Episodios

  • 594: How hybrid proteins and novel ingredients are reshaping the market

    594: How hybrid proteins and novel ingredients are reshaping the market
    Jan 26 2026

    Why are UK retailers pursuing "health by stealth" with hybrid meat products while European counterparts openly label them as plant-meat blends?

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Dublin event, two experts reveal why the future of alternative proteins isn't about replacing meat - it's about making meat smarter through hybrid blending.

    We discover that vegans and vegetarians make up only a third of the UK population, yet the industry spent years developing products exclusively for them while plant-based meat declined 1% year-on-year.

    Meanwhile, processed meat consumption is actually growing, creating an opportunity for hybrid solutions that deliver savings across cost, CO2, calories, and saturated fat.

    2050, if nothing changes, 40% of Earth's surface will develop novel climates - so perhaps the question isn't whether your grandchildren will eat alternative proteins, but which ones they'll choose.
    Más Menos
    32 m
  • 593: NPD opportunities in functional nutrition

    593: NPD opportunities in functional nutrition
    Jan 19 2026

    Can dehydrated vegetable scraps become the base for functional granola? And why do so many functional drinks fail at the most basic level - taste?

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Dublin event, industry innovators reveal the missed opportunities and emerging trends reshaping functional food development.

    Our expert panel suggests there may be a critical industry blind spot: consumers don't buy prebiotics or probiotics - they buy breakfast, lunch, and dinner - yet some brands make functional foods sound clinical rather than delicious.

    On emerging trends: products formulated with GLP-1 users in mind, and functional mushrooms.

    The challenge? Making clean label products taste incredible while consumers increasingly pay attention to ingredient lists.
    Más Menos
    36 m
  • 592: Bridging the cognitive health nutrient gap

    592: Bridging the cognitive health nutrient gap
    Jan 12 2026

    Can the right nutrients in early life protect your brain decades later? Are we missing critical brain-boosting compounds in our daily diets?

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our event in Rotterdam, neuroscience experts reveal the nutrient gaps undermining cognitive health across every life stage - and the innovative ingredients that could fill them.

    We discover that 90% of the UK population fails to meet omega-3 recommendations, and we learn about emerging evidence around the links between cognitive performance and products like spearmint extract and curcumin.

    How many of the claims can be backed up with science? And are we just scratching the surface when it comes to link between our cognitive health and our diet?
    Más Menos
    42 m
  • 591: Food innovation trends for 2026 and beyond

    591: Food innovation trends for 2026 and beyond
    Jan 5 2026
    How does a trending flavour make it from social media hype to supermarket shelves? And why do some innovations succeed while others end up gathering dust in warehouses?

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Dublin event, industry leaders from Tesco, Green King, Yo! Sushi, and Danone reveal how they navigate the innovation process.

    We discover why Tesco segments millions of customers into just six categories, how Green King balances 2,000 traditional pub-goers with innovation at the menu periphery, and why even the most science-backed products need consumer testing to distill complex claims into one simple line.

    Our expert panel will guide you through in our look ahead to 2026 and beyond.
    Más Menos
    46 m
  • 590: Butter boards and milk manga - the renaissance of dairy

    590: Butter boards and milk manga - the renaissance of dairy
    Dec 22 2025
    Dairy products may be perceived as 'much-loved by uninspiring' in some quarters, but there's plenty of work being done to change the category's image.

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Dublin event, we discover how it's being transformed through the prism seven consumer lifestyle pathways.

    We learn about communal dining trends driving butter and cheese boards across Gen Z, and "prejuvenation" - where 20-somethings obsess over aging and drive collagen-infused dairy innovation.

    And there is a GLP-1 angle. As appetite suppressors change how people experience food, dairy is leaning into sensory innovation - texture (yogurts with three different textures in one pot), olfactory cues (fragrance as a purchase driver in Chinese RTD teas), and maximalist joy.

    From milk manga comics revealed as Japanese schoolchildren empty their bottles, to Velveeta's unapologetic 100-year celebration with nail polish and candles, dairy's future isn't about being healthy and boring - it's about nutrient density delivered with color, fun, and connection.
    Más Menos
    22 m
  • 589: The next generation of sustainable protein

    589: The next generation of sustainable protein
    Dec 15 2025
    The next wave of protein innovation is here - and it looks nothing like the plant-based burgers that dominated the last five years.

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Ascot event in 2025, we explore two radically different approaches to meat alternatives.

    Mycelium fermentation that grows centimetre-length muscle-like fibres, requiring just four ingredients, and extremophilic micro algae that thrive at pH 1 without contamination or arable land.

    But our panel of experts also confront the hard numbers: with billions of chickens slaughtered annually and current meat consumption mathematically unsustainable by 2050, these innovations must need to achieve price parity, superior nutritional value, and genuine consumer acceptance to make a meaningful impact.
    Más Menos
    42 m
  • 588: Forecasting the future of flavour innovation

    588: Forecasting the future of flavour innovation
    Dec 8 2025
    What does the future hold for flavour innovation in the food sector?

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our event in Dublin, five culinary innovators reveal which flavour trends are defining the 2020s - and which unexpected ingredients will reshape menus by 2030.

    The panel dissects everything from "borderless cuisine", to the relentless march of hot honey across every category.

    And what of plant-based meat alternatives? Some of our panel push back on products trying too hard to mimic meat.

    And could we be about to witness a turnaround in fortunes for the PR around MSG?

    Más Menos
    48 m
  • 587: The HFSS Challenge - Innovation, Consumer Reality and Industry Progress

    587: The HFSS Challenge - Innovation, Consumer Reality and Industry Progress
    Dec 1 2025
    Can you reformulate a product to reduce sodium by 25% without losing the rich savoury profile consumers expect? And even if you can, will shoppers actually buy it?

    The UK's high fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) regulations have sparked the biggest wave of reformulation the food industry has seen in decades - but success requires far more than technical prowess.

    In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Ascot event, three speakers reveal the complex reality of making food healthier while keeping consumers coming back for more.

    And there's another challenge: just as companies invest millions reformulating to current benchmarks, there are further changes in the works.

    How can industry maintain momentum when the regulatory goalposts keep moving, and 40% of shopping baskets still come from HFSS products?
    Más Menos
    45 m