Proteins

Frozen pizza is ‘begging for better-for-you innovation,’ and Sweet Earth is ready to provide it, CEO says

27-Jun-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even though frozen pizza is notorious for being loaded with sodium, saturated fat and preservatives, plant-based brand Sweet Earth Enlighted Foods sees it as the perfect vehicle to improve the health of Americans as well as the planet.

What is a snack, and how are snacking habits evolving? Hartman Group, SnackNation, weigh in…

27-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

If roughly half of the eating occasions in the US are now snacks, are snacks still ‘treats’ or have they become something else?

Urban Remedy partners with Kate Upton to develop meal plans

Urban Remedy CEO: 'Our investors say we're one of the most exciting but terrifying businesses they are in’

26-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

Urban Remedy – a brand specializing in ‘ultra-fresh’ organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices – grew sales by nearly 100% vs the previous quarter in the first quarter of 2018, driven by the rapid expansion of its ‘store within a store’...

Cultured fish co Finless Foods raises $3.5m, predicts “rapid commercialization within years, not decades”

25-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

Finless Foods – one of a new wave of start-ups in the rapidly heating-up cultured fish* arena - has raised $3.5m in a seed round that cofounder and CEO Mike Selden says will “bring us to the end of our initial R&D phase, meaning we’ll have the tools...

RXBAR sued over minimalist labels, ingredients declaration; but case is a stretch, say legal experts

25-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

‘We tell you what’s on the inside on the outside’ protein bar brand RXBAR has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit* by the same law firms challenging the minimalist ingredients declarations of fellow bar brand That’s It.**

UK firm claims to have first commercially viable scale-up process for brazzein

22-Jun-2018 By Niamh Michail

Magellan Life Sciences says its patent-pending fermentation process to scale up the sweet-tasting protein brazzein will make it the first company to market the natural, zero-calorie sweetener.

The plant-based Beyond Burger is now in 10,000+ foodservice outlets

21-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat has struck a deal with A&W - Canada’s fastest growing national burger chain – to add its plant-based Beyond Burgers to the menu at 925 outlets, boosting its overall distribution in the foodservice sector to 10,000+ restaurants, hotels,...

Innovative plant-based food options outperform traditional staples, Nielsen finds

20-Jun-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Plant-based food options continue to win over Americans’ share of stomach and wallets accounting for nearly 20% of food and beverage dollars spent last year, according to a new report by Nielsen.

General Mills unveils ‘intentionally less sweet’ YQ by Yoplait: ‘It’s unlike anything that exists in the yogurt aisle today’

19-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

Following on from the success of its French-style yogurt Oui, General Mills has unveiled YQ by Yoplait, a 99% lactose-free yogurt made with ultra-filtered milk (milk filtered to concentrate the protein and reduce the lactose/milk sugar) that “delivers...

BlueNalu enters ‘cellular aquaculture’ space with funding from New Crop Capital

16-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

Another start-up in the burgeoning cultured meat arena has emerged from stealth mode this month in the form of San Diego-based BlueNalu, which aims to make a splash in the cellular aquaculture field with cell-cultured seafood products after raising an...

FDA announces public meeting on cultured meat, says it can be regulated under existing frameworks

15-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

With a clutch of start-ups getting closer to commercialization of cell-cultured meat (aka ‘clean meat’) the FDA has announced a public meeting to give stakeholders the chance to comment on the technology and the terminology used to describe it, and suggested...

Atkins could see a boost from failed keto dieters looking for a less restrictive, low-carb option

13-Jun-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Rising consumer interest in the high-fat ketogenic diet, and the subsequent frustration many feel trying to adhere to the restrictive approach, could prompt a new wave of people to turn to the low-carb Atkins diet as a more flexible option that shares...

Organic stakeholders laud draft Senate Farm Bill for increased funding for research & oversight

12-Jun-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

“Much needed” federal funding for organic research, education and outreach could double in the next two years if measures in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s draft farm bill released June 8 make it into the final farm bill.

Private industry must reassure international partners to help preserve trade

12-Jun-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Food and beverage manufacturers and suppliers must actively reassure their partners abroad that they are reliable even as the US pulls out of key international trade arrangements and negotiations around the North American Free Trade Agreement hit the...

'Hummus is gaining momentum globally as a delicious feel good-food'

Sabra appoints Tomer Harpaz as its new CEO: 'We are witnessing the emergence of the next wave of hummus in the US...'

11-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

The nation’s leading hummus brand – Sabra - has appointed Strauss Coffee CEO Tomer Harpaz as its new CEO, replacing Shali Shalit-Shoval, who recently returned home to family overseas after five years with the company.

Seattle Food Tech unveils mission to ‘catapult meat alternative production toward price parity with animal-based meat’

07-Jun-2018 By Elaine Watson

Big institutions (schools, hospitals, colleges) buy processed meat products such as chicken nuggets because they’re familiar, convenient and affordable, says Seattle Food Tech So if you can offer a plant-based alternative that tastes the same, looks the...

