Health and nutritional ingredients

Yogurts appeal beyond gut health, as coconut options gain in popularity

25-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Consumers are buying yogurt for more than gut health benefits, including for protein and indulgence, as shoppers turn to coconut-based as their preferred plant-based yogurt despite general slowdowns in the category, per research from market research company...

Growing functional food and beverage trend is an industry goldmine

23-Oct-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Brands are reformulating to create functional foods and beverages, catering to everything from gut health to improved sleep. So, how is the sector evolving to meet consumer demand?

Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Nutrition experts reveal Healthy US-style dietary pattern – but is it flexible enough?

22-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recommends consolidating various dietary patterns into a single, inclusive Healthy US-Style Dietary Pattern that includes nutrient-dense, plant-based foods and which is accessible for all Americans.

Superguts' Target expansion underscores new retail playbook for addressing Ozempic era demands

15-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Demand for GLP-1 support products helped gut-health brand Supergut triple sales in the last year and opened retail doors, including at Target.

Will alternative meats thrive in frozen? Circana shows growth

15-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Meat alternative sales dropped in the last four years, but all is not lost for the segment which has opportunity to thrive in the frozen department with a particular focus on convenience, value, ingredient quality, diverse formats and new flavors, Circana...

REBBL bulks up protein offerings with 26-gram shake, featuring upcycled EverPro ingredient

15-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Functional beverage brand REBBL is delivering on consumer demands for sustainability and enhanced macronutrient content with its new shakes that contain 26 grams of plant-based protein blend, including an upcycled barley.

Beauty meets confectionery: A growing trend in functional wellness

14-Oct-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe

Discover how beauty-enhancing ingredients like collagen and biotin are changing the confectionery industry with delicious, functional treats.

Why shoppers are turning towards costly organic food and drink

14-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

More consumers are buying pricier organic food and drink, despite continuing cost-of-living pressures, with sales expected to rocket as governments push to make organic farming central to future sustainability strategies.

Apothékary debuts in 400+ Sprouts stores, focuses on tincture business

11-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Wellness brand Apothékary’s retail partnership with Sprouts Farmers Markets highlights its product expansion of herbal powders for beverages to include tinctures that align with the retailers’ growing supplement department in the non-alcoholic space.

Food manufacturers, retailers double down on private-label, as market continues growth, FMI report

11-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Retailers and food manufacturers are banding together to develop more on-trend and innovative private-label products, as the market sheds the perception that they are just cheaper alternatives to national brands, FMI – The Food Industry Association shared...

Reformulation is rife in F&B but consumers aren't sold yet

11-Oct-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Brands are reformulating to improve nutritional value and reduce or remove ‘unhealthy’ ingredient levels. But this is not always a vote winner with customers. Why?

DGAC: Diets high in plant-based foods are moderately linked towards reducing illness

10-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Although the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) did not find strong evidence between dietary patterns and disease risk, some age-related cognitive health issues and breast cancer are moderately linked to diet.

How Bumpin Blends’ founder turned a flight delay into a Barbie collab

10-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

When a delayed flight could have ruined her day, Bumpin Blends' founder, Lisa Mastela, used the downtime to network with fellow travelers and, in doing so, connected with representatives from toymaker Mattel that ultimately landed the smoothie brand...

Novonesis develops ‘cleaner ingredient deck’ for plant-based meat with biosolution technology

08-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Biotech company, Novonesis, addresses core taste, texture and nutritional challenges in plant-based meat and dairy with its biosolution technologies, potentially reducing the ingredient label deck.

USDA grants $11.04m for dairy producers, businesses to ‘spur innovation’ across the country

07-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

USDA funding allocated for the Dairy Business Innovation Initiatives is supporting small and mid-sized dairy businesses and providing a pathway for market expansion and diversification, as the industry adopts innovative technologies around milk production

Recoup launches gut-friendly beverage at Sprouts, raises awareness on benefits of regen ag

07-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Recoup’s prebiotic sparkling beverages hit the shelves at 420 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide, as the company leans into gut health and regenerative agriculture claims to deliver consumer demands for functional and environmental benefits....

How food and drink is finally putting women's health before men

07-Oct-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Women’s health continues to grow as a hot food and drink topic, with brands exploiting the increasing NPD opportunities available

DGAC highlights nutritional disparities from latest dietary guidelines review

04-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Removing animal-based and carbohydrate-containing products and other food groups can lead to significant nutrient deficiencies, according to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC).

