Proteins

Cargill & PURIS team to expand production of pea protein to feed demand for plant-based options

17-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

A joint venture between ingredient suppliers Cargill and PURIS announced today will allow for the significant expansion of pea protein production at a time when more consumers are looking for plant-based options that deliver health benefits, are sustainable...

New cuts and old breeds of meat beat vegetable-centric dishes as top trends for 2018, chefs predict

16-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

For all the strides plant-based diets made in 2017, including the growing popularity of veggie burgers that bleed, cauliflower rice and zucchini noodles, new cuts of meat is predicted to be the number one food trend to watch in 2018, according to the...

Mosa Meat CEO on clean meat, competition and disrupting a $1 trillion market

16-Jan-2018 By Niamh Michail

In 2013, Mosa Meat showed the world what clean meat looks like; 'Burger 2.0' will now be ready in under 2 years. But it's not a case of being first, the CEO says. “The global meat market is worth over one trillion dollars. Four companies...

FDA to ‘modernize certain standards of identity’ as part of strategic policy roadmap

13-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

The FDA has signaled its intent to “modernize certain standards of identity” in its 2018 strategic roadmap, suggesting that it might, after all, weigh into the plant-based ‘milk’ and ‘cheese’ debate in 2018, although it has not clarified which standards...

University research spinoff bets on protein play for whole algae power

12-Jan-2018 By Hank Schultz

Startup Triton Algae Innovations is betting on a whole-cell protein positioning for an algae species that has been researched for years for its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredient production potential.

An estimated 70% of Beyond Burger fans are meat eaters, not vegans/vegetarians, says Beyond Meat

12-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

An estimated 70% of purchasers of the plant-based Beyond Burger are flexitarians - meat eaters that are cutting down on meat – as opposed to hardcore vegans or vegetarians, validating the initially controversial decision to merchandise the product in...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: When and where to place marketing bets on fast-moving diet trends in 2018

12-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

A high fat diet may not sound like a logical way to shed extra pounds, but consumers are flocking to the controversial ketogenics diet as a way to manage their weight and in doing so are creating a new market ripe for innovation but not necessarily longevity,...

From aquafaba and maca to garam masala: Kerry predicts 2018 ingredient and flavor trends

12-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

What are the emerging flavors and ingredients food and beverage manufacturers should watch in 2018 as they formulate new products, and refresh existing ones? Kerry has put together some charts to help firms explore new possibilities in sweet, savory,...

Finding that many protein bars have more fat & sugar than a doughnut could tarnish their health halo

08-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

New research from a health, sports and travel specialist insurer casts a shadow over the health halo of protein bars, which consumers increasingly reach for as an easy way to stave off hunger after a workout and because they perceive them as a more nutritious...

Oikos Triple Zero sales up 22% in 2017, says Dannon as it unveils 2018 ‘Fuel your hustle’ campaign, tests new International Delight yogurts

08-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

Sales of high protein, low sugar Greek yogurt brand Oikos Triple Zero grew by 22% in the year to December 24, 2017, said brand owner Dannon, which has enlisted Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to front its new ad campaign and started road testing...

Kite Hill still searching for CEO

04-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

Almondmilk-fueled brand Kite Hill is still looking for a replacement for CEO Matthew Sade, who departed in April after nearly four years at the helm to cofound kids’ food start-up Freeli Foods.

NMPF ups ante in plant-based dairy labeling debate... but is the FDA listening?

04-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

Kite Hill has defended its decision to use the term ‘almond milk yogurt’ on labels after being singled out by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) in a New Year salvo aimed at re-igniting the debate over the labeling of plant-based dairy alternatives....

Dieting has become a dirty word in food marketing, says Atkins

Ditching the diet? Atkins hires Rob Lowe to spread healthy lifestyle message: ‘A life well lived is not measured in pounds and ounces’

03-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

Weight management brand Atkins Nutritionals has deployed movie star Rob Lowe – it’s first male brand ambassador – to front a new campaign focusing on living a healthy lifestyle, rather than ‘dieting,’ as it reaches out to the ‘tens of millions’ of Americans...

Tofurky’s family-owned status, B-Corp certification could give it edge in competitive plant-based category, says CEO

03-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Plant-based food manufacturer Tofurky’s stubborn status as an independent, family-owned company focused on “purpose over profits” could give it a competitive edge over other players in the space that were recently acquired by parent companies that might...

Cultured fish co Finless Foods aims to achieve price parity with Bluefin tuna by the end of 2019

21-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

Bay area start-up Finless Foods – one of a new wave of cellular agriculture companies producing meat by culturing cells (without raising or slaughtering animals) – has slashed production costs by 50% since September and is aiming to achieve price parity...

VIDEO: What's your vision for the future of food?

19-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

From entrepreneurs pioneering new farming methods and food technologies, to big brands adjusting to the changing landscape, FOOD VISION USA 2017 brought together a wide cross-section of industry players to explore how the industry is facing the challenges...

