Colour plays a key role in how consumers see products. Should plant-based companies use red to evoke flavour, or green to evoke sustainability, with their offerings?
Sweet and spicy (swicy) play into consumers’ ongoing pursuit of diverse, globally inspired taste experiences, and are reflected in recent brand ad campaigns.
Two former Google researchers, who helped write the algorithm for trendspotting using queries from the search engine, are using their knowhow to empower product developers to create the must-have meals and breakout beverages of the future with the expansion...
Full volume recovery for packaged food could take upwards of 18 months as consumers struggle to adjust to higher prices due to inflation – requiring CPG companies to be more flexible and reinvest in their brands as they did during the pandemic, and forcing...
Today's niche diets, social media blips and internet search spikes could be tomorrow's must-have functional ingredients, breakout snacks or new kitchen staples -- the trick is spotting them early and knowing whether they represent long-term...
While bayjoo’s founder Ana Bautista Lee embarked on the solopreneur path to bring bayjoo, a traditional Caribbean beverage, to the United States, she relies on a vast network of other founders and experts to help her navigate the competitive and complex...
Better-for-you snack brand Sweet Loren’s is expanding its product portfolio with a series of ready-to-use pizza, pastry and pie doughs as the company taps into demands for clean-label treats and ready-to-use foods, company CEO and Founder Loren Castle...
A self-declared leader in the “smart snacking movement,” Cibo Vita stays ahead of the competition in an increasing saturated category by developing products with “more scientific backing,” adding functional benefits to popular categories without them...
CVS is putting the ‘fun’ in functional food with the launch of more than 40 snacks, beverages and grocery items with trendy flavors and ingredients consumers want, including probiotics, fiber, protein and superfoods like turmeric and goji berries under...
Gen Z consumers prefer new snacking experiences "that are talking to them in an authentic way," Mike Gilroy, the Mars-Wrigley’s VP of trade development and sponsorship, told FoodNavigator-USA at the Sweets & Snacks Expo earlier this month.
Americans are more likely to choose the healthiest food when calories and dietary fiber are included along with nutrients-to-limit on the front of the package and when interpretive language – but not colors – provide extra context, according to research...
Mondelēz International has been found guilty by the EU of anticompetitive practices and given a fine. What was Mondelēz found to have done, and how did it damage competition?
FDA’s determination that tara flour, a plant-based protein that could have sickened hundreds of people who consumed it in a Daily Harvest dish two years ago, is not Generally Recognized As Safe could have negative consequences for tara gum, a hydrocolloid...
As consumers seek layered flavors that enhance their snacking experience, the sweet and tart notes of pink lemonade served as a popular confectionery trend during the Sweets & Snacks Expo.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans are willing to swap meat for plant-based alternatives, and more than half have tried an alternative protein – but of those that have tried, nearly a quarter have not done so a second time, according to research cited by...
Hint: The evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) is less to do with glossy marketing campaigns and packaging visuals and more about uncovering the mystery of algorithms and getting a better handle on supply chain data.
RollinGreens expands it plant-based meat portfolio with the launch of shelf-stable bowls featuring the company’s flagship M’EAT and CHIC’Ken protein, Lindsey Cunningham, co-founder and CEO, told FoodNavigator-USA
The food-as-medicine movement is gaining momentum across industries, as health and nutrition advocates attempt to reverse worsening obesity, heart disease and diabetes trends by providing accessible, nutritious and culturally relevant foods, experts shared...
Four startups pitching next month at Future Food Tech Alternative Proteins Summit in Chicago, along with entrepreneurs from many more emerging businesses showcasing in the event’s Startup Pavilion, are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing plant-based,...
Consumers increasingly are seeking convenient and flavorful ways to integrate protein into their diets, particularly as snacking replaces traditional meals among younger demographics, which gives snack makers an opportunity to develop protein-rich snack...
USDA Certified Organic has taken a defensive position in recent years against the proliferation of eco-claims, many of which are not as comprehensive, clearly defined or held as rigorously accountable, but which nonetheless influence consumers’ purchase...
Amid soaring prices and deforestation regulations, chocolate manufacturers may well be tempted to turn their back on cocoa. What alternatives are on offer?
