The global financial crisis that began with the housing market crash in 2008 may technically be over, but its long-term impact will continue to influence how consumers spend their money in 2018 and beyond and which companies and brand they support, according...
Nestlé Japan will become the first confectioner to launch a product with Barry Callebaut’s ruby chocolate as it plans to introduce KitKat Chocolatory Sublime Ruby.
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....
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”...
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.
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...
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...
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,...
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.
Sales of high protein, low sugar Greek yogurt brand Oikos Triple Zero grew by 22% in the year to December 24, 2017, said brand owner Dannon, which has enlisted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to front its new ad campaign and started road testing...
Blockchain technology, which has been in the news of late for its role in secreting cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin around the Internet, is being hyped as the next big thing to revolutionize not just the banking industry – but all business, including...
While the jury is still out on what role, if any, sugar plays in the development of diabetes, recommendations to restrict consumption should be strengthened and research should be redoubled until a clear determination is found, according to an essay in...
Achieving sustained profitability is a basic business goal that has eluded many in the highly competitive meal kit category, but a top executive of Home Chef says the company may be the first to achieve it in 2018 in part by following the lead of the...
Almondmilk-fueled brand Kite Hill is still looking for a replacement for CEO Matthew Sade, who departed in April after nearly four years at the helm to cofound kids’ food start-up Freeli Foods.
Kite Hill has defended its decision to use the term ‘almond milk yogurt’ on labels after being singled out by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) in a New Year salvo aimed at re-igniting the debate over the labeling of plant-based dairy alternatives....
Dieting has become a dirty word in food marketing, says Atkins
Weight management brand Atkins Nutritionals has deployed movie star Rob Lowe – it’s first male brand ambassador – to front a new campaign focusing on living a healthy lifestyle, rather than ‘dieting,’ as it reaches out to the ‘tens of millions’ of Americans...
Food manufacturers targeted in a recent wave of lawsuits over added sugar have urged the courts to dismiss the ‘absurd’ cases on the grounds that consumers are not being deceived, and that brands’ first amendment rights are being threatened – a new line...
JUST Brands' CEO believes paper has untapped potential in the bottled water packaging market as it is growing at a faster rate than plastic bottles, which has spurred the sustainable consumer goods company to launch new SKUs in Q1 2018.
Plant-based food manufacturer Tofurky’s stubborn status as an independent, family-owned company focused on “purpose over profits” could give it a competitive edge over other players in the space that were recently acquired by parent companies that might...
Vegetarian and vegan diets – actively recast in recent years by stakeholders as ‘plant-based’ in a bid to shake off negative baggage – are quickly gaining traction among America’s youngest consumers and are predicted to become a breakout trend in 2018,...
By going “beyond a typical licensing deal” that only places popular movie characters on packaging to include thematic custom shapes in the bag, shareable 4-ounce pouches of popchips’ Star Wars themed Galaxy Puffs’ are out-stripping the dollar velocity...
Campbell Soup could take share from Kellogg in the US convenience channel after acquiring Snyder’s-Lance, as the cereal giant is abandoning the direct store delivery (DSD) model for its entire snacks division, said Euromonitor analyst Jared Koerten.
With “Mother Nature’s help,” production of California almonds is expected to rise from an estimated 2.25bn lbs in 2017 to 3bn lbs in 2021, in order to meet growing demand for the tree nuts in everything from plant-based yogurts and cheese to cold-brew...
Bigelow has promised to vigorously defend itself against a “frivolous” lawsuit filed by The Richman Law Group on behalf of the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) alleging it misrepresented its green tea as ‘all natural’ owing to trace levels of glyphosate...
