Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

Keto-friendly Dang Bar beats expectations: ‘The early results are astounding’

12-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

The keto-friendly Dang bar – the latest innovation from snack brand Dang Foods – has been a hit right out of the starting blocks, claims founder and CEO Vincent Kitirattragarn. “This is seriously bringing new life into our brand and the early results...

Gat Foods brings fruit-based sweetener Fruitlift to US targeting 'no added sugar' potential in RTE cereals

07-Jun-2019 By Kacey Culliney

Israeli firm Gat Foods has developed a fruit-based sweetener that can replace refined sugar in puffed ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, an ingredient it claims could liven up a declining market.

FOOD FOR KIDS: Ice-cream startup Peekaboo building a 'hidden veggie empire', says founder

06-Jun-2019 By Kacey Culliney

Miami-based startup Peekaboo is developing a range of vegan ice-cream variants to join its line of organic-certified, hidden veggie products targeting kids and adults looking for guilt-free indulgence.

Trendspotting at IFT 2019 part 2: From 'spicy specificity' to the mystery of kokumi

06-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

From the latest trends in all things spicy from Kalsec and Ajinomoto's take on the 'sixth' taste kokumi, to what Coca-Cola is looking for from startups as part of the IFTNEXT program, check out part 2 of our gallery of highlights from the...

Trendspotting at IFT 2019 part 1: From novel fat- and egg-replacers to CBD and plant-based innovation

06-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

Plant-based meat, dairy and egg alternatives got top billing at the IFT annual meeting and expo in New Orleans this year, while hemp-derived CBD also made its debut, regulatory uncertainty notwithstanding... Check out part 1 of our gallery of highlights...

NadaMoo! rolls out at Walmart and Target, predicts 60-65% growth in 2019 as plant-based dairy gains traction in the frozen case

29-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Austin, TX-based NadaMoo! – which claims to be significantly outpacing category growth in dairy-free frozen desserts – is rolling out at c.400 Target stores in 40 states and c.350 Walmart stores in Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, Texas and Wyoming as mainstream...

Tax on sugary drinks in Philadelphia halves purchases in the city in the first year, JAMA study finds

29-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

The amount of sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages sold in Philadelphia dropped by half during the first year in which the city’s controversial tax on the beverages was in effect, according to a study published earlier this month in JAMA.

IFT PREVIEW: More baby boomers are trying to reduce their sugar intake, finds Innova Market Insights

24-May-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

One in two US baby boomers (generally classified as individuals born between 1946 and 1964) say sugar reduction is a primary dietary concern, driving sales and consumer interest in low- to no-sugar sugar products, according to Innova Market Insights research.

Study looks into whether picky eating habits follow a child into adolescence

22-May-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Do picky eating habits when children are toddlers follow them into their teenage years? And should parents be concerned that their picky eaters aren't getting as many nutrients as their non-picky eater peers?

Kashi drops ‘LEAN’ and plays up ‘GO’ in rebranding of its cereal line to inspire positivity

21-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Recognizing that ‘dieting’ and weight-management have fallen out of style among health-conscious consumers, the natural and organic cereal company Kashi is rebranding its top-selling GOLEAN cereal line as Kashi GO to better align with consumers’ expanding...

Sugar 2.0? From low-GI sugar to next-gen sugars deploying ‘fluffy bulk’ technology to increase sweetness perception

20-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Singapore-based Nutrition Innovation Group says it is in talks with seven out of 10 of the world’s leading food manufacturers interested in using its low-GI cane sugar and is working on a suite of new products that combine sugar with fibers, proteins...

Purecircle renews supply agreement with Merisant for next gen stevia sweeteners

16-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Purecircle has renewed a deal to supply its next generation stevia sweeteners such as Reb M to Merisant, which makes tabletop sweeteners including Canderel and Equal with Stevia; PureVia; and Whole Earth.

