Consumer research indicates that for many shoppers, ‘healthy,' is all about foods that are organic, minimally processed, natural, non-GMO, or free of artificial ingredients. But such factors should not be included in the legal criteria for 'healthy'...
Corner stores, bodegas and gas stations have a bad reputation when it comes to the healthfulness of the foods and beverages they offer, but the National Association of Convenience Stores and Cumberland Farms hope to change that by teaming up with Partnership...
CANADA: House of Commons to vote on GMO labeling bill on May 17
Members of the Canadian Parliament will decide whether to approve mandatory labeling of genetically modified foods in a vote in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Requests to delay the implementation of the updated Nutrition Facts panel, which includes a line to indicate added sugar and makes calories more visible, and a last-minute delay of menu labeling regulations are insulting to consumers, suggests Former...
Functional foods could have a key role to play in combating the global rise of the phenomenon of sarcopenic obesity, according to a published report of the proceedings of a recent scientific convention.
Sports nutrition is a booming industry, with Euromonitor estimating a value of $7.4bn in the US. When we went to the streets and asked a few gym-goers what they buy, to no surprise, it was all protein.
Incubators provide startups with more than access to heavy-duty machinery and production space at a reduced price, they also plug entrepreneurs into an active network of professionals, suppliers and potential investors who can help accelerate a company’s...
Serving sizes of packaged food can affect a consumer’s health perception and intended consumption, according to a new study in the Journal of Business Research.
A strategic packaging redesign of Canadian start-up Jaswant’s Kitchen’s Indian spice blends reveals that consumers are willing to spend more for products that provide simple step-by-step recipes directly on the package than for products that require visiting...
Right now, hydroponic and indoor grown lettuce account for around 4-5% of lettuce production in the US, but that figure will rise “substantially” in the coming years as more growers prove that water can give soil a serious run for its money, predicts...
How are the next generation of natural flavors being developed? Elaine Watson caught up with Christian Kopfli, CEO of New Jersey-based FlavorHealth, which is taking high-throughput cell-based screening to the next level to identify novel natural compounds...
Can you make money supplying fresh prepared food via vending machines? Not everyone was convinced when Luke Saunders launched Farmer’s Fridge in October 2013, but the fact he's just persuaded the former bosses of ZICO and McDonald's, among others,...
Are your taste buds tickled by the prospect of a food tour of Mexico with Chef Rick Bayless? Or maybe an intensive business strategy session with Presence Marketing CEO Bill Weiland in Barrington Hills, Illinois, is more your thing?
Fruit juice does not warrant a ‘healthy’ food label, says CSPI
There is significant disagreement between key stakeholders over how to define ‘healthy’ on food labels, with added sugar and saturated fat proving the biggest bones of contention, and heated debate over whether fruit juice deserves a ‘healthy’ label.
The quest to rid product labels of phosphates, carrageenan, titanium dioxide, mono- and di-glycerides and other substances gracing food marketers’ ‘unacceptable ingredients’ lists has created new growth opportunities for Fiberstar’s citrus fibers, which...
The clean label movement may have started as industry’s response to consumers who wanted foods and beverages made without artificial or “chemical” sounding ingredients, but overtime as brands continued to one-up each other, the concept morphed and metastasized...
Think clean label just means no artificial ingredients? Think again
Think 'clean label' just means ditching ‘artificial’ ingredients and avoiding anything attracting negative press (warranted or otherwise)? Think again. Today, brands are also questioning whether ‘natural’ flavors, preservatives and sweeteners...
While SmartLabel is still in its relative infancy, manufacturers are flocking to the technology to help them provide the in-depth information that today’s consumers want as part of the clean label movement, but which might not fit on product packaging.
To the casual observer, ‘cleaning up’ our food sounds like an eminently sensible thing to do. But where is the clean label trend going, and is ditching every ingredient you can’t pronounce really the key to fixing the ‘broken’ food system (as Panera implies...
In its latest cleanup of its food facility registration database, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has culled an eye-opening 28% of existing registrations. The biggest drops happened in overseas sites.
What is healthy? Comments flood in as FDA docket closes
“If we were looking for an easy answer and widespread agreement on the definition of ‘healthy,’ we didn’t find it [at a public meeting last month],”observed the FDA in a blog post this week. So could it seriously consider banning the word from food labels...
Assuming FDA does not delay the deadline for the new Nutrition Fact label as requested by industry, then large companies have slightly more than a year left to overcome challenges associated with added sugar, the new definition of dietary fiber, changes...
All eyes have been on Whole Foods since activist investors demanded radical action to address its recent “chronic underperformance." But is Albertsons – rumored to be courting the Austin-based retailer – the right suitor?
