Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

VIDEO: WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW 2018

Arctic Zero CEO: People aren’t really eating ice cream to get their protein

27-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

The success of high-protein, low cal brands Halo Top and Enlightened notwithstanding, most Americans don't head to the ice cream aisle for a protein fix, argues the CEO of Arctic Zero, who says his new light ice cream can compete with these brands...

VIDEO: Winter Fancy Food Show 2018

Wellnut Farms debuts indulgent walnut butters: 'We were told by a number of people that it just can’t be done...'

24-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

The nut butter aisle has expanded well beyond the humble peanut in recent years, with almond, cashew and hazelnut options in many retailers. But walnuts present more of a challenge, says new market entrant Wellnut Farms.

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

Soylent CEO Bryan Crowley joins lineup at FoodNavigator-USA, BeverageDaily online beverage innovation event

23-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

One of the most exciting players in the fast-growing meal replacement space, Soylent built its business – and a highly engaged community – online, first on its own website, and later on Amazon, but has recently ventured into the bricks and mortar space...

Quark: High in protein, low in sugar, less tart than Greek yogurt

How do you talk about quark? Misha rebrands as Wünder Creamery to promote ‘nutrient-rich superdairy’

19-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

On paper, quark ticks every box. A spoonable cultured dairy product popular in Europe and Central Asia, it’s high in protein, low in sugar, and creamier and milder than Greek yogurt. The challenge in the US, says New York based entrepreneur Kamilya Abilova,...

Talking Rain president hints at energy launch; says ‘Essence Of’ unsweetened waters have not delivered on early promise

16-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

2017 “was a pretty challenging year for the beverage industry in general, but we still grew pretty significantly in terms of dollar sales and case volumes,” says the president of Sparkling ICE brand owner Talking Rain, who is exploring a “caffeinated”...

‘This is a breakthrough product that could ultimately make sugar obsolete'

HEYLO! There’s a new sugar replacer in town… and this one’s a game-changer, says ex-PepsiCo exec

08-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

The term ‘game-changer’ is bandied around with wearying regularity by food start-ups, but HEYLO – a patented combination of acacia fiber and stevia promising to blow rivals out of the water in the sugar replacement stakes – may actually warrant this moniker,...

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...

Bermuda launches sugar tax consultation

05-Jan-2018 By Rachel Arthur

Bermuda has launched a public consultation for its proposed sugar tax, which would cover sugar-sweetened beverages, candies and plain sugar.

Is sugar a ‘fundamental cause of diabetes’ beyond adding empty calories, BMJ author asks

04-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the jury is still out on what role, if any, sugar plays in the development of diabetes, recommendations to restrict consumption should be strengthened and research should be redoubled until a clear determination is found, according to an essay in...

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...

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...

60-second interview: Greg Bach and Angela Lantman, Synergy Flavors

What’s trending in ready-to-drink tea? From lavender and rose to cold brew

12-Dec-2017 By Elaine Watson

According to Nielsen data* collated by Wells Fargo, US retail sales of ready-to-drink tea rose a modest 1.3% in the year to November 4, 2017, growing somewhat slower than RTD coffee (+11.7%), but faster than carbonated soft drinks, juice, sports drinks...

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.”

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,...

PureCircle partners with tobacco farmers to create stevia supply chain in North America

07-Dec-2017 By Mary Ellen Shoup

PureCircle has partnered with tobacco farmers in North Carolina (US) to commercially grow its StarLeaf stevia for the next planting season, to meet growing demand for food and beverage launches using the plant-based sweetener.

‘Encouraging’: Study explores ways to boost healthier vending purchases on campus

01-Dec-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Healthier food choices at college vending machines can be achieved by using principles of choice architecture and point-of-purchase labeling, without affecting financial performance, says a new study from UCLA.

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.

Unleashing the power of free: How free-from can broaden its appeal

29-Nov-2017 By Ed Silk

The ‘free-from’ phenomenon is reaching a tipping point. Originally born out of dietary necessity, it’s now taken a global grip with hyper-health conscious consumers, who love to experiment with new food and drinks that deliver all of the good stuff free...

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...

Are 'healthy' soft drinks actually worse for teens' teeth?

27-Nov-2017 By Gary Scattergood

Sports drinks, diet soft drinks and flavoured water appear to be more closely linked to dental problems and obesity in teens than traditional soft drinks, according to surprising new research.