News in brief

Sweet Green Fields and Tate & Lyle introduce glycosylated stevia extract that can be labeled as ‘natural flavor’

14-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Stevia supplier Sweet Green Fields (SGF) has teamed up with Tate & Lyle to introduce ZOLESSE, a glucosylated stevia extract that can be labeled as a natural flavor.

Food, politics, and the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

13-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

The 2015 Dietary Guidelines prompted a heated debate over the influence of industry lobby groups and the extent to which environmental factors should impact dietary advice, with some stakeholders insisting that sustainability has nothing to do with nutrition,...

Tate & Lyle: ‘The first two things consumers look for on the Nutrition Facts panel now are calories and sugar’

13-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

The FDA’s decision to exclude allulose from the total and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts panel has removed a significant barrier to uptake in the industry, says Tate & Lyle, which says the rare sugar with 90% fewer calories than...

Researchers say water is the best choice for kids, with low-calorie sweetened drinks linked to higher calorie intake

13-May-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Kids and teens who consumed low- and zero-calorie beverages ended up consuming an additional 200 calories per day compared with those who drank water, according to a new study from researchers at George Washington University.

Most consumers avoid sugar to lose weight, but it isn’t the main culprit, experts say

02-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

In recent years, sugar has emerged as the primary scapegoat for unwanted weight gain and a litany of chronic diseases, and while science does not support all the allegations against the ingredient, consumer “perceptions can become reality in the form...

Tampico Beverages addresses consumer sugar concerns with new launch: 'This is our entry into zero-sugar'

30-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Tampico Beverages, a brand of juice drink concentrates that's been around since 1989, has introduced a zero sugar option for its value-oriented consumer audience.

Are zero calorie sweeteners fueling, rather than fighting, the obesity epidemic?

26-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Are zero calorie sweeteners fueling, rather than fighting, the obesity epidemic by meddling with our metabolism or negatively altering our gut bacteria, as some critics claim? Or do they remain invaluable – and exhaustively tested - tools in the formulator’s...

60-second interview: Carol May, chairman and CEO, Wisdom Natural Brands (Sweetleaf stevia)

SweetLeaf Stevia CEO: The sugar substitutes category is flat, but stevia products were up 31% YOY in Q1

26-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

If fat is back with a vengeance and protein remains on trend, sugar is now public enemy number one for many consumers, who want to cut down, but remain suspicious of the ‘natural’ credentials of some alternatives. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Carol...

Arabinoxylan prebiotic from food waste set to debut in North American markets

25-Apr-2019 By Hank Schultz

Canadian company Comet Bio has earned recognition for its method of up cycling agricultural waste into functional ingredients, including a new prebiotic and a low calorie sweetener.

Sports beverage maker Kill Cliff strikes Walmart deal

24-Apr-2019 By Adi Menayang

Ready-to-drink sports beverage brand Kill Cliff struck a deal with Walmart, which will stock Kill Cliff’s canned drink Recover in 1,900 Walmart stores in 46 states.

What’s next for brand Coke?

24-Apr-2019 By Rachel Arthur

Coca-Cola Coffee and Coca-Cola Energy could spearhead the evolution of brand Coca-Cola, as beverage categories continue to blur and Coca-Cola looks to maintain momentum for its flagship brand.

'The number one consumer driver is natural or clean label, followed by glycemic index and keto friendly...'

Sweeteners in focus: Where next for allulose, stevia, isomaltulose?

23-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Are sugar alcohols losing their luster, will allulose take off, and is stevia still hot? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Icon Foods, Cargill and Beneo to explore formulation trends as brands come under increasing pressure to reduce sugar and keep labels...

SmartSweets to double store count in 2019: 'We're making candy cool again,' says founder

22-Apr-2019 By Kacey Culliney

Low-sugar confectionery startup SmartSweets is primed for solid expansion into mass and grocery this year, a move its founder says should bring Gen Y and Z back to the candy aisle.

