Dairy-based ingredients

Wish-Bone tries to entice shoppers back to the center store with two new dressing lines

18-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

With the launch of two new Wish-Bone lines, Pinnacle Foods hopes to reinvigorate the salad dressing aisle in the struggling center-store by enticing back consumers who left to make their own dressing or to buy refrigerated options they perceive as fresher.

Nestle’s nutrition profiling system helps target reformulations

17-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Carefully balancing consumers’ age-specific nutritional needs with how and when they eat different foods helped Nestle successfully reduce sodium, sugar and fat significantly in some of its most frequently consumed foods without sacrificing taste.

Organic meat & dairy has more omega-3 but amounts aren't 'nutritionally relevant'

16-Feb-2016 By Niamh Michail

Organic meat and dairy products have more healthy omega-3 fatty acids according to a large meta-analysis review - but experts have warned the amounts are too small to actually have an impact on diet.

Innovation award underscores consumer demand for healthy, natural and boldly flavored products

12-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

The food and beverage industry is in the middle of an innovation renaissance that is far outpacing many other consumer goods categories as illustrated by the winners of the 2016 Product of the Year award for innovation announced Feb. 11.

Summer feeding program for school children could become permanent if Obama gets his way

11-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Recognizing the detrimental impact – and long-term costs to the US – of hunger on children’s health and education, President Obama proposes expanding and streamlining existing programs that help feed Americans in-need.

'Expand and expand': Magnum chocolate harbors global ambitions after premium refresh

10-Feb-2016 By Oliver Nieburg

Unilever’s Magnum chocolate range has entered retail outlets across Western Europe after a recent rebranding and plans further global expansion, says contract manufacturer Kinnerton Confectionery

Fresh prepared food elevates groceries, drives foot-traffic

08-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Fast-growing and increasingly sophisticated fresh prepared food services at supermarkets are a double-edged sword for consumer packaged goods with one side defending against competition from restaurants and the other cutting into center-store sales by...

Ben & Jerry’s vegan frozen desserts could pave the way for more mainstream plant-based alternatives

08-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Ben & Jerry’s new line of vegan frozen desserts could accelerate the already fast consumer adoption of plant-based alternatives to conventional products and inspire more mainstream product manufacturers to follow suit, advocates say.

“Local” claims are not equally effective across all food categories, Harris Poll finds

02-Feb-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

About half of Americans say “local” claims are an important factor in their food purchase decisions, but exactly how influential they are depends on where in the store they are made, according to a recent survey.

Natural & Organic Health Association drops plans for “natural” seal

28-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Organic & Natural Health Association is abandoning its plan to create a certified seal that demonstrates when products are natural, but it remains dedicated to defining the widely used, but loosely understood marketing term.

Health & Wellness 2020

C-stores offer growth opportunity for better-for-you brands

25-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Convenience stores, often considered a destination for indulgent, unhealthy snacks, could offer a new growth opportunity for better-for-you brands as the channel’s core audience begins shifting slightly towards more health-conscious shoppers, according...

Green Chef extends suppliers’ reach into homes nationwide with transparency

22-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

The co-founder and CEO of Green Chef infuses his passion for transparency into every aspect of the fresh meal kit delivery company, and in doing creates new marketing opportunities for its suppliers and helps them increase consumer awareness of their...

Unilever CEO: We haven't been able to stem the ongoing market decline in spreads

19-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

While Unilever has made strong gains in premium ice cream and gelato – with Talenti (which it acquired in late 2014) generating a 40% surge in sales in 2015 – it has not been able to arrest the decline in its spreads business, CEO Paul Polman told analysts...

Diet meals step-up with more premium, gourmet offerings, test reveals

19-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Diet delivery meal services are raising the bar to create more gourmet appearing and tasty meals in a bid to attract more consumers who traditionally have shied away from frozen entrees, suggests the results of a recent consumer taste test.

General Mills: Chobani’s 'wilfully deceptive' ads assert that safe & legal ingredients in rival products are toxic and unsafe

13-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

The legal firestorm prompted by Chobani’s provocative new ad campaign for its Simply 100 Greek yogurt range has intensified this week as General Mills has filed a lawsuit accusing Chobani of false advertising and unfair competition.

2015 Dietary Guidelines create marketing opportunity for manufacturers, trade groups

08-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines released Jan. 7 create a marketing opportunity for savvy manufacturers and industry stakeholders to promote their products through educational materials that help consumers better understand how to meet the report’s recommendations.

'The huge disparity between what the guidelines advocate and what Americans actually eat is beyond alarming'

Dietitians respond to 2015 Dietary Guidelines: ‘The American public needs more forceful messages.’

