Sprouts Farmers Market is accelerating expansion of its deli and prepared food offerings to help drive traffic and mitigate the impact of a tightening supply of high quality produce, which currently drives the majority of store visits.
Unable to shake its reputation for being notoriously expensive, Whole Foods Market is changing tack to appeal to less affluent millennials with the launch of a new value-focused chain.
'Millennials are increasingly health conscious...'
As widely predicted, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is appealing a federal court ruling denying its bid to halt implementation of Vermont’s GMO labeling law (Act 120) until a lawsuit over the Act is resolved.
The secret to Plum Organics’ rapid ascent to the top of the organic baby, toddler and children’s food industry is its deeply engrained philosophy to “lead with the heart,” the firm’s CEO Neil Grimmer says.
Only a small fraction of the hundreds of nutrition bars that launch in the U.S. annually will survive the first year, but among those that have are Kuli Kuli Bars, thanks in part to their unique nutrition profile and the manufacturer’s strong social mission...
A multi-million dollar investment in the online snack delivery start-up NatureBox Inc. suggests the firm’s direct-to-consumer subscription model has long-term viability, according to market research analysts and investors.
Manufacturers of high-end juices, nutritional shakes and smoothies likely will get more bang from their advertising buck in marketing associated with music, sports, technology and politics, according to consumer research conducted by CivicScience.
The maker of Forte Gelato hopes to expand its consumer base beyond health-conscious shoppers, recovering patients and athletes to reach the mainstream consumer by repackaging its high-protein, low-fat dessert into pints.
New data from Instantly’s Product Watch tool - a "live, crowd-sourced insights engine" which gathers insights from an army of consumers via their mobile phones as they shop – reveals fairly low purchase intent scores on many of the recent launches...
The row over the health and sustainability of meat consumption prompted by the recent Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) report has intensified this week as stakeholders rushed to submit comments on the report ahead of a May 8 deadline.
"We’re still only just starting to discover all the amazing things mushrooms can do.”
From a commercial perspective, it’s still early days for myceliation, a process by which mushrooms (or rather, their filament-like roots or ‘mycelium’) can remove bitter compounds and naturally occurring toxins from some of the world’s most valuable crops...
The vast majority of food and beverage launches fail to survive beyond the initial “experimental phase” in part because they expand their distribution too quickly, warns Alan Murray, the CEO of Next Foods.
The competition in the astaxanthin space to extend this the ingredient to new dosage forms and product matrices continues to heat up with the announcement of an encapsulated offering from Algatech featuring Virun’s delivery technology. The ingredient...
Consumers’ concern about genetically modified food is on the rise, but most shoppers are not yet willing to pay a premium for non-GMO foods – making it difficult for manufacturers to evaluate the business case for going non-GMO, according to research...
Attorney: This case could end up in the Supreme Court
While opponents of Vermont’s GMO labeling Act 120 suffered a major setback this week after a federal judge rejected many of their arguments, some attorneys predict the case could ultimately end up in the Supreme Court to settle a long-running debate over...
How do you market plant protein? Until recently, it was all about ‘vegetarian’ options, ‘meat analogs’ or ‘meat-alternatives’, says Lightlife Foods, but today, marketers are presenting their plant-based wares as the first – and best - choice for what...
B&G Foods’ strategy to grow by expanding its footprint in the center of the store is succeeding even though it seems counter-intuitive at a time when other manufacturers are trying to reach consumers along the store’s perimeter.
While some commentators believe it has peaked in popularity, four of the top 10 new CPG products of 2014 were in the Greek yogurt category, suggesting it might be a little early to write it off just yet, according to the latest New Product Pacesetters...
A federal court has rejected an attempt by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and other trade associations to prevent the state of Vermont from implementing its controversial GMO labeling law until litigation over the legislation has been resolved.
Outsourcing sales and partnering with large distributors from the beginning helped propel the two-man startup SuperEats’ Kale + Chia Chips into large retailers nationwide within two years of the snack’s inception.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has “achieved its goal of moving to only non-GMO ingredients to make all of the food in its US restaurants”, and is now embarking on a quest to eliminate additives such as dough conditioners from its foods.
Four out of 10 consumers claim to be avoiding or reducing genetically modified foods in their daily diets, mainly because they are concerned about the possible impact of GMOs on their health and well-being, according to The Hartman Group’s Organic &...
M+Ms Easter peanut butter eggs, Pillsbury Funfetti spring cake mix and Jif’s new creamy almond butter all garnered high marks in the latest shelf score ranking from Instantly, which measures purchase intent for new products.
