Sales of organic products rose 13% to $11.2bn in the year to July 6 in the US retail market, with the highest growth found in shelf-stable meats, poultry and seafood (+61%); followed by baby food (+34%); and shelf-stable functional beverages (+33%); according...
While just 7% of Americans identify themselves as vegetarian, more than a third of shoppers (36%) buy meat alternatives, suggesting the category is appealing to a far broader demographic, according to a consumer survey conducted by Mintel.
Unilever has announced plans to sell its Wish-Bone and Western dressings brands to Pinnacle Foods in a $580m deal as it continues to shed non-core brands.
With state fair season in full swing and deep-fried Oreos on the menu, online food ordering service GrubHub embarked on a study of ‘extreme foods’ to determine who is ordering jumbo corn dogs and Big Gulps (spoiler alert - it’s men…)
Is your brand getting some decent bang for the bucks you spend on paid-for (‘promoted’) tweets? The answer, according to a new trial with 35 big names in consumer packaged goods (CPG) including Mondelez, is YES.
Booming consumer desire for GMO-free products has been the driving force behind Barbara’s efforts towards non-GMO certification, says its vice president of marketing.
Many US supermarkets are stuck in a timewarp, and their market share will continue to decline unless they makes radical strategic changes, according to a provocative new report from Hartman Strategy.
A Minnesota-based firm making waves with anthocyanin-packed purple-corn ingredients says it has had significant interest from the snack food market, but is also talking to microbrewers, confectioners, and firms manufacturing everything from sourdough...
Kellogg has confirmed there will be further job cuts at its cereals factory in Memphis in the coming weeks as part of a round of layoffs first announced in April, but says the plant as a whole has a viable future.
The media frenzy surrounding AquaBounty’s GE salmon and the accompanying ‘Frankenfish’ headlines obscure the fact that it is "just a fast-growing fish”, according to one animal biotechnology specialist.
Wider interest and backing from the food industry could help boost developments in lab grown meat technology, but for now the idea may be 'too revolutionary' for manufacturers to gamble on, said experts at the launch of the world's first...
A Taylor Farms unit in Mexico has been identified as the source of the outbreak of cyclosporiasis that has sickened hundreds of people in two US states.
Boulder Brands, the firm behind two of the biggest names in gluten-free, Udi’s and Glutino, is talking to one of America’s largest coffee chains, and one of its largest donut chains, about launching gluten-free bakery items.
What precedent might it set if firms are forced to label foods made using new technologies, even if the end product does not differ in any meaningful way from foods developed by ‘traditional’ methods?
A California Superior Court Judge has rejected demands from an environmental advocacy group for health warnings on packaged fruit and vegetable products, 100% fruit juices, and baby foods.
The Kellogg Company plans to pump big bucks into NPD that stretches the boundaries of traditional cereal in a bid to boost a tired and soft US market, its CEO says.
The times they are a-changing – dads are beginning to rival moms for food purchasing decisions, says new research from Edelman Berland and Edelman’s food sector.
From California to Washington, and from Connecticut to Vermont, initiatives to label the presence of ingredients derived from genetically modified foods are dominating headlines. Despite this, the CEO of BI Nutraceuticals doesn’t think we’ll see government...
By exploiting plant by-products for precursors to in-demand flavors, Natural Taste Consulting’s (NTC) has come up with natural, sustainable, and highly cost-effective options for a variety of foods – but how are they doing this?
Bunge’s award-winning functional shortening has allowed manufacturers of bakery products to boost the nutritional profile of formulations, but a surprise discovery has led to a new application: Microwave pizza.
Penford Food Ingredients used the IFT show in Chicago as its launch platform for PenNovo 03 and PenNovo MD, two highly soluble, enzymatically-treated starches that deliver functional benefits, save cash and help firms meet demand for non-GMO ingredients.
Open innovation used to be just for the likes of P&G and Unilever, but today, it's being embraced by a lot of mid-sized companies in the $100m-$1bn revenue range as well, according to Andy Zynga, CEO of open innovation expert and corporate matchmaking...
As the pressure to source sustainable palm oil has intensified, several big names in the US from Kroger and Walmart to McDonald’s and Dunkin Donuts have said that by 2015, they will only use RSPO (Round Table for Sustainable Palm Oil) certified products.
