For shoppers today, buying groceries is all about fresh and local – which can be a tall order for retailers in urban areas or with limited access to nearby farms.
The percentage of new food and beverage launches (retail) making ‘no additives/preservatives’ claims rose from 12.46% in 2012 to 20.24% in 2015, according to Mintel*, while there has also been a marked rise in the number of companies pledging to ditch...
Even for big names in a crowding category, such as Vita Coco, digital market insight is key for staying relevant. Here are some marketing tips from the pros.
It is no secret that the cereal aisle is struggling with Euromonitor estimating a 19% drop in sales in 2015 compared to 10 years earlier and a projection to lose another $1 billion in sales in the next 10 years.
A recent Mintel report shows cross-category beverages have become increasingly popular as manufacturers look to cater for consumers’ health and wellness demands, as well as their cravings for new flavor experiences.
The demand for tea in the US is skyrocketing, but so too is the desire for speed and convenience – two terms that do not apply to high quality loose leaf tea, which requires special tools for measuring and steeping, or tea bags, which can create a drippy...
Retailers and manufacturers that want to meet consumers’ growing demand for food free from preservatives need to rethink their strategies for packing, shipping and stocking products, suggest the husband and wife team behind Grain-Free JK Gourmet.
Despite doctors’ recommendations to eat more fish for its many health benefits, many consumers steer clear of tuna – an affordable, sustainable source of omega-3s and beneficial nutrients because they are worried about mercury.
Wilde Snacks’ entrance into the nascent meat bar segment promises to “turn the category upside down” with a revolutionary baking process that offers a healthier finished product and potential for near endless new flavor combinations, according to the...
KRAVE – the upmarket jerky brand that helped to spearhead a renaissance at the premium end of the meat snacking category – could be a $500m brand “very quickly”, claims new chief executive Shane Chambers, who took the helm following the departure of founder...
The co-founders of SuperLeaf hope the upcoming national distribution and launch in March of new flavors of Detox Water will show Americans aloe can offer significantly more benefit than just easing the pain from sunburns.
With more fiber than cold-pressed juice (4-5g per serving), plus a dose of probiotics (Ganeden’s ultra-resilient BC30 strain), Nomva is targeting consumers seeking simple, minimally processed snacks in a convenient format, says brand owner Phenomenal...
Parents embracing fruit juices, juice drinks and smoothies for their children because they perceive them as a healthier alternative to sugary sodas is misguided, based on new research that found nearly half of these products marketed to children meet...
General Mills expects its cereals and snacks brands to drive growth in the business in the coming year – the second vote of confidence in the US cereals market from a major manufacturer in recent months.
While most college freshmen are asking probing philosophical questions about the universe or each other out on dates, the ambitious co-founders of New Grounds Food were asking for help and advice on launching and running a successful new company.
Ingredientsonline.com is promising to change the industry by allowing manufacturers in the US to purchase raw materials directly from overseas factories, providing considerable cost and time savings.
Clif Bar – a company that helped transition the bar category from strictly slick slabs of finely blended ingredients to one with products made from recognizable grains and inclusions that more closely resembled real food – is at it again with a new line...
An outbreak of Salmonella from cucumbers which sickened more than 900 people and was first announced in September last year is over, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Assured Bites Inc.’s launch of Hello, Peanut! in early March gives caretakers a much-needed tool with which they can confidently, safely and systematically introduce children to peanuts to reduce the risk they will develop a potentially deadly allergy...
Explosive consumer interest in functional beverages and bold flavors have prompted retailers in the natural channel to pack their shelves with national and regional brands of kombucha – completely saturating the category and limiting the growth potential...
Beverage company Four Sigmatic wants to help Americans overcome their fear of mushrooms so they can reap the ingredient’s health benefits by grinding them into a powder that is combined with familiar flavors in easy to make drink mixes.
CFSAF: 'Gen Mills was forced to make decision because of Senate’s failure to act'
It was prompted by pragmatism, rather than an ideological shift, but General Mills and Mars have resolved to roll out GMO labeling nationwide as Congress has proved unable to hammer out a federal solution that all stakeholders can get behind before new...
Remember when food and drink in the office amounted to a vending machine in the basement spewing candy and soda? While this is still the norm in many workplaces, the landscape is changing rapidly as a generation of young people now expect employers to...
Fruit chip maker Bare Snacks is overhauling its packaging to create an iconic brand block on store shelves that will better standout from the competition and communicate to consumers its core values of “simplicity, transparency and nothing bad for you,”...
