PepsiCo is launching a new hydration platform: eyeing up rising demand for customizable, healthier options while developing ways to deliver beverages without single-use plastic bottles.
'We're not trying to keep anyone out of the market'
As a wave of lawsuits has brought the debate over what kombucha is and how it is made into sharper focus, trade association Kombucha Brewers International (KBI) is putting the finishing touches on a standard it claims will help preserve the integrity...
Low-sugar confectionery startup SmartSweets is primed for solid expansion into mass and grocery this year, a move its founder says should bring Gen Y and Z back to the candy aisle.
Food and beverage companies, along with other CPG manufacturers, could suffer “far-reaching negative consequences” if the Supreme Court fails to block the addition of a citizenship question to the 2020 US Census, according to the consumer and market research...
US retail sales of refrigerated kombucha and other fermented beverages (including hard kombucha) were up 21% to $728.8m in measured channels* in the year to February 24, 2019 driven by strong distribution gains. However, velocities were down fairly sharply,...
A novel approach to brewing kombucha in stackable rectangular trays could help dramatically speed up the fermentation process and keep alcohol levels consistently below 0.5% abv, solving a major technical challenge for the industry, according to kombucha...
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.
With $16.5m in Series B funding and an industry veteran taking over as CMO, Stryve Biltong is continuing it rapid growth trajectory in the snacking category.
By Brazil's ANVISA wraps up whole grain labeling consultation
Brazilian food authority ANVISA's open consultation on whole grain labeling ended last month, prompting public health experts to reiterate calls for stricter criteria.
Ecuadorian start-up Takay sources fruit that has been rejected by buyers for aesthetic reasons to create its healthy, ready-to-blend smoothie and ice cream mixes.
Operating on the premise that the best way to get ahead in today’s competitive to market is to “utilize a customer-oriented approach,” the founders A La Mode are tweaking their allergy friendly ice cream and packaging to meet the growing demand for all...
Canadian startup Yellofruit is using the same principles of ice cream food science to make its non-dairy frozen banana desserts that founder Andrew Kinnear says closely mimic the experience of eating traditional dairy ice cream.
Almost three years after launching - and then rapidly withdrawing - its Food Bar from the market, Soylent has unveiled Soylent Squared, a 100-calorie ‘mini meal bar’ featuring 5g of soy protein, 36 essential nutrients and probiotics.
Alarmed by the exponential increase of adults diagnosed with type II diabetes and disproportionate toll the chronic disease takes on food insecure individuals, a regional health care provider and food bank serving Pennsylvania decided to test whether...
On a mission to help more people “get back to human” through clean eating that doesn’t compromise on taste and experience, the founders of the vegan and paleo snacking brand Hu Products are teaming with confection behemoth Mondelēz International’s innovation...
FDA draft guidance allowing allulose to be excluded from the total and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts panel could generate a surge of interest in the rare sugar, predict formulators.
A trademark dispute between Cheetos and pulse-based rival Peatos has been “amicably resolved,” after the latter agreed to remove the offending tagline, ‘Tigers live longer than cheetahs’ from its packaging and website.
One of the main goals of effective branding and packaging is to set a product apart from the competition, but how this is achieved is fundamental to whether a product will be embraced or shunned by consumers.
Advertising on Facebook is about more than spreading the word about a new brand or product, it is also a tool for entrepreneurs to identify their core consumer base, which might not be who they initially thought, according to one entrepreneur who recently...
JUST Egg - a plant-based scrambled egg alternative from Just Inc – is rolling out to Silver Diner locations in Maryland, Virginia and New Jersey, and all 34 Bareburger locations in the US.
By James Richardson, PhD, founder, Premium Growth Solutions
I continue to meet a remarkable number of founders who are trying to go it alone. They aren’t shut-ins either. I believe this is a strategic mistake that undercuts the ability of any young food business to stay disciplined and focused.
The rideshare service Lyft is looking for capital investment and community partners to improve access to affordable, nutritious food by expanding an ongoing grocery access program that it is piloting currently in Washington, DC, with the non-profit Martha’s...
Donating fresh and perishable food to help feed the hungry isn’t as easy as giving shelf stable products, but a partnership between the Chicago-based startup Farmer’s Fridge and the Greater Chicago Food Depository shows that it can done.
Young kids (aged 3 to 5) were found to be highly susceptible to overeating when given larger portion sizes, challenging the "self-regulation" theory, in which children are claimed to have a natural ability to respond to internal cues of hunger...