Tyson acquires organic chicken brand

05-Jun-2018 By Aidan Fortune

Tyson Foods has acquired organic chicken brand Tecumseh Poultry LLC for an undisclosed sum.

Huel CEO: ‘We believe, over time, people will refer to complete food as a category’

04-Jun-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Since making its US debut nearly a year ago, Huel has reached $10m in sales and found that its company mission of providing complete, convenient, and sustainable nutrition resonates with a global audience.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Which diets are hot and how do evolving perceptions of ‘health’ influence purchases?

01-Jun-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Americans’ obsession with dieting is nothing new, but which diets are in and which ones are out is constantly shifting – creating a marketing nightmare for food and beverage brands that want to link their products to consumers’ desired outcomes.

Ready for clean meat? JUST founder predicts consumers will get first taste of lab-grown goods this year

29-May-2018 By Gary Scattergood

JUST CEO Josh Tetrick has predicted that consumers will be able to get their first taste of lab-grown, clean meat by the end of this year – with the product likely to first debut in restaurants.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How collagen moved from beauty cream to a superfood & what’s next

25-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Collagen has long held a place of worth in the beauty industry for its proclaimed abilities to reverse the signs of aging, strengthen nails and thicken hair, but now it is expanding into food and beverage where its restorative powers are quickly earning...

Pacific Foods goes after bone broth, non-dairy milk segments with branding focused on nourishment

23-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

With newly minted branding centered on nourishment and a range of new products launching, Pacific Foods is angling to claim as its own the burgeoning bone broth category as well as secure a larger share of the booming plant-based milk segment, according...

‘Don’t hold back’: Studies support eggs for heart health and prediabetics

22-May-2018 By Stephen Daniells

An egg a day may reduce risk of stroke by 26%, and eating up to 12 per week does not negatively impact cholesterol for people with pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, according to a couple of new studies.

REBBL lands $20M to expand its portfolio & the impact of its mission to end human trafficking

21-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The already fast-growing coconut milk-based beverage manufacturer REBBL is primed for exponential growth this year thanks in part to a $20 million investment led by CAVU Venture Partners that will allow it to expand distribution, launch new products and...

‘The familiarity factor’: Consumers want recognisable protein sources

21-May-2018 By Katy Askew

As consumer interest in protein continues to grow food makers are working to differentiate themselves based on protein source. But, new research suggests, consumers are most accepting of proteins that are recognisable and familiar.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What will it take to reawaken sleepy cereal sales?

18-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

For years ready-to-eat cereal has suffered sleepy sales and battled nightmarish consumer perceptions around poor nutrition and lack of convenience, but several natural and organic manufacturers are hoping the reawaken the category with better-for-you...

Ill considered’ cattlemen’s petition ‘would cause chaos’ in the marketplace,’ claims North American Meat Institute

18-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

Attempts by the US Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) to restrict use of the terms ‘beef’ and ‘meat’ to products from animals ‘born, raised, and harvested in the traditional manner,’ are “ill considered,” claims the North American Meat Institute (NAMI).

Clean meat: ‘Traditional animal agriculture has reached capacity,’ says Future Meat Technologies

17-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

Israeli cultured meat (aka 'clean' meat) start-up Future Meat Technologies reckons it can bring prices down from around $800/kilo today to as little as $8/kilo for its cell-cultured meat in six to eight months.

Kraft Heinz efforts to tackle global hunger underscore broader benefits of CSR

16-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

With an estimated one in three people suffering from malnutrition, the extent of hunger around the world is significant – but so too is the impact of investments in malnutrition prevention, such as those made this week in Washington, DC, by Kraft Heinz.

‘There should be no ambiguity and no exemptions…’

First wave of stakeholders weighs in on ‘bioengineered’ labels: 'Exemptions make the useless rule even more useless...”

15-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

If the first wave of comments to its proposed rule on GMO labeling is anything to go by, USDA’s agricultural marketing service faces a daunting task as it seeks to nail down its national bioengineered food disclosure standard, with early feedback revealing...

Good Food Institute urges lawmakers to strike passage in spending bill mandating new regs for clean meat

14-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

The Good Food Institute (GFI) – a non-profit representing players in the plant-based and cultured meat sectors – has written to the House Appropriations Committee asking that it strike a passage in the agriculture appropriations bill requiring the USDA...

Former Starbucks exec appointed as Caveman Foods’ new CEO

11-May-2018 By Douglas Yu

Paleo snacks producer Caveman Foods has appointed former Starbucks executive, Jeff Hansberry, as its new CEO.

Skip the cartoons and lectures when teaching kids to eat healthily, advise teenage entrepreneurs

09-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Manufacturers and public health advocates hoping to inspire children to eat more healthily will have better luck if they partner with kids to deliver the message rather than adults who could be perceived as talking down to the target audience, delegates...

