What’s new in the snacking world and how are consumers fitting snacks into their day? Is the trend of ‘fresh snacking’ the future, or are pantry items still the bread and butter of the category?
Companies facing growing pressure to launch a near constant stream of new products or better-for-you versions of beloved items that do not sacrifice taste or experience may find some relief by using innovative flavors, suggests an expert with the consumer...
Sales of kid-friendly school snacks on Amazon grew 40% year-over-year to $350m in the first half of 2018, driven by the e-commerce giant’s heavy online promotion as well as consumers’ growing familiarity and comfort with shopping online for snacks, One...
Over the past five years, 44% of American and British consumers surveyed that they have added more fish to their diets, followed closely by poultry, Cargill’s recent Feed4Thought survey showed.
Cricket protein powder prices will come down “drastically” over the next five years as production capacity increases and firms add layers of automation to the farming process, predicts Montana-based Cowboy Cricket Farms.
Global stevia supplier PureCircle will soon harvest the first commercial-scale crop of its proprietary Starleaf stevia after completing successful trial plots in 2017 with plans to significantly increase acreage of the proprietary sweetener over the next...
US retail sales of stevia sweeteners grew 11.9% in the 52 weeks to August 11, 2018, while sucralose sweetener sales were down 6%, aspartame sweetener sales were down 8% and saccharin sweetener sales were down 5.9%, according to new data from Nielsen (xAOC),...
Often overshadowed by flavor and color in marketing, texture plays a pivotal role in how consumers experience food and beverages, and research firm Mintel predicts that it is “the next big thing” companies should focus on as they try to keep up with demand...
Andy Jacobs, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hostess Brands, talks trends and how the company is set to disrupt the breakfast category with new product launches.
Despite some fast food chains’ efforts to offer more nutritious food options with kids’ meals, 74% of kids still receive unhealthy drinks and/or side items with their meals when they visit one of the four largest fast food chains, a study by UConn Rudd...
Consumers that say they seek out products they consider ‘clean label’ are more likely to enjoy grocery shopping and are actively engaged in the food shopping process, a Packaged Facts report revealed.
From novel approaches to introducing allergens to babies, to HPP babyfood, grab n’ go granola for schools and frozen puree pops for tots, entrants to our 2018 trailblazers challenge are creating innovative new products, brands, and routes to market for...
Keurig Dr. Pepper’s (KDP) acquisition of CORE Nutrition for $525m will give KDP a solid play into the premium water category where it is currently not as active, says Nick McCoy, co-founder and managing director of Whipstitch Capital, an advisor to CORE...
Lidl has faced a challenging start in the US, but with renewed focus on product refinement, commitment to home-delivery and creative store expansions there is 'every possibility' of success, says PlanetRetail RNG's research director.
San Francisco-based ReGrained, a startup transforming food waste into value-added food ingredients, has closed a $2.5m series seed financing round led by privately-held global product development company Griffith Foods with participation from Barilla...
Convenient solutions for getting dinner on the table at a reasonable hour are growing and the expansion of produce distributor Baldor Specialty Foods’ retail line, Urban Roots Veggie Side Kits, is intended to give consumers a time-saving and creative...
A voluntary decision by leading food and beverage manufacturers and restaurants to strengthen the nutritional requirements for products advertised to children in the US will require nearly half of the products currently marketed to kids to be reformulated...
A citizen petition filed Sept. 24 by the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation asking FDA to prohibit 'non-GMO' claims on foods and beverages likely will not gain broader industry support or traction with the agency, according to...
Keeping ahead of the fierce competition within the food industry has required large, established companies to take a second look at how they approach innovation.
Food and beverage products touting protein claims has become a big business driven by strong consumer interest, however two Nielsen surveys highlight knowledge gaps consumer still have about the nutrient.
The line between breakfast and dessert can be a bit blurry with options such as coffeecake on the menu, but superfood snack company Health Warrior wants to place muffins squarely on the side of better-for-you morning meals with the launch of its Protein...
Predicting what consumers will want to see on menus in the coming season “is a bit of a mix of art and science,” according to a product development expert at the food service distributor US Foods, but she says this fall consumers will seek out versatile...
Hershey has recently released several key strategies it has been implementing to attract more online shoppers as it expects e-commerce penetration for US FMCG to reach mid-single digits in the next five years – more in line with Europe, which is currently...
While still growing at a healthy clip, the yogurt category is slowing slightly – but Danone North America still sees significant potential for the segment, especially related to options that are plant-based, lower in sugar, packed with science-back probiotic...
ALDI’s move to offer online grocery delivery via Instacart to US customers nationwide proves there is room for more than just Amazon in the e-commerce game, according to Jack O’Leary, senior analyst at PlanetRetail RNG.
