Food manufacturers remain sharply divided over FDA proposals to crack down on added sugar, with General Mills and other big names such as Kellogg and Unilever strongly opposed; and Nestlé, Mars, and KIND LLC in favor, according to the latest wave of comments...
Cargill’s new positioning of its erythritol as a flavor opens up new avenues for the ingredient which up to now has mostly been pigeonholed as a bulk sweetener, the company says.
True Drinks Holdings has struck a deal with Niagara Bottling under which the latter will produce a preservative-free formulation of True Drinks’ flagship sugar- and calorie-free kids’ beverage AquaBall.
A judge has tossed most of the claims in a class action lawsuit alleging Whole Foods is trying to disguise the use of added sugar in its 365 store brand products by using the term ‘evaporated cane juice’.
As demand for local food grows, so too does consumers’ willingness to pay more for it, but manufacturers and retailers must clearly label local products to reap their full sales potential, suggests new research.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a probe into the way the American Egg Board handled the ‘threat’ of Hampton Creek – the San Francisco-based start-up behind the egg-free spread Just Mayo - amid claims it overstepped its mandate by...
A high profile lawsuit vs WhiteWave Foods and Blue Diamond over how much almond should be in almond milk is still proceeding through the courts, but much of the wind was taken from the plaintiffs’ sails this week after a New York federal judge said they...
Digital videos can be an effective marketing tool to help food and beverage brands reach the much-vaunted and hard-to-access millennial generation, but for them to succeed, they must be authentically engaging and tightly targeted, according to digital...
The baking and snacks industry must explore innovations in grains to meet the challenges of a growing population, according to PepsiCo's global R&D head.
Armed with little more than her neighbors’ accolades for her homemade granola and a business book recommended on Oprah Winfrey’s website, Viki Sater dove head first into the competitive cereal market.
When it comes to evaluating the naturalness of food products, very few consumers consider on pack ingredient information, finds Unilever commissioned research.
Blending is the way forward for plant based proteins in sports nutrition and their price stability can help manufacturers, says World Food Processing president Tyler Lorenzen.
Only a small fraction of food and beverage brands launched each year survive, let alone reach the $1 billion in sales mark – but those that do have three main factors in common, according to brand and strategy developers at The Coca-Cola Company.
VEGA Coffee is based on a simple – but surprisingly novel – concept, says founder Noushin Ketabi: What if the farmers who grow coffee, actually roasted and packaged it as well, and then sold their ‘farm-roasted’ product directly to US consumers via an...
A positive decision from the FDA on a qualified health claim for omega-3s and blood pressure would be “further justification that EPA and DHA are good for your heart”, says Adam Ismail, Executive Director of GOED.
Cargill conquered the technical challenges of bringing a fermented Reb D/Reb M stevia ingredient to market. Clearing the consumer acceptance hurdle was best handled by being as transparent as possible about the ingredient, a company executive said.
FDA: We are eveloping draft voluntary targets for sodium reduction
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) is suing the FDA in a bid to compel it to respond to a 2005 petition requesting that it revoke the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status of salt and treat it as a food additive under the law.
With products in 97% of US households, Nestlé claims it is well positioned to help shape a “better food environment” by reformulating products with less fat, sugar and sodium and launching new options packed with fruits, veggies and other desirable ingredients,...
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) will go to court on Thursday (Oct 8) in a last-ditch attempt to convince judges that a GMO labeling law due to come into effect in Vermont next year should be blocked until litigation over the legislation is...
General Mills announced late Monday afternoon that it will voluntarily recall 1.8m boxes of Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios after undeclared wheat was detected in gluten-free cereals.
While ditching ‘artificial’ ingredients may not transform the fortunes of flagging legacy brands, consumer survey data from Instantly suggests it may give consumers a warmer and fuzzier feeling about them, and convey the impression (deservedly or otherwise)...
Consumer purchases of packaged food and beverages in key major categories are down substantially from a year ago due partly to demographic shifts, but mostly because of “self-inflicted wounds” by retailers and manufacturers, according to the third annual...
Cargill: 'This opens up a new space and helps us address a market we can’t get to today from the leaf'
Cargill and Evolva will introduce their hotly-anticipated ‘next-generation’ Reb D and Reb M sweetener – produced via fermentation rather than from the stevia leaf – at the Supply Side West show next week under the EverSweet brand as they prepare for a...
