Proteins

Plum Organics sales surge 44% in 2015 as ‘food-forward’ formulations tap into needs of Millennial shoppers

16-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

Dollar sales of Plum Organics surged 44.2% in measured channels* in the past 52 weeks, 3.8 times the average rate of growth for brands in the organic baby food segment, says the company, which has secured a 7.2% share of the $1.6bn US baby food and snacks...

Both short- and long-term trends to boost demand for plant proteins, DuPont experts say

15-Dec-2015 By Hank Schultz

This is the season of repetitive themes: Christmas carols, holly garlands, inflatable Santas.  So it comes as no surprise that DuPont protein experts sound a familiar strain, too: Plant proteins were big in 2015 and they’re going to be even bigger in...

Algae-fueled VeganEgg has taken off like a rocketship, says Follow Your Heart

14-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

VeganEgg - a novel 100% plant-based whole egg replacer utilizing algae as its core ingredient - has taken off like a rocketship, says brand owner Follow Your Heart, which is ramping up production for a wider roll-out in 2016.

Beverage entrepreneurs and trends to watch: From bone broth to pecan milk

11-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

From veggie juice and bone broth combinations to pecan milk, teas brewed with wild-crafted chaga (a nutrient-packed fungus that grows on birch trees), bamboo leaves and the 'superherb' of the moment ashwagandha, the beverage aisle is a hotbed...

Rabobank connects winning startups of its inaugural FoodBytes! showcase with investors

09-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Startups ranging from the maker of fine sodas to an information management firm for farmers took center-stage at Rabobank North America Wholesale’s client appreciation event in New York City earlier this month where they were recognized as the winners...

8 healthy food trends to watch in 2016 that could influence children’s eating

04-Dec-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The shift towards cleaner, more nutrient dense foods will continue to spread in the US in the coming year with parents increasingly looking for healthy options for the whole family – including picky children, who in generations past might have been served...

Term ‘soymilk’ is not misleading, says judge in Trader’s Joe’s lawsuit

04-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

Is it lawful to use terms such as ‘almondmilk’ and ‘soymilk’ to describe plant-based beverages? Yes, according to a ruling from a California court this week, which has dismissed claims in a long-running class action lawsuit* v retailer Trader Joe's...

Atlantic Natural Foods snaps up plant-based food maker Neat Foods

01-Dec-2015 By Elaine Watson

Lancaster, PA-based Neat Foods – a small, but rapidly-growing player in the plant-based foods category – has been acquired by Atlantic Natural Foods LLC, which makes canned vegetarian products under the Meatless Select and Caroline’s brands.

Parabel breaks ground on large scale commercial farm to produce LENTEIN plant protein in Florida

25-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

Parabel – a new entrant to the burgeoning plant-based protein market - has signed a lease for 450 acres of land in Fellsmere, Florida, where it plans to build a $10m production facility for its water-lentil-based proteins.

Beverage trendwatching gallery: Smartwater sparkles, Mtn Dew heads to the dark side & Tio Gazpacho gets fruity

25-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

From vinegar-based sodas to caffeinated yogurt drinks, high-protein nut milks and yet more alkaline waters, check out FoodNavigator-USA's gallery of new beverage launches hitting US shelves this fall/winter.

Companies, producers rise to meet consumer demand for animal welfare

23-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Food and beverage manufacturers and suppliers are rising to meet the increasing consumer demand for humanely produced animal products – a trend which the American Humane Association celebrated last week on Capitol Hill in Washington. 

Pasture-raised eggs help fuel industry “renaissance,” Handsome Brook Farm co-founder says

23-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The egg industry is undergoing a “renaissance” as consumers increasingly turn their backs to conventional eggs from caged hens and reach instead for those from chickens raised with space to move and access to outdoors, claims the co-owner of Handsome...

Glanbia says new wheat protein has powerful sports, functional food possibilities

19-Nov-2015 By Hank Schultz

Glanbia Nutritionals is going all in on glutamine (and gluten) with a new wheat protein ingredient line it is bringing to the US market. Called HarvestPro, the new ingredient is anticipated to have a big future in sports nutrition and functional foods.

Union Kitchen: Inside a food and beverage incubator

Continual evolution is key to survival in competitive food market, Momme Meals exec says

18-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

To make it in the highly competitive food and beverage segment, startups need to listen to consumers and evolve to meet changing demands – even if that means letting go of their “baby,” says the founder of Momme Meals. 

Strong pulse: UN’s International Year of Pulses targets trade boost

17-Nov-2015 By Michael HURLEY

The United Nations (UN) is promoting the nutritional benefits of pulses through a year-long initiative.

Anti-egg campaign wants 2015 Dietary Guidelines to retain recommendation to limit cholesterol

16-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

In an effort to maintain the current Dietary Guideline recommendation to restrict cholesterol intake, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Nutrition has launched an aggressive public health campaign against eggs, which it says are the primary source...

Once Upon a Farm: In 3-5 years, every baby food section in the country will have a refrigerator

12-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

High-pressure-processing (HPP) – which gave birth to the super-premium juice category – will also play a disruptive role in the baby food market in the next five years, predict the founders of Once Upon a Farm, a new baby food brand in a pouch that will...

