The more we move, the slimmer we will become, right? However, with ballooning obesity rates over the past 30 years, research suggests that this is not the case. US adults are moving more than ever – but eating more than ever too.
Age is the single most important factor determining when and where Americans eat, according to a new report from market research organization Packaged Facts, which suggests ways that food companies can respond to shifting demographics and eating habits.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has taken aim at McNeil Nutritionals’ Splenda Essentials sweetener in a lawsuit filed in a California district court, alleging that the fortified sweetener’s marketing violates consumer protection laws.
Nestlé has encountered a “consistent deterioration in growth” in 2011-2012 in the US, its biggest market, according to analyst Andrew Wood at Sanford C Bernstein.
Digital marketing firm and couponing giant Valassis has introduced a new Facebook app for consumers to access coupons and savings directly on Facebook, combining the company’s digital coupon distribution expertise with Facebook’s sharing and graph functions.
Lack of physical activity is not likely to be a key factor in Western obesity rates, according to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, which suggests that over-consumption of calories is the biggest culprit.
A US district court judge has ruled that individual corn refining companies will need to defend false advertising charges in an ongoing dispute over the industry’s right to describe high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as ‘corn sugar’.
Heart-friendly spreads expert Smart Balance has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that it does not include enough plant sterols in its spreadable butters to warrant the cholesterol-lowering effects claimed on pack.
General Mills is the latest food company to face litigation over claims that its products are 100% natural, with a lawsuit alleging that maltodextrin and high maltose corn syrup used in Nature Valley products are artificial ingredients.
If vegetable oil were re-labeled to say 100% soybean oil, about one-third of consumers say they would be more likely to buy it, according to a new survey.
The Canadian private label sector is no longer confined to cheap, lower quality alternatives to branded products, as Canadian retailers look to appeal to those seeking affordable luxury, according to a new analysis from Euromonitor International.
Snack titan Frito-Lay will harness the power of social media engagement to gather recipes and taste insights from consumers and launch three new flavours of Lay’s crisps in early 2013 across the US.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has taken aim at DreamWorks Animation for its Madagascar 3 character tie-ins with foods it claims are of poor nutritional value.
Special edition: The new product development process
Global food companies face big NPD challenges in appealing to widely varied local tastes, but as the world becomes increasingly interconnected, manufacturers are learning lessons from product launches half a world away.
Social media allows companies to feel out consumer perceptions of ingredients and concepts at the beginning of the product development process – and combines well with more traditional consumer research, says social media research firm Loudpixel.
Millennials may be the hot new target demographic for food and beverage manufacturers in the United States, but they are a cautious and volatile group of shoppers, according to a new report from market research organization SymphonyIRI.
Kellogg will need to negotiate a new deal in a class action dispute over advertising claims for its Frosted Mini-Wheats cereal after a US federal appeals court rejected a $10.7m settlement.
Special edition: The New Product Development Process
Thousands of new products hit the shelves every year, many of them fail, and few companies are comfortable talking openly about those that don’t make the cut – but manufacturers shouldn’t let product failure go to waste, says Datamonitor analyst Tom Vierhile.
We've all heard the statistics - almost 36% of Americans are now obese. But 50 years ago, it was just 13%. So why did we get so fat, so quickly? And what role did sugar - and specifically high fructose corn syrup - have to play?
The aging of the Baby Boomer generation and increased spending power among Millennials is set to disrupt the way the food industry does business, according to a new study.
Increased regulation of the food industry is needed to protect ‘the public good’ and help win the global battle against obesity, according to one obesity policy expert.
Kraft displayed a clever piece of targeted marketing in its Facebook upload of an Oreo cookie with rainbow-coloured filling on Gay Pride day, according to an industry expert.
Consumers are shifting toward positive messages of overall ‘health management’ and away from more negative associations of weight management, according to a presentation by trend experts at market research organization Mintel at IFT in Las Vegas last...
A legal dispute over Muscle Milk bars and sports beverages has moved into a new phase after a federal judge ruled an amended false advertising lawsuit against brand owner Cytosport can proceed.
The food industry could play an important role in fighting childhood obesity and improving children’s nutrition, according to a panel of experts speaking at IFT last week.
Better understanding and utilisation of the abstract links between basic tastes and certain shapes could help manufacturers to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace, say researchers.
Looking at pictures of fattening foods can trigger reward and appetite centres of the brain – leading to increased hunger and a desire for food, say researchers.
Cereal makers have made progress in improving the nutritional content of cereals marketed to children – but they have also increased child-directed advertising of some of their least nutritious products, according to a new report from the Yale Rudd Center...
Cereal and snack bar products containing superfoods such as chia, quinoa and spelt are expected to perform well in the global market, according to analysts at Datamonitor.
The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates has called for mandatory pre-market safety testing of genetically engineered (GE) foods – but said there is currently no reason to label them.
Nestlé has denied allegations that it violated its commitments on advertising to children by co-branding a new range of candy bars with the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Do consumers care whether the ingredients in their favorite foods are produced sustainably, and whether the people that produce them are treated fairly?
The Walt Disney Company’s new standards for advertising to children put the media outlet ahead of the pack, according to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) – and the move should encourage others to follow suit.
Almost two thirds of Americans oppose NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg’s radical approach to tackling obesity by cracking down on sales of super-sized soft drinks, according to a new survey.
Agrifood giant ADM has denied that it has infringed a patent owned by arch rival ConAgra covering technology enabling it to produce high fiber whole wheat flour with the palatability and appeal of refined white flour.
The fact that the FDA does not regard ‘corn sugar’ as a suitable alternate name for 'high fructose corn syrup' on food labels will add more weight to a false advertising lawsuit which argues it should not be used in marketing materials either,...
PepsiCo has scored a victory in the ‘all-natural’ civil litigation stakes after persuading a judge in California to dismiss a class action lawsuit alleging it misled consumers of its SoBe beverages.
As it races to become a mobile marketing ‘pioneer’, Coke has signed a deal that will see QR codes serviced by US firm Scanlife’s platform printed onto all Spanish Coke Classic and Coke Zero cans.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has denied a petition by the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) urging it recognize 'corn sugar' as an alternate name for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
ConAgra has reverted back to using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in its Hunt’s ketchup less than two years after replacing the much-maligned sweetener with sugar.
Social media use is increasing, and that could be good news for manufacturers of branded products, as frequent social media users tend to be more loyal to name brands, according to new research from the NPD Group.
POM Wonderful has gone on the offensive following a ruling on its legal battle with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) from an administrative law judge (ALJ) with a bold series of new ads selectively quoting from his 335-page initial decision.
Israeli lycopene expert LycoRed says it has seen a surge in demand for its tomato-based natural color Tomat-O-Red as a growing number of manufacturers follow Starbucks’ lead and seek a replacement for bug-derived colorant carmine.
Brands are often keen to portray themselves as one of the family – but could subtle differences in linguistic intimacy make some potential customers feel uncomfortable?
Monk fruit extract may be set to become a mainstream natural sweetener alongside stevia, but price remains a barrier, according to a Euromonitor industry analyst.
While POM Wonderful does not emerge from Michael Chappell’s 335-page ruling smelling entirely of roses, it has successfully challenged the accepted wisdom that firms can only make claims about food or supplements if they are backed at least two ‘gold...
Both sides have claimed victory in a bitter legal dispute between Californian juice maker POM Wonderful and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over allegations of false advertising.
Men may find meat analog products more tempting if they more closely resembled meat, according to researchers who found that American men and women alike tended to view meat as more masculine than vegetable-based foods and salads.
