The star-studded group of investors backing RUNA – a beverage brand utilizing the Amazonian leaf guayusa, a natural source of caffeine – has expanded this week as Oscar winner and environmental activist Leonardo DiCaprio has invested an undisclosed sum...
After suffering scorn for years from carb-counters, wheat-haters and consumers embracing a gluten-free diet, pasta is coming back in style with a vengeance, suggests analysis of Google searches.
A paragraph on page 34 of the 206-page 2017 House Agricultural Appropriations Bill - spotted by Hampton Creek’s eagle-eyed new VP of policy Tiny May yesterday - proposes to exempt industry-funded commodity research and promotion programs such as the American...
Online subscription snack service NatureBox crosses over to the physical realm with the launch of eight products in 900 Target stores nationwide this week with the hope of reaching consumers who still prefer to buy food in brick-and-mortar stores rather...
The global market for plant-based meat alternatives is growing fast, but most players in the space are focused on replacing land animals – leaving the potential for seafood alternatives wide open for innovative entrepreneurs to seize.
High Brew Coffee, a ready-to-drink cold-brew coffee manufacturer, is set to expand its distribution to several major markets including New York City, Chicago, Dallas, Austin, and Houston, thanks to a $4 million cash injection from CAVU Venture Partners...
Tapping into America’s growing obsession with snacking, sugar reduction and desire for global flavors, New York startup The Chaat Co.’s new line of savory yogurts with spicy mix-ins aims to revolutionize the US yogurt category, which until now has focused...
Kellogg’s efforts to appease consumers who asked it not to add peanut flour to several previously allergy-safe snacks has backfired on the manufacturer – further aggravating parents of children who are allergic to the ground nut and tarnishing the brand’s...
Mondelēz International must be careful not to saturate the Cadbury and Milka and Oreo brands with excessive SKUs and be wary cost-cutting measures don't harm revenues further, say analysts.
The 2014 launch of Pepsi True was a low-key affair, so the complete radio silence from the brand ever since could just reflect a desire to keep things that way. Another explanation, of course, is that Pepsi True – like rival Coca-Cola Life – has simply...
Hershey has reported positive results for its Candy Experience concept 'store within a store' at a Winn-Dixie outlet in Louisiana and three Supervalu-Cub Food Stores in Minnesota.
Dannon says it will begin to use non-GMO ingredients in some of its products within three 3 flagship brands - Dannon, Oikos and Danimals - beginning summer 2016 (when Vermont's new GMO labeling law comes into effect), but has also pledged to transition...
Companies from Chipotle to Costco are creatively coming up with ways to keep their organic supplies steady, but mid-sized, natural category veterans are concerned about the big fish jumping into a small and shrinking pond.
The “loose structure” and voluntary process for companies to self-determine if new ingredients are “generally recognized as safe” without required input from FDA undermines the agency’s ability to ensure the US food supply is safe and should be strengthened,...
If you visited Expo West, you probably noticed that a large number of the exhibitors were touting snacks or beverages. Frozen meals? Not so much. But while the world probably doesn’t need another nutrition bar or cold pressed juice brand, busy parents...
Consumer demand for healthier foods that don’t sacrifice taste has led to a spike in interest in Asian cuisine, but so far home cooks have not embraced this trend fully in part because they are intimidated by its obscure ingredients, complicated flavor...
Organic infant formula products from high-profile brands Earth’s Best (Hain Celestial) and The Honest Co contain a “spectacular array” of ingredients that are prohibited under the Organic Food Production Act, according to lawsuits filed by The Organic...
Whether it’s choosing a car, or deciding what to wear, Millennials display a “pronounced proclivity for bold and confident individualism,” according to Packaged Facts. But how does this impact their food choices, and how can manufacturers, retailers and...
Ripple Brand Collective - the New York based company behind barkTHINS, a snacking chocolate brand that has ‘taken off like a rocket ship’ since its 2013 launch - has been snapped up by Hershey for an undisclosed sum.
Few shoppers in today’s on-the-go culture have time to read lengthy descriptions or claims on packages, which is one reason why Vermont Smoke & Cure recently switched to recognizable icons and color-coding as part of a massive rebranding for its “consciously”...
For most millennials, selecting coffee is an emotional decision that goes beyond meeting basic needs such as freshness and affordability to include the social and environmental impact of how it was made, according to new research.
The founders of Tiesta Tea always thought there’s a posh, unapproachable aura around loose leaf tea, but they also contend that the loose leaf format is the best way to sell and prepare tea. They spent their last college year developing a novel and affordable...
