Food Navigator

1 week ago | foodnavigator.com | Augustus Bambridge-Sutton |Donna Eastlake |Nicholas Robinson

Earlier this year, cocoa prices reached record highs. Following a similar, but not quite as extreme, price hike in April last year, they reached $10.75 (€9.47) per kilogram on January 31. They have since reduced, though remain above 2023 levels. Nevertheless, the price pressure has started to impact consumers, and this at the most chocolatey time of the year: Easter. Price hikes hit Easter eggsOne of the most significant issues with price rises is consumer demand.

1 week ago | foodnavigator.com | Donna Eastlake |Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe |Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The chocolate market is booming, boasting a staggering global market value of $140.12bn (€123.08) in 2025 and a projected CAGR of 4.89% over the next five years (Statista). But external influences are reshaping the industry, forcing it to adapt while also creating a whole host of new innovation opportunities. Here are the key changes shaping the future of chocolate. Chocolate moving towards cocoa-freeChocolate is making major strides towards becoming cocoa-free.

1 week ago | foodnavigator.com | Nicholas Robinson |Augustus Bambridge-Sutton |Katy Askew

Cultivated meat is at the growing centre of a €23bn food tech boom, sucking up major investments including over €60m of government, private and NGO funds in the UK. A full safety assessment of two lab-produced foods is also underway by the country’s Food Standards Agency (FSA), which could see the products shelf-ready in two years.

1 week ago | foodnavigator.com | Augustus Bambridge-Sutton |Rachel Arthur |Nicholas Robinson

Having non-alcoholic beer on-tap has its advantages, or so Heineken says. The number one advantage is it allows consumers to have a more authentic experience when having a pint. With the stigma surrounding non-alcoholic drinking still present in some circumstances, it also means that the consumer can blend in more easily, a pint of beer looking more or less the same whether it’s alcoholic or not.

1 week ago | foodnavigator.com | Donna Eastlake

Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Metabolism Research in Cologne have discovered why many crave something sweet straight after a large meal, even while feeling full. And the reason lies within the nervous system. The need for something sweetNerve cells that signal fullness also trigger cravings for sweet flavours. That’s according to a new study out of Germany. Labelled the ‘dessert stomach’ phenomenon, people often find themselves reaching for something sweet after a filling meal.