Brooklyn start-up Raaka is carving out space in the crowded chocolate category by skipping the traditional step of roasting the cocoa bean to create “virgin chocolate” that highlights the “true flavors” of the beans, according to a company representative.
The U.S. meat market is projected to grow 1.7% annually to $84 billion in 2018, but to reach its full potential it must overcome challenges, including concerns about price and safety and increasing consumer interest in plant-based foods, according to...
Meet the CEOs of KRAVE, Health Warrior, Fruigees, HUMAN and Barnana
With the percentage of energy derived from snacks in the American diet doubling since the late 1970s, the pressure is on to make those snacking calories count. But what is a healthy snack, and are the boundaries between snacks and meals blurring as consumers...
US household penetration of plant-based beverages has doubled in five years to more than 30%, with almond milk now accounting for almost 70% of sales and new nut-based milks such as cashew gaining momentum, says WhiteWave Foods.
Whole Foods Market continues to evolve in the face of increased competition and gain market share by responding to consumers’ changing shopping habits with a broad online presence that is gaining traction.
Kara Goldin: Consumers have evolved faster than the beverage category has
While gaining significant distribution in the beverages market can be tough if you don’t have the might of a Coke or Pepsi behind you, Hint Inc CEO Kara Goldin is “not losing sleep at night wondering when they will call me”, she tells FoodNavigator-USA....
What's for breakfast? Re-inventing the first meal of the day
After years of steady decline, the cereal industry could see modest growth in the next five years thanks to consumer interest in healthier, high-end cereals, product process updates, improved commodity prices and innovative partnerships with food service...
While the upfront cost of third-party credentialing from Product of the Year is sizable for many small firms, winning the right to display its iconic red logo for two years can open distribution doors and increase sales in the long-run for new products,...
From the steady decline of carbonates to the dramatic rise of energy, the prospects for Keurig Cold and how 7-Eleven evaluates new products, our beverage trend-watching panel debate covered a lot of ground. Here are some of the highlights from the 40-minute...
A new study in Open Heart suggesting the U.S. and U.K. never should have recommended limiting saturated fat to reduce the risk of heart disease is a “rehash” of previously examined data and does not prove the advice should be overturned, according to...
Post Holdings hopes to return the long-neglected and aging PowerBar brand back to its former glory by revitalizing its marketing, branding and product innovation in 2015, according to company executives.
Hear from the CEOs of Mamma Chia, HonestTea, KeVita, KonaRed, Vertical Water, and Reed's
From the impact of the Safeway Albertsons deal to dubious alcohol levels in kombucha, the CEOs in our beverage entrepreneurs debate on Feb 4 did not hold back. Here are some of the highlights from our 60-minute session, which is now available on demand as...
As U.S. sales growth of yogurt slows, marketers need to shift their focus to potential category drivers beyond protein-dense Greek yogurt, such as new consumer segments and packaging innovation, according to market analysis from Packaged Facts.
The niche market for sprouted grains and seeds is primed to shoot up in the next five years with sales in the U.S. increasing eight times the current level as more products featuring the trendy ingredients launch, predicts food and nutrition expert Julian...
The last quarter of 2014 was pretty positive (+5.9%) for sales of non-alcoholic beverages in US convenience stores as shoppers spent cash they saved at the pumps on ‘treating themselves’ and ‘trading up’, according to Wells Fargo.
Sales of frozen foods will hold their own in the next few years despite increased competition from retailers selling more ready-made foods and consumer preference for fresh ingredients, according to Packaged Facts.
A federal appeals court in the District of Columbia has upheld an earlier court ruling in favor of the FTC versus POM Wonderful and claims it made in its advertising. On the flip side, the court also stated that requiring two valid clinical trials to...
The Malaysian government has launched its own sustainable palm oil certification standard – but will this add to or detract from sustainability and transparency efforts in the sector?
Will Pepsi True & Coca-Cola Life revitalize the cola market, or are today’s more demanding and sophisticated consumers looking for more than refreshment and ‘no-artificial’ claims from their beverage calories these days?
Innovative packaging can really help smaller brands punch above their weight. But which food & beverage companies have really nailed it from a design perspective? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Blake Mitchell, partner at food and beverage brand...
A recent FDA warning letter to a New York company points again to the danger of mixing metaphors when positioning a product as either a beverage or a liquid dietary supplement.
Private label penetration rates have not budged since 2011
Dollar sales of foods and beverages edged up a modest 2.1% to $470bn in the US retail market in 2014, but unit sales (an indication of volumes) were pretty flat (up just 0.9%), according to Chicago-based market research firm IRI.
While consumers may think twice about buying a large box of cereal featuring a new functional ingredient, they are much more willing to try new things in the beverage category, which is a hotbed of innovation right now, two leading ingredients suppliers...
