Consumers are embracing grocery shopping online faster than originally anticipated, and both manufacturers and brick-and-mortar retailers are at risk of being caught flat-footed unless they quickly hire the staff and build the technology necessary to...
The current rollout of national hummus brand Tribe’s new packaging featuring more white space, simplistic designs and fewer claims reflects the manufacturer’s recent commitment to clean label, including a reformulation to remove artificial ingredients,...
Until recently, Americans only ate about one-third of the recommended amount of seafood per week, but industry insiders say this is changing and they note shoppers aren’t reaching for just any seafood – they want sustainably sourced seafood that is not...
While some commentators still suspect that the ‘emperor has no clothes’ despite the steady influx of cash being pumped into the burgeoning meal kit industry, the meteoric growth at Sun Basket – which boasts industry-leading margins as well as customer...
Packed with MCT oil, kale, pumpkin seed protein and probiotics, start-up Bear Squeeze wants to be known as a “higher-end, cleaner Soylent,” said co-founder and president Max Baumann.
Consumer demand for products that are healthier for them is quickly expanding to include those that also are better for the environment – creating new opportunities for companies that strive to be more sustainable and barriers for those that do not, according...
Drinkable soup brand Tio Gazpacho has made its first executive hire with the appointment of beverage industry veteran Matt Merson as VP general manager. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with founder Austin Allan at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy...
'We hoped to provide a product that met your high standards for food that fuels an epic life...'
Phenomenal Foods – the Los Angeles-based start-up behind probiotic-fueled organic fruit & veggie snack brand Nomva – has called it a day just over two years after launching in southern California.
Inspiring consumers through beautiful Pinterest posts, delicious recipes, heart-warming blog posts and viral videos can help build brand awareness, but the most effective digital marketers also make each experience easily shoppable, according to new research...
For the first time, Generation Z is emerging as an influencer in grocery spending and early indications suggests that they will favor more organic, healthy products as well as authentic and multicultural offerings, according to new research from Acosta....
Busy parents who don’t have time to chop & puree food for their babies and who distrust premade food in jars, pouches or HPP tubs, now have another option that meets them half way: Raised Real offers subscription flash frozen meal kits for children...
The FDA is not meeting its mandate for providing clear, evidence-based guidance that is practical and actionable, say DuPont in comments on the Agency’s proposal to revoke the soy protein heart health claim.
Benexia CEO: “The plant-based blends industry is booming and we want to be a partner for new product development for our customers.”
Chilean chia supplier Benexia announced earlier this month that it is launching a line of omega-3 softgel supplements, as well as a line of chia-based packaged food under the brand Sow.
‘Stealth nutrition’ brand Sneakz Organic – best known for its veggie puree-infused milkshakes - is entering a new category with the launch of vegan protein powders for kids, which will be followed by a dairy-free ready-to-drink shake, and new products...
The jury may be out still on whether trace amounts of the popular herbicide glyphosate pose health risks to humans, but industry insiders predict mounting consumer fear about the possibility will pressure more food and beverage manufacturers in 2018 to...
The explosion of new diet plans that demonize carbohydrates offer a unique opportunity for fiber ingredients that can be added to foods or be offered as standalone dietary ingredients.
Hoping to overcome sales-limiting stereotypes about prunes and expand when and how people consume them, the California Dried Plum Board is teaming with the meal kit provider Chef’d to showcase the dried fruit’s diverse uses and benefits in three new meals...
The global financial crisis that began with the housing market crash in 2008 may technically be over, but its long-term impact will continue to influence how consumers spend their money in 2018 and beyond and which companies and brand they support, according...
From cannabis cuisine - Jeff Sessions’ recent interventions notwithstanding - to ‘intrinsic nutrition' (a renewed focus on nutrient-dense foods naturally rich in healthy fats, protein, fiber, and other nutrients), here are 10 macro trends to watch...
Urban Remedy, a plant-based food company specializing in organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices, has closed a $17m series B fundraising round with lead investment from 301 INC, General Mills’ venture arm, and attracted natural products...
A joint venture between ingredient suppliers Cargill and PURIS announced today will allow for the significant expansion of pea protein production at a time when more consumers are looking for plant-based options that deliver health benefits, are sustainable...
“Deeply disappointed” by the US Department of Agriculture’s recent decision to eliminate the new organic standard on animal welfare, stakeholders are taking their case to the mainstream public in an effort to pressure the agency to change its position....
Industry and consumer interest in adaptogens is on the rise, but the list of actual adaptogens may be a lot smaller than many think, says a leading expert.
Once again FDA has denied Bayer’s request to approve a health claim linking vitamin D to the reduced risk of multiple scleroris on the grounds that the available scientific evidence does not meet the agency’s high standards for support.
Most food and beverage startups dream of expanding from a local brand serving only a handful of stores to one that is nationally distributed to hundreds or thousands of retailers, but the logistics of getting there can be a nightmare if not carefully...
Nestlé USA has joined a growing number of food manufacturers backing a citizen’s petition from NuTek Food Science asking the FDA to allow ‘potassium salt’ as an alternate name for potassium chloride on food labels.
