UPDATED -The campaign urging voters to say ‘YES’ to Washington State’s GMO labeling initiative 522 has acknowledged that it will not pass, but said the latest results show the tally was so close that had more young ‘progressive’ residents turned out to...
Long the victim of an outdated image problem—canned beef and barley soup anyone?—barley has the nutritional profile, cost and versatility that should catapult into the realm of super grains like quinoa and kamut. And yet, barley often ends up buried on...
Hain Celestial has been targeted in a first-if-its-kind putative class action lawsuit alleging that it falsely advertised Celestial Seasoning teas as 100% natural when they in fact contain “potentially dangerous” levels of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides,...
Coca-Cola has been targeted in another proposed class action lawsuit alleging that it misrepresents Coke as being free from added preservatives and artificial flavors, despite containing phosphoric acid, an 'artificial flavoring' and 'chemical...
While many grocery brands are struggling to generate any growth right now, top gluten-free brands Udi's and Glutino notched up combined net sales growth of 53% in the latest quarter, bosses at brand owner Boulder Brands have revealed.
Demonization of ingredients and a lack of consumer understanding has fueled clean label, but it remains niche among a small group of consumers, DuPont Nutrition & Health says.
With early results from Washington State’s ballot on GMO labeling (I-522) suggesting voters may narrowly reject it (click here) legal experts predict that while this particular battle may be lost, the war is far from over.
Initial returns indicate that voters in Washington State have given the thumbs down to GMO labeling proposal I-522, in similar proportions to the vote on California's GMO labeling proposal Prop 37.
Kraft Foods will pull the artificial yellow coloring from five of its character-based shapes macaroni and cheese product lines starting in January 2014.
Whether a food product contains genetically modified organisms, and whether the disclosure of that information should be mandatory on the label has dominated public discourse in recent years. But that focus may have obscured a more basic concern about...
Special edition: Tackling diabetes. Formulating for healthy blood sugar
Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, and poor diet and lack of exercise may be largely to blame, what can food and beverage manufacturers do to tackle this epidemic?
The number of consumer fraud class actions brought in federal court against food and beverage companies skyrocketed from 19 cases in 2008 to more than 100 in 2012, according to the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR)*.
From the risks and rewards of energy drinks to what Americans eat for breakfast, strategies to tackle mindless eating and the next generation of gluten-free foods, Houston was the place to be this week as 8,000+ nutrition professionals gathered for the...
Food policy must meet the needs of the rapidly growing global population, as well as urban elites in developed nations with “organic window boxes” promoting an ‘Old McDonald fantasy’, claimed one high-profile speaker at the Academy of Nutrition &...
Despite recent renewed efforts, the food industry does not appear to be winning hearts and minds when it comes to persuading the public of the merits of GM crops, or why mandatory labeling of ingredients derived from them would be a bad idea.
UPDATED: The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) says it will file paperwork with the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) establishing a political committee and will disclose the source of all of its contributions to the ‘NO’ campaign...
In new developments in the highly charged debate over GMOs, General Mills has been targeted in a report blasted by a plant geneticist as “a collection of discredited studies and half-truths”, while the GMA has been slapped with a lawsuit alleging it concealed...
Confectionery giant Mars has defended its use of artificial colors in M&Ms after being urged to ditch them in a petition on change.org accompanied by a press release from the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) describing them as “neurotoxic...
A federal judge handling three lawsuits vs General Mills over ‘100% natural’ claims on Nature Valley products claimed to contain GMOs and other allegedly ‘un-natural’ ingredients says the courts are perfectly capable of deciding if consumers have been...
The recent drop in diet soda sales in North America has been “a little more rapid than we expected” says PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, but PepsiCo remains convinced that “significant disruptive innovation” rather than “ridiculous pricing” is the best way to...
Big interview: Ben F. Pierce Gore, Pratt & Associates
When you think of plaintiff's lawyers, two images probably come to mind: Consumer crusaders like Erin Brockovich or grubby ambulance-chasers in John Grisham novels. But where in this spectrum should we insert the top attorneys representing plaintiffs...
A group of increasingly influential consumers who want to impact the way food is raised, grown, packaged and sold are flying under the radar of most food product marketers, according to the results of the third global “Food 2020” survey by public relations...
With roughly a month to go until voters in Washington State decide whether GMO foods should be labeled, shareholder advocates are calling on the top 10 donors who helped fund the opposition against California’s Prop 37 last year, which was narrowly defeated,...
