Consumer goods giant Unilever set out its stall for future growth last week when the company delivered a ‘strategy refresh’ alongside its full-year results. The outcome? An increased focus on ‘high growth segments’ including functional nutrition and plant-based...
Even though the coronavirus vaccine is slowly, albeit a bit unsteadily, rolling out, a recently published survey of dietitians predicts Americans in 2021 will continue to seek protection from COVID-19 and its rapidly spreading variants from food and beverages...
Headlines about 'toxins' in baby food are the ultimate PR nightmare, but how do we assess if the levels of heavy metals highlighted in a recent congressional committee report are "dangerously high” in the absence of federally mandated...
While consumers rate plant-based beef more favorably than its bovine counterpart on fiber, fat, saturated fat and cholesterol; they rate it less favorably on taste, protein, iron, and overall nutrition, according to survey data contained in a new report...
Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya says he’s “looking at all options” to fuel the company’s growth plans, following reports in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) that the company he founded in 2007 is considering going public this year in a listing that could value...
Stressed by COVID-19 and its financial and emotional ripple effects, consumers have turned to functional food as a stress-reducing and health-boosting tool to get through the pandemic, recent consumer insights from market research firm Brightfield Group...
Baby food brands have defended their procurement and testing protocols after a congressional report highlighted the presence of heavy metals in their wares. The report – which will likely prompt lawsuits, predict attorneys - underlines the need for the...
New research revealing the depth of consumer confusion about allergen labeling underscores a need for clearer, more consistent labeling about the presence of allergens or the risk of cross-contamination in food and beverages, and bolsters support for...
‘Animal-free dairy’ ice cream brand Brave Robot – which launched in July 2020 - will be in 5,000 stores across the US by Earth Day 2021 (April 22), says brand owner The Urgent Company.
Tovala – a meal service paired with a multi-function smart oven – has closed a $30m in Series C funding led by New York-based investment group, Left Lane Capital, bringing the company’s funding total to over $50m.
Despite spirulina's “superfood” status, its popularity has been dampened by its dark green color, reputation for tasting like the sea and sometimes overwhelming bioavailability, but the co-founders of SNACK Brand Inc. hope to introduce to modern...
New York City-based vertical farming company, Bowery Farming, has appointed former Google Internet of Things (IoT) VP and general manager, Injong Rhee, as its new chief technology officer (CTO) responsible for accelerating the integration of proprietary...
Kraft Heinz is in talks to sell its Planters snack nuts business to Hormel Foods, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter, with a deal valuing the brand at around $3bn that could be announced as soon as next week.
Moku, an emerging mushroom jerky brand, is laying down the foundation to build a highly-scalable, clean label meat alternative platform under a strategic partnership with Siddhi Capital, say co-founders Matt Feldman and Melissa Facchina.
Plant-based brands have blasted the latest wave of bills proposing restrictions on the use of terms such as ‘milk’ and ‘meat’ in states including New York and Texas as “a solution in search of a problem,” but say more work is needed to persuade legislators...
A new business model developed by Milwaukee-based startup Agricycle that combines a vertically-integrated supply chain with a portfolio of upcycled brands is proving that with a little imagination and basic resources small growers can have an outsized...
Addressing its natural gas use and fleet emissions, Talking Rain (maker of Sparkling ICE) is funding over 28,000 metric tons of carbon reduction offsets through taking on ownership of three land projects in need of environmental clean up. But what significance...
Geltor – which has developed a computational biology platform to create a range of ‘designer’ functional proteins via microbial fermentation - is gearing up for the commercial launch of the world’s first ingestible ‘animal-free’ vegan collagen for the...
Hot on the heels of price cuts to foodservice distributors, Impossible Foods is cutting prices to US grocery stores and supermarkets, taking suggested retail prices for two patty packs down 20% to $5.49, and 12oz bricks down to $6.99.
Rising consumer concern about the long-term detrimental impact on children’s health and palate development from baby food overly-sweetened or predominately packed with fruit is opening the door for a new cohort of entrepreneurs promoting vegetable- and...
Even through 2020 brought large CPG food and beverage companies record sales growth – often in the high double digits – over 2019 as consumers flocked to well-established, trusted brands, IRI research found smaller and extra-small consumer brands and...
Post Holdings – which has just taken a minority stake in plant-based meat startup Hungry Planet - has led a $12.5m Series B round at legume-fueled snack brand PeaTos, which offers a higher protein, higher fiber slant on mainstream extruded snack brands...
Nutritional Growth Solutions, Ltd. (NGS), parent company of Healthy Height kids protein shake mixes, has acquired nutritional shake brand KidzShake and has announced plans to enter the US medical market.
