Food Matters Live Podcast

593: NPD opportunities in functional nutrition

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.

592: Bridging the cognitive health nutrient gap

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?

591: Food innovation trends for 2026 and beyond

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.

590: Butter boards and milk manga - the renaissance of dairy

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.

589: The next generation of sustainable protein

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.