look at how this translates into cacao production, and other crops.
The Not Company is using an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify suitable ingredients and blends to replace animal-origin products and will soon launch a plant-based milk in Chile.
There was a lot of innovation on show at the recent Fi South America event in Sao Paulo. FoodNavigator-LATAM caught up with hydrocolloids supplier CP Kelco to find out how their ingredients can provide solutions to some of the region’s big trends.
Regenerative agriculture is slowly making inroads into the consumer mindset but still remains a mystery to most. To get to grips with the concept this article takes a look at the most important element: the soil.
Nestlé has finalized its majority interest acquisition of Ecuador-based Terrafertil in a move analysts say strategically secures supply for the food major to push deeper into the organic space.
Sugar reduction and ambient drinking yogurt are two of the most interesting trends in Latin America at the moment, but both present technical challenges to food and beverage companies. Hydrocolloids are part of the solution, explains CP Kelco’s regional...
Orange-yellow pigments from cactus pear (Opuntia megacantha) may offer a water-soluble natural alternative for use in food products, says a new study from researchers in Argentina and Colombia.
With demand for natural food colors continuing to increase, supercritical antisolvent (SAS) technology may allow for encapsulated curcumin to replace artificial tartrazine, according to a new study from scientists in Colombia and Spain.
Awareness of acrylamide among consumers across Latin America is slowly on the rise, but progress in Europe and the US shows there are solutions to help prevent formation of this suspected carcinogen.
Gluten-free and lactose-free are two of the leading growth categories in the evolving free-from category in Brazil, with ‘free-from’ also tipped as the most promising trend across the whole region, according to Euromonitor International.
Dairy-free 'milk' alternatives remain modest in Latin America with consumers being priced out, following years of economic strain, says the executive director of dairy at Rabobank.
Argentina’s efforts to reduce or remove trans fat content of foods has been a great success, with almost 95% of companies in compliance by 2015, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
When it comes to sugar, fat and salt reduction, Latin America can learn a lot from Europe and the US as most of the complex, technical aspects have already been refined, says a formulation expert.
