Once a brand focused solely on meat snacks, The New Primal has extended into a number of adjacent categories in the past three years including sauces and marinades, condiments, salad dressings, and dry seasonings, making it a bonafide platform brand,...
Santiago, Chile and Paris-based AI-driven startup Protera is one step closer to commercializing a portfolio of clean-label proteins that can replace chemical preservatives to extend food shelf-life, safely turn unsaturated fats into saturated fats, enhance...
A vast majority (95%) of consumers surveyed report that their whole grains consumption has either increased or held steady compared to five years ago despite increasing popularity of low- and no-carb diets, finds the Oldways Whole Grains Council.
From immunity- and metabolism-boosting kefir to a sugar-free lassi that supports mental clarity to trendy boba lattes optimized for performance and recovery, the 12 semi-finalists in the Real California Milk Excelerator are reinforcing the old adage “milk...
Mondelez International raised its full-year organic revenue guidance to 4% from 3% on Tuesday after net revenues climbed 12.4% to $6.64bn in the second quarter thanks in part to increased mobility buoying categories hit hard by the pandemic and ongoing...
Fresh off of closing its $18m Series D funding round, California-based Urban Remedy will use the funds to ramp up marketing, innovation, technology, and new team hires to reach more consumers with its ultra-fresh, nutrient-dense meals, bars, and juices....
Meal kit company HelloFresh is one step closer to becoming a one-stop-shop with the launch of its online store, HelloFresh Market, offering consumers everyday food essentials from snacks to spice blends.
A brand described as “only slightly more appealing than an IV bag” by one uncharitable observer when it first gained a cult following among Silicon Valley programmers as a powdered meal replacement, Soylent has steadily evolved its format, product line...
US retail sales of packaged tea have been sluggish in recent years, with Nielsen data* showing a flat market until 2020, when covid prompted a 16.8% surge, before everything slowed back down again. Celestial Seasonings, however, has maintained double-digit...
The nascent allergen introduction category is gaining credibility, visibility and reach with retailer Target creating in select stores a dedicated section of products that help caregivers conveniently and safely follow clinical guidelines to introduce...
Agtech company AppHarvest has secured a $91m financing arrangement with sustainably-focused investment firm Equilibrium Capital to fuel the future construction of 12 high-tech indoor farms by 2025.
While the alternative protein category is far from saturated and there is plenty of runway for innovation, investors predict a shaking out of players is on the horizon, and they say the companies that remain in the game will be those that move beyond...
Consumers who turned to functional foods and beverages to help reduce anxiety, improve their sleep and lift their spirits during lockdowns are likely to continue their new habits and rituals as they navigate an uncertain return to offices, travel and...
As many food and beverage companies face the pressure of increased costs to manufacture and transport their products, consumers have also reported feeling the impact inflation is having on their grocery bills.
The pandemic prompted the first positive growth in US retail volumes of fluid dairy milk for years (+2.1% in 2020). However, a corresponding drop in away-from-home consumption meant overall volumes were flat (-0.1%) in 2020 and are predicted to drop -4.5%...
Kentucky-based, tech-powered indoor farming company, AppHarvest, is bringing in tech industry veteran Mark Keller as SVP of its software applications platform.
Sourdough bread and stretchy pants may have been all the rage during the early days of the pandemic, but as vaccines become more prevalent and US consumers begin to reemerge from lockdowns, they increasing are turning to keto-bread and other low-carb...
Should the food industry always yield to consumer demands, especially when those demands can be conflicting and at odds with other values, such as sustainability and environmental impact?
The emotional and physical toll taken by the pandemic has reshaped Americans’ palates – pushing them to try more adventurous flavor profiles, including more floral and earthy botanicals that were once niche in the US, embrace yuzu and step-up their heat...
Consumers’ intense focus on healthy eating and immunity-boosting foods is beginning to wane as more people become vaccinated, creating space for more indulgence and a back-to-basics approach to food, according to Mintel data.
While a recent probe into Oatly’s accounting practices and a flood of tech money going into food has raised questions about valuations in the space, zero-sugar soda brand Zevia has a solid track record of growth, a clear consumer proposition (great taste,...
The European Food Safety Authority was asked to review the link between sugar consumption and various diseases. The results are in: “Based on the risk of developing chronic metabolic diseases and dental caries, the intake of added and free sugars should...
Wander around leading UK food retailers and you’ll see aisles of fresh prepared meals, soups, salads and desserts, dominated by private label. So, will the US market move in the same direction?
Target Corp. has selected 11 food and beverage brands to take part in Target Takeoff, the retailer's product-focused accelerator program, now in its fifth year.
While a recent Congressional Subcommittee report alleging “dangerous” levels of heavy metals in leading baby food brands “brought the issue of toxic contaminants to the fore,” it also “shocked and confused parents of young children,” said a senior FDA...
