A $1.1 trillion omnibus spending package released late last night does not contain a much-anticipated policy rider on federal GMO labeling that would pre-empt state GMO-labeling laws, although it does seek to block the sale of genetically engineered salmon...
Go Gourmet wants to “up the ante” in the applesauce and fruit cup aisle with its “superfood snack” Slammers – premium fruit and veggie purees for school-aged children in pouches that pose a triple threat with taste, nutrition and personality, says CEO...
While the media coverage of the new SmartLabel initiative has focused on shoppers’ enthusiasm (or lack, thereof) for scanning QR codes as they shop, or whether it’s just an elaborate ruse by ‘big food’ to avoid mandatory on-pack GMO labeling, the real...
Specialty rice producer Amira sees significant potential for Basmati to win the hearts of Americans, who lately have been flirting more with Indian food and ancient grains.
PureCircle has developed a new family of stevia-based sweeteners designed to shine in low to zero-calorie formulations, an application area that has proved particularly challenging as formulators seek to retain a ‘clean, sugar-like’ taste at higher dosage...
Automatic drip coffee is regaining favor with consumers who increasingly are turning their backs on single-serve pods, which some perceive as convenient but a lower quality and more wasteful than manually- or automatic drip-made coffee, according to an...
Social media often is a dominant – and sometimes the only – component of most food and beverage companies' marketing strategies, but as platforms continue to proliferate, advertisers must understand to whom each application appeals to maximize their...
Juice in focus at BevNET Live: From V8 to Evolution Fresh, Suja & Bolthouse Farms
Brands, like celebrities and artists, have to stay true to their core essence to retain their integrity, but must also “change and shed personas” from time to time to stay relevant, says Campbell Soup’s beverage VP Kelli McCusker.
“Local” is a hot marketing term that can drive sales – especially for startups hoping to capitalize on home court advantage – but it also can restrict expansion if it is defined too narrowly, says the founder of Dona Chai.
'It’s not the first or the second purchase order that really counts, it’s the third'
It won't happen overnight, but the future of babyfood is in the chiller, predicts one Texas-based entrepreneur pioneering the application of high pressure processing (HPP) in a category she claims is ripe for disruption.
For Undone Chocolate, what is in a name is not as important as what is in its gourmet bars, which is why the startup is dropping individual product names in favor of umbrella branding and highlighting key ingredients.
America’s love affair with spicy flavors will continue in 2016, but with an evolutionary twist that also will open the door for more multicultural flavors, predicts McCormick & Co. in it is annual flavor forecast.
The word ‘craft’ may be most strongly associated with beer: but its influence is much wider and reveals a lot about today’s consumers, says Richard Hall, chairman of Zenith International.
Discount brands have more to gain from marketing their sustainability credentials than premium ones, but they’ll have a much harder time convincing consumers their claims aren’t just greenwash.
Is it lawful to use terms such as ‘almondmilk’ and ‘soymilk’ to describe plant-based beverages? Yes, according to a ruling from a California court this week, which has dismissed claims in a long-running class action lawsuit* v retailer Trader Joe's...
Seaweed, full-fat dairy, floral flavors and mushrooms will all gain traction in 2016, according to the Specialty Food Association (SFA), which has released a list of 10 trends to watch in US food culture next year:
Coca-Cola has urged a California federal court to toss a class action lawsuit alleging it misrepresents its flagship product as being free from added preservatives and artificial flavors.
The Organic & Natural Health Association will reveal more details about its ongoing effort to define “natural” – a much-used but dangerously ambiguous marketing term – at its inaugural national conference Jan. 26-27.
KIND has filed a citizen petition with the FDA to update 'outdated' regulations governing the use of the term healthy on food labels and address the disconnect between what Americans are encouraged to eat in the Dietary Guidelines and the criteria...
The FDA will have its work cut out when it comes to coming up with a workable definition of ‘natural’, if the comments submitted to the FDA thus far are anything to go by.
Long-anchored in the conventional channel’s center-store with iconic brands such as Hungry Man and Wishbone, Pinnacle Foods’ $975 million acquisition of Boulder Brands gives it a better foothold in the fast-growing refrigerated and health food segments.
After almost five years of bitter legal wrangling, the corn and sugar lobbies have buried the hatchet and settled their legal dispute – mid-trial – over the marketing of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Food and beverage manufacturers and suppliers are rising to meet the increasing consumer demand for humanely produced animal products – a trend which the American Humane Association celebrated last week on Capitol Hill in Washington.
The FDA has rejected a citizen’s petition calling for mandatory labeling of foods from genetically engineered crops, arguing that labels are not warranted unless there is a material difference in the safety or nutritional profile of the foods in question.
