The nutritional rating system Guiding Stars is expanding to four more grocery brands and will, for the first time, appear on the front of pack of some private label products at the stores – potentially giving them a competitive edge over national and...
For many, the idea of an apprenticeship program likely conjures images of entry-level construction workers, but in reality it is a flexible training and recruitment model that can be more effective than internships at cultivating a workforce pipeline...
While recent Mintel data reveals a whopping 84% of US consumers say they are reducing the amount of sugar in their diet as a way to manage their weight and improve their health, many are unwilling to completely give up sweets – leaving manufacturers scrambling...
'The most valuable thing we have as a company is trust'
Online natural and organic membership club Thrive Market has made its first foray into temperature-controlled foods via a new range of frozen meat, fish and poultry sourced from suppliers using “ethical and regenerative raising practices.”
Non-profit organization the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) must improve its communication strategy, says the former program manager of the group’s North America branch.
Location is key to any business’ success, but for food and beverage startups the best place to set up shop may not be the hottest spot in town – rather it could be one surrounded by underserved populations where the community and company can help each...
Aunt Dottie’s is dropping its company name from its line of Green Joy salad bars in order to expand the snack’s appeal geographically and better “dial in on what the bars do, which is bring joy to eating healthy,” according to the company’s CEO.
With industrial hemp in the spotlight following Mitch McConnell’s recent intervention (he’s promised to introduce a bill to remove it from the controlled substances list and legalize it as an agricultural commodity), FoodNavigator-USA checked in with...
Consumers place significant onus for ensuring the safety of food and beverages on the companies that make them, and yet their trust in manufacturers to deliver this is at rock bottom – creating a dangerous gap that can be closed only with increased transparency,...
Creating a business plan isn’t as fun as launching a new product or company, but it is fundamental to succeeding in the long term in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, according to an executive with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Accelerator....
In the push to win consumers, woo top talent and, believe it or not, balance budgets, corporate social responsibility programs could be one of the most powerful tools in companies’ arsenals – but determining what to include and how to structure them can...
The Whole30 Approved logo has become a shortcut for consumers looking for products made with real, simple and nutritious ingredients, and as such it is giving products that bear the certification a huge market boost, as Applegate recently discovered....
Beech-Nut is hoping to do for the toddler snack space what it did four years ago for the ‘tired and dated’ baby food category by launching new products in revamped packaging for young children that are inspired by what parents make at home, but more convenient.
While increasing numbers of food manufacturers are experimenting with alternatives to animal proteins, enthusiasm for all things plant-based has not dampened overall demand for eggs, with US per capita egg consumption rising again in 2017, according to...
Combining a unique and instantly recognizable flavor and a myriad of potential health benefits, ginger is ‘coming on strong’ in the beverage space, say the beverage gurus at Imbibe.
The Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network started almost a year ago with the mission to make Chicago the ‘Silicon Valley of Food and Beverage.’ Today, it’s gearing up for new projects including a seed fund for minority entrepreneurs, and creating a database...
After decades of a slow build, the regenerative agriculture movement is finally taking off, thanks in part to the Savory Institute, which has launched the Land to Market verification program, which is designed to help stakeholders not just sustain the...
The future for food and beverage brands is not about market share, it is about mindshare, says Neil Saunders from GlobalData. “If you have a strong brand that is front of mind for consumers, you have a much better chance of being successful.”
Not so long ago, dairy and meat alternatives were niche categories for vegans and vegetarians; today they’re driving a new ‘plant-based’ movement. But does plant-based necessarily mean healthy, and can brands in this space meet demand for cleaner labels?...
‘The traditional direct to consumer subscription model reaches a limited consumer base’
A significant percentage of consumers buy into the meal kit concept, but don’t want to commit to a subscription, and want more flexible options to purchase them on- and off-line, says Chef’d, which is rolling out meal kits to 1,500 grocery stores by the...
Industry newcomer Em+Pact is carving out an underserved niche in the $600 million protein bar category by targeting women with products that are crafted to meet their specific nutritional needs and by working with nonprofits to empower them to be “goal...
Americans are snacking more than ever, but not just any bag of chips or candy bar will do. Rather, they want products that are both convenient and nutritious – two boxes that the makers of Truth Bar check with their line of functional nutrition bars.
Acquisitive large CPG brands now recognize that their best bet is to be leave their sexier bedfellows well alone, but give them the resources they need to expand more rapidly, rather than swallowing them under the corporate umbrella, says Justin’s founder...
Meal kit brand HelloFresh is profitable for the first time internationally and “close to breakeven” in the US, claims the company, which announced a 52% increase in group revenues to 905m euros (c.$1.11bn) in 2017 the day after unveiling a deal to acquire...
Cricket-protein bar maker Chapul recently overhauled its packaging to create a “much better hierarchy of messaging,” including clarifying flavors, elevating the value proposition of its ingredients and opting for imagery that encourages consumers to overcome...
