Billions of dollars have been invested by companies using precision fermentation to make "animal-free" dairy proteins in a factory. Around 40 companies are aiming to replace large parts of the dairy industry and they claim that their alt proteins behave in the same way in the human body as real dairy proteins. However, a recently published scientific study suggest that these animal-free proteins in fact don't. They may have a different effect on the gut and immunity. Meanwhile no alt protein company has been able to produce a single study that backs up their claim of equivalence to the natural dairy matrix.

Time: 16 minutes

For a growing number of consumers "grass-fed" is one of the strongest health and sustainability messages. So it's no surprise that demand for foods from grass-fed sources is growing steadily. In the US, for example, sales of grass-fed meat are three times those of the much-hyped plant-based substitutes and grew by 31% last year. And at least one former vegan ice cream brand is now thriving by offering grass-fed dairy ice cream. If you are thinking about the future of food, this development and what it says about humans is one you have to understand.

Time: 25 minutes

A fall in the breakfast cereal market in Europe has led to Nestlé closing a factory, with the loss of hundreds of jobs. It's an illustration of what happens when consumer trends reach a tipping point. Rising consumer preferences for eggs, dairy protein and health-centred, small entrepreneurial brands have sealed the fate of traditional breakfast cereals. More in this podcast. 

Time: 14 minutes

Animal protein has become the most important growth trend in the business of food, nutrition and health.

Consumer demand for dairy protein has been growing strongly – witness surging demand for cottage cheese – and red meat is now on the same path. Meat snacks are a hugely successful category in the supermarket, and one of the fastest-growing brands in America is a meat snack.

Consumers are putting the brakes on meat-reducing, veganism is shrinking back to its niche, and cardiologists and doctors are re-thinking the role of red meat in a healthy diet.

We're not alone in spotting rising demand for animal protein; Whole Foods Market, the leading natural foods retail chain in the US, reports that health-conscious consumers are now prioritizing animal protein.

But how is this possible, after years of plant-based push? Dairy protein and red meat tick many boxes for consumers: “real” whole foods, nutrient-dense, versatile and good-tasting.

Tune in to learn more!

Time: 38 minutes

Quorn has been - for over 30 years - the case study that everyone in the food industry can learn from. Quorn's successful creation of a new category, based on patented technology, was a rare and inspiring example. Now it's a case study of how, when consumer trends turn, even successful businesses can hit trouble. Despite that, Quorn can still have a future. But for the many companies who have invested hundreds of millions of dollar to copy Quorn's mycoprotein meat substitute technology, the outlook is bleak.

Humans don't want to eat technology. They prefer to eat real food. That's why the most successful strategy in the food industry, for the past 25 years, has been taking traditional foods and adapting them to the needs of modern consumers. One of the best examples is in Japan, where falling sales of tofu were reversed by a company figuring out how to reinvent tofu as a convenient and good-tasting snack for younger consumers. It's a strategy that also explains the success of Greek yoghurt, skyr, kefir and many others. This podcast sets out the success factors for reinventing a traditional food. 

Do you want to know how to create a successful healthier food product? Here are my favourite Seven Steps for Success, created as a result of our 20+ years of research, creating case studies and advising companies. Take these into account and you will be making a good start! Time: 20 minutes

The failure of the meat substitute business will be the must-read case study for the next decade. It shows what happens when companies make assumptions about consumers and their motivations instead of doing deep research and thinking. It shows what happens when products fail the taste test. And it shows what happens when you don't give anyone a compelling reason to buy your product. As the economic outlook darkens, the future isn't bright for this stumbling category.

Time: 11 minutes

A press release from Harvard stated that a new study had found that consuming meat increases your risk of diabetes. It was reproduced - almost word-for-word - by hundreds of media outlets within a few hours of its publication. Did the media follow up and report the tens of nutrition experts who raised question marks over the study? Not so much.

When the media slavishly reproduces a press release right after publication it tells you that the journalists haven't actually read the study or done any investigation. Research by New Nutrition Business found that's normal practice now in mainstream media, much of which exists to reproduce press releases. And that means they are often producing misinformation.

Time: 15 minutes