News in brief

Direct to consumer company Daily Harvest raises $43m: 'The first major innovation in frozen since TV dinners'

19-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

New York-based smoothie delivery brand Daily Harvest - one of a new breed of online operators targeting time poor consumers prepared to pay for a service that makes healthy eating convenient and easy by delivering customized products to their doorsteps...

Animal-free dairy offers nutrition and functionality of milk without industrial animal farming

Perfect Day in talks with food industry partners to commercialize animal-free dairy ingredients

19-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

Berkeley-based Perfect Day – which is creating ‘vegan’ dairy proteins without cows – is in talks with food industry partners about scaling up production in order to introduce dairy ingredients that vegans, vegetarians and dairy lovers alike can enjoy...

New in brief

Beyond Meat expands plant-based portfolio with Beyond Sausage

18-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Sausage - the latest innovation from plant-based brand Beyond Meat – is made with pea protein isolate, fava bean protein, rice protein, potato starch, coconut oil and beet juice “to deliver on the juicy, satisfying taste and texture of pork sausage,...

OTA promises to fight USDA decision to withdrawal popular organic animal welfare final rule

18-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

To the “dismay” of the Organic Trade Association and against the vast majority of comments submitted by industry, the USDA proposes to withdraw a final rule outlining new animal welfare standards for organic producers that was passed in the 11th hour...

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: Challenges in complementary feeding reveal opportunities for baby food

15-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

The baby food aisle is undergoing a renaissance with new packaging, processing and flavor combinations aimed at presenting better-for-you options that promise to help children grow up healthy – and yet, childhood obesity remains a huge problem in the...

Banza picks up new business with Ahold, Kroger

Banza chickpea pasta rolls out to 8,000+ stores: ‘We’re one of the most productive pastas in the set’

15-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

Chickpea-fueled pasta brand Banza is now in 8,000+ locations after striking deals with Kroger and Ahold that have added 2,000+ stores to its footprint, but remains laser focused on velocity as part of its bid to be the “most productive pasta in the set”...

Consumers increasingly dictate production, retail placement through emerging fork-to-farm model

13-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Increasingly savvy shoppers who are well-versed in food production and nutrition are turning the tables on the farm-to-fork marketing model that once educated them and influenced what they consumed to create a fork-to-farm model that requires producers,...

Legal dispute that threatened to derail $700m Campbell Soup/Pacific Foods deal has been 'amicably resolved'

12-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

A legal dispute that threatened to derail Campbell Soup’s acquisition of Pacific Foods has been “amicably resolved,” enabling the $700m deal to go through.

Soylent products now in 500+ bricks & mortar stores including H.E.B. and 7-Eleven

Bryan Crowley assumes CEO role at Soylent, gears up for wider bricks & mortar rollout after trial at 7-Eleven ‘blew away our expectations’

11-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

Bryan Crowley is moving into the CEO role at Los Angeles-based Soylent as the high-profile meal replacement brand seeks to expand its retail footprint in bricks & mortar stores following a trial at 7-Eleven that “blew away our expectations.”

Rice Bran Technologies exits Brazil in effort to stem losses

11-Dec-2017 By Hank Schultz

Rice Bran Technologies has exited the Brazilian market and will concentrate on growing its ingredients business in North America, the company announced recently.

Geltor seeks to disrupt gelatin market with potentially game-changing animal-free alternative

Geltor creates designer proteins using cellular agriculture: ‘Scale is one of the biggest hurdles’

08-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

As anyone that’s tried a vegan gummy bear lately will tell you, it’s incredibly hard to replicate the unique properties of gelatin, a gelling agent derived from animal skin, bones and connective tissues used in everything from candies to Jello. But what...

Beyond Meat raises $55m in round led by Cleveland Avenue LLC

Meat giant Tyson Foods increases stake in plant-based brand Beyond Meat: a 'fantastic alternative for consumers'

08-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat – the plant-based company behind the Beyond Burger (the first meat-free burger to be merchandised in the meat counter) – has raised $55m in a financing round led by VC firm Cleveland Avenue, LLC, and supported by meat giant Tyson Foods.

Plant-based ‘milk’ debate is a ‘bunch of rubbish’

NadaMoo! dairy-free brand could extend beyond frozen desserts, says CEO

08-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

The NadaMoo! coconut milk fueled dairy-free brand – which has been growing at an explosive, triple-digit pace over the past three years – is exploring moves beyond the frozen case into new plant-based categories, says its CEO.

Clean meat is greener, claims Hampton Creek: ‘Animal agriculture is a relatively inefficient way to create the foods that we want’

08-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

The first commercial products from Hampton Creek’s clean (aka cultured) meat production platform – launching at the end of 2018 - will be in the poultry family, and could be targeted at retail and foodservice customers, says the company, which has just...

NadaMoo! raises $4m to fuel plant-based frozen dessert ambitions

07-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

NadaMoo! – which is carving out a niche at the premium end of the dairy-free frozen dessert market with its organic coconut milk based wares – has raised $4m in a Series A financing round led by InvestEco Capital and supported by District Ventures Capital,...

Individual snacking category hits $33 billion, Nielsen data

30-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Snack products with specific healthful claims have experienced the strongest uptick in sales, say a new insights from Nielsen, as the category reaches $33 billion in the US.

