Proteins

Unmeltable halloumi cheese could go places in the US if it can overcome hurdles

08-Oct-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Wildly popular in the UK and Europe, the salty and slightly rubbery grilling cheese halloumi is beginning to gain attention in the US as consumer fears about fat fade and their desire for high-protein snacks increases, according to new research from Fact.MR.

Saturo meal replacement drinks launch in the US: 'In less than a year, half of revenue will come from the US'

04-Oct-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Saturo, a ready-to-drink (RTD) non-GMO meal replacement beverage, that has taken Europe by storm, has launched online in the US market.

Food Tech Summit & Expo in Mexico

Consumers are raising the bar on animal proteins as more choices for sources come to market

04-Oct-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

As alternatives to meat become increasingly sophisticated and available and a growing population begins to strain the supply of animal products, consumers are raising the bar for animal proteins in terms of appearance, freshness, processing and price...

Purple Carrot CEO: 'I’m still very bullish about the subscription-based meal kit market'

03-Oct-2018 By Elaine Watson

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”...

Cowboy Cricket Farms: Cricket protein powder prices will come down drastically over the next five years

02-Oct-2018 By Elaine Watson

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'

'Cell-based meat’ not the most consumer-friendly term, reveals GFI consumer research

30-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Dutch cell-based meat start up Meatable emerges from stealth mode: 'We think we have a big advantage over the other players'

28-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

FDA ups ante in plant ‘milk’ debate: ‘We’re on a fast track to take a fresh look at labeling'

27-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Sustainable fish jerky startup OneForNeptune gears up for launch

27-Sep-2018 By Kacey Culliney

California-based OneForNeptune has developed a range of sustainable white fish jerky and is on a mission to 'force change' in a global seafood sector its founder says is plagued with problems.

Thrive algae oil to roll out at Walmart as Corbion celebrates anniversary of TerraVia acquisition

27-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

A year after acquiring microalgae ingredients specialist TerraVia, new owner Corbion has seen the most success with a consumer packaged product - Thrive culinary algae oil - which is rolling out to more than 2,000 Walmart stores this fall, taking its...

Quaker make its first foray into the chiller with Morning Go-Kits: 'People are consuming oats throughout the day'

26-Sep-2018 By Kacey Culliney

PepsiCo-owned Quaker has stretched far beyond traditional oats with chilled, yogurt-based breakfast kits that target portability and nutrition-forward consumers, its general manager says.

Is there a protein perception problem? Nielsen surveys reveal consumer knowledge gaps

24-Sep-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Food and beverage products touting protein claims has become a big business driven by strong consumer interest, however two Nielsen surveys highlight knowledge gaps consumer still have about the nutrient.

Health Warrior’s Mug Muffin & protein powder help shoppers start the day with healthier options

24-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The line between breakfast and dessert can be a bit blurry with options such as coffeecake on the menu, but superfood snack company Health Warrior wants to place muffins squarely on the side of better-for-you morning meals with the launch of its Protein...

Beyond pumpkin: 5 trends to track this fall in foodservice that will influence future CPGs

24-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Predicting what consumers will want to see on menus in the coming season “is a bit of a mix of art and science,” according to a product development expert at the food service distributor US Foods, but she says this fall consumers will seek out versatile...

Plant-based and dairy drive growth in yogurt side-by-side, Danone exec says

21-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

While still growing at a healthy clip, the yogurt category is slowing slightly – but Danone North America still sees significant potential for the segment, especially related to options that are plant-based, lower in sugar, packed with science-back probiotic...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What is the market potential for products for new & breastfeeding moms?

21-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and instinctual experiences shared by a baby and mother, but that doesn’t mean it is easy – and many women could use help not just from healthcare professionals and family, but also from the food and beverage industry...

Investing in the Future of Food: How Ayoba-Yo is educating Americans about a South African staple

19-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Introducing consumers to a new brand isn’t easy, but when the product is an entirely new concept, this challenge is magnified ten-fold, as illustrated by the struggles startup Ayoba-Yo experienced trying to explain biltong to American shoppers.

