If big food brands start to lose the GMO argument at the checkout and in the court of public opinion, they will feel compelled to respond, whether they are in favor of GM crops or not, predicted trend-watchers at Expo West.
Snack makers survived a difficult 2013 with increased competition forming a much larger battleground that included quick-serve, online and even airlines, says a leading sector analyst.
Revoking the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in a bid to crack down on artificial trans fats is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, says the American Bakers Association (ABA), which has urged the FDA to consider four alternative...
Network marketing giant Herbalife has confirmed that is the subject of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Trading in shares of the company were briefly halted on the New York Stock Exchange after the price plunged 12% in the minutes after...
Markets, whether for dietary supplements, functional foods or other consumer products, are divided between “market makers” and “market followers.” You don’t want to be in the latter group if you can help it, said market research expert Peter Leighton.
Butter might be winning the PR war in the spreads category owing to its all-natural credentials and short ingredients list; but from a nutritional standpoint, the healthier choice is margarine, says the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers...
The natural products market continues to grow and achieve scale, reaching $150 billion last year and projected to hit $226 billion by 2018—with 68% of that coming from food and beverage products, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.
Dispatches from NCA State of the Industry Conference in Miami
Impulse-reliant confectioners should be wary of emerging technology that could spell the end for in-store checkouts as we know them, says a retail expert.
Global per capita food supply has increased over the past 50 years – but it has become more similar among countries, increasing reliance worldwide on a narrow range of commodities.
Moving enzyme production largely into factories using genetically modification has resulted in better functioning enzymes, yet the bakery industry has been a poor communicator on both the ubiquity and benefits of GM enzymes, said one baking enzyme expert.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised halving sugar intake advice from 10% of total calories to 5% of total calories in a new dietary guideline proposal.
The word ‘game-changer’ is used so liberally these days that Cargill has not given in to the temptation to employ it here. But ViaTech - its new range of stevia-based sweeteners - opens up completely new territory for food and beverage formulators, enabling...
Activist group GMO Inside has turned its attention towards Starbucks in the latest phase of its campaign to persuade big brands to move away from GMOs.
While manufacturers faced renewed pressure to clean up labels following recent media attacks on the dough conditioner azodicarbonamide and artificial preservatives, far less attention has been paid to what these ingredients are actually being replaced...
Interview with Bobo's Oat Bars founder Beryl Stafford
Ten years after Bobo’s Oat Bars first hit natural food store and coffee shop shelves in Boulder, CO, the now profitable cereal bar manufacturer is capitalizing on the parallel growth in popularity of the gluten-free and grab-and-go segments to target...
Governments, NGOs and consumers are driving change in the bakery sector, but how can industry keep up? What’s the next direction for healthy bakery? And will this future need to be regulated?
Dispatches from Snaxpo 2014: Frito-Lay marketing executive insight, part I
Mass marketing no longer resonates with today's consumer and it must be replaced by one-on-one marketing with dedicated focus on pre-shop behavior, says Frito-Lay’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
By Winnie Byanyima, executive director, Oxfam International
Food and drink companies can have a big influence over sustainability and ethical issues in their supply chains - and have the power to change them rapidly. One year on from Oxfam's first Behind the Brands sustainability scorecard, nine of the ten...
While the consumer price index (all food) rose a modest 1.4% in 2013, it is likely to rise 2.5-3.5% in 2014, predict USDA economists, who believe food price inflation will “return to a range closer to the historical norm”.
The foodservice sector could generate explosive growth for gluten-free products, although it’s hard to predict exactly when talk will translate into action, according to the firm behind leading gluten-free brands Udi’s and Glutino.
While the debate about deforestation due to palm oil rumbles on, new research has suggested that the release of methane from palm oil processing wastewater may also be a significant concern.
As Americans continue to trade traditional meals for smaller eating occasions throughout the day, the $7 billion market for US crackers (as of 2013) is benefiting from this shift in eating habits, especially those touting healthy ingredients in their...
Gluten-free bakery still offers plenty of opportunity in Europe, but beer, pizza and prepared meals are the most untapped segment of the cereal-containing products, according to a Mintel analyst.
