While the uptake of certified sustainable palm oil (CSPO) has not been as fast as many stakeholders had hoped, a “breakthrough is near” according to Unilever’s director of sustainable sourcing development Jan Kees Vis.
Stabilized rice bran maker NutraCea will update the market on the progress of its R&D tie-up with DSM to develop protein from rice bran in the first half of 2012.
Special edition: Dealing with higher commodity costs
“I think it’s safe to say that inflationary pressures have reached their worst,” claims research economist Ricky Volpe of the USDA’s Economic Research Service, in an interview with FoodNavigator-USA.
The American Beverage Association (ABA) has savaged a US government-affiliated report linking energy drinks to a rising number of hospital emergency department (ED) visits in the country, as well as associations with sexual risk, fighting and drug misuse.
The Columbus-based firm behind OXYwater - the latest ‘oxygen-enhanced’ mineral water to hit the market - claims sales have “exploded” since its launch earlier this year.
The pervasiveness of food fraud is almost infinite – and needs a continuing public-private partnership approach to tackle it, according to a new paper published in the Journal of Food Science.
Local and organic certification labels may increase the likelihood that women will purchase a product, as well as their willingness to pay a premium – but men are less likely to be influenced by logos, according to a study published in HortScience.
Growth in the US chewing gum market will be driven by products with perceived health benefits as children’s gum market declines, according to an analyst at IBISWorld.
The firm behind a patented technology enabling the incorporation of multiple vitamins and other bioactives in coated chewing gum, has developed a novel bubblegum targeting the sports nutrition market.
Special edition: Dealing with higher commodity costs
In the midst of volatile commodity costs, it’s not just big grain prices that have put manufacturers under pressure: Sugar, nuts, black pepper, mint and cocoa are also among top concerns – and flavor firms are providing cost-cutting strategies.
US tree nut prices are likely to remain high over the next five years on the back of strong demand, both domestically and from export markets, particularly China, according to a new report from Rabobank.
US consumers are still pessimistic even though the recession officially ended two years ago – but there are opportunities for manufacturers to appeal to ‘downturn consumers’, according to a new report from SymphonyIRI.
Formulators looking to incorporate ginseng into functional food products should minimize the ingredient’s bitter and earthy flavors in order to succeed on the US market, suggests new research published in the Journal of Sensory Studies.
Vancouver-based Functional Technologies claims it has developed a new, faster-acting proprietary yeast strain capable of reducing acrylamide under most food processing conditions, regardless of the presence of other yeast nutrients.
Canadian plant protein specialist Burcon NutraScience Corporation is in talks with a potential partner to commercialize its novel pea protein isolate ‘Peazazz’ and the associated extraction technology.
Many consumers are rejecting processed food and reconnecting with their food supply – and major food manufacturers are getting on board with a new wave of products dubbed ‘artisanal'.
The number of new products launched in the US market featuring the term ‘diet’ in the brand or product name has plummeted in the last five years as weight conscious shoppers seek out more positive messages, according to market researchers.
There is “no silver bullet” to reverse the growing trend of alienation from today’s farms, according to the Center for Food Integrity (CFI), a non-profit industry-backed group that aims to ease consumer fears about the US food supply.
Is the weight management supplements market properly regulated? Was satiety a flash in the pan? Where does the truth really lie on hoodia? Which hunger-busting ingredients really work?
Negative publicity concerning the possible adverse effects of energy drinks has only encouraged US energy drink growth in recent years, with consumers attracted by ‘edgy’ product positioning, but another formula is needed to boost growth.
The latest Dietary Guidelines for Americans put industry interests before public health, claim two Harvard public health professors writing in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Penford Food Ingredients has developed a new potato-based resistant starch ingredient for adding fiber to a wide range of foods, including both gluten-free and gluten-containing baked goods, cereals, yogurt and snacks.
