Inventory planning is the name of the game right now in packaged staples as brands dealing with sudden surges in demand owing to COVID-19 try to predict how long current buying patterns might last.
We continue to speak with food startups and emerging brands about what’s weighing on their minds as COVID-19 has many cities and communities going into various stages of lockdown, upending typical consumer shopping behavior.
Meal kit services such as Blue Apron, HelloFresh and Sun Basket are reporting a sharp increase in demand as consumers stay home and cook, although it's unclear how much of a boost they will get longer-term if household budgets become more constrained...
Recognizing that the threat of climate change weighs heavily on many consumers and increasingly influences their shopping habits, the consumer packaged goods industry is exploring how it can reduce the use of limited resources, minimize waste and, in...
In a teleconference held last night the US Food and Drug Administration announced that it is scaling back GMP inspections and is waiving certain FSMA requirements in the face of the COVID-19 crisis.
Should prolonged social distancing measures generate mass unemployment, premium priced natural and organic products will likely not be top of most people’s shopping lists, while private label sales will likely rise, although packaged foods will continue...
Keeping the supply chain moving while protecting employees and projecting a calming tone for consumers is top of mind for executives at General Mills, which has seen a significant sales boost since the beginning of March from panicked US shoppers stocking...
While there may not be a handbook on how to carry on with international expansion amid a global health pandemic, CEO and founder of Eat JUST, Inc. Josh Tetrick is compartmentalizing the endeavor into near- and long-term priorities while taking a page...
While many packaged food brands are enjoying surging sales as shoppers stock up and hunker down as COVID-19 control measures kick in, emerging brands are having to rewrite business plans, modify marketing messaging, and reconsider go-to-market strategies...
For entrepreneurs at cash-strapped startups, finding mentors often takes a backseat to fundraising, but according to a leader with Rabobank’s Startup Innovation team, focusing on the former can help with the latter.
A controversial USDA proposed rule to “simplify” school meal standards by allowing less fruit, fewer whole grains and less diverse vegetables to be served at breakfast and lunch could negatively impact students’ academic performance and health, according...
One of the pioneers of the space topped $53 million in annual revenue, but also recorded a loss as the founders cashed out. The firm also said regulatory uncertainty has increased competition as numerous small brands crowd into the field.
A study led by researchers at Brigham Young University (BYU) found that the energy and calories burned during youth programs is often nutritionally undermined by the types of snacks kids commonly receive as a post-game routine.
With instore demos and sampling events off the table; consumers not in the mood for trying new things; and retailers more focused on keeping shelves stocked than discovering new brands; this isn’t a great time for food startups to raise awareness – or...
The bare grocery shelves that many consumers have encountered over the last few days due to Covid-19-related stockpiling are not a harbinger of long-term shortages or a precursor to store closures, but they could signal a shift in the types of products...
Mobile ordering, mobile pay, and third party delivery food delivery services are expected to accelerate as consumers shift to off-premise dining and contactless modes of ordering their food amid restaurants closures related to COVID-19, according to NPD...
Impossible Foods has raised $500m in a Series F funding round led by new investor Mirae Asset Global Investments, with participation from existing investors including Khosla Ventures, Horizons Ventures, and Temasek. The move brings its total funding...
A pulse of supply and production issues caused by the COVID-19 crisis is making its way through the dietary supplement industry. Inventories of botanical ingredients continue to hold up, but unprecedented demand for immunity boosting products is causing...
‘In some cases, retailers have simply canceled the meetings and not rescheduled them as phone calls’
Coronavirus is creating significant challenges and opportunities for the food and beverage industry, with panic buying prompting mayhem in stores and a surge in online sales, while instore demo companies have seen business fall off a cliff and smaller...
The Organic Trade Association is optimistic that a final rule elevating animal welfare standards for organic producers will be reinstated after it was withdrawn without warning by the Trump Administration following its passage during the 11th hour of...
Demand for personalized nutrition is gaining traction quickly, according to Mintel market research, but for companies to fully leverage the trend they must offer more than bespoke products to include also detailed guidance that “connects the dots” between...
In an announcement that will not likely surprise many stakeholders, New Hope has decided to cancel (rather than postpone) the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim and focus its attention on Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26).
While the US oatmilk category is still in its infancy, it’s growing at an explosive rate,* says Oatly, the Swedish brand seeking to take the US market by storm. But can it keep up with demand?
