Proteins

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

16-Aug-2016 By Elaine Watson

If you think producing gelatin from a genetically engineered micro-organism in fermentation tanks doesn’t sound like something Grandma would do; hydrolyzing collagen from animal skin, bones and connective tissues on an industrial scale isn’t exactly a...

Birch Benders: 'The pancake mix category has been stuck in the dark ages'

15-Aug-2016 By Elaine Watson

If you want to take a journey back in time on your next trip to the grocery store, go buy some pancake mix, says the co-founder of Birch Benders, a Boulder-based start-up seeking to shake up a sleepy category with fresh ideas, recipes and packaging to...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What does it take to drive up seafood consumption in the US?

12-Aug-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Seafood checks many of today’s on-trend boxes, including being high in lean protein and omega-3 fatty acids, sustainable, natural and minimally processed – yet consumption of it in the US continues to fall, prompting manufacturers and public health advocates...

Shanti Protein & Energy Bars make superfoods accessible to the masses, focus on consumer education

10-Aug-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

For all their hype, superfoods often are restricted to trend-setting consumers with higher incomes who shop the natural channel, but the makers of Shanti Protein and Energy Bars want to change that by making the ingredients easily available to the masses...

IFT in review

Gluten-free products are evolving to be more nutritious, flavorful, Firebird Artisan Mills says

08-Aug-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

The gluten free market in the US remains hot, but as the category becomes more crowded, manufacturers must offer products with added appeal to stay competitive – such as a protein boost from pulses or an added dose of fiber and flavor with ancient grains,...

Could 2017 be the breakout year for home-grown ancient grain sorghum?

08-Aug-2016 By Elaine Watson

It might not have attracted as much media attention as quinoa or chia, but sorghum – a home-grown gluten-free grain that is every bit as attractive in the nutritional and sustainability stakes - is steadily gaining traction in food applications, not least...

Mission possible: is Impossible Foods’ new plant-based burger a “breakthrough”?

05-Aug-2016 By David Burrows

It’s taken five years and a reported $80m (€72m) of research, but the meat-free burger that “bleeds” has finally arrived. The company behind it, Impossible Foods, believe its similarities to meat in texture, taste and smell make it a breakthrough product.

TerraVia CEO: Thrive culinary algae oil could be a sizeable consumer brand

05-Aug-2016 By Elaine Watson

TerraVia – formerly known as Solazyme – has been telling reporters (and investors) that algae is the next big thing in food for years. But when will it really start to change the game?

IFT 2016 in review

Dairy Permeate cuts manufacturing costs and sodium while boosting nutrition, USDEC says

04-Aug-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Most Americans consume more than 1.5 times the daily recommended cap for sodium – a staggering figure that prompted FDA to draft voluntary guidance earlier this summer for the food and beverage industry to drastically cut sodium levels in their products...

Health Warrior CEO to join CEO panel at Food Vision USA 2016

Health Warrior CEO: ‘We’d love to be a true umbrella brand for healthy nutrient dense whole foods’

04-Aug-2016 By Elaine Watson

Chia-fueled brand Health Warrior will be unveiling new products next year that utilize other nutrient-dense whole foods, says CEO Shane Emmett, who is predicting a 40-60% rise in revenues in 2016 “depending on where certain orders land.”

Stouffer’s harnesses blogger power to reach new consumers

03-Aug-2016 By Adi Menayang

A lot has changed since Abraham and Mahala Stouffer transformed their buttermilk and biscuits stand in 1920s Ohio into a chain of restaurants spanning the rustbelt, which then expanded into one of the first frozen TV dinner giants in the nation by the...

First biological reasons for wheat sensitivity identified: Study

03-Aug-2016 By Natalie MORRISON

Biological reasons for wheat sensitivity in non-coeliacs have been discovered for the first time, scientists say.

