Lindt & Sprüngli's US subsidiary Ghirardelli Chocolate has settled a class action lawsuit over allegations its Premium Baking Chips – Classic White misled consumers by claiming to contain white chocolate.
Despite the legal hot water in which many manufacturers and retailers have found themselves in recent months over “natural” and its growing list of synonyms, the term likely won’t disappear from food and beverage product labels any time soon, as consumers...
Given its apparently limitless potential to feed and fuel the world, there is a huge buzz around microalgae. But with some notable exceptions such as DHA and astaxanthin, this has not - yet - translated into much hard cash. But that’s about to change,...
What new gluten-free product launches, market analysis tell us
Aug. 5 marked the deadline for manufacturers making voluntary gluten-free label claims to ensure they meet the FDA’s definition of a gluten-free food (less than 20 parts per million of gluten). And while gluten-free product launches have risen every year...
FDA proposals to increase the RDI for certain nutrients as part of an overhaul of the Nutrition Facts panel mean that milk would no longer qualify as an excellent source of vitamin D or a good source of potassium, while some cheeses and yogurts could...
The world's largest food manufacturer, Nestlé, has pledged to improve the welfare of the farm animals in its supply chain after agreeing a new a partnership agreement with NGO World Animal Protection.
Nestlé Waters North America engaged in “deceptive, fraudulent and predatory behavior” in a bid to drive a small competitor out of business, alleges New York-based Nirvana Inc in a lawsuit accusing the world’s biggest bottled water company of illegal anti-competitive...
Big interview: Joseph Montgomery III, CEO of Agro Innova
A long beloved refreshment for cacao plantation workers—albeit previously underused part of the cacao fruit—the nutritional powerhouse cacao pulp is making its way to US supermarket shelves in smoothie form.
100% juice from concentrate may have to declare its sugar as 'added'
One bizarre consequence of FDA proposals to include ‘added sugars’ on the Nutrition Facts panel would be that not-from-concentrate 100% fruit juice could boast 0g ‘added sugar’ on the new-look labels, whereas 100% juice made from concentrate (containing...
Move could create a wholly unnecessary bureaucratic nightmare, claims Bayer Healthcare
FDA proposals that would require the pre-approval of certain fiber ingredients before the agency will count them as ‘dietary fibers’ on the Nutrition Facts panel are illogical and unfair, claim industry commentators.
The BevNET Food & Beverage University heads to LA on Sept 11
Want to avoid rookie mistakes when you take your new food or beverage brand to market? Or perhaps you’ve been in business a couple of years and are looking to take your brand in a new direction, secure new financing or utilize new sales and marketing...
How clean is your label, and who decides - plaintiff's attorneys or Whole Foods Market? Are ‘all-natural’ claims still resonating with consumers or are other on-pack cues more important? And do shoppers understand the difference between natural and...
Natural claims on food and beverage products appear to be leveling off, according to recent product launch data from market research firms Datamonitor and Mintel.
FDA issued letter of no objection to GRAS notification for Quorn in 2002
UPDATED - Quorn Foods has launched a vigorous defense of its fungus-derived meat substitutes in the wake of a fresh attack from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which says the FDA “should have pulled this dangerous product off shelves...
The FDA has approved a petition from LycoRed seeking the green light to use higher levels of tomato lycopene to restore color to processed meats, giving manufacturers of sausages, deli meats and jerky an alternative to synthetic FD&C Red #40 and bug-derived...
The small guy can still win in the snacks aisle, says Jim Schneider
The ‘Saratoga chip’ - a snack food sensation first cooked up in 1853 by George Crum in Saratoga Springs, NY - was ultimately overwhelmed by the might of Herman Lay’s potato chip. 160+ years later, however, America’s original kettle chip is staging a comeback,...
AquaBounty Technologies - which is hoping to become the first company to introduce a genetically engineered (GE) animal to the human food supply - posted net losses of $3.5m in the six months to June 30, up from a loss of $2.1m in the first half of 2013.
Taking a significant minority stake in Monster Beverage Corp rather than launching a full-scale takeover is a smart move on Coca-Cola’s part, boosting its participation in one of the beverage sector’s fastest-growing categories but providing a ‘hedge’...
Analyst: Top CPG firms not delivering on innovation, falling back into promotional trap
As several CEOs have recently observed, big brands are not getting so much bang for their promotional buck these days. But in the current climate, targeted trade spending is a must to retain market share, although other strategies must be pursued in the...
Coca-Cola and Monster Beverage Corp have entered into a strategic partnership which will see Monster assume control of Coke’s energy brands and Coke assume control of Monster’s non-energy brands. Coca-Cola will also take a 16.7% stake in Monster.
