Asian-inspired healthy snacking brand Dang Foods has picked up a sizeable chunk of new business this year with Walmart, Kroger, Starbucks, Hudson News and Whole Foods that will see it boost store numbers to 11,000 by the summer, and hinted at plans to...
Honolulu-based Shaka Tea - the first Hawaiian ready-to-drink iced tea, and the first brewed with māmaki, a plant that only grows in the Hawaiian islands – has unveiled a new look, reformulated its wares to reduce sugar, and closed its second round of...
The salty snacks category is notoriously competitive, but as Hippeas has proved, you can cut through the noise if you have a distinct proposition coupled with bold, fun and impactful packaging, says Greenwave Foods president and CEO Raymond Chung, who...
Conscious consumerism continues to rise in America with more shoppers saying they want to reward companies that “do good,” unfortunately for companies that are embracing this trend a recent survey found many people don’t know how to find socially responsible...
A recent study that cast doubt on the associations between genetic markers and diet performance is a bump in the road toward personalized nutrition. But developers of testing platforms that incorporate DNA info, rather than being discouraged, say it’s...
'We’ve started with chefs because they create markets'
Row 7, a new seed company co-founded by high-profile chef Dan Barber and backed by former Whole Foods Co-CEO Walter Robb (among others) is promising to restore character, flavor and nutrition to produce that’s grown blander and more uniform from decades...
Cellular agriculture start-up Perfect Day – which is creating ‘vegan’ dairy proteins without cows – has raised $24.7m in a Series A funding round led by Singapore state-owned investment company Temasek.
Would a professional athlete drink this? The founders of NOOMA – one of a new wave of sports drinks boasting cleaner labels and less sugar – can reliably answer in the affirmative, as both Jarred and Brandon Smith played hockey for a living, and formulated...
What's the difference between a great brand, and beautiful packaging design? Will PepsiCo's Drinkfinity concept be a hit in the US? And could sprinkling 'fairy dust' amounts of on-trend functional ingredients in your beverage - and...
“At the beginning I thought our audience would be mostly vegans, but what I’ve realized is that a lot of people are just looking to try new things, especially high-quality alternative, premium, or gourmet food products,” says the chef behind dairy-free...
The ready-to-eat popcorn category has been pretty lively in recent years, but all the innovation has all been driven by branding and flavor, rather than functionality, claims Brooklyn-based brand Protes, which is looking to bring incremental growth to...
As a relative newcomer to the baby food category, Nosh wants to do more than just feed babies' and toddlers' stomachs, it wants to feed their minds with products that teach foundational skills and knowledge.
Love and passion, not a bottomless bank account and fierce competitive spirit, are the cornerstones for Bob’s Red Mill’s longevity and success, according to founder Bob Moore, who recently celebrated his 89th birthday and has overseen operations at the...
While the hype over edible insects has died down somewhat over the past couple of years, the demand for so-called ‘alternative’ proteins has not, and if suppliers can develop more efficient farming techniques, the potential market for protein-packed bugs...
Responding to consumers’ increasingly fragmented dietary preferences, GoMacro revamps the packaging for its low-sugar Thrive bars to better communicate “how accommodating” the protein bars are for a variety of restrictions and needs, according to the...
Insufficient funds may have forced entrepreneur Scott Joseph to pull his beverage brand Chimp Food from store shelves just as large orders were starting to come in, but he isn’t giving up – rather he says he is ready to come back stronger with new branding...
Apeel Sciences unveils bid to slash fresh produce waste with edipeel plant-based edible skin
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist (or a materials scientist in James Rogers’ case) to work out that if you could quadruple the shelf-life of fresh produce such that you could eliminate the use of fungicides and potentially even refrigerated transport,...
Sustainable often pops up in marketing to describe how products are made or packaged, and while consumers increasingly buy these products at a premium, some in the natural products industry fear the concept is becoming greenwashed while others say the...
A highly functional, neutral-tasting chickpea flour that mimics the functionality of wheat flour but also “behaves like modified starch in some applications” could significantly improve the organoleptic and nutritional profile of gluten-free pastas, baked...