'We’ve said no to every meal kit company that’s approached us'

Powerplant Ventures targets 'emerging plant-centric companies' with $42m fund, but steers clear of meal kits and cultured meat

03-Aug-2016 By Elaine Watson

Powerplant Ventures - a venture fund led by Mark Rampolla (founder, ZICO), Kevin Boylan and T.K. Pillan (co-founders, Veggie Grill) and Dan Beldy (formerly head of Disney’s venture arm) –has closed a $42m fund aimed at “emerging plant-centric companies.”

New NGS DNA testing methods will replace PCR, predicts Clear Labs

Are ‘GMO-free’ (as opposed to ‘non-GMO’) claims legally defensible?

03-Aug-2016 By Elaine Watson

As the Non-GMO Project states on its website, ‘GMO-free’ claims are “not legally or scientifically defensible due to limitations of testing methodology" coupled with cross-contamination risks. In future, however, that could change as testing methods...

Country Archer carves out niche beyond ‘Whole Foods Crowd’ in meat bar category

02-Aug-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

The nascent meat bar category is filling up fast, but there is still plenty of room for products that target niche consumers beyond the “Whole Foods Crowd,” according to the CEO of Country Archer, which is one of the latest companies to enter the segment. 

Is the US pea protein market at a tipping point?

02-Aug-2016 By Stephen Daniells

Demand for plant proteins continues to rise, and pea protein’s sustainability, non-allergenicity and non-GMO message is edging the ingredient to a tipping point.

$3.7M investment helps NurturMe refine its position in baby food category for long-term growth

01-Aug-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

After carving out a niche in the competitive baby- and toddler food categories with its quinoa-based products, NurturMe is ready to expand its portfolio and reach with new ingredients, products and distribution with the help of a $3.7 million investment...

Scientists to trial cockroach milk as a future protein supplement

28-Jul-2016 By Douglas Yu & Jenny Eagle

Scientists have discovered cockroach milk is four times more nutritious than cow's milk with a protein that releases energy slowly over a long period of time.

IFT 2016 in review

Replacement ingredients fail to fulfill full functionality of eggs across platforms, AEB funded research shows

27-Jul-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

New research showing the superior function and flavor of eggs compared to replacement ingredients in baked goods is part of a larger effort by The American Egg Board to win back manufacturers that reformulated recipes with fewer eggs during the Avian...

It's time to put whey and casein back together, exec says

27-Jul-2016 By Hank Schultz

Cutting milk proteins apart has been all the rage in recent years. But Benoit Turpin of Milk Specialities Global said the market is now starting to come around to the idea that Mother Nature did a pretty good job with the original protein and using it...

Sunrise Strategic Partners invests in Kodiak Cakes

26-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

Sunrise Strategic Partners - a Colorado-based accelerator of emerging brands - has made a minority investment in Utah-based Kodiak Cakes, which makes high protein breakfast items from pancake mixes to flapjacks.

IFT 2016 part two: Ingredients and trends to watch

26-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

In part two of our IFT 2016 highlights gallery, we explore trends from the showfloor and the education sessions, spanning sprouted grains, stevia blends and natural antioxidants, colors and flavors, to novel sources of protein.

SuperMeat is working on cultured chicken liver meat, minced meat and chicken breast meat

SuperMeat founder: ‘The first company that gets to market with cultured meat that is cost effective is going to change the world’

20-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

Cultured meat may be a novelty today, but it could be a food staple in the future, predicts Israeli start-up SuperMeat, which claims to have developed a process enabling cells to grow more rapidly with fewer inputs than rivals, without using animal serum.

Global Pulse Confederation unveils 'Made with Pulses' seal at the IFT show

19-Jul-2016 By Elaine WATSON

A new ‘Made with Pulses’ logo has been unveiled at the IFT show in a bid to help food and beverage manufacturers flag up their use of beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas – which are gaining traction as awareness grows of their nutrition and sustainability...

IFT 2016 part one: Bad science, correlation vs causation, and what consumers think clean label means

19-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

What's on trend at IFT 2016? Protein remains hot, non-GMO is even hotter, and the pressure to 'clean up' food labels is stronger than ever. Edible insects are still a talking a point, even if the novelty has worn off a little, and beans,...

