Looking back, spring 2020 was not the ideal time to debut in grocery retail, observes Planterra Foods CEO Darcey Macken, who was gearing up to make a splash in the plant-based meat set in mid-April with the OZO brand before a certain pandemic threw a...
Plant-based meat maker Upton’s Naturals and the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) have fired the latest salvo in the battle over the labeling of plant-based products in a lawsuit* challenging Oklahoma’s new ‘Meat Consumer Protection Act.’
As the number of Americans dependent on what was once known as food stamps swells to 13% of the population due in large part to an unemployment spike related to the pandemic, they have become an increasingly important demographic for CPG retailers, according...
Higher income shoppers are frequenting discount retailer Dollar General more often than they did before the coronavirus pandemic, but it isn’t because they are avoiding crowds at higher end retailers or desperately searching for items out of stock at...
For innovations to succeed they do not need to be perfect out of the gate, but they do need to offer a real benefit to companies, their consumers and their retailer and business partners at a scale that justifies the investment and risk, top executives...
Nestlé is ready to be “much more acquisitive” now after 18 months of aggressively selling underperforming businesses and brands that did not tidily fit into the company’s new image of itself as a primarily nutrition, health and wellness business, according...
While economic stimulus spending has helped drive up Walmart’s market share in general merchandising in recent months, it may have taken an unexpected toll on the retailer’s grocery business when paired with other pandemic-related operational changes,...
As record high sales from the early days of the coronavirus pandemic level out at rates significantly lower than March and April but still higher than last year, CPG companies are trying to reassure investors that they can hold on to new customers and...
Retailers interested in attracting more Black shoppers, who Nielsen reports wield an annual buying power of $1.5 trillion and make more grocery trips per year than all other racial groups, need to stock and prominently highlight more products by Black-owned...
Consumers’ attitudes, priorities and behaviors are shifting significantly as a result of the global health pandemic, and ADM has identified six emerging behavioral changes highlighting consumers' prioritization of health and wellness.
Under normal circumstances the Campbell Soup Co.’s 12% organic sales increase, 13% operating profit increase and strong double-digit consumption growth across all core brands in the fourth quarter would be lauded as great – but during the pandemic, when...
Giving up meat was tough… but there are lot of great alternatives out there, says LOCA Food founder Lauren Joyner, a UX designer turned food entrepreneur. Giving up nacho cheese sauce – a staple of her childhood diet – was a whole different ballgame....
Once considered a top priority for a food or beverage brand’s success, ‘winning at shelf’ is now only “somewhat important” as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic reshapes how consumers plan and shop for groceries and how manufacturers and retailers engage...
Dietary supplement manufacturer Pharmavite has filed a RICO lawsuit against the Clean Label Project, alleging that the organization’s testing and product grading activities amount to a protection racket.
For many consumers, shelf-table tuna has long been a back-of-pantry fall back to tie together slim pickings or disparate ingredients, but a new playful ad campaign from Bumble Bee Seafoods seeks to reposition it as a front-of-pantry solution with diverse...
New opportunities are opening for functional foods and beverages as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic pushes consumers to seek products that will boost their “resiliency,” support their health and wellness and personally empower them while simultaneously...
Cash-strapped startups may hold-off on establishing a board to save money, but according to one career coach a solid line-up of advisors can generate returns several-fold higher than their fees or salaries and can reassure potential investors, making...
As demand for more meat-like plant-based products grows, Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods continues to expand beyond the vegetable-forward frozen foods it is best-known for with the launch of the Perfect Turk’y Burger, while still holding the line on its...
While sales of natural and organic products continue to grow in the high single- digits year-over-year, the industry’s lack of leadership diversity, including brands owned by people of color and women, is holding it back from its full market potential,...
Boulder-based Sovos Brands is building out its portfolio of what it calls 'one-of-a-kind brands' with a signed agreement to acquire Birch Benders, the #1 'just-add-water' pancake and waffle mix in the natural channel.
In an open letter slammed by Impossible Foods as cynical and disingenuous and dismissed by one commentator as a “PR stunt,” Lightlife Foods has attempted to distinguish itself from ‘food tech’ rivals in the plant-based meat arena by positioning itself...
A recent study which found widespread consumer misunderstanding of whole grain products and labeling is painting an unrealistic and misleading picture of whole grain products actually available to consumers on the market today, says Kelly Toups, director...
Despite sugar reduction being a major consumer health trend impacting nearly every corner of the CPG industry, many food and beverage products in Canada have seen limited changes in sugar content, a recent study by the University of Toronto suggests.
The Coca-Cola Company has named Alfredo Rivera as president of Coca-Cola North America. Rivera most recently served as president of the beverage giant's Latin America group overseeing business operations across 40 countries.
