News & Analysis on Food & Beverage Development & Technology
Startup Spotlight
Clean-label children snack brand Happy Wolf is leaning on brand ambassadors to spread awareness of its Whole Foods Market launch and where the product can be located, Jana Goodbaum, co-founder of Happy Wolf, shared in a recent Startup Spotlight interview.
FDA is extending the comment period for its proposed systematic process for post-market assessment of chemicals in foods, which it laid out in late September to mixed reviews from industry stakeholders who lauded its science-based and data-driven...
Mood food for mental wellbeing – How can industry capitalize?
Consumer demands for on-the-go functionality are fueling growth in the nascent mood-support snack bar, with brands like Mood Bars and others differentiating themselves in a crowded category with the help of brain-boosting ingredients.
Nestlé has revealed the top food and drink trends that will drive its research, development and innovation in 2025, with speed, personalisation and fusion taking centre stage.
Little Sesame navigated supply-chain issues — including climate change-related sourcing challenges — to expand its core lineup of products with a child’s version of its hummus, as the brand uses recent government and venture funding to fuel growth in 2025.
FDA’s fiscal year 2025 priority deliverables for the Human Foods Program emphasize transparency and accountability amid state funding cuts and resource constraints.
Originally intended as a treatment for diabetes, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic could be set to turn the food and drink industry upside down.
Plant-based diets remain popular, but associations with UPF and low-quality ingredients has shaken consumer trust in alt meat, fish and dairy brands. So, what can the sector do to restore public opinion?
Kraft Heinz has cut its full-year 2024 forecast following a third-quarter net sales slump, as price hikes worked against the food major by dampening consumer demand.
Consumers celebrating Halloween are still unwrapping their favorite chocolate candies despite price increases, while gummy candies, popcorn and other treats capitalize on demands from price-conscious consumers, according to several recent reports.
Confectionery and snacking giant Mondelēz International has driven revenues and profits above expectations, through higher volume sales as both Unilever and Danone also showed this month.
Mega deals within snacking are picking up pace after a quiet start to the year, with Mars’ Kellanova acquisition the tip of the iceberg as strong financial performances provide corporates with healthy cashflows.
Brand Alchemy
Today’s marketing strategies need flexible adjustments and a blend of channels to keep pace with rapid shifts in media consumption, unlike the fixed annual media plans of yesteryear.
Creating and building brand awareness, with potential customers, is essential to success. Here’s how to recognise and connect with your target market.
Some nutritious foods under the current NOVA system could be demonised alongside unhealthy variants. Industry's calling for reform, but what would the next generation look like?
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
Diets that exclude foods high in added sugar and saturated fat, like sugary drinks, snacks and processed meat, still provide sufficient levels of essential nutrients, like vitamins, minerals and fiber, according to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
Dairy innovation and trends
The dairy case is no longer a limited selection of fat-free, low-fat or whole milk in generic white bottles or a bare-bones choice between just “orange” or “white” cheese – rather an explosion of innovation in recent years has dramatically multiplied...
Dairy’s nutrient density and decadent eating experience create a powerful canvas for startups innovating across categories to offer better-for-you moments of permissible indulgence while simultaneously supporting the health of consumers, the planet and...
From bread crisps to puffs made from drought-resistant, gluten-free sorghum, along with a sourdough that stood out with its deep purple colour, which of these trendsetting products will be the next big hit?
Peanut butter and jelly maker JM Smucker continues to refine its portfolio with the sale of better-for-you cookie brand Voortman to Brownie Brittle-maker Second Nature in a $305 million deal that follows a slew of divestments across its portfolio in the...
Convenience stores (c-stores) are blurring “the line between food retail and food service,” as the channel becomes crucial for consumers seeking quick, convenient and diverse foods and beverages, JP Frossard, analyst of consumer foods at RaboResearch,...
Biotech company LanzaTech is making strides in global microbial fermentation protein production with the launch of its proprietary LanzaTech Nutritional Protein (LNP), in collaboration with organizations like the US Navy to accelerate commercialization.
Size matters – at least when it comes to crafting nutrient content and health claims for food based on servings, according to a recent BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division decision for a challenge brought by Olé Mexican Foods against...
After a year of “unapologetically” embracing luxury, indulgence and whimsy through vivid colors and unexpected flavor combinations, consumers will rediscover and recenter themselves in 2025 by choosing taste profiles and hues that more realistically...
Startup Spotlight
Long gone are the days when a deal was sealed with a handshake and verbal commitment, which is why the co-founder of veggie snack startup Theo’s advises entrepreneurs to be persistent – but not annoying – about securing commitments in writing before acting.