What's the size of the 'plant-based' food and beverage prize?

18-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of plant-based foods & beverages grew 3.4% to $4.9bn in the year to June 12, 2016, with particularly strong growth in cheese alternatives and refrigerated nut milks, according to new data from SPINS.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How is consumer interest in health reshaping how they choose chocolate?

15-Jul-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers’ increasing demand for healthier options is reshaping the competitive landscape across categories – including indulgent ones such as chocolate, where they increasingly want darker chocolate, nutritious inclusions, and new formats that help them...

Sens Booker and Lee propose checkoff reform bill as a 'direct response to egg board scandal'

14-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) have proposed legislation designed to bring more “transparency and accountability” to federal commodity check off programs as “a direct response to the egg board scandal and past checkoff program misconduct.”

Frozen custard and dairy-free biggest climbers in ice cream category, says Nielsen

13-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of non-dairy ice cream surged 43.7% to $75.2m in the year to May 28, as more consumers enjoyed almond and coconut-based products in addition to dairy, while frozen custard has also generated significant growth (+134%) over the same period,...

Your guide to IFT 2016: From eBeam processing to brainfood, plant-based proteins & genomics

13-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

Are all these 'alternative proteins' as sustainable as we think? Is there real money to be made from acid whey? And will electron beam processing be as disruptive as high pressure processing? Check out FoodNavigator-USA's guide to the hottest...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Lotito Foods’ Folios could revolutionize how consumers use cheese

11-Jul-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers walking down the dairy aisle at a typical grocery store see a wide variety of cheese formats – from blocks to bricks to strings to shakers – but now there is a new format that could revolutionize the way consumers use cheese. 

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Five trends spotted at Summer Fancy Food Show

08-Jul-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

With thousands of startups, innovators and established brands packed into one convention center, the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City is a hotbed for spotting emerging and maturing trends in the food and beverage space.

Danone to acquire WhiteWave Foods in $12.5bn deal boosting presence in organics, plant-based foods

07-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

Danone is to acquire WhiteWave Foods – which has been seen as an attractive takeover target since its spin-off from Dean Foods – in a $12.5bn deal that will almost double the size of its US business from 12% to 22% and give it a stronger presence in fast-growing...

The Summer Fancy Food Show

Children’s snacks are ‘complete white space’ for paleo products, says exec from The New Primal

07-Jul-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the primal or paleo trend continues to mature, subscribers are no longer restricted to fitness enthusiasts and CrossFitters who served as ground-zero for the diet, according to Jason Burke, co-owner and founder of meat snack company The New Primal. 

trimino co-founder: ‘Our aim is to completely dominate the protein water market’

06-Jul-2016 By Elaine Watson

Many protein-packed shakes have a loyal following, but they can also pack a hefty caloric punch if you’re sipping them at your desk rather than after a grueling workout, observes Casey Hoban, who says growing numbers of consumers are seeking beverages...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Manufacturers use quinoa for added nutrition, texture, color and function

05-Jul-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Manufacturers have long-embraced quinoa for its many nutritional benefits, but at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City in late June it became apparent that increasingly they also are incorporating the ingredient into their products for other reasons,...

Plant-based Beyond Burger to roll out across Whole Foods: ‘The reception has just been remarkable’

30-Jun-2016 By Elaine Watson

The Beyond Burger – the first refrigerated plant-based patty to sit in the meat counter - is set to roll out across Whole Foods in the coming months after wildly exceeding expectations in test markets, says brand owner Beyond Meat.

Chobani secures 20% share of US spoonable yogurt category: ‘We’re back on the front foot and playing offense’

30-Jun-2016 By Elaine Watson

Chobani says it has been steadily increasing its share of the total US refrigerated spoonable yogurt market over the past 16 months, moving up from 16.5% in February 2015 to 20% in May 2016 according to the latest Nielsen data*, while Yoplait-brand owner...

