The Mars Advanced Research Institute (MARI) is a division of Mars examining how developments in science and technology are going to shape the future food system. Dr Abi Stevenson, Mars VP of MARI, told us her unit is ‘looking at those truly next generation...
Target’s food and beverage business grew low double-digits in the second quarter of 2021 thanks in large part to improvements to the retailer’s curbside pickup program, “impressive performance” of “essential” food and beverage sales and the return of...
Best known for renovating the cottage cheese category with a clean-label alternative free from additives and made with milk from pasture-raised dairy cows, Good Culture has its sights set far beyond the $1.2bn cottage cheese category to become a fermented...
Dairy proteins used to come exclusively from cows. Today, people can program microbes or plants to produce them without our farmyard friends, or even deploy bovine mammary cells that ‘lactate’ outside of an animal. But which approach is the most scalable,...
Apeel Sciences – the Santa Barbara-based firm behind an invisible plant-based edible skin that can dramatically extend the shelf-life of fresh produce – has raised $250m in a series E funding round led by Temasek that takes its cumulative funding to $635m,...
BrightFarms has been acquired by Cox Enterprises, accelerating the hydroponic indoor farming company's mission of bringing leafy greens to more households throughout the US.
Grocery retailers and packaged food and beverage brands should brace for another significant shift in consumer shopping habits this month as many families with students returning to in-person school after a year or more of distance or hybrid learning...
For the first time in decades other than for inflation, the US Department of Agriculture is increasing the basis for which it calculates food assistance benefits allotted under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program – a move that will help more...
Join Noblegen, Plantible Foods, Superbrewed Food, Mattson and Lever VC to discuss the future of protein
Plant-based proteins such as soy and pea continue to dominate the so-called ‘alternative protein’ category, but they’re not the only game in town. New options are now emerging from ‘animal-free’ collagen and whey to a novel set of proteins produced naturally...
Growing plant-based frozen food brand Tattooed Chef is “firing on all cylinders,” said president and CEO Sam Galletti, as the company exceeds its distribution goal of 10,000 stores and surpasses $50m in revenue in Q2.
While following a climatarian diet that prioritizes foods and beverages made in a way that protects and restores the planet’s health may still be niche, the trend is gaining traction quickly with some researchers and brands predicting environmental sustainability...
A scientific review has called into question the validity of the commonly-held notion that foods with a high glycemic index (GI) – white bread, white rice, etc. – lead to more weight gain than low-GI foods (e.g. bran and other minimally processed grains)....
Just as the term “all-natural” has lost much of its healthy-image luster over the years, the claim of “plant-based” also may be at risk of losing some of its better-for-you significance with consumers, according to Mintel research.
Closing out the first half of 2021, HelloFresh reported a year-over-year 83.7% increase in the number of active customers using the meal delivery service worldwide, as well as the continued global expansion of its business in new and existing markets.
Calories from ultra-processed foods comprise more than two-thirds (67%) of children's and adolescents' diets, up from 61.4% in 1999, according to researchers from Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University.
“Current data indicates that neither food nor food packaging is a pathway for the spread of viruses causing respiratory illnesses, including SARS-CoV-2,” according to a new guidance document from the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization...
Benson Hill has launched a new breeding and commercialization program to shorten the typical development cycle for its non-GMO, yellow pea protein ingredients.
Strong Roots is experiencing and witnessing a fundamental consumer shift towards frozen food that has reshaped the way many households eat, claims founder and CEO Sam Dennigan.
Post Holdings is experiencing a reversal of growth trends across its business, in which its foodservice unit is driving most of the recent sales momentum, compared to one year ago when its retail business was experiencing unprecedented growth.
Impossible Foods has appointed former San Francisco Giants' chief people officer, Leilani Gayles, as the company’s new chief people officer and technology industry veteran, David Borecky, as its chief financial officer.
Roughly a month after appointing former Facebook executive, Fidji Simo as CEO of the company, Instacart has hired another tech veteran to join its leadership team.
All of Kellogg’s 50+ factories around the world have been hit by supply shortages due to a range of disruptions, from a 10-day pandemic lockdown in Malaysia to civil unrest in South Africa, CEO Steve Cahillane told analysts on a conference call.
The US Food & Drug Administration has sent a letter to Amazon about the availability of drug-tainted sexual enhancement and weight loss products for sale on its platform, the majority of which were marketed as dietary supplements.
It's hard to imagine what began as a family pancake recipe, which co-founder Joel Clark would sell to neighbors in brown paper bags from a little red wagon as an 8-year-old, would become a $200m business selling a growing portfolio of better-for-you...
The Food Labeling Modernization Act - an updated version of a bill first introduced in 2018 that was designed to help consumers make more informed purchases – has been introduced to the House and the Senate.
