A raft of candy makers are moving into snacks and this influx of innovation will serve the category and consumers well, says the CEO of the Snack Food Association (SFA).
As counter-intuitive as it sounds, the founder of The Cookie Department says he wants to “fight the good fight for anti-obesity” by marketing a vegan cookie to children and their parents through the California school system.
Multicultural wellness ingredients are emerging as a tie that binds the diverse desires of multiple generations together, according to the latest Packaged Facts’ Culinary Trend Tracking Series report.
It may not have hit prime time yet, but it’s only a matter of time before hemp is as big as chia in the US food and beverage market, predicts the co-founder of one snacking company determined to put the protein-packed seed on the map.
'We have retained a cult-like following even as we have gone mass market'
When Julie Smolyansky became president and CEO of kefir market leader Lifeway Foods in 2002 after the sudden death of her father (its founder), the stock went into freefall as investors feared the 27-year old wasn’t ready to run a public company. They...
Israeli insect start-up, Steak TzarTzar, aims to target the Western sports nutrition market with its grasshopper protein powder - competitively priced thanks to grasshopper sales in Africa.
Snyder’s-Lance has joined forces with Mediterranean Snacks to create a co-branded snack pack containing hummus and pretzels as part of its drive towards meal solutions, its marketing head says.
From veggie powders to sprinkle on your food to artisan dairy-free ‘cheeses’ made from nuts, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) selects nine natural food trends it predicts will inspire packaged foods and foodservice menus in 2015.
Consumer demand for high protein, on-the-go food is helping drive sales of jerky, which climbed 12.8% last year, and other dried meat snacks, which increased 14.3% last year, according to data analysis by IRI Worldwide. Meat snack manufacturers hoping...
The inclusion of dried fruit in Mars Chocolate North America’s goodnessknows snack squares helps deliver the sweetness consumers seek from confections, while also helping the candy-giant deliver on its commitment to offer options with limited added sugar.
Food marketers increasingly are training their crosshairs on millennials whose purchasing power is growing quickly, but they should not overlook baby boomers, who spend the most of any generation on snacks and sweets, according to analysis of sales data...
Hartman Group: Pleasure & distinction bigger drivers than health for premium products
While more premium brands from KRAVE to Noosa are being snapped up by big food companies and private equity firms, not every CPG category has the potential to be driven – or revitalized - by premium brands, according to a new analysis by Hartman Group....
Snack makers can boost sales and secure stronger retail relations with data-driven product pairing rather than guesswork, says Nielsen Perishables Group.
Potato chips, tortilla chips and cheese snacks are performing strongly in the US retail market, despite growing demand for healthier snacking options. However, the big winners in the snacks aisle this year have been ready-to-eat popcorn, meat snacks,...
Sales of snacks account for a whopping 40% of the $370 billion U.S. packaged food market and are set to grow 2% annually through 2019, thanks in large part to millennials who eat more snacks than any other group, according to analysis by Euromonitor.
Retailers have voted for the new U.S candy items that have the best go-to-market potential at the National Confectioners Association’s Sweets & Snacks Expo.
Biena dry roasted chickpea snacks are about to roll out nationally at Target
When Poorvi Patodia first started pitching roasted chickpeas to retail buyers in 2012, not everyone was convinced they could be a mainstream hit. Today, they are gracing shelves in 3,000+ stores from Sprouts to Stop & Shop and are about to go into...
Just scaling up alone without fundamental changes to farming practices could decrease costs by 25-50%
While cost is a barrier – and regulatory issues need ironing out – mainstream food manufacturers “have been way more open to this [using edible insects in their products] than you would probably think”, says the founder of the world’s largest insect-based...
Meet execs from Sparkling ICE, Chobani, Tio Gazpacho, NASA
Imagine a place where you can meet the entrepreneurs behind new food & beverage categories and retail channels; pioneers in the field of nutrigenomics, edible insects, and 3D printing; food law attorneys; investment bankers; and number crunchers who...
More than four out of 10 (43%) American infants aged 12-23 months eat cookies, cakes or pastries on any given day; almost a third (32%) eat chips, popcorn or pretzels; 19% eat candy; and 31% consume soda, fruit or sports drinks; according to dietary intake...
30 years ago, nuts were perceived as the nutritional equivalent of candy. Today, they are widely recognized as a nutrient powerhouse. But why are peanuts – which have unique health and sustainability credentials – still perceived by some consumers as...
The flavor of Welch’s famous Concord grape no longer is limited to juices, jellies and purees, but can now be found in concentrated fruit pieces and pastes that can easily be formulated into a broad range of products thanks to a partnership between Welch’s...
Premium organic packaged food manufacturer WhiteWave Foods raised its guidance for 2015 following strong first quarter sales driven by innovative line extensions and recent product launches.
More than 2 billion tons of coffee by-products that are currently thrown away could have applications in the food and nutrition sector, say researchers.