13 emerging restaurant trends for 2016 that likely will influence CPG food & beverages

11-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Demand for more plant-based, vegetable-forward food has been growing the past few years, but the trend will hit new heights in 2016 – taking over the center of the plate and more often than before fully replacing animal protein, predicts trend tracker...

Quest Nutrition president: 'Our goal is to end metabolic disease'

11-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

Quest Nutrition has a somewhat ambitious mission statement (“Our goal is to end metabolic disease,” says president Tom Bilyeu). But while it may be some time before the El Segundo-based firm can tick this particular goal off its checklist, its progress...

Plant-based dairy alternatives beyond beverage are fertile “growth plot,” WhiteWave CEO says

11-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

WhiteWave Foods’ efforts to expand the plant-based dairy alternative category beyond beverage and outside of the natural channel already is paying off for the company, and it holds significant promise for the larger category’s and retailers’ future, executives...

Carrington Farms makes healthy ingredients more accessible with convenient, value-added packages

10-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Eating healthy shouldn’t be hard, but all too often it is – in part because superfoods frequently are sold in large containers and inconvenient formats that can be daunting to category newcomers, according to a health food industry veteran. 

Exo’s launch of savory insect-based nutrition bars marries two small, but high-profile snack trends

05-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Two relatively small, but high-profile snack categories are merging with the Nov. 4 launch of Exo’s savory meal bars with alternative protein from crickets. 

Food Vision USA 2015: the highlights...

Collaborative innovation can cut costs and jumpstart launches, 7-Eleven exec says

05-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Collaborative innovation between retailers and manufacturers can jumpstart product development, generate substantial cost-savings and improve the success of a launch more effectively than either partner likely could achieve on its own, a senior director...

Last chance to register for FoodNavigator-USA's online forum: Protein... What does the future hold?

04-Nov-2015 By Elaine WATSON

Protein is hot in food formulation right now. But is this a sustainable trend or a passing fad? How much is enough, and do the next generation of proteins, from rice and pea to algae and insects, deliver in the same way that soy and whey do? And how should...

New products from Ready Pac tap into four macro trends influencing shoppers

03-Nov-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Americans increasingly want fresh, healthy food, but they don’t always have the extra time it takes to plan and prepare those ingredients – creating a white space in the market for enterprising manufacturers. 

FOOD VISION USA, the highlights: From DNA diets and mass customization via 3D printing, to 'old school' deal tactics

03-Nov-2015 By Elaine Watson

 If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the inaugural Food Vision USA event, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of industry experts covering everything from our nutritional needs on a manned mission to Mars to the challenges facing small...

Better Bean Co. offers a fresh new take on the plant-based protein trend

29-Oct-2015 By Maggie Hennessy

With growth in fresh perimeter grocery departments outpacing that of the center of the store, Portland, OR-based The Better Bean Co. saw a void for a high-quality alternative to canned beans that could become part of people’s weekly cooking routines.

Avian flu: Egg supplies nearly normal though just 14% of hens repopulated

29-Oct-2015 By Maggie Hennessy

Although it may be 18 months before the 35 million chickens, ducks and turkeys struck by avian influenza (AI) this spring are repopulated, egg supplies will be back to normal in just a few months, according to U.S. egg farmer cooperative United Egg Producers...

One size fits all CPG products are so last century, says YouBar founder: Customization is the future

28-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Big brands have always sought to convince us that by purchasing their mass-produced wares we are expressing ourselves (although it’s hard to argue that buying a Coke – even with your name on it - is a bold expression of individualism). But how can food...

Emerging health concerns could cast shadow on protein, but for now ingredient shines

27-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

The health halo around protein continues to shine brightly, but a shadow could be cast on the ingredient as some consumers start asking if it is possible to have too much protein, according to a market research expert. 

USDA launches probe into American Egg Board’s emails over Just Mayo maker Hampton Creek

23-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a probe into the way the American Egg Board handled the ‘threat’ of Hampton Creek – the San Francisco-based start-up behind the egg-free spread Just Mayo - amid claims it overstepped its mandate by...

SupplySide West

Protein could give products for endurance athletes an extra edge, says Arla Foods Ingredients

23-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

A new fast absorbing protein from Arla Foods Ingredients could help crack open the endurance sports sector, which has significant potential for growth but until now has been largely dominated by sports drinks with only carbohydrates and electrolytes. 

SupplySide West: Protein Trends Part 2

Alternative proteins gain popularity, but long-term viability of some questioned

21-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

Myriad new protein sources – from pea to microalgae to insect – are gaining traction in some packaged foods and beverages, but whether they move beyond novelty and survive long-term remains to be seen, according to protein experts. 

SupplySide West 2015: Protein trends part 1

Bakery, snacks & beverage could be next frontier for high-protein products, experts say

20-Oct-2015 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the high-protein trend matures from niche to mainstream, innovative manufacturers are tapping into the still-significant growth opportunity by adding the ingredient to a broader range of platforms, including baked goods, snacks and beverages, according...

