As predicted by legal experts, a lawsuit querying the health benefits of Trader Joe’s alkaline water has been dismissed (with leave to amend one specific claim) on the grounds that most of the words and images on the label amount to ‘nonactionable puffery.’
Marketers of children’s products have a difficult task of balancing the different wants and needs of parents and their kids, but for Nom Noms World Food this challenge doubled as an opportunity to set itself apart with globally-inspired recipes and innovative...
The top 10 packaged food companies (based on revenue) in the US can be doing more to improve their corporate nutrition strategies and reporting as well as extending access to healthy and affordable products, according to the US Access to Nutrition Index,...
Nearly 8% of US children (about 5.6 million) have food allergies, with almost 40% of those children allergic to more than one food, a study conducted by researchers from Ann & Robert Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago determined.
Natac Solutions, a recent 50-50 joint venture between Radient Technologies Inc. (RTI) and Grupo Natac S.L., will help CPG companies rethink and enhance their functional products with its range of plant-based extracts claimed to preserve the holistic plant...
If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the FoodNavigator-USA FOOD FOR KIDS summit, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of academics, industry experts, health advocates, and our first parents’ panel, covering everything from the infant gut...
The opening night of FoodNavigator-USA's inaugural FOOD FOR KIDS summit opened with a consumer panel, as parents shared what foods and beverages they give their kids, what they look for on food labels, and where they eat out with their children.
By tapping registered dietitians at retailers and in local communities, Freedom Foods has magnified the impact and reach of its recent launch in more than 2,000 stores in the US of nutritional bars and cereals featuring BarleyMax – a unique grain packed...
While earlier this year there was talk of a turf war between federal agencies over who should have primary jurisdiction over cell-cultured meat, the FDA and the USDA have now agreed to create a joint regulatory framework, providing clarity for a growing...
Food and beverage products that communicate a clear functional health benefit, sustainability story, explore alternative protein sources, or leverage technology to shorten the distance between a recipe and finished meal, are just some of the trends to...
The beverage industry is booming with Grand View Research predicting that sales will grow at a 5.8% compound annual rate from $967.3 billion in 2016 through 2025 thanks to rising disposable incomes, a growing population and changing lifestyles centered...
The 15th annual general assembly of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) closed today, with over 850 representatives of the global palm oil and food industry agreeing to new certification standards for sustainable palm oil.
While the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ might appear to be interchangeable (they both exclude animal products), consumers do not view them in the same way, says the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), which has just launched a new ‘certified plant-based’...
Sales of Fairtrade certified goods are on the rise, with coffee, cocoa, bananas and avocados particularly strong, but more brands need to invest to create true impact in the market, says the COO of Fairtrade America.
While the food and beverage industry is inherently competitive that doesn’t mean companies need to operate as islands – rather, at Rabobank’s FoodBytes! pitch slam in New York City the founder of whipped vegetable spread brand Frescious explains collaborating...
Turkey wants to ramp up olive oil business with the US – already its biggest export destination – and sees a future in single-source, premium varietals rather than bulk. But can it spark enough interest?
After helping multiple startups in Europe increase their combined sales fourfold throughout the duration of it six-month Nutrition Greenhouse accelerator program, PepsiCo is now offering entrepreneurs in the US a helping hand and a shot at $100,000 in...
Chobani is paying tribute to members of the armed forces this Veteran’s Day with a “no strings attached” donation to Operation Homefront, and the launch a limited edition, patriotic yogurt designed to raise funds for and awareness of the struggles some...
As FDA considers a formal definition for the term ‘healthy’ as well as who should serve on the 2020 Dietary Guidelines advisory committees, Atkins Nutritionals asks the agency to reconsider its formal stance on low-carbohydrate diets.
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...
Cargill and DSM – who have both independently developed steviol glycosides via microbial fermentation – are now teaming up in a bid to accelerate their development under the Eversweet brand.
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.
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?
Months after the USDA unexpectedly and unceremoniously pulled the plug on plans to implement a federally mandated organic check-off program, the Organic Trade Association is soliciting ideas to help the industry ‘GRO’ through a voluntary, industry-vested...
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...
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.
Protein cookie brand Lenny & Larry’s has agreed to settle a lawsuit alleging it overstated the protein content of its cookies, in order to avoid the cost and hassle of prolonged litigation, but says it stands by its claims and won’t be changing its...
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.
Plant-based ‘cheese’ and ‘butter’ maker Miyoko’s Kitchen has been hit with a lawsuit alleging it is duping consumers by cashing in on the good name of [dairy] butter to promote a plant-based product that is functionally and nutritionally inferior. However,...
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?
Trader Joe’s has hit back at a lawsuit querying the health benefits of its alkaline water by insisting that its labels do not state or even imply that there is any discernible benefit to drinking it “over other non-alkaline products.”
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.
For entrepreneurs and startups willing to go the extra mile, the benefits of competing in pitch slam, such as Rabobank’s FoodBytes!, can go far beyond the immediate exposure they gain when presenting their products or the possibility of winning a prize.
Using proprietary patented technology to make its Coffee Thins, Tierra Nueva believes the edible coffee concept will become a multi-billion dollar category in the US given Americans’ desire for a new way to consume coffee and the quick acceptance by retailers...
“…‘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...
The source of CBD should be of concern for the companies marketing the ingredient, said a legal expert at a recent dietary supplement industry event. But he also said the regulatory landscape for the ingredient is shifting so fast that any opinions he...
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...
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.
The bottled water category is nearing an inflection point as consumer awareness grows around the negative impact single-use plastic containers have on the planet, and the oceans in particular, and when the tide finally turns on the issue manufacturers...
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...
Geltor – a San Leandro-based start-up producing collagen proteins via microbial fermentation for the cosmetics industry – is gearing up for the 2020 launch of commercial quantities for the food industry after completing an $18.2m Series A round led by...
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.
‘If we’re lab grown meat, they are lab-grown Doritos’
While no bold new suggestions about how to label cell-based meat emerged from this week’s joint FDA/USDA meeting, start-ups in the field made it clear that the term ‘lab-grown’ should be off the table, and challenged claims that they plan to use antibiotics...
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.
