US specialty food sales* topped $120bn in 2015, are growing four times faster than the rest of the food market, and now account for 14.1% of all food sales (retail & foodservice), according to a new report from the Specialty Food Association (SFA).
What would a reasonable consumer define as 'non-GMO'?
An order from a Florida judge in a lawsuit vs Chipotle should serve a warning to all food marketers that they could be sued if they make non-GMO claims about foods containing dairy or meat from animals fed GE feed, legal experts have warned.
Why are the top 100 CPG brands underperforming in most of the categories in which they operate? Lots of reasons, many beyond their control, says Dr Kurt Jetta, founder of TABS Analytics. But some the wounds are self-inflicted, he argues: “We are holding...
Health and nutrition retailer Holland & Barrett has secured a £20m (€25.44m) deal with Indian hospital chain Apollo Hospitals, an agreement which will see 1000 franchise stores open across India over the next five years.
Eating alone is the new normal, says Hartman Group in an article exploring the changing dynamics of meal times as Americans increasingly abandon sit-down ‘family meals’ in favor of more ad hoc eating behavior and continuous snacking.
“Exciting and high-end attributes” mark out new products that made the biggest splash in CPG (consumer packaged goods) last year, according to the 2015 New Product Pacesetters report from Chicago-based market researcher IRI.
New clinical research – funded by the a2 Milk Company – lends credence to its claims that many consumers who believe they can’t tolerate lactose (milk sugar) should really be blaming their digestive discomfort on the A1 beta casein protein in milk products...
FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is plowing ahead with an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda for the remainder of 2016 without pause after knocking out five final or proposed rules related to food safety and nutrition in just as many...
Chobani – which sponsored US athletes in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Sochi 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games - is releasing three limited batch flavors ahead of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
America is in the middle of a “home cooking revolution” with more people cooking in their kitchens more often than in the recent past as a way to eat healthier and more affordably, but also as a form of entertainment and adventure, says a senior editor...
Product packaging today often is cluttered with so many certifications that consumers’ can’t absorb everything in the brief time they look at labels in stores, and as a result the icons’ impact is diminished and manufacturers likely aren’t getting their...
Milk could be followed by yogurt, creamers, cheeses, protein powders and shakes
Ripple – a plant-based ‘milk’ claimed to blow both dairy milk and existing milk alternatives out of the water in the taste, nutrition and sustainability stakes – is rolling out nationwide at Whole Foods in April, and Target stores in July, with other...
With plant-based diets all the rage in the US currently, milk alternatives – and particularly those from almonds – are seeing strong sales growth and increased innovation, while sales of dairy milk are contracting.
America is on the “cusp of a market-revolution” to replace animal products with plant-based alternatives, but consumers need more choices that are convenient, affordable and tasty in order for long-term diet changes to take root, according to an expert...
11th hour reprieve from the courts or from Congress increasingly unlikely
Private litigants, or so-called ‘bounty hunters’, may start targeting food manufacturers over alleged violations of Vermont’s new GMO labeling law from day one (July 1), lawyers at Hogan Lovells have warned.
Parents’ lack of knowledge about how much and what to feed children as they transition from baby food to more solid foods means most toddlers in America eat too much sugar and sodium and not enough whole grains and vegetables, new research reveals.
A high-protein diet can help obese older adults lose weight and improve physical function compared with a regular weight loss regimen, according to a new study.
New research casts additional doubt on the long-standing belief that replacing saturated fat with vegetable oils rich in linoleic acid will reduce the risk of cardiovascular death by lowering blood cholesterol levels.
New Hampshire physician Mark R. Windt, M.D., decided to combine his passion for cheese and medical expertise by developing a pasteurized, probiotic cheese that is also lactose- and sugar-free.
Today’s shoppers are demanding higher quality cheeses with new flavors and convenient formats, but often are unwilling to pay the higher prices necessary to cover the added cost of innovation – placing manufacturers between a rock and a hard place.
While interest in many food trends tends to ebb and flow, consumer demand for ‘local’ food – which taps into many other movements, from organic to specialty – continues to rise. But what does ‘local’ really mean, which consumers are most interested in...
The first 365 by Whole Foods Market store is set to open in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles on May 25, with a second to follow in July in Lake Oswego, Oregon, a third in September in Bellevue Square in Washington State, and up to 10 more nationwide...
Anyone who has shopped with children knows they heavily influence grocery purchases, but with advertising directly to kids frowned upon by many adults, children’s food and beverage manufacturers must embrace less direct strategies that balance what parents...
Adding “activity equivalent” labels to packaged food could help fight the obesity epidemic more effectively than listing calories alone, argues a top public health advocate.
New data from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) reveals a 12% increase in US certified organic operations between 2014 and 2015, while the total retail market for organic products is now valued at more than $39bn in the US and $75bn+ worldwide.
Albertsons has introduced Signature, a new private label portfolio that will include several sub-brands spanning multiple categories and more than 4,000 products, from fresh produce to paper towels.
