While the jaw-dropping amount that General Mills paid for Annie’s ($820m) raised some eyebrows, it was “worth it”, says one corporate finance expert who says big CPG firms are increasingly eyeing up acquisition targets in the natural and organic foods...
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.
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...
Natural Products Expo East yielded a wealth of new trends and new product launches. In this gallery FoodNavigator USA looks as some of the most innovative launches and identifies some trends running through the natural products marketplace. Bold innovators...
You’d be surprised with what you can achieve with a limited budget, a giant inflatable banana, a gorilla suit, and a product that no one else is selling, says the 20-something co-founder of a recent - and very colorful - entrant to the healthy snacking...
Desires to align product portfolios with messages of corporate social responsibility are driving some of the M&A activity regarding organic and natural companies, says Euromonitor International.
The birthplace of Allen Ginsberg, Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey is also home to food industry giants from Campbell Soup and Goya Foods to Unilever USA. But is the Garden State doing what it takes to attract the next generation of food...
As the dental benefits of erythritol become more widely known, gum and confectionery products positioned for oral health are set to increase, says Cargill, but they have a long way to go to compete with beverages as the main use.
Chicago-based Sensient Flavors has unveiled a new toolbox of natural flavor masking ingredients that can tackle bitterness associated with everything from stevia to caffeine by selectively targeting multiple taste receptors.
UPDATED: WhiteWave Foods has struck a deal to buy SO Delicious Dairy Free for $195m in cash in a bid to expand its presence in the fast-growing plant-based foods category.
Are consumers weary of 'all-natural' claims? And if so, what other cues do they look for on pack to see if a brand fits in with their values? We quizzed the bosses of some innovative food brands, ingredients suppliers and branding experts to...
Here’s a look at the latest and greatest in new product launches—from General Mills making the old new to kombucha for all, bean-based chips, eggless eggs, and protein-packed chips and even gummies.
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.
The rising aging population in the US presents an underexploited opportunity for food and beverage marketers—particularly in the already massive protein market, as older consumers are just as desperate for sustained energy as their younger counterparts.
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”.
From how to keep control of your trade spending to presenting the perfect pitch to investors (spoiler alert: ‘Let me get back to you on those numbers’ will not inspire confidence), food & beverage industry veterans and financiers took to the podium...
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...
More than 90% of children aged six to 18 consume on average 3,279 mg of sodium a day—well above the government’s recommendation of 2,300 mg or less per day, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
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...
A look at first year of implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
From crowded hallways to pop quizzes, cliques and assemblies, the 2014-2015 school year will likely look a lot like previous years—except when it comes to the food served to students.
Pennsylvania-based neat Foods has unveiled its latest innovation: neat egg, a combination of ground chia seeds and garbanzo beans shoppers can mix with water and use to replace egg in everything from cookies to pancakes.
The US Food and Drug Administration has issued a letter of no objection to Gencor for its branded Caralluma fimbriata extract called Slimaluma for use in meal replacement products.
Beyond Meat - the California-based firm that claims to have unlocked the secret to making ‘near-perfect’ replicas of meat from plants - is preparing to launch its latest innovation: The Beast, a pea-protein-based burger for meat-lovers.
Algal Scientific, a supplier of bioactive additives for the animal feed markets, has a long term plan targeting the human immune health sector with its beta glucan ingredient derived from algae.
While there were some bright spots in Campbell Soup's fourth quarter results, its performance in core categories such as ready-to-serve soup was a bit lackluster, CEO Denise Morrison told analysts Monday.
Just months after Kashi agreed to settle a California class action lawsuit accusing it of deceptively advertising its wares as ‘all-natural’, a judge has allowed most claims in a similar class action brought in Florida to proceed.
Multivitamins/minerals provide a low cost, convenient way to fill nutrient gaps when nutrient recommended intakes are not first met through the consumption of food, says the Council for Responsible Nutrition as it calls for supplements to be included...
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.
Eating a handful of almonds may help lower risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in populations with abnormally high fat concentration in the blood (hyperlipidaemia), according to a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition.
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?
Eggs are just the beginning; we're also looking at food dyes, trans fats, and even sugar
Plant-based foods trail-blazer Hampton Creek Foods has hired one of its Silicon Valley-based investors - Ali Partovi (founder of LinkExchange and Code.org, and early advisor at Facebook & Dropbox), as its new chief strategy officer, just weeks after...
PepsiCo is seeking to patent a method of adding fiber- and polyphenol-rich co-products from fruit and veg juice extraction back to juices and other beverages in a bid to improve their sensory and nutritional profile, and minimize waste from the juice...
When Coca-Cola & PepsiCo invested in Zico and O.N.E. in 2009; Vita Coco CEO and co-founder Michael Kirban admits he became a little nervous as pundits predicted he’d get sidelined as the world’s biggest beverage companies slugged it out for supremacy...
US total sales for Special K dropped $56m for the year; a slump that could be rescued with lifestyle-focused NPD, says the head of innovation at Mintel.
A continued move toward plant proteins will be one of the major trends of the sports nutrition marketplace in the coming 12 months, according to market watcher Tom Vierhile, innovation insights director of the market intelligence firm Datamonitor.
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...
Almost a quarter of primary grocery shoppers are unable to correctly identify the total amount of sugar in products featuring the FDA’s ‘new-look’ Nutrition Facts labels, which require manufacturers to list ‘sugar’ and ‘added sugar’ separately, according...
Canned soup 'a dramatic example of the current unrealistic serving sizes'
As part of its overhaul of the Nutrition Facts panel, the FDA is proposing to tweak serving sizes to better reflect real-life consumption behavior. But which products should be targeted?
Nebraska Cultures has joined the ranks of probiotics suppliers competing in the functional food realm with spore-forming bacterial ingredients with the announcement of GRAS status on its ProDura Bacillus coagulans ingredient.
"We've identified a bacterial population that protects against food allergen sensitisation"
Common gut bacteria from the class Clostridia could prevent sensitisation to allergens in food, according to new research that may pave the way for probiotic products aimed at battling food allergies and intolerances.
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.
Just over a year on from Cargill’s purchase of soluble wheat bran extract from health and nutrition firm Fugeia, the supplier is edging closer to commercializing the soluble dietary fiber and powerful antioxidant, as consumers worldwide (and at all ages)...
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...
Given its apparently limitless potential to feed and fuel the world, there is a huge buzz around microalgae. But with some notable exceptions such as DHA and astaxanthin, this has not - yet - translated into much hard cash. But that’s about to change,...
What new gluten-free product launches, market analysis tell us
Aug. 5 marked the deadline for manufacturers making voluntary gluten-free label claims to ensure they meet the FDA’s definition of a gluten-free food (less than 20 parts per million of gluten). And while gluten-free product launches have risen every year...
