Consumers seeking clean labels historically have given a pass to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, even though they have long lists of unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce ingredients, but that may be changing as the category’s health halo dims...
Gluten free may not be as trendy as it once was, but the call-out continues to resonate with consumers as the quality, quantity and variety of products making the claim continue to improve – as showcased by brands across categories at the Summer Fancy...
Equitea, maker of cold brewed USDA organic teas, wants to destigmatize mental health and improve access to wellness products, the company’s co-founder and CEO Quentin Vennie told FoodNavigator-USA during BevNet Live in New York earlier this month.
Portuguese-based food-tech startup PFx Biotech is harnessing precision-fermentation to create human milk proteins for infant formulas and other applications, company Co-founder Harry Barraza shared during the Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins event...
The early retail success of functional beverage startup Crunchy Hydration shows sugar – or its low- and no-calorie counterparts – are not a necessary ingredient for success in a category that is laden with sweeteners used to mask the sometimes bitter...
Hero Bread is using $21 million in series B funding to reinforce its retail footprint as more consumers demand more nutritious and healthier baked goods, including through direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, company CEO YuChiang Cheng told FoodNavigator-USA....
Alt-protein startups have unlocked the potential to create a range of novel meat products — from cell-cultivated mammoth meatballs to tiger meat — with the help of biotech processes. However, companies should think carefully when developing products too...
Building a packaged food or beverage business from scratch can be expensive and overwhelming for entrepreneurs, but Startup CPG is making it a little easier with a suite of free tools, extensive networking opportunities and a safe space for founders to...
An end may be in sight for the capital crunch that has slowed innovation, growth and M&A activity in the food and beverage space in recent years, according to one investment insider, but she warns the timeline is longer for closing deals and the bar...
Taking nods from his career as director of performance for the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, Mubarak Malik developed sports drink brand Barcode with a formulation that aligns with fitness and recovery, and includes vitamin D3, an uncommon...
SAUZ’s pasta sauces, made with premium ingredients and natural flavors, are designed by founders Troy Bonde and Winston Alfieri to bring flavor and convenience to consumers’ kitchens, while disrupting a stagnant category, they told FoodNavigator-USA.
Sparkling water brand Aura Bora is turning negative comments about its brand into a positive with its Chili Watermelon flavor, made possible through a collaboration with candle company P.F. Candle.
Better-for-you candy company Issei Mochi Gummies is bolstering its retail footprint with recent launches into Albertsons and Walmart stores nationwide, as it finds an opportunity to provide an alternative to the gelatin- or pectin-based products on the...
Through a global challenge offering up to $2 million in prize funding announced this week, the US Department of Agriculture and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) want to place “big bets” on high-risk, but high-reward innovations...
Canadian-based vegan seafood brand Seed to Surf is debuting its tinned fish product at more than 150 US Whole Foods Markets after completing the retailer’s Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP), and is teeing innovation in the soup category, company...
Food and beverage brands should focus on the fundamentals of growing slowly and strategically to set up long-term success while also complementing a founder's vision with a team of experts with diverse skillsets, Seth Goldman, co-founder and chief...
In-store product demos and digital couponing can help brands vying for retail distribution by boosting sales and velocities, Luke Abbott, founder and CEO of VDriven Consulting, explained during an International Dairy Deli Bakery Association webinar.
Biomanufacturing technology provider Prolific Machines raised $55 million in Series B1 funding, which will go to support the commercialization of its light-based biotech platform, company Co-founder and CEO Deniz Kent told FoodNavigator-USA.
The alternative-protein market might have an opportunity to kickstart market growth with innovative products that cater to more meal occasions, including breakfast, and by meeting the demands of flexitarian consumers, Fazeela Abdul Rashid, partner at...
While bayjoo’s founder Ana Bautista Lee embarked on the solopreneur path to bring bayjoo, a traditional Caribbean beverage, to the United States, she relies on a vast network of other founders and experts to help her navigate the competitive and complex...
Better-for-you snack brand Sweet Loren’s is expanding its product portfolio with a series of ready-to-use pizza, pastry and pie doughs as the company taps into demands for clean-label treats and ready-to-use foods, company CEO and Founder Loren Castle...
Israel-based food-tech company NewMoo emerged from stealth this week to address alternative cheese taste and texture challenges with animal-free casein, company Co-founder and CEO Daphna Miller told FoodNavigator-USA.
Four startups pitching next month at Future Food Tech Alternative Proteins Summit in Chicago, along with entrepreneurs from many more emerging businesses showcasing in the event’s Startup Pavilion, are tackling some of the biggest challenges facing plant-based,...
Recent survey data from Purdue University that found one-third of Americans are unwilling to try cultivated chicken or cow prepared in a restaurant underscores the extent of the category’s "consumer acceptance problem,” despite efforts by industry...
