In an announcement that will not likely surprise many stakeholders, New Hope has decided to cancel (rather than postpone) the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim and focus its attention on Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26).
Startups looking for capital to fuel their next phase of growth may find there's a gap in the market for investors who are willing to write smaller checks, says Jason Starr, founder and managing director of Chicago-based investment firm CompanyFirst....
Before the threat of COVID-19 prompted Washington, DC, and other US cities to ban large gatherings, nearly 900 school nutritional professionals from across the country converged on the Nation’s capital to brainstorm how vulnerable children can continue...
Coronavirus will boost consumption of shelf-stable and frozen packaged foods in the near-term as consumers pantry-load ahead of what could be a large-scale outbreak, predicts a new report from analysts at Bernstein.
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and the Good Food Institute (GFI) have urged Virginia Governor Ralph Northam to veto a bill that would limit the use of the term ‘milk’ on food labels – even if used with qualifiers such as ‘dairy-free/plant-based’...
According to the NPD Group’s Future of Snacking report, Americans ate more than 386 billion snacks last year, and IRI reports the category brought in a whopping $89 billion dollars by the end of 2017 with an addition $16 billion in sales predicted over...
While Blue Apron lost less money in 2019 (-$61m) than it did in 2018 (-$122m) and some customer metrics are improving, bosses at the meal kit co have conceded that they can’t execute a turnaround strategy without raising more capital, and are looking...
From plant-based dairy alternatives and the rise of oatmilk, to CBD-infused beverages and clean energy sources… what are the most bankable, and drinkable, beverage trends impacting the market?
The number of class action filings against food and beverage companies rose 8% to 177 in 2019, with firms vulnerable to legal action on a host of fronts, from animal welfare claims and CBD to vanilla labeling, says law firm Perkins Coie.
A high-profile lawsuit* accusing LaCroix of falsely advertising its wares as 100% natural has been dropped with both parties agreeing to cover their own costs after the plaintiff retracted her allegations. A second lawsuit** vs LaCroix over the same issue...
Can 60% of current meat consumption be replaced by novel vegan meat replacements and cultured meat in the next 20 years? That is what AT Kearney has recently projected, but the analysis does not outline a path for achieving the forecast. Is reaching...
When demand for “clean label” first burst on the scene several years ago, it was all about removing “chemical-sounding,” “unnatural” and unnecessary ingredients from products, but as shoppers learn more about food, how it is made and its impact on their...
While Kraft Heinz’s 5.1% drop in net sales and 4.2% dip in volumes in Q4 is hardly cause for celebration, analysts at Bernstein say there are good signs that CEO Miguel Patricio "is taking the necessary steps to stabilize the business rather than...
Unilever has pledged to stop marketing and advertising foods and beverages to children under 12 in traditional media, and below 13 via social media channels.
After an explosive start in late 2019 (it sold 200,000 cans in 36 hours on Black Friday via its website) LIFEAID has secured listings in 350 Vitamin Shoppe stores (in CBD-friendly states), Lucky’s Market in Colorado, and New Seasons for its new CBD-infused...
Don Lee Farms has filed a 3rd amended complaint vs Beyond Meat, accusing it of doctoring a food safety consultant’s report and sharing trade secrets with Don Lee's rivals to help them “actively solicit” to replace Don Lee as Beyond Meat’s co-manufacturer...
As the number of food accelerators and incubators has increased in recent years, the barrier for entry into the market has decreased – and while this makes launching a new product or company easier, it has made cutting through the competition and finding...
While a new cell-based meat company emerges from stealth mode almost every month, the amount of money invested in the embryonic sector to date pales in comparison to the megabucks poured into plant-based meat over the past couple of years. So is slaughter-free...
Plant-based food brand Alpha Foods has raised $28m in a funding round led by VC fund AccelFoods and supported by New Crop Capital, Green Monday and Blue Horizon, bringing its total funding to around $40m.
In a motion to dismiss a lawsuit* filed in California accusing it of selling ‘illegal’ CBD-infused products, PlusCBD Oil maker CV Sciences deploys multiple arguments: no one was harmed; plaintiffs lack standing to seek label changes; the case is pre-empted...
Social media users are likely to eat more fruit and vegetables as well as junk food if they think their online peers are doing the same, a new study reports.
Readers of The Guardian’s recent report on pollinating California’s almond crop (‘Like sending bees to war: the deadly truth behind your almond milk obsession’) were left with a clear message: honey bees are dying en masse, and almond growers luring them...
While 42 out of the top 100 US restaurant chains still don’t offer a plant-based entrée, new data from NPD Group commissioned by the Good Food Institute (GFI) shows US shipments of plant-based meat from major broadline foodservice distributors to restaurant...
The FDA has promised to provide more clarity over CBD “in the coming weeks.” But how should brands navigate the regulatory minefield in the meantime, and what options does the agency have?
Stevia supplier PureCircle has unveiled a new management team following a probe into accounting irregularities that has delayed the publication of its full-year results and prompted a suspension of its shares.