In another move signaling the mainstream potential of next generation plant-based meat brands, fast-food taco chain Del Taco will roll out tacos featuring Beyond Meat's pea-protein-based crumbles to all 580 locations starting April 25, following...
The hemp/CBD industry is being threatened by so-called synthetic cannabinoids that are flooding the market, attendees at a recent botanicals conference were told.
Unmanned micro-markets that blend the convenience of a vending machine with the fresh, healthy selection more typically found in the prepared section of a grocery store or a quick service restaurant “are the wave of the future,” according to an executive...
A breakdown in trust between public, private and government stakeholders is the most significant challenge hindering the creation of a sustainable food system that is healthy for people and the planet, according to Sandro Damaio, CEO of the EAT Forum....
Russell Stover enjoyed years of market dominance when it first launched its seemingly 'too-good-to-be-true' sugar-free chocolate line in the '80s. But lately, its sugar-free chocolate sales have wavered as it fell out of favor with consumers...
Running a startup can be thrilling… and an energy-sapping trial by ordeal. But mentors and judges at Rabobank’s Foodbytes! pitch competition in San Francisco last month were at hand to offer tips, help entrepreneurs ask investors the right questions,...
Edible insects were always going to be a slow burn in the alternative protein market, given both the ‘ick’ factor and the lack of infrastructure to farm and process them at scale. But just because investors have been cautious about the sector doesn’t...
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...
Private label continues to give national brands a run for their money with over half of consumers saying they shop a store specifically for its private brand, according to a report by Daymon, a private brand innovation and development firm.
Many millennials worry about nutritional gaps in their diet, but would prefer to get what they need from food rather than popping pills, says GEM, a Los Angeles-based online subscription business delivering whole food based daily ‘bites’ containing 15...
Effective branding traditionally has empowered, inspired and informed consumers, but in the current era of distrust and heightened anxiety branding needs to evolve to account for consumers’ rising self-reliance, increasingly rational approach and their...
Maple Leaf Foods -- parent company of Lightlife and Field Roast brands -- and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenleaf Foods, has announced a $310m plan to build the largest (230,000-square-feet) plant-based protein facility in North America, claims president...
The growing US multicultural population -- projected to increase by 98 million people by 2060, according to the US Census Bureau -- will have a significant influence on the US grocery market, a report by sales and marketing firm Acosta indicated.
Vegan. Vegetarian. Plant-based. Plant-strong. Plant protein... All of these terms are used in some variety on the ever-blossoming category of animal-free foods intending to compete against the conventional meat, egg, and dairy industries.
In response to the public’s growing aversion to sugar, manufacturers across categories have reformulated and launched products made with alternative sweeteners, but increasingly consumers don’t want those either – but they also can’t as easily identify...
While the food and beverage industry is virtually oozing with innovation as entrepreneurs launch category-breaking and -making ideas at a rapid-fire clip, the full potential of many new products and companies is held back by lackluster branding that a...
Ultra-filtered milk brand fairlife (backed by Coca-Cola) is increasing its production and distribution capacity with plans to build a $200m, 300,000-square-foot facility in a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The new facility is slated to be operational...
Ecommerce may account for only a fraction of overall grocery sales currently, but it is growing quickly – and retailers and brands can better take advantage of the opportunities it offers by working with dietitians to create nutrition-centered apps and...
Frustrated that efforts to “treat or fix” childhood obesity in the US have fallen short, Sprout Foods is teaming with the Partnership for a Healthier America to try and prevent the problem from occurring by training children from an early age to crave...
Soylent has sealed nationwide distribution in 4,378 Walmart stores for five of its ready-to-drink (RTD) meal replacement drinks, furthering the company's goal to bring complete and affordable nutrition to all, said Soylent CEO Bryan Crowley.
The options available to those with a lactose intolerance have expanded with the boom of non-dairy alternatives to lactose-free milk products, but until now, there hadn't been a premium lactose-free ice cream made with dairy ingredients and free...
Regenerative agriculture can be productive and profitable, according to Brazilian producer Rizoma, which aims to regenerate one million hectares of land in Brazil by 2030. “Simply sustaining is not enough,” it says.
Using tactics such as “sin taxes” and a new bold-faced call-out for added sugar on the revised Nutrition Facts panel, public health advocates and regulators have targeted sugar as a primary caloric contributor in the ongoing obesity epidemic in the US...
