As demand for local, fresh and healthy food increases community supported agricultural models are evolving to capture a larger share of consumer spend and could become a threat to more traditional retailers that rely on foot traffic generated by regular...
The number of class action cases filed against food and beverage companies continues to surge with the number of cases brought last year alone reaching a staggering 170, compared to a mere 20 cases in 2008, according to new research released earlier this...
USDA encourages organic poultry farmers in areas where outbreaks of avian flu have been reported recently to bring their birds inside, and reassures them that doing so will not risk their organic status, according to a memo released this week.
The implementation deadline for the new Nutrition Facts label, which includes a new line indicating added sugars, could be pushed back several years if President Trump’s nominee for FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb is confirmed.
Israeli start-up DouxMatok - which has developed patented technology which effectively makes sugar taste sweeter – has struck a series of joint development agreements with leading food manufacturers and says the first products containing its enhanced...
What do the most successful food and beverage brands in 2016 have in common? “Prevention, personalization, and pizzazz,” said Susan Viamari, vice president of Thought Leadership for market analytics firm IRI.
While President Trump’s nominee for USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue breezed through his Senate Agriculture Committee confirmation hearing late last month, he could face a long delay before the full Senate can consider his nomination. But that isn’t stopping...
An FDA-issued alert from frozen dessert brand Dream reiterating that some of its products contain traces of milk also warns other plant-based product manufacturers that they may need to go beyond legally mandated allergen warnings when it comes to dairy...
A new survey found that there was disconnect between what consumers think labels like organic, antibiotic-free, or ‘no added hormones’ mean, and what the labels actually mean.
Spring has finally sprung, which means birds are chirping, crops are blooming and bees are pollinating – at least those that survived the winter, and the varroa mites, damage from pesticides, the dearth of natural food sources and problems related to...
Califia Farms has rolled out its almond beverage and cold brew coffee ranges into Canada: a market where non-dairy alternative milks grew by 225% during a three-year period, with almond milk projected as the fastest growing segment, according to Allied...
As carbonated soft drinks’ long supreme reign over the beverage industry continues to slip amid fears of consuming too much sugar, sales and distribution of healthy, better-for-you and functional alternatives are gaining traction to fill the void.
Bipartisan legislation introduced this week in both the House and Senate seeks to overhaul commodity checkoff programs, which critics say have been “hijacked” by corporate interests so that they no longer benefit small family farmers and entrepreneurs.
A trio of government agencies will work together in the next five years to improve methods for pinpointing the source of foodborne illness outbreaks as part of ongoing analytic efforts to improve food safety, according to a new strategic plan released...
Indian food company Roha Dyechem Pvt Ltd has created Natracol Ultra Cran Red (UCR), which it says capitalizes on the trend to move from synthetic dairy food colorants to natural ones.
ADM is bringing two sweetener brands, SweetRight stevia and VerySweet monk fruit, to market following a tie up with Canadian high potency sweeteners specialist GLG Lifetech.
California-based SweeGen has received a GRAS no objections letter from the FDA for the use of its Bestevia branded Reb-M - manufactured from stevia leaf extracts converted to Reb M using enzymes – for use as a general purpose sweetener for food and beverage...
If anyone is doubting protein’s staying power as a sought-after call-out on packaged products, let the growth of Powerful Yogurt (soon to be just Powerful) be an indicator.
California-based B’BOX Group claims to have developed a proprietary technique for producing clean-tasting, high-purity stevia extracts that is so fast and cost-efficient that it says leading CPG manufacturers are considering buying the technology and...
Big Tree Farms has developed a paler, finer ‘golden’ organic Fair trade coconut sugar that can replace refined white sugar in applications where coarser, darker coconut sugars aren’t ideal, says the company, which has been selling coconut sweeteners for...
While the FDA’s radio silence on plant ‘milk’ labeling implies to some that it's comfortable with terms such as ‘almondmilk,’ the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) says the agency has a legal duty to enforce federal standards of identity...
Today’s consumers want products that are natural, sustainable and environmentally friendly, but manufacturers hoping to appeal to these values face significant threats from lawsuits alleging greenwashing and evolving regulations and enforcement efforts...
Starting and growing a company is hard – especially in the highly competitive food and beverage industry, but Austin, Texas-based accelerator SKU is tipping the odds of success in favor of entrepreneurs with its “proven blend of mentorship, community,”...
Annie's sales set to reach $400m in fiscal 2017, says president
While some commentators baulked at the $820m General Mills parted with to get its hands on Annie’s, the brand has gone from strength to strength since the deal closed in late October 2014, with sales set to reach $400m this fiscal year, and household...