Consumers slowly but increasingly are trusting food companies and perceiving them as transparent as more manufacturers explain how they source and make products, but a significant portion of shoppers remain wary – indicating industry still has work to...
Food-X – a bi-annual food accelerator program backed by venture capital firm SOSV – has unveiled its spring cohort of 10 early stage companies spanning everything from Mexican cooking sauces to meal-delivery services for pregnant women.
Portion sizes on the front of pack don't correlate with Nutrition labels on the back, says study
A picture speaks a thousand words, so it stands to reason that we’re more likely to rely on the image on the front of a food label than the hard data on the back when we serve ourselves what we think is an appropriate portion, says new research*. But...
'Our enforcement priorities will focus on willful violations of the labeling law'
In a memorandum on the new GMO labeling law coming into force in Vermont in July, attorney general William H. Sorrell says enforcement action will “focus on willful violations of the labeling law” and that there will be a six-month safe harbor period...
BraunHagey & Borden LLP sets up practice group to target emerging food brands
Failure to seek legal advice when you launch your business can prove ruinous later on - especially when you are trying to raise money, or engineer an exit - says law firm BraunHagey & Borden LLP, which is setting up a new practice group to provide...
Gelato-filled fruits are called “fruttini” in southern Italy, and for many gelateria in the region, it’s a staple. Reed Cataldo and Guido Molinari refined and packaged the concept and brought it stateside, where it’s a specialty.
First was Campbell Soup, then General Mills, Mars and Kellogg... and now ConAgra Foods has become the latest major food company to roll out GMO labeling nationwide in order to comply with a law coming into force in Vermont on July 1.
Arla and Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) have agreed to enter into a joint venture that includes the construction of a small dairy plant in Linwood, New York, for cheddar cheese production.
Ingredientsonline.com is promising to change the industry by allowing manufacturers in the US to purchase raw materials directly from overseas factories, providing considerable cost and time savings.
CFSAF: 'Gen Mills was forced to make decision because of Senate’s failure to act'
It was prompted by pragmatism, rather than an ideological shift, but General Mills and Mars have resolved to roll out GMO labeling nationwide as Congress has proved unable to hammer out a federal solution that all stakeholders can get behind before new...
Organic and Non-GMO claims are both gaining strong traction on US food and beverage labels, while there has been a slight decline in the percentage of new launches featuring 'natural' claims, according to Mintel.
Sen. Pat Roberts’ GMO labeling bill (S. 2609) has been defeated in the Senate (48:49), as lawmakers proved unable to hammer out a compromise that all stakeholders could get behind in the race to create a federal GMO labeling standard before new laws take...
By Jacob Harper, attorney, TroyGould PC, Los Angeles
Eating Parmesan is not going to leave you swallowing splinters. But you’d never know it after reading articles such as, ‘The Parmesan You Sprinkle on Your Penne Could be Wood,’ ‘FDA Warns the Parmesan You Eat May Be Wood Pulp,’ and ‘Yes, Parmesan Cheese...
As 301 Inc’s recent investment in start-up Good Culture demonstrates, large CPG companies are placing bets in promising food companies earlier than ever as the natural & organic food market heats up, says general manager John Haugen, who is looking...
PepsiCo is expanding its ‘PepsiMoji’ campaign across more than 100 markets this year, championing the use of a ‘universal language system’ to engage with consumers worldwide.
As the debate over the meaning of the most controversial term in food marketing (‘natural’) heats up now the FDA has finally weighed in, more food companies will seek organic certification, predicts Annie’s president John Foraker, who reckons organic...
If you felt overwhelmed at Expo West, imagine what it’s like for retailers, who are inundated with pitches from entrepreneurial food companies on a daily basis. But what if there were a simpler way for buyers to identify and compare new products and screen...
Consumers may talk big game about wanting minimally processed “clean” foods, but new research published in BMJ Open found “ultra-processed foods” make up more than half of the average daily calories consumed in the US.
Manufacturers of meat alternatives, tofu, tempeh, nut milks and vegan dairy replacements have a new champion in their corner and in Washington to help them level a playing field that currently is crowded with animal-based product lobbyists.
Start-ups are changing the food industry from trailblazing new ideas to providing new growth models, and both big businesses and small start-ups need to collaborate to innovate. The benefits are mutual, says Jeremy Basset, founder of Unilever’s incubator...
The American consumer is changing, but are traditional bricks & mortar grocery retailers adapting to this new reality? It’s on a learning curve, but by exploring a variety of online models and new store formats Kroger is trying to “address where the...
Bill requires mandatory GMO labeling but would not require front of pack ‘warning’ statements
Two days after Senator Pat Roberts’ voluntary GMO labeling bill got the green light from the Senate agriculture committee, Senator Jeff Merkley* (D-OR) has introduced a ‘common-sense’ alternative he claims will please supporters of mandatory GMO labeling,...
American’s demand for protein shows no sign of slowing in 2016, but it is evolving to focus more on plant-based options, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
