The US ice cream and frozen novelties category experienced a significant rise in sales in 2020 (+16.3% vs. 2019) as consumers sought out comfort eating while confined to their homes. However, in 2021 and into 2022, the category will be challenged as consumers...
When it comes to meat alternatives, fat remains the final frontier for formulators, says Nourish Ingredients, which is harnessing the power of microbes to produce next-generation ‘animal-free’ fats it claims can deliver a ‘meatier’ experience than plant-based...
New Culture – one of a cluster of startups in the emerging ‘animal-free’ dairy space* engineering microbes to produce dairy milk proteins, without cows – is aiming to launch animal-free Mozzarella in late 2023.
During the pandemic, sales of dairy and animal protein grew off strong foundations, but many of the claims that traditionally drove consumer interest in the categories slowed or performed unevenly – revealing shifting priorities that could influence future...
With nearly one in five Americans now following some type of specialty diet, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the extent to which products appeal to different food tribes can heavily influence sales – but not all diets are...
BIOMILQ – a North Carolina-based startup culturing human mammary cells that lactate – says new tests show its milk is not bio-identical to breastmilk, but is significantly closer to it than any infant formula currently on the market.
While freshly vaccinated food and beverage execs may be tentatively emerging from their homes to attend face-to-face meetings and events in the coming months, the last year has proven that virtual meetings – done right – can be just as effective, and...
Doozy Pots – a plant-based gelato made from organic hemp and oat ingredients and the brainchild of a former Ben & Jerry's product developer – is injecting some differentiation and innovation into the plant-based ice cream and frozen desserts...
As shoppers increasingly incorporate more plants into their diets, Whole Foods Market predicts a summer season where plant-based foods and brands take center plate.
Having initially voted in favour of banning descriptive terms such as ‘buttery’ and ‘creamy’ for dairy-free products, the European Parliament has dropped Amendment 171.
‘Why is it that at a time when people have never known more about health and nutrition, they have never been more obese?’ asks Jack Bobo in the intro to his new book.
While most Americans know dairy milk can help growing children build strong bones and healthy bodies, they may not realize it also can help athletes and everyday people of all ages perform better and recover faster – something the California Milk Advisory...
As inflation threatens to crest double digits for CPGs by the end of the year, consumer price sensitivity also is increasing while volume consumption is decreasing – creating an “uncertain, idiosyncratic and uneven” market in which manufacturers must...
Food and beverage brands hoping to capitalize on growing consumer interest in health and wellness may be better served by promoting what is in their products versus what isn’t based on new research from the International Food Nutrition Council.
The FDA has responded with a letter of no objection to Cargill’s GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) notification for EpiCor – a ‘postbiotic’ ingredient claimed to have immune, digestive, and respiratory health benefits.
Spencer Sheehan – a plaintiff’s attorney best-known for filing a tsunami of lawsuits over vanilla labeling – has targeted Chobani for the second time in six months, this time taking issue with claims on the yogurt maker’s high protein, no added sugar...
Terviva – a California-based firm commercializing ingredients from low-input, high-yielding Pongamia trees – has raised $54m in equity capital,* with an additional $24m in equity and debt capital to follow this quarter, and announced a collaboration with...
Despite an uptick in snacking and consumption of indulgent foods and beverages during the pandemic, the number of Americans dieting last year held steady compared to previous years – but their approaches and motivations shifted to reflect changing pressures...
Amid the steady stream of plant-based meat and dairy launches, new innovations hitting shelves this quarter include zero sugar dairy milk from Maple Hill Creamery, yerba mate from Honest Tea, and rice cooked in bone broth, ready-to-eat in 60-seconds,...
After more than a year of requiring shoppers to wear masks and stepping up in-store safety measure, Southeastern US retailer Publix along with several other retailers said it will no longer require fully-vaccinated customers to wear face coverings, unless...
From grim footage of workers mistreating cows to environmental concerns, consumer perceptions of the dairy industry are not universally positive, acknowledges Chobani president Peter McGuinness. But adding dairy to the sectors covered by Fair Trade certification...
The long-awaited end of the pandemic may be nearing in the US as vaccine distribution expands and new government guidance rolls back some mask and social distancing requirements, but for the CPG industry, some of the challenges that arose and accelerated...
On May 6, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) issued a scientific opinion concluding that titanium dioxide (E171), a whitening pigment used to color everything from gum to sauces, “can no longer be considered safe as a food additive.” So what does...
Boston-based Motif FoodWorks has gained exclusive access to technologies designed to address two key challenges in plant-based formulations: achieving melt and stretch in plant-based cheese, and healthier fat that enables marbling in plant-based meat....
Carbon labeling for food and beverage may be coming faster than originally predicted, and soon may hold more sway with consumers than other popular certifications as the ongoing pandemic accelerates consumer interest in sustainable diets, predict industry...