Officials have confirmed another death as a result of listeria-infected cantaloupes in the US – making it the worst foodborne contamination since 1924 and the worst in modern US history
Caravan Ingredients has added a new application for its Trancendim range of diglycerides to reduce saturated fat content and eliminate trans fat in donut frying oil.
Cal Poly has opened a new meat processing center that involves students and industry in the entire production chain, from animal care and nutrition, to making, marketing and packaging innovative ready-to-eat meat products.
A new report by a leading US research organisation has criticised leading soft drinks producers such as PepsiCo, Coke and Dr Pepper for aggressively marketing high sugar products to children and teens.
The king-size candy bar has emerged as the fastest growing pack type in convenience stores this year and was a key driver of sales for Hershey in the third quarter, bosses have revealed.
In the world of food marketing, perception is everything. Consumers want foods that sound wholesome, friendly, and above all “natural” – although they are rarely able to articulate what this means.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has raised its forecast for food price inflation in 2011, citing the influence of higher food commodity and energy prices, and stronger global food demand.
Skyrocketing obesity rates coupled with a growing demand for convenience have continued to drive healthy growth in the meal replacement market throughout the recession, with sales set to rise 9.3% to $2.2bn in 2011, according to a new report from IBISWorld.
Gum titans Wrigley and Kraft Foods plan to introduce smaller five-piece chewing gum packs at reduced rates to boost US sales and reflect consumer spending trends.
A growing Asian population in Canada is having a strong influence on Canadian eating patterns, according to a new report from market research organization The NPD Group.
A co-ordinated industry-led effort to produce a working definition of the term ‘natural’ on food packaging would help firms navigate one of the most contentious areas of food marketing, according to one labeling expert.
Spending taxpayers’ money on helping low-income shoppers buy “mostly junk and soda” is “nuts” and inexcusable, delegates were told at a lively debate between leading academics and economists on how government policy impacts the food supply at Harvard...
Packaging equipment and cold storage facilities have been identified as the source of the deadly US cantaloupe Listeria outbreak that has killed dozens.
Industry must make sustainability issues a priority to attain more sustainable goods “with the emphasis on ‘more’,” says BASF North America’s VP of nutrition and health.
The row over the use of the term ‘natural’ on food packaging has intensified with the publication of a new report accusing leading cereal firms of duping shoppers with their own “self-serving” definitions in the absence of any legal criteria.
Front-of-pack (FOP) labeling schemes should “move away from systems that mostly provide nutrition information without clear guidance about healthfulness and toward one that encourages healthier food choices”, according to a high-profile report from the...
Manufacturers need to think about the market potential of Millennials (Generation Y), but understanding how they differ from Boomer is key, says a well-known marketing expert.
A 200% rise in demand for guar gum over the past 12 months is driving demand within the beverage industry for effective replacements, according to US firm TIC Gums, which has just launched such a product.
Results of a high-profile study into front-of-pack (FOP) food labeling schemes conducted by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) will be published on Thursday (Oct 20), three weeks after food manufacturers announced the national rollout of an industry-driven...
‘Better-for-you’ foods and beverages may also be better for the bottom line, according to a new report from policy research organization the Hudson Institute.
Consumers are beginning to reject low-fat diets as they become better informed of the health benefits of certain fats and oils, according to new research from Packaged Facts.
There are big opportunities for food manufacturers to target the 31m Americans who skip breakfast each day, according to a new report from The NPD Group.
Food manufacturers will not support a controversial government proposal on food marketing to kids - even with the promised ‘significant’ revisions – because it is not supported by evidence, says the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
Diet soda is ladylike but low-calorie soda is manly. It might seem like a subtle difference, but that’s the only thing that’s subtle about the blundering marketing campaign for Dr. Pepper Ten.
Dr Pepper Snapple’s (DPS's) new Dr Pepper Ten drink for ‘men only’ will find favour with its young male target audience in the US, according to a Euromonitor analyst.
Functional foods is a dynamic area for innovation – but standards setting organization US Pharmacopeia (USP) says cooperation is necessary to ensure a stable, safe supply of innovative ingredients.