Normally about this time of year the airwaves and social media begin to buzz with messages about getting ready for bikini season or offers to help consumers shed the last few stubborn holiday pounds with special diet foods – but increasingly these types...
Between a shortage at the start of the year, a glut at the end and illegal drug smuggling throughout, 2015 “was a very tough year in terms of bananas,” and by extension for Fresh Del Monte Production, according to the company’s CEO.
Supporters of the 'Paleo' diet (a hunter/gatherer-style approach to eating) urge us to eschew grains, dairy and legumes - among other things. But any diet that eliminates major food groups should be treated with caution, argue two high-profile...
The current shift away from dieting and calorie-counting towards eating more whole, nutrient dense foods is a double-edged sword when it comes to fighting the obesity epidemic in America, according to an internationally recognized nutritionist.
“We have delivered food from the best shops, farms and artisans. It was a wonderful journey, and while we learned a lot from it, it has come to its end,” says a message on the homepage of online delivery service Artizone, which closed its doors on February...
Between the rise of low- and no-carb diets in the early 2000s and the more recent explosive growth of the gluten-free movement, pasta-lovers and sales have suffered in the last two decades.But Gabriella’s Kitchen hopes to save both with the expansion...
Putting on a happy face could help children have happy plates, suggests new research that links parents’ anxiety and depression with an increased risk of children becoming “fussy eaters.”
Sprouted watermelon seeds fuel a novel range of protein bars from Go Raw
Is ‘raw’ still a hot trend in food marketing, or is the lack of clarity over what it means diluting its value? A pioneer in the raw foods movement, Go Raw founder Rob Freeland says he is less hung up on semantics these days, and more concerned about making...
The nutrition bar category has thrived in part by offering consumers convenience and portion-control, but a new generation of bar-like “bites” entering the market suggests on-the-go snacking could be even easier.
Fresh ingredients may be the must-have foods of the moment, but they also often require time-consuming prep and can lead to food waste when they come in amounts far exceeding those called for in recipes.Thirty-year food industry veteran Jon Startz has...
Cricket bar pioneer Chapul is poised for significant growth in 2016 after securing national distribution agreements with UNFI and Nature’s Best (KeHE) that will see it boost its footprint from 500 stores today to 3-4,000 stores by the year end, CEO Pat...
Campbell Soup Co. is hopping on the venture capital bandwagon "to more fully participate in growth opportunities" that could give it a competitive edge meeting consumers’ fast-evolving demands for healthy and fresh foods.
With the launch of two new Wish-Bone lines, Pinnacle Foods hopes to reinvigorate the salad dressing aisle in the struggling center-store by enticing back consumers who left to make their own dressing or to buy refrigerated options they perceive as fresher.
Carefully balancing consumers’ age-specific nutritional needs with how and when they eat different foods helped Nestle successfully reduce sodium, sugar and fat significantly in some of its most frequently consumed foods without sacrificing taste.
With cutting edge flavors, trendy ingredients and vibrant, fresh packaging, Abbott Laboratories’ new line of six snack bars promises a level of category disruption typical of startups, but with the financial backing and industry connections of a well-established...
Phenomenal Foods – the Los Angeles-based start-up behind probiotic-fueled organic fruit & veggie snack brand Nomva – has raised $3m in a series A fundraising round to help it take its HPP-treated pouches to a broader audience.
If you’ve tried horchata in the US, it’s most likely inspired by Mexican recipes, which typically use rice milk as a base, coupled with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar – and sometimes some almond or dairy milk. Tasty? Yes. Nutritional dynamite? Not really.
Taste, price, and convenience aren’t the only deciding factors for buying food. A study by Deloitte and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) found a slew of other influences increasingly becoming common.
Organic meat and dairy products have more healthy omega-3 fatty acids according to a large meta-analysis review - but experts have warned the amounts are too small to actually have an impact on diet.
Unlike many functional food brands, GoodBelly does not ask consumers to wait 40 years for a return on their investment, says Alan Murray, CEO of brand owner NextFoods. Most customers, he says, claim to feel a benefit within 12 days, which is about as...
As there is an increased interest in ancient grains, adaptation of an active lifestyle, and awareness of the benefits of “purple food,” Purely Pinole’s founders thought it’s the perfect time to launch their product.
Olive oil’s already healthy image just got a boost – and so too could sales soon – thanks to the American Heart Association giving the ingredient its blessing to use its widely recognized Heart-Check Food mark on labels.