Success of allulose in Mexico shows what’s possible in the US if added sugar labeling rules change, says Tate & Lyle
Allulose – an ultra low-calorie sugar found naturally in jackfruit and figs that Tate & Lyle is making in commercial quantities from corn using enzymes – has got some high profile advocates including Quest Nutrition, but would gain significantly more...
As the technology around producing steviol glycosides continues to evolve, transparency in labeling will be critical if consumer trust in ‘natural’ sweeteners is to be retained, says PureCircle, which claims to be the “clear market leader in terms of...
With frozen yogurt sales still “tanking,” retailers are increasingly turning their attention to ice cream products that offer similar benefits (more protein, less sugar and fat), but truly deliver on taste and texture, says Santa Barbara-based ProYo,...
Despite the link between cheese consumption and saturated fat levels, a study has observed little effect between the amount of cheese eaten and a person’s cholesterol levels.
Many successful entrepreneurs extol the value of work-life balance when they talk about getting a business off the ground, but at the recent graduation of Chobani Food Incubator’s first class of food and beverage companies, the yogurt company’s CEO and...
An electric vehicle uses a very different propulsion system to the internal combustion engine, but it also has four wheels, and gets you from A to B, which to most consumers, makes it a 'car.' So isn't it time to apply the same logic to...
There is a “tremendous parallel” between the emerging consumer demand for improved animal welfare in the US and the organic food movement, including notable business opportunities and significant challenges, according to Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey.
A common dessert staple at Japanese restaurants in the US, increased familiarity to mochi ice cream hinted that the dessert was ready to enter mainstream grocery retailers. My/Mo seized the opportunity, offering a range of mochi ice cream in conventional...
What keeps US food & beverage retailers awake at night? Amazon? Deflation? Competition from new channels? The prospect of a border adjustment tax? We quizzed retail experts to get their take on the biggest challenges facing grocers today.
Greek yogurt maker Chobani has hired Nestlé Waters North America CEO Tim Brown as its new president and chief operating officer, reporting to founder and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya.
HowGood wants to streamline the plethora of labels and certifications that clutter the packages of food and beverage products throughout the grocery store. The best part is, no package redesign or additional certification is necessary for the brands and...
Through its Nutritional Foods arm, Japanese dairy giant Morinaga is entering the US dairy market with the launch of its ALOVE aloe vera yogurt, which will debut at the Expo West trade show in Anaheim, CA.
Drawing on extensive consumer research, The Campbell Soup Co.’s GMO disclosure labels on packs and online could serve as a model for USDA in crafting the mandatory national bioengineering label standard and other companies looking for solutions.
Is Target a destination store for fresh food, or a place you visit with another shopping mission in mind, and end up picking up some groceries? Right now, says one retail commentator, it’s stuck in a “nether world” between the two.
Increased funding for research to improve production tops the organic industry’s wish list of policy actions that it wants legislators and regulators to consider as they begin in earnest the long process of reauthorizing the Farm Bill, which is slated...
While researching the ‘probiotic for babies’ market landscape, Stonyfield paired with ORC International to conduct a survey and found that 77% of parents with children under two do not incorporate probiotics into their baby’s daily diet.
Private label sales now account for more than one in every ten dollars spent at Sprouts stores, said the Phoenix-based retailer, which posted a 0.7% rise in same store sales in the latest quarter while rival Whole Foods Market has continued to see its...
Despite increased transparency into how food is sourced, who makes it and how, much of the research on which nutrition policy is based and how it is funded remains notably opaque – a situation that the founder and CEO of KIND Healthy Snacks wants to change.
Moon Cheese – a shelf-stable, clean-label 100% cheese snack developed using 'radiant energy vacuum’ (REV) dehydration technology - is now in 20,000+ stores three years after launch, and will soon be followed by a flurry of other novel snacking concepts...
Citing an uptick in multi-state foodborne illness outbreaks and their high cost to consumers and manufacturers alike, the Government Accountability Office reiterates its 40-year argument for a single, unified food safety system – this time under the Executive...
Standards of identity are designed to protect consumers, not stifle competition, says GFI
More than 46,000 people have signed a Good Food Institute petition urging Senator Tammy Baldwin and Congressman Peter Welch not to pursue the passage of the Dairy Pride Act, which the GFI argues, is both “anti-competitive” and “unconstitutional.”
Unilever shares have plummeted as Kraft Heinz drops its multi-billion dollar merger bid - but with the sterling weakened by Brexit, smaller firms are "sitting ducks" for foreign takeovers, UK politicians have warned.
