Starting or running a business is undeniably hard – for everyone. Even if someone appears to be strolling down easy street, chances are they still wake up panicked in the middle of the night, check their work email on their phones in the bathroom and...
While online purchases of food and beverage currently account for only a small fraction of the categories’ total sales, consumers are embracing online grocery shopping at an exponential rate – making it a channel where industry players need to be for...
At IFT earlier this month, banana fosters flavor was everywhere – on popcorn, in cookies, even in coffee – but according to the ingredient company Virginia Dare its star power status at the show wasn’t just because it is a traditional dish of the conference’s...
When large food companies began cutting back on in-house R&D in favor of investing in startups’ with promising ideas, some either didn’t factor in or miscalculated the resources and time needed to scale-up their acquisitions before seeing returns...
As the line begins to blur between food and beverage, consumers are looking for more than just hydration from their drinks – they also want function, but according to market research firm Mintel figuring out which benefits resonate with which consumers...
The CBD market is exploding with the ingredient popping up in everything from bars to beverages to confections and everything in between – driving up sales to more than $200 million in 2018 by conservative estimates and an expected $3.8 billion by 2025,...
Members of the Organic Trade Association converged in Washington, DC, last week to celebrate the segment’s continuous improvement, and to brainstorm with each other and legislators potential solutions to ongoing challenges facing the industry.
Despite what your parents told you growing up – looks matter – especially for food and beverage products in the current era of Instagram where more than 500 million people around the world check their photo feeds daily and 68% of Millennials photograph...
While the rapid growth of the plant-based market in the US initially may have been fueled by demand for alternatives to animal-protein and -dairy, the trend is quickly evolving as consumers’ tastes become more sophisticated and they begin to embrace plants...
The exponential growth of non-dairy milk sales and variety in the US, in many ways has been a harbinger for the overall plant-based movement, but as demand for the beverages continues to rise – so too are consumers’ standards, which could prompt a shake-out...
Attracted to recent high-dollar acquisitions, consumer demand for healthy and sustainable options, and the opportunities created by a diversifying retail landscape, the number of investors flocking to the food and beverage industry continues to grow exponentially...
While the vast majority of Americans still buy their groceries in supermarkets or at supercenters, their loyalty should not be taken for granted as other stores – including limited assortment, club, specialty and even farmers markets – are stepping up...
Blockchain technology may be best known for its ability to securely move crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin around the word, but the technology can do much more -- especially in the food and beverage industries.
By 2050, the Earth’s population is predicted to reach upwards of 10 billion people who will require significantly more food than is produced today, which many predict is not feasible without drastic changes in the way food is produced, transported and...
In recent years, the healthy eating trend had expanded dramatically beyond a fad for the few to gain a stronghold with mainstream shoppers, but produce is still at a significant disadvantage when it comes to capturing the attention of children and teenagers...
With annual retail sales of cold brew coffee estimated at more than $29 million in 2017 and predicted to grow to $170 million by the end of 2025, it is easy to see why at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim earlier this month so many new players were...
CBD far and away stole the show as the hot new ingredient at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week, but it wasn’t the only notable trend with promising market potential or significant recent development.
With newcomers launching practically every day in the food and beverage industry, the pressure is on for legacy brands to up their innovation game – and according to industry giant Unilever the best way to do this is to start with modern consumers’ core...
Whether through multi-million dollar investments in startups or high dollar mergers and acquisitions of larger, established companies, the food and beverage industry currently is being flooded with funding, and with it many opportunities as well as challenges.
For many food and beverage brands, their product packaging is their first – if not only – touchpoint with consumers, and yet all too often companies treat it as an afterthought or as little more than a protective exterior for what is inside.
Shoppers increasingly are making purchasing decisions based on how sustainable they perceive a product, brand or manufacturer to be, but as recently published research from Nielsen notes the consumers’ definition of sustainability is amorphous – making...
In the last month, the food and beverage industry rallied around the hundreds of thousands of people whose paychecks were unexpectedly stopped during the partial government shutdown, but even though government is back up and running, for now, more than...
After taking a slight hit in 2017 compared to 2016, consumer satisfaction with the food and beverage industry rebounded in 2018 as companies delivered innovative products that both surprised and delighted consumers and met their demands for healthy options.
The idea that a plant-based diet could improve the health of people and the planet was once niche, but is rapidly gaining mainstream momentum with two pivotal developments this week, including an endorsement by the high profile EAT-Lancet Commission and...
While there will always be a place in consumers’ hearts – and cups – for freshly brewed classic teas such as English breakfast and tisans like chamomile, shoppers increasingly are looking for premium, innovative options and formats that allow them to...