My/Mo Mochi Ice Cream hits almost 10,000 stores in 18 months: 'This business scaled at a pace no one was expecting'

08-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

My/Mo mochi – portable 110-calorie ice cream bites encased in chewy sweet rice dough – are now in almost 10,000 stores from Walmart and Safeway to Wegmans and Kroger after fewer than 18 months on the market.

Half of plant-based meat manufacturer Impossible Foods' expansion plans targeted at Asia

08-May-2018 By Tingmin Koe

Almost half of plant-based meat and dairy firm Impossible Foods’ growth plans are targeted at Asia, which has been described as a “really critical market” by chief strategy officer Nick Halla.

Fishpeople CEO: ‘Seafood is stuck in the '20s’

07-May-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers aren’t shopping for seafood the same way they shop for other fresh category products, and it shows, with overall seafood sales remaining sluggish mainly due to unique barriers that don’t exist in other fresh food areas.

USDA proposed rule on GMO labeling raises more questions than answers

03-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has published a long-awaited proposed rule to establish GMO labeling standards (the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard), but still leaves most of the key questions – including how to interpret its...

Tyson Ventures invests in Israeli clean meat start-up Future Meat Technologies

02-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

Tyson Ventures - the venture arm of meat packer Tyson Foods - has co-led a $2.2m funding round in Israeli cultured meat (aka 'clean' meat) start-up Future Meat Technologies, four months after investing in US-based cultured meat firm Memphis...

Departure Snacks makes global flavors – and the cultures they come from -- accessible at a local level

02-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

On the surface, consumer demand for global flavors and desire to eat locally appear to contradict, but Chicago-based startup Departure Snacks has found a way to combine the two – creating a synergistic sales model and allowing consumers to have their...

Addressing consumer confusion about healthy eating could help better-for-you brands succeed

02-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Companies that want to win over shoppers seeking a healthier life must do more than simply offer better for you brands – they also must clear up the widespread confusion about nutrition that holds consumers back from making meaningful dietary changes,...

Aleph Farms CEO on its 3D cultured beef: 'Unlike other companies, our meat grows together like real meat'

02-May-2018 By Niamh Michail

Israeli start-up Aleph Farms' proprietary "three dimensional" process holistically grows all parts of meat - muscle, fat, blood vessels and connective tissue - together, yielding a 'free-range' taste and texture.

'We can accommodate clean meat within the existing regulatory framework...'

Approving cattlemen’s petition would have a “chilling” effect on food innovation, says Memphis Meats

02-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

Attempts by the US Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) to restrict use of the terms ‘beef’ and ‘meat’ to products from animals ‘born, raised, and harvested in the traditional manner,’ would have a “chilling” effect on innovation “at a time when the global...

'We can produce up to 10,000 cows’ worth of meat with a single biopsy'

Memphis Meats: ‘What’s common in Silicon Valley is that you move fast and break things, but that's an awful way to approach making food’

02-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

Excitement is building as cultured meat approaches commercialization, but “science does not occur in a cultural vacuum” and bringing consumers and regulators with you on the journey is more important than being first to market, says clean meat start-up...

Clean meat start-up SuperMeat raises US$4m with backing from traditional industry players

02-May-2018 By Lester Wan

Israeli Clean meat start-up SuperMeat has announced it has raised close to US$4m from its seed funding round.

Families that manage severe allergies need options in every category, according to Safe + Fair’s CEO

01-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Offering lunchbox products for school children is a natural starting point for companies serving those with allergies because this is one of the most challenging meals and environments, but it also is only a small part of the much-larger problem, according...

Habit meal delivery business on hold as testing and nutrition plan components ramp up

Habit personalized nutrition CEO: 'We're not just biology-based, we're behavior-based'

30-Apr-2018 By Elaine Watson

Personalized nutrition platform Habit was originally billed as "food company, not just a recommendation engine." However, delivery of customized fresh prepared meals based on its dietary advice – trialed in the Bay Area last year – is on hold...

Popped water lily seeds offer an even-better-for-you alternative to popcorn, says start-up Taali

30-Apr-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Ready-to-eat popcorn is a posterchild of the better-for-you snack movement, but the co-founders of start-up Taali Foods think they can do even better with launch of a line of popped and roasted water lily seeds, which pack more protein and nutrients than...

The Beverage Forum

LA Libations CEO: It used to be just about taste and refreshment, now consumers want it all

27-Apr-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Functional beverages have come a long way since consumers first got a taste of drinks that delivered more than taste and refreshment, LA Libations founder and CEO Danny Stepper said at The Beverage Forum in Chicago this week.

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: What is behind the overnight explosion of puffs?

27-Apr-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Once considered simply a children’s snack that parents would sneak when no one was looking, puffs suddenly are everywhere – and for everyone – thanks to their better-for-you profile, new sophisticated flavors, increasingly diverse bases and playful shapes...

Health & nutrition disparities faced by older, low-income Americans reveals marketing opportunity

26-Apr-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

New research showing low-income, older Americans want to eat well to improve their health, but face additional barriers to doing so compared to their wealthier counterparts also reveals a marketing opportunity for better-for-you and wellness-oriented...