For many consumers, “fats” remains a four-letter word to avoid, despite the health claims and media buzz surrounding grass fed butter, coconut oil, avocados, omega-3s and other sources of the nutrient, according to an industry analyst with NPD Group.
Manufacturers and other stakeholders must find ways to help close the yield gap that many farmers experience when they transition from conventional to organic, or else risk domestic production of organic crops -- and the lower prices they often offer...
Edible insects remain a niche in American food culture, but recent moves from two major industry stakeholders – Loblaws and Maple Leaf Foods – suggest they could edge into the mainstream more quickly than many commentators originally envisaged, predicts...
The US may be the largest market for organic products, but it is also highly competitive, and manufacturers looking for a leg up might consider exporting their products as a way to build sales and even become category leaders, according to the Organic...
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...
The combination of astaxanthin and sesamin (AS) may help promote recovery from mental and physical fatigue, according to a study from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.
With a successful series A fundraise of $8 million announced today, nutrition-related data services and analytics firm Nutrino wants to build “the world’s largest and most adaptable nutrition insights platform” in part to help manufacturers track trends,...
Milled starchy unripe bananas – which are low in sugar and high in RS2 resistant starch – can help people better control their blood glucose, but they also confer an exciting range of digestive benefits, making them a powerful new gut health ingredient,...
As the clean label movement expands, food and beverage manufacturers should lean more heavily on science to explain to consumers how products are made and the role specific ingredients play to ensure shelf stability and safety are not lost along with...
While private label’s dollar share of the US CPG market has hovered stubbornly around 18% in recent years, things started to change in 2017, according to new data from Nielsen, which says store brands have experienced a “complete reversal in growth trajectory...
USDA’s decision to allow carrageenan in organic products despite an expert panel’s recommendation to the contrary likely will be viewed as a victory to many in the industry, but some argue that it is the latest move by the agency to undermine the integrity...
The nutritional rating system Guiding Stars is expanding to four more grocery brands and will, for the first time, appear on the front of pack of some private label products at the stores – potentially giving them a competitive edge over national and...
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...
For many, the idea of an apprenticeship program likely conjures images of entry-level construction workers, but in reality it is a flexible training and recruitment model that can be more effective than internships at cultivating a workforce pipeline...
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...
Non-profit organization the International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) must improve its communication strategy, says the former program manager of the group’s North America branch.
Location is key to any business’ success, but for food and beverage startups the best place to set up shop may not be the hottest spot in town – rather it could be one surrounded by underserved populations where the community and company can help each...
Aunt Dottie’s is dropping its company name from its line of Green Joy salad bars in order to expand the snack’s appeal geographically and better “dial in on what the bars do, which is bring joy to eating healthy,” according to the company’s CEO.
Consumers place significant onus for ensuring the safety of food and beverages on the companies that make them, and yet their trust in manufacturers to deliver this is at rock bottom – creating a dangerous gap that can be closed only with increased transparency,...
Creating a business plan isn’t as fun as launching a new product or company, but it is fundamental to succeeding in the long term in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, according to an executive with FamilyFarmed’s Good Food Accelerator....
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...
In the push to win consumers, woo top talent and, believe it or not, balance budgets, corporate social responsibility programs could be one of the most powerful tools in companies’ arsenals – but determining what to include and how to structure them can...
After two years of radio silence, during which some legal commentators – and several judges dealing with civil litigation on the issue – suspected it might die on the vine, the FDA has given its clearest indication yet that it will attempt to define ‘natural’...
Beech-Nut is hoping to do for the toddler snack space what it did four years ago for the ‘tired and dated’ baby food category by launching new products in revamped packaging for young children that are inspired by what parents make at home, but more convenient.
It’s a cruel reality that, even today’s most bold innovators in premium food and beverage may find themselves copied and mimicked with remarkable speed. Whether deliberate copycats or simultaneous innovation, ideas for innovation spread much, much faster...
A recent study shows that pecans, when substituted into a higher-fat diet resembling the average intake of Americans, improved cardiometabolic risk factors in older, overweight subjects.
