Food ingredients produced using ‘synthetic biology’ techniques – such as Evolva's vanillin, which is made from genetically engineered baker’s yeast - do not qualify for the Non-GMO Project Verified stamp, says the Non GMO Project.
Dark chocolate often steals the spotlight for health claims, but new research suggests milk chocolate, which is sweeter, fattier and more popular, could offer the same benefits in high doses.
The tide may be changing for cheese, as science helps re-position the dairy food as a protein-dense, calcium-rich, healthy snack rather than as a high-fat and -sodium food to be enjoyed in moderation, suggests a market trends expert.
Executives are aggressively defending Whole Foods Market’s high prices, even as they tout the potential cost-savings for the consumers at the retailer’s newly named value chain.
A federal judge in California has asked the FDA whether it is planning to clarify its position on evaporated cane juice (ECJ) labeling any time soon as confusion over whether food manufacturers should or shouldn’t use the term continues to abound.
European discounter Lidl will use Virginia as a launchpad for a US retail invasion, investing $202m to set up a corporate and regional HQ and distribution center, with the first stores likely to open “no later than 2018”.
Consumer concern about animal welfare is rising to a level that retailers – and by extension CPG manufacturers and suppliers – can no longer ignore, according to new research by the Food Marketing Institute.
Whole Foods Market’s much vaunted new value chain – 365 by Whole Foods Market – will not be a “discount model or a dumbed-down version of Whole Foods” as feared by some when the company first announced the impending launch, according to the new chain’s...
Direct-to-consumer marketing through food trucks and fast casual restaurants can efficiently generate brand awareness and consumer trial of new food and beverage products, but to build brand longevity and business stability, the best retail option is...
Targeting millennials in an effort to reach adventurous, trendsetting consumers who will adopt and evangelize new products early will only get marketers a third of the way to their goal, recent research from CivicScience suggests.
BioVittoria and Guilin GFS Bio-Tech Co have doubled their monk fruit supply and significantly boosted production capacity following a multi-million-dollar investment leading to the formation of a new company - Monk Fruit Corp - boasting an estimated 70%...
Indulgent dessert brand Dannon Creamery – the Dannon's Company’s first new brand in the US since Oikos – has not set the world on fire, the firm has acknowledged.
Manufacturers could boost the struggling sales of shelf-stable products sold in the center of the store by co-branding and merchandising them with related, high-velocity produce, sales of which are outpacing those of the total- and center-store, according...
Just over five years after hitting the US market, honey-infused Aussie-style yogurt Noosa is on course to generate revenues of $100m in 2015 as more consumers embrace whole milk products promising healthy indulgence, says co-founder Koel Thomae.
There have been some hairy moments during Neal Gottlieb’s decade at the helm of Three Twins organic ice cream, from maxed out credit cards to sleepless nights trying to secure capital at the height of the recession. But his tenacity paid off and his quirky...
Diet-health inferences that rely on memory-based dietary intake surveys such as USDA’s National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) are “essentially meaningless”, argues a new study highlighting consistent disparities between what - and how...
Winston Lee: 'We're caramelizing milk and sugar together and then culturing it'
When Winston Lee started pitching Tarte Asian Yogurt to retailers three years ago, the market had already hit peak Greek, he says: “Buyers were already looking at what's next after Greek. If you weren't already a brand on the shelf, you had...
Dairies can recover market share lost to non-dairy alternatives, such as almond milk, by developing milk products tailored to the meet the nutritional needs of specific groups, says Datamonitor Consumer.
According to Nielsen data, 85% of new consumer packaged goods fail within two years, and big firms are no better - and often far worse - at picking winners than smaller ones, despite their deep pockets.
When Julie Smolyansky became president and CEO of kefir market leader Lifeway Foods in 2002 after the sudden death of her father (its founder), the stock went into freefall as investors feared the 27-year old wasn’t ready to run a public company. They...
A poll* of more than 4,200 US consumers conducted in April 2015 by CivicScience shows Americans believe that ‘preservatives / chemicals’ are significantly more harmful to their heath than added sugar, saturated fat and sodium.
Ice cream maker Clemmy’s – which hit the headlines in 2013 after filing a lawsuit* accusing Nestlé USA of leveraging its commercial clout and ‘category captain’ status with big retailers to shut rivals out of the market – has not presented sufficient...
