Consumers are looking for individual and integrated strategies to optimize their health and wellness, but no company has yet put all the pieces together, says BrandHive’s Jeff Hilton.
Food industry ‘tinkering’ with sugar content while foods and drinks remain relatively high in sugar may detract from more basic sugar reduction strategies, warns a public health expert.
Not so long ago, the only yogurt that US consumers - and retail buyers - appeared to be interested in was the thick, protein-packed Greek variety. Today, as brands such as Noosa have proved, there is more room in the market for other options, says the...
The use of natural sweeteners is growing rapidly – they were used in one in five new non-caloric drinks launched last year – but it is still dwarfed by other sweeteners, according to a new report from Canadean.
It’s well-known that many CPG firms feel that they are not getting enough bang for their trade spending bucks. But a recent analysis by Nielsen reveals that most of them are not getting any bang for these bucks, with almost three quarters of promotions...
The IFT's FutureFood 2050 initiative has started a fascinating conversation about what we might be eating in the future. But what will food shopping be like? Will supermarkets as we know them today still exist or will we get all of our groceries...
Chobani is working with Green America (formerly Co-op America) to “discuss realistic and viable” ways to secure more milk from cows fed non-GMO animal feed.
The cost to consumers of requiring labeling of genetically modified food is $2.30 per person annually, or less than a penny a day, says new analysis commissioned by Consumers Union, the policy arm of Consumer Reports.
The "traditionally domestic focused" dairy industry must adopt a "world view" to ensure increasing global consumer demand does not outstrip milk supply, says Tetra Pak.
The notion that defining ‘natural’ is just too hard - either for the FDA or for the food industry - and that we therefore shouldn’t even bother to attempt it, is defeatist and “disingenuous”, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
In part one of our coverage of FoodNavigator-USA’s natural & clean label panel debate we looked at whether the FDA - or industry stakeholders - should define ‘natural’. In part two, we look at all-natural lawsuits, and whether consumers understand...
Science should look beyond LDL cholesterol and saturated fat, which have dominated cardiovascular research until now, towards other contributing factors and a food-group approach to guidelines, according to one researcher.
Chobani will serve as the official yogurt provider to Team USA for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Brazil, the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in South Korea, and the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Japan after striking a new deal...
What’s more sustainable? Using acres of land, water and energy to grow plants that produce minuscule quantities of natural flavors, sweeteners or phytonutrients; or making them via a fermentation process using baker’s yeast that’s been engineered to produce...
Shares in Tate & Lyle fell by 17% as the food ingredients firm issued its second profits warning this year, blaming fierce competition in the sweetener market and supply problems in the US caused by a harsh winter.
Chobani’s ‘limited batch’ Pumpkin Spice Greek yogurt has emerged as the “fastest-growing SKU in the history of the company” and its most successful new launch, following its debut on Labor Day weekend, says the Greek yogurt maker.
While new class action lawsuits over ‘all-natural’ claims on food labels are still filed in the ‘food court’ in California on a weekly basis, some recent orders from judges handling these cases present a glimmer of hope for beleaguered food & beverage...
2014 SPECIAL EDITION: HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONAL DAIRY
General Mills will help newly acquired natural & organic brand Annie’s expand into new categories, channels and markets; and will use its clout to drive procurement and operational/logistical efficiencies, CEO Ken Powell told analysts this week. But...
Despite that people in the West typically get more than enough protein in their daily diets, new research may further validate our collective protein obsession.
Food trade associations are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the state of Vermont from implementing its GMO labeling law (Act 120) until a lawsuit they have filed that challenges the law has “run its course”.
As it ramps up flaked and shredded coconut production in anticipation of another holiday season, private label and branded grocery products manufacturer Trailblazer Foods says the growing popularity of coconut has resulted in a 12% increase in the amount...
DISPATCHES FROM INTERNATIONAL WHEY CONFERENCE 2014
It's "business as usual" at Minnesota-based cheese and whey ingredients manufacturer Davisco Foods following its recent takeover by Canadian dairy cooperative Agropur.
While 28% (66 million) of American adults are trying to lose weight, and a further 14% (32 million) are trying to maintain their weight, they are losing interest in strict diet plans, calorie-counting and ‘diet’ foods, says a new report from Packaged...