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be at risk of disordered eating patterns that can lead to obesity and other health problems, say researchers.
The secret to Plum Organics’ rapid ascent to the top of the organic baby, toddler and children’s food industry is its deeply engrained philosophy to “lead with the heart,” the firm’s CEO Neil Grimmer says.
Only a small fraction of the hundreds of nutrition bars that launch in the U.S. annually will survive the first year, but among those that have are Kuli Kuli Bars, thanks in part to their unique nutrition profile and the manufacturer’s strong social mission...
A multi-million dollar investment in the online snack delivery start-up NatureBox Inc. suggests the firm’s direct-to-consumer subscription model has long-term viability, according to market research analysts and investors.
Manufacturers of high-end juices, nutritional shakes and smoothies likely will get more bang from their advertising buck in marketing associated with music, sports, technology and politics, according to consumer research conducted by CivicScience.
The maker of Forte Gelato hopes to expand its consumer base beyond health-conscious shoppers, recovering patients and athletes to reach the mainstream consumer by repackaging its high-protein, low-fat dessert into pints.
New data from Instantly’s Product Watch tool - a "live, crowd-sourced insights engine" which gathers insights from an army of consumers via their mobile phones as they shop – reveals fairly low purchase intent scores on many of the recent launches...
A whopping 80% of U.S. consumers snack at least once per day, with the vast majority favoring unhealthy but convenient foods, according to a new poll conducted by CivicScience.
The vast majority of food and beverage launches fail to survive beyond the initial “experimental phase” in part because they expand their distribution too quickly, warns Alan Murray, the CEO of Next Foods.
Start-ups and small brands are better suited than most large CPG firms to take advantage of consumers’ increased interest in snacking because they are unfettered by outdated expectations and assumptions, according to food and nutrition expert Julian Mellentin.
B&G Foods’ strategy to grow by expanding its footprint in the center of the store is succeeding even though it seems counter-intuitive at a time when other manufacturers are trying to reach consumers along the store’s perimeter.
While some commentators believe it has peaked in popularity, four of the top 10 new CPG products of 2014 were in the Greek yogurt category, suggesting it might be a little early to write it off just yet, according to the latest New Product Pacesetters...
Outsourcing sales and partnering with large distributors from the beginning helped propel the two-man startup SuperEats’ Kale + Chia Chips into large retailers nationwide within two years of the snack’s inception.
Sales of snacks are poised for significant growth in the U.S. in the next five years, but for the category to reach its full potential, manufacturers need to go beyond new product launches to fully exploit all opportunities for growth, according to a...
An editorial in an academic journal has reignited the debate over the extent to which a poor diet – and the marketing tactics employed by the food industry – is responsible for America’s obesity epidemic.
From dairy-free cheesecakes from Daiya Foods to almond milk horchatas from Califia Farms, more cold-pressed innovation from Evolution Fresh and fresh breath chews from Hershey, this month’s gallery is packed with innovative new food and beverage products.
As widely predicted, multiple class action lawsuits were filed against KIND on Friday following the publication of a Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter citing a long list of concerns over label claims on its bars and its website.
It’s no secret that smaller, emerging brands are winning the battle for consumers’ hearts, minds and wallets from larger, established players in the US food and beverage industry, but which ‘challenger’ brands really stand out in the crowd? And what are...
FDA: KIND bars do not meet the requirements for use of the nutrient content claim ‘healthy'
KIND LLC says it is working closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address a long list of concerns raised by the agency in a warning letter over label claims on its bars and its website.
Several well-established manufacturers are stepping out of their comfort zones and expanding into new categories or updating iconic brands to meet consumers’ ostensibly insatiable desire for protein-packed snacks.
From the purveyors of banana flour to chickpea pasta, barrel-aged tea, chilled nutrition bars, gourmet oatmeal and upmarket cottage cheese, here's FoodNavigator-USA's latest pick of entrepreneurs to watch in the US food and beverage market.
While their sophisticated flavor profile and branding might seem a natural fit for Whole Foods Market, Brewla gourmet ice pops – made from brewed tea, coffee and root beer – are also on sale at Walmart, proving that the brand has broad appeal, say co-founders...
60-second interview: Mark Singleton, outgoing chairman of the Snack Food Association; vice president of sales & marketing, Rudolph Foods
According to the March 2015 report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, most Americans now consume two or three snacks a day - news that came as no surprise to the outgoing chairman of the Snack Food Association, Mark Singleton. Elaine Watson...
The requirement to be “authentic” to succeed in the competitive food and beverage industry is clear, but how consumers define authenticity and how companies can meet and benefit from this lofty standard is not as clear.
US sales of specialty foods blasted through the $100bn barrier in 2014, with retail ($85.5bn) and foodservice sales ($24bn) combined hitting $109.5bn, up 10.3% on 2013 sales of $99.3bn, according to a new report from the Specialty Food Association using...