After growing steadily across channels on and offline, better-for-you snack brand Quinn is poised to enter its “next phase of growth” with $10m in series B funding announced today that will support upcoming new product launches, expanded distribution...
Growing biltong brand Stryve, which also owns Kalahari Snacks, making it the #1 air-dried meat snack brand in the US, has completed a business combination with Andina Acquisition Corp III, a publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
New York-based direct to consumer brand Little Spoon – which delivers chilled fresh food for babies, toddlers and young children to homes across the continental US - has raised $44m in a Series B round led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation...
With an infusion of $10m in series A funds announced today the biotech and data science company Aromyx soon will be able to help more food and beverage brands quickly measure consumer perceptions more accurately than traditional taste test panels, which...
Nature’s Fynd - a Chicago-based startup growing protein-packed food from microbes with a fraction of the environmental footprint of meat or dairy – has raised $350m in a Series C round (taking its total financing to >$500m) as it gears up to launch...
Three high-profile acquisitions put the spotlight on how PepsiCo is shaping its beverage portfolio for the future: tapping into a new consumption model with SodaStream; eying up the opportunity for protein and sport with CytoSport, and building its presence...
The Good Crisp Company is eyeing up the growing market opportunity for snacks with immune support benefits with the recent launch of its better-for-you cheese balls featuring Kerry's Wellmune ingredient.
As consumers become vaccinated and more comfortable venturing out of their home after months of lockdowns, their health remains front of mind, but their priorities are expanding from a laser-focus on immunity to include weight management and their state...
Ultra-processed foods, such as packaged baked goods, sugary cereals and ready-to-eat meals with food additives and high levels of added sugar, fat and salt, but low levels of vitamins and fiber, are in the spotlight again after research published this...
Suja Juice, which helped mainstream the cold-pressed juice category, has been acquired by private equity firm Paine Schwartz Partners for an undisclosed sum, following a year of "unprecedented revenue and profit."
Comet Bio – a startup developing functional fibers and sweeteners from upcycled ingredients – has closed a $22m Series C round led by private equity firm Open Prairie, with support from Louis Dreyfus Company, BDC Capital, and existing investor Sofinnova...
Canadian startup Noblegen has opened a CAD$500m Series C capital raise as it seeks to commercialize a suite of products from the ‘ancient microorganism’ euglena gracilis, which can produce everything from proteins that behave like animal proteins, to...
Wicked Kitchen – a plant-based brand developed by chefs and mushroom enthusiasts Derek and Chad Sarno that has been a hit in the UK – is hoping to make a bigger splash this side of the Atlantic after securing $14m in a Series A round co-led by Unovis...
Childhood nutrition giant Gerber is teaming with the Rodale Institute and Michigan State University to test whether more sustainably grown food is not only better for the earth, but also for children, as part of an ambitious, multi-prong commitment to...
Austin, Texas-based Springdale Ventures, a venture capital firm which has invested in a number of high-growth CPG brands, is on the cusp of its next chapter of growth with the appointment of a third general partner and is embarking on plans to raise its...
Oregon-based Honey Mama's and its truffle-like chilled cocoa bars made from five organic whole food ingredients is entering Whole Foods stores nationwide, where the brand is aiming to bridge the gap between the chocolate and wellness bar categories....
In FoodNavigator-USA's latest roundup of new product launches, we include Clif Bar's first foray into boxed cereals, PeaTos' fiber- and protein-fueled take on Doritos, RXBARS's new plant-based bars, and a wave of products focusing...
The demand for mood support supplements based on 5-HTP has raised concern about the sustainability of the botanical Griffonia simplicifolia, the source of the ingredient. The authors of a recent paper said more information is needed to make sure the...
With brands now infusing their wares with everything from passionflower to hibiscus to deliver a sense of calm and wellbeing, the time is ripe to take 5-HTP - a mood support ingredient historically confined to the supplements market – to a broader audience,...
Wellmune – a branded beta glucan ingredient claimed to ‘prime’ the innate immune system, the body’s first line of defense against invasion by pathogens – is attracting growing interest from food and beverage brands as well as supplement products as immunity...
Instacart has appointed one of its current board members and former Facebook exec, Fidji Simo, as CEO of the online grocery shopping platform, effective August 2, replacing current CEO and founder Apoorva Mehta who will be transitioning to the role of...
Despite overall declines of the snack and nutrition bar category over the past year, NuSkool Snacks (formerly MCTco) saw demand for its brand – and other low-sugar bar products like it increase – reports founder and CEO Joe Christensen.
As the #1 selling brand in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, and the fourth largest kombucha company globally, producing more than 90 million cans per year, Remedy Drinks is seeking to replicate its success in the US market where it says consumers are...
The School Nutrition Association (SNA) wants Congress to once again delay stricter sodium targets and roll back whole grain requirements for school meals out of fear that students will reject the changes and drop out of feeding programs, many of which...
