Americans buy everything online, from books to vacations. But when it comes to groceries, bricks, not clicks, still rule. That was until Amazon struck a deal to buy Whole Foods, and gave everyone a “huge wake up call,” says Door to Door Organics CEO Mike...
The launch of Amazon Instant Pickup and Aldi’s new partnership with Instacart, both announced this week, propel forward online grocery shopping, which according to industry analysts is quickly gaining momentum despite significant lingering challenges.
With demand for almond flour at an “all time high,” Blue Diamond Growers is increasing its production capacity for the on-trend ingredient via a new processing line at its Salida (CA) manufacturing complex.
Consumers seeking more functional benefit from their foods and beverages are increasingly turning to the color purple, but according to recent research from Welch Foods, Inc. only 18% of Americans can name more than three types of purple produce – a gap...
Small size food manufacturers have only five weeks left before the deadline hits to develop food safety plans under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Preventive Controls for Human Food – and for those that haven’t yet started, or think they can’t afford...
A commonly held perception of the ongoing renaissance in the food and beverage industry is that only small, nimble startups are innovating to meet consumers’ evolving needs, and that large, legacy companies must acquire or incubate new brands to keep...
There has been a resurgence in ‘all-natural’ litigation in 2017 as the industry has waited in vain for the FDA to provide a definition of the much-maligned term. However, a line item in an appropriations bill might spur the agency into action, say attorneys...
When starting a business, it helps to have someone who has been there before to help avoid pitfalls and secure success, but finding a trusted expert to fill this role can be difficult, which is why earlier this month the US Department of Agriculture teamed...
After years of knocking on the doors of top tier retailers and hearing no, baby and toddler food company NuturMe is finally hearing yes from major players including Target, Kroger and Costco – a change the company’s CEO attributes to the brand’s new “Tummy...
With its “chameleon-like” versatility, nutrient-density and strong structural integrity, the ancient grain freekeh is a triple threat to many modern day eating woes that plague time-crunched consumers seeking something healthy and fast, according to the...
Back in 2011, it looked as if augmented reality (AR) might become as ubiquitous as the barcode on food packaging as marketers sought new ways to entice consumers with more immersive experiences.
For time-strapped entrepreneurs who are brave enough to take the stage, competing in pitch-slams is a good way to secure funding, meet potential business partners and weave a network of supporters who can help shine a spotlight on them without investing...
When it comes to edible insects, there is still something of a disconnect between the rhetoric (insects can help us feed the world) and the reality, in the US., at least (they’re still niche and expensive). But that’s about to change, predicts the company...
Much of the punditry immediately following the Amazon/Whole Foods announcement focused on how the tie up might impact Whole Foods stores. Will they become test beds for Amazon Go-style technology and fulfilment centers for Amazon's broader grocery...
While it's probably still best known for its iconic condensed soup, Campbell Soup has been quietly re-engineering its portfolio in recent years via a series of strategic acquisitions and investments spanning everything from hummus and dips to organic...
After almost 15 years in business without generating a profit, algae ingredients pioneer TerraVia has filed for bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11 and subjected itself to a competitive bidding process, with ingredients supplier Corbion entering the...
As an early mover in the edible insect space, Exo initially downplayed the presence of crickets in its snack bars to help drive trial, but as the idea of eating bugs becomes more familiar to Americans the brand is more heavily featuring crickets in its...
Seeing a looming opportunity, dietary ingredients supplier Ethical Naturals has brought a new monk fruit sweetener ingredient to market that it says uses the same technology that it applies to its botanical extracts.
Only 9% of US consumers currently buy groceries online, but the Amazon/Whole Foods deal already is generating incremental interest in buying egroceries, according to a new consumer survey.
While most agricultural industry leaders gathered on Capitol Hill yesterday urged lawmakers and the current administration to tread lightly when it comes to renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, some indicated specific areas for improvement.
As a percentage of the overall grocery retail market, Amazon’s $420m in Q2 grocery sales in the US is pretty small fry. But its 50% year-on-year growth is making the whole industry pay attention, says e-commerce data firm One Click Retail.
“Lidl will be a very real threat for small scale grocers that lack differentiation or operational efficiencies," predict analysts at Bernstein. However, its success in the US “is by no means a foregone conclusion,” they caution.
FDA’s decision to greenlight a qualified health claim connecting macadamia nuts to the reduced risk of heart disease despite the ingredient’s saturated fat content suggests the agency may give manufacturers a little slack to make health claims as long...
