As part of FoodNavigator-USA’s probe into clean labels ahead of our June 26 Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013 online event, Elaine Watson caught up with Carol Locey, colors product director, and Gary Augustine, market development director, at Kalsec,...
PL Thomas claims to be taking the wholefood concept to a completely new level with the launch of whole food powders made using a novel process that can turn “pretty much anything that is a food into a powder”, from salmon to pumpkin.
60-second interview: Kurt Seagrist and Byron Madkins, Chr. Hansen
Not so long ago the gap between the performance - and price - of natural vs synthetic colors was huge, but more efficient supply chains, advances in extraction technology and more sophisticated microencapsulation techniques have closed the gap considerably...
If you’re looking for a natural red food color, carmine can deliver. It’s vibrant, but stable, and prices have recently returned from the stratosphere after hikes in 2010/11. The only problem is that it’s made from crushed insects, and once they find...
Quinoa’s relatively high price compared to staple grains may restrict consumption to health-conscious consumers in high-income countries for now – but it could play an important role in food security in the long term, according to the FAO.
How can convenience stores find sustainable growth beyond gas and cigarettes? And why were unit sales of energy drinks in c-stores up 56% between 2008 and 2012, while unit sales of milk slumped 25% over the same period? IRI's latest report, 'Convenience...
Dips and desserts specialist Lakeview Farms and omega-3 emulsions expert Oceans Omega have unveiled what they claim are the first gelatin cups fortified with the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA.
Read the full May 14 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report ‘Sodium intake in populations’ -all 200 pages of it - and the conclusion is clear: Excessive sodium consumption is bad for your heart, and all Americans need to cut back - a lot.
Restaurant menus that highlight how much exercise you would need to do to burn off the calories in your selections could prove more persuasive than calorie information alone in encouraging diners to think about what they are ordering, according to a new...
Bill Gates tackled global hunger in a live web debate on Friday (June 7), the eve of the Big IF London Hyde Park rally, part of the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign against starvation.
Back in 2008/9, Boulder Brands CEO Steve Hughes had a lot of sleepless nights. The struggling Smart Balance spreads business - which represented 90% of group revenues - was running “in fourth gear” - and the economy was in the doldrums.
A new analysis of where Americans are getting their calories from has thrown up some surprising results, with the percentage of energy derived from so-called ‘junk-food’ such as soda, burgers and fries from fast-food chains proving to be somewhat lower...
If it sounds like a ‘chemical’, or isn’t in the kitchen cupboard, shoppers may regard it with suspicion. But which ingredients are 'acceptable' to today's consumers, which are to be avoided, and who decides?
While polls suggest most Americans are in favor of labeling genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the percentage that spontaneously mention GMOs when asked an unaided question about what additional information they would like to see on food labels is...
A US court says a class action alleging that Associated British Foods (ABF) brand Twinings broke the law by labeling green, black and white teas as a ‘natural source of antioxidants’ may proceed.
Blast out of the starting blocks with your hot new product at high ACV distribution and pile in the promotional cash, and you’ve got a fighting chance of reaching that magic $100m in year one sales. You’re innovation dynamite: an IRI new product pacesetter.
The number of calories Americans are taking in from sugar sweetened beverages has been dropping steadily over the past decade, with the sharpest declines starting to kick in from around 2006, according to new data.
Despite concerted efforts to promote the consumption of low-fat dairy products from the industry and the government alike, Americans are drinking less and less milk, according to new research.
Further evidence that following a plant-based diet could improve your health outcomes was unveiled this week with the publication of a large study showing that vegetarian diets are associated with reduced death rates.
The identity of the 15 experts who will frame the 2015 dietary guidelines for Americans has been announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
Not so long ago, cheese alternatives were pretty grim. They were a poor substitute for the real thing, and something most people unable or unwilling to eat regular cheese could manage without.
Given the choice, most consumers say they prefer to get their nutrition from eating ‘real’ food - not popping pills - and ideally, foods ‘naturally’ rich in the desired nutrients.
Big interview: Kevin Cleary, CEO Clif Bar & Company
Nutrition bars enter - and exit - the snacks aisle at the speed of light these days. So how has Clif Bar managed to sustain the kind of growth rivals can only dream of, year after year? Elaine Watson caught up with CEO Kevin Cleary to find out.