A judge handling a high-profile lawsuit* over the use of dairy terminology on plant-based products has blocked attempts by the State of California to prevent Miyoko’s from using the terms ‘butter,’ ‘lactose-free’ and ‘cruelty-free’ on its vegan products....
Roughly half of respondents in a recent study overstated the whole grain content of cereal, bread, and cracker products, said lead researchers at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and the...
The pandemic has created severe challenges for some retailers, while others have prospered. Natural Grocers fits in the latter category, reporting record earnings for its third quarter of fiscal 2020.
After years of declining sales, dairy milk is on the rise again thanks in part to the coronavirus driving a resurgence of baking, cooking and eating at home, but to keep the momentum going during and after the pandemic, industry stakeholders are reviving...
The Federal Trade Commission has sent another round of warning letters to marketers making unsubstantiated COVID-19 health claims. The FTC’s message is simple: Prove it or remove it.
Faced with different shopper behavior throughout the pandemic, Sun-Maid has launched a marketing campaign aimed at moms navigating the new normal of the back-to-school season and who now must be prepared with snacks for their kids throughout the day,...
Whole Foods Market has launched Home Ec 365, a digital home economics curriculum “built to help you adult like a boss” as it refreshes its 365 private label range.
Three quarters of families with school-aged children now report being able to spend more time together eating at the breakfast table, promoting an uptick in cereal consumption, according to a new survey commissioned by General Mills Big G cereals.
Executives from Post Holdings and its recently spun-off active nutrition business BellRing Brands may be confident that the new food company will meet its full-year targets, but analysts on the company’s third quarter call late last week sounded dubious.
With its full assortment of cereals returning to store shelves this month, Post Holdings expects to regain some of the share it lost in recent months in the segment to competitors that were faster to rebuild their assortment and resume promotions after...
Sapsucker, an organic carbonated maple water brand based in Canada, is planning a 2021 launch into the US market where COO Ryan Klein believes there is a significant opportunity to build the tree water category.
Members of the House Agriculture Committee are demanding USDA take a closer look at and provide additional relief for the coronavirus pandemic’s “disproportionate toll on farmers and ranchers,” and the specialty crop sector.
Could children's pester power (the influence kids have over their family’s eating behaviors) be a force for promoting positive and healthy eating behaviors at home?
Partake Foods, an emerging allergen-friendly cookie brand, has grown its retail presence from 350 stores to over 3,000 in less than one year including recent national distribution in Target and a vision to create a platform brand that spans across multiple...
As the initial chaos of the early days of the pandemic and pantry loading settle into a more predictable flow, entrepreneurs may be tempted to pause and catch their breath, but according to the CEO of the emerging e-commerce retailer Living Food Co.,...
How should meat grown from cultured animal cells be labeled? In a joint FDA/USDA webinar, officials said they would work together to come up with joint principles to govern the labeling of products under their respective jurisdictions (FDA: seafood; USDA:...
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recent recommendations that children under 2 years avoid all added sugar to ensure they consume the nutrients they need without excessive caloric intake may not go far enough to drive a significant change in...
Vital Farms - which launched with 20 hens in Austin, Texas, in 2007 and is now the #1 pasture-raised egg and butter brand in the US and the #2 egg brand in retail dollar sales with products in 13,000 stores – is going public today.
Working from home, pantry and freezer stockpiling, and having more time to cook have had a massive impact on consumer shopping and eating behaviors, highlighting a consumer desire for healthy and affordable food, new research from Signal Analytics shows.
The buzz around plant-based meat alternatives is strong, but what is the full consumer perception of plant-based protein products in terms of nutrition and healthfulness compared to animal meat, and what motivates consumers to buy plant alternatives?...
Even as the pandemic continues to strain the food system and pressure manufacturers to balance increased demand with restricted supply, companies must still pursue sustainability goals, including minimizing their environmental impact and improving the...
In a Citizen’s Petition filed today, children’s health advocates are ramping up pressure on FDA to address the labeling of so-called ‘transition formulas’ or ‘toddler milks,’ which they say offer “no unique nutritional value,” threaten the health of young...
Geltor - a startup producing collagen proteins via microbial fermentation (without animals) – has closed a $91.3m Series B round led by CPT Capital with significant commitment from WTT Investment Ltd, and says it plans to launch its first ingestible products...
There are over 1,600 human clinical trials on probiotics listed in ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO’s trial database, according to a new analysis that seeks to address the misconception that there is no human data around probiotics.
Food has become a way for consumers to ease their worries and anxiety in an increasingly stressful world, and they are looking for products that can answer their basic needs for control, community, and purpose, says Eve Turow-Paul, a writer and cultural...