Powerful Yogurt is preparing to launch a high-protein yogurt drink that it says harnesses continuing demand for both Greek yogurt and high-protein beverages.
Survata is 'democratizing' consumer insights, says CEO
Until pretty recently, food marketers looking to test new product ideas, brand names or pack designs could look to friends, family, and colleagues for cheap - though notoriously unreliable - feedback, or expect to spend serious time and money on hiring...
Senoymx says it expects either PepsiCo or flavor house Firmenich to commercialize proprietary sweet taste modifier Sweetmyx S617 in 2014 but is tight-lipped over who will be first to market.
Kellogg has become the second food major to respond to a damning Oxfam report with a climate change revamp that pledges to disclose global greenhouse gas emission targets by December 2015.
Selling everything from coffee flour to ‘Chimp Food’, egg white chips, artichoke water and kids’ tea, here's FoodNavigator-USA's latest pick of entrepreneurs to watch in the US food and beverage market.
Settlement offers injunctive, but not monetary, relief (Coke required to amend labels but consumers won't get any money)
Coca-Cola has agreed to settle a series of 'copycat' lawsuits accusing it of deceptively marketing Vitaminwater. But the lawsuit that inspired them all - filed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest in 2009 - is still pending, as the...
It’s been a busy summer for Hampton Creek. After just six months on the market and $30mn raised in funding from the likes of Bill Gates and Yahoo cofounder Jerry Yang, its plant-based mayonnaise brand Just Mayo is the No. 1 selling mayo at Whole Foods...
A new trade organization has formed with the mission to define what 'natural' means. The nascent Organic and Natural Health Alliance (ONHA) plans to go about defining that attribute in a way that is unique in the natural products business in...
Nestle USA is poised to launch a 26-serve Nescafe ‘to go’ liquid coffee concentrate that consumers can add to water to create RTD coffee on demand, along the same lines as its Nestea liquid water enhancer.
Vermont AG: 'Natural' labels do not belong on foods made with GMOs
Vermont’s new GMO labeling law (Act 120) does not violate the First Amendment because the disclosures it mandates are “purely factual” and the law “does not require manufacturers to state a particular viewpoint, such as whether GE foods are good or bad”,...
Retailers are going to reduce the space given to legacy brands
Leading CPG companies are like huge ships that cannot change course quickly enough to address evolving consumer trends, claims the boss of Boulder Brands (which owns the Udi’s Gluten-Free, Earth Balance and EVOL brands). But unless they make some bold...
Interview with John Eldridge, 30-year CPG industry vet and Guiding Stars strategy consultant
Almost eight out of 10 popcorn products launched in the US in the 12 months to June 2014 were on a 'health' platform of some kind, according to Innova Market Insights.
New labels would highlights calories, include 'added sugars'
UPDATED: Significant changes to the Nutrition Facts panel on foods & beverages have been proposed in the US and Canada, with the plan to include ‘added sugars’ tweak rules on dietary fiber labeling, and update the reference values used to calculate...
Keurig Green Mountain said fiscal third-quarter earnings rose 33% on strong sales of coffee machines and K-cup coffee pods, but revenues failed to meet Wall Street’s expectations.
SEE INSIDE MONSTER ENERGY'S INNOVATION LOCKER: THE BEVERAGEDAILY.COM TOP 5
Monster Energy CEO Rodney Sacks insists new launch Ultra Sunrise will not go head-to-head PepsiCo's Mountain Dew Kickstart, despite its lighter 'Orangina-type flavor'.
Big interview: Robin White, co-founder of Single Cup Coffee
Two longtime coffee industry veterans who took part in the launch of Keurig K-cups in the late 1990s and watched the subsequent meteoric rise of single-cup coffee brewing say they found a void in the nearly $2 billion market for variety and quality. They...
More than half of eating and drinking occasions now occur when consumers are alone, as US consumption behavior has become more individualized compared to previous generations, according to market research firm The NPD Group.
The world’s biggest food manufacturing group Nestlé has posted a better-than-expected rise in a key sales figure for the first half of the year despite currency impacts causing a 10% fall in net profits.
As Kraft’s CEO recently observed, smaller, more agile players seem to be better at coming up with exciting new products than many CPG giants, for whom innovation is often more about trade management than addressing genuine consumer needs. But if this...
Almond water has been a runaway success story for LA-based start-up Victoria’s Kitchen. But not because it's the next big thing in functional beverages. It isn't, says CEO David Meniane, who stresses that his product should not be confused with...
ENERGY GIANT RUMORED TO BE READYING LAUNCHES TO GRAB MORNING, AFTERNOON, EVENING CONSUMPTION
Monster Energy has filed a US trademark for the term Ultra Sunrise and one analyst predicts the name will be used for a CSD that will take on $150m brand Mountain Dew Kickstart.