NEW PRODUCTS GALLERY: From protein mug muffins to oat milk nitro cold brew lattes

18-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

Check out FoodNavigator-USA’s latest gallery of new products hitting US shelves as we approach the holiday season, from the inevitable pumpkin spice-themed wares, to protein mug muffins, and oat milk nitro cold brew lattes.

FOOD FOR KIDS: Why do so many kids have food allergies, and what can we do about it?

17-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

The prevalence of food allergies has increased dramatically over the last 25 years, with infants and children most severely affected. But why? Is it changes in gut bacteria? The so-called ‘hygiene hypothesis’? The rising use of antibiotics? Is prevalence,...

Refrigerated bar brand bRAW rebrands as OHi to expand appeal, better communicate values

17-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

As Dawn Anderson prepared to expand distribution of her refrigerated plant-based superfood bars beyond Hawaii where they first launched to mainland US, she knew her brand needed to be more welcoming and inclusive – which is why she made the difficult...

Antibiotic-free claims, followed by animal welfare, are the top consumer drivers for cell-based meat, says Mattson

15-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

JUST gears up for late 2018 cell-based meat launch, but says more meaningful quantities are 2-3 years out

13-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Chilean startup: 'Using technology for plant-based food development is going to be huge'

13-Sep-2018 By Kacey Culliney

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

GOOD FOOD CONFERENCE: ‘Biochemistry is really transforming the plant-based meat industry’

12-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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,...

Peatos brand is ‘exploding right now,’ says CEO; Cheetos cease and desist letter ‘the highest form of flattery,’ says legal expert

11-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Nora seaweed chips expect to compete against potato chips in salty snacks aisle

11-Sep-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After achieving dynamite success in Thailand where it competes with Lay’s potato chips, Thai entrepreneur Itthipat “Tob” Peeradechapan wanted to bring his seaweed snack chips to the US market and enlisted the help of Tim Minges whom he had met during...

ALOHA revamps branding, recipes to ensure its protein powders, bars make solid first impression

11-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

A strong believer that the first impression must be a good one, the new CEO of plant-based protein product maker ALOHA is revamping the brand’s look, reformulating some products and cutting SKUs that aren’t up to the task.

Feeling peckish? Sonoma Brands taps into portable protein trend

11-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

Snackable egg brand PECKISH - the latest innovation to emerge from California-based brand incubator and investor Sonoma Brands – will debut at Expo East this week to meet demand for more fresh, simple, and nutritious portable protein options.

USDA and FDA to host joint public meeting on cell cultured meat

10-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Cultured meat cos agree to replace term ‘clean meat’ with ‘cell-based meat’ and form trade association

10-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: As plant-based eating takes off, is the end of animal agriculture near?

07-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

At the start of the year, industry experts predicted 2018 would be the year of the plant-based diet, and as we enter the fourth quarter sales and growth data suggest that the prediction is coming to fruition – but does it also mean that the end of animal...

CLEAN LABEL IN FOCUS: Savory Taste Alliance seeks to demystify autolyzed yeast extract

05-Sep-2018 By Elaine Watson

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.

Grant could help Kuli Kuli founder fulfill promise to build moringa supply chain – and possibly peace – in Niger

04-Sep-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

After six years of steadily developing a market demand for moringa in the US by educating Americans about its nutritional benefits and environmental value, and creating convenient in-demand products featuring the leafy-green, the founder of Kuli Kuli...

FILLO’S Americas Made turns traditional Latin American dish into on-the-go meal

30-Aug-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Culinary exploration and convenience are at the top of many consumers’ wish lists when it comes to meal prep, and Chicago food startup FILLO’S Americas Made (parent company: Sofrito Foods) is aiming to fulfill both needs.

USDA defends ‘rigorous drug residue testing program’ after Consumer Reports questions its efficacy

30-Aug-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The US Department of Agriculture is scrambling to reassure consumers and limit potential damage to the meat and poultry industries after it says a “sensational and fear-based infotainment” article ran in Consumer Reports Aug. 29 asking if banned drugs...

