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.

Fibre is arguably one of the most important and most neglected nutrients in the Western diet.

Sixty per cent of people are not hitting their daily requirements and, unlike protein, it has an image problem that public health campaigns have largely failed to fix.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Ascot event, three experts examine the fibre gap from three very different angles: the supply chain, the behavioural science, and the cutting-edge physiology.

We hear the case for "stealth health" and invisible integration as the only realistic route to getting more fibre into consumer diets right now, and how a landmark Danish intervention doubled national fibre intake.

What if the greatest threat to your supply chain isn't a disease outbreak or a logistics failure, but a ransomware attack on a supplier you've never met?

The regulatory and risk landscape facing food businesses has shifted dramatically, from The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive, to EU Deforestation Regulation, and the increased risk of cyber attacks in food supply chains.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Dublin event, three specialists in supply chain technology and compliance unpack what all of this means in practice.

The question the industry faces is whether it can treat data with the same rigour it has always applied to physical ingredients.

The gut health market is booming. But if you can't make a meaningful health claim, how do you build a commercially successful product?

Despite decades of research, billions spent on ingredients, and a consumer base that's genuinely hungry for gut health solutions, the industry faces a fundamental tension: the science is outpacing what regulators will allow on pack.

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Ascot event, our panel of experts debate where the real opportunity lies in gut health NPD - and where the industry keeps tripping itself up.

They examine why the gut-brain axis is both the most exciting frontier and the hardest to substantiate for regulators; why one well-designed study will never be enough to unlock a claim, and why flooding the market with poorly powered trials actively damages the entire field.

Why has women's health historically been an underfunded sector in the food industry - and what do we stand to gain as that begins to change?

With supplement launches carrying a women's health claim growing in recent years, and perimenopause product launches alone up 45% in 2024, the commercial opportunity is significant.

But so is the scientific gap. Women's health has been studied through a one-size-fits-all lens for too long - and the nutrition needs of a woman in her 20s, through pregnancy, perimenopause and beyond, are not the same.

As we approach International Women's Day, this episode, recorded at the Food Matters Live event in Rotterdam, sees our panel of experts map both the opportunity and the unknowns.

What happens to consumers, and to the food and wellness industries, when millions of people come off GLP-1 medication?

With GLP-1 drugs surging in popularity, the food industry is already grappling with something far more complex than simply weightloss: who is this consumer, what do they need while on the medication, and crucially, what do they need when they stop?

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Ascot event, our panel of experts dig into the physiology, the food innovation opportunity, and the gaps the industry is not yet filling.

They explore how GLP-1 drugs alter taste and texture perception, why the craving for sweetness and alcohol diminishes whilst on the drugs, and what nutrient-dense, small-format product innovation looks like for a consumer eating far less.

They also look to the future, when patients come off medication, as the critical, underleveraged opportunity for functional food, probiotics, and fibre innovation.

How does the food we eat affect our immune health during different stages of our lives?

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Rotterdam event, a panel of experts reveal how food shapes immune resilience from before birth, through to old age.

They delve into the science, covering gut health, ultra-processed foods, the 1,000 day rule, and plenty more.

The question is: is the food industry serving our immune systems well and is it ready to respond to an increased interest in the topic among consumers?

GLP-1 is the hot topics at the moment. But how do we know it’s more than just a fad? And could the emergence of GLP-1 drugs be leading to other, less pharmaceutical, innovations in the food industry?

In this episode of the Food Matters Live podcast, recorded at our Rotterdam event, a panel of experts explain why the eveidence suggests GLP-1 medications do represent a true, long-term disruption.

With tens-of-millions of people already using the drugs, our speakers suggest we are already seeing consumer spending shifting away from junk food.

How the industry responds will be critical, and there is an opportunity for brands targeting a more health-curious demographic.

Collagen peptides that trigger natural GLP-1 secretion are already gaining attention as an alternative to daily injections, what else could be in store remains to be seen.