Snack maker KIND – which faced a wave of false advertising lawsuits* last year over its use of the terms ‘healthy’ and ‘all-natural’ – has urged a New York court to stay or dismiss the cases on primary jurisdiction grounds until the FDA official weighs...
Buying organic is a top priority for many American parents, especially when it comes to the food they feed their children, according to new research form the Organic Trade Association.
Tortilla and corn flour supplier Gruma – owner of brands including Mission and Guerrero – has reported a 17% year on year hike in net sales in the first quarter of 2016.
US specialty food sales* topped $120bn in 2015, are growing four times faster than the rest of the food market, and now account for 14.1% of all food sales (retail & foodservice), according to a new report from the Specialty Food Association (SFA).
What would a reasonable consumer define as 'non-GMO'?
An order from a Florida judge in a lawsuit vs Chipotle should serve a warning to all food marketers that they could be sued if they make non-GMO claims about foods containing dairy or meat from animals fed GE feed, legal experts have warned.
Why are the top 100 CPG brands underperforming in most of the categories in which they operate? Lots of reasons, many beyond their control, says Dr Kurt Jetta, founder of TABS Analytics. But some the wounds are self-inflicted, he argues: “We are holding...
The unofficial start of summer may still be more than a month away, but grilling season is already here for most Americans and several companies are making it easier for consumers to try unfamiliar flavors with new products that reduce risk and build...
Health and nutrition retailer Holland & Barrett has secured a £20m (€25.44m) deal with Indian hospital chain Apollo Hospitals, an agreement which will see 1000 franchise stores open across India over the next five years.
“Exciting and high-end attributes” mark out new products that made the biggest splash in CPG (consumer packaged goods) last year, according to the 2015 New Product Pacesetters report from Chicago-based market researcher IRI.
New clinical research – funded by the a2 Milk Company – lends credence to its claims that many consumers who believe they can’t tolerate lactose (milk sugar) should really be blaming their digestive discomfort on the A1 beta casein protein in milk products...
FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is plowing ahead with an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda for the remainder of 2016 without pause after knocking out five final or proposed rules related to food safety and nutrition in just as many...
Not so long ago, says Columbus Manufacturing, Inc CEO Joe Ennen, ‘premium’ was just about taste and texture. Today’s consumers – Millennials in particular – have a somewhat broader definition, which encompasses how their food was made, who made it, how...
The clarified butter known as ghee is a staple in South Asian households and its diaspora. Raquel Tavares Gunsagar wanted to bring a new twist to the ancient ingredient by adding flavors.
McCormick has boosted its presence in the store perimeter with the acquisition of Australian company Botanical Food Company, which manufactures the Gourmet Garden brand of packaged herbs, for 150 million Australian dollars ($114m) in cash.
Recognizing that in today’s on-the-go culture, most people don’t have time to escape to a secluded island to unwind, the founder of NOA Potions created a premium beverage that blends natural herbs to help people relax while improving their focus simultaneously...
CORE Organic, an organic 5-calorie-per-serving flavored water/juice blend with coconut water concentrate and antioxidants from white tea extract and maqui berry - is rolling out nationwide next month after a successful launch in southern California.
Chobani – which sponsored US athletes in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games - is releasing three limited batch flavors ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
America is in the middle of a “home cooking revolution” with more people cooking in their kitchens more often than in the recent past as a way to eat healthier and more affordably, but also as a form of entertainment and adventure, says a senior editor...
Product packaging today often is cluttered with so many certifications that consumers’ can’t absorb everything in the brief time they look at labels in stores, and as a result the icons’ impact is diminished and manufacturers likely aren’t getting their...
Milk could be followed by yogurt, creamers, cheeses, protein powders and shakes
Ripple – a plant-based ‘milk’ claimed to blow both dairy milk and existing milk alternatives out of the water in the taste, nutrition and sustainability stakes – is rolling out nationwide at Whole Foods in April, and Target stores in July, with other...
With plant-based diets all the rage in the US currently, milk alternatives – and particularly those from almonds – are seeing strong sales growth and increased innovation, while sales of dairy milk are contracting.
America is on the “cusp of a market-revolution” to replace animal products with plant-based alternatives, but consumers need more choices that are convenient, affordable and tasty in order for long-term diet changes to take root, according to an expert...
11th hour reprieve from the courts or from Congress increasingly unlikely
Private litigants, or so-called ‘bounty hunters’, may start targeting food manufacturers over alleged violations of Vermont’s new GMO labeling law from day one (July 1), lawyers at Hogan Lovells have warned.
The FDA has given the green light to the voluntary fortification of corn masa flour, allowing manufacturers to add up to 0.7mg per pound, which is consistent with fortification levels approved for enriched cereal grains.