Hydroponic and aquaponic farms can keep their organic status – at least for now – following the National Organic Standards Board’s decision April 21 to defer a vote on whether the systems are eligible for USDA certification.
For years kale has reigned supreme as the go-to superfood for many Americans thanks in part to its relatively low cost, nutrient density, broad accessibility and the plethora of ways to enjoy it from green smoothies to chips to raw salads and stir-fries.
Nutriati’s chickpea protein is white, odorless, and neutral-tasting
Commercial quantities of highly functional, neutral-tasting chickpea protein concentrates and a high-protein chickpea ‘flour’ will be available by the end of the year, says Richmond-based Nutriati, which has just closed an $8m financing round to help...
The results of the 2017 FoodNavigator-USA reader survey are in… and not surprisingly, given the breadth of our readership, they’re pretty mixed, with many readers excited about their company’s prospects and others feeling trapped in a race to the bottom...
“So why does the world need another [insert your product here]?” is a question entrepreneurs are well-advised to prep for before hitting the stage at any pitch slam judged by ZICO founder Mark Rampolla. So how does he answer his own question when it...
To increase supply of organic and avoid the financially challenging three-year transition period necessary to convert conventional farm land, some producers are converting native ecosystems to organic farms – a practice that the National Organic Standards...
The Organic Trade Association wants to put the breaks on a proposal from the National Organic Standards Board to strengthen the requirements for use of organic seeds because “a few substantive changes are critical.”
Organic stakeholders gathering in Denver this week for the National Organic Standards Board meeting will take another stab at defining the role of hydroponic production in organic, which documents suggest the advisory committee may prohibit.
Are meal kits the next big thing in food, or a black hole into which to pour large sums of cash chasing the latest fad? Investors are in different camps on this, acknowledges Terra’s Kitchen CEO Mike McDeVitt, but there’s no doubt that meal kits meet...
Healthy Skoop, a Boulder-based nutritional product company, is capitalizing on the plant-based nutrition trend with new product launches and an expanded retail footprint.
Beyond Meat, manufacturer of the “first refrigerated plant-based burger to sit in the meat counter” in America, has chosen Hong Kong as its first international export destination.
Lifeway Foods has vowed to defend itself “vigorously” against a lawsuit claiming it falsely advertised its fermented dairy products as ‘99% lactose free’ when they allegedly contained almost 4% lactose (milk sugar).
A new report found that preparing a meal together and sharing a meal at home is important to Mexican consumers—so what does this mean for packaged food companies?
Ever since coconut water burst on to the US market several years ago, Americans have been enthralled with all things coconut, but while manufacturers are reaping the rewards of the ingredient’s sustained popularity, the farmers and suppliers are not.
As a percentage of the overall grocery retail market, Amazon’s $350m in Q1 grocery sales (annualized – that’s $1.4bn) is pretty small fry. But its mouthwatering 30% year-on year-growth suggests that CPG manufacturers that don’t have a clear strategy for...
PepsiCo has launched an incubator programme to help nurture the ‘best and brightest’ entrepreneurs in the nutrition, health and wellness sectors. Eight ‘breakthrough brands’ will benefit from a €25,000 ($26,500) grant each, and access to experts from...
Two of the biggest hurdles to ending hunger in the US are the lack of consequences for politicians who vote against programs designed to reduce hunger and food insecurity, and misconceptions about who receives the benefits, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) told...
While crickets currently lead the edible insect pack, the grasshopper – which has a whopping 72% protein by dry weight with all the essential amino acids – has just as much potential as a protein source, claims Israeli start-up Hargol FoodTech.
Activist investors led by Jana Partners have acquired 8.3% of Whole Foods’ stock according to an SEC filing, which says Whole Foods must take radical action to address its recent “chronic underperformance."
Health Canada has unveiled proposals to prohibit the use of partially hydrogenated oils - a key source of harmful trans fats in foods - by summer 2018 (aligning with the US deadline) by adding them to the List of Contaminants and Other Adulterating Substances...
A slow decline is forecasted for total frozen food sales, which includes frozen dinners/entrees, pizzas, side dishes, and appetizers/snacks, according to Packaged Facts’ latest numbers.
Congressional pressure on federal agencies to back down from nutrition policies created under the Obama Administration continues to mount with the standards for school meals now in the cross-hairs.
As demand for local, fresh and healthy food increases community supported agricultural models are evolving to capture a larger share of consumer spend and could become a threat to more traditional retailers that rely on foot traffic generated by regular...
The herbicide glyphosate is to be added to the list of chemicals known to cause cancer under California's Proposition 65 legislation, which means companies producing products containing residues of the popular herbicide may in future have to feature...