Recent survey data from Purdue University that found one-third of Americans are unwilling to try cultivated chicken or cow prepared in a restaurant underscores the extent of the category’s "consumer acceptance problem,” despite efforts by industry...
Consumers are returning to brick-and-mortar supermarkets as their primary destination to buy groceries – reversing the steady migration toward mass over the past decade and the more recent rush to online that occurred during the pandemic, according to...
From data to legislation, advertising is changing. This provides challenges for food companies but, with their abundance of first-hand consumer data, opportunities as well.
Rivalz’s stuffed, vegan snacks could deliver the satiety effects of GLP-1 medications and meets USDA guidelines for healthy snacks distributed in schools thanks to patented extrusion technology that creates vegan fillings packed with protein and fiber,...
Organic is one of the most trusted and recognized claims and certifications in the grocery aisle, and yet most consumers do not fully understand what it represents – a knowledge gap that the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and The Organic Center are trying...
More than 100 organic industry stakeholders converged on Capitol Hill in Washington last week to lobby for increased funding, continuous improvement for certification standards, access to additional market data and improved coordination for research and...
As consumers become increasingly engaged in understanding the contents of the foods they’re consuming, it appears that trust in the food industry is plummeting. But can that trust be restored?
This week, food tech venture capital (VC) firm PeakBridge closed its Growth Fund II after raising $187m – surpassing its target — and invested in meat, dairy, and cocoa alternatives as part of its second fund, Nadav Berger, the company’s founder and managing...
Plant-based comfort food brand Blackbird Foods launched a crowdfunding campaign on Start Engine to grow its business, including a bigger push into school lunch programs, company CEO Emanuel Storch told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview....
Sales of plant-based products dipped slightly in 2023 from the prior year as prices rose to offset inflation at a faster rate than their animal counterparts in some – but not all – categories, according to new data from the Plant Based Foods Association....
The Coca-Cola Company is launching Coca-Cola Lens: an insights platform, available to all, that shares data and experience from hundreds of thousands of retail and foodservice outlets in North America.
Biotech company Oobli signed a formal agreement with Grupo Bimbo to supply the baked goods manufacturer with sweet proteins — the first major step in the startup establishing itself as an ingredient provider.
New data from the Organic Trade Association shows organic sales “bouncing back” after a post-pandemic and inflation-induced slowdown in incremental grown in recent years, with research from SPINS suggesting the products best positioned to seize this growth...
Blommer Chocolate Company, the largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America, has announced it is extending its partnership with sugar reduction company Incredo.
Given the complexity of alternative-protein manufacturing, many biotech companies are exploring how to reduce costs with AI technologies, process improvements and novel uses for waste streams from other industries, Lever VC shared in a recent report.
Better-for-you oat bar brand Bobo's develop its new Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite flavor by leveraging existing favorites, like Strawberry Stuff'd and Lemon Poppyseed, with innovation accelerated by its state-of-the-art bakery completed in 2022.
Hain Celestial is slashing its portfolio and consolidating its operating footprint to “unlock savings” and “further de-leverage the balance sheet” as part of a broader “Hain Reimagined Strategy,” but the four-prong plan may take longer than expected as...
Consumer tolerance is running out for food and beverage companies raising prices to offset inflation, based on volume and sales declines reported by several large CPG manufacturers during the most recent round of quarterly earnings calls.
Walnut snack company Unbound Snacks took home the gold at C.A. Fortune's Build Tank event in Chicago, for its category innovations and eye-catching packaging, while other brands impressed buyers through unique products and branding.
The FoodNavigator-USA team is heading to Chicago next month to Future Food-Tech’s Alternative Proteins summit, where we will help lead discussions around overcoming obstacles facing plant-based and cultivated meat and seafood and help identify areas of...
Hydration brand Liquid I.V.’s new packaging and summer ad campaign help “optimize and modernize” the brand “without disrupting shopability at shelf,” Brittany Shaw, the company’s senior brand director told FoodNavigator-USA.
Food-tech company Voyage Foods raised $52m in its Series A+ funding round to grow its ingredient business as it prepares to open a second facility later this year.
Mycelium food maker Meati raised more than $100 million in Series C-1 funding "to help meet the growing demand for its products," and support its expansion into 2,000 Kroger Family Stores last month, bringing its retail footprint to more than...