Dairy-based ingredients

Industry players outline their wish lists for ‘NAFTA 2.0’ and express anxiety about renegotiation

27-Jul-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

While most agricultural industry leaders gathered on Capitol Hill yesterday urged lawmakers and the current administration to tread lightly when it comes to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, some indicated specific areas for improvement. 

Protein2o raises $4m, attracts ex-Gatorade execs to support ‘explosive’ growth

25-Jul-2017 By Elaine Watson

Protein2o – a rapidly-growing brand of flavored waters infused with electrolytes and 15g of whey protein – has completed a $4m capital raise and attracted two high-profile ex-Gatorade executives as its president and chairwoman after a year of “explosive”...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: The business case for kosher certification

21-Jul-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Ethical claims on food and beverages sold in the US are almost as ubiquitous as the Nutrition Facts panel and while they are not legally mandated by FDA like nutritional information, some manufacturers might feel like they are just as obligatory given...

Consumer demands placing more pressure on flavor, texture of sports nutrition products

19-Jul-2017 By Hank Schultz

Flavor innovation is usually seen as a key component of food product development and of less concern for supplements.  But as sports nutrition brands seek competitive advantages and to bring in fringe, lifestyle-type consumers, flavors are taking center...

Food industry veteran Paul Smucker Wagstaff takes Eagle Foods to next phase with acquisition of snack brands

17-Jul-2017 By Adi Menayang

In the food and beverage industry, 100-year-old companies are adapting with the times. Eagle Foods’ acquisition of ready-to-eat popcorn brand G.H. Cretors is one prime example.

Researchers answer whether a low-fat or low-carb diet is more successful for weight loss

17-Jul-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

The long-raging debate over whether cutting carbs or cutting fat is a better way lose weight is a false dichotomy, according to new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found successfully shedding pounds is less about...

YoFiit adds functional benefits to non-dairy beverage & nutrition bar segments

13-Jul-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite recent innovations and strong sales in the plant-based milk category, many products are low in desirable nutrients and high in unwanted “superfluous ingredients,” such as gums and starches, which leave the category vulnerable to an exodus but...

Lactalis buying Stonyfield from Danone for $875m

03-Jul-2017 By Jim Cornall

French dairy company Danone has entered into a binding agreement with fellow-French company Lactalis to sell Stonyfield, one of its US dairy subsidiaries, for a purchase price of $875m.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Grocery stores lead way for online ice cream orders, says 1010Data

30-Jun-2017 By Adi Menayang

The center of the store may be where growth of online sales and orders thrive, but consumers are getting more comfortable clicking away to buy products from other aisles to. According to 1010DATA, online ice cream orders have grown threefold since 2014...

COO: 'We’re in a stable financial position both from an operating point of view and a capital point of view'

Chobani moves beyond Greek with Smooth launch: 'We're a yogurt company, not a Greek yogurt company'

28-Jun-2017 By Elaine Watson

Chobani – which disrupted the US dairy category a decade ago with its Greek yogurt – is now aiming to do the same in the non-Greek segment with the launch of Chobani Smooth, a low fat, mild-tasting blended fruit yogurt with twice the protein, 25% less...

General Mills seeks to create ‘entirely new category in the yogurt aisle’ with Oui by Yoplait

27-Jun-2017 By Elaine Watson

Oui by Yoplait – a new line of ‘pot set’ traditional French style yogurts made with whole milk – will hit shelves this summer as brand owner General Mills seeks to regain the initiative in the US yogurt category and claw back market share lost to rivals...

Frito-Lay files patent for shelf-stable probiotic yogurt chips

26-Jun-2017 By Kacey CULLINEY

Frito-Lay has developed a method to make chips containing high amounts of yogurt and live probiotics that can be sold in the shelf-stable snacks aisle.

‘This is not puffery… this is a misleading claim’

Judge orders Arla Foods to halt ‘Live unprocessed’ campaign: ‘Ads create false impression that rbST is something foreign and dangerous’

15-Jun-2017 By Elaine Watson

Arla Foods has been ordered to halt its new $30m ‘Live Unprocessed’ ad campaign – which makes a virtue of using milk from cows that have not been fed the growth hormone rBST - in the wake of legal action* filed by rbST maker Eli Lilly (Elanco).

