From growing interest in immune health to a sharp rise in online grocery shopping, how is COVID-19 impacting consumer behavior? Here are a few things that caught our eye in recent reports from The Hartman Group for FMI, the Food Industry Association*;...
Stevia specialist SweeGen has started commercial production of Reb B, a lesser-known and “highly soluble” steviol glycoside (stevia sweetener) that it says works particularly well in beverages.
Norway’s seafood industry has hit back after China halted imports from European salmon suppliers after a new wave of coronavirus at a Beijing market was said to have entered the city via salmon.
General Mills – maker of Yoplait and Liberté yogurt brands – has launched a regenerative agriculture pilot project at three dairy farms in Michigan, a key sourcing region for the company's fluid milk supply.
More Americans are dieting in 2020 than last year, but unlike in previous years their new favored eating pattern likely will provide little marketing fodder for food and beverage manufacturers hoping to appeal to followers with easy call-outs, the addition...
For the first time in a decade, weight management is no longer America’s top health concern as anxiety and stress prevention and treatment rise to the No. 1 position of a long list of health conditions with which households are grappling, according to...
Following consultation with stakeholders about the viability of holding a major trade exhibition as coronavirus cases continue to rise in multiple states, New Hope has opted to cancel Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26) and encourage...
Three food companies – The Hershey Company, The Kellogg Company, and McCormick & Company – were included on DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list, an annual list based on survey submissions from US companies with 1,000 or more employees.
Despite online grocery taking off in recent months, CPG brands may be leaving millions of dollars of missed revenue on the table by not highlighting key product attributes when they present their brands online, according to a report by Label Insight.
More than 70 brands including Chobani, Oatly, Planet Oat, PURIS, Once Upon a Farm, Foodstirs, Chosen Foods, and Thrive Market have now secured ‘Glyphosate Residue Free’ certification for 1,500+ products, according to The Detox Project, which launched...
Even though Andrew Abraham has helped millions of people live healthier, more vibrant lives first as a medical doctor and then for the past 12 years as the founder of the organic protein shake and bar brand Orgain, he wanted to help more consumers learn...
Nestlé said it is exploring the potential sale of the majority of its Nestlé Waters North America unit, which includes regional spring water brands (Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Ozarka, Poland Spring, and Zephyrhills), its purified water business,...
EPG (brand name: Epogee) – a new plant-based oil that has been restructured in such a way that virtually none of it is absorbed by the body – is attracting interest from formulators across the food industry, as firms see an opportunity to make significant...
Recent research on vitamin D has made an even more compelling case for the critical importance of the nutrient, the founders of a supplement brand say.
New research from Unilever highlights the growing importance of health, wellness and immunity for consumers. “Our Foods and Refreshment business is uniquely positioned to lead purposefully in the space of holistic health and immunity,” nutrition R&D...
Consumers who ordered groceries online and picked them up at stores before the coronavirus outbreak are more likely to revert to shopping in stores after shelter-in-place orders are lifted, while those who tried ecommerce for the first time during the...
At a time when many brands are in survival mode, Shaka Tea -- ready-to-drink iced tea made from the endemic Hawaiian māmaki -- has tapped into new avenues of growth, crediting its lean business strategy and approachable price point.
Hormel Foods’ group vice president of corporate strategy, Jim Splinter - who led the acquisition of Justin’s nut butters in 2016 - has retired from the global food company.
ZenWTR – a high pH, distilled bottled water packaged in recycled ocean plastic – has rolled out nationwide at Whole Foods stores after picking up regional distribution at chains from Walmart to Safeway over the past couple of months.
Even as sales and consumer perception of the quality of USDA organic certified continue to grow, new consumer research from the Hartman Group suggests the label’s long-held status as the gold standard may be starting to slip.
US plant-based meat specialist Beyond Meat expects to begin European production by the end of 2020 after opening a new plant in Zoeterwoude and acquiring a further site in Enschede.
Nestlé Health Science has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Chicago-based Vital Proteins, adding the leading collagen brand to its other vitamin, mineral, supplement and wellness brands, including Atrium Innovations, Garden of Life, Pure Encapsulations...
The mode of grocery shopping has evolved over the last few months with e-commerce experiencing a noticeable spike, but according to consumer insights and data company DISQO, in-store shopping is still the predominant and preferred way for consumers to...
Danone North America has teamed up with Brightseed – a San Francisco-based startup using AI to analyze hundreds of thousands of phytonutrients for potential health benefits – to probe key plant sources to identify “previously unknown health and nutrition...