Three US consumers have filed a class action lawsuit against Abbott Laboratories, claiming its Similac Advance Organic infant formula contains 26 ingredients not permitted in organic food.
Dollar sales of Chobani’s Simply 100 Greek yogurts have grown 25% in the first five months of 2015 vs the same period last year, while unit sales are up 28%, says the firm, which is re-launching the range with ‘blended’ formulations (rather than fruit-on-the-bottom)...
From veggie powders to sprinkle on your food to artisan dairy-free ‘cheeses’ made from nuts, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) selects nine natural food trends it predicts will inspire packaged foods and foodservice menus in 2015.
Hartman Group: Pleasure & distinction bigger drivers than health for premium products
While more premium brands from KRAVE to Noosa are being snapped up by big food companies and private equity firms, not every CPG category has the potential to be driven – or revitalized - by premium brands, according to a new analysis by Hartman Group....
Millennials are more likely to be hungry for new food products than other demographics, with 38% “always looking for new food products to try” versus 31% of total shoppers, according to survey data* from Chicago-based researcher IRI.
Abbott Laboratories is launching a non-GMO version of its popular Similac Advance infant formula in the US - a decision its denies was fuelled by pressure from campaigners.
Higher beef and pork prices are dragging down grocery sales not just in the meat department, but in the center of the store as well, according to a recent Nielsen survey.
Compared to previous generations Millennials are far more likely to make spur-of-the-moment food decisions and have less well-stocked pantries, say market researchers. But many food retailers are not geared up to meet their changing needs.
Dispatches from Canadean International Beer Strategies, Amsterdam
Social media strategies need to refrain from insistently pushing brands; but instead add value for consumers, explains Ashley Vinson, head of brand strategy Benelux, Twitter.
Pressure on food manufacturers to label genetically modified food and provide non-GMO alternatives is mounting as consumer concern and confusion about the technology increases in response to a deluge of negative messaging about it.
Meet execs from Sparkling ICE, Chobani, Tio Gazpacho, NASA
Imagine a place where you can meet the entrepreneurs behind new food & beverage categories and retail channels; pioneers in the field of nutrigenomics, edible insects, and 3D printing; food law attorneys; investment bankers; and number crunchers who...
Concern about “chemicals” in the food supply is growing among Americans, many of whom are changing how they buy food as a result, according to a recent survey.
More than four out of 10 (43%) American infants aged 12-23 months eat cookies, cakes or pastries on any given day; almost a third (32%) eat chips, popcorn or pretzels; 19% eat candy; and 31% consume soda, fruit or sports drinks; according to dietary intake...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Process Verification Program could provide an avenue for firms to certify the veracity of non-GMO claims without indirectly suggesting that genetic engineering is undesirable or unsafe.
It’s official: The Organic Trade Association and the GRO Organic Core Committee submitted to the USDA May 12 a petition to launch an organic check-off campaign that, if approved, could raise more than $30 million annually to promote and support the industry...
Swiss fermentation specialist Evolva and sweeteners expert Cargill have agreed to start engineering work so they can produce next-generation stevia sweeteners via fermentation at a Cargill biofuel and corn milling facility in Blair, Nebraska, ready for...
EU ministers have failed to reach an agreement on proposed changes to EU organic regulation, pushing back a vote until June – a standstill that is welcomed by organic farming associations.
Premium organic packaged food manufacturer WhiteWave Foods raised its guidance for 2015 following strong first quarter sales driven by innovative line extensions and recent product launches.
Global food import costs are set to reach their lowest level in five years during 2015, even as volumes remain the same or rise slightly, according to the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Sprouts Farmers Market is accelerating expansion of its deli and prepared food offerings to help drive traffic and mitigate the impact of a tightening supply of high quality produce, which currently drives the majority of store visits.
Unable to shake its reputation for being notoriously expensive, Whole Foods Market is changing tack to appeal to less affluent millennials with the launch of a new value-focused chain.
'Millennials are increasingly health conscious...'
As widely predicted, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is appealing a federal court ruling denying its bid to halt implementation of Vermont’s GMO labeling law (Act 120) until a lawsuit over the Act is resolved.
