The ingredient known as ‘evaporated cane juice’ should instead be declared as ‘sugar’ on food labels, says the FDA in new guidance that attorneys predict will unleash a wave of civil litigation as ECJ-related false advertising cases that had been put...
As The Dannon Company nears the finish line for fulfilling its promise to improve the nutrition of its products that it made three years ago to the Partnership for a Healthier America, the company also is demonstrating that what is good for Americans’...
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) have sponsored a bicameral bill that they argue will help Americans “save money on their grocery bills and prevent perfectly safe food from going to waste.”
Most reasonable consumers would expect that crackers marketed as 'whole grain' would predominantly use whole grain flour, whereas in fact the #1 ingredient in Cheez-It Whole Grain Crackers is enriched flour, says a false advertising lawsuit...
The inclination for most when they see a storm brewing on the horizon is to run the other way and take shelter – but not bison, and not the co-founders of EPIC Provisions who attribute the meteoric growth of their meat bars in part to their decision not...
There is no evidence that foods from genetically engineered (GE) crops are less safe to eat than their 'conventional' counterparts, according to a new report from The National Academies of Sciences, which will "provide fodder for friends...
As many courts are putting “natural claim” class action lawsuits on ice as the FDA probes what the term “natural” means, some companies are settling to avoid the expense and uncertainty of litigation.
There were more twists and turns this week in the controversy surrounding the IOI group, which was suspended by the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) last month.
What drives new trends? Is this best discovered seeing them unfold in real time at hands of innovators, or are they better discerned via a deep dive into marketing data? Both approaches were presented at the recent Healthy & Natural Show in Chicago.
Natural and organic are gaining momentum and driving sales across retail channels, but to capitalize fully on their potential stores and manufactures must work together to improve product assortment and integration throughout the store, according to an...
An infusion of $5 million will help vegan meal kit delivery service Purple Carrot refine its branding and expand consumer awareness of the benefits of a plant-based diet, according to the company’s CEO.
Sales of tea in the US continue to climb steadily, thanks in part to a big push from interest in specialty tea – especially by millennials, according to the Tea Association of America.
The comment period for the FDA’s probe into ‘natural’ claims has closed, leaving the agency with the unenviable task of sifting through a mammoth pile of submissions from thousands of stakeholders weighing in on the most contentious word in food marketing....
This time last year, KIND was engulfed in a media firestorm (and a tidal wave of false advertising lawsuits) after the FDA took issue with its use of the term ‘healthy’ on pack. Today it is claiming victory after the FDA said it can now use the term –...
By Kristen E. Polovoy, Esquire, of counsel, Montgomery McCracken
‘Fat-free,’ ‘non-dairy,’ ‘all-natural’, ‘sugar-free’, ‘gluten-free’ . . . are all in recent history’s hit parade of terms perceived by many consumers as a sign that that a product is somehow ‘better’ or ‘healthier.’ The most recent term to join this...
The FDA has submitted final rules for updating the Nutrition Facts panel and serving sizes to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs in the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for a regulatory impact analysis.
Millennials may be the generation with the most spending power for now, but Gen Z is catching up fast and how they engage with brands and respond to marketing is very different than their predecessors, according to new research from CivicScience.
Growth rates in the US gluten-free market are slowing, but the category is still generating significant double-digit growth, says allergy-friendly brand Enjoy Life Foods.
The US Supreme Court has declined to take up the FTC vs POM case. The action in effect affirms FTC's prior determinations that POM misled consumers in the advertising of its pomegranate products.
If your product contains even trace levels of pesticide residue, and you are calling it '100% natural', are you at risk of a false advertising lawsuit? Complaints filed vs Quaker Oats on Friday suggest the answer is yes, although legal experts...
In final guidance released April 29, FDA once again pushes back the compliance date for the long-delayed menu labeling final rule and clarifies when grab-and-go, deli-counter and bulk-bin items sold at grocery stores and other establishments must include...
After suffering scorn for years from carb-counters, wheat-haters and consumers embracing a gluten-free diet, pasta is coming back in style with a vengeance, suggests analysis of Google searches.
While some people plan a grocery shopping trip like a military campaign, many others are not thinking much beyond what’s for dinner tonight, says Mike Savage, VP Non Perishables at Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, and retailers are not making things easy for...
A paragraph on page 34 of the 206-page 2017 House Agricultural Appropriations Bill - spotted by Hampton Creek’s eagle-eyed new VP of policy Tiny May yesterday - proposes to exempt industry-funded commodity research and promotion programs such as the American...
Online subscription snack service NatureBox crosses over to the physical realm with the launch of eight products in 900 Target stores nationwide this week with the hope of reaching consumers who still prefer to buy food in brick-and-mortar stores rather...
