The American Herbal Products Association has set a new policy for how member companies ought to calculate the amount of protein in their products to deal with a situation in which the amount of protein has potentially been overreported in some products...
The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) has hit out at claims from the American Sugar Alliance that the confectionery industry is dominated by big players and is crying poor about sugar prices.
Mascots on breakfast cereals that gaze directly into a consumer’s line of vision can spark trust; findings that researchers say could be used to fuel growth of better-for-you lines.
Despite a trend toward reduced sugar consumption in the US, many Americans are still getting far too much added sugar in their diets. But how do consumers really feel about sugar? And how should manufacturers address sugar and sugar reduction efforts...
More than half of Americans say they want more protein in their diets, while the percentage that claim to look for protein on the Nutrition Facts panel has increased from 20% in 2009 to 25% in 2013, according to market researcher NPD Group.
A former commodities trader with a passion for snacks, Robert Ehrlich turned Pirate’s Booty into a multimillion dollar brand. But can he strike gold again with his latest product, SexyPop? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with the ‘shaman of snacks’ to find...
Pea protein may be moving in from the food and beverage fringes, however formulating with the fast-growing ingredient is 'no picnic' according to functional confectionery firm Carmit.
Beverage brands can blur the lines both within the category and steal outside cues to create novel products such as beer-flavored ice cream that arrest the consumer’s attention, according to Mintel.
The Nicaraguan government has raised fears that the planned reopening of the US market to Brazilian beef could risk spreading foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) to north and central America.
The energy drinks market has become more segmented in recent years, but relentlessly negative PR, a flurry of lawsuits and an FDA-probe have not dampened consumers’ enthusiasm for the original caffeine-fuelled formulas, says one beverage industry veteran.
As the focus has switched from fat to sugar as public enemy #1 in the battle against obesity and diabetes, juice - once promoted as a healthy alternative to soda - has been unfairly caught in the crossfire, claim manufacturers.
PepsiCo was the biggest loser in US carbonated soft drinks in 2013, according to Beverage Digest, with worrying volume and market share loss data contrasting sharply with Monster’s stellar sales.
SIG Combibloc is predicting a bright future for the dairy drink with bits category in Brazil following the launch of the latest "drinksplus product" - chocolate milk containing flakes of coconut.
As the debate over the role of saturated fat in cardiovascular disease intensifies, the authors of a new commentary claim that the “real villains” in the American diet are trans fat, sugar, and high-GI foods that rapidly convert to sugar.
When Winder Farms CEO Mike Dutton first started tapping private equity firms for cash to support his online grocery shopping business, memories of Webvan (which went bankrupt in 2001) were still fresh, and more than a few doors were slammed in his face...
FDA proposals to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in order to crack down on trans fats will cause massive headaches for gum manufacturers, according to the International Chewing Gum Association.
First Lady Michelle Obama has called it “liquid sugar” and the World Health Organization warns that much of our sugar intake is “hidden” in processed food and beverages such as soda (a 12-ounce can contains 10 teaspoons). As public health officials continue...
Japanese researchers claim that chewing gum for over 10 minutes can reduce stress, adding to a growing body of science linking gum chewing to stress relief.
With more and more class-action lawsuits against the food and beverage industry making headlines, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with an attorney specializing in complex corporate litigation to discuss the proper role of the courts, the shorter window for...
A judge has refused to dismiss a class action lawsuit accusing General Mills of misleading consumers by marketing its Nature Valley products as ‘all-natural’ when they allegedly contain GMOs.
Suntava - the Minnesota-based firm promoting anthocyanin-packed purple-corn ingredients - has gone through the Non-GMO Project verification process to reassure customers and consumers that the corn from which they are derived is not genetically engineered.
A class action lawsuit accusing Coca-Cola subsidiary Odwalla of misleading consumers and misbranding its products by using the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ (ECJ) on labels has been put on ice by a California judge following the FDA's decision to...
Baby Boomers, who have driven the growth of the natural products and dietary supplements space in recent decades aren’t done yet. A recent report from the Natural Marketing Institute says the impending retirement of millions of boomers will present a...
Attending a series of sessions on sugar reduction during the Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) 2014 Wellness conference, a few common themes kept resurfacing: that obesity remains a big problem, and that—like it or not—the sugar industry is assuming...
A significant shortfall in the North American hog market is predicted, following the impact of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) on the population, according to a new report from Rabobank.
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued a complaint over Kellogg’s Memphis plant lockout, based on federal charges brought forward by the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco and Grain Millers (BCTGM) union.
Top brands and new product launches are reaching increasingly segmented consumer groups through targeted, measured innovation, according to market research firm IRI Inc., which released its “New Product Pacesetters” and “Growth Leaders in CPGs” survey...
A labor attorney says there could be a number of reasons behind the Kellogg-BCTGM contract dispute and now that the National Labor Relations Board is involved, worse-case scenario it could end up in the US Supreme Court.
The BCTGM union has accused Kellogg of acting outside the law in its lockout, claiming employment terms held under a master contract can’t be negotiated, but Kellogg says the terms fall under a local, supplemental contract which expired last October.
Now that the mania about fat in the diet is mostly over the story has become that some fats are good. And as far as fat-rich tree nuts go, the story is: They’re all good. But walnuts have a leg up on their tree nut competitors in that they are the only...
Beef production in the USA could be lower this year than in 2013, even though there are indications that the long decline in the national cattle herd may be at an end, a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) expert has told GlobalMeatNews.
The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) has earmarked consumer education on calories and sugar as an industry priority for 2014 but admits there is skepticism about industry-funded research.
Diet soda sales remain in a funk according to the latest Nielsen data, with dollar sales in the four weeks to March 15 plunging 7.3%. Regular soda fared somewhat better (+ 0.6%), while energy drinks (+8.3%) and sparkling water (+26.2%) continued to steam...
Rates of type two diabetes have rocketed in recent years, with poor diet and a lack of exercise largely to blame. But as dietary guidelines for people with diabetes are the same as for the general population, and the FDA doesn't think diabetics need...
Pistachios – most associated with snacking in the consumer’s mind – could be finding their way into many a food product as an ingredient over the next few years, says the executive director of the American Pistachio Growers, as production is set to double...
EXCLUSIVE INSIGHT FROM BCTGM ON KELLOGG MEMPHIS LOCKOUT
Kellogg’s Memphis lockout is unlawful because employment terms are covered by a master contract that cannot be negotiated ahead of expiry in 2015, says the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers union.
Snack firms should brace for a transition year shaped by new competition but brimming with opportunities in digital brand building and expansion, says a leading sector analyst.
The name - Dr Praeger’s Sensible Foods - may not sound very sexy, but the sales figures certainly are, says Larry Praeger, CEO of a frozen food firm enjoying double-digit sales increases year-on-year in a category where many players are struggling to...
If chef-inspired brand LUVO grabbed a lot of the limelight at the recent Expo West show, another exhibitor on a mission to revitalize the frozen case is premium world cuisine brand Saffron Road, which has been generating enviable growth in both the conventional...
Sometimes it’s hard to think inventively about the ingredient that comprises half the ubiquitous peanut butter and jelly sandwich or is passed to us in small pouches on most airplane rides. But from flours and spreads to use as a legume, the potential...
Confectioners can reduce reliance on the big seasons with packaging and formats that outlast one day events, licensing deals and distribution at holiday hot spots, according to Jelly Belly.
At the 2014 Research Chefs Association Conference & Culinology Expo, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with chef Michael Holleman, director of culinary development at artisan grain and legume supplier InHarvest, for a podcast Q&A on trends in pulses,...
