TRENDS

ARIE regulation in the food industry: do you know the risks?

The ARIE regulation has been in force in the Netherlands since January 2023. Its purpose is to prevent major workplace accidents involving hazardous substances and protect employees’ safety. Employers bear most of the re..

EU bans animal names for plant-based products

06 March 2026

Beef, chicken, steak or bacon on plant-based packaging? In the EU, that will soon no longer be allowed. The European Parliament and the member states have reached an agreement on the matter. Producers of meat substitutes...

Roadmap points the way to a healthier food environment

04 March 2026

Healthy and sustainable eating. Everyone considers it important. Yet consumer eating habits change only slowly. According to researchers, that is not only due to people themselves. The environment in which food is purcha...

Dutch consumers eat slightly more fruit and vegetables again

04 March 2026

After years of stagnation, consumption of fruit and vegetables is showing movement again. In 2025, Dutch consumers ate on average 2% more than a year earlier. That is according to new figures from GroentenFruit Huis. The...

NIZO investigates protein production from CO₂

03 March 2026

CO₂ as a raw material for proteins. It sounds futuristic, yet concrete research is already underway. In the European project UNICO2RN, ten partners are working together on technology that converts biogenic CO₂ into micro...

number of recalls increased by 5 percent in 2025

03 March 2026

In 2025, the number of product recalls rose again. By five percent, to be exact. Microbiological contamination and allergens in particular left their mark on 2025, according to the international analysis ‘Recalls: A Revi...

Protein transition stalls at 39%

02 March 2026

The protein transition in the Netherlands is showing little movement. The share of plant-based proteins in the Dutch diet remains stuck at 39 percent. This keeps the ratio at 61 percent animal-based and 39 percent plant-...

Supermarkets measure their impact on biodiversity

02 March 2026

Biodiversity is becoming less of an abstract concept. It is being translated into numbers. And those numbers are confronting. A recent study by the University of Jyväskylä in Finland makes clear how significant the impac...

Excise gap drives consumer across the border

27 February 2026

The differences between the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium are widening. Businesses in border regions in the Netherlands feel it every day. According to MKB-Nederland and a broad coalition of trade associations, the li...

Less dependency requires control of the supply chain

26 February 2026

Geopolitical tensions and trade restrictions are increasing pressure on international supply chains. For the Dutch food industry, that presents a tangible risk. Many producers depend on raw materials, ingredients, and ma...

Behavior determines the success of circular packaging

25 February 2026

A circular system can be technically flawless. Yet it only works if people participate. That was the central message at PACtalk 2026, organized by Verpact at Naturalis in Leiden. Policymakers, companies, municipalities, ...

Odin and Vegetariërsbond launch Budget Vegan Challenge

23 February 2026

Organic and plant-based food is still often seen as expensive. Odin and the Vegetariërsbond want to challenge that perception. With the ‘Odin Budget Vegan Challenge,’ they aim to show that organic, plant-based eating doe...

New campaign aims to accelerate the protein transition

23 February 2026

Wissel ’ns Wat! launches on March 2. The new nationwide campaign takes over from the National Week Without Meat and will now be active year-round. The focus clearly shifts toward behavioral change in everyday practice. ...

Climate gains start with eating behavior

20 February 2026

The climate challenge is often framed in terms of technology and innovation. The Wetenschappelijke Klimaatraad (WKR) emphasizes something else: behavior. According to the council, the potential of behavioral change remai...

The real impact of PFAS on the food chain

18 February 2026

The societal costs of PFAS pollution in Europe run into the billions. This is evident from the European Commission report The cost of PFAS pollution for our society. The findings are directly relevant to the Dutch food i...

Lidl: 46% of sales within the Disc of Five

17 February 2026

Lidl is stepping up its commitment to healthier eating. The supermarket has set a new target for 2030. By then, at least 46% of food sales must fall within the Disc of Five guidelines. The ambition applies to the entire ...