Milled starchy unripe bananas – which are low in sugar and high in RS2 resistant starch – can help people better control their blood glucose, but they also confer an exciting range of digestive benefits, making them a powerful new gut health ingredient,...
As the clean label movement expands, food and beverage manufacturers should lean more heavily on science to explain to consumers how products are made and the role specific ingredients play to ensure shelf stability and safety are not lost along with...
Here, an Illinois-based company creating clean label food and beverages in the refrigerated CPG space, has closed a $4m Series A funding round led by food-focused venture fund Listen Co.
Riding the successful launch of its aloe vera spoonable yogurt last year, Alove (a brand under Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc.) debuted a low-fat drinkable yogurt lineup meant to grow on-the-go yogurt consumption and introduce US consumers to something...
USDA’s decision to allow carrageenan in organic products despite an expert panel’s recommendation to the contrary likely will be viewed as a victory to many in the industry, but some argue that it is the latest move by the agency to undermine the integrity...
The nutritional rating system Guiding Stars is expanding to four more grocery brands and will, for the first time, appear on the front of pack of some private label products at the stores – potentially giving them a competitive edge over national and...
The nation’s top selling nut butter - peanut butter - is not actually made from nuts (peanuts are legumes), so if you think about it, a spread made from chickpeas (also legumes) is a logical extension for a category that now includes everything from cashew...
While all eyes are on the store perimeter these days, the meteoric rise of Foodstirs – an organic baking mix brand wooing Millennials - proves that mature center store categories can be equally fertile territory for entrepreneurs, says co-founder Greg...
For many, the idea of an apprenticeship program likely conjures images of entry-level construction workers, but in reality it is a flexible training and recruitment model that can be more effective than internships at cultivating a workforce pipeline...
While recent Mintel data reveals a whopping 84% of US consumers say they are reducing the amount of sugar in their diet as a way to manage their weight and improve their health, many are unwilling to completely give up sweets – leaving manufacturers scrambling...
Plant-based protein beverage brand Koia is on course to triple sales in 2018 after quintupling sales last year, fueled by a $7.5m cash injection from KarpReilly and AccelFoods in July 2017.
They struck gold with gelato brand Talenti – sold to Unilever in 2014 for an undisclosed sum – but can Josh Hochschuler and Steve Gill find the winning formula again with their latest foray into the frozen food aisle, Solero crushed fruit bars and pops?
By Kamel Chida, Deputy Director, Private Sector Partnership Development for Nutrition, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Despite significant progress in recent decades, malnutrition is still a huge barrier to children’s health and development around the world. The numbers speak for themselves: poor nutrition is an underlying cause of nearly half of all child deaths, and...
Location is key to any business’ success, but for food and beverage startups the best place to set up shop may not be the hottest spot in town – rather it could be one surrounded by underserved populations where the community and company can help each...
Aunt Dottie’s is dropping its company name from its line of Green Joy salad bars in order to expand the snack’s appeal geographically and better “dial in on what the bars do, which is bring joy to eating healthy,” according to the company’s CEO.
As meat made by culturing cells – instead of raising and slaughtering animals – gets closer to commercialization, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Dem-CT) has asked the government accountability office (GAO) to conduct a review to determine if the technology requires...
The co-founders of Pin Up Girl protein were tired of the dichotomous narrative they observed in the protein powder category. On one end, you have the hyper-masculine branding focusing on bulking and powering up, and on the other end, powders targeting...
With industrial hemp in the spotlight following Mitch McConnell’s recent intervention (he’s promised to introduce a bill to remove it from the controlled substances list and legalize it as an agricultural commodity), FoodNavigator-USA checked in with...
Consumers place significant onus for ensuring the safety of food and beverages on the companies that make them, and yet their trust in manufacturers to deliver this is at rock bottom – creating a dangerous gap that can be closed only with increased transparency,...
Creating a business plan isn’t as fun as launching a new product or company, but it is fundamental to succeeding in the long term in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, according to an executive with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Accelerator....
Sharply contrasting views over the scope of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have emerged in comments submitted to USDA and HHS this week, with some stakeholders arguing that issues such as sustainability (eg. should we recommend eating less...
In the push to win consumers, woo top talent and, believe it or not, balance budgets, corporate social responsibility programs could be one of the most powerful tools in companies’ arsenals – but determining what to include and how to structure them can...
After two years of radio silence, during which some legal commentators – and several judges dealing with civil litigation on the issue – suspected it might die on the vine, the FDA has given its clearest indication yet that it will attempt to define ‘natural’...
The Whole30 Approved logo has become a shortcut for consumers looking for products made with real, simple and nutritious ingredients, and as such it is giving products that bear the certification a huge market boost, as Applegate recently discovered....
Beech-Nut is hoping to do for the toddler snack space what it did four years ago for the ‘tired and dated’ baby food category by launching new products in revamped packaging for young children that are inspired by what parents make at home, but more convenient.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have urged courts to toss claims in a series of lawsuits* alleging consumers are being led to believe that diet sodas “will assist in weight loss or management,” when in fact the opposite may be true.
