Are sugar alcohols losing their luster, will allulose take off, and is stevia still hot? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Icon Foods, Cargill and Beneo to explore formulation trends as brands come under increasing pressure to reduce sugar and keep labels...
One of 15 startups pitching at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! event in San Francisco, Planetarians uses a proprietary process to transform defatted oilseeds – the dry matter left after oil extraction - into high-protein, high-fiber ingredients that are now being...
With $16.5m in Series B funding and an industry veteran taking over as CMO, Stryve Biltong is continuing it rapid growth trajectory in the snacking category.
Canadian startup Yellofruit is using the same principles of ice cream food science to make its non-dairy frozen banana desserts that founder Andrew Kinnear says closely mimic the experience of eating traditional dairy ice cream.
Alarmed by the exponential increase of adults diagnosed with type II diabetes and disproportionate toll the chronic disease takes on food insecure individuals, a regional health care provider and food bank serving Pennsylvania decided to test whether...
FDA draft guidance allowing allulose to be excluded from the total and added sugars declarations on the Nutrition Facts panel could generate a surge of interest in the rare sugar, predict formulators.
After extensive testing, Kroger and robotics company Nuro, have expanded a self-driving grocery delivery service to the general public in Houston, Texas, the retailer's second biggest market.
One of the main goals of effective branding and packaging is to set a product apart from the competition, but how this is achieved is fundamental to whether a product will be embraced or shunned by consumers.
A newly-engineered strain of yeast that can efficiently metabolize lactose into tagatose (a low-calorie, low-glycemic sweetener) may be the key to unlocking commercial-scale availability of the sweetener, researchers from the University of Illinois at...
By James Richardson, PhD, founder, Premium Growth Solutions
I continue to meet a remarkable number of founders who are trying to go it alone. They aren’t shut-ins either. I believe this is a strategic mistake that undercuts the ability of any young food business to stay disciplined and focused.
The rideshare service Lyft is looking for capital investment and community partners to improve access to affordable, nutritious food by expanding an ongoing grocery access program that it is piloting currently in Washington, DC, with the non-profit Martha’s...
Donating fresh and perishable food to help feed the hungry isn’t as easy as giving shelf stable products, but a partnership between the Chicago-based startup Farmer’s Fridge and the Greater Chicago Food Depository shows that it can done.
Young kids (aged 3 to 5) were found to be highly susceptible to overeating when given larger portion sizes, challenging the "self-regulation" theory, in which children are claimed to have a natural ability to respond to internal cues of hunger...
Unmanned micro-markets that blend the convenience of a vending machine with the fresh, healthy selection more typically found in the prepared section of a grocery store or a quick service restaurant “are the wave of the future,” according to an executive...
A breakdown in trust between public, private and government stakeholders is the most significant challenge hindering the creation of a sustainable food system that is healthy for people and the planet, according to Sandro Damaio, CEO of the EAT Forum....
Running a startup can be thrilling… and an energy-sapping trial by ordeal. But mentors and judges at Rabobank’s Foodbytes! pitch competition in San Francisco last month were at hand to offer tips, help entrepreneurs ask investors the right questions,...
Gum acacia was not on the FDA’s list of ingredients classified as dietary fibers released last summer; however, key suppliers are preparing to submit a citizen petition to support its dietary fiber status based on new data they claim proves the ingredient...
Edible insects were always going to be a slow burn in the alternative protein market, given both the ‘ick’ factor and the lack of infrastructure to farm and process them at scale. But just because investors have been cautious about the sector doesn’t...
By 2050, the Earth’s population is predicted to reach upwards of 10 billion people who will require significantly more food than is produced today, which many predict is not feasible without drastic changes in the way food is produced, transported and...
Private label continues to give national brands a run for their money with over half of consumers saying they shop a store specifically for its private brand, according to a report by Daymon, a private brand innovation and development firm.
Many millennials worry about nutritional gaps in their diet, but would prefer to get what they need from food rather than popping pills, says GEM, a Los Angeles-based online subscription business delivering whole food based daily ‘bites’ containing 15...
Effective branding traditionally has empowered, inspired and informed consumers, but in the current era of distrust and heightened anxiety branding needs to evolve to account for consumers’ rising self-reliance, increasingly rational approach and their...
Maple Leaf Foods -- parent company of Lightlife and Field Roast brands -- and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenleaf Foods, has announced a $310m plan to build the largest (230,000-square-feet) plant-based protein facility in North America, claims president...
The growing US multicultural population -- projected to increase by 98 million people by 2060, according to the US Census Bureau -- will have a significant influence on the US grocery market, a report by sales and marketing firm Acosta indicated.