Target has expanded its private label offering with the launch of Good & Gather Plant Based, responding to soaring demand for plant-based products from customers, said the retailer.
With demand for rare sugar allulose currently exceeding supply, Tate & Lyle has informed some partners that it is withholding supplies of the sweetener until further notice, FoodNavigator-USA understands.
Synergy Flavors (part of Carbery Group) has acquired savory flavor and ingredient supplier, Innova Flavors, from Griffith Foods Worldwide, ramping up its savory product development of plant-based alternatives.
Despite historically enjoying rapid gains during economically challenging periods, like the pandemic, private label growth fell behind branded products in all but a few niche food and beverage categories during the past year – a role reversal that hasn’t...
Thanks to advances in synthetic biology, with the right set of instructions, an army of microscopic little food factories (yeast, fungi, bacteria, algae etc) can now make animal proteins without animals, from collagen and egg albumin to whey protein if...
Pete and Gerry’s Organics’ decision announced yesterday to sell a majority stake of the family-owned free-range and pasture-raised egg business to the private equity firm Butterfly may be “unsettling” to some, acknowledges the CEO, but he says it will...
Ingredion – already a key player in the stevia sweeteners market through its 2020 deal to acquire PureCircle – has teamed up with synthetic biology specialist Amyris to expand into a new segment of the market: steviol glycosides produced via fermentation.
Industry-supported efforts to update organic food standards could finally move forward after being held at a standstill for years by the US Department of Agriculture if bipartisan legislation introduced in the House late last week becomes law.
Unilever – which has strong anchor portfolios across the CPG landscape including food & personalized nutrition, beauty & personal care, and home care – saw continued strong in-home consumer demand for its core ice cream brands and double-digit...
After a surge of consumer trust in the food and beverage industry during the early days of the pandemic when stakeholders risked their health to keep store shelves stocked and supply chains moving, consumer trust in the industry globally fell a staggering...
Amazon is continuing to expand its grocery business, opening four new Amazon Fresh grocery stores in the US (two in Illinois and two in California) while offering enhanced delivery and payment options to customers including expanded Key In-Garage Grocery...
TerViva – a California-based firm seeking to commercialize ingredients from low-input, high-yielding Pongamia trees – aims to have commercial quantities of 'golden buttery' oil available by mid-2022, with ‘highly soluble’ protein isolates to...
Recognizing that risings costs are squeezing food and beverage margins as the pandemic continues, Albertsons will accept – to an extent – price increases that several large CPG players have warned in recent weeks are coming down the pike.
The popular recipe and home cooking platform Epicurious is dropping beef from its repertoire going forward in favor of more plant-based options to amplify the conversation about sustainable diets, stem the steady uptick in beef sales in the US and give...
The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) is “proving to be confusing as well as onerous for food manufacturers,” says FoodChain ID, which has just launched a compliance service* to help firms get their ducks in a row ahead of the January...
Taste and smell are fundamental to how consumers experience food and beverages, but most tools for understanding and measuring these senses – including a highly trained human nose – are subjective, imprecise, and expensive making it difficult to cost-effectively...
Visitors to BioMilk’s website are asked a simple question: ‘What is milk?’ a question that - until relatively recently - had a pretty obvious answer: the white stuff lactating mammals produce. Today, however, there’s plant-based milk; there are products...
While fluid milk consumption has been declining since the 1970s, US retail sales rose 7.1% last year (52-weeks ending Jan 2, 2021, according to NielsenIQ Total U.S. xAOC data). However, is this trend indicative of an actual revitalization of the $15.1bn...
Despite strong organic sales growth and market share gains in the first quarter, Nestlé’s CEO warned market analysts yesterday against “excessive margin growth expectations,” and cautioned the company could raise prices later this year or early next to...
The Climate Pledge, which was launched two years ago by e-commerce giant Amazon and Global Optimism, has now attracted 105 signatories, with PepsiCo, Quorn Foods, Sainsbury’s and Heineken among the latest cohort.
The US Department of Agriculture is asking for help conducting a “top to bottom assessment” of the US food system in an effort to avoid the empty store shelves, food waste at farms and destruction for animals due to broken supply chains experienced in...
The shift in food consumption towards the home in the early weeks and months of the coronavirus pandemic has been well-documented, with many packaged food products experiencing a noticeable uplift. But have things since returned to 'normal,'...
Oatly posted a net loss of $60m in 2020 on sales up 106.5% year-on-year to $421.4m, reflecting its continued investment as it ramps up production and aggressively expands into new markets, according to a prospectus published ahead of its initial public...
Despite the interruption in civil litigation prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, “more new class action lawsuits were filed against the food and beverage industry—220* cases [+23% vs 2019]—than in any other year of the past decade,” according to an analysis...
