As negotiations for the 2018 Farm Bill continue, legislators across the aisle need to work together to ensure “small differences do not get in the way of the larger goal” of passing a bill that will spur agricultural growth and ensure the competitive...
Amazon is wasting no time in leveraging Whole Foods Market’s reputation and physical locations to tackle two of the largest barriers for online grocery sales: consumer concerns about product freshness and delivery costs.
Amazon’s decision to tackle Whole Foods ‘whole paycheck’ moniker from day one with a wave of price cuts sends an immediate signal to rivals that “they are now dealing with a competitor that is not afraid to damage profits and margins if it creates long...
With one in six children in the US and one in five in Canada entering classrooms hungry each morning, food service players, CPG manufacturers, FDA and non-profits are raising awareness about the importance of breakfast and striving to feed more children...
When it comes to food and nutrition, there are some ideas that we’ve accepted as common sense: Water is good. MSG is probably bad. Sodium in general isn’t great, but sea salt is a plus. Garlic is tasty. And what the heck is lecithin?
FDA is extending a helping hand to companies struggling to meet new food safety measures outlined in the Food Safety Modernization Act, for which the deadline is quickly approaching, by offering a free software application to help them identify and address...
New research showing that 98% of homes have packaged food that exceeds the recommended amount of sodium, despite drastic reductions in the last 15 years, should be a wake-up call for manufacturers to cut back on the mineral even more and for consumers...
Rising sales and household penetration of organic is a double-edged sword for the industry in the US as more Americans have started looking for lower prices, bulk packaging and easier access through direct to consumer channels, according to purchasing...
Despite continued pressure from the on-the-go lifestyles that dominate today’s culture and have fueled the rise of convenience foods, packaged snacks and quick service restaurants, new research shows many consumers are beginning to shun these options...
From turmeric paste and green banana flour to sprouted mung bean snacks and cauliflower wraps and pizza bases, the entries to our 2017 trailblazers challenge are at the cutting edge of food & beverage innovation. But we could only pick three winners...
A study published this month using NHANES data reinforces that choline is an underconsumed nutrient, and concludes that it is very difficult to get enough in the diet without eating eggs or using a dietary supplement.
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.
FDA’s decision late last week to allow manufacturers in some cases to use ultrafiltered milk and ultrafiltered nonfat milk to make cheese could help ease the negative impact on US dairy farmers of less expensive UF milk from Canada that currently is flooding...
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...
Milk price wars are “compressing the margin of private label retail prices over the Class I milk input cost to abnormally low levels,” say analysts at Bernstein.
Bringing sales, marketing, insights, product innovation and commercial finance under one new ‘demand’ department will help break down silos and make Chobani even more responsive to customers and consumers, the firm’s new chief marketing and commercial...
Sales at farmers’ markets currently may be only a small fraction compared to conventional grocery stores, but the channel is gaining traction – especially among millennials – and offers a unique marketing opportunity for agricultural producers of all...
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.
Aloe vera is an increasingly common ingredient in packaged food and beverage products, but self-affirmed GRAS for a specific aloe vera gel was still necessary to market Morinaga’s new aloe yogurt in the US, according to the company.
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...
For US-based Indian street snack maker The Chaat Co, $1 million in seed funding including investment from India’s Jain Farm Fresh Foods is about more than just the money -- it is also about securing a supply line for authentic ingredients to make its...
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...
To make it in the crowded plant-based beverage category, new products need to be more than just a passable alternative to dairy – they also need to be nutritious, delicious and environmentally sustainable, according to an established category player overseas...
The FDA – which has continued to maintain radio silence over plant-based ‘milk’ labeling despite mounting frustration from stakeholders – should clarify its position in the face of increasing commercial, legal and political pressure, says the Good Food...
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.
Daiya Foods has carved out an enviable slice of the fast-growing plant-based foods market since its 2008 launch, but did not attract the valuation it was looking for when it first explored a sale in 2014/15. Fast forward to 2017, however, and its value...
Unilever-owned Ben & Jerry’s has said that its ice cream products are safe to consume after independent lab testing by the Organic Consumers Association (OCA) found that certain ice cream samples tested positive for glyphosate.
How deep into the supply chain do consumers expect food manufacturers to delve when it comes to label claims about genetic engineering (or its absence), and do they realize that not all non-GMO claims mean the same thing?
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.
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...
As palates in North America change and acidified foods become more acceptable, space is created, too, for additives such as pectin that can handle specific pH regimes.
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...
Researchers at North Carolina State University said a study on consumer perceptions of milk shows the industry should focus on the nutrition value of milk, and educating consumers about milk.
Flavor innovation is usually seen as a key component of food product development and of less concern for supplements. But as sports nutrition brands seek competitive advantages and to bring in fringe, lifestyle-type consumers, flavors are taking center...
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...
Sweetech, a new family of flavor enhancers from Bell Flavors and Fragrances, can help food and beverage manufacturers achieve significant (20-50%) reductions in sugar and retain a clean label, claims the Illinois-based company.
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.
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...
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.
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....