The high cost and opaque process of securing patents can be daunting for cash-strapped startups, but the CEO of the home hydroponic growing system GroPod advises entrepreneurs not give into the temptation to skip or delay this step until after fundraising.
Private equity firm Brynwood Partners VII will acquire refrigerated pasta brand Buitoni’s North American business from Nestlé USA, forming the Buitoni Food Company headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
Miyoko’s has upped the ante in its legal dispute with the State of California over the use of the term ‘butter’ on a plant-based product, urging the court to issue a preliminary injunction against state ag officials, who it claims are violating its First...
Even before the coronavirus pandemic paused face-to-face meetings and tradeshows, startups that couldn’t afford the high entrance fees to some of the food and beverage industry’s most prominent shows struggled to catch and keep investors’ attention –...
Supply chain snags, consumer stockpiling and retailers reprioritizing what to stock during the initial phases of the coronavirus pandemic meant many consumers had to go without their favorite brands and switch to available alternatives, but according...
San Francisco-based startup Hooray Foods – which launched its allergy-friendly vegan bacon (no soy or wheat) in restaurants late last year – is now in talks with retailers looking to expand their plant-based meat set.
As Americans tentatively emerge from lockdown, the industry is likely to face a very different consumer landscape. How might tighter household budgets change consumer priorities and behaviors? Will ‘Big Food’ really stage a comeback? Will habits (stress...
The prevalence of virus-treatment claims in the marketplace has made for both heightened enforcement from federal regulators and calls for even more action from an advocacy group regarding products sold on Amazon.
Impossible Foods has launched an e-commerce site to make its plant-based burgers available to all US consumers in the lower 48 states, offering free, two-day shipping of larger, family-sized quantities of the Impossible Burger.
Instore demos - a key tool for many emerging brands to encourage trial and raise awareness – were one of the first things to go when COVID-19 hit, with multiple retailers discontinuing them until further notice. However, Costco is planning a gradual...
The FDA says it has made “substantial progress” in forging a regulatory path for ingestible CBD products, but has given no indication of when it might provide food and supplement makers with more clarity.
To remain relevant to consumers as they navigate the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the economic downturn and the anti-racism movement sweeping America, food and beverage brands need to shelve their current marketing playbooks and potentially any pre-set...
Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the world’s largest private source of funding for food allergy research – has met with the FDA to share its concerns over the agency’s recent move to temporarily allow manufacturers to make minor formulation...
A citizen petition filed by The Sugar Association to the FDA is calling for “complete and accurate labeling of low- and no-calorie sweeteners on food packages,” which would require food manufacturers to add the term ‘sweetener' in parenthesis after...
As stay-at-home restrictions ease across the US and Americans attempt to return to a post-pandemic normal way of life, the crisis and nationwide aid initiatives such as the Frontline Impact Project are far from over.
While not everyone is convinced that recent surging sales for some legacy food brands mean ‘Big Food’ is staging a comeback, some habits developed during the pandemic could be sustained, and brands such as Campbell Soup are well-placed to exploit them,...
While many Americans have cooked more than ever in recent weeks, with some picking up new skills, demand for fresh ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals that require minimal effort has never been higher, says the founder of FreshRealm, which has teamed...
No longer able to rely on conferences, in-store demos or serendipitous meetings to raise awareness of a new business or product, entrepreneurs increasing are connecting with each other, mentors and consumers through subscription-based online platforms...
Many food and beverage companies are joining the fight against racism in America by temporarily pausing sales, using their voices and positions to raise awareness of systemic racism in the US, donating profits and pulling advertising from platforms that...
The IRI New Product Pacesetters List of the top 100 CPG brand launches of 2019 saw a resurgence of $100m brands which accounted for 33% of Pacesetter dollar sales in 2019.
With fears that another wave of the coronavirus could hit the US just as the academic year begins, parents likely will seek products that could help support their children’s immune systems, claims Slammers Snacks.
While many states emerge from several weeks of shelter-in-place mandates and businesses begin to reopen, many consumers feel their usual shopping behaviors won’t return to “normal” for some time, an Acosta report revealed.
Bolthouse Farms – a fresh food business specializing in packaged carrots and juices, smoothies and dressings – has discontinued its premium organic cold pressed juice brand 1915 amid declining sales, but says it is enjoying a strong uptick in sales of...
