Back in 2008/9, Boulder Brands CEO Steve Hughes had a lot of sleepless nights. The struggling Smart Balance spreads business - which represented 90% of group revenues - was running “in fourth gear” - and the economy was in the doldrums.
If it sounds like a ‘chemical’, or isn’t in the kitchen cupboard, shoppers may regard it with suspicion. But which ingredients are 'acceptable' to today's consumers, which are to be avoided, and who decides?
Blast out of the starting blocks with your hot new product at high ACV distribution and pile in the promotional cash, and you’ve got a fighting chance of reaching that magic $100m in year one sales. You’re innovation dynamite: an IRI new product pacesetter.
America’s top food and beverage companies have exceeded their goal of reducing 1.5 trillion calories in the US marketplace, says the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation (HWCF).
Consumers are becoming less interested in mid-market products, and are trading down for basic groceries and trading up for premium brands that matter most from an emotional and social perspective, says a new report from Rabobank.
Westin Foods has expanded its Health and Wellness division with the acquisition of a majority interest in Dominex and its vegan and vegetarian eggplant offerings.
From 2000 to 2007, around 34-36m Americans were classified by the government as ‘food insecure’. In 2008, that figure shot up to 49m, where it has stayed, stubbornly, ever since. And almost 17m of them are children.
KeHE Distributors is expanding its non-ambient US warehouse space to keep pace with ‘high double digit growth in frozen,’ and frozen gluten-free in particular, the company tells us.
Genetic modification of oil seed crops will form an important part of the future omega-3s supply picture, according to Adam Ismail, executive director of the Global Organization of EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED).
Avoiding saturated fat, meat and dairy, whilst increasing the intake of omega-3 may be linked to better preservation of memory functions, say researchers.
How can you get more bang for your R&D buck? How does Unilever gain deeper consumer insights online? Why don’t manufacturers share more information with key suppliers?
The price differential between Hain Celestial’s brands and mainstream grocery brands will close over time as the big guns in consumer packaged goods come under increasing pressure to source non-GMO ingredients, predict bosses at the organic and natural...
Growth rates of several individual label claims under the health & wellness umbrella have started to level off, according to new research from Symphony Consulting.
Cargill has launched a new initiative designed to help manufacturers improve the nutritional profile of foods marketed to children and meet a swathe of new guidelines from retailers, the government and other organizations setting nutrition criteria for...
Leading food manufacturers and retailers have joined forces to launch a consumer education campaign designed to change the way consumers think about frozen foods.
Being circumspect when you talk to suppliers is one thing. But being so afraid of giving away your innovation pipeline that you leave them in the dark about your goals is plain counterproductive, according to R&D bosses at Starbucks, Molson Coors...
Nestlé USA has launched a new initiative called ‘Balance Your Plate’ after data from NPD Group revealed that US consumers meet the dietary guidelines on average on just seven days out of 365 (less than 2% of the time).
Monsanto has joined forces with DSM to commercialize a genetically engineered soybean oil rich in the omega-3 fatty acid SDA (stearidonic acid) that can offer a more cost-effective means of adding omega-3s to foods without the flavor, stability and shelf-life...
Researchers and global media should better consider the validity of single scientific studies that report on supposed ‘miracle foods’ in addition to considering that people do not eat foods or nutrients in isolation, warn researchers.
Using salmon eggs as their inspiration, Brazilian food scientists have developed probiotic beads for use in an expanded range of foods, including oriental cuisine.
Probiotics and their benefits have wide recognition in Europe and Asia, and awareness is growing. This situation bodes well for growth in the US, while it will serve to buoy manufacturers and marketers of these products in difficult regulatory times...
Special Edition: New trends in heart-healthy foods
The health of the endothelium, that thin layer of cells lining the blood vessels, is the front line for cardiovascular health. And a variety of food and supplement ingredients are showing promise in supporting the function of this vital tissue.
Improving circulation is a hot new trend in heart health, while cardio-healthy foods and drinks for children represent an "explosive untapped functional foods opportunity", according to Elizabeth A. Sloan, PhD and Catherine Adams Hutt, PhD,...
