Health and nutritional ingredients

From Ozempic to functional ingredients: Upcoming webinar explores how healthy snack brands meet demands for nutrition, convenience, flavor

02-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

On-the-go consumers are turning to healthy snacks to satisfy their cravings for taste, functionality and convenience, as better-for-you snack brands capitalize on interest in GLP-1 drugs by introducing products that promote satiety and address different...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: Bold flavors, complementary pairings and easy customization emerge as top trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show

01-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

At the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City last week, health claims were downplayed and flavor came first – for real – followed by personalization with more brands offering consumers ways to dial up or down the heat, tang, funk and other characteristics...

Future Food Tech Alternatives Proteins

Startup Uncracked is unlocking seaweeds’ clean-label potential with proprietary SeaStack technology

28-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers seeking clean labels historically have given a pass to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, even though they have long lists of unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce ingredients, but that may be changing as the category’s health halo dims...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Consumers want cleaner-label, better tasting gluten-free options in more categories

27-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Gluten free may not be as trendy as it once was, but the call-out continues to resonate with consumers as the quality, quantity and variety of products making the claim continue to improve – as showcased by brands across categories at the Summer Fancy...

How gut health and GLP-1s are reshaping food innovation

27-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

While protein, fiber and low-carb options dominate the market, new diet drugs and consumer preferences are pushing the food industry to innovate for a future focused on gut health and targeted nutrition, one industry player said.

Balchem expands plant-based dairy capabilities with cold-water soluble oat creamer

27-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Ingredient provider Balchem revealed VitalBlend Oat 2540, a cold-water-soluble creamer, designed to capitalize on demands for plant-based milks, Josephine Nakhla, the company’s powders and cereals strategic marketing and business development director,...

Equitea on addressing the ‘relatability’ factor in RTD tea

27-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Equitea, maker of cold brewed USDA organic teas, wants to destigmatize mental health and improve access to wellness products, the company’s co-founder and CEO Quentin Vennie told FoodNavigator-USA during BevNet Live in New York earlier this month.

Consumers turn to social media over government agencies for health advice, Ajinomoto, YouGov report

27-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

In seeking nutrition information, many consumers have fallen victim to harmful food myths — including embracing a diet of raw meat and avoiding healthy foods because they have "chemicals" — according to a new report from food ingredient company...

Hero Bread raises $21m to fuel retail expansion of better-for-you baked goods

26-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Hero Bread is using $21 million in series B funding to reinforce its retail footprint as more consumers demand more nutritious and healthier baked goods, including through direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, company CEO YuChiang Cheng told FoodNavigator-USA....

Summer Fancy Food Show

Startup CPG offers entrepreneurs essential tools for building a packaged food business

25-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Building a packaged food or beverage business from scratch can be expensive and overwhelming for entrepreneurs, but Startup CPG is making it a little easier with a suite of free tools, extensive networking opportunities and a safe space for founders to...

Barcode addresses endurance, recovery with its plant-based sports drink formula

21-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Taking nods from his career as director of performance for the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, Mubarak Malik developed sports drink brand Barcode with a formulation that aligns with fitness and recovery, and includes vitamin D3, an uncommon...

Will price cuts at Target, Walmart actually attract value-focused consumers?

20-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

As consumer sentiment on the economy slumps, retailers are adjusting their pricing strategies in the hopes of attracting shoppers back into their stores, while CPG brands can capitalize on demands for better-for-you products, Bryan Gildenberg, managing...

How brands are capitalising on gut health

20-Jun-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Gut health is proving to be hugely popular with consumers and enormously profitable for food and beverage manufacturers. In financial terms, it’s the gift that keeps on giving.

The EVERY Co., Landish introduce animal-free protein mixes for coffee, matcha

14-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Under the new brand FERMY, American biotech startup The EVERY Co. and Canadian functional beverage and supplement business Landish launched protein and adaptogen-infused coffee enhancer and matcha latte mixes today.

Flashfood releases 2023 impact report, highlighting Meijer SNAP EBT success story

14-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Flashfood diverted 37 million pounds of food from landfills and saved consumers more than $93 million on food, including $13 million in fresh produces, the technology provider said in its recently published 2023 impact report.

KeHE VP: ‘Millennials are trading values for value’

14-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Price-conscious consumers are gravitating to brands with clear value propositions — including private-label — as companies offer products that tap into permissible indulgence and functional trends at affordable price points, Ari Goldsmith, VP of marketing...

USDA: ‘We have got to make big bets’ on nutrition security, climate change & equity solutions

13-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Through a global challenge offering up to $2 million in prize funding announced this week, the US Department of Agriculture and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) want to place “big bets” on high-risk, but high-reward innovations...