One key to a successful Kickstarter campaign is to create “stretch goals” that incentivize existing backers to find more investors to help unlock additional rewards, advises Michael Salguero, founder of the grass fed meat delivery service Butcher Box.
Part 2: One-on-one with The Tea Council of the USA on Emerging Trends
Sales of tea in the US are booming, but the industry still faces tough competition and must continue to innovate to capture a larger “share of throat,” according to Peter Goggi, president of the Tea Council of the USA.
Seaweed snacks are riding a rising tide in the U.S. with sales swelling between $250 million and $500 million in 2014, according to an industry trends expert.
‘Challenger’ brands – anarchic, agile brands which disrupt established categories – are Davids outmaneuvering industry Goliaths. And Chobani is probably the perfect example, going from zero to a billion dollars in less than a decade. But what happens...
Whole Foods Market has challenged allegations by animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), that the standards to which it holds its meat and poultry suppliers “barely exceed common industry practices”.
Retailers that initially warned Enjoy Life Foods not to enter the baking mix segment are now clamoring to stock the manufacturer’s new line of five ready-to-use mixes in large part because they go beyond the convenience of competitors to include hot functional...
Hemp and sacha inchi – two ‘ancient yet modern’ sources of protein from seeds – are gaining traction in the burgeoning plant-based protein set, although their premium price tag means they are unlikely to become as big as rice or pea protein – at least...
High protein, easy-to-eat foods are no longer limited to bars and shakes – now they can also be found in familiar baked goods that appeal to carb-loving consumers, thanks to companies like Flapjacked.
Sales of organic are skyrocketing in the U.S. with demand often outstripping supply, but the Organic Trade Association has a plan to bring into balance by 2030 the market growth, acreage growth and farming profitability of organic.
Tea manufacturer Bigelow expands its portfolio beyond bags and loose leaf into the promising ready-to-drink category with the launch of five flavors of bottled iced tea that claim to be as healthy as a cup of freshly brewed tea.
Data from Label Insight* shows that one in five (21%) snack, energy or granola bars in the US now makes a non-GMO claim of some kind – making it the leading category for non-GMO claims, compared with an average of 4.2% for all the grocery products in...
The American Egg Board (AEB) has rejected allegations by Hampton Creek that it “engaged in numerous illegal activities” in order to undermine the San Francisco-based firm, which is now calling for a Congressional investigation into the AEB’s behavior.
Sometimes the most disruptive food products are less about blue-sky innovation than taking something familiar, adding a new twist, and creating a completely new category, says Ripple Brand Collective founder and CEO Scott Semel, who has seen his latest...
While the meteoric growth of plant-based beverages such as almondmilk is well-documented, WhiteWave Foods has identified $2.7bn worth of business in other plant-based categories in the US retail market, including yogurt, creamers, and frozen desserts,...
'Nowadays, a food crisis starts when the Food Babe is on line two'
In an era of shorter consumer attention spans and heightened suspicion about food science, the packaged food and beverage industry can take a page from the world of pop culture and bring food science down to earth with humor and proactive transparency.
Flowers Foods – which has just snapped up Dave’s Killer Bread for $275m – has made another move into the fast-growing organic bakery category with a $120m deal to acquire Alpine Valley Bread Company.
A California judge has declined to certify a class of consumers in a lawsuit alleging New York-based Medora Snacks falsely used the term ‘all-natural’ on PopCorners labels because the corn-based chips are made with genetically engineered corn.
While supporters of Rep. Mike Pompeo’s Safe and Accurate Food Labeling Act (HR1599) welcome its proposal to create a national standard for non-GMO claims, the Non-GMO Project says this would confuse shoppers by creating a competing label underpinned by...
A federal judge in Florida has approved a $3.99m deal to resolve a proposed class action accusing Kashi of misleading shoppers by labeling products made with GMOs as ‘all-natural’.
Campbell Soup Company continues to be impacted by restructuring costs and falling sales. But an uptick in organic sales buoyed the company as it embarks on a previously announced plan to restructure its portfolio as it released its fourth quarter 2015...
More consumers are choosing whole grains regularly thanks in part to more sophisticated formulating techniques that better balance flavor and health benefits, according to a survey conducted by the non-profit Oldways Whole Grains Council.
Unilever is searching for radical new ways to understand what consumers really want, Kraft Heinz is looking for novel sources of sustainable oils, and Mondelez is on a mission to find ‘label friendly’ natural mold inhibitors and low-cost ways to tackle...
