The light shined by the pandemic on the toll the food system is taking on the environment and the people who grow, process and deliver food is turbo-charging already mounting consumer demand for products that are organic, responsibly sourced, clean label...
Stevia specialist SweeGen has started commercial production of Reb I, a lesser-known steviol glycoside “with its own unique and distinct taste” that works well in a wide range of food and beverage applications.
Americans are having difficulty maintaining emotional balance and holding to fitness goals during the pandemic crisis, an Optimum Nutrition consumer survey has found.
Cow’s milk allergy is one the most common food allergies among infants and toddlers, yet very few formula alternatives exist for parents looking for a solution that eases their baby’s digestive sensitivities while matching the nutritional profile of breast...
Ingredion has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining portion of ownership in Verdient Foods in Vanscoy, Saskatchewan, increasing its investment in the plant-based proteins space from $185m to more than $200m over the last two years.
As consumers settle into pandemic-living and establish new shopping and cooking habits, they increasingly are looking for more than nutritional sustenance from food and beverage products – they also want a deeper, emotional connection that one branding...
Joining Nestlé - the world’s largest food company - will help prepared meal delivery service Freshly 'hit the gas pedal' and accelerate expansion plans as consumers becoming “a little exhausted” with cooking seek more convenient meal solutions,...
Dairy Farmers of America is rolling out its Dairy+ milk blends (lactose-free milks featuring 50:50 blends of plant-based milk and cow’s milk) to retailers in the Northeast as it pioneers the ‘hybrid’ trend in the dairy case after seeing more brands experiment...
Meati Foods – which is carving out new territory in the meat-alternative space with a fungi-based platform capable of producing ‘steaks’ and other whole cuts – has raised $28m in a Series A round led by Acre Venture Partners.
Encouraged by strong third-quarter sales online and in stores as well as net sales in the period that grew twice that of a year ago, Sprouts Farmers Market is “financially stronger than ever,” and on track to double its business by 2025, according to...
Proposed rules regulating the sale of ingestible products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids in New York have been hailed as “pragmatic” and “rational” by brands attempting to navigate the regulatory minefield in the absence of federal regulations.
COVID-19 has screwed up many a brand’s best-laid marketing plans for 2020 (how does a 'back-to-school' campaign work if kids are not actually going back to school?), but it’s also forced marketers to find creative ways to adapt to stay relevant,...
Benson Hill has closed a $150m Series D funding round led by Wheatshef Group and GV (formerly Google Ventures) to expand and commercialize its proprietary CropOS platform, the technology responsible for breeding highly-productive and more nutrient-dense...
New research from General Mills suggests cereal is shaking free from some of its negative stereotypes as consumers look for relief from pandemic-related pressures, including balancing tighter budgets due to lost jobs, wanting to maintain their families’...
After scooping up Lightlife and Field Roast in recent acquisitions, Maple Leaf Foods should have been well-positioned to capitalize on the rising demand for plant-based meat and dairy during the pandemic, but instead COVID-19 related supply chain struggles...
Coca-Cola has unveiled the first-generation prototype of its paper bottle: saying it is convinced that paper packaging has a role to play in the future.
German candy maker Haribo has announced plans to construct a new North American factory in Wisconsin that is set to become one of the largest confectionery facilities in the country creating 385 jobs then up to 4,200 ‘indirect jobs’ upon completion.
Kids are drinking less milk and juice as they get older, but what are they drinking instead, and is it good for them? How do parents evaluate what types of drinks are good for kids? What are parents looking for on food labels?
Despite less frequent trips to the grocery store and a history of general consumer unease with purchasing fresh food online, sales of fresh food continue to climb driving new growth to the category, reveals Deloitte's The Future of Fresh: Patterns...
DouxMatok, the Israeli firm behind patented technology that makes sugar taste sweeter, has struck a deal with Canadian sugar refiner Rogers Sugar, parent of Lantic, to manufacture commercial quantities of its ‘enhanced’ sugar, with the first products...
Surging demand for organic by shoppers who continue to pay a premium for it over conventional is attracting more farmers to adopt the practice and convert more land, but total organic acreage remains stubbornly stuck at less than 1% -- suggesting an “urgent”...
While companies of all sizes understandably want a guarantee that a new product or innovation will succeed before investing heavily in large-scale production and marketing, the CEO of Pilot Lite Ventures warns that this way lies the valley of death.
Do children like oatmilk and Beyond Burgers? Research* shows that US families with children over-index for plant-based milk and yogurt sales and that parents of children under 18 are more likely to think that plant-based proteins are healthier than animal-based...
Apeel – the startup behind an invisible plant-based edible skin proven to dramatically extend the shelf-life of fresh produce - has raised $30m in new funding from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Temasek, and Astanor Ventures.
