With the regulatory path forward for hemp-derived CBD in foods and supplements no clearer a year after the FDA’s May 2019 public meeting, trade association The Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN) has filed a citizen’s petition urging the FDA to regulate...
Dreams of a startup taking off like a rocket ship with broad distribution, strong sales and widespread brand recognition can quickly become a nightmare if entrepreneurs don’t first have in place effective strategies for hiring, financial management and...
Children under the age of 2 years should avoid all added sugars in order to better make “every bite count,” according to the Dietary Guidelines advisory subcommittee tasked with creating the first ever dietary guidelines for children younger than 24 months....
With only 1% of venture capital going to Black led or founded companies last year, investors are being asked to finance more Black entrepreneurs as part of the anti-racism movement sweeping America, but to do so, the founder of TeaSquares advises, they...
The LIVEKINDLY co., which launched in March with the ambition of becoming one of the largest plant-based food companies, has acquired Swedish plant-based meat brand, Oumph!, known for its soy-based burgers, strips, and pulled meat products.
Emerging brand Blake's Seed Based is filling a void in the snack bar category by providing consumers with a product that is free from the top eight allergens but also appealing to anyone looking for alternatives to nut-based and granola bars, says...
From growing interest in immune health to a sharp rise in online grocery shopping, how is COVID-19 impacting consumer behavior? Here are a few things that caught our eye in recent reports from The Hartman Group for FMI, the Food Industry Association*;...
Stevia specialist SweeGen has started commercial production of Reb B, a lesser-known and “highly soluble” steviol glycoside (stevia sweetener) that it says works particularly well in beverages.
BIOMILQ – a startup producing breastmilk by culturing human mammary cells - has raised $3.5m to meet the needs of the four fifths of women who transition to dairy-based formula before the recommended six-month exclusivity period for breastfeeding, but...
More Americans are dieting in 2020 than last year, but unlike in previous years their new favored eating pattern likely will provide little marketing fodder for food and beverage manufacturers hoping to appeal to followers with easy call-outs, the addition...
For the first time in a decade, weight management is no longer America’s top health concern as anxiety and stress prevention and treatment rise to the No. 1 position of a long list of health conditions with which households are grappling, according to...
Following consultation with stakeholders about the viability of holding a major trade exhibition as coronavirus cases continue to rise in multiple states, New Hope has opted to cancel Natural Products Expo East in Philadelphia (Sept. 23-26) and encourage...
Despite online grocery taking off in recent months, CPG brands may be leaving millions of dollars of missed revenue on the table by not highlighting key product attributes when they present their brands online, according to a report by Label Insight.
More than 70 brands including Chobani, Oatly, Planet Oat, PURIS, Once Upon a Farm, Foodstirs, Chosen Foods, and Thrive Market have now secured ‘Glyphosate Residue Free’ certification for 1,500+ products, according to The Detox Project, which launched...
Even though Andrew Abraham has helped millions of people live healthier, more vibrant lives first as a medical doctor and then for the past 12 years as the founder of the organic protein shake and bar brand Orgain, he wanted to help more consumers learn...
Instacart has raised $225 million in new financing following an “unprecedented surge” in demand for online grocery delivery services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
EPG (brand name: Epogee) – a new plant-based oil that has been restructured in such a way that virtually none of it is absorbed by the body – is attracting interest from formulators across the food industry, as firms see an opportunity to make significant...
Recent research on vitamin D has made an even more compelling case for the critical importance of the nutrient, the founders of a supplement brand say.
New research from Unilever highlights the growing importance of health, wellness and immunity for consumers. “Our Foods and Refreshment business is uniquely positioned to lead purposefully in the space of holistic health and immunity,” nutrition R&D...
At a time when many brands are in survival mode, Shaka Tea -- ready-to-drink iced tea made from the endemic Hawaiian māmaki -- has tapped into new avenues of growth, crediting its lean business strategy and approachable price point.
Even as sales and consumer perception of the quality of USDA organic certified continue to grow, new consumer research from the Hartman Group suggests the label’s long-held status as the gold standard may be starting to slip.
A group of hemp/CBD purveyors have teamed up with a clinical research firm to conduct a large scale study to provide the safety data that the US Food and Drug Administration says it lacks.
The mode of grocery shopping has evolved over the last few months with e-commerce experiencing a noticeable spike, but according to consumer insights and data company DISQO, in-store shopping is still the predominant and preferred way for consumers to...