Oats... the next big thing in plant-based dairy alternatives? Hälsa Oatgurt rolls out at Wegmans

30-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

Hälsa Oatgurt – an organic fermented oat-based drinkable yogurt featuring prebiotics and probiotics – is rolling out to Wegmans as more consumers seek out plant-based options in the dairy set.

Tofurky CEO: It’s not the role of lawmakers to choose winners or losers in any given industry

29-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

As long as protein products are safe and shoppers are not being misled, it’s not the role of lawmakers to write new labeling laws favoring one production method over another, says the CEO of plant-based meat brand Tofurky, which is challenging a Missouri...

Parabel USA receives FDA no objections letter for LENTEIN plant protein

28-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

Parabel USA has received a ‘no objections’ letter from the FDA affirming the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status of LENTEIN, a protein-packed ingredient from water lentils: free-floating seed-producing micro aquatic plants (also known as duckweed...

Joe Serventi takes the helm at HIPPEAS as Livio Bisterzo moves into chairman role

27-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

Former barkThins, Pirate’s Booty and Glaceau executive Joe Serventi, who joined HIPPEAS last year as general manager, has been elevated to global CEO, while founder Livio Bisterzo is moving into the role of chairman, as the team seeks to build a $100m...

GFI, Tofurky, sue state of Missouri over bill banning meaty terminology for plant-based and cell-based meat

27-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Lil Mixins makes early introduction of potential allergens easy for parents

27-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

Up until fairly recently, says Lil Mixins founder Meenal Lele, parents were being told “avoid cow’s milk until your kids are one; avoid eggs until they’re two; peanuts and tree nuts until they’re three and so on, and then, as that didn’t appear to be...

Memphis Meats, NAMI: FDA and USDA both have roles to play in regulating cell-based meat and poultry

23-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

a2 Milk rolls out at Walmart: ‘It’s a real validation of our business proposition’

23-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

Orthodox Union: Cell cultured meat could dramatically lower the cost of kosher meat in future

22-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

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...

American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice to parents to avoid specific ingredients could impact CPG sales

22-Aug-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The American Academy of Pediatrics is calling on FDA to undertake “urgently needed reforms” to the current regulatory review process for food additives to limit the risk of adverse health effects that correlate with the use of some colorings, flavorings...

Better Meat Co to debut plant-based proteins that ‘blend seamlessly into ground meat products’

How do you make meat better? Add plants, says The Better Meat Co...

22-Aug-2018 By Elaine Watson

Sacramento-based start-up The Better Meat Co is targeting institutional food sellers with plant-based proteins that “blend seamlessly into ground meat products” at inclusion rates of up to 30%, to deliver healthier, tastier, and more sustainable sausages,...

Sparkling water Fizzique takes protein in a new, refreshing direction

21-Aug-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

With retail sales of protein expected to reach $21.5 billion globally by 2025, manufacturers are incorporating the ingredient in everything from the standard shakes, bars and smoothies to the unexpected, such as, pancakes, chips and now with the launch...

Drinkable yogurt, eggs & muffins are the fastest growing breakfast foods, Packaged Facts finds

20-Aug-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

As an iconic breakfast staple, cereal remains a morning favorite – but concerns about sugar are dragging down the category, while demand for protein and convenience are driving sales growth for drinkable yogurt, eggs and, somewhat surprisingly, muffins,...

A Dozen Cousins launches with goal to balance cultural authenticity, convenience and health

20-Aug-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The founder of startup A Dozen Cousins doesn’t want consumers to have to choose between cultural products they grew up eating and loving and healthy foods that are “better for them,” which is why he is launching a natural food brand that blends recipes...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Grass fed beef is on the upswing, but must overcome significant challenges

17-Aug-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Grass fed beef may account for only a small fraction of the total US beef market, but demand for it is growing fast as consumers look for options that not only are flavorful but which they perceive as healthier for them, the environment and animals.