07-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

What do registered dietitians and nutritionists think of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and how much do they ultimately matter, since the gulf between what Americans are told to eat – and what they actually eat - remains huge?

Global food prices plunged by nearly 20% in 2015

07-Jan-2016 By Niamh Michail

In 2015 prices of the world’s major commodities fell for the fourth year in a row, averaging nearly one fifth (19.1%) lower than in 2014, says the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Probiotic victory: Judge refuses to certify class in false advertising lawsuit vs Yakult USA

06-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

A California judge has refused to certify a class of consumers in a lawsuit accusing Yakult USA of misleading shoppers about the digestive health benefits of its fermented drinks.

Chobani unveils media campaign to support Simply 100 Greek yogurt: ‘It’s a choice between natural and artificial’

06-Jan-2016 By Elaine Watson

Chobani has launched a multi-media campaign homing in on the ‘all-natural’ credentials of its Simply 100 Greek yogurt range and drawing shoppers’ attention to ‘artificial’ ingredients in rival products.

Seeds, avocados and clean-eating will gain traction in 2016, RDNs predict

04-Jan-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nutrient-dense and protein-packed seeds will steal the show in 2016, predict 450 registered dietitian nutritionists surveyed by Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian.

New culture developed to enhance the quality of reduced-fat cheese

23-Dec-2015 By Douglas Yu

Chr. Hansen has launched a new cheese ripening culture, Delight TM, to help improve the texture, taste and flavor of reduced-fat cheeses.

Grass Fed Coffee hopes to bring butter coffee back in easy, RTD format

23-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Butter is back, and soon too could be butter coffee if the manufacturers of Grass Fed Coffee, a ready-to-drink version of bullet coffee, meet their Kickstarter goal to raise $15,000 by Feb. 1.

Step away from the buffet: The recipe to eating a healthy festive dinner

23-Dec-2015 By Will Chu

It’s no secret that people eat more than usual during the festive season, but the buffet holds nutritional promise too. We visited a few...

Targeting female consumers: Arla Foods Ingredients sees women turn to tailored protein

21-Dec-2015 By Rachel Arthur

Women represent a big opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers, says Arla Foods Ingredients, with these consumers becoming increasingly discerning when it comes to protein quality.

Less burdensome trade arrangements help organic exports climb almost 60%, OTA study finds

18-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

US exports of organic produce and products are on the rise thanks to organic equivalency arrangements that ease verification requirements between some countries without compromising the integrity of organic, according to new research from the Organic...

OTA hopes to “turn the corner” on organic supply shortages in 2016

18-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Organic Trade Association in 2016 will push forward several initiatives to help industry “turn the corner” on the supply shortages currently holding it back from meeting surging demand for organic products, the group’s CEO Laura Batcha says.

Optimum aims at hole in market with launch of Trusource sports brand for Kroger

16-Dec-2015 By Hank Schultz

Optimum Nutrition is seeking to reach a new set of average consumers with a sports brand called Trusource that will launch at Kroger stores nationwide.

Food for kids!

Go Gourmet helps pouches grow-up from baby food to snacks for school-children

16-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Go Gourmet wants to “up the ante” in the applesauce and fruit cup aisle with its “superfood snack” Slammers – premium fruit and veggie purees for school-aged children in pouches that pose a triple threat with taste, nutrition and personality, says CEO...

The Greek yogurt category is heating up again, says Chobani, citing latest Nielsen data

15-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of Greek yogurt have been picking up strongly over the past year, according to the latest Nielsen data*, with year-on-year (YoY) percentage growth up from 4.6% in the latest 52 weeks, to 6.1% in the latest 26 weeks, 7.4% in the latest...

Milk preserving technology trialled ahead of 2016 launch

15-Dec-2015 By Douglas Yu

Wisconsin-based Dairyvative’s milk concentrate has hit the consumer trial stage, and it’s ready to enter the market in January. The concentrate has a consistency similar to honey, and it can be packaged and reconstituted.

Muller Quaker Dairy JV ends in disappointment, but what went wrong?

11-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

Just two and a half years after opening a $206m, 350,000 sq ft factory in Batavia, New York, PepsiCo and German dairy giant Theo Müller Group have agreed to count their losses and exit their joint venture (Muller Quaker Dairy). The plant has been sold...

'Responsible use' label needed as antibiotic fears grow

08-Dec-2015 By David Burrows

A new on-pack label could be the best way to quickly reduce the use of antibiotics in the livestock industry, according to a major new report for the UK government.