Nourish Snacks co-founder Joy Bauer talks sugar, portion control, and the key pillars of healthy snacking

20-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

The ‘healthier’ snacks market is awash with non-GMO, gluten-free, and ‘no artificial’ claims, while corn syrup is out and ‘real’ (cane) sugar, coconut sugar, and agave syrup are in. But are these products really delivering in the nutritional stakes, given...

Cost stability, blending capabilities bode well for pea protein, supplier says

19-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Blending is the way forward for plant based proteins in sports nutrition and their price stability can help manufacturers, says World Food Processing president Tyler Lorenzen.

Protein popularity: Meat snacks poised for growth

19-Oct-2015 By Hal Conick

The demand for meat snacks is on the rise, and one Euromontior analyst sees plenty of room for continued growth in the market.

Vitamin Shoppe rolls out Protein Pantry, devotes increasing shelf space to functional foods

16-Oct-2015 By Stephen DANIELLS

The Vitamin Shoppe is expanding its protein-infused foods assortment with its new Protein Pantry product category to meet growing consumer demand.

From meal kit mania to switchel and swiggable soups: 10 culinary trends to watch in 2016

15-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

From savory yogurt and coffee fruit infusions, to switchel – apple cider vinegar-based concoctions that offer a modern twist on a centuries-old tradition - Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) highlights 10 culinary trends it predicts will inspire packaged foods...

Dutch supplier unveils egg protein with pre-diabetic positioning

14-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Dutch company Newtricious is bringing a new egg protein hydrosolate ingredient market with data backing its cardiovascular and metabolic health benefits.

Freedom Foods: Gluten-free is well-established, but free-from (foods free of all the big 8 allergens) is the emerging opportunity

14-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

It’s the leader in the Australian ‘free-from’ market (free from all eight major allergens), but can Freedom Foods achieve similar success in the US? Two years into its campaign to crack America, the signs are encouraging, says US CEO Michael Bracka.

Company has been ‘bombarded’ with offers from private equity and strategic investors

Daiya Foods: We always felt that the latent size of the dairy alternatives market was way bigger than people were claiming

14-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

In 2009, when Daiya Foods first started selling cheese alternatives, the addressable market (based on what was selling at the time) was an uninspiring $10m, a figure most investors and CPG brands won’t even get out of bed for. Fast forward six years,...

Trendspotting at the Food Tech Expo and Summit in Mexico City

14-Oct-2015 By Steve Osborn, Principal Consultant, Food and Beverage, The Aurora Ceres Partnership, Banamex Mexico City, Mexico

What are the hottest trends in food and beverage in Latin America? Steve Osborn, principal consultant, food and beverage, at The Aurora Ceres Partnership, headed to the Food Tech Expo and Summit in Mexico City to find out...

Manitoba Harvest sales approaching C$100m in 2015 as hemp food market heats up

13-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

OK, so the Declaration of Independence was not, as urban myth would have it, written on hemp (the said document was written on parchment). But 239 years later, this ultra-versatile super seed is finally gaining traction as a food ingredient in the United...

Arctic Nutrition makes formal US market entry with omega-3, protein ingredients from herring roe

12-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

Norwegian firm Arctic Nutrition AS has achieved market penetration with the formal launch in the US market of its Romega phospholipid omega-3 ingredient sourced from herring roe. The ingredient made its market splash at the Supply Side West trade show...

Impossible Foods raises $108m; prepares to launch plant-based burger by end of 2016

08-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Impossible Foods, one of a new wave of Silicon Valley-backed companies promising to “transform the global food system”, has raised $108m in its latest round of financing, and says its first product – a plant-based burger that precisely replicates the...

60-second interview: Kevin Brennan, CEO, Quorn

Quorn growing 30% YoY in the USA, says CEO

08-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Meat & dairy alternatives are hot right now, if VC interest in Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, Kite Hill and Hampton Creek, plus the recent acquisitions of Vega, So Delicious and Gardein are anything to go by. But what will Monde Nissin’s £550m ($838m)...

'The Dietary Guidelines are not the appropriate vehicle for this important policy conversation about sustainability'

USDA, HHS: 2015 dietary guidelines won't factor in sustainability

07-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Sustainability will not factor into the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, say the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services, prompting praise from the meat lobby and anger from environmental and consumer/health advocacy groups.

DuPont touts rapid dispersability of new soy protein aimed at sports nutrition

06-Oct-2015 By Hank Schultz

DuPont has thrown down the latest gauntlet in the sports nutrition protein contest with the launch of a rapid dispersing form of soy protein aimed at fortification beverages and powdered workout products.

Kite Hill rolls out cultured nut milk yogurts at Whole Foods nationwide

06-Oct-2015 By Elaine Watson

Kite Hill - the plant-based brand on a mission to disrupt the dairy case - has moved beyond cheese with the launch of a cultured almond milk yogurt at Whole Foods stores nationwide, which will be followed by single-serve cheesecakes and a seasonal pumpkin...