Genetic modification of oil seed crops will form an important part of the future omega-3s supply picture, according to Adam Ismail, executive director of the Global Organization of EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED).
Big interview: Andrew Dahl, CEO Health Enhancement Products Inc
Right now, a gallon of gas costs $4 or less. Produce it from algae, and you can expect to pay $18 or more, says the boss of one firm convinced that cutting edge nutraceuticals - not biofuels - is where algae’s true potential lies, in the near term at...
While four out of 10 consumers say they are trying to avoid or reduce intakes of certain fats and oils, cholesterol, sodium and sugar, only one in 10 actually looks for this kind of information on menus when dining out, according to NPD Group.
Cocoa flavanols in dark chocolate may keep you calmer and content but no link has been established with enhanced cognitive performance, according to a study funded by Barry Callebaut.
While peanut flour has been around for years, recent interest in protein - particularly the plant-based variety - has sparked renewed interest, particularly in the nutritional bars market, according to one leading supplier.
Avoiding saturated fat, meat and dairy, whilst increasing the intake of omega-3 may be linked to better preservation of memory functions, say researchers.
WhiteWave Foods’ almond-based beverages and foods business has continued to show “torrid growth” in the first quarter of 2013, and is now approaching the size of its soy milk business.
The price differential between Hain Celestial’s brands and mainstream grocery brands will close over time as the big guns in consumer packaged goods come under increasing pressure to source non-GMO ingredients, predict bosses at the organic and natural...
Coconut water can make a positive nutritional contribution to the diet if it is used to replace high calorie, non nutritional beverages, according to new research presented the recent Experimental Biology conference in Boston.
Growth rates of several individual label claims under the health & wellness umbrella have started to level off, according to new research from Symphony Consulting.
New York-based start-up LifeIce is aiming to create a completely new category in the healthy snacking market with new bite-sized all-natural frozen fruit snacks that are sold as a shelf-stable product in a freeze-at-home tray.
An independent expert panel has found the powdered version of tomato-based heart-health ingredient Fruitflow to be Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).
Cargill has launched a new initiative designed to help manufacturers improve the nutritional profile of foods marketed to children and meet a swathe of new guidelines from retailers, the government and other organizations setting nutrition criteria for...
Leading food manufacturers and retailers have joined forces to launch a consumer education campaign designed to change the way consumers think about frozen foods.
TruHealthMD, a manufacturer of nutritional solutions targeted at specific disease conditions, has entered into a development agreement with a Manitoba research consortium.
In February 2012, Kraft unveiled a category first: MilkBite milk and granola bars for the refrigerated dairy aisle combining “real milk” (and as much calcium as an 8floz glass of milk), whole grains, nuts and fruit.
A patent application filed by PepsiCo reveals some of the more “surprising” properties of Rebaudioside D (Reb-D) - the steviol glycoside claimed to have one of the best sweetness profiles of them all.
The health and wellness aspirations of US consumers will continue to drive demand for spoonable drinkable, and frozen yogurt for the “foreseeable future,” leading market research company, Mintel, has claimed.
An international patent application filed by PepsiCo last September - and published yesterday - reveals the firm is seeking to patent high-protein nutrition beverages in 4floz ‘hydration units’ containing alpha-lactalbumin, whey protein hydrolysates,...
Probiotics and their benefits have wide recognition in Europe and Asia, and awareness is growing. This situation bodes well for growth in the US, while it will serve to buoy manufacturers and marketers of these products in difficult regulatory times...
Special Edition: New trends in heart-healthy foods
The health of the endothelium, that thin layer of cells lining the blood vessels, is the front line for cardiovascular health. And a variety of food and supplement ingredients are showing promise in supporting the function of this vital tissue.
Improving circulation is a hot new trend in heart health, while cardio-healthy foods and drinks for children represent an "explosive untapped functional foods opportunity", according to Elizabeth A. Sloan, PhD and Catherine Adams Hutt, PhD,...
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
US sales of foods and beverages marketed on a cardiovascular health platform grew by 22% in the period 2007-2012 to top $3.1bn in 2012, according to Euromonitor International.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
A growing body of science unraveling exactly why olives are so healthy - coupled with a new wave of olive-polyphenol ingredients targeting food and beverage makers - is prompting a resurgence of interest in one of the oldest ‘heart-friendly’ foods in...