This week, food tech venture capital (VC) firm PeakBridge closed its Growth Fund II after raising $187m – surpassing its target — and invested in meat, dairy, and cocoa alternatives as part of its second fund, Nadav Berger, the company’s founder and managing...
Plant-based comfort food brand Blackbird Foods launched a crowdfunding campaign on Start Engine to grow its business, including a bigger push into school lunch programs, company CEO Emanuel Storch told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview....
Biotech company Oobli signed a formal agreement with Grupo Bimbo to supply the baked goods manufacturer with sweet proteins — the first major step in the startup establishing itself as an ingredient provider.
Given the complexity of alternative-protein manufacturing, many biotech companies are exploring how to reduce costs with AI technologies, process improvements and novel uses for waste streams from other industries, Lever VC shared in a recent report.
Consumer tolerance is running out for food and beverage companies raising prices to offset inflation, based on volume and sales declines reported by several large CPG manufacturers during the most recent round of quarterly earnings calls.
Walnut snack company Unbound Snacks took home the gold at C.A. Fortune's Build Tank event in Chicago, for its category innovations and eye-catching packaging, while other brands impressed buyers through unique products and branding.
The FoodNavigator-USA team is heading to Chicago next month to Future Food-Tech’s Alternative Proteins summit, where we will help lead discussions around overcoming obstacles facing plant-based and cultivated meat and seafood and help identify areas of...
Food-tech company Voyage Foods raised $52m in its Series A+ funding round to grow its ingredient business as it prepares to open a second facility later this year.
Update is redefining the energy drink category with its star ingredient, paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine that provides the uplifting benefits of caffeine without the negative side effects, company Co-founder and CEO Daniel Solomons told FoodNavigator-USA...
Alt-protein startups that are trying to attract the attention of venture-capital (VC) investors often need to ensure their business pitches focus on how they can capture a market through their product and team, while founders must convey confidence and...
New Zealand-based non-alcoholic (NA) beverage brand Free AF is expanding in the US in Walmart and Target stores, company Founder Lisa King told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview.
Olipop commemorates Barbie’s 65th birthday with a new Peaches & Cream flavor of its gut-friendly soda, as the brand expands into the convenience and gas channel, Steven Vigilante, the company’s director of growth and partnerships, told FoodNavigator-USA....
Supergut is expanding nationwide as part of GNC’s new section dedicated to GLP-1 nutritional support, as the brand has quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters due to consumer interest in gut health and products to alleviate symptoms from drugs like...
After a challenging few years in which falling sales and units dragged plant-based protein into the trough of disillusionment, stakeholders are finding ways up the other side of the Gartner Hype Cycle by leveraging emerging technologies, novel ingredients...
Alt-protein companies scaling their fermentation processes beyond the lab face numerous challenges that require them to think through production processes, raw ingredients, and the design of a manufacturing facility to create a commercially viable product....
Contrary to popular belief, not all video-gamers are happy to chug energy drinks and devour junk food for fuel – rather most eSports enthusiasts want convenient, tasty snacks that will not compromise their competitive edge by compromising their health.
Snacks from the Sea is moving beyond e-commerce with the help of new packaging and product formulations to make kelp’s health and sustainability more widely appreciated in the US, brand founder Jennifer Murphy told FoodNavigator-USA.
Laoban Dumplings pays homage to traditional Chinese flavors and ingredients that combine convenience, quality and flavor in its line of homemade-style frozen dumplings and an upcoming launch of bao buns explained Patrick Coyne, the company’s co-founder...
Mondelēz International wants to team with early-stage startups through its CoLab Tech program to develop “groundbreaking” technology that can accelerate its Vision 2030 Growth strategy and meet consumer demand for personalized nutrition and products that...
Protein snack brand WILDE raised $20m in a round led by private-equity firm KarpReilly, which will help raise the brand’s awareness as more consumers seek nutrient-rich foods to improve their health, Jason Wright, Founder and CEO of WILDE told FoodNavigator-USA.
Organic snack-bar brand Kate’s Real Food is pushing into the travel channel with a deal to sell its product in Amtrak cars in the coming months, as it delivers on demand for high protein with a new product line.
Despite declining sales and investment in the alternative protein industry in recent years, the segment is seeing early green shoots that suggest category stakeholders may be clawing their way out of the trough of disillusionment and up the other side...
Nourish Ingredients, a pioneer in the emerging ‘animal-free’ speciality fat segment, is expanding into non-dairy with the debut of Creamilux – a low-inclusion lipid that recreates the rich, creamy mouthfeel, taste and emulsification properties of dairy...
Berlin-based food-tech startup Nosh.bio is overcoming capacity constraints that have hampered other fermentation-derived alternative protein players by developing a proprietary production process that is “minimal, scalable and sustainable” and by teaming...
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