Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

US retail sales of carbonated soft drinks are rebounding, with Coca-Cola leading the charge

30-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of carbonated soft drinks – which have been on a downward trajectory in recent years – are rebounding, with the latest Nielsen data* showing a 3% jump in the four weeks to May 19 vs the same period a year ago and a 0.1% increase in the...

SWEETS & SNACKS EXPO

Are impulse snack purchases under siege? Euromonitor explains

23-May-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nearly 70% of in-store snack purchases are unplanned -- indicating that impulse snack shopping is a shared habit among most consumers, Euromonitor senior analyst Jared Koerten said at the Sweets & Snack Expo in Chicago yesterday.

Poppilu founder discusses benefit of taking success in small doses

18-May-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As a food or beverage startup, it’s natural to want to expand very quickly, but brands should take a moment to revel in their small-scale existence and take advantage of their ability to be nimble, says Poppilu founder Melanie Kahn.

CHERRiSH 100% cherry juice wants to appeal to wider health and wellness audience

17-May-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After establishing a following in the athletic channel including with NFL and MLB teams, 100% cherry juice brand CHERRiSH is making its way into hundreds of convenience stores to compete alongside the likes of POM Wonderful and other premium juices.

‘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...

Halo Top lawsuit seems 'weak' say legal experts: 'But you’ve got to applaud their creativity...'

14-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

The plaintiff behind a putative class action lawsuit accusing market leading light ice cream brand Halo Top of false and misleading representations will likely face an uphill battle to persuade a judge there is a case to be heard here, predict legal experts.

IFF CEO on the Frutarom mega-deal: 'This transaction is all about growth'

11-May-2018 By Elaine Watson

Terms such as ‘streamlining overheads’ and ‘footprint optimization’ conjure up images of job cuts and factory closures, but IFF’s $7.1bn megadeal to acquire Israeli flavors and natural ingredients firm Frutarom is “all about growth, not cost savings at...

CPG companies overcome challenges to restrict portions to address rising obesity rates

10-May-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Portion control may be the best chance – and biggest challenge – at turning around the current obesity epidemic, according to industry experts at the Partnership for a Healthier America Summit in Washington, DC, this month.

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...

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...

Scapegoating sugar over-simplifies diet-related illnesses & clouds the solution, experts suggest

30-Apr-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

As public enemy No. 1, sugar often is portrayed online as “toxic” or as “poisoning our bodies,” but this characterization is “a complete … web myth,” that oversimplifies the cause of diet related chronic diseases and doesn’t take into account the benefits...

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.

Coca-Cola wary of Q2 disruption for classic Coke as UK sugar tax bites

25-Apr-2018 By Rachel Arthur

Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey acknowledges the UK sugar tax is likely to have ‘some impact’ on the company in the UK – particularly for classic Coca-Cola – but is optimistic that the industry is well prepared to minimize the impact of the levy.

What’s the real reason behind Halo Top’s success? Mintel explains

18-Apr-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

‘Dieting’ and ‘reduced fat’ have become passé phrases in the world of packaged food replaced with terms like ‘clean label’ and ‘locally-sourced’, so what can explain low-calorie ice cream alternative Halo Top’s dramatic takeover of the frozen dessert...

Nature Nate’s teams with Cornell to research bee health at a time when honey production is falling

18-Apr-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

At a time when honey production in the US is falling and colony collapse disorder continues to threaten bees’ health, honey manufacturer Nature Nate’s is investing in Cornell University’s department of entomology to advance bee health research and honey...

Sales of plant-based stevia skyrocket as consumers seek natural solutions to cut back sugar

17-Apr-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumer demand for natural, plant-based ingredients combined with their desire to cut back on sugar without sacrificing taste is creating a perfect storm for stevia sales to grow exponentially, according to the International Stevia Council.

Soylent meal replacement RTD rolls out to 450 Walmart stores

11-Apr-2018 By Elaine Watson

Soylent – a meal replacement brand that gained a cult following among Silicon Valley programmers after its 2014 launch, but has since broadened its portfolio and its appeal – is rolling out to 450 Walmart stores across the US, taking its retail footprint...

PureCircle develops stevia sweetener ‘identical’ to sought-after Reb D and M using more common Reb A

10-Apr-2018 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The quest to produce a sweetener with the most sugar-like taste continues with PureCircle identifying two different ways of producing significant amounts of Reb D and Reb M, two in-demand steviol glycosides that are less abundant in conventional stevia...

Foodstirs gears up for May launch at Starbucks: ‘The whole mug cake phenomenon is exploding’

04-Apr-2018 By Elaine Watson

While all eyes are on the store perimeter these days, the meteoric rise of Foodstirs – an organic baking mix brand wooing Millennials - proves that mature center store categories can be equally fertile territory for entrepreneurs, says co-founder Greg...

Explore how to cut sugar without cutting taste at our Sweeteners & Sugar Reduction Live Forum April 18

04-Apr-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

While recent Mintel data reveals a whopping 84% of US consumers say they are reducing the amount of sugar in their diet as a way to manage their weight and improve their health, many are unwilling to completely give up sweets – leaving manufacturers scrambling...