Highlights from Kombuchakon 2019

Kombucha and fermented beverage sales are up 21%, but velocities are down, says SPINS

20-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of refrigerated kombucha and other fermented beverages (including hard kombucha) were up 21% to $728.8m in measured channels* in the year to February 24, 2019 driven by strong distribution gains. However, velocities were down fairly sharply,...

WATCH: Bare Bucha and Stout Tanks unveil radical new approach to controlling alcohol in kombucha

20-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

A novel approach to brewing kombucha in stackable rectangular trays could help dramatically speed up the fermentation process and keep alcohol levels consistently below 0.5% abv, solving a major technical challenge for the industry, according to kombucha...

Soylent unveils new Soylent Squared 100-cal mini-meal bar, plans savory product launch in the fall

18-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Almost three years after launching - and then rapidly withdrawing - its Food Bar from the market, Soylent has unveiled Soylent Squared, a 100-calorie ‘mini meal bar’ featuring 5g of soy protein, 36 essential nutrients and probiotics.

Investment from Mondelēz’s SnackFutures will help Hu Products help consumers ‘get back to human’

18-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

On a mission to help more people “get back to human” through clean eating that doesn’t compromise on taste and experience, the founders of the vegan and paleo snacking brand Hu Products are teaming with confection behemoth Mondelēz International’s innovation...

FDA guidance could prompt surge of interest in low-cal, tooth-friendly, rare sugar allulose

17-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

FDA draft guidance allowing allulose to be excluded from the total and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts panel could generate a surge of interest in the rare sugar, predict formulators.

Yeast-based production process for tagatose could unlock low GI sweetener's commercial potential, say researchers

16-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A newly-engineered strain of yeast that can efficiently metabolize lactose into tagatose (a low-calorie, low-glycemic sweetener) may be the key to unlocking commercial-scale availability of the sweetener, researchers from the University of Illinois at...

KIND challenges snack makers to better disclose sugar & sweeteners in products with an ‘X-ray’ popup

10-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

In response to the public’s growing aversion to sugar, manufacturers across categories have reformulated and launched products made with alternative sweeteners, but increasingly consumers don’t want those either – but they also can’t as easily identify...

Sprout Foods commits to adding more veggies to its baby food to help prevent obesity later in life

09-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Frustrated that efforts to “treat or fix” childhood obesity in the US have fallen short, Sprout Foods is teaming with the Partnership for a Healthier America to try and prevent the problem from occurring by training children from an early age to crave...

Consumer fear of sugar is mounting – but is it deserved and what alternatives will consumers accept?

08-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Using tactics such as “sin taxes” and a new bold-faced call-out for added sugar on the revised Nutrition Facts panel, public health advocates and regulators have targeted sugar as a primary caloric contributor in the ongoing obesity epidemic in the US...

Finding stevia 'polarizing', beverage brand Petal switches up its sweetener ahead of national retail launch this summer

27-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Sparkling botanical beverage brand Petal has had a busy first year as the company doubled its product line with three new flavors, underwent a reformulation (swapping out stevia and erythritol for organic agave), and is now primed for national distribution...

Natural and clean label trends 101: From malic acid and glyphosate residues to ‘clean protein’

22-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Consumers want more natural, less processed, ‘clean’ foods. But do they give certain brands – and categories – a pass? And what cues are they looking for? Checkout what our consumer and legal experts had to say in the opening session of our Natural and...

VIDEO Meet Brainiac... brainfood for kids: 'We need to be Captain Obvious'

21-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Food and beverage brands targeting kids often promote their low sugar content, or highlight calcium for bones and protein for growing bodies. But what about the nutrients kids need to support the development of arguably their most important asset: the...

Natural and clean label trends 2019: Have you registered yet?

11-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

We clocked a number of brands using terms from 'clean candy' to 'clean protein' on the showfloor at Expo West, but what does 'clean eating' mean, is 'clean' a term that brands should use on product labels, and where...

