From cannabis cuisine - Jeff Sessions’ recent interventions notwithstanding - to ‘intrinsic nutrition' (a renewed focus on nutrient-dense foods naturally rich in healthy fats, protein, fiber, and other nutrients), here are 10 macro trends to watch...
Urban Remedy, a plant-based food company specializing in organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices, has closed a $17m series B fundraising round with lead investment from 301 INC, General Mills’ venture arm, and attracted natural products...
A joint venture between ingredient suppliers Cargill and PURIS announced today will allow for the significant expansion of pea protein production at a time when more consumers are looking for plant-based options that deliver health benefits, are sustainable...
“Deeply disappointed” by the US Department of Agriculture’s recent decision to eliminate the new organic standard on animal welfare, stakeholders are taking their case to the mainstream public in an effort to pressure the agency to change its position....
Industry and consumer interest in adaptogens is on the rise, but the list of actual adaptogens may be a lot smaller than many think, says a leading expert.
New Zealand’s a2 Milk Company is expanding its US business to the Northeast region, a market that accounts for roughly 20% of total US milk volume, a category that is beginning to see some growth in sales after years of declines.
2017 “was a pretty challenging year for the beverage industry in general, but we still grew pretty significantly in terms of dollar sales and case volumes,” says the president of Sparkling ICE brand owner Talking Rain, who is exploring a “caffeinated”...
While some commentators say Trader Joe's is most at risk of losing customers to a resurgent Whole Foods, the chain's curated product selections, superior customer service, and creative private label items have helped propel it to the top of...
Once again FDA has denied Bayer’s request to approve a health claim linking vitamin D to the reduced risk of multiple scleroris on the grounds that the available scientific evidence does not meet the agency’s high standards for support.
For all the strides plant-based diets made in 2017, including the growing popularity of veggie burgers that bleed, cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles, new cuts of meat is predicted to be the number one food trend to watch in 2018, according to the...
In 2013, Mosa Meat showed the world what clean meat looks like; 'Burger 2.0' will now be ready in under 2 years. But it's not a case of being first, the CEO says. “The global meat market is worth over one trillion dollars. Four companies...
Mondelēz has teamed up with Post Consumer Brands, Post Holdings’ cereal division, to launch several cereal products using flavors of its long-established cookie and cracker brands, including Honey Maid, Nutter Butter and Chips Ahoy.
Agri-giant Cargill has announced it has suspended sourcing palm oil from Reforestadora de Palmas del Petén, S.A (REPSA) after the Guatemalan supplier failed to meet Cargill’s sustainable palm oil policy.
UPM Raflatac, a leading supplier of pressure sensitive labeling solutions, has opened a new labelstock slitting and distribution terminal in Santiago to expand its customer reach Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Peru.
The knee-jerk response by large CPG companies to cut IT costs in response to revenues and market share lost to smaller companies could make them more vulnerable than if they invested more in digital technology to develop, market and sell products, according...
Most food and beverage startups dream of expanding from a local brand serving only a handful of stores to one that is nationally distributed to hundreds or thousands of retailers, but the logistics of getting there can be a nightmare if not carefully...
Mexico, America’s second-largest pork export market, can now sell a lot more pig meat to the US – in what is being described as a big win for trade liberalisation.
Nestlé USA has joined a growing number of food manufacturers backing a citizen’s petition from NuTek Food Science asking the FDA to allow ‘potassium salt’ as an alternate name for potassium chloride on food labels.
The FDA has signaled its intent to “modernize certain standards of identity” in its 2018 strategic roadmap, suggesting that it might, after all, weigh into the plant-based ‘milk’ and ‘cheese’ debate in 2018, although it has not clarified which standards...
Startup Triton Algae Innovations is betting on a whole-cell protein positioning for an algae species that has been researched for years for its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredient production potential.
The US market for low FODMAP foods aimed at helping IBS sufferers is still small and consumer awareness is low, but companies large and small are targeting a category that could be bigger than gluten-free.
An estimated 70% of purchasers of the plant-based Beyond Burger are flexitarians - meat eaters that are cutting down on meat – as opposed to hardcore vegans or vegetarians, validating the initially controversial decision to merchandise the product in...
A high fat diet may not sound like a logical way to shed extra pounds, but consumers are flocking to the controversial ketogenics diet as a way to manage their weight and in doing so are creating a new market ripe for innovation but not necessarily longevity,...
