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.
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.
Danone’s La Serenísima brand is adding 0% fat and 2% fat milk to its range of fresh and long-life milk in Argentina, Paraguay, and beyond in response to "new trends".
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.
The biodiversity essential for food production is disappearing by the day, says a damning report by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) – yet there are areas for positive action. The first-of-kind report suggests steps manufacturers could take...
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.
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.
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.
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.
Barbados' tax on sugary drinks has been effective in reducing sales of sugar-sweetened beverages - however the ad valorum tax may also encourage shoppers to switch to cheaper - and possibly more sugary - brands, researchers have suggested.
European birch water startup ÖselBirch has received interest from purchasers in Mexico and Brazil and one expert believes the product could work with the right entry strategy, but there are numerous challenges facing such a long-distance expansion of...
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
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.
Juçaí's juçara berry sorbet may appeal to health-conscious millennials but it also has a more serious agenda: taking the juçara palm off the endangered list by growing demand for its superfruit berries.
Mexican students are transforming acidic agave waste from tequila production into a nutritious high-fiber flour. “We will create a new product to combat obesity and also have a cleaner Mexico,” they say.
From jabuticaba-flavored yogurt to guacamole mayonnaise, processed food firms are catering to Latin Americans demand for natural, healthy, and authentic foods, according to a survey by ingredient supplier Kerry.
Harvested wild from the Chilean forest, maqui berries have seven times more antioxidants than rival superfood açaí and their global popularity is growing, says supplier Arauco Nutrientes Naturales.
Brazilians are confused about which food and drink is good for gut health - but this is an opportunity for manufacturers to offer premium solutions, according to health consultancy New Nutrition Business. 'Focus on value rather than volume,'...
Argentinian start-up The Food Market is an e-commerce platform for local and regional brands, giving producers "an unthinkable growth opportunity" and consumers the chance to buy "honest, transparent" brands.
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.
Under its Leão brand, Coca-Cola Brazil has launched a range of yerba maté pods it says will meet Brazilian demand for practical and convenient healthy drinks.
Many critics of the NOVA food classification are biased due to close ties to the food industry, according to Brazilian researchers - but are the lines between criticism of NOVA and support of food processing becoming blurred?
Danone has given its Argentinean yogurt brand La Serenísima a sustainable packaging revamp to make it easier to recycle. “We have the opportunity to be the first yogurt in Argentina to speak about the circular economy," it says.
Brazilian engineers say it is possible to create spicy tomatoes through genome editing, paving the way for healthier and cheaper foods that could benefit "the whole of society".
Appearing in Mexican street food, Argentinian coffee shops and Brazilian chocolate, hibiscus flavors are conquering the Latin American continent in categories as diverse as beverages, confectionery and dairy. We spoke to supplier Firmenich to find out...