Pakistani, Caribbean and Halal cuisines experienced the greatest growth in order volumes in US restaurants over the past year, although Italian, Chinese and Japanese remain the top three most popular ethnic cuisines in America, according to digital food...
A lawsuit filed in Hawaii alleges that Cargill is misleading shoppers by marketing its Truvia retail products as ‘natural’ as the Reb-A steviol glycosides they contain are "highly chemical processed" and the bulking agent used (erythritol) is...
Those who feel uneasy about the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics’ (AND’s) ties with corporate sponsors such as Pepsi and McDonald’s argue that getting into bed with such purveyors of ‘junk food’ - however transparently or responsibly you go about...
After ‘exceeding expectations’ last year, Walmart is giving American entrepreneurs and business owners another chance to get their innovative products to the market.
The good news: Around 15% of global palm oil produced in the past year was certified by the Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO). The bad news: Only half of it earned a premium, which doesn’t sound like a great recipe for inspiring more producers...
Probiotic producer Ganeden Biotech has extended the reach of its ultra-stable probiotic ingredient BC30 into the functional foods realm with six new product launches it is unveiling at this week’s IFT show in Chicago. The launches include frozen yogurt,...
Using ingredients from chick peas, dry peas and lentils - which are richer in fiber, protein, and micronutrients than gluten-free staples rice and tapioca flour - could significantly improve the texture, nutrient quality and shelf-life of gluten-free...
Two weeks after announcing a parting of ways with Californian joint venture (JV) partner and algae expert Solazyme, French ingredients giant Roquette says it will be showcasing two microalgae-based food ingredients at the IFT show in Chicago.
Dairy-based, quiche-like muffins and an American twist on gulabjamun took the top two spots on the Dairy Research Institute’s New Product Competition podium, as the product developers of tomorrow provided ‘excellent thought starters’ to the product developers...
Bluewave Marine Ingredients - which is blazing a trail in the burgeoning protein ingredients market with its ultra-digestible fish proteins - has struck a deal with Cyvex Nutrition to take a hydrolyzed fish protein called Protomine to market.
As part of FoodNavigator-USA’s probe into natural colors for our Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013 online event, Elaine Watson caught up with Tammi Higgins, Natural Colors Commercial Development Manager at FMC BioPolymer.
Interest in quinoa has surged among consumers in Europe and the United States – but the rapid increase in its popularity has also given rise to concerns about sustainable production.
Food innovation, from concept to consumer brand, will soon be the focus of a new television show, with ‘Supermarket Superstar’ giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete for a spot on supermarket shelves.
There is a strong inverse association in the percentage of energy that we consume from fats and sugars, which may be why many struggle to reduce both fat and sugar intake, according to a new review.
Geneva-based Natural Taste Consulting (NTC) is launching natural alternative garlic and onion flavors, offering manufacturers sustainable, cost-effective options for a variety of foods.
healthyAisles - a merchandising system enabling retailers to highlight products containing attributes from ‘low sodium’ to ‘good source of calcium’ via customized shelf tags and other tools - is now used in more than 5,000 stores across the US.
Is it a safer bet to say 'Made with natural ingredients' than 'All-natural' on pack? Are consumers in the UK and the US looking for different cues on a label to determine if something is natural or wholesome? And did you know that...
As marketers gear up for the Fourth of July, drape the Star-Spangled Banner over products, and pull out their best Uncle Sam look-a-likes for commercials, the most patriotic of brands are American icons, according to a quantitative brand values survey.
Big interview, Gregory Jaffe, Director of Biotechnology, CSPI
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has made a name for itself by tackling the food industry’s big guns on everything from artery-furring entrees to misleading label claims. But where does it stand on genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
The US Department of Agriculture has approved a non GMO label for meat and liquid egg products, demonstrating that the animals’ feed was free of genetically modified corn, soy or other feed.
What do you think about when you buy a frozen pizza? What’s on deal? The taste? How long you’ll need to spend in the gym tomorrow if you wolf down a whole one in front of the TV tonight?
Organic volumes in ConAgra Foods’ Consumer Foods segment rose 3% in the last quarter, marking an “important turning point” after more than two years of negative growth, said CEO Gary Rodkin yesterday.
Nestlé is pumping $53m into a new R&D facility in Solon in northern Ohio, that will be dedicated to frozen and chilled foods and serve Nestle's businesses worldwide.