An infusion of $1.5 million from new and existing investors announced this month will help Chicago-based COCO5 pursue its mission to bring its lower-sugar, clean-label sports drink to professional and everyday athletes across the US and in Canada.
Consumer demand for fiber is on the rise thanks in part to increased awareness of the ingredient’s cancer-fighting and other health benefits, but according to recent research not all fiber packs the same punch.
According to the Tea Association of the USA, sales of tea in the US are growing 3-5% annually, which the co-founder and CEO of Pique Tea attributes to rising consumer interest in plant-based diets, convenience and function beyond simple hydration.
For KIND Snacks, rising consumer concern about sugar and upcoming changes to the Nutrition Facts panel that will more boldly highlight the nutrient represent an opportunity – rather than a threat – to set itself apart from the competition with new products...
Kashi hopes that other brands will follow its lead in paying more for crops from farmers transitioning from conventional to organic to encourage more producers to make the switch and ensure there is sufficient ingredient supply in the future to meet the...
Emerging trends that have helped fuel the natural and organic industry’s “multi-decade tear” with growth that far outpaces that of the conventional channel are now crossing over to the mainstream with increasing speed thanks in part to an influx of funds...
New Jersey-based FlavorHealth – best known for using high-throughput cell-based screening to identify natural compounds that enhance sweetness and saltiness and reduce bitterness – is aiming to commercialize a novel natural high-intensity sweetener with...
Spindrift - which has carved a unique niche in the beverage aisle by using just two ingredients: lightly carbonated filtered water and freshly squeezed fruit juice (no sweeteners, no flavors) – has raised $20m in a Series B-2 round.
“There are protein powders for smoothies, baking mixes for cookies, and I just thought ‘why not a no-bake mix for bars?’” Karen Nation, founder and CEO of Creation Nation, told FoodNavigator-USA at the recent Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim,...
'This year will be the most transformational year for Quaker in its history'
The Quaker brand – best known for its hot and cold cereals and snack bars – is planning its first foray into the chiller, as brand owner PepsiCo seeks to tap into consumer demand for more convenient nutrition, says Seth Kaufman, head of the company’s...
‘Retailers must get their heads in the clouds’, says Whipstitch Capital, which means brands must think omni-channel and what they can do outside of just offering a ‘product’.
The idea behind start-up From The Ground Up’s debut products was to refresh yesterday’s snack foods to meet today’s nutritional expectations, according to brand owner Halen Brands.
Celebrity-backed brand This Bar Saves Lives has a simple message: You buy a bar, we’ll donate a live-saving pack of food to a child in need. But is this kind of margin-sapping business model something other less star-studded emerging CPG brands could...
ALDI has expanded its partnership with Instacart’s online grocery ordering and home delivery service to residents across Chicagoland, Northwest Indiana and as far west as Rockford, IL.
The dedicated regional group will work with beverage players across Latin America and the Caribbean to create a collective agenda; streamlining policies, processes and communication, its executive director says.
Ancient Nutrition is ready to “grab the proverbial tiger by the tail” with a $103 million investment that will allow it to reach and educate more consumers about its on-trend powdered bone broth, collagen products and a recently launched and already hot...
Despite the escalating ‘war on sugar,’ including so-called sin taxes and manufacturers’ efforts to cut-back on the ingredient in some products, industry stakeholders remain confident sugar can hold its own against competing sweeteners and reduction efforts...
An infusion of nearly $1 million in seed funding is helping three students from Yale offer consumers the ultimate convenience: a nutrition bar that combines sustenance and caffeine, and a novel text-to-purchase option that allows shoppers to place an...
Honolulu-based Shaka Tea - the first Hawaiian ready-to-drink iced tea, and the first brewed with māmaki, a plant that only grows in the Hawaiian islands – has unveiled a new look, reformulated its wares to reduce sugar, and closed its second round of...
Despite double-digit increases in the amount of organic corn and soybean grown domestically in recent years, imports of the crops are increasing twice as fast – raising questions about the quality of the product allowed in from overseas and underscoring...
Brazil’s fast growth in the past 20 years makes it an ideal target for exporting US crops and products, and with values that closely align to those of the US it also is an ideal strategic partner to help open new markets in third countries, according...
Attorney: 'I would be surprised if the USDA acts on this petition'
Producing ‘clean’ meat by culturing cells – instead of raising or slaughtering animals - is a new frontier in food production that will require consumer education and transparent labeling. But should regulators prevent pioneers in this space from using...
Conscious consumerism continues to rise in America with more shoppers saying they want to reward companies that “do good,” unfortunately for companies that are embracing this trend a recent survey found many people don’t know how to find socially responsible...
'The shoulders of the Kite Hill brand can hold many product platforms'
Almondmilk-fueled brand Kite Hill could potentially play in multiple categories in the ambient, chilled and frozen aisles of the store, says new CEO Rob Leibowitz , who plans to sit down with co-founder Tal Ronnen in the weeks ahead to explore opportunities...