Where next for the US hemp food and beverage market?

02-Apr-2018 By Elaine Watson

With industrial hemp in the spotlight following Mitch McConnell’s recent intervention (he’s promised to introduce a bill to remove it from the controlled substances list and legalize it as an agricultural commodity), FoodNavigator-USA checked in with...

Stakeholders square up for battle over scope of 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

31-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

Sharply contrasting views over the scope of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have emerged in comments submitted to USDA and HHS this week, with some stakeholders arguing that issues such as sustainability (eg. should we recommend eating less...

Stevia outshines aspartame as high intensity sweetener of choice in global new product launches in 2017

30-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

Mintel data* shared by stevia supplier PureCircle shows the number of global new product launches containing stevia grew by 10% in 2017, with stevia utilized in 28% of new products containing high intensity sweeteners, slightly ahead of aspartame – which...

Expo West 2018

Applegate teams with Whole30 to expand the reach of its humanely-raised, clean-ingredient products

29-Mar-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Whole30 Approved logo has become a shortcut for consumers looking for products made with real, simple and nutritious ingredients, and as such it is giving products that bear the certification a huge market boost, as Applegate recently discovered....

Does diet soda promote weight gain? Debate rages in the courts as Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, challenge ‘outlandish’ lawsuits

29-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have urged courts to toss claims in a series of lawsuits* alleging consumers are being led to believe that diet sodas “will assist in weight loss or management,” when in fact the opposite may be true.

The TāStation rewards testers for accurate taste testing via game-based technique

'Entirely new' approach to sensory testing is a gamechanger for taste evaluation, claims Opertech Bio

27-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

Opertech Bio has developed a novel approach to sensory testing utilising games and rewards, which it claims enables human testers to analyze hundreds of samples in a fraction of the time - and with a greater degree of accuracy - than is possible using...

Kill Cliff exec shares challenges in marketing specialty carbohydrates in age of sugar reduction

21-Mar-2018 By Adi Menayang

Atlanta-based Kill Cliff, a sports beverage brand focusing on clean label formulations, launched a new line of sports drinks called Endure, which features a slow-burning specialty carbohydrate, at the Natural Products Expo West show. However, the carbohydrate...

Cargill launches EverSweet fermented steviol glycosides

20-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

EverSweet - the hotly-anticipated ‘next-generation’ Reb D and Reb M sweetener from Cargill and Evolva produced via fermentation – is now available in commercial quantities, say the partners, who have also struck a deal to explore whether other high intensity...

'I think you’ll see a mass exodus of CPG companies moving from polyols to allulose...'

Icon Foods CEO: ‘Out of all of the projects that are in the R&D queue right now, allulose is dominating’

19-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

Allulose is the sweetener generating the most buzz among food formulators right now, although many are waiting to see if the FDA exempts it from sugar labeling (it’s technically a sugar, but it’s not metabolized like one), before launching products featuring...

Expo West 2018

New products from KIND Snacks offer reduced sugar for healthier alternatives to competing options

19-Mar-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

For KIND Snacks, rising consumer concern about sugar and upcoming changes to the Nutrition Facts panel that will more boldly highlight the nutrient represent an opportunity – rather than a threat – to set itself apart from the competition with new products...

The Coconut Collaborative: ‘We see the plant-based yogurt category just exploding'

16-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

There’s a reason why plant-based yogurts haven’t achieved anything close to the category share of plant-based milks – and it’s not simply that they are newer to market – claims Edward Averdieck, CEO at British coconut yogurt and dessert brand The Coconut...

FlavorHealth seeks to commercialize novel natural high intensity sweetener with a more sugar-like taste than stevia

15-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

New Jersey-based FlavorHealth – best known for using high-throughput cell-based screening to identify natural compounds that enhance sweetness and saltiness and reduce bitterness – is aiming to commercialize a novel natural high-intensity sweetener with...

Spindrift raises $20m in Series B-2 round led by VMG Partners

15-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

Spindrift - which has carved a unique niche in the beverage aisle by using just two ingredients: lightly carbonated filtered water and freshly squeezed fruit juice (no sweeteners, no flavors) – has raised $20m in a Series B-2 round.

‘All of these people yelling at each other…the vegans vs the Paleos vs the ketogenic people, this is insane…’

Dr Robert Lustig: 'Processed food is an experiment that failed. The food industry is getting rich, and it’s killing us...'

14-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

A calorie is a calorie, right? Wrong, argues pediatrician, sugar-nemesis and author of best-selling book ‘Fat Chance’, Dr Robert Lustig, who caught up with FoodNavigator-USA at the Natural Products Expo West trade show in Anaheim last week.

Shaka Tea unveils new look, closes second round of financing

05-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

Honolulu-based Shaka Tea - the first Hawaiian ready-to-drink iced tea, and the first brewed with māmaki, a plant that only grows in the Hawaiian islands – has unveiled a new look, reformulated its wares to reduce sugar, and closed its second round of...