[Podcast] Founders’ Fundamentals: Iced tea vet Seth Goldman discusses brand-building basics

12-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Food and beverage brands should focus on the fundamentals of growing slowly and strategically to set up long-term success while also complementing a founder's vision with a team of experts with diverse skillsets, Seth Goldman, co-founder and chief...

Experts push for acute trials on mushrooms to support cognitive health claims

10-Jun-2024 By Olivia Haslam

Acute trials on healthy subjects are necessary as interest in mushrooms continues to grow for cognitive health, experts agreed.

Prolific Machines raises $55m in Series B1 funding to shine light on optogenetics’ potential in biotech

06-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Biomanufacturing technology provider Prolific Machines raised $55 million in Series B1 funding, which will go to support the commercialization of its light-based biotech platform, company Co-founder and CEO Deniz Kent told FoodNavigator-USA.

Poppi faces class action lawsuit over health claims around prebiotic labeling

05-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

A class action lawsuit accusing better-for-you soda maker Poppi of misleading consumers about the prebiotic benefits of its beverages could force the industry to standardize marketing for these ingredients, according to one industry player.

DTC children’s food brand Little Spoon expands with breakfast SKUs, Oatly collaboration

05-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Children’s food brand Little Spoon expands into breakfast with a range of new products, as it remains bullish on its direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel growth, company Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Angela Vranich told FoodNavigator-USA.

Developing food-as-medicine programs with dignity: Taking a human-centered approach to improving health

04-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Retailers like Amazon and non-profits developing food-as-medicine programs must first understand the community that they wish to serve to make a lasting impact on the health and lives of consumers, a panel of experts shared during a session at last week’s...

The colour conundrum: Red or green packaging for plant-based meat?

03-Jun-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Colour plays a key role in how consumers see products. Should plant-based companies use red to evoke flavour, or green to evoke sustainability, with their offerings?

‘Swicy’ flavors take the spotlight in ad campaigns

31-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Sweet and spicy (swicy) play into consumers’ ongoing pursuit of diverse, globally inspired taste experiences, and are reflected in recent brand ad campaigns.

Startup Spotlight

Insights from a solopreneur: How bayjoo’s founder navigates the RTD landscape

30-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

While bayjoo’s founder Ana Bautista Lee embarked on the solopreneur path to bring bayjoo, a traditional Caribbean beverage, to the United States, she relies on a vast network of other founders and experts to help her navigate the competitive and complex...

Sweet Loren’s expands portfolio with gluten-free puff pastry, pizza, pie doughs

30-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Better-for-you snack brand Sweet Loren’s is expanding its product portfolio with a series of ready-to-use pizza, pastry and pie doughs as the company taps into demands for clean-label treats and ready-to-use foods, company CEO and Founder Loren Castle...

CVS’s expanded, rebranded private label snack line blends functional, fun & flavor

30-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

CVS is putting the ‘fun’ in functional food with the launch of more than 40 snacks, beverages and grocery items with trendy flavors and ingredients consumers want, including probiotics, fiber, protein and superfoods like turmeric and goji berries under...

Food-as-medicine case study: Ahold Delhaize USA shares multi-discipline approach for successful programs

28-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Blending health, nutrition, merchandising and IT expertise, Ahold Delhaize USA launched numerous successful food-as-medicine programs as part of its overarching Foodcare strategy, a panel representing the grocery retailer or banner shared during a session...

Creating an inclusive food-as-medicine movement that respects consumers, communities, cultures

24-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

The food-as-medicine movement is gaining momentum across industries, as health and nutrition advocates attempt to reverse worsening obesity, heart disease and diabetes trends by providing accessible, nutritious and culturally relevant foods, experts shared...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Protein snacks ride the healthy indulgence line with familiar flavors

22-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Consumers increasingly are seeking convenient and flavorful ways to integrate protein into their diets, particularly as snacking replaces traditional meals among younger demographics, which gives snack makers an opportunity to develop protein-rich snack...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Organic advocates ask legislators for funding, market data and research support as Farm Bill negotiations continue

20-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than 100 organic industry stakeholders converged on Capitol Hill in Washington last week to lobby for increased funding, continuous improvement for certification standards, access to additional market data and improved coordination for research and...

Organic Trade Association's Organic Week Summit

Organic sales ‘bounce back to a higher growth rate’ to reach nearly $70bn in 2023

16-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

New data from the Organic Trade Association shows organic sales “bouncing back” after a post-pandemic and inflation-induced slowdown in incremental grown in recent years, with research from SPINS suggesting the products best positioned to seize this growth...