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and instinctual experiences shared by a baby and mother, but that doesn’t mean it is easy – and many women could use help not just from healthcare professionals and family, but also from the food and beverage industry...
Feeding children nutritious food is a top priority for parents, and while many are confident that they are meeting this goal, their opinions vary on what they consider ‘healthy’ and what attributes they prioritize when purchasing products, according to...
Talking Rain Beverage Company, maker of Sparkling ICE, wrapped up a record summer sales season for the brand with 15 million cases shipped to retailers across the US over a three-month period, and has entered the energy drink category with the launch...
Introducing consumers to a new brand isn’t easy, but when the product is an entirely new concept, this challenge is magnified ten-fold, as illustrated by the struggles startup Ayoba-Yo experienced trying to explain biltong to American shoppers.
New government data* shows that water accounted for 43.7% of beverage consumption among US kids aged 2-19 in the period 2013-2016, followed by milk (21.5%), soft drinks (19.9%), and 100% juice (7.3%).
Any facility that markets food for consumption in the US has between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, 2018, to renew its U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) registration, a biennial requirement that is distinct from updating registration, said Registrar Corp,...
As Dawn Anderson prepared to expand distribution of her refrigerated plant-based superfood bars beyond Hawaii where they first launched to mainland US, she knew her brand needed to be more welcoming and inclusive – which is why she made the difficult...
New survey data from food development specialist Mattson suggests that the #1 thing consumers see as appealing about cell-based meat (grown from animal cells in a culture, without slaughter) is that it could “help reduce the amount of hormones and antibiotics...
Parents to young kids face many competing demands for their time. So is sitting down to dinner together a realistic option seven days a week? Is it a daily struggle to get kids to eat healthy?
Ready or not: It is pumpkin spice season, and according to data from Nielsen which show sales of pumpkin flavored products in the last week of August were up 10% from the prior year – this could be a blockbuster season for the trend
Califia Farms’ dairy-free probiotic yogurt drinks line (launched in February 2018) has entered nearly 7,000 stores in 47 states sold in 42 retail chains making it the company’s most broadly accepted product line by retail channel as consumers continue...
The Not Company is using an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify suitable ingredients and blends to replace animal-origin products and will soon launch a plant-based milk in Chile.
US retail sales of plant-based meat up 23% year on year
The notion that plant-based or cell-cultured meat will only ever capture a minority share of the conventional meat market is based on a false premise, says Impossible Foods, which is developing plant-based products seeking to precisely mimic the flavor,...
As trendy as turmeric may be for now, the functional beverage brand known for years as Temple Turmeric is dropping the ingredient from its branding to avoid being “pigeonholed,” and to position the company more broadly around additional herbs for when...
For many entrepreneurs who dream of launching the next big national brand, the future can’t get here fast enough; but the founder of the “curiously pink” antioxidant lemonade brand Poppilu, warns growing too quickly without first nailing down the fundamentals...
Campbell Soup Company has appointed Craig Slavtcheff as its new vice president of research and development (R&D) leading the company’s entire R&D division, including strategy, innovation, and product development.
A strong believer that the first impression must be a good one, the new CEO of plant-based protein product maker ALOHA is revamping the brand’s look, reformulating some products and cutting SKUs that aren’t up to the task.
Snackable egg brand PECKISH - the latest innovation to emerge from California-based brand incubator and investor Sonoma Brands – will debut at Expo East this week to meet demand for more fresh, simple, and nutritious portable protein options.
Almond and peanut butter brand MaraNatha is taking a page from the wildly successful craft coffee’s playbook with the introduction of Light Roast and Dark Roast Creamy Almond Butters and in doing so is opening a new area for growth for the increasingly...
Members of the Organic Trade Association are moving forward with a voluntary organic research, promotion and education check-off program after the US Department of Agriculture unexpectedly pulled the plug on what would have been a mandatory check-off...
Returning seasonal flavors such as pumpkin-flavored-anything tend to give products and food service outlets featuring the autumnal flavor a spike in sales as early as a month before the official start of fall.
General Mills is delivering innovation in mobile e-commerce technology through Häagen-Dazs NOW, an app that allows consumers to benefit from geo-targeted delivery-on-demand.
After industry slammed FDA for proposing pure maple syrup and jars of honey list ‘added sugars’ on their updated Nutrition Facts panel, the agency has done an about face and will no longer the controversial declaration on the products when ‘packaged as...
At the start of the year, industry experts predicted 2018 would be the year of the plant-based diet, and as we enter the fourth quarter sales and growth data suggest that the prediction is coming to fruition – but does it also mean that the end of animal...
With one in six children in America facing hunger at home, providing a snack or supper after the last class is a win not only for students, but also for schools and food manufacturers, according to Tyson Foods, which is working with No Kid Hungry to make...