The egg industry is undergoing a “renaissance” as consumers increasingly turn their backs to conventional eggs from caged hens and reach instead for those from chickens raised with space to move and access to outdoors, claims the co-owner of Handsome...
Not so long ago, pundits were predicting that the high-purity stevia extracts market would be worth a billion dollars as manufacturers ditched artificial sweeteners and embraced ‘all-natural’ alternatives.
Union Kitchen: Inside a food and beverage incubator
Transparent advertising is essential for reaching modern consumers, but as the maker of Element [Shrub] discovered – knowing which facts to emphasize first is key to driving initial trial.
Union Kitchen: Inside a food and beverage incubator
Heinz Tomato Ketchup has been an iconic staple in American diners and homes for more than 130 years, but Washington, DC-area startup ’Chups believes the condiment is long overdue for an update and that it is just the company to do it.
'Tis the season for giving and La Brea Bakery is getting into the spirit (and onto consumers’ radars) with two campaigns focused on feeding those in need and those who serve their communities.
Union Kitchen: Inside a food and beverage incubator
To make it in the highly competitive food and beverage segment, startups need to listen to consumers and evolve to meet changing demands – even if that means letting go of their “baby,” says the founder of Momme Meals.
Health-Ade Kombucha has defended its wares after being targeted in a false advertising lawsuit alleging it significantly understated the sugar content in its products.
In an effort to maintain the current Dietary Guideline recommendation to restrict cholesterol intake, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Nutrition has launched an aggressive public health campaign against eggs, which it says are the primary source...
Online retail of food and beverage may be small now, but it is slowly gaining traction in the US – providing start-ups struggling to get their foot in the door another option for reaching consumers, according to the CEO of online subscription snack service...
Clear windows on packaged foods and beverages seem to be all the rage right now as manufacturers try to literally meet consumer desire for transparency and authenticity – but a well-placed photograph sometimes is a more effective marketing tool, branding...
Fully hydrogenated oils (FHOs) do not create harmful trans-fats, and could replace partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in many applications. However, manufacturers are reluctant to use them because the word ‘hydrogenated’ has become “demonized”, argues...
WhiteWave Foods’ efforts to expand the plant-based dairy alternative category beyond beverage and outside of the natural channel already is paying off for the company, and it holds significant promise for the larger category’s and retailers’ future, executives...
What is 'natural'? FDA finally weighs into the debate
Having studiously avoided this food labeling minefield for years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has surprised many in the trade by seeking comments on the definition of a word that has launched a thousand class action lawsuits (well almost):...
Eating healthy shouldn’t be hard, but all too often it is – in part because superfoods frequently are sold in large containers and inconvenient formats that can be daunting to category newcomers, according to a health food industry veteran.
JM Smucker has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit accusing it of misleading shoppers by labeling selected Crisco cooking oil as ‘all natural’, according to court papers filed in New York.
While no single substitute for nitrite can replace all of its functions, a combination of emerging technologies and plant-based ingredients could be used to reduce or completely replace nitrite in processed meats, say researchers.
KIND LLC will significantly reduce added sugar in some of its snack bars in spring 2016, which will make its label more appealing to health conscious shoppers, especially if FDA’s proposal to include added sugar in the Nutrition Facts box becomes a reality.
Collaborative innovation between retailers and manufacturers can jumpstart product development, generate substantial cost-savings and improve the success of a launch more effectively than either partner likely could achieve on its own, a senior director...
Despite their natural advantages of name recognition and sales momentum, big brands have struggled of late. Consulting firm Seurat Group has put together a toolbox to help companies reinvigorate these key contributors.
Kellogg’s beleaguered cereal sales in the US appear to be stabilizing – at least for now – but that isn’t enough to buoy the firm’s overall profits, which fell again during the firm’s third quarter announced Nov. 3.
KonaRed – the Hawaii-based company on a mission to make coffee fruit the next big thing in functional foods and beverages – has similar challenges to those POM Wonderful faced when it first got started, but has the potential to be equally successful,...
A month after telling shoppers it was “embarrassed and truly sorry” after an undeclared allergen (wheat) was detected in selected boxes of gluten-free Cheerios, General Mills has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it violated several consumer...
Americans increasingly want fresh, healthy food, but they don’t always have the extra time it takes to plan and prepare those ingredients – creating a white space in the market for enterprising manufacturers.
Ready to leap from start-up to category leader, better-for-you snack company Wonderfully Raw Gourmet Delights exchanged a slice of its equity for accelerator Fresca Food’s help expanding production, distribution and marketing.
