Hydroponic farmer BrightFarms has raised $100m+ in debt and new equity capital via a Series E funding round led by Cox Enterprises and supported by Catalyst Investors. The deal – which brings BrightFarms’ total funding to more than $200m - gives Cox a...
In a withering opinion published Sunday, a federal judge struck down a Final Rule pushed by the Trump administration that would have severely reduced or eliminated nutrition assistance to more than 1 million Americans during and after the pandemic.
Cacao currently may be most prized by manufacturers and mainstream consumers for its beans to make chocolate, cocoa and cocoa butter, but the fruit and shell surrounding the bean also are packed with nutrients and potential, which famed chocolatier Oded...
Plant-based egg firm Eat just will open its first Asia manufacturing site in Singapore after securing a US120m partnership with a consortium led by Proterra Investment – with the two outfits also discussing opportunities in the cultured meat space.
The FDA – which recently said allulose does not have to be listed as added or total sugar on food labels – is now inviting comment on whether other sugars that are not metabolized in the same way as traditional sugars (such as isomaltulose and D-tagatose)...
Heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Whole Foods Market has unveiled its top 10 food trends for 2021, which include revitalized “epic” breakfast meals and culinary-inspired baby food, to growing consumer adoption of fringe cooking oils and food...
Cell cultured meat startups and conventional meat companies have written to USDA’s food safety and inspection service (FSIS) urging officials to gather more data before publishing a proposed rule on how cell-cultured meat and poultry products should be...
Cooking inspiration and education are emerging as powerful marketing tools for food and beverage brands and retailers as consumers who are tired of preparing the same-old, same-old at home for the past seven months of the pandemic look for new recipes,...
Impossible Foods is gearing up for market entry in Europe, China and Brazil; Beyond Meat is looking at “any and all plant-based protein sources” as it expands its ingredient toolbox; Meati Foods is preparing to launch fungi-based steaks, and Planterra...
While all the key brands in plant-based meat are exploring new protein sources, most still use soy or pea as the primary protein source. Oats, rapidly emerging as star players in the plant-based milk category, have not, however, made any real impact in...
COVID-19 and food retail: New data reveals winners and losers in foot traffic, visit duration
New data monitoring store visits at America’s leading food retailers between March and September 2020 shows that traffic at Whole Foods remains down more than 20% year-on-year, while most rival grocers have seen a steady recovery.
Partnership for a Healthier America and the Produce Marketing Association are expanding their COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund in a duel effort to ease food insecurity exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and create a new market for produce that might otherwise...
Despite grocery retailer revenues rising amid increased consumer demand during the pandemic, higher costs associated with COVID-19 are squeezing already tight margins in a trend that FMI: The Food Industry Association warns likely will get worse before...
Launched earlier this year, global multi-brand plant-based food company The LIVEKINDLY Collective has closed a $135m capital raise led by Blue Horizon Corporation to accelerate and increase capacity for its planned 2021 US launch.
Entrepreneurs desperate for capital or unsure of the best path forward for growth may be tempted to overlook dismissive or demeaning comments from potential investors, but the co-founder of the fast-growing brand SkinnyDipped warns these are huge red...
Tweens... aged between nine and 12, they're not young kids anymore, but they're not teens either, so how food and beverage brands reach them (and their parents/guardians), and what's the best way to engage with this age cohort via influencers...
Hooray Foods – which launched its allergy-friendly vegan bacon (no soy or wheat) in restaurants late last year – will make its retail debut on November 1 with a roll out to seven regions of Whole Foods Market.
Kroger has added more than 50 items -- from oat milk ice cream and non-dairy cheese to the debut of Emerge Chik'n -- to its Simple Truth plant-based collection to meet consumers' growing appetite for plant-based alternatives.
How are parents coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in their households when it comes to feeding their kids? Has the extra time spent at home given families more opportunity to cook and experiment with new recipes, or has the anxiety left parents scrambling...
While successfully scaling a business may give entrepreneurs a sense of pride and accomplishment, it also can trigger feelings of loss and skepticism along with other growing pains that if left unchecked could stunt or cripple a company.
Despite broad efforts to reduce sugar, sodium, fat and excess calories in the American diet in recent years, childhood obesity continues to afflict one in seven 10- to 17-year-olds in the US, leaving them vulnerable not only to type II diabetes, high...