Startups looking for capital to fuel their next phase of growth may find there's a gap in the market for investors who are willing to write smaller checks, says Jason Starr, founder and managing director of Chicago-based investment firm CompanyFirst....
Before the threat of COVID-19 prompted Washington, DC, and other US cities to ban large gatherings, nearly 900 school nutritional professionals from across the country converged on the Nation’s capital to brainstorm how vulnerable children can continue...
The FTC is revisiting its Endorsement Guides and seeking public comment on what changes might be needed as it initiates an enforcement action on health claims made by influencers.
LIVEKINDLY co., a new plant-based food company which recently acquired LikeMeat, The Fry Family Food Co., and content startup LIVEKINDLY Media, is building an economy of scale for plant-based chicken to eventually become the "most affordable protein...
US retail sales of refrigerated yogurt and kefir were flat (-0.1%) in the 52 weeks to February 23, and down -0.4% in the latest 12 week period, according to SPINS data,* but this doesn’t mean that we’ve hit ‘peak yogurt,’ insists siggi’s, which recently...
After a tumultuous few years marred by a price-fixing scandal, fines and bankruptcy, Bumble Bee Foods is ready to reemerge as a company dedicated to consumers’ and the planet’s health thanks to help from its new owner, a unique partnership with the maker...
Editor’s spotlight: Reinvigorating a stagnating ingredient
Often a pregnancy staple for many women, pickle juice is attracting a new audience. The salty beverage is gaining traction as a functional ingredient, particularly for athletes.
The latest innovation from Beyond Meat – the Beyond Breakfast Sausage - will hit the frozen breakfast meat section at ACME, Albertsons, Key Foods, Kings, Pavilions, Raley’s, ShopRite, Vons, Wegmans and Whole Foods later this month.
The old adage that it isn’t just what you know, but who you know could not be truer than for company founders in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, according to the serial entrepreneur behind the seed-stage company Farma Genetix.
Emerging brand Lemon Perfect is seeking mainstream recognition with its shelf-stable lemon water, which contains the cold-pressed juice and pulp from half of an organic lemon (5% juice), and launching a new line of sparkling water in cans.
KeVita has unveiled a new look for its kombuchas, sparkling probiotic drinks and apple cider vinegar tonics that brand owner PepsiCo says will help it better stand out on shelf as sales slow in the kombucha category.
Plant-based brand Upton's Naturals has launched bite-size jerky pieces made from wheat protein. We caught up with its CEO to find out more about the clean label formulation process.
Ingredients supplier Prinova has entered a partnership with CBD ingredient manufacturer, Open Book Extracts, to launch a line of water-soluble CBD ingredients.
Deep Indian Kitchen has expanded its frozen entree lineup with three new products -- chicken korma, chicken vindaloo, and butter chicken -- to answer mainstream consumers' demand for more accessible, global flavors.
The US Food and Drug Administration has sent warning letters to seven companies that have been alleged to have been making COVID-19 disease treatment claims. Among the recipients of the warning letters is a prominent televangelist.
With exhibitors canceling en masse 48-hours before the nation's biggest natural products show was set to open, organizer New Hope was forced to pull the plug, promising a new date "before the summer" (although it's unclear how realistic...
As Chobani’s Incubator continues to buck the status quo by welcoming one of its most diverse cohorts yet into its Spring 2020 class, it also continues to reimagine its program’s structure to better meet the needs of a entrepreneurs from different regions...
Cleveland Kraut has managed to brighten the image of sauerkraut by launching fermented products that are "crunchy, delicious, and vibrant," said co-founder and CEO Drew Anderson.
NutteeBean, which was recently selected for PepsiCo's Greenhouse accelerator, says its high protein and fiber fava bean snacks are making healthy eating easier. "Snacks do not have to be junk food," says its CEO.
Coronavirus will boost consumption of shelf-stable and frozen packaged foods in the near-term as consumers pantry-load ahead of what could be a large-scale outbreak, predicts a new report from analysts at Bernstein.
Confronted almost daily with images of marine debris filling the bellies of dead whales, headlines about climate change and emerging stories about America’s broken recycling system, consumers increasingly are worried about single-use plastic and packaging...
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the Good Food Institute (GFI) have urged Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to veto a bill that would limit the use of the term ‘milk’ on food labels – even if used with qualifiers such as ‘dairy-free/plant-based’...
The role of category managers is evolving from a game of dominoes to chess, optimizing the retail experience to anticipate the next step in shopper behavior, said David Nolen, VP, category management at Hershey.