Vegan. Vegetarian. Plant-based. Plant-strong. Plant protein... All of these terms are used in some variety on the ever-blossoming category of animal-free foods intending to compete against the conventional meat, egg, and dairy industries.
In response to the public’s growing aversion to sugar, manufacturers across categories have reformulated and launched products made with alternative sweeteners, but increasingly consumers don’t want those either – but they also can’t as easily identify...
Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is leveraging the impact convenience stores can have on changing Americans' eating habits for the better through its partnerships with c-store chains and distributors.
Ecommerce may account for only a fraction of overall grocery sales currently, but it is growing quickly – and retailers and brands can better take advantage of the opportunities it offers by working with dietitians to create nutrition-centered apps and...
Frustrated that efforts to “treat or fix” childhood obesity in the US have fallen short, Sprout Foods is teaming with the Partnership for a Healthier America to try and prevent the problem from occurring by training children from an early age to crave...
Kids' meals at fast food chains are typically limited to chicken nuggets, pizza, or grilled cheese. In 2016, Panera Bread challenged the industry standard by introducing a revamped version of its kids' menu with more healthy soups and salads,...
Tofurky has raised $7m via a private investment to help scale production of its plant-based refrigerated sausages, deli slices, grounds, roasts and tempeh as consumer demand for meat alternatives continues to grow.
Evolv Ventures, the $100m venture fund backed by Kraft Heinz, has made its first investment in fast-growing GrubMarket, a startup that connects local farmers directly with restaurants and businesses to sell their wares.
In recent years, the healthy eating trend had expanded dramatically beyond a fad for the few to gain a stronghold with mainstream shoppers, but produce is still at a significant disadvantage when it comes to capturing the attention of children and teenagers...
FDA will push forward with its Nutrition Innovation Strategy despite the departure this month of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb who championed the initiative as a way to reduce the burden of chronic disease through improved nutrition, according to an...
Bond Pet Foods – one of 15 startups pitching at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! event in San Francisco last month - deploys microbes as tiny factories to produce proteins for pets in fermentation tanks. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with founder Rich Kelleman before...
Strap: ‘There is no difference between the molecule we make and the molecule in human milk’
Breast milk is best. But for Moms that can’t breastfeed, infant formula that contains at least some of the unique components in breast milk is the next best thing, says the co-founder of Berkeley-based start-up Sugarlogix, which is developing a platform...
After losing several high profile members and suffering a backlash over controversial policy positions, the Grocery Manufacturers Association is trying to regain the industry’s – and consumers’ – trust by rebuilding its mission around four main pillars...
60-second interview: Dawn Streich, global citrus product manager, Givaudan
An unparalleled group of fruits that has been lovingly curated since 1910, the Givaudan citrus variety collection at the University of California, Riverside, is sometimes referred to as the Noah’s Ark of citrus in that it houses two plants of each variety,...
As conscious consumerism gathers momentum, retailers, investors and shoppers all are scrutinizing companies’ values more closely and looking to support brands that are focused on more than just profits.
Chr. Hansen’s latest enzyme for cheesemakers, the CHY-MAX Supreme, is ‘a game changer’ in the production of cheddar, continental and mozzarella cheeses, the Danish bioscience company told FoodNavigator when we caught up last month.
FDA has sent three companies marketing CBD products warning letters over disease claims. The warnings are the first issued under FDA’s de facto ‘enforcement discretion’ policy, which will be discussed at a meeting on CBD set for the end of May.
TerViva - a California-based start-up on a mission to commercialize a new source of plant-based protein from the pongamia tree - has raised $20m in a series D round.
Regulatory hurdles notwithstanding, investors and judges at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! event in San Francisco last week were fairly bullish about hemp-derived CBD (cannabidiol), and predicted that while the market has moved ahead of the science, this will...
The Worthy Company - one of 15 food & ag startups pitching at Rabobank's FoodBytes! event in San Francisco last week - has developed a novel food concept (the 'blendie bowl') combining fruits, veggies, legumes and chia. But where...
Nestlé Health Science will take an equity stake in Swiss life science company Amazentis and receive global rights to use Amazentis’ Urolithin A technology for dietary supplements, foods, beverages, and medical nutrition products.
Chicago-based Skinny Souping is seeing nationwide demand for its on-the-go, nutrient-dense soups (made with fresh ingredients and free from any sort of preservatives and additives), which are designed to be consumed chilled or hot.
In a move signaling the mainstream potential of next generation plant-based meat brands, Burger King is testing the waters with a limited edition trial of the Impossible Burger in 60 locations in and around St Louis to gauge consumer interest.
