The light shined by the pandemic on the toll the food system is taking on the environment and the people who grow, process and deliver food is turbo-charging already mounting consumer demand for products that are organic, responsibly sourced, clean label...
Americans are having difficulty maintaining emotional balance and holding to fitness goals during the pandemic crisis, an Optimum Nutrition consumer survey has found.
Cow’s milk allergy is one the most common food allergies among infants and toddlers, yet very few formula alternatives exist for parents looking for a solution that eases their baby’s digestive sensitivities while matching the nutritional profile of breast...
Ingredion has signed an agreement to acquire the remaining portion of ownership in Verdient Foods in Vanscoy, Saskatchewan, increasing its investment in the plant-based proteins space from $185m to more than $200m over the last two years.
As consumers settle into pandemic-living and establish new shopping and cooking habits, they increasingly are looking for more than nutritional sustenance from food and beverage products – they also want a deeper, emotional connection that one branding...
Dairy Farmers of America is rolling out its Dairy+ milk blends (lactose-free milks featuring 50:50 blends of plant-based milk and cow’s milk) to retailers in the Northeast as it pioneers the ‘hybrid’ trend in the dairy case after seeing more brands experiment...
Encouraged by strong third-quarter sales online and in stores as well as net sales in the period that grew twice that of a year ago, Sprouts Farmers Market is “financially stronger than ever,” and on track to double its business by 2025, according to...
Proposed rules regulating the sale of ingestible products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids in New York have been hailed as “pragmatic” and “rational” by brands attempting to navigate the regulatory minefield in the absence of federal regulations.
COVID-19 has screwed up many a brand’s best-laid marketing plans for 2020 (how does a 'back-to-school' campaign work if kids are not actually going back to school?), but it’s also forced marketers to find creative ways to adapt to stay relevant,...
Benson Hill has closed a $150m Series D funding round led by Wheatshef Group and GV (formerly Google Ventures) to expand and commercialize its proprietary CropOS platform, the technology responsible for breeding highly-productive and more nutrient-dense...
New research from General Mills suggests cereal is shaking free from some of its negative stereotypes as consumers look for relief from pandemic-related pressures, including balancing tighter budgets due to lost jobs, wanting to maintain their families’...
After scooping up Lightlife and Field Roast in recent acquisitions, Maple Leaf Foods should have been well-positioned to capitalize on the rising demand for plant-based meat and dairy during the pandemic, but instead COVID-19 related supply chain struggles...
Kids are drinking less milk and juice as they get older, but what are they drinking instead, and is it good for them? How do parents evaluate what types of drinks are good for kids? What are parents looking for on food labels?
Despite less frequent trips to the grocery store and a history of general consumer unease with purchasing fresh food online, sales of fresh food continue to climb driving new growth to the category, reveals Deloitte's The Future of Fresh: Patterns...
Surging demand for organic by shoppers who continue to pay a premium for it over conventional is attracting more farmers to adopt the practice and convert more land, but total organic acreage remains stubbornly stuck at less than 1% -- suggesting an “urgent”...
Do children like oatmilk and Beyond Burgers? Research* shows that US families with children over-index for plant-based milk and yogurt sales and that parents of children under 18 are more likely to think that plant-based proteins are healthier than animal-based...
Apeel – the startup behind an invisible plant-based edible skin proven to dramatically extend the shelf-life of fresh produce - has raised $30m in new funding from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Temasek, and Astanor Ventures.
Influenced by feelings of stress and anxiety, shifting priorities caused by the ongoing pandemic, and changes in social connectivity, consumers are taking a more holistic and proactive approach to health and wellness, according to a new report from ADM....
After discovering a “staggering level of exposure” of fast food, candy, soda and other unhealthy branded foods and beverages on YouTube videos featuring and targeting young children, researchers from New York University are calling on the Federal Trade...
JM Smucker Co. is selling its iconic line of Crisco oils and shortening to B&G Foods for $550m cash in a deal that allows it to dedicate more resources to its “core growth platforms” while simultaneously strengthening B&G’s small but growing baking...
Velocity Snack Brands (VSB) – a portfolio company of VMG Partners set up in October 2019 to buy, incubate and grow snack brands – has launched two new innovations under the popchips brand it believes could have broad mainstream appeal.
Houston, Texas-based brand Llamaland Organics is introducing American families to a variety of superfood ingredients sourced directly from Peru through approachable and familiar product formats including cereals and fruit spreads.
Farmers and ranchers have long grappled alone with “extreme and episodic” events that have threatened their ability to meet demand, but according to one food and ag non-profit the added strain of the pandemic has illustrated the need for stakeholders...
What will it take to make cell-cultured meat – growing animal cells outside of an animal to produce ‘real’ meat without slaughter – commercially viable on an industrial scale?
Indian-inspired brand DAH! has entered the plant-based yogurt category with an oat, almond, and coconut slow-cultured blend, which president Ajeet Burns believes will be a taste and nutritional game-changer in the segment.