The Natural Products Association has attempted to get out ahead of a potential issue for the industry by asking federal authorities to monitor dietary supplement companies claiming to treat coronavirus infections.
US retail sales of olive oil slumped 7.1% in December 2019 vs December 2018 as tariffs on imported packaged Spanish olive oil imposed as part of the Airbus dispute prompted a significant drop-off in promotional activity, Nielsen data* shows. Unit sales...
Emboldened by a recent court ruling in Florida that stayed a CBD-related class action on primary jurisdiction grounds (ie. putting the case on ice until the FDA weighs in), multiple brands hit with similar lawsuits are now pushing for stays and referencing...
Giving the first clear signal that cell-based meat is moving out of the laboratory and into the market, Memphis Meats has unveiled plans to build a pilot production facility after raising $161m – a sum greater than the amount invested to date in all of...
Entrepreneurs just starting out may think they can use all the help they can get, but as the CEO of the produce delivery service Hungry Harvest learned the hard way, hiring the wrong staff to help in the short term can be more detrimental in the long...
Following a lengthy investigation to determine who is behind STONEY PATCH (THC-infused candies sold in packaging that bears a striking resemblance to kids’ candy brand SOUR PATCH) Mondelēz Canada Inc. has named four defendants in a trademark infringement...
An analysis of recent warning letters underscores the notion that FDA is focused its enforcement efforts on CBD, and is not targeting hemp extracts per se.
Packed lunches from home have typically been considered the healthier alternative to meals provided by the school cafeteria, but a recent study found that bringing lunch from home doesn’t always mean a child is eating a nutritionally-balanced meal.
Ben & Jerry’s (old) packaging states that it uses “milk & cream from happy cows,” acknowledges the company in a motion to dismiss a high-profile false advertising lawsuit over animal welfare. But it “doesn’t use the word ‘exclusively’.”
KIND is reducing calorie counts on its nut bars to reflect USDA research suggesting that traditional methods for calculating energy have "grossly miscalculated" the metabolizable energy from whole nuts, the core ingredients in its snacks.
As we enter the next decade, consumers will continue to wield the power they took from food and beverage brands during the last ten years to drive increased transparency, sustainability and social responsibility, predicts one leading market analyst and...
CBD is the fastest-growing category in supplements and bodycare in Fresh Thyme Farmers Market stores, increasing average basket spend in the category and attracting new shoppers, says the Midwest retailer. However, sales growth is slowing as the category...
The consumer awakening and subsequent loss of faith in big business over the past 10 years caught many established food and beverage companies on their backfoot, but a leading market analyst and communications expert predicts the tide will shift again...
Type ‘Kraft Heinz procurement’ into Google and the search engine helpfully suggests ‘scandal,’ ‘misconduct’ and ‘investigation,’ serving as a reminder that the buying function at one of the world’s most iconic food companies had something of an annus...
Increased production of key crops from China, Argentina and Brazil may have weakened US agriculture’s competitive position over the last 10 years, but rapid innovation in ag-tech in the new decade could help American farmers regain a pole-position by...
A coalition of doctors, academics, and American consumers called the Low-Carb Action Network (LCAN) is urging US nutrition leaders to include a low-carb diet as part of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
Kroger has started trialing dedicated three-foot plant-based meat sets within its conventional meat department in 60 stores in Denver, Indiana and Illinois in partnership with the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).
The hemp-derived CBD market is growing rapidly, although many CPG brands and retailers are waiting for clarity from the FDA on the regulatory path forward for cannabidiol before piling in, but what will distinguish the winners from the losers in this...
With a new suite of dairy and non-dairy yogurt innovations unveiled last week and set to launch in 2020, Danone North America plans to build on the success it saw in the past decade, during which it captured a third of market share to become the category...
New research from strategic marketing and communications Charleston|Orwig firm suggests that younger consumers are open to the idea of cell-cultured meat, and milk and ice cream made from microbes rather than cows, even when they are described with far-from-neutral...
With a pile of FDA warnings letters closely followed by a wave of class action lawsuits, the debate over how the FDA should regulate hemp-derived CBD is heating up, with some arguing that high-dose, high-purity isolated cannabinoids belong in drugs, while...
While iconic brands currently are losing the tug-of-war with niche startups for consumer engagement and spending, how they continue to play the game in the next ten years will dictate whether they regain ground or become obsolete, according to senior...
From plant-powered snacks to low and no alcohol beverages, New York-based Comax Flavors highlights four hot trends likely to influence food and beverage development in 2020.
Appealing to a growing audience of flexitarians who are striving to introduce more plant-based foods into their diets requires different brand communication strategies than when engaging with vegetarians and vegans, according to Mintel.
From 'smoothie balls' packed with cacao fruit pulp to chickpea-fueled grain-free cereal, new food products are hitting the market every week. But which emerging trends have real staying power and what really interests VCs and strategic investors?...