Undone Chocolate rebrands to highlight unique ingredients & reflect gourmet status

08-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

For Undone Chocolate, what is in a name is not as important as what is in its gourmet bars, which is why the startup is dropping individual product names in favor of umbrella branding and highlighting key ingredients.

Dairy market set for rough 2016, says USDEC

02-Dec-2015 By Hal Conick

The US Dairy Export Council expects another challenging year for the dairy market in 2016 as Russia and China continue to reduce their reliance on imports.

Sharwood’s seeks to satisfy Americans' “curry-osity,” drive sales by instituting Thursday as curry night

30-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Sharwood’s wants to become the No. 1 brand in the US for pre-made Indian sauces and accompaniments, just like it is in the U.K., by instituting Thursday as “curry night,” according to the food brand’s maker Premier Foods.

Yuengling’s Ice Cream launches Cinnamon Churro and other new flavors for 2016

27-Nov-2015 By Hal Conick

With the aim of attracting a new generation of ice cream fans, Yuengling’s Ice Cream will launch Cinnamon Churro and three other new flavors in 2016.

Companies, producers rise to meet consumer demand for animal welfare

23-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Food and beverage manufacturers and suppliers are rising to meet the increasing consumer demand for humanely produced animal products – a trend which the American Humane Association celebrated last week on Capitol Hill in Washington.

Pasture-raised eggs help fuel industry “renaissance,” Handsome Brook Farm co-founder says

23-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The egg industry is undergoing a “renaissance” as consumers increasingly turn their backs to conventional eggs from caged hens and reach instead for those from chickens raised with space to move and access to outdoors, claims the co-owner of Handsome...

Quest Nutrition president: 'Our goal is to end metabolic disease'

11-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

Quest Nutrition has a somewhat ambitious mission statement (“Our goal is to end metabolic disease,” says president Tom Bilyeu). But while it may be some time before the El Segundo-based firm can tick this particular goal off its checklist, its progress...

Worldwide infant formula sales set to rocket as China ends one-child policy

04-Nov-2015 By Oliver Haenlein

The abandonment of the one-child policy in China is expected to grow sales of infant formula by 10-15%, with 1.5-2 million more babies likely to be born each year in the country.

More whole milk can help avoid metabolic syndrome: Study

04-Nov-2015 By Hal Conick

Although official dietary guidelines have advised against excessive consumption of whole fat milk for years, a study said it may be a good idea to include full-fat dairy products in a diet.

Last chance to register for FoodNavigator-USA's online forum: Protein... What does the future hold?

04-Nov-2015 By Elaine WATSON

Protein is hot in food formulation right now. But is this a sustainable trend or a passing fad? How much is enough, and do the next generation of proteins, from rice and pea to algae and insects, deliver in the same way that soy and whey do? And how should...

FOOD VISION USA: How to maintain a challenger brand mentality as a mainstream player

It’s called Chobani Flip; we think it’s the future of snacking, and the next billion-dollar brand in yogurt

02-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

Chobani’s Flip ‘mix-in’ platform is operating at a run rate of $300-$350m and could be the next one billion dollar brand in yogurt, says Chobani, which is planning to take the brand into savory territory next year with the launch of novel sweet and spicy...

Schools could save up to 40% on yogurt through proposal considered by USDA: Dannon

29-Oct-2015 By Mark ASTLEY

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is considering a Dannon proposal that would see yogurt provided to school districts at a potential discount of up to 40%.

One size fits all CPG products are so last century, says YouBar founder: Customization is the future

28-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Big brands have always sought to convince us that by purchasing their mass-produced wares we are expressing ourselves (although it’s hard to argue that buying a Coke – even with your name on it - is a bold expression of individualism). But how can food...

Emerging health concerns could cast shadow on protein, but for now ingredient shines

27-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The health halo around protein continues to shine brightly, but a shadow could be cast on the ingredient as some consumers start asking if it is possible to have too much protein, according to a market research expert.

SupplySide West

Protein could give products for endurance athletes an extra edge, says Arla Foods Ingredients

23-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

A new fast absorbing protein from Arla Foods Ingredients could help crack open the endurance sports sector, which has significant potential for growth but until now has been largely dominated by sports drinks with only carbohydrates and electrolytes.

SupplySide West 2015: Protein trends part 1

Bakery, snacks & beverage could be next frontier for high-protein products, experts say

20-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the high-protein trend matures from niche to mainstream, innovative manufacturers are tapping into the still-significant growth opportunity by adding the ingredient to a broader range of platforms, including baked goods, snacks and beverages, according...