The food and beverage industry is in the middle of an innovation renaissance that is far outpacing many other consumer goods categories as illustrated by the winners of the 2016 Product of the Year award for innovation announced Feb. 11.
Modeled after the coveted architectural LEED certification, being REAL certified tells buyers that manufacturers have gone “above and beyond” to produce a responsible, healthy product.
Calcium and vitamin D are often credited as the nutrients to go to for bone strength, but according to the National Osteoporosis Foundation, it takes far more than just that.
Recognizing the detrimental impact – and long-term costs to the US – of hunger on children’s health and education, President Obama proposes expanding and streamlining existing programs that help feed Americans in-need.
More than half a dozen countries hope to follow Mexico’s successful lead in reducing sugary soda consumption by severely restricting advertising and leveraging heavy excise taxes on the beverages by the end of the year, according to public health advocates.
Washington-based American Brewing Company started with beer and expanded its product line to include kombucha. Its brand, Bucha, has been credited as one of the fastest growing breakout brands in a report by The Hartman Group.
Ask most people what ‘healthy vending’ is, and they will probably imagine a vending machine that has replaced candy with protein bars – but is still basically a snack machine. LeanBox, by contrast, is more like a smart fridge in the office breakroom packed...
Moringa superfood product manufacturer Kuli Kuli expands it portfolio and the reach of its social mission with the launch of three energy shots, thanks to an infusion of $1 million from a mix of investors and fundraising tactics.
Hain Celestial hopes to stay “one step ahead” of the conventional CPG manufacturers now flocking to the increasingly popular natural and organic space, which the New York-based firm has dominated for years, by better customizing marketing, pricing and...
The FDA will not revoke soy protein's health claims, as requested by a citizen petition. But the agency also admits that there will still be ongoing review on the ingredient.
An unconventional partnership between the crowdfunding website Barnraiser and KRAVE Jerky founder Jon Sebastiani’s new incubator and venture fund Sonoma Brands will create a new paradigm for fundraising and marketing that promises earlier, more sustained...
CORE Hydration – an ultra-purified, electrolyte-infused bottled water with a ‘perfect pH’ of 7.4 that first hit shelves in late 2014 and is now in 30,000+ stores – is on course to generate retail sales of $60-100 million in 2016, predicts co-founder Lance...
About half of Americans say “local” claims are an important factor in their food purchase decisions, but exactly how influential they are depends on where in the store they are made, according to a recent survey.
For flavor giant McCormick & Co. Inc., 2016 promises strong growth driven by innovative product launches, consumer inspired reformulations, a brand building campaign and potential acquisitions, according to company executives.
Genius Juice – which is on a mission bring something fresh and different to the functional beverage set with its organic coconut smoothies – is finalizing a new round of seed capital, has streamlined its SKU count and switched to a smaller, 12oz bottle...
A recent online article that labeled the science backing probiotics as “shaky” was criticized by the International Proibiotics Association as lacking context and a basic understanding of the industry and the evidence behind it.
If predictions are true that the future of weight management is less about what to cut out and more about eating healthy foods, then manufacturers and consumers should consider adding more apples, pears and berries to meals, which new research suggest...
The Organic & Natural Health Association is abandoning its plan to create a certified seal that demonstrates when products are natural, but it remains dedicated to defining the widely used, but loosely understood marketing term.
60-second interview, Dr Liz Sloan and Dr Catherine Adams Hutt, Sloan Trends
What do US consumers think health and wellness means, and how is the food industry responding? Is low-carb still a thing, does the paleo diet have legs, and is non-GMO being used as a proxy for ‘healthy’?
As reports of lackluster sales of mid-calorie soda Coca-Cola Life have surfaced in the UK, it appears that the stevia-and-cane sugar-sweetened beverage has not set the world on fire in the US either, with sales peaking in March 2015 and steadily falling...
The top 10 branded processed food companies in the US have lost 4% of their market share in the past five years as smaller, more innovative brands have seized the initiative, says Rabobank.
A report commissioned by the World Health Organisation (WHO) backs a tax on sugary drinks, mandatory nutrient labelling and restrictions on marketing to children in a bid to tackle the child obesity epidemic around the world.
Whole Foods products at wholesale prices, delivered to your door? It sounds almost too good to be true, and at the beginning, that’s certainly how many potential investors viewed Thrive Market. But with a run-rate approaching $100m and hundreds of thousands...
