While the economics of running a subscription based home delivery model for fresh meal kits are notoriously challenging, shelf-stable kits offer distinct advantages to consumers and operators, argues the founder of gourmet meal kit brand Takeout Kit,...
LaCroix maker National Beverage Corp “categorically denies all allegations” in a lawsuit alleging it falsely markets its flavored sparkling waters as ‘all natural’ in a case attorneys say reflects heightened scrutiny of the components of natural flavors.
The future of subscription based meal kit delivery remains bright for players with a differentiated offering and an efficient supply chain, claims the CEO of Purple Carrot, who says the 100% plant-based meal kit brand has experienced “significant growth”...
Indra Nooyi stepped down from her role as PepsiCo CEO yesterday, ending 12 years in the role and 24 years as a PepsiCo executive. Here, she outlines five lessons she’s learned from her tenure.
A new report from the FDA shows the vast majority of human and pet foods produced and imported into the US in 2016 tested below federal limits for pesticide residues, although those hoping to discover more about the presence of glyphosate will not learn...
Cricket protein powder prices will come down “drastically” over the next five years as production capacity increases and firms add layers of automation to the farming process, predicts Montana-based Cowboy Cricket Farms.
Mattson: 'The very existence of what's now known as clean meat is at stake here'
The Good Food Institute (GFI) has enlisted the services of food and beverage innovation firm Mattson to conduct further research into the best way to describe cell-cultured meat following the release of new data suggesting that the industry-backed term...
Despite some fast food chains’ efforts to offer more nutritious food options with kids’ meals, 74% of kids still receive unhealthy drinks and/or side items with their meals when they visit one of the four largest fast food chains, a study by UConn Rudd...
A new player in the burgeoning cell-based meat field that has developed a production process which its founders claim will give it a competitive advantage over rivals, has emerged from stealth mode after raising $3.5m to help scale its slaughter-free...
The FDA has upped the ante in the ongoing debate over the use of terms such as ‘almondmilk’ and ‘vegan cheese,’ with a public request for information to help inform the development of draft guidance to “provide greater clarity on appropriate labeling...
The Detox Project – which certifies products as ‘Glyphosate Residue Free’ – has been overwhelmed by industry inquiries over the past six months as food brands seek not just to get certified, but more often, to “use us as a consultancy service” to find...
There has been a significant increase in food and beverage Prop 65 actions in the past five years, with particularly strong growth in notices relating to lead, acrylamide and cadmium, according to new data compiled by attorneys at Perkins Coie.
Lidl has faced a challenging start in the US, but with renewed focus on product refinement, commitment to home-delivery and creative store expansions there is 'every possibility' of success, says PlanetRetail RNG's research director.
Supplement critic Dr Pieter Cohen has trained his sights on probiotics for a new opinion paper, stating that the sector has spun hundreds of small studies favorably and also practices creative advertising.
Keeping ahead of the fierce competition within the food industry has required large, established companies to take a second look at how they approach innovation.
For busy working parents, mealtimes can be stressful even on a good day, and if direct to consumer companies can solve this pain point with child-friendly meals that don’t require any preparation, the market opportunity is “potentially enormous,” say...
New government data* shows that water accounted for 43.7% of beverage consumption among US kids aged 2-19 in the period 2013-2016, followed by milk (21.5%), soft drinks (19.9%), and 100% juice (7.3%).
New survey data from food development specialist Mattson suggests that the #1 thing consumers see as appealing about cell-based meat (grown from animal cells in a culture, without slaughter) is that it could “help reduce the amount of hormones and antibiotics...
Parents to young kids face many competing demands for their time. So is sitting down to dinner together a realistic option seven days a week? Is it a daily struggle to get kids to eat healthy?
Attempts by top kombucha brands to dismiss lawsuits challenging their alcohol and sugar labeling have had mixed success, with two judges in the central district of California allowing false advertising cases filed by a rival to proceed (in part), but...
San Francisco-based JUST - best-known for its plant-based eggs and mayo - is on track to launch a ‘KFC-style’ ground chicken product made from cell-cultured meat at a restaurant somewhere outside the US this year to test consumer reactions. However, commercial...
The Not Company is using an artificial intelligence algorithm to identify suitable ingredients and blends to replace animal-origin products and will soon launch a plant-based milk in Chile.
US retail sales of plant-based meat up 23% year on year
The notion that plant-based or cell-cultured meat will only ever capture a minority share of the conventional meat market is based on a false premise, says Impossible Foods, which is developing plant-based products seeking to precisely mimic the flavor,...
Receiving a cease and desist letter from a multinational is clearly no cause for celebration, although in some respects it’s the “highest form of flattery,” observed one legal expert quizzed by FoodNavigator-USA over the clash between extruded snack brand...
The USDA and the FDA will host a joint meeting on October 23-24, 2018 on cell-based meat – meat produced by culturing animal cells outside of an animal – to thrash out how the sector might be regulated and how such products should be described on food...