The COVID-19 pandemic has kept American consumers in – or close to – the home for most of the year. Now with weeks until Halloween - one of the biggest sales drivers for the chocolate, candy, gum and mints industry - families are preparing for scaled...
Coronavirus has forced many consumers to get comfortable eating and cooking at home for most meals, and while some are rediscovering their love for cooking, others have grown tired of the routine, according to an Acosta survey.
With a recent national rollout at 500 Target stores, fresh baby and toddler food brand Little Dish is addressing the gap in the US market for nutritionally-balanced, just-like-homemade meals aimed specifically at the under-served toddler age group, says...
We had a record number of entries for this year's FOOD FOR KIDS Trailblazers Challenge, spanning everything from chickpea butter and lentil-based meat crumbles to bubbly probiotic water and veggie-infused ketchup. Here are some of the innovations...
Indoor vertical-farming company Plenty Unlimited and fresh berry supplier Driscoll's have entered a joint development agreement to grow Driscoll's strawberries year-round in Plenty's vertical indoor farms.
Introducing high doses of gluten into an infant’s diet beginning at four months of age could prevent them from developing celiac disease, one study suggests – although further research is needed, say researchers.
Describing a beverage that contains 20g of added sugar per serving as ‘lightly sweetened' is deceptive and misleading, claims a proposed class action lawsuit filed against Healthy Beverage Co, maker of Steaz iced teas.
Frustrated that many of the underlying health conditions that increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 disproportionately impact black, indigenous and people of color, the founder of Uplifting Results Lab wants to help close the race-related health disparity...
In partnership with Indiana-based technology startup ClusterTruck, Kroger is repurposing around 1,000 square feet of retail space at select stores to meet consumer demand for quick, freshly-prepared, restaurant-quality meals delivered to customers'...
Following a successful launch in Israel and the Netherlands, Israeli startup Zero Egg is hoping to crack the US market with the launch of plant-based egg alternatives for CPG manufacturers and foodservice operators that it claims blows rivals out of the...
Vancouver-based ‘oxygenated’ water brand OXIGEN – which recently attracted NBA star Stephen Curry as an investor – has closed a $15m Series B funding round backed by more celebrities including Kevin Love, five-time All Star of the Cleveland Cavaliers;...
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB) has announced it has doubled the number of semi-finalists and added more than $350,000 in additional awards to the Real California Milk Snackcelerator, its dairy product innovation competition.
Gathered Foods, maker of Good Catch plant-based seafood, has partnered with fast casual restaurant chain Veggie Grill to launch a tuna melt menu item featuring Good Catch Plant Based Tuna.
Evergreen, an emerging Chicago-based frozen waffle brand made from recognizable pantry ingredients, is steadily increasing its availability in a category long dominated by big food brands.
Where is the plant-based meat category heading, and how reliable are some of the predictions out there about how much this market could be worth over the next 10-15 years?
From a flurry of plant-based meat launches and keto snacks, to beverages promoting immunity, checkout FoodNavigator-USA's latest gallery of new products hitting the market this fall/winter.
Food allergy protection company, SpoonfulOne, and the Duke Clinical Research Institute, are launching a digital randomized controlled trial recruiting 1,500 healthy babies to investigate the feasibility of early allergen introduction.
Coca-Cola is discontinuing coconut water brand ZICO and reportedly putting several other brands including Diet Coke Feisty Cherry and Coke Life under review, as it slims down its portfolio to focus on top sellers and emerging brands with more global potential....
Innovation at the hands of forward-thinking entrepreneurs will be key to creating a more sustainable food system and healthier population, Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey told attendees of an online discussion about the new documentary, 'They...
Over the last two weeks of September, members of the Organic Trade Association met virtually with 30 legislators on both sides of the aisle from 19 states to advocate for policies that they say will help all farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change,...
One in three US households with kids that sent them out trick or treating last year will not be doing so this Halloween due to COVID-19, according to an IRI survey of primary grocery shoppers.
Four companies have teamed up combining their beverage commercialization expertise to launch IncuBev, a multi-phase service offering to assist beverage brands with the challenges of product development and commercialization.
As part of its technology-driven retail strategy, Walmart has unveiled a new digitally-enabled look and feel to its store design and layout rolling out to hundreds of stores this year to create an “instant omni-shopping experience in the customer’s mind.”