Mexico’s COFEPRIS approves next gen stevia use

22-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Mexico’s Federal Commission for Protection Against Health Risks (COFEPRIS), led by Julio Sánchez y Tepoz, has approved SweeGen's next-generation Reb M sweetener for use in food and beverage categories already approved for steviol glycosides.

FDA issues GRAS no objection letter for SweeGen’s Bestevia Reb D stevia leaf sweetener

20-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

California-based SweeGen has received a GRAS no objections letter from the FDA for the use of its Bestevia branded Reb-D - manufactured from stevia leaf extracts converted to Reb D using enzymes – for use as a general purpose sweetener for food and beverage...

‘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).

Cooling sensations add 'energy' to flavours beyond mint, says Firmenich

16-Nov-2017 By Niamh Michail

Cooling sensations give an energy to food and are gaining traction beyond traditional mint flavours, says Firmenich as it secures exclusive licencing rights to Senomyx’s Coolmyx cooling ingredient.

Where next for natural sweeteners? In conversation with Layn USA

13-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

Monk fruit is still more expensive than stevia, but significant progress is being made on tackling the pricing and regulatory issues that have historically held the market back, says Layn Corp, a leading supplier of monk fruit and stevia based natural...

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...

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,...

Sweet Green Fields deploys ‘intelligent tongue’ in quest for steviol glycoside combinations with the most sugar-like taste

01-Nov-2017 By Elaine Watson

Stevia specialist Sweet Green Fields (SGF) is deploying so-called ‘intelligent tongue’ technology in its quest to identify blends of steviol glycosides and other natural ingredients (taste enhancers, modulators) that most closely match the taste profile...

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...

Soylent working to resolve ‘categorization issue’ that has halted Canadian sales

28-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

Los Angeles-based ‘ready-to-drink meal’ brand Soylent says it is working hard to a resolve a “categorization” issue that prohibits it from selling its beverages in Canada.

‘The worst thing you can do is lose your focus when your brand is taking off like a rocket ship’

REBBL CEO: We’re moving towards a $20m+ run rate

27-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

Adaptogens are still a novel concept for most US consumers, but the success of REBBL – an organic coconut milk-based beverage brand packed with ashwaganda, turmeric, and other staples of Ayurvedic medicine – suggests the ‘super herb’ concept has legs,...

Quarterly earnings

Hershey sweet on Halloween sales after ‘solid’ Q3 growth driven by Reese’s, KitKat and Kisses

27-Oct-2017 By Douglas Yu

Hershey says launching Hershey’s Gold, a caramelized crème with peanuts and pretzels, could benefit its 2017 Halloween seasonal sales after delivering 'solid' Q3 financial results.

Revelé Gelato uses air to create better-for-you profile without compromising quality ingredients

27-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

The entrepreneurs behind the startup Revelé Gelato thought health-conscious consumers seeking to indulge in frozen dessert faced an unfair decision: choose between high quality, recognizable ingredients that typically come with a higher fat and calorie...

60-second interview: Stephen Cobbe, R&D director, dairy, Kerry

Formulating with dairy: More protein, less sugar, a cleaner label

26-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

Less sugar, more protein, a cleaner label, savory flavors, and new formats from farmer’s cheese bars to ambient moon cheese… What’s keeping dairy formulators busy these days? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Stephen Cobbe, R&D director, dairy, at...

Are diet sodas helping or hindering weight management efforts? Soft drinks giants blast ‘meritless’ lawsuits

19-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

Are brands misleading shoppers by using the term ‘diet’ to describe soda sweetened with high intensity sweeteners such as aspartame? The argument – outlined in lawsuits vs the makers of Diet Coke, Diet Pepsi and Diet Dr Pepper - is a “stretch,” according...

PepsiCo seeks label-friendly alternatives to glycerin as part of clean-label drive

13-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

PepsiCo is seeking more natural-sounding alternatives to glycerin with equivalent functionality as part of a clean-label drive.

High obesity, diabetes rates in Mexico push consumers to better-for-you and cleaner products

10-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

High rates of obesity and diabetes in Mexico has consumers looking for healthier options that do not compromise on a taste – a difficult combination that is nonetheless within reach for manufacturers thanks to innovative ingredients showcased at the Food...