As the debate over labeling conventions and regulatory frameworks intensifies in the burgeoning cell-cultured meat arena, a group of start-ups seeking to grow meat from cells without slaughtering animals has agreed to form an industry trade association...
Kraft Heinz stock is down 30% since its 2015 IPO. So, is 3G Capital - which manages the company and owns 22% of its stock – doing a lousy job, as one investor has suggested in an open letter to its board and shareholders this week? Or does the slump reflect...
Confused about ‘autolyzed’ yeast extract? You’re not alone, say the suppliers behind a new website designed to demystify an ingredient that has made its way – they say unfairly – onto multiple retailers’ unacceptable ingredients lists.
Kellogg is seeking to appeal an order by California federal Judge Lucy Koh that certifies three classes of consumers in a false advertising lawsuit over the allegedly 'toxic' sugar content in some of its cereals.
If dairy farmers are OK with the lacteal secretions of goats, sheep, and buffalo being described as ‘milk,’ provided the word is prefaced with a modifier (goat’s milk, sheep milk), they should accept the same tactics from firms selling almond and soy...
Amendments to Prop 65 – which requires firms selling products in California to provide warnings if their products expose consumers to 900+ chemicals linked to cancer or reproductive toxicity – will likely trigger a sharp rise in litigation as manufacturers...
The majority of product-related online searches now go through Amazon, not Google, and if you want your brands to get on consumers’ radar - wherever they shop - you have to be there, with an optimized profile, says ecommerce analytics firm Clavis Insight.
The Good Food Institute, the Animal Legal Defense Fund, the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri, and plant-based meat brand Tofurky, have sued the state of Missouri to challenge a law that would prohibit plant-based and clean meat companies from...
If up to 40% of the calories in breakfast cereals are from added sugar, and brands describe them as ‘lightly sweetened,’ are they misleading shoppers? Perhaps, says a federal judge who has just certified three classes of consumers in a false advertising...
Cultured meat (aka ‘clean meat’) is best described as ‘cell-based meat and poultry,’ and both the FDA and the USDA have roles to play in regulating it, argue Memphis Meats and the North American Meat Institute in a letter to President Donald Trump calling...
Tummy-friendly brand a2 Milk is now in more than 6,000 stores in the US, including Walmart. However, the reception from the wider dairy industry has been "lukewarm at best," claims its US CEO Blake Waltrip: 'There's an irrational fear...
Clean meat - meat cultured from animal cells grown outside the animal without the need for slaughter – could have a profound impact on the kosher food community and “dramatically lower the cost of kosher meat" in future, says kosher certification...
Monsanto has just been ordered to pay $289m in damages to a man who alleged its glyphosate-based herbicide caused his cancer (a ruling it is appealing). But what, if anything, does this verdict mean for food companies manufacturing products containing...
PepsiCo’s acquisition of SodaStream – which makes countertop devices enabling consumers to make their own carbonated beverages - will diversify its product and channel mix by giving it a stronger foothold in the in-home beverage market, say analysts at...
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What’s the motivation behind consumers’ snacking habits? According to Mintel research, 50% of US consumers said the top reason they snack is to treat themselves, and 28% agree that taste is more important than health when choosing a snack.
Clean meat technology is progressing rapidly, says Brian Spears, co-founder at cell cultured meat start-up New Age Meats, but perhaps not as quickly as we've been led to believe, as there’s a huge difference between launching at a high-end restaurant...
‘Influencers’ are increasingly sought after by brands looking to connect with their target audience via a trusted intermediary, and pediatricians are about as trusted as they come if you’re trying to reach parents of young children. So how can you put...
Impossible Foods is gearing up to start a second shift at its Oakland production facility that will double production of its plant-based Impossible Burger by the year-end, and is planning a second factory at an undisclosed location as it seeks to “not...
To the casual observer, ‘cleaning up’ food labels sounds like an eminently sensible thing to do. After all, who wants to ingest anything ‘dirty?’ But what, precisely, are these grubby imposters apparently lurking in our foods and beverages?
If you’ve just managed to get your head around the concept of ‘clean meat’ – meat produced by culturing animal cells outside of an animal - Bond Pet Foods is about to push the food industry’s boundaries again with a new approach to meat protein production...
A new study exploring consumer attitudes to clean meat (meat cultured from animal cells outside of an animal) suggests that Americans are surprisingly open to the concept, particularly when presented with information about how ‘conventional’ meat is produced...
By James Richardson, PhD, founder, Premium Growth Solutions
As Chef’d found out the hard way, the future of the fresh meal kit category will be via retail and localized e-commerce services (e.g. Fresh Direct, Prime Now, Shipt, etc.). Drop-shipping subscription-based meal kits causes more problems than it solves...
Cell-cultured and fermentation-based milk proteins, egg whites and meat are creating novel challenges for food marketers and regulators, but as long as products are safe and shoppers are not being misled, regulators should not stymie innovation by favoring...