The rising popularity of drinking vinegar available in a wide variety of bold flavors could give soda a run for some of its money by tapping into consumer interest in sugar reduction.
Positive health claims, such as those touting the benefits of a food, diet or quality, more effectively motivate the general public than negative or fear-based claims that attempt to scare people into action, according to a recently published study in...
US sales of ready to eat popcorn grew 25% to an estimated $750m in 2014
“Tired brands and off-trend categories should take inspiration from the astonishing turnaround in the fortunes of popcorn,” according to a new report from Rabobank International, which reveals that US sales of the bagged, pre-popped, ready-to-eat (RTE)...
Companies hoping to appeal to consumers interested in the heart health benefits of dark chocolate now have another marketing tool at their disposal: the percentage of cocoa labeled on their bars.
New consumers continue to enter the organic category for the first time, but the health halo cast by the US Department of Agriculture’s certification is dimming as it becomes more mainstream and as shoppers’ interpretation of the standard evolves.
Understanding how products' sensory characteristics and packaging both individually and synergistically provoke emotions in consumers can help manufacturers to design and optimise products, say researchers.
Consumers’ shifting preference for snacks as meals are changing how retailers, restaurants and packaged food manufacturers market food, according to data from Packaged Facts and Dupont Nutrition & Health.
Despite popular resolutions to eat healthier, manufacturers do not need to fear a drop in sales of less healthy foods at the start of the New Year compared to during the holidays when many people indulge, according to a new study published in PLOS ONE.
Narrowing down where retailers position multi-faceted drinking vinegar is an essential step in establishing it as a category, and the step is one that the founder of the Vermont Switchel Company is resistant to take.
Tumbling gas prices that are lining consumers’ pockets with savings may provide an unexpected opportunity for private label to steal market share from national brands, rather than the other way around, recent consumer survey results reveal.
Mandatory GMO labels will be seen as 'warning labels', warns GMA
Supporters and opponents of GMO labeling will square up in a courtroom in Burlington, Vermont, today (Jan 7) to present oral arguments over the merits of Act 120, which will require mandatory labeling of foods produced with genetic engineering.
Two-year time frame 'would almost certainly drive an increase in food prices'
The two-year time frame in which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expects the food industry to switch to new-look Nutrition Facts labels is unrealistic, and “would almost certainly drive an increase in prices of food products”, claims Kroger.
The rise of grocerants, or in-grocery-store dining, is helping supermarkets – and by extension food-based consumer packaged goods – hold their own against restaurants, drive-thrus, food trucks and take-out joints as consumer spending on food at home loses...
Diet soda is in a funk, while 'real sugar' is back in vogue. Energy is hot, but caffeine is still controversial. Maple water is bang-on-trend, but will it really become the next coconut water?
Consumer interest in health and wellness and on-the-go food continue to fuel growth in the nutritional drink category, but manufacturers could take sales even higher by targeting older and non-athletic consumers, according to Synergy Flavors and market...
The absence of clean labels and fast energy from New Nutrition Business’ list of top 10 food, nutrition and health trends for 2015 is just as important as what made the cut.
Unilever has withdrawn its false advertising lawsuit against plant-based foods pioneer Hampton Creek Foods and issued a statement applauding its commitment to innovation and noting that it shares the company's "vision of a more sustainable world".
The significantly longer amount of time necessary to prepare whole grains compared to refined grains is a substantial hurdle that stops many people from eating more whole grains, even though they are more nutritious.
Consumer desire to effectively manage their weight and improve their health through food will continue to influence new product development and sales in 2015, according to New Nutrition Business, a food- and nutrition-focused market research firm.
A high-profile lawsuit* filed by Unilever accusing Hampton Creek Foods of falsely advertising its flagship product ‘Just Mayo’ has not, it seems, dented Silicon Valley’s enthusiasm for the plant-based foods pioneer, which has just raised another $90m...
To make it in the crowded energy and nutrition bar category, a company needs a great tasting product, top-notch packaging, persistence, fortitude and differentiation, says Mark Brooks, founder of Mudd+Wyeth, a lifestyle company for dogs and their owners.
Trendwatching with Mintel, Euromonitor, Rabobank & Trailblazer Foods
From the 'astounding' reinvention of popcorn as "Millennial friendly, cool and healthy", to the proliferation of apps & devices enabling us to track our calories, sleep and bowel movements, what have we learned about the food culture...
Eating all your vegetables might be easier in 2015 than in recent years as they increasingly show up in unexpected places, including desserts and drinks, according to the International Food Network.
The biggest rise was in products making non-GMO or GMO-free claims
Non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free, ethical, environmentally-friendly, lactose-free, vegan, no additives/preservatives, and on-the-go claims are all gaining more traction on US food labels; while growth in ‘all-natural’- antioxidant- and low/no/reduced sugar/sodium/fat...