While terms such as a 'natural' and 'clean label' may not have a regulated definition attached to them, these particular descriptors do motivate over half of US shoppers to purchase a product, a new survey of 1,000 adults conducted...
In the past five years, online grocery retailer Thrive Market has grown its business to 500,000 paid members shopping its 6,000+ products, allowing the company to dive head first into new projects around regenerative agriculture, and "dramatically"...
Over half (61%) of Americans following an exclusion diet (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto) believe that following a restrictive diet means having to pay more for food and nearly half (47%) say that it takes a toll on their social life, according...
Despite being around since 2010, bean chip brand Beanfields is now experiencing the kind of growth (i.e. triple digit sales growth in January 2019) most food and beverage startups see in their first few years on the market.
Renewal Mill spent 2018 proving that its business model of upcycling tofu byproduct discarded by large food manufacturers was viable, according to COO Caroline Cotto. Now armed with a $2.5m seed round investment led by HG Ventures, the company is heading...
To what extent do food labels encourage healthier eating? A study led by researchers from the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University assessed the effectiveness of different types of food labels on consumers’ eating behaviors....
Since launching last October, Brooklyn Bites gluten- and dairy-free cookie brittle has gained distribution in 600 stores with the goal of becoming a national brand, co-founder Barbara Dayan shared.
If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the FoodNavigator-USA FOOD FOR KIDS summit, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of academics, industry experts, health advocates, and our first parents’ panel, covering everything from the infant gut...
US retail sales of products referencing sprouted grains on pack decreased slightly (-2.1%) to $267.2m in the 52 weeks to October 7, according to new data* from SPINS, with the largest category - bread and baked goods - experiencing a 4.2% decline. However,...
Absolutely Gluten Free’s TahiniBAR (launched in May) is aiming to make tahini-flavored snacks an everyday on-the-go item as the brand makes its way from independent natural retailers to a major mass retailer this December.
Stryve Biltong is rapidly growing its presence in the US meat snacks category backed by a $10m investment from private equity firm Meaningful Partners.
Former barkThins, Pirate’s Booty and Glaceau executive Joe Serventi, who joined HIPPEAS last year as general manager, has been elevated to global CEO, while founder Livio Bisterzo is moving into the role of chairman, as the team seeks to build a $100m...
Yolélé Foods is building a commercial scale supply chain for fonio, a West African ancient grain that cooks like couscous with a nutritional profile similar to quinoa, but the journey will be a long one, said co-founder Philip Teverow.
FBOMB, an emerging macadamia nut butter brand, is entering its first brick-and-mortar retail locations this month with new distribution deal with The Vitamin Shoppe.
The first time Innova Market Insights’ director of innovation, Lu Ann Williams, heard the term 'clean label' was in 2008, long before the term 'clean' started to infiltrate business to consumer marketing.
The term ‘clean’ is popping up more and more in food branding and in consumer vernacular, but its definition is as foggy as ‘natural’ and ‘healthy,' according to Mintel.
After more than a decade of explosive overall growth, year-over-year sales of gluten-free products are starting to slow, according to some consumer data, but industry insiders suggest manufacturers could breathe new life into the segment by pairing gluten-free...
'It’s more about a lifestyle and philosophy of eating ...'
If some of the trends Soozy’s is tapping into – Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free – lack universal appeal, its broader philosophy of “clean eating,” minimally processed foods with “ingredients you can pronounce” and no “fillers, stabilizers and additives,”...
Can we as a society eat our way to health by consuming fewer high-yield, mass-produced foods such as modern wheat? That’s the position taken by Bob Quinn, Ph.D., an organic farmer and founder of Kamut International – a producer of the ancient grain, khorasan...
Hearts of palm noodles could be the next ‘zoodles’ (zucchini vegetable noodles), according to Palmini founder Alfonso Tejada, who is selling the pasta substitute through Amazon and in Florida Whole Foods stores with the goal of bringing the product to...
Plant-based protein beverage brand Koia is on course to triple sales in 2018 after quintupling sales last year, fueled by a $7.5m cash injection from KarpReilly and AccelFoods in July 2017.
'No one wants to pay more than they have to for groceries...'
Consumers are tired of cavernous stores with “90 different jars of pasta sauce,” said Tom Cindel, director of operations at ALDI’s Moreno Valley, CA, division, pointing to a shelf at the recently opened store in Monrovia, CA. “We just buy this one, it’s...
Gluten-free products are already widely perceived as a better-for-you option, but occasional gluten-free shoppers would like to see additional health claims added to the label, new consumer research reveals.
