Immigrants and refugees moving from Southeast Asia to the US demonstrate a ‘westernisation’ of their gut microbiota, a study finds, that could provide insight into metabolic health issues affecting newcomers.
By James Richardson, PhD, founder, Premium Growth Solutions
Influencers. Who are they? What do they influence? How can you accelerate your brand’s influence on consumer shopping decisions? These are sociological questions, not merely marketing ones. Influence is about persuasion, after all, one of the oldest human...
CSPI: Consumers often cannot tell how much of the grain in a product is whole and how much is refined
Key stakeholders have urged the FDA to provide more clarity on the labeling of whole grains, with the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) urging the agency to require firms to disclose either the percentage of whole grains and refined grains on pack,...
With a smile-inducing new name and brightly colored updated packaging, Enlightened’s Bada Bean Bada Boom crunchy broad bean snacks are ready to come out from the shadows – literally and figuratively.
Research done by the Global Prebiotic Association shows that prebiotics as a concept is gaining traction with dedicated supplement users but has a long way to go to gain mainstream acceptance.
Bunge North America has added a non-GMO lentil flour to its portfolio that the company says can serve as a “functional equivalent substitute” for modified starches and can be appear as “lentil flour” in an ingredient deck, appealing to consumers searching...
Launching a new product or company comes with seemingly endless potential that the director of marketing with the startup Ocean Hugger Foods acknowledges is exciting, but she also warns can become overwhelming unless entrepreneurs craft a strict strategy...
The founders of the online meat marketplace Crowd Cow believe that the future of animal protein in the US is ‘craft’ as consumers look for better tasting, healthier and more sustainable alternatives to the industrial options that have dominated the market...
It is now legal to sell cannabis for recreational use in several US states - with Michigan joining the tally after yesterday's midterms, paving the way for all kinds of ‘edibles.’ But how big could this market become?
Roughly half of current online shoppers reported that they plan to purchase grocery items more often in 2019 with increased purchases of fresh food items, according to the 2018 US Online Grocery Shopper Study conducted by The Retail Feedback Group (RFG)...
A month after committing $100m to launch its venture capital fund, Kraft Heinz has acquired wellio, an AI food tech company based in San Francisco, as part of its new digital innovation hub, the evolv group.
“Just because we haven’t taken enforcement action people seem to think it [CBD] is OK,” said Steven Tave, director of the FDA’s Office of Dietary Supplement Programs, at a recent industry conference. “Anyone who thinks it is lawful is mistaken.”
Products made and marketed for children are undergoing a renaissance as parents look for options that deliver convenience and taste but don’t compromise on nutrition, and while industry has made substantial progress in the past decade, there is still...
Addressing a growing consumer need for organic and affordablekids products that are lower in sugar, Villager Goods’ newly-launched brand Little Villager will be hitting shelves at 300 Target locations as well as online through Target.com.
North Carolina-based Atlantic Natural Foods (ANF) will start distributing its canned plant-based seafood alternative TUNO -- made from non-GMO textured soy flour -- under the Loma Linda brand to major retailers.
German flavors and fragrances company Symrise AG has opened a US facility near Atlanta, Georgia, for the production of natural food ingredients, investing approximately US$57m in the nearly 100 acre site to grow its US business.
Shortcuts, hacks, and time-saving workarounds to breakfast are on the rise with the emergence of on-the-go items such as Kellogg’s joyböl smoothie bowls designed for the busiest of consumers.
In the rush to market for CBD products something seems to have been left by the wayside. What do the marketers of these products believe they will do for people?
As US consumers continue to explore global flavors and become more familiar with international cuisine, a few regional favorites are rising to the top – including many from Africa.
noosa yoghurt has merged with Sovos Brands, a food and beverage company formed in 2017 with a growing portfolio of premium CPG brands that plans to extend the noosa brand into categories beyond spoonable yogurt.
The amount of time Americans spend sitting down and eating a meal has shrunk over the past 10 years, while purchases of prepared food options from grocery stores and food service (carry-out, delivery, or fast food) have risen, according to the Economic...
Organic wellness shot brand Vive Organic has raised $7m in a Series A round led by Powerplant Ventures and supported by Blueberry Ventures along with individual investors including KeVita cofounder Bill Moses and Koia CEO Chris Hunter.
PepsiCo has acquired Health Warrior, Inc. -- a plant-based protein company specializing in 100-calorie snack nutrition bars -- its first brand investment of the newly-formed entity, The PepsiCo HIVE.
US retail sales of yogurt have tailed off in the past two years as Greek has lost its luster. But this is just a temporary blip, predicts the president of General Mills’ US yogurt business, who is confident the overall category will return to growth.
“…‘I should not have eaten that salad yesterday, I think I just woke up with infertility…’ says nobody, ever,” observes Jackie Bowen, executive director at nonprofit the Clean Label Project. Regulators, she argues, are great at dealing with health issues...