'What we're wrestling with is whether CBD is an ingredient play, or something huge brands can be built around'

Trendspotting at Expo West 2019: CBD explosion, oatmilk on fire, protein still hot, sugar under attack

11-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

The fact that CBD is not a legal ingredient in foods and supplements - at least not yet - did not deter scores of exhibitors at Expo West, who added it to everything from soda to protein bars (absent any claims), with some opting for isolates, but most...

Class action litigation vs food & beverage brands ‘continued unabated’ in 2018, says Perkins Coie

05-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

The number of class action filings against food and beverage companies rose 9% to 158 in 2018, with firms vulnerable to legal action on a host of fronts, from slack fill to natural claims, says law firm Perkins Coie.

'I think 'natural' still resonates with consumers, whereas 'clean’ is a bit inside the beltway for me'

28-Feb-2019 By Elaine Watson

The food industry is gearing up for the Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim. But what is a 'natural' product? How are definitions of natural & clean label evolving, and is food tech changing the game? (Is the Impossible Burger ‘natural,’...

Ex TerraVia execs seek to disrupt kids yogurt segment with Brainiac Kids: ‘We’re the first food-based brain nutrition brand’

27-Feb-2019 By Elaine Watson

A Bay area-based start-up founded by two food industry veterans is injecting functionality as well as fun into the kids’ yogurt segment - one of the few bright spots in an otherwise sluggish category – with the launch of Brainiac Kids: whole milk yogurts,...

IFF Frutarom welcomes first startup to its FoodNxt innovation lab, considers expanding unique model

26-Feb-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

In an effort to find the ‘next big thing’ as early as possible, ingredients firm IFF Frutarom is considering expanding into other markets a version of its unique Israeli-based innovation lab FoodNxt, which launched about one year ago following a tender...

Where next for the US yogurt category? Chobani, Danone North America, General Mills, weigh in

21-Feb-2019 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of yogurt fell -3.4% in the 52 weeks to January 26, 2019, but there have been some signs of recovery in recent weeks, with category sales in the 12 weeks to Jan 26 down a more modest -1.9%, according to the latest Nielsen data (all outlets...

NEW PRODUCTS GALLERY: From plant-based burgers, yogurt, and creamers to sophisticated soda

18-Feb-2019 By Elaine Watson

Check out FoodNavigator-USA’s latest gallery of new products hitting US shelves, spanning the latest plant-based launches in the meat and dairy aisle, new pulse based pastas, keto-inspired launches in everything from bone broth and pancake mixes, and...

Lily’s Sweets CEO: ‘It feels like a mainstream trend [reducing sugar] is being boosted by a micro-trend [keto]’

13-Feb-2019 By Elaine Watson

Consumers often say that if they’re going to indulge, they’d rather eat a small portion of something made with ‘real’ or familiar ingredients (butter, cane sugar, whole milk) than a more ‘processed’ low calorie/sugar/fat alternative.

Prebiotic chocolate? Gutsii enters US market on a mission to make gut health simple

11-Feb-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

When thinking of gut healthy foods, chocolate may not come to mind right away. However, Australian brand Gutsii is forging a spot within the functional foods market with its prebiotic chocolate line.

Merisant teams with Amazon accelerator to expand appeal of Equal with two new sweetener lines

11-Feb-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Accelerators may disproportionately target startups, but well-established companies and heritage brands can also benefit from the jumpstart they offer as illustrated by Merisant’s rapid development and launch of its latest brand Sugarly Sweet and a new...

‘Memories of carefree summer days’: Coca-Cola launches Orange Vanilla Coke

11-Feb-2019 By Rachel Arthur

Coca-Cola is launching its first new Coca-Cola trademark flavor innovations in a decade in the US this month: with Orange Vanilla Coke and Orange Vanilla Coke Zero Sugar.

Oreo’s new ‘Stay Playful’ campaign taps Wiz Khalifa and his son to show no one is too old for fun

07-Feb-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

For decades, Oreo has encouraged consumers to play with their food by twisting, licking and dunking its iconic cookies, but the brand takes the idea to the next level in its new “Stay Playful” campaigning featuring musician Wiz Khalifa and his son Sebastian....