Health-Ade Kombucha has been sued for the second time in a month – this time in a complaint alleging its fermented beverages contain four to six times the sugar levels stated on pack.
Standing out in the kombucha market is becoming more challenging as new players continue to pile in, but there are still opportunities to carve out a distinctive niche in the category, claim the creators of Bambucha Kombucha, who are drawing on their...
After decades of a slow build, the regenerative agriculture movement is finally taking off, thanks in part to the Savory Institute, which has launched the Land to Market verification program, which is designed to help stakeholders not just sustain the...
Campbell Soup has finalized the purchase of Snyder’s-Lance and created a new snacks division that will combine the operations and brands of the Charlotte-based snacks company and Pepperidge Farm.
It’s a cruel reality that, even today’s most bold innovators in premium food and beverage may find themselves copied and mimicked with remarkable speed. Whether deliberate copycats or simultaneous innovation, ideas for innovation spread much, much faster...
From roasted chickpeas and flash fried mung beans to extruded pea, chickpea, and edamame puffs, pulse-based snacks are gaining traction, says Snack it Forward CEO Nick Desai. But none of them have delivered the sheer sensory pleasure you experience from...
The omnibus spending bill just passed in the House directs the FDA to strengthen and enforce dairy standards of identity in a bid to crack down on plant-based 'imitators,' claim milk producers. But the Plant Based Foods Association says the...
Not so long ago, dairy and meat alternatives were niche categories for vegans and vegetarians; today they’re driving a new ‘plant-based’ movement. But does plant-based necessarily mean healthy, and can brands in this space meet demand for cleaner labels?...
‘The traditional direct to consumer subscription model reaches a limited consumer base’
A significant percentage of consumers buy into the meal kit concept, but don’t want to commit to a subscription, and want more flexible options to purchase them on- and off-line, says Chef’d, which is rolling out meal kits to 1,500 grocery stores by the...
Industry newcomer Em+Pact is carving out an underserved niche in the $600 million protein bar category by targeting women with products that are crafted to meet their specific nutritional needs and by working with nonprofits to empower them to be “goal...
Americans are snacking more than ever, but not just any bag of chips or candy bar will do. Rather, they want products that are both convenient and nutritious – two boxes that the makers of Truth Bar check with their line of functional nutrition bars.
Acquisitive large CPG brands now recognize that their best bet is to be leave their sexier bedfellows well alone, but give them the resources they need to expand more rapidly, rather than swallowing them under the corporate umbrella, says Justin’s founder...
Does the world need protein popcorn? Why not, says Protes co-founder Krik Angacion, who says his latest innovation is less about giving Americans more protein, than giving them a wider range of options in the protein snacking set (what the world probably...
Atlanta-based Kill Cliff, a sports beverage brand focusing on clean label formulations, launched a new line of sports drinks called Endure, which features a slow-burning specialty carbohydrate, at the Natural Products Expo West show. However, the carbohydrate...
Cricket-protein bar maker Chapul recently overhauled its packaging to create a “much better hierarchy of messaging,” including clarifying flavors, elevating the value proposition of its ingredients and opting for imagery that encourages consumers to overcome...
An infusion of $1.5 million from new and existing investors announced this month will help Chicago-based COCO5 pursue its mission to bring its lower-sugar, clean-label sports drink to professional and everyday athletes across the US and in Canada.
Multiple exhibitors at the Natural Products Expo West show were showcasing plant-based yogurts this year, but each with a slightly different slant, says Jody Polishchuk, who claims his product – Yooga – delivers on taste and nutrition, without as much...
Consumer demand for fiber is on the rise thanks in part to increased awareness of the ingredient’s cancer-fighting and other health benefits, but according to recent research not all fiber packs the same punch.
According to the Tea Association of the USA, sales of tea in the US are growing 3-5% annually, which the co-founder and CEO of Pique Tea attributes to rising consumer interest in plant-based diets, convenience and function beyond simple hydration.
For KIND Snacks, rising consumer concern about sugar and upcoming changes to the Nutrition Facts panel that will more boldly highlight the nutrient represent an opportunity – rather than a threat – to set itself apart from the competition with new products...
Kashi hopes that other brands will follow its lead in paying more for crops from farmers transitioning from conventional to organic to encourage more producers to make the switch and ensure there is sufficient ingredient supply in the future to meet the...
There’s a reason why plant-based yogurts haven’t achieved anything close to the category share of plant-based milks – and it’s not simply that they are newer to market – claims Edward Averdieck, CEO at British coconut yogurt and dessert brand The Coconut...
Bare Snacks – best known for its apple, banana and coconut chips – has expanded into the veggie snacking arena with a new line of carrot, beet, and sweet potato chips. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with CEO Santosh Padiki at the Natural Products Expo West...
