For all the effort that goes into crafting the US dietary guidelines, including the multi-year process of reviewing the science and sifting through stakeholders’ conflicting opinions and wishes, the final product will all be for naught if it is not trusted...
‘Dieting’ and ‘reduced fat’ have become passé phrases in the world of packaged food replaced with terms like ‘clean label’ and ‘locally-sourced’, so what can explain low-calorie ice cream alternative Halo Top’s dramatic takeover of the frozen dessert...
Consumer demand for natural, plant-based ingredients combined with their desire to cut back on sugar without sacrificing taste is creating a perfect storm for stevia sales to grow exponentially, according to the International Stevia Council.
Americans’ long-term love affair with protein shows no sign of slowing, but new research from the full service sales and marketing firm Acosta suggests that the sources of the macronutrient that shoppers are buying is evolving as are their reason for...
Hemp advocacy group Vote Hemp has welcomed a new bill - introduced Thursday by Senate leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) - that if passed, will remove federal roadblocks to the cultivation of industrial hemp.
After one year as DanoneWave, to reflect the April 2017 merger of Danone and US-based White Wave Foods, the company has rebranded to Danone North America and has also become the largest Certified B Corporation (B Corp) in the world.
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.
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.
While overall US dairy milk sales are in virtual freefall, the organic industry has managed to stay one step ahead so far, but it is nearing saturation with fluid milk and needs to find new outlets to reach the “next level of penetration,” according to...
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,...
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...
Riding the successful launch of its aloe vera spoonable yogurt last year, Alove (a brand under Morinaga Nutritional Foods, Inc.) debuted a low-fat drinkable yogurt lineup meant to grow on-the-go yogurt consumption and introduce US consumers to something...
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...
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...
With industrial hemp in the spotlight following Mitch McConnell’s recent intervention (he’s promised to introduce a bill to remove it from the controlled substances list and legalize it as an agricultural commodity), FoodNavigator-USA checked in with...
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’...
The Whole30 Approved logo has become a shortcut for consumers looking for products made with real, simple and nutritious ingredients, and as such it is giving products that bear the certification a huge market boost, as Applegate recently discovered....
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...
The omnibus spending bill just passed in the House directs the FDA to strengthen and enforce dairy standards of identity in a bid to crack down on plant-based 'imitators,' claim milk producers. But the Plant Based Foods Association says the...
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.”
'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...
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...
New Jersey-based FlavorHealth – best known for using high-throughput cell-based screening to identify natural compounds that enhance sweetness and saltiness and reduce bitterness – is aiming to commercialize a novel natural high-intensity sweetener with...
Georgia-based grass-fed dairy brand AtlantaFresh has closed its doors after nine years in business following the abrupt termination of a contract with Whole Foods that accounted for the vast majority of its revenues.
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.
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...
With year-on-year sales up 300% and the brand taking top sales spot in the mass channel, cottage cheese trailblazer Good Culture is continuing to bring new users into the category.
'The shoulders of the Kite Hill brand can hold many product platforms'
Almondmilk-fueled brand Kite Hill could potentially play in multiple categories in the ambient, chilled and frozen aisles of the store, says new CEO Rob Leibowitz , who plans to sit down with co-founder Tal Ronnen in the weeks ahead to explore opportunities...
“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...
After launching in August 2016 in the northeast with six single-serve products, Muuna has added new flavors and is taking its protein-packed cottage cheese southerly and westerly.
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,...
Cellular agriculture start-up Perfect Day – which is creating ‘vegan’ dairy proteins without cows – has raised $24.7m in a Series A funding round led by Singapore state-owned investment company Temasek.
While NAFTA’s status remains in limbo, the US Department of Agriculture is “leaving no stone unturned” in its efforts to strike trade agreements with countries outside of North America that will benefit US farmers, ranchers and manufacturers of finished...