UK-based startup The Supplant Company is targeting the US market with an intriguing new addition to the sugar-reduction toolbox in the form of ‘sugars from fiber,’ a new low-glycemic blend of sugars extracted from upcycled feedstocks that performs like...
Canadian plant-based protein brand Vega has been acquired by WM Partners, a private equity firm focused on investing in middle market companies in the health and wellness sector.
Beyond Meat has expanded its partnership with A&W Canada, making its plant-based chicken nuggets available at all the quick-service restaurant chain's locations throughout Canada.
Leading CPG companies including Unilever, Hershey, and General Mills have urged the FDA to look again at the way some sugars such as tagatose and isomaltulose are labeled on the Nutrition Facts panel in the wake of recent changes to the way allulose is...
Already a breakfast staple added to coffee, cereal and used in baked goods, oat milk is now finding its way to the dinner table “for the first time” as the star ingredient in Pacific Foods first-to-market Creamy Oat-Milk Soup.
Meal kit company Blue Apron has lost some of its steam in customer retention, losing 21,000 customers in Q2 2021 compared to the same period last year, but says other key performance metrics including average order value and average revenue per customer...
PepsiCo’s sale of a majority stake of its North American juice portfolio to private equity firm PAI announced this morning is the latest in a string of high-profile beverage sales that reflect shifting industry and consumer priorities, including pressure...
To better help early stage CPG, food tech and ag tech companies build more financially successful and appealing businesses, navigate the fundraising process and connect with investors focused on the natural products space, the networking platform Brandjectory...
By Rob Guite, Abby Meyer, and Abby Miles, Sheppard Mullin
President Biden’s recent executive order, ‘Ensuring the Future is made in all of America by all of America’s Workers,’ may encourage food & beverage companies to highlight their all-American credentials on-pack. However, claims about a product’s origin...
Unique bile acids produced by a distinct set of gut microbes may contribute to longevity by inhibiting the growth of gut pathogens, says a new study with 160 people over 100 years old in Japan.
For many women, eating and cooking at home every day during the pandemic has been a double-edged sword that offered them more time with family and control over their diet, but also added a burden that left many women feeling unsatisfied – opening the...
From San Diego-based Debut Biotech, which is developing a range of high-value ingredients via a novel ‘cell-free’ biomanufacturing platform, to Virginia-based Bonumose, which has patented technology it claims could enable the “mass market adoption” of...
Once a brand focused solely on meat snacks, The New Primal has extended into a number of adjacent categories in the past three years including sauces and marinades, condiments, salad dressings, and dry seasonings, making it a bonafide platform brand,...
Albertsons is willing to entertain a second round of price increases “where warranted and legitimate” as several CPG brands continue to struggle with mounting inflationary pressures that have exceeded their expectations and outstripped any cushion introduced...
Santiago, Chile and Paris-based AI-driven startup Protera is one step closer to commercializing a portfolio of clean-label proteins that can replace chemical preservatives to extend food shelf-life, safely turn unsaturated fats into saturated fats, enhance...
A vast majority (95%) of consumers surveyed report that their whole grains consumption has either increased or held steady compared to five years ago despite increasing popularity of low- and no-carb diets, finds the Oldways Whole Grains Council.
From immunity- and metabolism-boosting kefir to a sugar-free lassi that supports mental clarity to trendy boba lattes optimized for performance and recovery, the 12 semi-finalists in the Real California Milk Excelerator are reinforcing the old adage “milk...
Fine chemicals co DIC has teamed up with San Diego-based startup Debut Biotech to develop color ingredients via a novel ‘cell-free’ biomanufacturing platform, which it claims could enable the biosynthesis of colors that are “hard to find or even inaccessible...
Fresh off of closing its $18m Series D funding round, California-based Urban Remedy will use the funds to ramp up marketing, innovation, technology, and new team hires to reach more consumers with its ultra-fresh, nutrient-dense meals, bars, and juices....
Meal kit company HelloFresh is one step closer to becoming a one-stop-shop with the launch of its online store, HelloFresh Market, offering consumers everyday food essentials from snacks to spice blends.
The nascent allergen introduction category is gaining credibility, visibility and reach with retailer Target creating in select stores a dedicated section of products that help caregivers conveniently and safely follow clinical guidelines to introduce...
Agtech company AppHarvest has secured a $91m financing arrangement with sustainably-focused investment firm Equilibrium Capital to fuel the future construction of 12 high-tech indoor farms by 2025.
While the alternative protein category is far from saturated and there is plenty of runway for innovation, investors predict a shaking out of players is on the horizon, and they say the companies that remain in the game will be those that move beyond...
Consumers who turned to functional foods and beverages to help reduce anxiety, improve their sleep and lift their spirits during lockdowns are likely to continue their new habits and rituals as they navigate an uncertain return to offices, travel and...