Rising consumer concern about climate change is a powerful – but underused – marketing lever for plant-based products, according to new research from the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication.
When demand for “clean label” first burst on the scene several years ago, it was all about removing “chemical-sounding,” “unnatural” and unnecessary ingredients from products, but as shoppers learn more about food, how it is made and its impact on their...
There’s the audacity of hope, and then there’s the hard data proving that most new food and beverage brands are quickly consigned to the dustbin of history. But some do manage to ride that magical CPG skate curve. So what are they doing differently?
While Kraft Heinz’s 5.1% drop in net sales and 4.2% dip in volumes in Q4 is hardly cause for celebration, analysts at Bernstein say there are good signs that CEO Miguel Patricio "is taking the necessary steps to stabilize the business rather than...
As the number of food accelerators and incubators has increased in recent years, the barrier for entry into the market has decreased – and while this makes launching a new product or company easier, it has made cutting through the competition and finding...
The long-held consumer perception of convenience stores as a last resort for a fast in-and-out trip to grab a six-pack of beer and, if they weren’t too picky, a few staple ingredients, is quickly being replaced by a new class of elevated – and digitally-integrated...
Readers of The Guardian’s recent report on pollinating California’s almond crop (‘Like sending bees to war: the deadly truth behind your almond milk obsession’) were left with a clear message: honey bees are dying en masse, and almond growers luring them...
Canadian startup Noblegen has unveiled ‘the egg’ - its first consumer product under the eunite brand showcasing the ‘ancient microorganism’ euglena gracilis, which it claims can produce proteins with exciting functional and nutritional characteristics......
Purveyors of acacia gum suffered a setback last week as the FDA concluded that they had not (yet) presented sufficient evidence to prove that the ingredient should be classified as a dietary fiber on food labels.
‘Authenticity’ has become a popular marketing buzz word to attract consumers who want to know more about their food and experience something ‘real,’ but for the better-for-you Mexican-American company Siete Family Foods ‘authenticity’ is a pivotal component...
Hoping to exponentially increase consumers’ already growing interest in walnuts, the California Walnut Board today is launching a two-prong marketing effort that will promote the nut’s health benefits and versatility.
Growing demand for dairy and meat alternatives with shorter, cleaner ingredients lists is driving demand for citrus fibers, which can replace everything from carrageenan, gellan gum, mono diglycerides, and lecithin in plant-based milks, to methyl cellulose...
Natural and organic cereal pioneer Barbara’s, which makes the popular Puffins line, is breaking free of the “dull … white and neutral tones” that dominate packaging in its category, with a bold redesign that favors oversaturated colors and “a more minimalist...
As consumer interest in health, wellness and sustainability has lifted better-for-you brands out of the dark corners of stores to become a mainstream phenomenon in every category, marketers have gravitated to founders’ stories and social missions to attract...
The Consumer Brands Association (formerly known as the Grocery Manufacturers Association) has launched an advisory board to provide “thought leadership and strategic oversight for the industry as it moves forward in seeking appropriate regulation of CBD.”
To better reflect the rapidly evolving grocery retail landscape – and the increasingly complex and interconnected supply chain – FMI is adopting a more inclusive position and rebranding with the new tagline ‘The Food Industry Association.’
Retailers across channels hoping to attract affluent shoppers who have a disproportionate impact on their bottom line should promote values and products most closely associated with the natural segment, suggests new research from Packaged Facts.
Consumers may want healthier, better-for-them products, but that doesn’t mean they want food or beverages that taste healthier and better-for-them, which is why the taste and nutrition company Kerry predicts that nostalgic, indulgent flavors will become...
Two proposals characterized by the US Department of Agriculture as giving schools “additional flexibilities” around the food they serve students and as a solution to food waste in cafeterias are, according to public health advocates, “a step in the wrong...
For many Americans watching the Super Bowl Feb. 2, what food and beverages are served is just as important, if not more so, than who wins the Big Game – making the sporting event a pivotal marketing moment for brands across categories to lift sales and...
The consumer-packaged goods industry is undergoing a “cataclysmic transformation,” according to one branding expert, who explained that a new crop of entrepreneurs who are unfettered by outdated taboos and not intimidated by industry giants are challenging...
Despite all the buzz around CBD and the near steady stream of product launches across food and beverage categories featuring the ingredient, the majority of Americans have not heard of the ingredient, never used it or have no interest in it, according...
Entrepreneurs just starting out may feel pressured to present a façade of perfection or else risk missing an opportunity, but the CEO of Lily’s Sweets, Jane Miller, argues the opposite is true – that failing to seek help managing weaknesses or bridging...
Recognizing that there is a lot of information – and misinformation – about different diets, weight management brand Atkins Nutritionals is launching a new multi-marketing campaign with spokesman Rob Lowe that aims to set the record straight about what...