US investors can now buy and trade stocks of Eat Beyond Global Holdings and its growing portfolio of alternative protein brands from plant-based ingredients firms to cell-based agriculture companies, under the ticker symbol EATBF.
In the next 12 to 18 months, cultivated meat could become available to the masses, according to some industry players raising funds to scale production of technological and scientific advances that will allow for lower production costs and a lower consumer...
As Generation Z enters the workforce, they bring a keen competitive spirit and a desire to contribute significantly – making them desirable employees, but because they also are unafraid to job hop if they do not feel appreciated, employers need to rethink...
In a challenging environment for all of the food industry, Mondelēz International posted net revenue growth of 5.6% and increased gross profit by $113m for the full year ended Dec. 31, 2020.
Consumers continue to seek comfort from food as they navigate the rise of new coronavirus variants, but many also are bored by the same-old, same-old after nearly a year at home – creating an opportunity for products that pair bold new flavors with the...
Recognizing that breakthrough technologies that could transform the global food supply chain often originate in academia, Big Idea Ventures has launched a $125m fund to commercialize IP from some of the nation’s leading universities and fuel economic...
Soylent and DuPont Nutrition and Biosciences are participating in a pilot program to highlight the sustainability credentials of US-grown soy by road-testing a new ‘Sustainably Grown U.S. Soy’ logo developed by the United Soybean Board (USB). So what’s...
Nudge edible coffee bars, ‘bombs,’ and butters – novel products featuring aromatic ‘whole coffee matter’ – are now available in 350 Sprouts stores, says brand owner The Whole Coffee Co, which is still learning what product formats, messaging, and merchandising...
SimplyProtein – a snacking brand acquired from The Simply Good Foods Company by Toronto-based Wellness Natural last September – is generating double digit growth in the US market and has the potential to grow from a $20m to a $100m brand within five years,...
Despite parents' best efforts and new products coming to the market promising critical nutrients from vegetables, the fact remains that the vast majority of children are simply not eating enough vegetables. This reality is the primary motivating...
The rate at which warning letters are being issued for illegal COVID-19 claims has slowed dramatically since FDA and FTC began cooperating on the enforcement action in March of 2020.
Sustainable packaging is resurfacing as a top consumer priority after months of being on the back burner due to overriding coronavirus safety concerns, but efforts to switch to more renewable options could be complicated by a dual focus on reducing carbon...
The White House Office of Management and Budget pulled six FDA guidances and rules from its review, including the proposal "Cannabidiol Enforcement Policy; Draft Guidance for Industry" — handing the CBD industry yet another setback.
Ingredient supplier Kerry has introduced a web-based tool designed to help food and beverage manufacturers with their plant-based product formulation challenges.
While always an important feature of Super Bowl viewing, Frito Lay's latest U.S. Snack Index poll estimates a 21% increase in snacking among consumers compared to last year's Super Bowl LIV game.
What do reasonable consumers think ‘no antibiotics’ on a cheese label means? That the cheese contains no antibiotics? That the milk is from cows that have never been administered antibiotics? Or something else?
Ben & Jerry’s has ramped up its living income approach for Cote D’Ivoire cocoa farmers in partnership with Fairtrade. Global Values Led Sourcing Manager Cheryl Pinto tells FoodNavigator that addressing poverty is key to tackling supply chain issues,...
A limited-supply Palate Training Kits released today from Icelandic skyr brand siggi’s takes an innovative approach to sugar reduction, which has gained prominence among consumers during the pandemic, but which continues to be stymied by taste and convenience...
Chickpea-fueled snack brand HIPPEAS has raised $50m from investment house The Craftory Limited in a financing round consisting of direct investment and secondary purchases of shares from existing shareholders including CAVU Venture Partners.
Millie Gram -- the latest brand innovation to come out of Mondelēz SnackFutures -- combines nut butters with powdered mushroom blends (cordyceps, shiitake, maitake, reishi, and lion's mane) and is currently testing its market appeal with consumers...
Quantis is launching geoFootprint, a digital tool that the company describes as the ‘first’ to use satellite technology to map the environmental impact of food production on an interactive map. The innovation holds the key to ‘smarter, science-driven...
What are the primary purchase drivers for plant-based foods? Should humans drink cow’s milk? Why don’t the Dietary Guidelines address sustainability? And could tapping into consumer interest in the microbiome help make fiber the go-to functional ingredient...
Post Holdings has dipped its toes into the fast-growing plant-based meat category with an investment in St Louis-based startup Hungry Planet, which makes soy- and wheat-based beef, port, chicken, crab and chorizo for foodservice and retail markets.
As consumers continue to gravitate to ecommerce for groceries and limit trips to retail stores, CPG companies will need to shift more of their advertising dollars to digital from traditional – but not all online marketing tactics and sales strategies...