The future for food and beverage brands is not about market share, it is about mindshare, says Neil Saunders from GlobalData. “If you have a strong brand that is front of mind for consumers, you have a much better chance of being successful.”
Industry newcomer Em+Pact is carving out an underserved niche in the $600 million protein bar category by targeting women with products that are crafted to meet their specific nutritional needs and by working with nonprofits to empower them to be “goal...
Americans are snacking more than ever, but not just any bag of chips or candy bar will do. Rather, they want products that are both convenient and nutritious – two boxes that the makers of Truth Bar check with their line of functional nutrition bars.
Cricket-protein bar maker Chapul recently overhauled its packaging to create a “much better hierarchy of messaging,” including clarifying flavors, elevating the value proposition of its ingredients and opting for imagery that encourages consumers to overcome...
Consumer demand for fiber is on the rise thanks in part to increased awareness of the ingredient’s cancer-fighting and other health benefits, but according to recent research not all fiber packs the same punch.
'I think you’ll see a mass exodus of CPG companies moving from polyols to allulose...'
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...
Kashi hopes that other brands will follow its lead in paying more for crops from farmers transitioning from conventional to organic to encourage more producers to make the switch and ensure there is sufficient ingredient supply in the future to meet the...
Emerging trends that have helped fuel the natural and organic industry’s “multi-decade tear” with growth that far outpaces that of the conventional channel are now crossing over to the mainstream with increasing speed thanks in part to an influx of funds...
'This year will be the most transformational year for Quaker in its history'
The Quaker brand – best known for its hot and cold cereals and snack bars – is planning its first foray into the chiller, as brand owner PepsiCo seeks to tap into consumer demand for more convenient nutrition, says Seth Kaufman, head of the company’s...
The idea behind start-up From The Ground Up’s debut products was to refresh yesterday’s snack foods to meet today’s nutritional expectations, according to brand owner Halen Brands.
If the evidence that predominantly plant-based diets are better for human health is growing, the evidence that they are better for the planet is compelling, delegates at the 7th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition (ICVN) were told.
By Charles Sipos, partner; and Lauren Staniar, associate, Perkins Coie
While defining ‘natural’ for the purposes of food labeling has not appeared to be high on the FDA’s priority list since it announced its 2015 probe, things could be about to change, predict Perkins Coie attorneys Charles Sipos and Lauren Staniar.
An infusion of nearly $1 million in seed funding is helping three students from Yale offer consumers the ultimate convenience: a nutrition bar that combines sustenance and caffeine, and a novel text-to-purchase option that allows shoppers to place an...
Analysis of multiple cohorts of consumers around the world featuring large subsets of people on vegan and vegetarian diets – including the Adventist Health Study 2 in the US, the EPIC Oxford study in the UK and the Tzu Chi Health Study 1 and vegetarian...
Despite double-digit increases in the amount of organic corn and soybean grown domestically in recent years, imports of the crops are increasing twice as fast – raising questions about the quality of the product allowed in from overseas and underscoring...
Brazil’s fast growth in the past 20 years makes it an ideal target for exporting US crops and products, and with values that closely align to those of the US it also is an ideal strategic partner to help open new markets in third countries, according...
Conscious consumerism continues to rise in America with more shoppers saying they want to reward companies that “do good,” unfortunately for companies that are embracing this trend a recent survey found many people don’t know how to find socially responsible...
“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...
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...
A new marketing campaign from Chosen Foods aims to change the way Americans think about health and wellness from an all-or-nothing mentality to one that values small but sustainable changes, such as using the company’s avocado oils as a better-for-you...
Deconstructing meat and presenting it in unexpected formats like ice cream, chocolate, and yogurt may help older consumers consume adequate levels of protein and other nutrients, says a new study.
Providing broadband Internet access to rural America is a top priority USDA and part of a larger effort to ensure future generations continue to farm, ranch and manufacturer the commodities and products that are backbone of the country’s food supply,...
