When did healthy become synonymous with sacrifice? And is that finally starting to change?

Consumer expectations have shifted dramatically. Protein-enriched yoghurts, fibre-packed snacks and gut health dairy products are no longer niche, they're mainstream.

But the challenge of giving consumers what they want is no small one.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with AGRANA Fruit, we unpack both the trends and the technical realities behind functional nutrition in dairy, ice cream and beverages.

We explore the concept of permissible indulgence, the technical challenge of creating fruit concentrates that maintain their flavour in the final product, and why clean label isn't just about removing E-numbers.

AGRANA Fruit will be at Food Matters Live in London on 3rd and 4th June. Visit foodmatterslive.com to register.

AGRANA Fruit

AGRANA Fruit offers a wide range of creative and innovative solutions for the food and beverage industry. The fruit solutions deliver high quality fruit, which is expertly prepared to be used in the dairy, ice cream, bakery, food service and beverage industries. Our product range includes fruit preparations, brown flavor preparations, preparations with inclusions, cereals, grains & seeds, savory preparations, sauces & toppings, syrups & smoothie bases, and frozen fruits. We have a truly global presence with 26 production sites on all continents. AGRANA Fruit’s product development work incorporates the latest global nutritional and health trends. AGRANA Fruit is part of the AGRANA Group - an internationally oriented Austrian company which converts agricultural raw materials into high-quality foods and numerous industrial intermediate products.

For every manufacturer trying to reduce saturated fat, cut sugar or lower their carbon footprint, there's a version of the same conversation: yes, but will it still taste right?

That question is where most reformulation projects live or die.

The pressure on food manufacturers has never been more multidirectional. HFSS compliance, sustainability targets, cost of living, supply chain volatility, fluctuating cocoa prices - and through all of it, the non-negotiable that overrides everything else: if it doesn't taste good, no one will buy it twice.

The question is how to take things out without taking away what consumers love?

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with AAK, we explore what "less is more" actually looks like in practice.

And we learn about some extraordinary solutions. From a butter replacer with a carbon footprint one eighth that of butter, to products designed specifically to reduce unplanned downtime on confectionery lines.

AAK will be at Food Matters Live in London on June 3rd and 4th June.

AAK

AAK are experts in plant-based oils and fats, the value-adding ingredients in many products people love to consume. They make these products better tasting, healthier, and more sustainable. At the heart of AAK’s offer is Customer Co-Development, combining their desire to understand what Making Better Happen™ means for each customer, with the unique flexibility of their production assets, and deep knowledge of products and industries, including Chocolate & Confectionery, Bakery, Dairy, Plant-based Foods, Special Nutrition, Foodservice, and Personal Care. Meet AAK at Food Matters Live in Ascot and Dublin where they will be showcasing their innovative ingredient solutions in their technical tasting and insight session.

Protein has been one of the dominant stories in food and drink for years, but the conversation has moved on.

It's no longer just about adding protein, now it's about being deliberate: where it comes from, how it functions, and what it actually delivers.

Plant protein sits right at the heart of that shift, and that’s the focus of this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Bunge.

But not all plant proteins are created equal. Choosing the right one for your formulation requires a much more targeted approach than it once did.

So which proteins deserve the food industry's attention right now, and why?

Bunge
At Bunge (NYSE: BG), our purpose is to connect farmers to consumers to deliver essential food, feed and fuel to the world. As a premier agribusiness solutions provider, our team of 37,000 dedicated employees partner with farmers across the globe to move agricultural commodities from where they’re grown to where they’re needed - in faster, smarter, and more efficient ways. We are a world leader in grain origination, storage, distribution, oilseed processing and refining, offering a broad portfolio of plant-based oils, fats, and proteins.

Consumers are changing. What they want from their food and why is shifting fast. For manufacturers, keeping up means understanding not just the trends but the forces driving them.

For food manufacturers, the pressures stacking up right now can feel contradictory.

Consumers want food that's healthier, but they won't compromise on taste.

They also want products to be more affordable, but their expectations for quality and provenance are rising.

And all of this with a backdrop of disruptive influences such as GLP-1 drugs and geo-political tensions.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with BENEO and Meatless, we explore how intelligent ingredient choices can help manufacturers navigate all of it at once.

BENEO and Meatless will be at Food Matters Live in London on 3rd and 4th June. Visit foodmatterslive.com to register.

BENEO
BENEO is your global partner in catering to the latest trends and developments in the food and feed industry. They aim to contribute to better nutrition and health. And with local branches all over the world, you always have a competent expert to talk to. Consumers actively choose foods that contribute to their well-being. Even more, products that match their individual lifestyles are on trend. As the demand for convenient and easy to prepare food continues, the expectations on nutrition also continue to grow. To name just a few, these include the reduction of sugar and fat without compromising on taste and texture, increased dietary fibre intake, plus a need for healthier weight and energy management. Meet Beneo in Ascot to discover their ingredient solutions in their technical tasting and insight sessions.