UPDATE

European Court of Justice says purely plant-based products can’t use dairy names

14-Jun-2017 By Jim Cornall

The Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg today announced purely plant-based products cannot, in principle, be marketed with designations such as ‘milk’, ‘cream’, ‘butter’, ‘cheese’ or ‘yogurt’, which are reserved by EU law for animal products.

US dairy groups urge prioritizing trade with Mexico when NAFTA renegotiation begins

13-Jun-2017 By Mary Ellen Shoup

When US negotiators begin the process of modernizing and updating NAFTA, US dairy groups have stated maintaining a dependable trade relationship with Mexico and removing trade barriers in Canada remain priorities.

Attorney: ‘Slapping another undefined term on packages that could be attacked legally’ is risky

'GoCleanLabel certified' scheme rolls out, but what does it mean?

13-Jun-2017 By Elaine Watson

A new 'clean label' certification scheme has been launched in the US market as the concept of ‘clean’ eating continues to gain traction. But will CPG brands embrace the ‘Go Clean Label Certified’ logo, and are there risks to using a term that...

A tale of two plant ‘milk’ lawsuits: Court stays Whitewave lawsuit, but dubs near-identical case vs Blue Diamond as ‘patently implausible’ and throws it out

Court stays Whitewave almondmilk lawsuit: 'Whether plant-based 'milk' should be deemed an 'imitation' fits squarely within the FDA’s authority

12-Jun-2017 By Elaine Watson

A lawsuit alleging Silk almondmilk is falsely advertised as nutritionally equivalent to dairy milk has been stayed by a judge on primary jurisdiction grounds, while a near-identical case filed by the same law firm over Almond Breeze has been thrown out...

Functional foods gain traction as alternative to OTC digestive remedies

08-Jun-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

At the crossroad of Americans’ increasingly sedentary work- and lifestyles and their demand for decadent food is a growing need for digestive remedies and an opportunity for supplements and fortified foods to edge out over-the-counter treatments that...

Arla Foods defends ‘Live unprocessed’ campaign as rBST maker sues over allegedly ‘blatantly and egregiously false’ claims

06-Jun-2017 By Elaine Watson

Arla Foods has defended its new ‘Live Unprocessed’ ad campaign – which makes a virtue of using milk from cows that have not been fed the growth hormone rBST - in the wake of legal action filed by rBST maker Eli Lilly alleging the ads are “built upon a...

Sargento attorney: This case is without legal basis and speculative

Sargento 'natural' cheese under fire in new lawsuit over GMO feed, rbST milk

05-Jun-2017 By Elaine Watson

Should dairy brands using milk from cows that may have consumed GM feed or been treated with rbST be allowed to market their wares as ‘natural’? Not according to the latest in a new wave of false advertising lawsuits arguing that products utilizing genetic...

Organic sales growing ‘at a good clip’ thanks partly to consumer interest in animal welfare

01-Jun-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite pressure created by food inflation and price deflation, sales of organic continue to grow “at a good clip,” with protein, dips and seasoning breaking out “to find their stride” in the market, according to the head of the Organic Trade Association.

Trump administration sees four ways to help ag ‘punch above its weight’

30-May-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

As part of a larger strategy to reduce the US deficit, the Trump Administration wants to help the agriculture sector “punch above its weight” by promoting trade, providing an affordable workforce, easing regulatory burdens and including it in the infrastructure...

Organic industry asks legislators for funds to expand domestic production & increase oversight

30-May-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than a hundred representatives for the organic industry descended on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, last Thursday to extol to legislators the benefits of their industry to the US economy and ask for additional funding and help expand organic practices...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Evolving views on breakfast create challenges, opportunities for CPGs

26-May-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Breakfast has long been known as the most important meal of the day, but when people are eating it and what they are reaching for is quickly evolving and as such creating both challenges and opportunities for manufacturers of packaged products, according...