Global population falls short on micronutrient intake

04-Oct-2024 By Asia Sherman

According to a recent analysis published in The Lancet, more than half of the world’s population consumes inadequate levels of micronutrients essential to health, including calcium, iron and vitamins C and E.

The Mart Group opens $65m facility to support burgeoning frozen baked potato brand OH!Tatoes

04-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Potato producer The Mart Group opened a highly automated 100,000 square-foot facility in Rupert, Idaho — equipped with AI and automation — and will use the additional capacity to grow its frozen food business.

Babylife Organics rebuilds trust in baby food category with transparency, regen ag focus

01-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Babylife Organics is reducing the levels of heavy metals in baby food by carefully sourcing ingredients and committing to certified regenerative organic processes while providing caregivers an easy way to check arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury levels...

Suja Organic makes ‘every sip count’ with rebrand focused on transparency, flavor, function

26-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Suja Life rebranded its line of Suja Organic cold-pressed juices and wellness shots to simplify the product’s functionality and flavors as the company grows into more occasions and dayparts with its acquisition of soda brand Slice.

Rä Foods rebrands frozen yogurt to grow in natural channels, sprouts go pink with Susan G. Komen

26-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Rä Foods rebranded and reformulated its line of frozen yogurts — from Mixmi to Wild About Mixmi Froyo — to appeal to consumers in the natural channel, as the company partners with the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

'Sustainable products have to win the health battle,' Mintel on environmental trends in food, beverage

23-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

As greenwashing leads to "greenhushing," consumers are focusing on sustainable food and beverage claims that tap into their sense of health and self-preservation, with air quality and water conservation attributes set to take off in the US,...

Rising wellness trends: Zero-proof is ‘the next wave of beverages,’ foods for anxiety relief see ‘varied results’

20-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Zero-proof beverages are gaining market traction as health-conscious consumers moderate their alcohol consumption while many shoppers also seek out functional foods to combat stress and anxiety, market research company Circana shared in a recent webinar...

Startup Spotlight

Coffee for children? Kiid Coffee takes a functional twist on the morning cup of Joe

19-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Coffee is not just for adults thanks to Kiid Coffee, a functional beverage mix designed to help children hit their daily recommended intake of iron, magnesium, calcium and other important nutrients, the brand's co-founder David Sanborn told FoodNavigator-USA...

Nature’s Fynd’s fungi-based platform drives category expansion

19-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Nature’s Fynd is expanding into the dairy-free yogurt category with its proprietary Fy Protein to deliver nutritious solutions that meet consumer demand for plant-based alternatives that deliver taste and texture without compromise.

Gatorade mixes up portfolio with vitamin-enhanced Hydration Booster line, as water enhancer market grows

17-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Gatorade released Hydration Boosters, an electrolyte drink mix line with a “heavier lifestyle lean” than its sports-focused products, as the brand evolves its portfolio to tap into more everyday occasions, Marissa Pines, senior marketing director for...

How climate change is impacting food commodities

13-Sep-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

How is the food and beverage industry responding to the need to make its supply chains more sustainable? Find out at Climate Smart Food 2024.

ADM on the farm: Building regenerative agriculture builds business opportunities

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Regenerative agriculture is emerging as a powerful marketing concept with recent research by ingredient supplier ADM revealing most consumers familiar with the tenets are more likely to trust and buy from brands that support the practice.

Clean-label trends boost natural flavors, but price remains key purchase driver

12-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

CPG companies developing clean-label foods and beverages are turning to natural flavors over their artificial counterparts, while consumers might be overstating the importance of more natural additives.

Sauces, condiments, spices bring global flavors to consumers’ kitchens

12-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Sauces, condiments and spices are offering consumers convenient ways to experiment with global flavors at home, as the seasoning category becomes one of the fastest-growing in specialty foods, driven by the rise in home cooking and the demand for bold,...

IFF’s weight management portfolio tailors nutrition with smaller portions

10-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Ingredient supplier IFF’s portfolio reflects evolving consumer demands and emerging trends in weight management , including proprietary proteins, natural flavors and fiber solutions to support satiety, enhance taste and promote overall wellness.

SPATE: Google, TikTok uncover emerging snack trends and sensory innovations

09-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

From spicy dill pickle chips to freeze-dried Skittles, today’s top snack trends reflect a growing demand for sensory overload coupled with nostalgic comforts, according to SPATE’s trend tracker with data from Google Search ending July 31 and hashtags...

USDA survey underscores critical role of federal program in reducing US food insecurity

06-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Despite a majority (86.5%) of US households reporting they felt food secure for the entirety of 2023, government food assistance programs are critical to ensure the remaining 13.5% (18 million) households have access to healthy foods, according to a USDA...