Is Lidl’s ‘Preferred Selection’ private label “confusingly similar” to Kroger’s ‘Private Selection’? Or is Kroger’s recent trademark infringement lawsuit against Lidl merely an opportunistic bid to derail a rival’s US market entry?
Using a novel nutrition rating system, such as Guiding Stars, could give retailers and food service chains a competitive edge by creating the perception they offer more of the healthy, fresh foods that today’s consumers increasingly want, new research...
Ethical claims on food and beverages sold in the US are almost as ubiquitous as the Nutrition Facts panel and while they are not legally mandated by FDA like nutritional information, some manufacturers might feel like they are just as obligatory given...
The ready meal category in the US is set to explode in part as a natural evolution of the meal kit craze that taught consumers how to cook healthy, fresh food at home, but which still ultimately takes more time than many people have daily, according to...
Leading trade groups for the retailer and food service industries are suing New York City to stop inspectors from holding their members responsible for posting calorie counts for prepared “restaurant-type food” ahead of a similar federal rule that has...
General Mills has won a lawsuit alleging its Nature Valley granola bars cannot be labelled “100% natural” as they purportedly contain traces of herbicide.
Consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands have a tough road ahead with the boom in grocerants, but they can survive with some clever collaboration and product re-thinks, says 'supermarket guru' Phil Lempert.
The long-raging debate over whether cutting carbs or cutting fat is a better way lose weight is a false dichotomy, according to new research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that found successfully shedding pounds is less about...
By Jay W. Connolly, Edward F. Maluf and Owen Wolfe, attorneys, Seyfarth Shaw
One of the hottest topics in the food, beverage and dietary supplement industries, for both producers and advertisers, remains the disclosure of genetically modified organisms, or ‘GMOs,’ in these products.
General Mills said it will focus on growing its cereal venture with Nestlé, unlocking growth opportunities and investing in NPDs to overturn the company’s historical decline in quarter-on-quarter revenues.
Nutrition-packed, environmentally sustainable and already notoriously well-known – although partly for the wrong reasons – hemp is well positioned to become one of the next big superfood superstars in the US.
Despite recent innovations and strong sales in the plant-based milk category, many products are low in desirable nutrients and high in unwanted “superfluous ingredients,” such as gums and starches, which leave the category vulnerable to an exodus but...
When Salem, North Carolina-based bakery Dewey’s decided two years ago to create a line of clean ingredient crackers and cookies – including a soft-baked variety that also had a long shelf life of at least six months, some experts told CEO Scott Livengood...
The Amazon/Whole Foods deal has “absolutely rattled food retailing and CPG markets in a way I have never seen in my life,” says the founder of organic meal-kit company Green Chef, who says he has been approached by multiple ‘strategic’ suitors as the...
A comparison between Lidl stores in Europe and the first wave of US stores suggests the retailer is moving “away from the hard discount model as we know it in Europe,” according to an analysis by Bernstein.
Paleo product sales could soar in the next three years if enough manufacturers invest, according to IRI, but Mintel says paleo will never reach Greek yogurt heights.
Which ingredients should be classified as dietary fibers and why? Elaine Watson caught up with Dr Dennis Gordon from North Dakota State University (NDSU) at the IFT show in Las Vegas as the FDA considers petitions from suppliers of everything from inulin...
"The conversion away from partially hydrogenated oils is really an opportunity to re-engineer cakes themselves," says Corbion as it launches SweetPro, a new line of trans fat-free emulsifiers that allow manufacturers to swap expensive bakery...
Convenience is a dominating factor influencing which foods and beverages shoppers in Mexico buy – even beating out innovation and authenticity, which also weigh heavily in the decision-making process, according to a recent Culinary Visions Panel.
With unemployment rates approaching 14% after two years of recession, Brazil’s economy is projected to grow by less than 0.5% in 2017, while the president has become embroiled in a corruption scandal some commentators fear could endanger an economic recovery....
To many consumers, ‘processed food’ is just another term for ‘junk food.’ It’s hard to define, but we know it when we see it (Twinkies). But do we know a ‘highly processed’ ingredient when we see it, and how much processing is too much? Elaine Watson...
Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide RoundUp) will be added to California's Prop 65 list on July 7, 2017, meaning warning labels will be required from July 2018. But what, if anything, does this mean for packaged foods that might...
What new tools are brands using to get products to market more quickly, and build consumer insights into the process at every stage? Are traditional focus groups becoming passé?
One product that generated quite a buzz at the IFT show this year was NuBana green banana flour from International Agriculture Group (IAG). Elaine Watson caught up with VP marketing and business development (and resistant starch guru) Rhonda Witwer to...