Organic and Non-GMO claims are both gaining strong traction on US food and beverage labels, while there has been a slight decline in the percentage of new launches featuring 'natural' claims, according to Mintel.
Ruffles may have ridges, but now so too do popchips – and with significantly less fat and fewer calories than the conventional competitor the better-for-you brand is in a strong position to capture today’s more health-conscious consumer.
Sen. Pat Roberts’ GMO labeling bill (S. 2609) has been defeated in the Senate (48:49), as lawmakers proved unable to hammer out a compromise that all stakeholders could get behind in the race to create a federal GMO labeling standard before new laws take...
As 301 Inc’s recent investment in start-up Good Culture demonstrates, large CPG companies are placing bets in promising food companies earlier than ever as the natural & organic food market heats up, says general manager John Haugen, who is looking...
Research showing the repetition of taking multiple bites is more satiating than one piece or bite regardless of the calorie-count is what inspired Enjoy Life Food to develop mini versions of its popular full-sized soft and crunchy cookies and to launch...
In-store demonstrations and sampling at events are tried and true ways to drive initial consumer trial and boost sales, but using the tactic in unconventional places – like on airplanes or in hotel rooms, can provide a more memorable experience and lasting...
If you felt overwhelmed at Expo West, imagine what it’s like for retailers, who are inundated with pitches from entrepreneurial food companies on a daily basis. But what if there were a simpler way for buyers to identify and compare new products and screen...
The top complaint of most consumers of the increasingly popular meal kits is the extensive individual containers needed for each prepared ingredient and the waste generated by packaging for doorstep delivery, but Terra's Kitchen has a solution.
Individually wrapped snacks and bars have revolutionized how busy Americans eat by offering on-the-go convenience, but their current, standard size range also could offer too many calories, suggests the CEO of Zing Bars.
Consumers may talk big game about wanting minimally processed “clean” foods, but new research published in BMJ Open found “ultra-processed foods” make up more than half of the average daily calories consumed in the US.
Edible insect expert All Things Bugs has unveiled a new brand name for its cricket powder: GrioPro (based on grillo – Spanish for cricket; and Pro for protein), which it claims opens up a broader variety of application opportunities for food & beverage...
Manufacturers of meat alternatives, tofu, tempeh, nut milks and vegan dairy replacements have a new champion in their corner and in Washington to help them level a playing field that currently is crowded with animal-based product lobbyists.
New York-based startup Masienda wants to elevate the $6.8 billion corn tortilla market in the US by importing biodiverse, heirloom corn from Mexico to create a better tasting, nonGMO alternative to the options currently available in the staple category.
Start-ups are changing the food industry from trailblazing new ideas to providing new growth models, and both big businesses and small start-ups need to collaborate to innovate. The benefits are mutual, says Jeremy Basset, founder of Unilever’s incubator...
The founders of Ugly, an unsweet, fruit infused sparkling water brand, believe consumer palates will become less focused on sweet in the coming years. This can open up opportunities for beverages such as unsweetened iced tea, unsweetened cold brew coffee,...
True Foods Inc. wants to make everyday foods “healthier, more delicious and better for our world” by packing them with more vegetables and less added sugar – an ambitious mission to which consumers are responding enthusiastically judging by the startup’s...
Boulder, Colo.-based startup Love The Wild wants to revolutionize how Americans approach eating fish by making it easier to cook at home and more environmentally sustainable to raise.
Calculations by researchers at Purdue estimate 102,000 hectares of US forest and pasture would have to be converted to cropland if GMOs were eliminated, but anti-GMO organizations argued that the study isn’t valid.
The American consumer is changing, but are traditional bricks & mortar grocery retailers adapting to this new reality? It’s on a learning curve, but by exploring a variety of online models and new store formats Kroger is trying to “address where the...
The Mushroom Council and Sodexo hope to encourage children to eat more produce by introducing “Blend Burgers” and expanding the Eat Brighter marketing campaign into school cafeterias.
An injection of $2 million in Series Seed funds will help startup ELEMENT Snacks “reinvent rice cakes into fun snacks” by enabling it to expand distribution and roll out new packaging and branding, the company announced March 3.
From bone broth to grass-fed dairy, trends which start in the natural food market have the potential to move to the mainstream faster than ever before as conventional retailers seek to get a bigger slice of the action in natural and organic foods, says...
American’s demand for protein shows no sign of slowing in 2016, but it is evolving to focus more on plant-based options, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
Hatchery – an online marketplace specializing in gourmet foods from small producers – is looking for a strategic partner as it seeks to raise $2m to expand its offer.