Influenced by feelings of stress and anxiety, shifting priorities caused by the ongoing pandemic, and changes in social connectivity, consumers are taking a more holistic and proactive approach to health and wellness, according to a new report from ADM....
After discovering a “staggering level of exposure” of fast food, candy, soda and other unhealthy branded foods and beverages on YouTube videos featuring and targeting young children, researchers from New York University are calling on the Federal Trade...
JM Smucker Co. is selling its iconic line of Crisco oils and shortening to B&G Foods for $550m cash in a deal that allows it to dedicate more resources to its “core growth platforms” while simultaneously strengthening B&G’s small but growing baking...
Velocity Snack Brands (VSB) – a portfolio company of VMG Partners set up in October 2019 to buy, incubate and grow snack brands – has launched two new innovations under the popchips brand it believes could have broad mainstream appeal.
Chobani has unveiled plans to increase its starting hourly wage from the first quarter of 2021 from $13 to at least $15 an hour, more than double the federal minimum wage ($7.25).
A year since launching its Chiber natural preservative made from chitosan, a biopolymer extracted from mushrooms which prevents spoilage in a variety of products including plant-based dairy alternatives, Chinova Bioworks has solved another issue facing...
Houston, Texas-based brand Llamaland Organics is introducing American families to a variety of superfood ingredients sourced directly from Peru through approachable and familiar product formats including cereals and fruit spreads.
Keurig Dr Pepper will transition its Snapple and CORE brands to bottles made of 100% recycled (rPET) plastic, eliminating around 46.3 million pounds of virgin plastic a year.
Farmers and ranchers have long grappled alone with “extreme and episodic” events that have threatened their ability to meet demand, but according to one food and ag non-profit the added strain of the pandemic has illustrated the need for stakeholders...
What will it take to make cell-cultured meat – growing animal cells outside of an animal to produce ‘real’ meat without slaughter – commercially viable on an industrial scale?
Indian-inspired brand DAH! has entered the plant-based yogurt category with an oat, almond, and coconut slow-cultured blend, which president Ajeet Burns believes will be a taste and nutritional game-changer in the segment.
There’s been a lot of innovation in the baby and toddler food market in recent years, and many new brands target Gen Z and Millennials. But kids aged 4-11 often get overlooked, says Mavericks Snacks founder Livio Bisterzo, who hit CPG gold with Hippeas...
The US Food and Drug Administration has taken action against two companies that claim their products can help prevent children from developing food allergies. The claims turn the products into unapproved drugs, the Agency claims.
While Grupo Bimbo has managed to stay on top of and benefit from increased demand for its baked goods and snacks in the US during the pandemic so far, executives are weary of any additional strain on capacity and employee safety posed by a potential second...
The European Parliament has voted to ban dairy-related terms for plant-based alternatives. An amendment proposing to ban ‘meaty’ terms for vegan products, however, has not passed – much to the sector’s delight.
Good Catch has launched nationwide in Canada, where its frozen plant-based seafood entrees and appetizers are available at 640 locations from retailers including Loblaws, Provigo, Dominion, and others.
Building off the landmark LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study, food allergy advocacy group FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), is launching the SEED (Start Eating Early Diet) study exploring early introduction of multiple allergenic...
Verso Food has secured a patent covering its fava bean processing technology for plant-based foods and meat analogues. FoodNavigator hears from the company's CEO Tomi Järvenpää about the product development opportunities it could unlock, the group’s...
Nestlé’s nine-month sales for 2020 and Unilever’s third-quarter trading statement illustrate the revitalised consumer demand for staples and comfort foods, once feared to have fallen out of fashion.
With oatmilk muscling ahead of soymilk to become the #2 player in the plant-based milk category, SunOpta is aggressively building capacity to meet growing demand, with a new oat extraction facility in Alexandria, Minnesota, due to come online in the fourth...
After its first experiment producing meat on the International Space Station a year ago, cultured meat company Aleph Farms has announced its new ‘Aleph Zero’ programme, which aims to accelerate ‘extra-terrestrial food production’.
By adding healthier sides that are more prominently featured in marketing alongside more nutritious beverages, McDonald’s is chipping away at its goals to offer – and sell – more balanced Happy Meals with simplified ingredients, and less saturated fat,...
While the ongoing pandemic has caused many venture capitalists to hit pause or slowdown, other investors and even consumers increasingly are interested in supporting growing businesses and diversifying their portfolios as illustrated by a surge in crowdfunding.
It’s not sharing launch dates, but Impossible Foods is making progress on developing egg alternatives and a milk that “is better than anything that comes from a cow,” company execs told reporters during a call outlining plans to double the size of the...
Albertsons Companies saw total revenue grow 11.2% to $15.8bn during Q2 2020 (12 weeks ended Sept. 12, 2020) driven by strong digital sales growth (+243%) and a growing base of loyal consumers who are gravitating towards the retailer's private label...