While Grupo Bimbo has managed to stay on top of and benefit from increased demand for its baked goods and snacks in the US during the pandemic so far, executives are weary of any additional strain on capacity and employee safety posed by a potential second...
The European Parliament has voted to ban dairy-related terms for plant-based alternatives. An amendment proposing to ban ‘meaty’ terms for vegan products, however, has not passed – much to the sector’s delight.
Good Catch has launched nationwide in Canada, where its frozen plant-based seafood entrees and appetizers are available at 640 locations from retailers including Loblaws, Provigo, Dominion, and others.
Building off the landmark LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study, food allergy advocacy group FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), is launching the SEED (Start Eating Early Diet) study exploring early introduction of multiple allergenic...
Verso Food has secured a patent covering its fava bean processing technology for plant-based foods and meat analogues. FoodNavigator hears from the company's CEO Tomi Järvenpää about the product development opportunities it could unlock, the group’s...
Nestlé’s nine-month sales for 2020 and Unilever’s third-quarter trading statement illustrate the revitalised consumer demand for staples and comfort foods, once feared to have fallen out of fashion.
By adding healthier sides that are more prominently featured in marketing alongside more nutritious beverages, McDonald’s is chipping away at its goals to offer – and sell – more balanced Happy Meals with simplified ingredients, and less saturated fat,...
While the ongoing pandemic has caused many venture capitalists to hit pause or slowdown, other investors and even consumers increasingly are interested in supporting growing businesses and diversifying their portfolios as illustrated by a surge in crowdfunding.
Albertsons Companies saw total revenue grow 11.2% to $15.8bn during Q2 2020 (12 weeks ended Sept. 12, 2020) driven by strong digital sales growth (+243%) and a growing base of loyal consumers who are gravitating towards the retailer's private label...
Hydroponic farmer BrightFarms has raised $100m+ in debt and new equity capital via a Series E funding round led by Cox Enterprises and supported by Catalyst Investors. The deal – which brings BrightFarms’ total funding to more than $200m - gives Cox a...
In a withering opinion published Sunday, a federal judge struck down a Final Rule pushed by the Trump administration that would have severely reduced or eliminated nutrition assistance to more than 1 million Americans during and after the pandemic.
Cacao currently may be most prized by manufacturers and mainstream consumers for its beans to make chocolate, cocoa and cocoa butter, but the fruit and shell surrounding the bean also are packed with nutrients and potential, which famed chocolatier Oded...
Plant-based egg firm Eat just will open its first Asia manufacturing site in Singapore after securing a US120m partnership with a consortium led by Proterra Investment – with the two outfits also discussing opportunities in the cultured meat space.
Heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Whole Foods Market has unveiled its top 10 food trends for 2021, which include revitalized “epic” breakfast meals and culinary-inspired baby food, to growing consumer adoption of fringe cooking oils and food...
Cell cultured meat startups and conventional meat companies have written to USDA’s food safety and inspection service (FSIS) urging officials to gather more data before publishing a proposed rule on how cell-cultured meat and poultry products should be...
Cooking inspiration and education are emerging as powerful marketing tools for food and beverage brands and retailers as consumers who are tired of preparing the same-old, same-old at home for the past seven months of the pandemic look for new recipes,...
Impossible Foods is gearing up for market entry in Europe, China and Brazil; Beyond Meat is looking at “any and all plant-based protein sources” as it expands its ingredient toolbox; Meati Foods is preparing to launch fungi-based steaks, and Planterra...
COVID-19 and food retail: New data reveals winners and losers in foot traffic, visit duration
New data monitoring store visits at America’s leading food retailers between March and September 2020 shows that traffic at Whole Foods remains down more than 20% year-on-year, while most rival grocers have seen a steady recovery.
Partnership for a Healthier America and the Produce Marketing Association are expanding their COVID-19 Fresh Food Fund in a duel effort to ease food insecurity exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic and create a new market for produce that might otherwise...
Despite grocery retailer revenues rising amid increased consumer demand during the pandemic, higher costs associated with COVID-19 are squeezing already tight margins in a trend that FMI: The Food Industry Association warns likely will get worse before...
Launched earlier this year, global multi-brand plant-based food company The LIVEKINDLY Collective has closed a $135m capital raise led by Blue Horizon Corporation to accelerate and increase capacity for its planned 2021 US launch.
Entrepreneurs desperate for capital or unsure of the best path forward for growth may be tempted to overlook dismissive or demeaning comments from potential investors, but the co-founder of the fast-growing brand SkinnyDipped warns these are huge red...
Hooray Foods – which launched its allergy-friendly vegan bacon (no soy or wheat) in restaurants late last year – will make its retail debut on November 1 with a roll out to seven regions of Whole Foods Market.
Kroger has added more than 50 items -- from oat milk ice cream and non-dairy cheese to the debut of Emerge Chik'n -- to its Simple Truth plant-based collection to meet consumers' growing appetite for plant-based alternatives.