As a tidal wave of civil litigation over the use of the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ (ECJ) to describe dried cane syrup (aka sugar) continues to engulf the food industry, there has been good and bad news for some high-profile defendants this month.
Joint venture DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products Company has teamed up with flavors giant Symrise to launch a new all-natural bio-based solvent and humectant as a carrier for compounded flavors.
The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition's (CFSAN) priority to publish guidance to help manufacturers with voluntarily GMO labeling could signal a change in thinking at the agency, says the United Natural Products Alliance (UNPA).
Is there a natural ceiling to the gluten-free market? Is the party over for energy drinks? Are '100%-natural' claims worth the hassle? Find out in FoodNavigator-USA's round up of 10 of the hottest topics in US food and beverage development.Click...
Stevia scientists are still rolling the taste rock up the hill, engaged in the seemingly Sisyphean task of solving the ingredient’s lingering issues. The sweetener’s huge potential drives formulators on, and after hundreds of thousands of research man...
Stevia specialist Steviva Ingredients has developed an organic syrup combining blue agave nectar and stevia extract that is suitable for formulators looking to cut calories and maintain clean labels in sauces and dressings, bars, beverages and baked goods.
IBIE 2013 has a fantastic educational program lined up from tips for gluten-free and whole grain use, to insight on food safety regulations and labeling laws. BakeryandSnacks takes a look at ‘what not to miss’…
Despite that one out of every six people in the United States is Latino, 57% of the top 500 advertisers allocate less than 1% of their budgets to targeting Hispanics, according to the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies.
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) announced that it opposes federally mandated voluntary GMO labeling in favor of states’ rights to enforce mandatory GMO labeling, arguing that voluntary labeling could end state GMO laws and legitimate non-GMO-certified...
Safeway has been hit with a proposed class action lawsuit alleging it misled consumers by describing its Open Nature Multi-Grain and Homestyle waffles as ‘100% natural’ because they contained the chemical additive sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP).
An organic equivalence agreement signed yesterday between the US and Japan will reopen the Japanese market to US organic producers and could provide more—and possibly cheaper—food for US consumers.
Walmart has kicked off the second iteration of its Get on the Shelf competition with a new crop of hopeful, emerging brands looking for coveted shelf space at the world’s largest retailer.
As consumer demand for local and organic products grow, new research asks whether it a love for these characteristics or a hate for 'conventional' food is driving purchases.
The FDA says it will permit qualified health claims on the relationship between eating whole grains and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, but is the wording it has proposed so qualified that no food manufacturer will want to use it?
From August 5, 2014, manufacturers using the term ‘gluten-free’ on food labels must adhere to new FDA rules that set a gluten limit of 20 parts per million (ppm). But can consumers take their word for it, or will they still look for some kind of third...
More than a year after South Dakota beef processor Beef Products Inc. (BPI) filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News Inc. for its coverage of lean, finely textured beef (LFTB)—which since gained the infamous moniker “pink slime”—the two sides are awaiting...
Connecting subtle cues consumers use to judge the quality and taste of a food with the context in which they experience those cues can help companies more closely align their products with consumer expectations, new research shows.
Cargill has agreed to settle a proposed class action lawsuit alleging it is misleading shoppers by marketing its Truvia consumer products (which contain stevia extract Reb-A and erythritol) as ‘natural’.
A bill proposing sweeping changes to food labeling laws covering everything from ‘natural’ claims to whole grain statements has been welcomed by consumer groups, but stands little chance of success, legal experts have told FoodNavigator-USA.
US retail sales of non-GMO foods and beverages are projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% in the next five years, and could represent 30% of the market with a value of $264bn in 2017, predicts Packaged Facts.
A new report from Rainforest Action Network says food giants supporting "weak" and "diluted" Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standards or buying GreenPalm certificates are kidding themselves if they think this will save...
Requiring food manufacturers to label products containing ingredients from genetically engineered (GE) crops would not mean higher food prices for shoppers, according to an independent study released yesterday by the Just Label It coalition.
Is it too risky to label products that may contain ingredients from genetically engineered crops as ‘all-natural’? And will the FDA step in and decide this issue so consumer class action lawsuits over this issue stop clogging up the court system?
Natural colors expert Chr. Hansen has been exploring whether it is commercially viable to produce carmine - a natural red food color currently made from crushed cochineal insects - via a controlled fermentation process.
