Private label growth has slowed from the last several years when consumers flocked to the category due to the recession, according to a report from Packaged Facts. While retailers continue to launch and promote store brand products, a persistently sluggish...
Eating protein-rich breakfasts may increase levels of dopamine in the brain, which may reduce food cravings and overeating later in the day, says a new study from the University of Missouri.
General Mills will launch ancient grains Cheerios to take the fast-growing trend into mainstream cereal, its marketing manager for cereal innovation says.
Policies aimed at encouraging families and children to eat healthier could be aided by retailers that place healthier food options at the eye level of children, say researchers.
Cereal and plant proteins hold huge potential for breakfast cereal and snack bar fortification but taste and texture remain challenging, say Kellogg’s lead product development scientist.
From hop-free ales with lavender or elderflowers to ‘advanced Asian’ cuisine, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) looks at the top 10 culinary trends it predicts will inspire the packaged food and foodservice industry in 2015.
Egg prices have risen steadily in the past three years, and firms touting plant-based proteins as an alternative have attracted a huge amount of media attention. But new data suggests that this has not dampened demand for eggs, with per capita consumption...
US sales of hummus have almost doubled since 2009 to top $600m, but could easily break through the $1bn mark in the next few years, predicts Eat Well Embrace Life, which is carving out a leading role in the ‘other bean hummus’ category and aims to be...
FoodNavigator-USA brings you part two of our gallery of highlights from the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Atlanta, GA, which addressed everything from nutrigenomics, plant-based diets and Millennials’ eating habits to whether...
Consumers – and specific groups of consumers – are changing how, when and where they shop, with the influence of Millenials and Hispanics set to grow over the next decade, says a new report from IRI.
We’ve never had access to more information about how to get healthy. So why are two thirds of Americans still overweight or obese, and what can we do about it? To find out, FoodNavigator-USA headed to Atlanta, GA, for the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference...
Press coverage of Ingredion’s $340m acquisition of starch & gums maker Penford made much of reducing its reliance on high fructose corn syrup in the light of lackluster soda sales. But HFCS now accounts for just 15% of sales at Ingredion, which has...
Small companies can carve a niche - even in a mature category like pasta sauce - if they have a genuine point of difference, a novel pack size that stands out on shelf (and enables them to meet a price point), and a striking label, says Nello’s Sauce...
Sweeteners & starches giant Ingredion has expanded its ingredients empire with the acquisition of potato starch specialist Penford in a $340m deal that could close before the end of the year.
The average convenience-store shopper spends just three minutes in the store, says Wells Fargo in a new report arguing that there are big growth opportunities for brands that can offer more products designed for immediate consumption, and better meet...
Consumers are looking for individual and integrated strategies to optimize their health and wellness, but no company has yet put all the pieces together, says BrandHive’s Jeff Hilton.
Food industry ‘tinkering’ with sugar content while foods and drinks remain relatively high in sugar may detract from more basic sugar reduction strategies, warns a public health expert.
As Halloween approaches, pumpkin spice mania has gripped the nation, but there’s plenty of other interesting stuff hitting shelves this fall, from Pepsi’s Caleb's Kola to chia vitality bars from Mamma Chia, and new coconut water & juice blends...
St Louis-based Post Holdings - the company behind Grape-Nuts, Honey Bunches of Oats and PowerBar protein bars - has promoted chief financial officer Robert Vitale to the role of chief executive, replacing Bill Stiritz, who will take up the newly-created...
The use of natural sweeteners is growing rapidly – they were used in one in five new non-caloric drinks launched last year – but it is still dwarfed by other sweeteners, according to a new report from Canadean.
It’s well-known that many CPG firms feel that they are not getting enough bang for their trade spending bucks. But a recent analysis by Nielsen reveals that most of them are not getting any bang for these bucks, with almost three quarters of promotions...
The IFT's FutureFood 2050 initiative has started a fascinating conversation about what we might be eating in the future. But what will food shopping be like? Will supermarkets as we know them today still exist or will we get all of our groceries...
Small and inexpensive changes to the content of supermarket circulars have ‘great potential’ to boost healthy eating and get consumers closer to dietary guidelines, but only if the retailers are on-board, says a new analysis.