The US private-label market is capitalizing on consumer trends on value, as food manufacturers push for quality and innovation to spur category growth in the next decade.
Olfactive Biosolutions' Protenx Weight Loss is a patented (US 12,102,664 B2) line of natural food ingredients and additives that target weight loss and blood sugar reduction that could help brands meet the growing demand for functional foods in the GLP-1...
Consumer demand for ‘gut-friendly’ foods and beverages is growing fast, and industry is innovating just as quickly to meet it. So, what’s next for this seemingly unstoppable trend?
Demand for GLP-1 support products helped gut-health brand Supergut triple sales in the last year and opened retail doors, including at Target.
Global food and beverage giant PepsiCo has granted the winner of its 2024 GreenHouse Accelerator APAC programme Alterno US$100,000 to develop its thermal energy solution, with an eye on further collaboration with the firm in this area.
More consumers are buying pricier organic food and drink, despite continuing cost-of-living pressures, with sales expected to rocket as governments push to make organic farming central to future sustainability strategies.
The FDA's phase two draft guidance on sodium reduction, released on August 15, sets new voluntary targets for food manufacturers to reduce average consumption to 2,750 milligrams per day by 2024, as nearly three-quarters of Americans' sodium intake...
Brands are reformulating to improve nutritional value and reduce or remove ‘unhealthy’ ingredient levels. But this is not always a vote winner with customers. Why?
Welch’s Fruit Snacks’ maker Promotion In Motion (PIM Brands) went too far in ads it intended to humorously highlight the difference between its fruit snacks and those of competitors, and should discontinue messages that suggest competing products are...
A new platform designed by ADM to help food and beverage manufacturers better understand and meet the needs of weight-loss drug users brings together proprietary consumer research and science, a portfolio of targeted ingredients and more than 25...
New research has linked ultra-processed foods to type 2 diabetes. How will this latest blow impact the food and beverage industry and is reformulation the only solution?
PepsiCo’s North American snack and beverage businesses continue to slow down in its third quarter of 2024, as the company adjusts its forecast from 4% organic revenue growth for the year to low single digits amid continued pressures but beats Wall Street...
Colorado-based Myna Snack’s latest launch is a prime example of how consumer input can drive successful product innovation. But just how effective is giving consumers a voice in NPD in staying competitive?
Letters sent by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.) to the CEOs of Coca-Cola, General Mills and PepsiCo express concern over pricing and tax practices that, according to the policy makers, “squeeze profits out...
Consumer interest in products made with ingredients from regional smallholder farmers or those practicing regenerative agriculture is on the rise, but CPG companies and suppliers are struggling to meet their demand in part because most farmers are unable...
Women’s health continues to grow as a hot food and drink topic, with brands exploiting the increasing NPD opportunities available
As the bakery and snack sectors seek more sustainable solutions, regenerative agriculture is emerging as a transformative force. Could adopting these eco-friendly farming practices help companies reduce their environmental impact while meeting the rising...
Conagra Brands executives warned investors earlier this year that its fiscal 2025 would start with “plenty of noise,” and it did – including not just anomalies for which the maker of Slim Jim and Healthy Choice planned, but also unexpected dynamics that...
Campbell’s recent decision to drop Soup from its name marks a bold shift in the company’s strategy as it expands its snack and meal offerings. What lessons can other snack producers take from this high-profile rebrand?
The acquisition of the Texas-based family-owned maker of Mexican-inspired snacks and foods marks a significant step for PepsiCo, aligning with its strategy to expand its health-conscious and multicultural offerings.
Launch Pad
New pumpkin spice products continue to hit store shelves as other food and beverage product launches in September usher in the holiday season from Halloween to Rosh Hashanah to Christmas.
Manufacturers have just over three years to reformulate packaged snacks, confections and beverages with six common – and controversial – food dyes if they want to continue selling their products in California schools.
Food and beverage industry stakeholders and consumer advocates are lauding FDA’s commitment to enhance its post-market assessment of chemicals in food, but they worry the agency’s proposed process is “thin on details,” including lacking sufficient...
Building a net zero, water secure future in food & beverage
Increasing water scarcity is prompting stakeholders across the food industry to rethink and reup their stewardship practices, and in doing so they not only are reinforcing supply chains and the health of the planet, but market research suggest they could...
Despite more optimism in the economy, consumers remain vigilant on grocery spending, scrutinizing the price of discretionary foods more and leveraging digital channels for discounts, according to marketing platform company Ibotta’s latest report on...