We know the plant-based alternatives trend is strong with adult consumers, but what about kids? Linkage Research & Consulting sees an immense untapped opportunity in plant-based food and drink products targeted towards kids.
The grocery retail landscape is hyper competitive with conventional and discount retailers stocking organic and natural options, yet Whole Foods Market continues to push the envelope in terms of product quality, particularly in the area of sustainability...
A majority (84%) of food and beverage industry professionals surveyed by Mazars USA Food & Beverage Group expect sales growth in 2020 driven by growing consumer interest in private label and free-from products, while many are interested in entering...
While penning 15 warning letters about CBD in one day (more than the FDA has sent in three years) attracted a lot of media attention, does it signal a change in enforcement priorities for the agency, which has repeatedly warned that cannabidiol is not...
If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the FoodNavigator-USA FOOD FOR KIDS summit, you missed an inspirational ensemble of industry experts, pediatricians, consumer health advocates, Chicago parents, market researchers and brand strategists,...
The high fat, moderate protein and ultra-low carb keto diet is likely to remain the top diet trend of 2020, followed by intermittent fasting and clean eating, according to a poll of 1,259 registered dietitians conducted by marketing and PR agency Pollock...
When it comes to the health of the planet and social wellbeing of the population, consumers feel they have less of an impact as an individual and that large companies and government organizations have a bigger role to play, according to new research from...
With emerging research showing that the diet of pregnant women and children under the age of 2 years can have a powerful impact on children’s brain development and future health, the upcoming recommendations for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines will, for the...
Three months after Tillamook was accused of misleading shoppers with bucolic images of cows grazing on local small farms when most of its milk allegedly comes from industrial-scale factory farms, Ben & Jerry’s has been sued in a similar suit that...
Upton’s Naturals and the Plant Based Foods Association have dropped a lawsuit* challenging legislation banning plant-based foods sold in Mississippi from using ‘meaty’ terms on labels, after the law was revised to allow them to use such terms with qualifiers...
Foodservice operators bored of textured soy protein for meat-free tacos, filled pasta, bruschetta and other dishes are experimenting with a new plant-based meat alternative from walnuts that "mimics the taste and texture of ground beef," says...
A federal bill that would require plant-based and cell-cultured meat products to be labeled as ‘imitation’ meat has been welcomed by beef producers and slammed by plant-based meat advocates, as the row over terminology in the burgeoning space heats up.
A series of ads attacking the next generation of plant-based burgers as ‘ultra-processed’ products ‘hiding’ scary unpronounceable ingredients is a crude attempt by a “dark-money front group funded by Big Beef to mislead consumers and push propaganda,”...
From a rise in interest in essential oil copaiba, which is claimed to have similar benefits to CBD (although it lacks clinical data to prove it), to a resurgence of enthusiasm for carob, food trend watcher Liz Moskow has identified eight culinary trends...
Can the new CEO stop the rot at Kraft Heinz, and should selling off the firm’s cheese, snack nuts, and coffee businesses to reshape the portfolio form part of his hotly anticipated strategic plan, to be announced in early 2020?
Kellogg has agreed to allocate $20m to a fund to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it falsely advertises some cereals as healthy and nutritious when they are also high in sugar, highlighting the risks facing manufacturers as the Plaintiff’s Bar homes...
A rush to market for CBD has left the terpenes in hemp out in the cold. An expert in the space said there is much potential benefit yet to be discovered in these fractions of the plant.
A new poll shows many consumers would stop using CBD products if they knew FDA has not yet set regulations around them. The poll was commissioned by the Natural Products Association.
West African foods from the ancient grain fonio to tigernuts and moringa; to refrigerated protein-packed snacks; chickpea butter; and more imaginative food for kids will all gain traction in 2020 according to buyers, product developers, category managers...
US food importers have written to the US trade representative to argue that tariffs on foods resulting from a dispute over EU subsidies to Airbus should not be applied to products that were shipped before the WTO issued its ruling on the dispute (Oct...
By Larry Levin, EVP market & shopper Intelligence, IRI and Jessica Lukas, SVP, BDS Analytics
Many consumers are on the hunt for the next 'good-for-me' health ingredient, as part of the $450bn trend in self-care. This trend has continuously evolved with consumers focusing on protein-heavy foods, botanical extracts, probiotics, and more...
Even as food and beverage brands are starting to look more closely at Gen Z shoppers to determine what they want and what makes them tick, many are still struggling to pinpoint how best to engage with millennials who Goldman Sachs has dubbed “the most...
In 2020, diners ordering Nestlé's plant-based Awesome Burger (in the US) or Incredible Burger (in Europe) will be able to pair it with plant-based cheese and bacon via the 'PB triple play’: a "no-compromise plant-based bacon cheeseburger."
As widely predicted, the plaintiff’s bar has turned its attention to the burgeoning CBD category with a series of lawsuits alleging that products contain “significantly lower levels of CBD than advertised.”