New research led by Du Pont Industrial Biosciences concludes that enzyme technology currently used with maize and wheat could be applied far more widely to cassava root starch to produce sweeteners such as glucose, fructose and maltose.
Bakers cannot sit back and be bombarded by negative messaging around bread anymore because there’s actually a huge consumer group who wants it, says the VP of Panera Bread bakery development.
Nestlé and Kellogg have partnered with companies including General Mills and Unilever by joining Ceres' Business for Innovative Climate and Energy Policy (BICEP).
The cost to consumers of requiring labeling of genetically modified food is $2.30 per person annually, or less than a penny a day, says new analysis commissioned by Consumers Union, the policy arm of Consumer Reports.
What will we be eating in 2050? Insect bars, 3D printed food, lab meat and personalized nutrition bars? No one knows for sure. But with a growing population and a changing climate, food systems - and diets - will have to adapt to survive, say 11 thought-leaders...
The notion that defining ‘natural’ is just too hard - either for the FDA or for the food industry - and that we therefore shouldn’t even bother to attempt it, is defeatist and “disingenuous”, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
In part one of our coverage of FoodNavigator-USA’s natural & clean label panel debate we looked at whether the FDA - or industry stakeholders - should define ‘natural’. In part two, we look at all-natural lawsuits, and whether consumers understand...
The US market for market for refrigerated meats and meals is predicted to hit a mouth-watering $31 billion in 2018, up from today’s $25 billion, says a new report from Packaged Facts.
Buoyed by the surging popularity of hummus in the US, Sabra Dipping Co has unveiled plans to expand its hummus manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, doubling its production capacity and creating 70 new jobs.
Dispatches from Euro Fed Lipid Congress, Montpellier
Certified Sustainable Palm Oil could remain a niche product unless it gains importance in India and China, according to former RSPO director Jan Kees Vis.
Science should look beyond LDL cholesterol and saturated fat, which have dominated cardiovascular research until now, towards other contributing factors and a food-group approach to guidelines, according to one researcher.
While the jaw-dropping amount that General Mills paid for Annie’s ($820m) raised some eyebrows, it was “worth it”, says one corporate finance expert who says big CPG firms are increasingly eyeing up acquisition targets in the natural and organic foods...
What’s more sustainable? Using acres of land, water and energy to grow plants that produce minuscule quantities of natural flavors, sweeteners or phytonutrients; or making them via a fermentation process using baker’s yeast that’s been engineered to produce...
Shares in Tate & Lyle fell by 17% as the food ingredients firm issued its second profits warning this year, blaming fierce competition in the sweetener market and supply problems in the US caused by a harsh winter.
90 scientists have written to President Obama urging him to press the FDA into making a decision, one way or another, on whether AquaBounty Technologies should be allowed to introduce the first genetically engineered (GE) animal to the human food supply.
While new class action lawsuits over ‘all-natural’ claims on food labels are still filed in the ‘food court’ in California on a weekly basis, some recent orders from judges handling these cases present a glimmer of hope for beleaguered food & beverage...
Natural Products Expo East yielded a wealth of new trends and new product launches. In this gallery FoodNavigator USA looks as some of the most innovative launches and identifies some trends running through the natural products marketplace. Bold innovators...
Kellogg and J.M. Smucker have topped the consumer likeability charts in the US with Eggo waffles and Pillsbury bread mix – indicating a love of carbs, according to insights specialist Instant.ly.
Desires to align product portfolios with messages of corporate social responsibility are driving some of the M&A activity regarding organic and natural companies, says Euromonitor International.
The birthplace of Allen Ginsberg, Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey is also home to food industry giants from Campbell Soup and Goya Foods to Unilever USA. But is the Garden State doing what it takes to attract the next generation of food...
General Mills will help newly acquired natural & organic brand Annie’s expand into new categories, channels and markets; and will use its clout to drive procurement and operational/logistical efficiencies, CEO Ken Powell told analysts this week. But...
Chicago-based Sensient Flavors has unveiled a new toolbox of natural flavor masking ingredients that can tackle bitterness associated with everything from stevia to caffeine by selectively targeting multiple taste receptors.