Startup Spotlight

Functional beverage startup Yesly’s viral social media posts underscore big ad budgets are not necessary for big impact

05-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Big advertising budgets are not a requirement for big sales or an indicator of how successful a marketing campaign will be as illustrated by a viral video on social media by functional beverage newcomer Yesly, which generated more than 16 million views...

AI helps companies navigate critical regulatory alerts, policy shifts ahead of 2024 election

04-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Companies must navigate a more fragmented and complex regulatory environment, increasing the need for proactive compliance planning and advanced monitoring tools, like AI, according to Caroline Shleifer, CEO and founder of RegASK.

Consumers continue to deploy cost-saving tactics to combat high food prices, despite inflation cooldown, 84.51° finds

30-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

As food inflation continues to cool, consumers still cite grocery prices as a main financial concern, with many shoppers turning to a host of cost-saving methods, including trading down, to reduce their grocery bill, market research firm 84.51° shared...

Startup Spotlight

Mission MightyMe’s snack puffs hit Target shelves, as brand aims ‘to drastically reduce the rate of nut allergies’

29-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Children's snack brand Mission MightyMe is taking its first big step beyond ecommerce, launching in select Target stores, after raising $2.3 million earlier in the year to fuel growth and raise awareness on reducing peanut allergies by introducing...

Hain Celestial improves margins in Q4 2024, ‘well positioned’ for growth in FY 2025

28-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Snack and tea maker Hain Celestial beat Wall Street earnings estimates in its fourth quarter, as the company seeks to capitalize on its Reimagined strategy in fiscal year 2025, following divestitures and success in growing in away-from-home and e-commerce....

NutriFusion’s flexible minimum orders resonate with emerging brands

28-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

NutriFusion’s flexibility in minimum order quantities (MOQs) of its fruit and vegetable concentrate blends to startup companies can be a significant advantage for new and smaller brands looking to enter the competitive functional beverage market.

Reinventing fresh: How brands, retailers can boost Gen Z, millennial engagement with social media

26-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Gen Z and younger millennial shoppers are using social media to find and purchase foods and beverages, providing fresh food brands and departments an opportunity to connect with these cohorts, Circana and FMI - The Food Industry Association shared in...

AVVIKA’s RTD caffeine alternative aims to educate consumers about its functional ingredients, benefits

26-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Soon-to-launch AVVIKA breaks away from traditional energy drinks as a caffeine alternative that calls out its suppliers’ functional ingredients on the label for transparent communication with consumers, brand founders Doug Resh and Holden Rouse told FoodNavigator-USA.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What will it take to regain consumer trust in plant-based meat and boost novel protein production?

26-Aug-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

After three years of double-digit declines in volume and dollars in plant-based meat alternatives, the hemorrhaging in the category is steadily slowing, according to data from Circana – tentatively giving credence to claims by segment stalwarts that the...

Is caffeine damaging to heart health?

23-Aug-2024 By Donna Eastlake

New research puts the daily cuppa under the microscope. But how will the food and beverage industry react and what are the NPD opportunities?

Corn flour: The next champion of new product development?

22-Aug-2024 By Gill Hyslop

Intentionally designed to avoid the need for dramatic dietary changes, a new study has revealed the heart-health benefits of an ingredient found in the pantry of most households.

Ummino self-affirms GRAS status for enzyme producing bio-derived lactosamine, focuses on rebalancing adult microbiome

22-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Biosciences company Ummino achieved self-affirmed GRAS status for the enzyme to produce its bioidentical prebiotic bioactive lactosamine composition, Hummino, as it readies for commercial expansion of this fiber normally found in human breast milk, focusing...

Medical advisory boards help brands win over skeptical consumers by validating health claims, science

20-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Food and beverage companies – like startup Instant Hydration – increasingly rely on medical advisory boards and experts to validate their ingredient labels and offer transparency to progressively knowledgeable and skeptical consumers.

Harris aims to ban food price gouging, while industry points to supply chain pressures

19-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Presumptive Democratic Presidential Nominee Kamala Harris proposes a federal ban on price gouging to lower grocery prices as part of her economic platform for her presidential campaign, however food industry advocates maintain that food prices have remained...

Consumers prefer sweet over salty snacks, as healthy options ripe for innovation, IFIC finds

19-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Consumers largely prefer sweet and salty snacks – in that order – as many shoppers use snacking to satisfy hunger in between meals and provide an indulgent moment, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) shared in a recent report.