As protesters and activists filled the streets of New York City last week to draw attention to climate change, many food and beverage companies around the globe also touted existing and new commitments to reduce their impact on the planet.
A lawsuit alleging that Nestlé USA is misleading shoppers with its ‘No GMO Ingredients’ seal has been allowed to proceed, although legal experts stress that this doesn’t mean that the plaintiffs will ultimately prevail.
Food industry stakeholders have pushed back hard on the FDA’s proposal to permit the term ‘potassium chloride salt’ on food labels as an alternative to ‘potassium chloride,’ arguing that anything with the word ‘chloride’ in it is not consumer-friendly...
“By 2030, the US dairy and cattle industry will have collapsed,” as ‘precision fermentation’ – producing animal proteins more efficiently via microbes – disrupts food production as we know it, predicts think tank RethinkX, which critics argue is living...
Barb Stuckey: 'When you talk about cells, you leave the realm of deliciousness...”
The term ‘clean meat’ is confusing (and carries the tacit implication that regular meat is 'dirty’), while ‘cell-based meat’ – a more neutral term favored by some startups – doesn’t poll well with shoppers. ‘Lab-grown’ is a food marketer’s nightmare....
Virginia-based Nutriati has commercialized what it claims is the world’s first textured chickpea protein, providing plant-based meat formulators with a Non-GMO protein source that rivals soy, wheat, and peas in the functionality and nutrition stakes,...
While there is something of a Gold Rush mentality driving parts of the CBD market right now, “there will be a lot of winners in this space, if brands can create a credible product and tell the appropriate story,” predicts one new player in the space.
Kombucha Brewers International (KBI), has contracted with EAS Consulting Group independent consultant April Kates to review a proposed standard of identity for kombucha designed to help preserve the integrity of the category as it grows.
Interest in CBD is “off the charts,” but those mulling the regulatory path forward for the hottest functional ingredient of the moment might be well advised to consider how other cannabinoids will fit into the regulatory framework going forward, says...
A California court has granted a request from Mondelēz Canada to compel Facebook and Google to release information associated with Instagram and Gmail accounts of a company selling THC-infused gummies under the STONEY PATCH brand.
The legal dispute over the ‘natural’ credentials of LaCroix sparkling beverages is heating up with brand owner National Beverage Corp urging a court in Illinois to enter a protective order shielding it from discovery that it claims would compel it to...
The new wave of ‘fresh’ plant-based meats from brands such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods might be grabbing all the headlines, but there is still a “massive opportunity” in the freezer aisle for quick and convenient plant-based products from pizza...
Edible insect pioneer Chapul – which introduced many Americans to the concept of eating bugs by milling them into powder and adding them to protein bars – has pulled out of the bar category for the time being after its co-packer went out of business,...
New consumer research from Health Focus International shows that perceived health benefits and taste preferences are more significant purchase drivers for plant-based foods and beverages than sustainability or animal welfare concerns, echoing recent research...
In an editorial published yesterday former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the agency needs to act quickly on CBD, but must not compromise on its mission of safety in doing so.
While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, ripping off a beloved children’s candy brand (SOUR PATCH Kids) in order to sell THC-infused gummies is no laughing matter, says Mondeléz Canada in a trademark infringement lawsuit against edibles...
The amount of capital flowing into the food & beverage industry is rising rapidly with recent research from Food+Tech Connect reporting a 34% increase in funding worth $1.45 billion going to startups in the space in 2018 compared to $1.08 billion...
While ending factory farming and reducing GHG emissions are top priorities for start-ups such as Impossible Foods, most shoppers are primarily motivated by ‘benefits for me’ – be it taste and discovery, or health and wellness, when it comes to plant-based...
EFSA’s decision-making process may have been biased by ‘conflicts of interest’ and the distribution and sale of aspartame in the EU should be suspended, says the author of a new research dossier calling the safety of the sweetener into question.
The FDA’s proposal to permit the term ‘potassium chloride salt’ on food labels as a more consumer-friendly alternative to ‘potassium chloride’ has not gone down well with Campbell Soup, which favors the term ‘potassium salt.’
Starting or running a business is undeniably hard – for everyone. Even if someone appears to be strolling down easy street, chances are they still wake up panicked in the middle of the night, check their work email on their phones in the bathroom and...
Attorneys for the plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging LaCroix falsely markets its flavored sparkling waters as ‘all natural’ say it should be compelled to respond to discovery requests regarding the composition and suppliers of its natural flavors, insisting...
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and member company Upton’s Naturals have filed a lawsuit in Mississippi challenging a new labeling law that could make using ‘meaty’ terms to describe plant-based and cell-cultured meat subject to criminal penalties....
As a 15-year-long dispute between the US and the EU over subsidies paid to European aircraft suppliers comes to a head, importers warn retaliatory tariffs on a host of products from the EU could wreak havoc on the specialty foods market, potentially doubling...