Plant Based Foods Association: 'I am not sure how this resolution helps'

Plant-based milk debate heats up as state regulators weigh in at NCIMS meeting

17-May-2017 By Elaine Watson

State milk regulators have weighed into the plant-based milk debate in a vote that was hailed by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) as “the strongest statement yet that the abuse of dairy terms has gone too far," but dismissed as unhelpful...

NACS, Cumberland Farms commit to expanding access to healthy options

16-May-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Corner stores, bodegas and gas stations have a bad reputation when it comes to the healthfulness of the foods and beverages they offer, but the National Association of Convenience Stores and Cumberland Farms hope to change that by teaming up with Partnership...

Former First Lady Obama criticizes efforts to delay Nutrition Facts changes as insulting to consumers

15-May-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Requests to delay the implementation of the updated Nutrition Facts panel, which includes a line to indicate added sugar and makes calories more visible, and a last-minute delay of menu labeling regulations are insulting to consumers, suggests Former...

Dean Foods Q1 2017 sales hit $2bn as company expands footprint across categories

09-May-2017 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Dean Foods reported an increase in net sales for Q1 2017 reaching $2bn, up from $1.88bn from the same period last year, but registered a 1.3% decline in total volume production for the quarter.

Flaxseed flexes its muscles: Good Karma Foods strikes minority investment from Dean Foods

08-May-2017 By Adi Menayang

Dean Foods announced a minority investment and distribution deal with Good Karma Foods, adding resources to expansion plans of the latter, a small Colorado-based independent company that specializes in flaxseed beverages and yogurt.

Think clean label just means no artificial ingredients? Think again

CLEAN LABEL 2.0: Natural flavors and preservatives, pesticide residues, and Non-GMO in the spotlight

27-Apr-2017 By Elaine Watson

Think 'clean label' just means ditching ‘artificial’ ingredients and avoiding anything attracting negative press (warranted or otherwise)? Think again. Today, brands are also questioning whether ‘natural’ flavors, preservatives and sweeteners...

Soylent recalls shipments of Soylent 1.8 powder over undeclared allergen

26-Apr-2017 By Elaine Watson

Soylent is voluntarily recalling 890 boxes of its Soylent 1.8 powder because it may contain undeclared milk, says the company, which had hoped to stay out of the spotlight after a rocky few months marred by recalls of version 1.6 of its powdered beverage...

Unleash your inner Viking! Saga Dairy takes its grass-fed Icelandic yogurt nationwide with Sprouts

24-Apr-2017 By Elaine Watson

Viking Icelandic Yogurt – which hit the market in 2015 as grass-fed products started to gain traction in the dairy case - is launching nationally with Sprouts starting April 17, says brand owner Saga Dairy, which has also won listings in conventional...

Ice cream doing well as Unilever shows Q1 growth

20-Apr-2017 By Jim Cornall

Unilever published its first quarter financial results this week, with ice cream doing well as the company reports solid growth.

good culture CEO: ‘We’re looking to scale pretty aggressively over the next 1-2 years’

20-Apr-2017 By Elaine Watson

Grass-fed cottage cheese brand good culture – which launched in August 2015 with organic ingredients and some edgy savory flavors - is confident it will be in 6,000 stores by the year end after bringing out a lower-priced ‘natural’ range (with more familiar...

Cornell professor of agricultural economics: US took advantage of 'loophole’ in dairy trade with Canada

19-Apr-2017 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Multiple US dairy groups have blasted Canada recently saying that the country is blatantly violating terms of the NAFTA trade agreement and that US dairy processors are suffering due to lost Canadian purchases of ultrafiltered (UF) milk. 

Muuna hits 4,000 stores, urges US consumers to rethink cottage cheese

18-Apr-2017 By Elaine Watson

Cottage cheese brand Muuna has rolled out to 4,000 retail locations nine months after its US launch, and is supporting its rapid growth with a multimedia marketing campaign and influencer program featuring dietitians and fitness professionals.  

Lifeway to 'vigorously defend' false ad lawsuit: 'Our kefir is 99% lactose free'

17-Apr-2017 By Elaine Watson

Lifeway Foods has vowed to defend itself “vigorously” against a lawsuit claiming it falsely advertised its fermented dairy products as ‘99% lactose free’ when they allegedly contained almost 4% lactose (milk sugar).