Health and nutrition experts are urging food manufacturers to create healthier options for schools to serve students after new research shows that strengthened nutrition standards in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 are working and the fears...
The FDA has granted a citizen petition* requesting that glucomannan (found in the root of the elephant yam, also known as the konjac plant) be added to the list of ingredients classified as dietary fiber on US food and supplement labels.
As we enter the next decade, consumers will continue to wield the power they took from food and beverage brands during the last ten years to drive increased transparency, sustainability and social responsibility, predicts one leading market analyst and...
As obesity rates continue to rise, more Americans are turning to medical professionals, new technology and science-based approaches to help them meet their weight-loss goals, but new research from Jenny Craig suggests long-term success also requires a...
Traditional regional grocers are enjoying a resurgence of consumer preference thanks in part to improved assortment and private brands, but the growing threat of a recession in the US could compromise their rising status unless they can also prove themselves...
As more entrepreneurs adopt an iterative, fail-fast approach to innovation it is increasingly tempting to compare businesses and products as a way to measure success, but according to Jane Miller, the CEO of Lily’s Sweets, a better strategy to remain...
As consumers continue to place a higher value on enjoyable shopping experiences, retailers will need to offer more than low prices to drive traffic in 2020, including enticing “sights, sounds and smells” in brick-and-mortar stores, seamless shopping across...
Food and beverage manufacturers that historically have relied on weight-loss or diet-related messaging to bolster sales in January may need a new game plan if the International Food Information Council Foundation’s prediction comes true that consumers...
As mounting consumer interest in personalized nutrition continues to drive consolidation in the supplement side of the segment, the evidence-based supplement subscription service Baze is expanding into food as a point of differentiation, and in doing...
The consumer awakening and subsequent loss of faith in big business over the past 10 years caught many established food and beverage companies on their backfoot, but a leading market analyst and communications expert predicts the tide will shift again...
Type ‘Kraft Heinz procurement’ into Google and the search engine helpfully suggests ‘scandal,’ ‘misconduct’ and ‘investigation,’ serving as a reminder that the buying function at one of the world’s most iconic food companies had something of an annus...
Increased production of key crops from China, Argentina and Brazil may have weakened US agriculture’s competitive position over the last 10 years, but rapid innovation in ag-tech in the new decade could help American farmers regain a pole-position by...
Check out FoodNavigator-USA’s latest gallery of new products hitting shelves, from chickpea butter and tortilla chips to more plant-based yogurts, new private label lines from Target and ShopRite, and Zevia's new zero sugar soda for kids.
Arcadia Biosciences, a publicly-traded biotechnology firm focused on value-added food ingredients, has developed a non-GMO reduced wheat flour that contains 65% less gluten than traditional flour and performs like regular flour in food formulations.
A coalition of doctors, academics, and American consumers called the Low-Carb Action Network (LCAN) is urging US nutrition leaders to include a low-carb diet as part of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA).
What’s new in the world of flavors, and what’s keeping formulators awake at night? FoodNavigator-USA (FNU) caught up with Doug Resh (DR) director, commercial marketing, at T. Hasegawa, one of the world’s top 10 flavor & fragrance companies to learn...
ShopRite rolls out Bowl & Basket private label: CPG companies led on branding in the past, but ‘that paradigm is shifting’
New private label ranges featuring a more “modern, upscale aesthetic” will help to “redefine how customers see ShopRite,” claims the East Coast retailer, which is consolidating multiple private label lines under its new Bowl & Basket and Paperbird...
Global ingredient provider, Ingredion, has opened its new manufacturing facility in Mexico, to produce allulose, the first of its kind for the company in the region.
The hemp-derived CBD market is growing rapidly, although many CPG brands and retailers are waiting for clarity from the FDA on the regulatory path forward for cannabidiol before piling in, but what will distinguish the winners from the losers in this...
The buzz around fresh, healthy and sustainable eating is so intense it is easy to think that everyone now eats this way – but the reality is the premium prices and extra time often needed to prepare these on-trend items place them out of reach of millions...
As Latin American cannabis company Khiron receives approval to expand its hemp CBD brand into Colombia, we look at the markets to watch, opportunities for growth and the steps leading CBD brands are taking to appeal to consumers.
Cargill has entered a joint development agreement with Renmatix to explore new applications and commercial opportunities to scale a proprietary, water-based process which converts unused plant materials into functional food ingredients with the clean...
Agriculture accounts for approximately a quarter of annual greenhouse gas emissions, but rather than scapegoat farmers for climate change Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine wants stakeholders across the supply chain, along with legislators and consumers, to...
While iconic brands currently are losing the tug-of-war with niche startups for consumer engagement and spending, how they continue to play the game in the next ten years will dictate whether they regain ground or become obsolete, according to senior...
