All PFN ARTICLES

South Korea has long understood what fermentation can bring to the dinner table. Now a leading scientist is pointing towards another possibility: using microbes to produce foods tailored to nutritional needs as people grow older.

A tropical drink for gut health, an iron-support capsule and a protein-packed soda. Fonterra-backed Vivici is offering a taste of where everyday nutrition could be heading, with products designed to fit around people’s lives. The Dutch company will showcase its latest concepts at SupplySide Global in Las Vegas this month. They’re ideas for brands to develop, rather than products heading straight onto supermarket shelves.

Brevel 's India move is an agreement with that country's Wave Group to turn sugar-processing byproducts, light and fermentation into a new generation of food ingredients.

Gourmey’s cultivated duck is back on the menu of possibilities. The Paris-based company, which PFN has followed previously, has secured FSANZ Board approval for its duck cells to be used in foods such as foie gras and pâté. The decision, made on 6 October, brings another cultivated ingredient closer to our food supply. FSANZ’s assessment identified no public health or safety concerns associated with the production cell line or the resulting ingredient. There are still steps b

New Zealand’s cow-free dairy science has attracted an overseas buyer and raised a familiar question about where our best ideas go to grow. British biotechnology group Mycofeast has acquired Auckland’s Daisy Lab's lab for an undisclosed sum, bringing its precision fermentation work into an international ingredients business.

Innova Market Insights' Top 10 Food Trends for 2027 suggests a significant change in consumer expectations. Nutritional quality, digestibility, metabolic health, longevity and fermentation are increasingly shaping what people want from their food. And there's a subtle message for food manufacturers: simply adding another five grams of protein may no longer be enough.

SIAL Paris is putting the protein boom under scrutiny ahead of its 17–21 October food fair. Its published trend analysis warns of “protein washing” - marketing that elevates protein content without a corresponding nutritional benefit. The message to manufacturers is clear, protein quantity alone cannot establish a product’s value; quality, digestibility and the overall food matter too.

Beyond Meat is broadening its offer from meat alternatives into everyday plant nutrition. Its brand-new "Phytosphere" portfolio brings together protein powders, savoury bars, beverages and meal products through a dedicated direct-to-consumer website. The range combines plant protein with nutrients including fibre, positioning Beyond across more eating occasions.

A new global food biotech shortlist isn't the final word on who will shape 2027, but it provides a remarkably telling picture of where food biotech is heading. Protein Production Technology International (PPTI) has shortlisted 81 companies from 379 nominations for its eventual 27 Food-Techs to Watch in 2027. Public voting remains open until October 23, with the final 27 due to be revealed in Amsterdam in November. So this is not yet the Top 27.

Impossible Foods has found a pragmatic way into one of Europe’s most important grocery markets simply by stopping to waiting for its signature heme ingredient to be approved.

Every time tofu or soymilk is produced, a wet soybean pulp called okara is left behind. It still contains valuable nutrients and protein, but because it is highly perishable, fibrous and relatively unappealing in taste and texture, much of it ends up as low-value animal feed or food waste.

Food innovation is entering a more commercially disciplined phase. The strongest developments are no longer technology demonstrations or novelty launches, they involve proven manufacturing, familiar applications and clearly defined routes to market. Here are five consequential food signals from the past week