Consumers’ approach to what they eat is changing from “monolithic meat, potatoes and veggies,” to increasingly “heterogeneous” diets that go beyond sustenance to represent values and lifestyles – a shift that is translating to big business for companies...
Fat has not only become more accepted among consumers but also the focal point of many popular diets such as keto and paleo. As a result, sales of some, not all, whole-fat dairy products are reaping the benefits of a renewed interest in fat influenced...
Recognizing that pregnancy and breastfeeding are not easy, Sweetie Pie Organics is raising funds to expand production and distribution of its functional products that help expecting and new mothers navigate morning sickness, boost breast milk production...
US retail sales of yogurt have continued to fall over the past year, although there have been pockets of growth in Icelandic style and full fat products, according to data from Nielsen and SPINS.
When manufacturers, retailers, restaurants and food service providers throw away “perfectly good food” because they overestimated how much they needed or were unable to sell it before its best by date they are also throwing away more than $40 billion...
Plated is continuing the in-store rollout of its meal kits with Albertsons, gaining placement with 37 more stores in the Northeast and 42 locations in the Southwest.
Ethnic flavors, plant-based formulations, and use of traditional processing methods (e.g. small batch, stone ground) in new food and beverage launches are all fast-growing product attributes winning over consumers, according to Innova Market Insights.
BrightFarms is poised to bring its local greenhouse model to a nationwide audience with 15 hydroponic greenhouses to be built in the next three to five years as demand for locally-grown produce outweighs organic, shared BrightFarms VP of marketing and...
Evaluating the gut microbiota of infants during their first two years may help identify children who are at risk of becoming overweight or obese, a recent study revealed.
At the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo in Washington, DC, manufacturers showcased a variety of new and recently launched products tailored for different diets ranging from plant-based and allergen-friendly to low-sugar and high-protein.
Greenleaf Foods launched today as a dedicated plant-based food company adding Field Roast Grain Meat Co. and Lightlife Foods (formerly under Maple Leaf Foods) to its portfolio of plant-based food brands.
Sustainability-related claims on food products are popping up more frequently and while still just a small fraction of market, items mentioning sustainability outperformed the growth rate of total products in their respective category, according to Nielsen.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) has urged the FDA to review ‘made with real fruit’ claims, “the use of misleading images of whole fruits and vegetables when only minuscule amounts are in a serving” and terms such as ‘veggie sticks’ and ‘fruit...
The FDA should consider whether a “significant liberalization of qualified health claim language would help drive innovation and be beneficial to consumers,” says Campbell Soup Co.
Under the so-called ‘jelly bean rule,’ firms are discouraged from adding vitamins to foods of minimal nutritional value so that marketers cannot present junk foods as healthy options. But the policy should be updated when it comes to carbonated beverages,...
A model based on regenerative agriculture has been at the heart of the EPIC Provisions company mission since its founding in 2013. Now it has become the first consumer food brand to carry the science-based Land to Market Ecological Outcome Verification...
Bantam Bagels – known for its mini stuffed bagels found at Starbucks locations nationwide and in the frozen foods aisle of 16,000 retail stores – has been growing at such a high velocity that it needed an industry partner to support its explosive growth.
Plant-based 'chef-inspired' food brand Kite Hill has closed a $40m capital raise led by General Mills' venture arm 301 INC. with participation from CAVU Venture Partners, which according to CEO Rob Leibowitz, will be put towards expanding...
Tillamook County Creamery Association has had a loyal regional following in the Pacific Northwest for more than 100 years (founded in 1909), but in order to secure its next 100 years the dairy co-operative needed to execute a national growth strategy...
Food and agriculture startups focused on reducing waste, using artificial intelligence to deliver higher food, and offering more sustainable and plant-based options, took center stage at Rabobank's FoodBytes! pitch competition and networking event...
New consumer research suggests that targeting so-called ‘foodies’ to leverage their influence for expanded brand awareness may not be as effective as appealing to an emerging, much larger and potentially more powerful segment known as the ‘food connected...
Cold brew coffee, once a trendy coffee shop menu item or made at-home in mason jars by enthusiasts, has been teetering on the brink of mainstream acceptance with scores of brands introducing on-the-go products at major retail chains, such as Wandering...
Bitsy’s is aiming to change the way the industry and consumers look at kids snacks, a still underdeveloped category with much potential for collaboration between the food industry and parents, according to co-founder Maggie Patton.
The days of landing a spot on store shelves simply by walking into a retailer without an appointment and wowing an employee with an unbranded, unpackaged product are becoming farther and fewer between as competition in the food and beverage space intensifies....
A report by market research firm Packaged Facts revealed that online groceries more than tripled between 2013 and 2018, though it still accounted for only 2% of total grocery spending.