The food and beverage industries are undergoing a massive renaissance with fresh ideas continuously entering the market, but with a dismal failure rate for new CPGs of upwards of 85% in the first two years, it can be difficult to identify from the outset...
When meal kits first launched in the US, Americans were fast to embrace the idea of pre-planned, pre-portioned, ready-to-prepare dinners delivered to their doors, but according to new research from Packaged Facts that love quickly faded for many who became...
For years, Millennials have held the spotlight as the main focus for product development and marketing efforts, but members of Gen Z are now ready in the wings and manufacturers are starting to shift some attention to them before they come into their...
It has been ten years since the last recession first shook Americans’ confidence and caused them to pull their purse strings tighter, but according to industry insiders, consumers finally are feeling more comfortable spending again – which is good news...
The beverage industry is booming with Grand View Research predicting that sales will grow at a 5.8% compound annual rate from $967.3 billion in 2016 through 2025 thanks to rising disposable incomes, a growing population and changing lifestyles centered...
When Amazon first acquired Whole Foods Market it sent a tremor of fear throughout the industry that brick and mortar soon would be dead, and triggered a flurry of investment in online shopping technology – but a year and a half and millions of dollars...
As US consumers continue to explore global flavors and become more familiar with international cuisine, a few regional favorites are rising to the top – including many from Africa.
The bottled water category is nearing an inflection point as consumer awareness grows around the negative impact single-use plastic containers have on the planet, and the oceans in particular, and when the tide finally turns on the issue manufacturers...
New consumer research suggests that targeting so-called ‘foodies’ to leverage their influence for expanded brand awareness may not be as effective as appealing to an emerging, much larger and potentially more powerful segment known as the ‘food connected...
Earlier this week the top scientific body studying climate change issued a dire warning that “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,” must occur to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and ensure a “more sustainable...
Transparency into how products are made, what is in them and how they impact society is no longer simply ‘nice to have’ – rather a new report from the Food Marketing Institute made possible with help from Label Insight shows that it is a ‘must-have’ for...
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and instinctual experiences shared by a baby and mother, but that doesn’t mean it is easy – and many women could use help not just from healthcare professionals and family, but also from the food and beverage industry...
Ready or not: It is pumpkin spice season, and according to data from Nielsen which show sales of pumpkin flavored products in the last week of August were up 10% from the prior year – this could be a blockbuster season for the trend
At the start of the year, industry experts predicted 2018 would be the year of the plant-based diet, and as we enter the fourth quarter sales and growth data suggest that the prediction is coming to fruition – but does it also mean that the end of animal...
Since America was founded – no matter who has been at the helm – we have celebrated a proud ethos as the land of opportunity and abundance: A place where if people are willing to work they can find jobs, build homes and feed their families.
For generations Americans have raised glasses of wine, pints of beer or flutes of champagne to toast to their health and that of their loved ones – only to wake up the next morning to find themselves, and their wallets, in completely the opposite state.
Grass fed beef may account for only a small fraction of the total US beef market, but demand for it is growing fast as consumers look for options that not only are flavorful but which they perceive as healthier for them, the environment and animals.
Snacking on cheese is nothing new – whether it be on crackers, as part of a fancy pairing with cured meat and wine or pulled apart as ‘string’ – but consumers’ rising demand for higher protein and their fading fear of fat is taking the trend – and cheese...
Food is undeniably a central force of life, giving us the fuel we need to go about our days, but unfortunately, food also is the number one cause of poor health in America and a leading driver of death and disability.
One of the best places to spot emerging trends is at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City where earlier this month more than 2,400 manufacturers and suppliers showcased more than 180,000 products ranging from innovative sweets, better-for-you snacks...
Specialty food used to be reserved for special occasions and accessible only to those who could afford its premium price, but increasingly specialty food is becoming everyday food sold at everyday prices that are accessible to more people.
While the ongoing war on sugar is taking a toll on sales of conventional chocolate in the US, it is creating an opportunity for once-niche, better-for-you options, including sugar-free – as long as the taste and experience are not compromised in the trade-off,...
After more than a decade of explosive overall growth, year-over-year sales of gluten-free products are starting to slow, according to some consumer data, but industry insiders suggest manufacturers could breathe new life into the segment by pairing gluten-free...
No matter how fast entrepreneurs hustle or how good their products are, all companies inevitably hit plateaus that threaten to stall or even kill their businesses, and how quickly they can push through depends in large part on the strength of their branding.
Americans’ obsession with dieting is nothing new, but which diets are in and which ones are out is constantly shifting – creating a marketing nightmare for food and beverage brands that want to link their products to consumers’ desired outcomes.