Are consumers who say they’re avoiding gluten really just avoiding wheat? Can we trust survey data about the number of people following ‘gluten-free diets’? Are market researchers' (wildly differing) estimates about the size of the gluten-free market...
On Thursday the Obama administration unveiled the changes that the Food and Drug Administration drafted to the nutrition facts panel (see what the FDA is proposing here). In anticipation of the announcement, the Center for Science in the Public Interest...
Launching a new brand in the ultra-competitive US carbonated soft drinks market - which is facing well-documented problems right now - is notoriously tough, but the Dutch entrepreneur behind new market entrant Veri Soda is convinced he has found the sweet...
A new chart compiled by Dr. Phil Howard at Michigan State University reveals the extent to which multinational food and beverage firms now dominate the organic food and beverage market when it comes to share of dollar sales.
Gluten-free baked products have a historically bad reputation—be it in the flavor, texture, performance or shelf life department. But the surge of demand from all corners of the market has forced bakery and snack manufacturers to respond with improved...
It’s no secret that children are an important target group for food and beverage manufacturers, as this $23bn segment accounts for roughly 4% of the overall US food and beverage market (worth $639bn), according to Packaged Facts.
When PepsiCo replaced the word ‘Simply Natural’ with ‘Simply’ on some Frito-Lay lines recently, some commentators wondered if this signaled the beginning of the end of the industry’s love affair with all-natural claims. However, new data suggests otherwise.
While some analysts predict US private label penetration rates (which have remained stubbornly at around 18% of dollar sales for in recent years) could reach 25-30% or higher in the next few years, their “exuberance… is perplexing at best”, according...
Food manufacturers, retailers and other food industry players are failing to connect with consumers who are tuning out of mainstream messaging and infesting their own comms channels, says angel investor, business mentor and philanthropist, Mike Greene.
Exclusive interview with Bob Simpson, COO of Jelly Belly
For a company the size and scope of Jelly Belly—the confectionery giant sells more than 100 flavors in 80 countries (and growing) and across multiple market segments—finding untapped channels in the domestic market has become an “out of the box” endeavor....
While most start-ups struggle to raise the funds to turn their dreams into reality, Hampton Creek Foods CEO Josh Tetrick has convinced some of the world’s wealthiest people that his plant-based egg replacers are worth a serious punt.
The omega-3 market continues to grow and appears to have unstoppable momentum worldwide, according to expert Diana Cowland, who keeps tabs on the sector for Euromonitor International.
As CPG’s big guns congregate in Florida for the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference, many of them are at a strategic crossroads, says Rabobank.
While market researchers predict continued healthy growth for the US gluten-free market*, not everyone is convinced that it is built on a solid foundation.
After a slight dip in 2011, salaries for food scientists bounced back in 2013 to a median salary of $90,000, according to the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) biennial Employment and Salary Survey.
Despite the recent surge in popularity of green juice and consumers’ general belief that it’s the most nutritious juice, many consumers are still skeptical that it actually tastes good, as a recent survey by Jamba Juice found.
DIGGING INTO INNOVATION & NPD WITH DATAMONITOR CONSUMER
Green tea has migrated from hot drinks into other foods over the years but has particular promise in breakfast cereal where manufacturers can pack nutritional punch into weight-loss products, says a Datamonitor researcher.
Two years after famed restaurateur Thomas Keller and his R&D chef Lena Kwak launched Cup4Cup (C4C), a multipurpose gluten-free flour blend targeting celiac and gluten-intolerant consumers, the brand is eyeing “controlled” growth into mainstream channels...
US Valentine’s candy consumers are expected to spend more than last year, but many will seek products on offer, while the rich will buy richer with more premium offerings.
The Flax Council of Canada has received approval for a health claim linking ground whole flaxseed to lower cholesterol from Health Canada’s Food Directorate, paving the way for more development and potential demand for food and beverage products incorporating...
TreeHouse Foods Inc. along with its wholly owned subsidiaries Bay Valley Foods LLC and Sturm Foods Inc. filed a lawsuit against Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (GMCR) and Keurig Inc., accusing them of violating federal antitrust laws to maintain a...
Bread product launches have continued to rise globally in recent years, though amid tightening health claim regulations in the EU and North America, growth in the functional bread sector has slowed somewhat, according to Innova Market Insights.