Is saturated fat really 'back?' In short, no, argue experts at ICVN 2018

01-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

“So the ketogenic diet, sure, it will cause you to lose weight in the short term. So would cholera, or a cocaine binge, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea,” observed Dr David Katz at the 7th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition (ICVN) this...

FDA issues guidance on added sugar, dietary fiber, serving sizes

01-Mar-2018 By Elaine Watson

The FDA has unveiled guidance on added sugars, serving sizes and dietary fibers to help manufacturers implement the new Nutrition Facts label, and says it’s working on a plan to incentivize manufacturers to make healthier products and “provide consumers...

NOOMA finds white space in the sports drink category: ‘People want something that will rehydrate them without the added sugar and ingredients they can’t pronounce’

21-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

Would a professional athlete drink this? The founders of NOOMA – one of a new wave of sports drinks boasting cleaner labels and less sugar – can reliably answer in the affirmative, as both Jarred and Brandon Smith played hockey for a living, and formulated...

Where are the growth opportunities in the beverage aisle? Last chance to register for our FREE trendwatching event

20-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

What's the difference between a great brand, and beautiful packaging design? Will PepsiCo's Drinkfinity concept be a hit in the US? And could sprinkling 'fairy dust' amounts of on-trend functional ingredients in your beverage - and...

PepsiCo CEO: ‘Our e-commerce business is now approximately $1bn in annualized retail sales’

14-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

While it’s “not perfectly clear” whether all e-commerce channels are going to make money, PepsiCo is positioning itself to win online with heavy investments that leverage big data and predictive analytics to sharpen real-time marketing messages, dynamic...

Mountain Dew, Doritos, Pepsi see double digit sales lift following Super Bowl ads, reports goPuff

13-Feb-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Philadelphia Eagles were not the only big winner during the Super Bowl LII earlier this month, Mountain Dew, Pepsi and Doritos also were victorious with commercials that not only grabbed headlines and generated social media buzz, but also drove near...

Fermentation on fire: US retail sales of kombucha and other fermented beverages surged 37.4% in 2017

13-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of refrigerated kombucha and other fermented beverages surged 37.4% to $556m* in 2017, in part at the expense of shelf-stable coconut water, sales of which were down 7.4% over the same period, delegates were told at the 5th annual KombuchaKon...

Novozymes notches up 9% organic sales growth in food and beverage segment in 2017

09-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

While most consumers remain blissfully ignorant of their role in food production, enzymes – nature’s microscopic biological catalysts - are helping firms improve product quality, clean up labels, reduce costs and lower their environmental impact, helping...

Q4 2017 earnings

Kellogg reports ‘good finish to 2017’, boosted by RXBar

09-Feb-2018 By Gill Hyslop

Kellogg Company has reported its net sales increased nearly 4% YOY for the quarter ended December 30, driven in part by the acquisition of protein bar maker RXBAR.

Significant percentage of consumers buy plant-based dairy alternatives because they think they are healthier, reveals Comax study

Why do consumers buy plant-based dairy alternatives? And what do they think formulators need to work on?

08-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

While flavor is still the most important attribute, consumer research from Comax Flavors reveals that a significant percentage of shoppers (36%) regularly consuming plant-based dairy alternatives cite health benefits as a key purchase driver, results...

PepsiCo to ‘shake up’ sparkling water category with new launch ‘bubly’

08-Feb-2018 By Rachel Arthur

PepsiCo is launching calorie-free sparkling water ‘bubly’ in the US this month, further expanding its water portfolio following the introduction of premium brand LIFEWTR last year.

Register now for our FREE-to-attend online beverage innovation summit Feb 21

What are the key beverage trends - and companies - to watch in 2018?

05-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

Could cold brew tea be as big as cold brew coffee? Is there a legal definition of kombucha… and a ‘correct’ way to manufacture it? Are consumers paying attention to the debate over the nutritional merits of plant-based versus dairy milks?

Big Geyser deal will give Soylent access to thousands of doors in the New York metro area

Soylent CEO: People always ask me: Who is Soylent for? So I ask them: Do you ever skip a meal?

05-Feb-2018 By Elaine Watson

Meal replacement brand Soylent – which built a sizeable business on its own website and is now one of the fastest-growing brands on Amazon - has struck a deal with distributor Big Geyser that will give it access to thousands of stores and offices in the...

Nature Nate’s Honey Co. makes “natural progression” into nut butters, fruit spreads and syrup

05-Feb-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

After establishing itself as a top player in the honey category with strong year-over-year growth, Nature Nate’s Honey Co. is expanding into adjacent categories where a company executive said it can offer “real, clean” alternatives to existing products...

Manuka Honey: Buzz builds for New Zealand superfood

02-Feb-2018 By Stephen Daniells

Famed for its health benefits, Manuka honey is beginning to make a mark in the US, with market leader Wedderspoon reporting record-breaking sales across all retail channels in 2017.