Could Coke Zero Sugar bring the company’s carbonated soft drink portfolio back to growth?

09-Oct-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Convenience retailers are very positive about Coca-Cola’s recently launched Coke Zero Sugar, with one analyst predicting it could bring the company’s carbonated soft drink portfolio back to the black in a couple of years.

Seven Sundays CEO: ‘Muesli is a totally underdeveloped category in the US versus other parts of the world'

03-Oct-2017 By Elaine Watson

Muesli… granola’s more virtuous cousin? A powdery bowl of disappointment? Not if you buy if from Seven Sundays, says founder Hannah Barnstable, who fell in love with New Zealand style muesli during her honeymoon, quit the day job, and embarked on a mission...

PUR Company breaks away from gum into snacking arena with popcorn launch

02-Oct-2017 By Kacey Culliney

The PUR Company – bests known for gum and mints – has exploded into popcorn in a ‘surprise’ venture towards better-for-you snacking, its CEO says.

Mott's fruit-flavored snacks: 'A tasty treat you can feel good about?'

26-Sep-2017 By Elaine Watson

Some fruit snacks are simply dried or baked fruit. Others are “essentially candy” masquerading as “nutritious and healthful” snacks, alleges a lawsuit taking issue with the way Mott’s fruit flavored snacks are marketed. But are consumers being duped,...

Tasty, better-for-you breakfast solutions needed for time-crunched students

21-Sep-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Eating on-the-go seems like an obvious solution to the problem of time-crunched children skipping breakfast in order to get out the door and to school on time, but survey results from cereal maker Barbara’s suggests the practice may cause more harm than...

Appeals court blocks San Francisco law on soda ad warnings

20-Sep-2017 By Rachel Arthur

A US appeals court has blocked a San Francisco ordinance that mandates health warnings for soda and sugar-sweetened beverage adverts. 

It’s juice, Jim, but not as we know it… Harvest Soul Organic tells a fiber story

20-Sep-2017 By Elaine Watson

If you can’t always eat whole fruits and veggies, then 100% juice is the next best thing, right? Wrong, says Harvest Soul Organic, which is on a mission to disrupt the juice aisle with its fiber-rich, blended whole food beverage line: the ‘anti-pressed’...

Sweet ambition: DouxMatok raises $8.1m to take sugar reduction technology to market

19-Sep-2017 By Elaine Watson

DouxMatok, the Israeli firm behind patented technology that makes sugar taste sweeter, has raised $8.1m in a funding round led by Israel’s largest VC fund, Pitango, with the participation of existing shareholders including Gil Horsky* and FoodLab Capital.

I need chocolate, Alexa... sweets, snacks, and the Amazon effect

18-Sep-2017 By Elaine Watson

Candy and snacks sales on Amazon are growing at 42% year-on-year,* according to new report from ecommerce data firm One Click Retail, which says category sales have already hit $215m in the first eight months of 2017, compared with $240m for the whole...

Jan 2020 likely deadline for compliance with new-look Nutrition Facts panel, hints Gottlieb

14-Sep-2017 By Elaine Watson

The deadline for compliance with the new-look Nutrition Facts panel is likely to be early 2020, 18 months after the original July 26, 2018, compliance date, according to FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb.

Pyure Brands: Amazon can be an ‘insanely disruptive’ platform for challenger brands

12-Sep-2017 By Elaine Watson

Amazon can be an “insanely disruptive” platform for challenger brands willing to put in the time and effort to understand how to maximize their prospects on the site, says Pyure Brands, which is giving far larger rivals a run for their money in the stevia-based...

Javamelts founder: ‘Our goal is to become like an AriZona or Red Bull—become a household name’

08-Sep-2017 By Adi Menayang

The concept of Javamelts is simple: Drop one cube of Javamelts, a blend of sugar infused with other ingredients, to flavor your hot beverage. Its founder wants it to become the next household name, the AriZona or Red Bull of coffee flavoring.

Ready-to-drink purple tea ready for prime time, says Kabaki LLC: ‘This is whitespace innovation and we want to be first to market’

08-Sep-2017 By Elaine Watson

Kabaki purple tea – made from a phytonutrient-rich purple-hued cultivar grown in Kenya – could follow RUNA’s playbook by bringing something disruptive to the US ready-to-drink tea market, while at the same time improving the livelihoods of small growers,...