Eliminating animal-based food production might not be panacea for improved health

30-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite the rising popularity and much-touted health benefits of plant-based diets, new research suggests a complete shift away from animal-based food production in the US would “create a food supply incapable of supporting the US population’s nutritional...

No Cow launches high-protein cookies that are craveable yet guilt-free

28-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

The young founder of the No Cow snack company may be a self-proclaimed “fitness enthusiast” but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t crave cookies like many other Americans – which is why he says he is launching a new line of high-protein, better-for-you cookies...

Before Brands' SpoonfulOne tackles food allergies with safe early exposure for children

27-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

With FDA’s recent first-of-kind qualified health claim for peanut allergy prevention and completion of a big national safety study under its belt, the timing couldn’t have been better for Before Brands to launch its SpoonfulOne product aimed early and...

FOOD VISION USA 2017... THE TRAILBLAZERS: ‘Grasshoppers are almost neutral in taste and flavor,’ says Hargol FoodTech CEO

21-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

Grasshoppers have several distinct advantages over crickets as a food ingredient, claims Dror Tamir at Israeli edible insect start-up Hargol FoodTech, who caught up with FoodNavigator-USA editor Elaine Watson at FOOD VISION USA in Chicago.

‘Needed’: FDA issues draft guidance for best practices for GRAS panels

20-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Hailed by experts as ‘needed’ and ‘significant’, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance on best practices to follow when convening a panel of experts to evaluate whether a substance is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).

Fresh, filled and free-from: General Mills seeks patent on gluten-free pastas

13-Nov-2017 By Kacey Culliney

General Mills is seeking to patent a way to make gluten-free and reduced-gluten fresh, filled pastas such as ravioli without any breakages or tears during processing.

Per capita consumption of dairy milk beverages plunges 22% between 2000 and 2016; plant-based alternatives pick up the slack

09-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

US per capita consumption of dairy milk beverages decreased by 22% from 197 pounds to 154 pounds between 2000 and 2016, according to data* from USDA’s economic research service, with the biggest drop in fat-free and skim milk (whole milk in contrast is...

Field Roast founder: ‘Food isn’t a place where people want to get dazzled by tech

09-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

Field Roast Grain Meat Co makes vegan roasts, sausages, burgers and cheese. But it’s not in the meat or dairy ‘analog’ business, stresses co-founder, and CEO David Lee. “I’m not making fake beef or Monterey Jack. I’m not trying to mimic or imitate specific...

Beyond brogurt... Powerful raises $4m, plans more high-protein innovations

07-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

Powerful – the four-year-old brand credited with launching the ‘brogurt’ category – has raised $4m to support its protein-fueled ambitions, and says it now does more business with women than men.

Field Trip enters pork rinds category: ‘We see this as a major growth opportunity’

06-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

Field Trip - which burst onto the premium jerky scene in 2010 and expanded into the meat sticks market in 2016 – is entering the pork rinds category later this year to target consumers looking for an alternative to potato chips in the salty snacks aisle.

New York Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis invests ‘significant’ sum in Zing Bars

01-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

They had a pretty lengthy courtship, but two years after they first began wooing New York Knicks player Kristaps Porzingis, Seattle-based vitality brand Zing Bar has tied the knot with the NBA star, who has made a ‘significant’ investment in the company,...

From jianbang and moringa to Café de Olla: Six culinary trends to watch in 2018

01-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

From chickpea tofu to spiced coffee, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) highlights six culinary trends it predicts will inspire packaged foods and foodservice menus in 2018.

Could zein be a clean label alternative to glycerin in snacks?

01-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Zein, a protein from corn, could serve as more label-friendly alternative to glycerin, says the director of business development for the only US-based zein supplier.

Products made with legumes, lentils & peas still have bead on pulse of Americans

01-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

The arrival of 2017 may have marked the end of the year of the pulse, but new products featuring lentils and legumes continue to flood the market and gain traction with consumers thanks to the many benefits they offer, including weight management, heart...

Califia Farms balances demands for sugar reduction with desire for a touch of sweetness

31-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the war on sugar gains momentum, plant-based beverage company Califia Farms is cutting back the sugar content across its product portfolio by 40% while still offering consumers who want something sweet options that are more in-line with World Health...

FDA proposes to revoke health claim for soy protein and reduced risk of heart disease; Soyfoods association 'concerned' by move

30-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

The FDA is proposing to revoke a health claim on the relationship between soy protein and reduced risk of heart disease, citing “inconsistent findings” from research published since the claim was authorized in 1999.

Campbell Soup joins Plant Based Foods Association

30-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

Campbell Soup – which is leaving the Grocery Manufacturers Association after finding itself “at odds with some of its positions” - is joining the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), a new trade association dedicated to boosting consumption of plant-based...

Pistachios could help moms-to-be snack safely while controlling their blood sugar levels, study reveals

30-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

New research on the health benefits of pistachios to help manage gestational diabetes could open up a whole new consumer group for the nut and the products that contain it, according to researchers and nutritionists who spoke at the Food & Nutrition...