The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) is proposing to modernize food safety inspection systems at egg products plants.
Nestlé is now working with the first round of start-ups selected through its partnership platform, Henri. We asked its global innovation director how the biggest food company in the world ensures a peer-to-peer relationship between David and Goliath.
What are the emerging flavors and ingredients food and beverage manufacturers should watch in 2018 as they formulate new products, and refresh existing ones? Kerry has put together some charts to help firms explore new possibilities in sweet, savory,...
Blaming genes for failing to lose weight may no longer be an excuse – in fact, genetic predisposition for obesity actually could magnify diet-based weight loss efforts, according to new research in The BMJ.
Lidl’s entrance last summer into the highly competitive US retail market already is placing significant pricing pressure on nearby major retailers, which likely will need to drop prices even further and offer more convenient shopping services in order...
Aquafaba – the viscous liquid left over from cooking chickpeas and the #2 ingredient in Sir Kensington’s Fabanaise mayo – is one of the vegan community’s best-kept secrets. But Faba Butter, a new plant-based ‘butter’ debuting at the Winter Fancy Food...
‘I’m a fan. The low-calorie cola segment in the US is in desperate need of some kind of refresh…’
Coca-Cola is rolling out a bold new look for Diet Coke in slimmer 12oz cans, and introducing four spicy new flavors: Ginger Lime, Feisty Cherry, Zesty Blood Orange and Twisted Mango.* But what do designers and market researchers think of the new look,...
North Carolina-based start-up Glean is appealing to health-conscious shoppers and consumers on specialty diets (Paleo, gluten-free, keto) with a novel range of vegetable flours made from 'ugly' produce that doesn't meet retail specifications....
New 'Drink Plants' ad campaign seeks to broader Suja's audience
Suja’s recent forays beyond ultra-premium juice have had mixed results, with a strong debut in the kombucha category, but weaker results from the pressed probiotic waters. The new drinking vinegars, meanwhile, have potential, but are undergoing a packaging...
In an era when consumers prize “buying local,” regional brands looking to expand and national companies seeking a toehold in area markets must carefully craft partnerships that will spur growth without alienating consumers who are attracted to homegrown...
Catering to consumer demand for “experiences,” food and beverage manufacturers in 2018 will make their products more “tactile” in a way that goes beyond Instagramable unicorn colors and unexpected black, predicts Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert.
Coca-Cola has launched its first company-wide proprietary typeface, TCCC Unity, drawing inspiration from ‘the modernist American typography movement and Coca-Cola’s unique personality’.
Food and beverage companies must do more than just follow the money as consumers shift spending away from eating at home and towards eating out – they also must consider the eating occasion and experience on a meal-by-meal basis to excel, new research...
With the help of industry professionals and consumers who were inspired by The Soulfull Project’s mission to donate a serving of hot cereal to a food bank for each serving it sells, the young company has reached milestones in first year that most startups...
Last week, Norwegian dairy company TINE took to social media to ask consumers of its products for their input on how best before dates should be worded.
Does the world need another packaging seal? Real estate on most food labels is limited, acknowledge the backers of the new ‘High Pressure Certified’ seal, but an independently-verified logo will help ensure the integrity of high pressure processing (HPP)...
Marshmallow snack brand SMASHMALLOW has raised $10m from Sonoma Brands and VMG Partners and brought in David Lacy – who previously held finance roles at Plum Organics, KRAVE and personalized nutrition service Habit – as its new CEO as it carves out its...
New research from a health, sports and travel specialist insurer casts a shadow over the health halo of protein bars, which consumers increasingly reach for as an easy way to stave off hunger after a workout and because they perceive them as a more nutritious...
Despite US adults spending more than three hours a day online, print is not dead – at least when it comes to advertising fast-moving consumer goods like groceries, according to a recent Nielsen research.
Alberta’s environment minister Shannon Phillips said she was not to blame for a controversial tweet from her official Twitter account that encouraged people to ‘eat less meat’.
‘This is a breakthrough product that could ultimately make sugar obsolete'
The term ‘game-changer’ is bandied around with wearying regularity by food start-ups, but HEYLO – a patented combination of acacia fiber and stevia promising to blow rivals out of the water in the sugar replacement stakes – may actually warrant this moniker,...