The Summer Fancy Food Show

Manufacturers answer FAO’s call to increase pulse consumption in 2016 with new bean-based snacks

29-Jun-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

In declaring 2016 the year of the pulse, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN issued a call to action to increase the consumption and popularity of legumes such as chickpeas, lentils and beans which are under used in the US.

Beans, peas, lentils, chickpeas: The hottest ingredients in the snack developer's toolbox?

29-Jun-2016 By Elaine Watson

North American pulse growers still export a lot of their wares, but domestic demand has ramped up significantly in recent years as beans, peas, chickpeas, and lentils have started to infiltrate every aisle in the grocery store, from hummus, bean dips,...

Brownies made with 40% chickpeas? That's Pure Genius...

28-Jun-2016 By Elaine Watson

Pure Genius brownies are moist, indulgent and satisfying. They also happen to contain 40% chickpeas (garbanzo beans are the #1 ingredient), flaxseed and oats, and half the calories of a regular brownie, coupled with a meaningful amount of fiber and protein.

Pulses, Seeds, and Grains

Rancho Gordo brings heirloom beans to American doorsteps

27-Jun-2016 By Adi Menayang

Working with farmers from Central California, Oregon, Washington, New Mexico, and Mexico, Napa-based Rancho Gordo is resurrecting long-forgotten beans and bringing them back to the American table.

Soup-to-nuts podcast

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Quinoa’s rise to superfood superstar status and the challenges it must address

24-Jun-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Quinoa was one of the first superfoods to take America by storm more than a decade ago, and one of the few such stars to sustain its reign long enough to push past being a fad food to become a staple on restaurant menus and households across the country,...

Federal GMO labeling bill hailed as 'true compromise,' but critics say it's woefully inadequate

23-Jun-2016 By Elaine Watson

Attempts to reach a federal GMO labeling solution have failed miserably to date. However, a bipartisan deal requiring mandatory GMO labeling (via smartlabels, symbols or as yet undetermined wording) thrashed out in the Senate on Thursday looks like it...

FitJoy CEO wants to break ‘candy bar in disguise’ stereotype in bar category

23-Jun-2016 By Adi Menayang

Sports nutrition company Cellucor is jumping into a crowded category with its launch of a new line of nutrition bars called FitJoy. With the suspicion that many nutrition bars are merely “candy bars in disguise,” what’s FitJoy doing differently?

Pulses, seeds, and grains

Inclusion of pulses in processed food grew the fastest, says Pulse Canada

22-Jun-2016 By Adi Menayang

Of the many culinary ways pulses can be used, inclusion as an ingredient in snack foods or pasta really ramped up, Pulse Canada data says. We chatted with the industry association to learn more about the state of pulses.

Field Trip Jerky unveils new packaging, targets 250% growth in 2016

22-Jun-2016 By Elaine Watson

Five years ago, all-natural credentials, premium packaging and culinary-inspired flavors were novel territory for jerky. Today, they are simply de-rigueur, and enterprising brands must find new ways to stay ahead of the game, says Field Trip Jerky, which...

Health & wellness concerns are fragmenting dairy milk, presenting more opportunity, survey shows

20-Jun-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

Traditional white dairy milk is becoming more colorful as consumers increasingly demand sustainability, functionality and flavor from a category that for years was dominated by only three choices: whole, low-fat and skim.

What will be the next hot probiotic product? Ganeden announces finalists to its Probiotic Innovation Jumpstart program

17-Jun-2016 By Adi Menayang

A probiotic smoothie bowl, probiotic creamy spread, or probiotic “protein energy balls” product will win the hearts of judges at IFT and award the entrepreneurs behind it with $25,000 and Ganeden’s support.

Taste Test Friday

Taste Test Friday: Banza chickpea pasta with One Hop Kitchen Bolognese offers a twist on a classic

17-Jun-2016 By Elizabeth Crawford

On the menu for this edition of Taste Test Friday is a blind sampling of a classic American-Italian meal: pasta with Bolognese sauce – but with a twist.