The global market for plant-based meat alternatives is growing fast, but most players in the space are focused on replacing land animals – leaving the potential for seafood alternatives wide open for innovative entrepreneurs to seize.
Kellogg’s efforts to appease consumers who asked it not to add peanut flour to several previously allergy-safe snacks has backfired on the manufacturer – further aggravating parents of children who are allergic to the ground nut and tarnishing the brand’s...
The 2014 launch of Pepsi True was a low-key affair, so the complete radio silence from the brand ever since could just reflect a desire to keep things that way. Another explanation, of course, is that Pepsi True – like rival Coca-Cola Life – has simply...
Dannon says it will begin to use non-GMO ingredients in some of its products within three 3 flagship brands - Dannon, Oikos and Danimals - beginning summer 2016 (when Vermont's new GMO labeling law comes into effect), but has also pledged to transition...
The “loose structure” and voluntary process for companies to self-determine if new ingredients are “generally recognized as safe” without required input from FDA undermines the agency’s ability to ensure the US food supply is safe and should be strengthened,...
Organic infant formula products from high-profile brands Earth’s Best (Hain Celestial) and The Honest Co contain a “spectacular array” of ingredients that are prohibited under the Organic Food Production Act, according to lawsuits filed by The Organic...
Few shoppers in today’s on-the-go culture have time to read lengthy descriptions or claims on packages, which is one reason why Vermont Smoke & Cure recently switched to recognizable icons and color-coding as part of a massive rebranding for its “consciously”...
For most millennials, selecting coffee is an emotional decision that goes beyond meeting basic needs such as freshness and affordability to include the social and environmental impact of how it was made, according to new research.
Snack maker KIND – which faced a wave of false advertising lawsuits* last year over its use of the terms ‘healthy’ and ‘all-natural’ – has urged a New York court to stay or dismiss the cases on primary jurisdiction grounds until the FDA official weighs...
Buying organic is a top priority for many American parents, especially when it comes to the food they feed their children, according to new research form the Organic Trade Association.
What would a reasonable consumer define as 'non-GMO'?
An order from a Florida judge in a lawsuit vs Chipotle should serve a warning to all food marketers that they could be sued if they make non-GMO claims about foods containing dairy or meat from animals fed GE feed, legal experts have warned.
VeganSmart, a plant-based line of meal replacements, is penetrating areas plagued with malnutrition via a unique marketing vehicle—the power of hip hop.
New clinical research – funded by the a2 Milk Company – lends credence to its claims that many consumers who believe they can’t tolerate lactose (milk sugar) should really be blaming their digestive discomfort on the A1 beta casein protein in milk products...
FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition is plowing ahead with an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda for the remainder of 2016 without pause after knocking out five final or proposed rules related to food safety and nutrition in just as many...
Recognizing that in today’s on-the-go culture, most people don’t have time to escape to a secluded island to unwind, the founder of NOA Potions created a premium beverage that blends natural herbs to help people relax while improving their focus simultaneously...
America is in the middle of a “home cooking revolution” with more people cooking in their kitchens more often than in the recent past as a way to eat healthier and more affordably, but also as a form of entertainment and adventure, says a senior editor...
Product packaging today often is cluttered with so many certifications that consumers’ can’t absorb everything in the brief time they look at labels in stores, and as a result the icons’ impact is diminished and manufacturers likely aren’t getting their...
With plant-based diets all the rage in the US currently, milk alternatives – and particularly those from almonds – are seeing strong sales growth and increased innovation, while sales of dairy milk are contracting.
America is on the “cusp of a market-revolution” to replace animal products with plant-based alternatives, but consumers need more choices that are convenient, affordable and tasty in order for long-term diet changes to take root, according to an expert...
11th hour reprieve from the courts or from Congress increasingly unlikely
Private litigants, or so-called ‘bounty hunters’, may start targeting food manufacturers over alleged violations of Vermont’s new GMO labeling law from day one (July 1), lawyers at Hogan Lovells have warned.
Parents’ lack of knowledge about how much and what to feed children as they transition from baby food to more solid foods means most toddlers in America eat too much sugar and sodium and not enough whole grains and vegetables, new research reveals.
If you spot a hot guy handing out samples in a Whole Foods store that looks kind of familiar (if you’re a fan of Jane the Virgin, Cougar Town or Veronica Mars, that is), it could be a case of wishful thinking. Conversely you might just have stumbled across...
A proposed regulation that would strengthen and clarify organic animal welfare standards would align consumers’ expectations with production practices and improve their confidence in the organic seal, according to USDA.
Islam was the fastest growing religion in America from 2000 to 2010
By Jeanne Cullen and Furqan Mohammed, Perkins Coie LLP
A growing segment of US consumers is scrutinizing animal treatment and slaughter from an Islamic lens, while halal food consumption among the nation's fast-growing Muslim population has become a ballooning enterprise in the United States and is now...