Special edition: New trends in heart-healthy foods
The well-established heart health ingredients will remain kings of the castle for the foreseeable future, but there are some pretenders to the crown emerging, according to formulation experts at Fortitech.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
US sales of foods and beverages marketed on a cardiovascular health platform grew by 22% in the period 2007-2012 to top $3.1bn in 2012, according to Euromonitor International.
Dean Foods has launched a high-protein, long-life version of its popular TruMoo flavoured milk range in an attempt to meet increasing US consumer demand for protein-enriched beverages.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
All olive oils are not created equal, claims one firm hoping to shake up the ultra-traditional olive oil market with a new polyphenol-packed product. But it’s not just about the difference between extra-virgin and refined varieties.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
A growing body of science unraveling exactly why olives are so healthy - coupled with a new wave of olive-polyphenol ingredients targeting food and beverage makers - is prompting a resurgence of interest in one of the oldest ‘heart-friendly’ foods in...
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
A start-up called Pectacea is making "solid progress" on a pioneering project that could create a completely new category of heart-healthy foods based on the ability of natural pectins to inhibit a protein called galectin-3.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
While LDL cholesterol is one biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk everybody can name, the next generation of heart healthy foods will address a broader range of risk factors from galectin-3, C-Reactive protein (CRP), and oxidized LDL (OxLDL) levels...
While there have been some standout successes - from PepsiCo’s Trop50 juice drinks to ThinkThin protein bars - growth in the overall weight management market is pretty sluggish, according to new research.
PepsiCo has the jump on The Coca-Cola Company in the newly released Access to Nutrition Index (ATNI) that ranks 25 large food and beverage firms in terms of nutrition-related performance globally.
Hain Celestial has unveiled a raft of new products utilizing hot ingredients from chia and quinoa to coconut pulp and almonds, including organic gluten-free chia seed corn tortilla chips under the Garden of Eatin' brand, and coconut almond butter...
A longstanding vitamin C price fixing case has reached conclusion with a $162 million judgment in the case involving four Chinese companies. While its a victory for the concept of private enforcement, it doesn’t mean cartel behavior by Chinese companies...
Network selling giant Amway has launched an integrated weight management program based on genetic testing. The program uses a simple test kit to help consumers determine which of several weight loss regimens will work best for them.
The obesity dilemma is complex and offers multiple avenues of attack. Portion control experts boil it down to this: It’s a question of how much, not what we eat. But many experts say how food is formulated can play a role in limiting intake.
Natural Taste Consulting (NTC) has developed a new natural fat enhancer that works by stimulating fat taste receptors, replicating the taste and aroma of fat.
With ten years of work behind it, two clinical trials (plus results of a third ready for publication), and Groupe Danone on-board, Canada’s Micropharma is rolling out its cholesterol-lowering Lactobacillus reuteri NCIMB 30242 for the US supplement, food...
As moves to secure GMO labeling continue to gain momentum at a state level, Whole Foods Market has “put a stake in the ground” and made a commitment to label all products containing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in its US and Canadian stores by...
By rights, perilla seeds should be the first choice for firms looking for good sources of the omega-3 fatty acid Alpha Linolenic Acid (ALA) ahead of chia and flaxseed, because they are cheaper, have higher concentrations of ALA and a better taste profile,...
Big interview: Ingrid Hirstin Lazcano, CEO, Andean Dream
A technical paper produced by NASA in 1993 observes: "While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.”
Protein hydrolysates and isolates from canola are ‘wholly comparable to soy protein isolate’ for amino acid bioavailability in humans, says a new study from Germany.
Dispatches from the 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition
If they don’t eat fish, vegans and vegetarians get very little EPA and DHA, the long chain omega-3 fatty acids we are told are key for maintaining cardiovascular and cognitive health. But is this a problem that needs to be fixed? And are algal omega-3...
Dispatches from the 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition
If the evidence that plant-based diets are better for human health is compelling, the evidence that they are better for the planet is indisputable, delegates at the 6th International Congress on Vegetarian Nutrition were told.