Meatless
Meatless produces 100% plant-based textured products which are used by the vegetarian and vegan industry as an ingredient in excellent vegetarian and vegan food such as sausages, burgers and many others. We provide a range of textured products based on natural plant-based whole foods like rice, pea, quinoa, wheat, and fava bean. Our white rice fibres are superior for applications like analog white fish or analog processed chicken. Our products are also used as a substitute for fat or meat in processed meat products to improve health and sustainability performances. Meatless is low processed and made of pure natural wholefood raw materials and contains no artificial binders, preservatives, colouring agents, or flavour enhancers. We provide viable high-quality solutions for the food industry.

How does a trending flavour make it from a TikTok video to a supermarket shelf? And how do you tell the difference between a trend worth backing and one that will be gone in six weeks?

The food industry has never had more data to work with, and never found it harder to know which signals actually matter.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Ascot event, our panel of trends experts debate how to read the signals and act on them.

They explore third culture cuisine, what really happened to the plant-based meat boom, and how animal protein is quietly reinventing itself through better welfare standards, artisanal cuts and the culinary rediscovery of dark meat.

GLP-1 drugs have been dominating health headlines for some time. But the bigger story may be what we still don't know.

What if you want to leverage on your own GLP-1 production? What are your options and should you do it?

GLP-1 is a hormone the body already produces, and that biological reality opens up a significant opportunity for the food and supplement industry to play a meaningful role in in glucose management, its “rollercoaster” and its implications for (even) healthy consumers, long before and long after a prescription is involved.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Rousselot, we explore the science of glucose management, who it matters to, why it matters now, and where the real innovation opportunities lie.

Rousselot

Rousselot is the global leader in collagen peptides solutions, supported by over 20 years of scientific research.

By translating advanced collagen science into innovative health and nutrition solutions, Rousselot combines cutting-edge operations and expertise to help customers create world-class products.

No parent wants their child to miss out, and from day one that often means paying close attention to what goes on their plate - sometimes with more anxiety than confidence.

So what's actually keeping parents up at night? What shapes their choices, what ends up in the shopping basket, and what would they do differently given the chance?

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with FrieslandCampina Ingredients (FCI), we go looking for answers.

FCI has carried out a study, covering eleven countries with vastly different cultures, approaches to food, and ideas about what healthy eating actually looks like.

We unpack their findings and explore what they signal for food manufacturers trying to reach this audience in a meaningful way.

FrieslandCampina Ingredients

FrieslandCampina Ingredients is a global leader in proteins and prebiotics, addressing the growing need for innovative nutritional solutions to the world’s health and well-being challenges.

Its drive is to get the right ingredients to you so you can create highly nutritious, sustainable applications for consumers with special dietary needs and preferences. So they can get the most out of life, always.

Parent company, FrieslandCampina, daily provides millions of consumers throughout the world with dairy products containing valuable nutrients from milk.

Between 70 and 85% of new food products fail in their first year. And the reason often isn't the nutrition, it's the mouthfeel.

When manufacturers remove sugar, fat or calories to make food healthier, they risk destroying the very sensory experience that makes consumers reach for that product again.

And consumers, it turns out, are unreliable witnesses to their own preferences, saying they want something "lighter" while consistently choosing products that are thick, smooth and dense.

Bridging that gap between what consumers say and what they actually want is one of the most underestimated challenges in food innovation.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, made in partnership with Tate & Lyle, we explore the science, strategy and commercial implications of mouthfeel.

Professor Charles Spence from Oxford University's Cross Modal Research Laboratory opens with a masterclass on multisensory perception, explaining how retronasal aroma accounts for as much as 95% of what we think we're tasting, and how simply amplifying the sound of a crisp can make it seem fresher and crispier without changing a single ingredient.

We unpack the science behind mouthfeel, how social media listening is revealing new mouthfeel trends, and how all of that information is being turned into real R&D solutions.

Tate & Lyle
Supported by its 160-year history of ingredient innovation, Tate Lyle partners with customers to provide consumers with healthier and tastier choices when they eat and drink. Millions of people around the world consume products containing its ingredients every day. Through its expertise in sweetening, fortification, and texture, Tate & Lyle develops ingredient solutions that reduce sugar, calories, and fat, add fibre and protein, and provide texture and stability in categories including beverages, dairy, bakery, snacks, soups, sauces, and dressings. Tate & Lyle has more than 3,500 employees working in around 57 locations across 39 countries. Science, Solutions, Society is its brand promise and how Tate & Lyle will achieve its purpose of Transforming Lives Through the Science of Food. By living its purpose, Tate & Lyle works to successfully grow its business and have a positive impact on society. The company lives its purpose in three ways: by supporting healthy living, building thriving communities and caring for our planet.