A highly functional, neutral-tasting chickpea flour that mimics the functionality of wheat flour but also “behaves like modified starch in some applications” could significantly improve the organoleptic and nutritional profile of gluten-free pastas, baked...
Urban Remedy, a plant-based food company specializing in organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices, has closed a $17m series B fundraising round with lead investment from 301 INC, General Mills’ venture arm, and attracted natural products...
Chickpea-fueled pasta brand Banza is now in 8,000+ locations after striking deals with Kroger and Ahold that have added 2,000+ stores to its footprint, but remains laser focused on velocity as part of its bid to be the “most productive pasta in the set”...
The plant-based movement is easier to understand when considering it alongside another trend that proved to be a financial boon for brands: gluten-free.
General Mills is seeking to patent a way to make gluten-free and reduced-gluten fresh, filled pastas such as ravioli without any breakages or tears during processing.
Encouraged by positive early compliance rates with the ‘game-changing’ gluten-free labeling standard that went into effect in mid-2014, FDA could now focus its attention on reducing the risk of cross contact with gluten-containing foods and ingredients,...
New research revealing a dramatic increase in the number of insurance claims related to severe allergic reactions to food reinforces other evidence indicating that food allergies are on the rise, and bolsters the marketing opportunity and potential longevity...
Nestlé has said that it wants to deliver “industry leading volume growth” by leveraging key consumer trends. The company detailed exactly how it intends to achieve this at its investor summit in London yesterday (26 September).
Recognizing most Americas have a love-hate relationship with vegetables, Garden Lites is introducing a series of new products that either celebrate or hide vegetables to help ensure all consumers can hit their recommended five a day.
With demand for almond flour at an “all time high,” Blue Diamond Growers is increasing its production capacity for the on-trend ingredient via a new processing line at its Salida (CA) manufacturing complex.
After years of knocking on the doors of top tier retailers and hearing no, baby and toddler food company NuturMe is finally hearing yes from major players including Target, Kroger and Costco – a change the company’s CEO attributes to the brand’s new “Tummy...
A comparison between Lidl stores in Europe and the first wave of US stores suggests the retailer is moving “away from the hard discount model as we know it in Europe,” according to an analysis by Bernstein.
DSM has unveiled a rice-based baker's enzyme which boosts the softness and moistness of gluten-free bread, allowing it to compete with wheat-based breads in texture, it says.
As the tenacious gluten-free trend continues to grow and mature into a market behemoth in the US, it is paving the way for the emergence of two trends that both claim to reduce the risk of inflammation and offer increased nutrient density despite opposing...
Eliminating gluten from the diet is essential for the estimated 0.7%* of the US population with celiac disease. But consumers avoiding it because they think it reduces their risk of heart disease should think again, according to new research.
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...
By looking at the size of loaves of gluten-free bread versus conventional bread at the grocery store, one could infer that making a larger loaf sans gluten isn’t as easy.
Gluten-free brand Simple Mills, known for its baking mixes, enjoyed triple-digit growth year-over-year after dipping its toes in the finished snack category last year.
Is it legal for nut or other non-dairy based beverages sold in the US to describe themselves as ‘milk’ (almondmilk, cashewmilk, soymilk) on food labels?
US retail sales* of gluten-free products rose 11% in 2015 and are predicted to rise a more modest 6% to $1.66bn in 2016, according to a new report from Packaged Facts, which predicts that as the market matures, growth rates are “expected to slow considerably.”
The seven-person company is making big strides in a young but rapidly growing category, establishing itself as one of the ‘Best for the World’ food items according to research company HowGood’s criteria.
Consumers with food sensitivities often face an unenviable choice in the frozen dessert aisle: Buy something that could trigger a reaction, or opt for an allergy-friendly product loaded with more calories, fat and sugar than conventional ice cream, according...
Rice flours and starches dominated the first generated of gluten-free goods, particularly in the bakery segment, but are they still the #1 choice in formulators’ toolkits? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Pierre Donck, regional product manager at rice...
With the number of Americans with food allergies and sensitivities increasing, free-from claims have become du jour in the conventional food and beverage space, but they remain relatively rare in the supplement segment and as such offer manufacturers...
Historically consumers who wanted a gluten-free alternative to a wheat-based product had to sacrifice nutrition, taste or accept the presence of other common allergens in the ingredient list.
Most researchers agree that the prevalence of food allergies is increasing in the US. Yet the amount of money spent on finding out why is surprisingly low, says one food allergy expert.