'70% of the products labeled as extra virgin olive oil are not extra virgin at all'
Claims that much of the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) sold in US supermarkets is not ‘extra virgin’ at all are hardly new. But the fact that many retail buyers are effectively turning a blind eye to such widespread fraud is immensely frustrating for companies...
Congress needs to strengthen FDA’s oversight of genetically modified organisms before foreign countries, with potentially lower safety standards, begin genetically engineering crops used in finished products that are imported to the U.S., argues an executive...
Another competitor has arrived in the specialized sphere of insurance for dietary supplement companies in the United States with a new program offered by Beazley Group, a worldwide insurance provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom.
From a standing start in late 2013 – when it hit shelves in Whole Foods - Hampton Creek’s egg-free spread Just Mayo is now in 21,000 retail locations. But its progress in foodservice has been even more meteoric, says CEO Josh Tetrick, who says a deal...
Tate & Lyle has announced a restructuring that will see it make changes to its struggling Splenda sucralose business and exit most of its European Bulk Ingredients business.
It’s been 10 years and more since ephedra was taken off the market and in that time the importance of caffeine as an energy and thermogenic ingredient has grown significantly. Suppliers are competing to offer forms the compound that offer interesting...
Water is likely to be sufficient for food production in 2050 – but increased competition means two-thirds of the world will be affected by water scarcity, according to a joint report from the FAO and the World Water Council.
Millennials have a general distrust of big companies and a different set of priorities than baby boomers
While working at sexy new food & beverage companies such as Hampton Creek or Suja Juice sounds like a pretty exciting way to earn a living, the most talented people coming out of business school today are still more likely to pick technology or investment...
Organic is outgrowing its moniker as a specialty category thanks to a double digit increase in sales last year by consumers nationwide of all political leanings and ethnic backgrounds, according to data from the Organic Trade Association.
Once considered purely technical ingredients (thickeners, stabilizers, gelling agents), hydrocolloids are “going through a transformation from purely functional to nutritional ingredient status”, say the organizers of a conference dedicated to the $7bn...
It’s no secret that smaller, emerging brands are winning the battle for consumers’ hearts, minds and wallets from larger, established players in the US food and beverage industry, but which ‘challenger’ brands really stand out in the crowd? And what are...
Americans are falling out of love with many big legacy ‘processed food’ brands and the “financial markets have closely observed what is happening in our industry and acted quickly and decisively”, according to the chairman of the world’s biggest food...
Several well-established manufacturers are stepping out of their comfort zones and expanding into new categories or updating iconic brands to meet consumers’ ostensibly insatiable desire for protein-packed snacks.
Around 3,800 Walmart stores now carry at least 30 Wild Oats organic products, while 2,200 stores carry more than 70 items, says the retailer, which says customers are saving up to 25% compared with national brand organic products.
While Trader Joe’s gets plenty of plaudits, its German parent company ALDI – which operates nearly 1,400 stores in 32 US states - is probably “the most underestimated grocery retailer” in the nation, according to a new report from market researcher Hartman...
Through partnerships with small farmers, non-governmental organizations and other industry stakeholders, General Mills reports it is making progress towards its goal of sustainably sourcing 100% of its top 10 ingredients by 2020.
New York based International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) has struck a deal to acquire privately-held flavor firm Henry H. Ottens Manufacturing Co in Philadelphia, PA, for an undisclosed sum.
A new form of non-GMO plant-based protein boasting an amino acid profile comparable to whey, plus high levels of calcium and other nutrients, is now available in commercial quantities from Parabel Ltd, which has developed a proprietary process for producing...
Artisan Bistro hopes to coax back to the frozen food aisle consumers who have given the category the cold shoulder by raising the culinary and ingredient bars with its boldly flavored meals that are healthy for consumers and the earth.
A California federal judge has given the green light to a false advertising lawsuit filed against Hain Celestial accusing it of misleading shoppers by describing its Sunflower Dream beverage and related products as ‘all-natural’ when they contained “artificial,...
Manufacturers are cautiously reinvesting in tempeh, which is well-positioned to capitalize on multiple growing consumer trends, but they realize that before it can take-off it must clear a major hurdle: Most consumers have never heard of it.
The requirement to be “authentic” to succeed in the competitive food and beverage industry is clear, but how consumers define authenticity and how companies can meet and benefit from this lofty standard is not as clear.
US sales of specialty foods blasted through the $100bn barrier in 2014, with retail ($85.5bn) and foodservice sales ($24bn) combined hitting $109.5bn, up 10.3% on 2013 sales of $99.3bn, according to a new report from the Specialty Food Association using...