While the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ might appear to be interchangeable (they both exclude animal products), consumers do not view them in the same way, says the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), which has just launched a new ‘certified plant-based’...
Sales of Fairtrade certified goods are on the rise, with coffee, cocoa, bananas and avocados particularly strong, but more brands need to invest to create true impact in the market, says the COO of Fairtrade America.
After helping multiple startups in Europe increase their combined sales fourfold throughout the duration of it six-month Nutrition Greenhouse accelerator program, PepsiCo is now offering entrepreneurs in the US a helping hand and a shot at $100,000 in...
Chobani is paying tribute to members of the armed forces this Veteran’s Day with a “no strings attached” donation to Operation Homefront, and the launch a limited edition, patriotic yogurt designed to raise funds for and awareness of the struggles some...
As FDA considers a formal definition for the term ‘healthy’ as well as who should serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines advisory committees, Atkins Nutritionals asks the agency to reconsider its formal stance on low-carbohydrate diets.
When Amazon first acquired Whole Foods Market it sent a tremor of fear throughout the industry that brick and mortar soon would be dead, and triggered a flurry of investment in online shopping technology – but a year and a half and millions of dollars...
By James Richardson, PhD, founder, Premium Growth Solutions
Influencers. Who are they? What do they influence? How can you accelerate your brand’s influence on consumer shopping decisions? These are sociological questions, not merely marketing ones. Influence is about persuasion, after all, one of the oldest human...
Instacart, which has made its same-day online grocery delivery available to 70% of US households across 50 states, is expanding its click-and-collect grocery pick-up services to nearly 200 stores, following positive consumer feedback from a multi-month...
Once the “biggest skeptic” of how blockchain technology could benefit the food and beverage industry, Frank Yiannas, the VP of food safety for Walmart, says he experienced a near “religious conversion” after working with IBM to digitize the food supply...
Months after the USDA unexpectedly and unceremoniously pulled the plug on plans to implement a federally mandated organic check-off program, the Organic Trade Association is soliciting ideas to help the industry ‘GRO’ through a voluntary, industry-vested...
Ben & Jerry’s has launched a limited release flavor as a part of a rallying campaign against the Trump administration ahead of the US midterm elections on November 6. The ‘Pecan Resist’ pints feature original artwork and highlight a $100,000 donation...
German flavors and fragrances company Symrise AG has opened a US facility near Atlanta, Georgia, for the production of natural food ingredients, investing approximately US$57m in the nearly 100 acre site to grow its US business.
Plant-based ‘cheese’ and ‘butter’ maker Miyoko’s Kitchen has been hit with a lawsuit alleging it is duping consumers by cashing in on the good name of [dairy] butter to promote a plant-based product that is functionally and nutritionally inferior. However,...
noosa yoghurt has merged with Sovos Brands, a food and beverage company formed in 2017 with a growing portfolio of premium CPG brands that plans to extend the noosa brand into categories beyond spoonable yogurt.
For entrepreneurs and startups willing to go the extra mile, the benefits of competing in pitch slam, such as Rabobank’s FoodBytes!, can go far beyond the immediate exposure they gain when presenting their products or the possibility of winning a prize.
US retail sales of yogurt have tailed off in the past two years as Greek has lost its luster. But this is just a temporary blip, predicts the president of General Mills’ US yogurt business, who is confident the overall category will return to growth.
“…‘I should not have eaten that salad yesterday, I think I just woke up with infertility…’ says nobody, ever,” observes Jackie Bowen, executive director at nonprofit the Clean Label Project. Regulators, she argues, are great at dealing with health issues...
Dairy farmers concerned about the health of their herds and the quality of their milk increasingly are turning to big data to identify problems earlier, but a major tradeoff for accessing this information has been the plethora of uncomfortable and cumbersome...
Consumers’ approach to what they eat is changing from “monolithic meat, potatoes and veggies,” to increasingly “heterogeneous” diets that go beyond sustenance to represent values and lifestyles – a shift that is translating to big business for companies...
Fat has not only become more accepted among consumers but also the focal point of many popular diets such as keto and paleo. As a result, sales of some, not all, whole-fat dairy products are reaping the benefits of a renewed interest in fat influenced...
US retail sales of yogurt have continued to fall over the past year, although there have been pockets of growth in Icelandic style and full fat products, according to data from Nielsen and SPINS.
When manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and food service providers throw away “perfectly good food” because they overestimated how much they needed or were unable to sell it before its best by date they are also throwing away more than $40 billion...
Dairy farmers who are paid based in part on the quality of their milk soon will be able to measure safely and in real-time the fat and protein levels of their milk as well as the health of their herds at each milking thanks to emerging technology from...