MycoTechnology – which is building a functional ingredients platform utilizing mycelia, the filament-like roots of mushrooms - has raised $39m in a series D financing round from investors* including plant-based meat specialist Greenleaf Foods to Tyson...
Danone North America has teamed up with Brightseed – a San Francisco-based startup using AI to analyze hundreds of thousands of phytonutrients for potential health benefits – to probe key plant sources to identify “previously unknown health and nutrition...
The high cost and opaque process of securing patents can be daunting for cash-strapped startups, but the CEO of the home hydroponic growing system GroPod advises entrepreneurs not give into the temptation to skip or delay this step until after fundraising.
Even before the coronavirus pandemic paused face-to-face meetings and tradeshows, startups that couldn’t afford the high entrance fees to some of the food and beverage industry’s most prominent shows struggled to catch and keep investors’ attention –...
Supply chain snags, consumer stockpiling and retailers reprioritizing what to stock during the initial phases of the coronavirus pandemic meant many consumers had to go without their favorite brands and switch to available alternatives, but according...
As Americans tentatively emerge from lockdown, the industry is likely to face a very different consumer landscape. How might tighter household budgets change consumer priorities and behaviors? Will ‘Big Food’ really stage a comeback? Will habits (stress...
The prevalence of virus-treatment claims in the marketplace has made for both heightened enforcement from federal regulators and calls for even more action from an advocacy group regarding products sold on Amazon.
Impossible Foods has launched an e-commerce site to make its plant-based burgers available to all US consumers in the lower 48 states, offering free, two-day shipping of larger, family-sized quantities of the Impossible Burger.
Instore demos - a key tool for many emerging brands to encourage trial and raise awareness – were one of the first things to go when COVID-19 hit, with multiple retailers discontinuing them until further notice. However, Costco is planning a gradual...
The FDA says it has made “substantial progress” in forging a regulatory path for ingestible CBD products, but has given no indication of when it might provide food and supplement makers with more clarity.
Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the world’s largest private source of funding for food allergy research – has met with the FDA to share its concerns over the agency’s recent move to temporarily allow manufacturers to make minor formulation...
As stay-at-home restrictions ease across the US and Americans attempt to return to a post-pandemic normal way of life, the crisis and nationwide aid initiatives such as the Frontline Impact Project are far from over.
While not everyone is convinced that recent surging sales for some legacy food brands mean ‘Big Food’ is staging a comeback, some habits developed during the pandemic could be sustained, and brands such as Campbell Soup are well-placed to exploit them,...
While many Americans have cooked more than ever in recent weeks, with some picking up new skills, demand for fresh ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals that require minimal effort has never been higher, says the founder of FreshRealm, which has teamed...
No longer able to rely on conferences, in-store demos or serendipitous meetings to raise awareness of a new business or product, entrepreneurs increasing are connecting with each other, mentors and consumers through subscription-based online platforms...
Many food and beverage companies are joining the fight against racism in America by temporarily pausing sales, using their voices and positions to raise awareness of systemic racism in the US, donating profits and pulling advertising from platforms that...
Hemp cannabidiol (CBD) supplier and manufacturer CV Sciences just announced fresh research that demonstrates the safety and health benefits of its PlusCBD products.
With fears that another wave of the coronavirus could hit the US just as the academic year begins, parents likely will seek products that could help support their children’s immune systems, claims Slammers Snacks.
While many states emerge from several weeks of shelter-in-place mandates and businesses begin to reopen, many consumers feel their usual shopping behaviors won’t return to “normal” for some time, an Acosta report revealed.
Bolthouse Farms – a fresh food business specializing in packaged carrots and juices, smoothies and dressings – has discontinued its premium organic cold pressed juice brand 1915 amid declining sales, but says it is enjoying a strong uptick in sales of...
Miriam Ueberall recently joined The Kraft Heinz Company to head up research and development for the group’s international zone. FoodNavigator speaks to her about how innovation and product development is at the heart of Kraft Heinz’s turnaround plans.
With last Friday’s launch of the first-of-its-kind, single-material baby food pouch, Gerber is one step closer to its ambitious goal to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 without compromising the convenience and safety that parents...
Even before the threat of the “quarantine 15” – or the idea that some Americans are at risk of packing on 15 pounds during the pandemic due to stress-baking, mindless snacking and reduced physical activity – the rate of obesity in America has been stubbornly...
As the plant-based food sector continues to grow (up 11% in dollar sales in 2019 to $5bn), the category has become an integral part of many grocery retailers’ store assortments, marketing, and promotional strategies, according to The Good Food Institute...
