US retail sales* of packaged foods are estimated to increase by an “anemic” 1.2% in 2017, predict analysts at market research provider, Euromonitor International. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Jared Koerten, lead analyst, and Dewey Warner, research...
The NuVal shelf tag program – which assigned products a score of 1-100 based on their nutritional value – has been phased out. Good riddance, or do we need a system that attempts to provides consumers with at-a-glance information that helps them rapidly...
Monk fruit is still more expensive than stevia, but significant progress is being made on tackling the pricing and regulatory issues that have historically held the market back, says Layn Corp, a leading supplier of monk fruit and stevia based natural...
Against the vast majority of stakeholders’ wishes, the US Department of Agriculture once again is delaying the widely supported Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices because the department believes the final rule oversteps Congress’ mandate ‘for the...
Chobani has broken ground on a 70,000-square-foot-facility at its Idaho plant that will house the company’s global research and development team as well as new amenities for its 1,000 employees.
Dr Richardson: 'Strategic plans empower entrepreneurs to say ‘no’ to the wrong opportunities'
By Dr James Richardson, founder, Premium Growth Solutions
With retailers increasingly open to stocking premium products from emerging brands, and Amazon offering a great platform to help entrepreneurs reach a nationwide audience, it might seem like there's never been a better time to start a food &...
US per capita consumption of dairy milk beverages decreased by 22% from 197 pounds to 154 pounds between 2000 and 2016, according to data* from USDA’s economic research service, with the biggest drop in fat-free and skim milk (whole milk in contrast is...
Consumer demand for clean-label food and beverages has given rise to the use of HPP (high pressure processing) in dairy applications due to its ability to kill bacteria in a cold environment while preserving key nutrients and enzymes typically destroyed...
Powerful – the four-year-old brand credited with launching the ‘brogurt’ category – has raised $4m to support its protein-fueled ambitions, and says it now does more business with women than men.
Stevia specialist Sweet Green Fields (SGF) is deploying so-called ‘intelligent tongue’ technology in its quest to identify blends of steviol glycosides and other natural ingredients (taste enhancers, modulators) that most closely match the taste profile...
CircleUp has announced CircleUp Growth Partners, a new $125m venture fund targeting early-stage consumer brands that utilizes a machine learning platform called Helio claimed to enable more data-driven investment decisions.
As the war on sugar gains momentum, plant-based beverage company Califia Farms is cutting back the sugar content across its product portfolio by 40% while still offering consumers who want something sweet options that are more in-line with World Health...
Over the past decade, beef consumption in the US has dropped due mainly to high prices and increased competition from chicken and other protein sources, but the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association hopes to resurrect sales by bringing back its 25-year-old...
Animal agriculture in the US is often criticized for its heavy environmental impact, but data from the National Dairy Council tells a very different story – one of farmers using technology to improve the sustainability of their lands and dairy production....
Honey-infused Aussie-style yogurt Noosa has expanded into the snacking category with its new Mates line, and is on course to generate revenues of $220m this year, says co-founder Koel Thomae.
They might be a novel concept for most Americans, but farmer’s cheese bars could develop into a potentially exciting new category in the burgeoning protein snacking segment, says the co-founder of Yooli Foods, which is rolling out farmer’s cheese cups...
The US team behind the coconut-based yogurt COYO hopes slashing its suggested retail price will help the brand jump from the natural to the conventional channel and that its creamy texture will keep it there by captivating mainstream shoppers who place...
Are Americans ready for savory yogurt? Right now, it seems the jury is still out, with some high profile brands quietly dropping some of their more adventurous SKUs and Blue Hill pausing production of its beet- and carrot-fueled yogurts. However, some...
From the makers of the better-for-you snack subscription box Love With Food, which builds brand awareness and gathers consumer feedback for finished products, comes a new product testing and insights platform that promises to do what traditional focus...
Mexico is eager to follow America’s growing demand for more protein, probiotics and fiber, but lower income levels could hold back consumers and create challenges for manufacturers, according to one industry insider.
Could skyr – which is higher in protein and lower in sugar – be as big as Greek yogurt, or is the ‘Icelandic’ segment of the dairy aisle likely to remain a quirky niche? Ten years ago, people were asking the same question about Greek yogurt, says the...
Watching models strut down a runway in hoop skirts, feather boas or acid washed denim that likely will never end up in the average consumer’s closet may seem like a waste of time for busy food and beverage entrepreneurs – but it also could reveal the...
Food and beverage industry trade leaders laud President Trump’s sweeping tax reform proposals as “bold,” “pro-growth” and as offering “much-needed relief” to American businesses and families.
In America we tend to think more is better, but when it comes to solving the rising problem of malnutrition or hidden hunger – fortifying foods with higher levels of vitamins and minerals or creating supplements with nutrient levels that far exceed the...