Evaluating the gut microbiota of infants during their first two years may help identify children who are at risk of becoming overweight or obese, a recent study revealed.
At the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Washington, DC, manufacturers showcased a variety of new and recently launched products tailored for different diets ranging from plant-based and allergen-friendly to low-sugar and high-protein.
The FDA should consider whether a “significant liberalization of qualified health claim language would help drive innovation and be beneficial to consumers,” says Campbell Soup Co.
Ad watchdog* the National Advertising Division has referred claims from The a2 Milk Company (a2MC) that its milk is ‘easier on digestion’ and ‘may help some avoid discomfort’ to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for further review.
Market sales data – if you can afford it – will tell you what's trending now, says online platform RangeMe, which connects retail buyers and suppliers. But how do you know what buyers are looking for next? And how can you get a clearer sense of how...
Plant-based 'chef-inspired' food brand Kite Hill has closed a $40m capital raise led by General Mills' venture arm 301 INC. with participation from CAVU Venture Partners, which according to CEO Rob Leibowitz, will be put towards expanding...
Tillamook County Creamery Association has had a loyal regional following in the Pacific Northwest for more than 100 years (founded in 1909), but in order to secure its next 100 years the dairy co-operative needed to execute a national growth strategy...
Food and agriculture startups focused on reducing waste, using artificial intelligence to deliver higher food, and offering more sustainable and plant-based options, took center stage at Rabobank's FoodBytes! pitch competition and networking event...
New consumer research suggests that targeting so-called ‘foodies’ to leverage their influence for expanded brand awareness may not be as effective as appealing to an emerging, much larger and potentially more powerful segment known as the ‘food connected...
A report by market research firm Packaged Facts revealed that online groceries more than tripled between 2013 and 2018, though it still accounted for only 2% of total grocery spending.
Unilever has introduced a premium, light, probiotic ice cream brand called Culture Republick containing three billion live cultures per pint from the patented strain GanedenBC30.
The plant-based protein market continues to evolve and diversify with companies cultivating novel sources, such as California-based Plantible Foods that's working with the aquatic plant Lemna (also known as duckweed) that it says offers benefits...
Ingredient supplier Layn is helping food and beverage manufacturers in Mexico and Central America take the guesswork out of sugar reduction by expanding in the region two new plant-based sweetener platforms that are optimized for different categories.
Swedish company Oatly will open its first US production plant in New Jersey next spring to support demand for its dairy-free oat-based products in the US.
Free from the constraints of the appellation d'origine contrôlée that dictate how cheese in Europe is made, American cheese makers are able to add innovative twists to traditional methods to create unique products that meet evolving consumer demand,...
Appalled at the amount of produce wasted every year while many people struggle with food insecurity, Kroger will launch a new brand that prizes oddly shaped and discolored fruits and vegetables that previously would have been rejected by the retail chain.
Earlier this week the top scientific body studying climate change issued a dire warning that “rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society,” must occur to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and ensure a “more sustainable...
Roughly three-quarters of Americans understand that plant-based ‘milk’ products (almondmilk, soymilk etc) do not contain cow’s milk, although a significant minority - 16-20% depending on the variety – say they don’t know, while 7-9% believe they do contain...
It may be possible to increase food production sustainably and feed 10 billion people by 2050, say researchers, but only if we switch to flexitarian diets, cut global food waste in half and adopt climate-smart agriculture practices.
'Ignorance is amok... not even the investors are asking the right questions. It’s total anarchy'
If you ask the FDA or the DEA if CBD (cannabidiol) is permitted in foods, beverages and supplements, the answer is a pretty unequivocal NO. If you ask the scores of companies currently selling it in everything from CBD-infused soda to smoothie kits, the...
As the desire to attain a healthier, longer life through diet expands beyond niche groups focused on wellness into the mainstream population, consumers increasingly are looking for functional ingredients they recognize across categories – including in...
Consumer attention to health and wellness when making food and beverage purchases has impacted specific areas of the grocery store, specifically the rise in sales of no sugar added products and items that contain stevia or monk fruit, Nielsen data found.
Fat is back in the dairy aisles, if the recent proliferation of products touting their whole milk (c. 3.5% milk fat) credentials is anything to go by. But San Francisco-based start-up Peak Yogurt is taking the trend one step further in a bid to carve...
Wildly popular in the UK and Europe, the salty and slightly rubbery grilling cheese halloumi is beginning to gain attention in the US as consumer fears about fat fade and their desire for high-protein snacks increases, according to new research from Fact.MR.
Kraft Heinz has committed $100m to launch the venture capital fund Evolv Ventures that will be focused on investing in emerging technologies in the food industry.