Rural, urban divide plays out in food claims, agriculture concerns, Purdue University finds

15-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Despite overall satisfaction with their diets, rural and urban consumers are divided on agriculture's role in climate change and the health attributes of various products like plant-based milk, Purdue University shared in its latest research.

How do consumers perceive ‘gut health’ products?

15-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Products targeting ‘gut health’ have a range of benefits, yet these are not always clear in marketing. How do consumers understand gut health, and is this understanding congruent with reality?

Feeling the squeeze? How juice brands are dealing with an orange shortage

14-May-2024 By Rachel Arthur

The world’s top orange production regions are struggling: putting pressure on the global supply of oranges for the juice industry. Beverage brands are finding innovative ways to deal with high costs and shortages.

Developing Ozempic-era foods, beverages: Mattson shares research on what GLP-1 users crave

14-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

CPG companies offering nutrient-dense, portion-controlled food and beverages could tap into emerging needs of consumers on weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and WeGovy, consulting firm Mattson shared in a recent webinar.

Bobo’s Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite blends existing flavors into new product

14-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Better-for-you oat bar brand Bobo's develop its new Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite flavor by leveraging existing favorites, like Strawberry Stuff'd and Lemon Poppyseed, with innovation accelerated by its state-of-the-art bakery completed in 2022.

C.A. Fortune’s Build Tank winners garner praise from national retailers for compelling branding, packaging

13-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Walnut snack company Unbound Snacks took home the gold at C.A. Fortune's Build Tank event in Chicago, for its category innovations and eye-catching packaging, while other brands impressed buyers through unique products and branding.

Voyage Foods CEO on where brand goes after $52m raise: 'Retail products were always really a steppingstone'

10-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Food-tech company Voyage Foods raised $52m in its Series A+ funding round to grow its ingredient business as it prepares to open a second facility later this year.

Meati raises $100m in funding, adds 2,000 retail locations

09-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Mycelium food maker Meati raised more than $100 million in Series C-1 funding "to help meet the growing demand for its products," and support its expansion into 2,000 Kroger Family Stores last month, bringing its retail footprint to more than...

Laird Superfood perks up morning cup of coffee with protein-rich creamer

09-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Laird Superfood is giving the best part of waking up – coffee – a functional boost with the release of its new protein-rich creamer, the brand’s VP of Marketing Martha Opela told FoodNavigator-USA.

Beyond the jingle: How brands are reaching consumers with authenticity and quality

08-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Bush’s Baked Beans, Clif Bar and SkinnyPop are building brand loyalty through multi-channel marketing that highlight each brand’s voice and commitment to values that resonate with their target audience.

TruFood Manufacturing, Bar Bakers merge to scale nutritional snacks operations

08-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Recently merged co-manufacturers TruFood Manufacturing and Bar Bakers plan to scale operations to expand access to healthy and nutritious snacks.

mio’s brand refresh highlights simplicity in the energy drink category

07-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Mio liquid water enhancers’ brand refresh blends flavor and function to provide a simple solution for consumers with multiple beverage needs, as well as bright packaging that communicates wellness, Samantha Mills, director of brand communications for...

Sorghum’s inclusion in WIC program reflects ‘changing cultural makeup’ in U.S.

07-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Sorghum’s addition to USDA’s finalized updates to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a win for the nutrient-rich grain in contributing towards “global foodways,” Lanier Dabruzzi, director of nutrition and...

Exclusive: FedUp Foods expands manufacturing capabilities with Wilmington plant, prepares to move into cold-brew coffee

06-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Private-label beverage manufacturer FedUp Foods is opening a new facility in Wilmington, N.C. later this summer, which will add cold-brew coffee capabilities, two company executives shared with FoodNavigator-USA.

Olipop benefits from social media buzz following accidental early launch of Barbie-inspired flavor

01-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Olipop commemorates Barbie’s 65th birthday with a new Peaches & Cream flavor of its gut-friendly soda, as the brand expands into the convenience and gas channel, Steven Vigilante, the company’s director of growth and partnerships, told FoodNavigator-USA....

Choppy! blends animal, plant-based ingredients to bridge alternative protein taste gap

01-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Choppy!, an alternative meat brand that combines textured plant protein with animal byproducts like collagen, beef tallow and bone broth, provides consumers with "the sensory experience of meat" in its hybrid product with the long-term goal...

Supergut rolls out nationwide in GNC stores as part of GLP-1 nutritional support section

30-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

Supergut is expanding nationwide as part of GNC’s new section dedicated to GLP-1 nutritional support, as the brand has quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters due to consumer interest in gut health and products to alleviate symptoms from drugs like...