Dannon attacks ‘daisy-chained’ logic in all-natural lawsuit over GM feed and dairy products

14-Apr-2017 By Elaine Watson

Should brands making dairy products from cows that may have consumed GM feed be allowed to market their wares as ‘all natural’? Absolutely, insisted Dannon in court papers filed this week urging the judge to dismiss the “daisy-chained” logic of a false...

Arctic Zero’s new social media video campaign shows how ‘clean label’ is more than just ‘free-from’

12-Apr-2017 By Adi Menayang

With the launch of four new varieties, Arctic Zero produced a video to tell consumers the story of how the ingredients were sourced.

USDA reassures poultry farmers that their organic status is safe if birds moved indoors to avoid flu

06-Apr-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

USDA encourages organic poultry farmers in areas where outbreaks of avian flu have been reported recently to bring their birds inside, and reassures them that doing so will not risk their organic status, according to a memo released this week. 

The brothers behind Sunniva Super Coffee tap into student demand for more energy

04-Apr-2017 By Adi Menayang

“We’ve always known this is a product for college students and young professionals, and the best way to reach them is foodservice,” Sunniva CEO Jimmy DeCicco told FoodNavigator-USA

Plant-based products may need to boost visibility of dairy-related allergen warnings

04-Apr-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

An FDA-issued alert from frozen dessert brand Dream reiterating that some of its products contain traces of milk also warns other plant-based product manufacturers that they may need to go beyond legally mandated allergen warnings when it comes to dairy...

Globally, consumers ‘confused’ about food labels and claims, says study

31-Mar-2017 By Adi Menayang

A new survey found that there was disconnect between what consumers think labels like organic, antibiotic-free, or ‘no added hormones’ mean, and what the labels actually mean.

Califia Farms taps into growing RTD coffee & dairy alternative beverage markets in Canada

30-Mar-2017 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Califia Farms has rolled out its almond beverage and cold brew coffee ranges into Canada: a market where non-dairy alternative milks grew by 225% during a three-year period, with almond milk projected as the fastest growing segment, according to Allied...

Legislation seeks to overhaul commodity checkoff programs, make them voluntary for participants

30-Mar-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Bipartisan legislation introduced this week in both the House and Senate seeks to overhaul commodity checkoff programs, which critics say have been “hijacked” by corporate interests so that they no longer benefit small family farmers and entrepreneurs.

Powerful Yogurt to drop 'yogurt' from name as it expands in thriving protein space

24-Mar-2017 By Adi Menayang

If anyone is doubting protein’s staying power as a sought-after call-out on packaged products, let the growth of Powerful Yogurt (soon to be just Powerful) be an indicator.

NMPF takes on plant-based ‘milk’ at House Ag committee hearing: ‘It’s a battle and we intend to win’

23-Mar-2017 By Elaine Watson

While the FDA’s radio silence on plant ‘milk’ labeling implies to some that it's comfortable with terms such as ‘almondmilk,’ the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says the agency has a legal duty to enforce federal standards of identity...

ProYo high protein ice cream rolls out nationwide as retailers expand better-for-you pint set

20-Mar-2017 By Elaine Watson

With frozen yogurt sales still “tanking,” retailers are increasingly turning their attention to ice cream products that offer similar benefits (more protein, less sugar and fat), but truly deliver on taste and texture, says Santa Barbara-based ProYo,...

High cheese consumption does not raise cholesterol levels, Irish study suggests

17-Mar-2017 By Will Chu

Despite the link between cheese consumption and saturated fat levels, a study has observed little effect between the amount of cheese eaten and a person’s cholesterol levels.

Whey 2 Be! introduces 'cold-pressed' whey protein cookies

16-Mar-2017 By Adi Menayang

Bars, beverages, meat snacks—as the conventional protein segments crowd, newcomers are coming up with new delivery formats to stand out from the crowd. Whey 2 B! is bringing cold-pressed protein cookies to the market.