Even though ecommerce represents only a small fraction of grocery sales currently, manufacturers and retailers need to embrace digital now or else risk losing out given it influences more than half of all grocery sales somewhere along the path to purchase,...
Easy access to product reviews both online and in stores is playing an increasingly important role in consumers’ purchasing decisions, and could help retailers defend market share from Amazon following its acquisition of Whole Foods Market, according...
The Great Recession of 2008 may be long over, but the penny-pinching it inspired in consumers and their subsequent shift to store brands is not – prompting national brand marketers to explore new ways to reach consumers and downplay the competitive threat...
Unlike cost-conscious generations that came before, Generation Z cares more about convenience than price – a dramatic reversal that will change not only how brands and retailers catch their attention but also where and how they shop, according to new...
Plant-based Greek-style yogurts from Ripple Foods – slated to hit the market by the end of this year – will have a higher protein content (12g/serving) and superior texture to brands currently on shelf, which have improved, but can still look “gelatinous”...
DouxMatok, the Israeli firm behind patented technology that makes sugar taste sweeter, has raised $8.1m in a funding round led by Israel’s largest VC fund, Pitango, with the participation of existing shareholders including Gil Horsky* and FoodLab Capital.
When it comes to meeting consumers’ growing demand for protein, animal-based products continue to reign supreme in the US and Canada for now – but plant-based options are gaining traction and hold significant sales potential, according to the market research...
A new coalition of US and Canadian produce companies hopes to protect the North American Free Trade Agreement from potentially “traumatic” revisions based on “protectionism and a very narrow view of trade,” according to one co-founder.
The entrepreneurs behind an app enabling shoppers to earn cash back after purchasing natural, organic and healthy lifestyle products, say they can give brands participating on the platform “unprecedented insight into their customers' shopping habits.”
The deadline for compliance with the new-look Nutrition Facts panel is likely to be early 2020, 18 months after the original July 26, 2018, compliance date, according to FDA commissioner Scott Gottlieb.
Boulder-based MycoTechnology has raised $35m in a series B financing round from a flurry of high profile investors* from Kellogg’s Eighteen94 Capital to Bunge Ventures and inked a strategic partnership with a leading player in the natural products industry...
New research published by the Organic Trade Association connecting parenting to increased organic purchases suggests sales of organic could see a significant boost in the coming years as more millennials, many of whom already favor organic, have children.
The Organic Trade Association is suing the US Department of Agriculture for repeatedly and allegedly illegally delaying and threatening to potentially suspend indefinitely the widely popular Organic Livestock and Poultry Production final rule, which was...
Amazon can be an “insanely disruptive” platform for challenger brands willing to put in the time and effort to understand how to maximize their prospects on the site, says Pyure Brands, which is giving far larger rivals a run for their money in the stevia-based...
Amazon moved quickly to add Whole Foods private label items to its Prime Now and Prime Pantry platforms post the acquisition, notching up sales of almost $500k in week one, but ran into inventory issues pretty rapidly after underestimating demand, says...
Whether it is trying to raise money, build brand awareness or convince a buyer to stock your product on store shelves, knowing how to successfully pitch your company, and yourself, to potential business partners and consumers is essential.
Long-term efforts and policy changes to promote better nutrition and increase physical activity over the past 15 years have helped stabilize and in some cases reduce obesity rates, but proposals to cut funding for obesity prevention programs, weaken school...
Much of the focus for growth of plant-based proteins in the US to date has been on alternatives to meat and cow’s milk, but new research from Euromonitor International suggests significant potential lies in the frozen desserts and emerging protein snacks...
Natural food colors: expensive, unstable, muted, and weird-tasting, right? Wrong, says Sensient Food Colors, which caught up with FoodNavigator-USA to address some common concerns about natural colors and highlight growth opportunities, from caramel color...
Courts should dismiss the ‘daisy-chained’ logic underpinning a new wave of ‘natural’ lawsuits looking beyond the ingredients list to factors such as animal feeding and rearing practices, says cheesemaker Sargento.
If consumers are to believe that the food industry is serious about transparency, highly refined oils and sweeteners derived from GM crops must be included in the new bioengineered food standard (the federal GMO labeling law), even if they are indistinguishable...
In general, talking about how a food or beverage is processed is not a way to win the hearts, minds and money of today’s consumers, who increasingly want products that are fresh, made with clean ingredients and as close to their natural state as possible.
Dr William Dietz, director, the Sumner M. Redstone Global Center for Prevention and Wellness, George Washington University
First, some sobering statistics* from the CDC: Almost one in five (17%) of Americans aged 2-19 are dealing with obesity, which affects 8.9% of 2-5-year-olds, 17.5% of 6-11-year-olds and 20.5% of 12-19-year-olds, and continues to disproportionately impact...
Contrary to suggestions in a federal lawsuit filed against USDA earlier this month, the agency currently is reviewing a feasibility study exploring how electronic or digital disclosure, such as QR codes, might impact consumers’ ability to easily identify...