The FDA has signaled its intent to “modernize certain standards of identity” in its 2018 strategic roadmap, suggesting that it might, after all, weigh into the plant-based ‘milk’ and ‘cheese’ debate in 2018, although it has not clarified which standards...
Startup Triton Algae Innovations is betting on a whole-cell protein positioning for an algae species that has been researched for years for its nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ingredient production potential.
The US market for low FODMAP foods aimed at helping IBS sufferers is still small and consumer awareness is low, but companies large and small are targeting a category that could be bigger than gluten-free.
An estimated 70% of purchasers of the plant-based Beyond Burger are flexitarians - meat eaters that are cutting down on meat – as opposed to hardcore vegans or vegetarians, validating the initially controversial decision to merchandise the product in...
Nestlé is now working with the first round of start-ups selected through its partnership platform, Henri. We asked its global innovation director how the biggest food company in the world ensures a peer-to-peer relationship between David and Goliath.
What are the emerging flavors and ingredients food and beverage manufacturers should watch in 2018 as they formulate new products, and refresh existing ones? Kerry has put together some charts to help firms explore new possibilities in sweet, savory,...
Blaming genes for failing to lose weight may no longer be an excuse – in fact, genetic predisposition for obesity actually could magnify diet-based weight loss efforts, according to new research in The BMJ.
North Carolina-based start-up Glean is appealing to health-conscious shoppers and consumers on specialty diets (Paleo, gluten-free, keto) with a novel range of vegetable flours made from 'ugly' produce that doesn't meet retail specifications....
In an era when consumers prize “buying local,” regional brands looking to expand and national companies seeking a toehold in area markets must carefully craft partnerships that will spur growth without alienating consumers who are attracted to homegrown...
With the help of industry professionals and consumers who were inspired by The Soulfull Project’s mission to donate a serving of hot cereal to a food bank for each serving it sells, the young company has reached milestones in first year that most startups...
Marshmallow snack brand SMASHMALLOW has raised $10m from Sonoma Brands and VMG Partners and brought in David Lacy – who previously held finance roles at Plum Organics, KRAVE and personalized nutrition service Habit – as its new CEO as it carves out its...
New research from a health, sports and travel specialist insurer casts a shadow over the health halo of protein bars, which consumers increasingly reach for as an easy way to stave off hunger after a workout and because they perceive them as a more nutritious...
‘This is a breakthrough product that could ultimately make sugar obsolete'
The term ‘game-changer’ is bandied around with wearying regularity by food start-ups, but HEYLO – a patented combination of acacia fiber and stevia promising to blow rivals out of the water in the sugar replacement stakes – may actually warrant this moniker,...
A move announced yesterday by US Attorney General Jeff Sessions to allow federal prosecutors to pursue marijuana enforcement cases further unsettles the regulatory underpinning for those companies seeking to use hemp derivatives for nutritional products.
Almondmilk-fueled brand Kite Hill is still looking for a replacement for CEO Matthew Sade, who departed in April after nearly four years at the helm to cofound kids’ food start-up Freeli Foods.
Kite Hill has defended its decision to use the term ‘almond milk yogurt’ on labels after being singled out by the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) in a New Year salvo aimed at re-igniting the debate over the labeling of plant-based dairy alternatives....
Dieting has become a dirty word in food marketing, says Atkins
Weight management brand Atkins Nutritionals has deployed movie star Rob Lowe – it’s first male brand ambassador – to front a new campaign focusing on living a healthy lifestyle, rather than ‘dieting,’ as it reaches out to the ‘tens of millions’ of Americans...
Vegetarian and vegan diets – actively recast in recent years by stakeholders as ‘plant-based’ in a bid to shake off negative baggage – are quickly gaining traction among America’s youngest consumers and are predicted to become a breakout trend in 2018,...
With “Mother Nature’s help,” production of California almonds is expected to rise from an estimated 2.25bn lbs in 2017 to 3bn lbs in 2021, in order to meet growing demand for the tree nuts in everything from plant-based yogurts and cheese to cold-brew...
2017 has been a rollercoaster ride for the food industry, with Amazon coughing up a cool $13.7bn for Whole Foods, a flurry of M&A activity from Nestlé, Hershey, Campbell Soup and Kellogg, and an exodus from the industry’s biggest trade association,...
60-second interview: Margaret Gomes, marketing director, NP Nutra
With brands such as Rebbl, GT’s Kombucha, Califia Farms and Temple Turmeric bringing Ayurvedic herbs and other on-trend ingredients out of the supplements aisle into the grocery aisles, demand for botanicals is growing from food and beverage formulators....
Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value private label range has already generated an estimated $10m in sales via Amazon in just over three months, reveals a new report from e-commerce data firm One Click Retail, which "can pretty much guarantee that Whole...
Should oat hull fiber be classified as a dietary fiber? It depends, according to Grain Millers, which claims that its unique, mechanical milling process ensures that its oat hull fiber is the only one on the market that meets the FDA’s definition of ‘intrinsic...