Only Coca-Cola knows what really went wrong, but it seems highly unlikely that stevia was to blame for the recent Vitaminwater reformulation debaclé, according to Almendra, an ambitious new entrant to the global stevia manufacturing arena.
More than half of CPG firms say their trade spending programs are 'ineffective'
It will probably not surprise food & beverage CEOs to learn that most CPG firms responded with a resounding ‘NO’ when asked in a recent survey if they were getting a decent bang for their trade spending bucks. But why is there so much frustration?
Chobani has hired Robert C. Post, PhD. - a former USDA official who helped oversee the transition from the food pyramid to MyPlate - as its senior director for nutrition and regulatory affairs.
Although grocery lags other sectors when it comes to e-commerce, the effects of digital marketing are beginning to show, as a growing number of shoppers seek out coupons before and during store trips. But the majority of food brands have yet to shift...
Despite market watchers’ predictions that private label will all but take over the world, its share of the packaged food market has remained relatively flat since 2008.
The California Milk Processor Board has unveiled an English and Spanish language TV advertising campaign to encourage parents of all ethnicity to buy milk for their children.
Despite the legal hot water in which many manufacturers and retailers have found themselves in recent months over “natural” and its growing list of synonyms, the term likely won’t disappear from food and beverage product labels any time soon, as consumers...
FDA proposals to increase the RDI for certain nutrients as part of an overhaul of the Nutrition Facts panel mean that milk would no longer qualify as an excellent source of vitamin D or a good source of potassium, while some cheeses and yogurts could...
Z Trim Holdings, an Illinois-based producer of functional ingredients derived from corn fiber and other grain byproducts, has launched its BioFiber Gum (BFG) for food, supplement and industrial applications. BFG is said to have both a suite of attractive...
How clean is your label, and who decides - plaintiff's attorneys or Whole Foods Market? Are ‘all-natural’ claims still resonating with consumers or are other on-pack cues more important? And do shoppers understand the difference between natural and...
Product was tested by a reputable third party lab, says Whole Foods
Whole Foods has been hit with new class action lawsuits in Pennsylvania and New Jersey accusing it of significantly understating the sugar content in its 365 Everyday Value plain Greek yogurt, just days after a lawsuit making the same allegation was filed...
Powerful Yogurt is preparing to launch a high-protein yogurt drink that it says harnesses continuing demand for both Greek yogurt and high-protein beverages.
Survata is 'democratizing' consumer insights, says CEO
Until pretty recently, food marketers looking to test new product ideas, brand names or pack designs could look to friends, family, and colleagues for cheap - though notoriously unreliable - feedback, or expect to spend serious time and money on hiring...
Vermont AG: 'Natural' labels do not belong on foods made with GMOs
Vermont’s new GMO labeling law (Act 120) does not violate the First Amendment because the disclosures it mandates are “purely factual” and the law “does not require manufacturers to state a particular viewpoint, such as whether GE foods are good or bad”,...
New labels would highlights calories, include 'added sugars'
UPDATED: Significant changes to the Nutrition Facts panel on foods & beverages have been proposed in the US and Canada, with the plan to include ‘added sugars’ tweak rules on dietary fiber labeling, and update the reference values used to calculate...
Ice cream co engaged in ‘David & Goliath’ lawsuit vs Nestlé alleging unfair competition
As Kraft’s CEO recently observed, smaller, more agile players seem to be better at coming up with exciting new products than many CPG giants, for whom innovation is often more about trade management than addressing genuine consumer needs. But if this...
The Organic Consumer’s Association (OCA), is calling on the organic dairy industry to cut ties with the IDFA (International Dairy Foods Association) because it is one of several trade associations suing Vermont over its GMO labeling mandate.
This does not prove that stevia isn't ready for prime time, say experts
There are lessons to be learned from Coca-Cola’s abortive attempt to introduce a new ‘natural’ sweetening system to selected Vitaminwater products, say formulation experts. But they are not necessarily about stevia.
Sugar is sugar, say bakers, our bodies don't distinguish between 'naturally occurring' and 'added' varieties
A row is brewing over the merits of including ‘added sugars’ on the Nutrition Facts panel, with critics arguing that our bodies don’t distinguish between ‘naturally occurring’ and ‘added’ sugar - and neither should food labels - and supporters saying...