With the help of $8 million in series A equity financing, the co-founders of Wandering Bear Coffee want to make sipping their company’s cold brew a convenient part of more consumers’ daily ritual by expanding their distribution, ramping up marketing and...
It started as an experiment. Would busy parents be prepared to pay for a service that delivered a week’s supply of pre-packed, nutritionally-balanced kids’ lunches to their homes, giving them one less thing to worry about?
Grass Fed Coffee, a ready-to-drink version of butter coffee, is finally ready to hit select store shelves at the end of the month – nearly two years and several “hiccups” after the brand successfully raised more than $86,000 on Kickstarter to perfect...
Creamier than a sorbet, but far lower in fat and calories than dairy ice cream and most dairy-free alternatives, Hakuna Banana is seeking to carve a novel niche in the frozen desserts aisle, co-founder Hannah Hong told Elaine Watson at the Specialty Food...
With consumption of animal protein projected by USDA to reach record levels in 2018, and consumer demand for high-fat, low carb options on the rise, The Real Good Food Company is liberating meat from its traditional place on top of pizzas or inside enchiladas...
An infusion of $30 million into Harmless Harvest’s coffers by strategic investors who believe in “constructive capitalism” will help the refrigerated coconut water manufacturer expand production and distribution in a way that also benefits the Thai communities...
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Could cold brew tea be as big as cold brew coffee? Is there a legal definition of kombucha… and a ‘correct’ way to manufacture it? Are consumers paying attention to the debate over the nutritional merits of plant-based versus dairy milks?
After establishing itself as a top player in the honey category with strong year-over-year growth, Nature Nate’s Honey Co. is expanding into adjacent categories where a company executive said it can offer “real, clean” alternatives to existing products...
Ripple Foods raises $64m in series C round taking total investment to $110m
The co-founder of Ripple Foods – which ruffled feathers in the plant-based community last year* after branding almond milk a ‘sham’ – says his pea protein-fueled products can “go head to head with any dairy product from a nutrition standpoint, and we...
On paper, organic extruded chickpea puffs might sound like niche natural products, but the meteoric ascent of HIPPEAS proves that edgy natural brands can hit the mainstream in record time if they have a compelling product and a brand that punches above...
To standout in an increasingly crowded category and manage rising consumer concerns about sugar, juice manufacturers are incorporating more exotic ingredients while also streamlining formulas and playing with new formats, according to one industry player.
Busy parents are tired, stressed, time poor and often struggling to satisfy competing demands from different family members across multiple meal times, making them particularly receptive to food delivery services, say the founders of Nurture Life, one...
Formulations have undeniably improved, but some plant-based yogurts still have a “gelatinous” and “weird” quality, observed Ripple Foods founder Neil Renninger last year (“Let’s not mince words… some of these products are terrible…”). So can new market...
Ridged plantain chips – Barnana’s first foray into the large, but notoriously competitive salty snacks aisle – are a logical adjacency for the banana-obsessed brand that will take it further into the snacking mainstream, says CMO and co-founder Nik Ingersöll.
If some commentators are predicting a pitched battle between plant-based, animal-based, and cellular agriculture, Tyson Foods - the largest meat-packer in the US is clearly more agnostic about its protein sources – with its venture arm taking a minority...
Despite downward price pressure in the nutrition bar category, Bobo’s continues to sell its organic oat bars for nearly three times as much as its competitors – helping it curry favor with retailers and earn prime in-store positioning that further boosts...
The plant-based creamer category has grown considerably more competitive since nutpods launched in early 2015 with its coconut-and-almond-based wares, but revenues surged 500% in 2017 for the Bellevue, WA-based brand, which has just completed a series...
London-based brand UGLY Drinks is gearing up for a US launch in spring 2018… Elaine Watson caught up with CEO and co-founder Hugh Thomas at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy Food Show to get the lowdown on what the brand is all about…
Until recently, Americans only ate about one-third of the recommended amount of seafood per week, but industry insiders say this is changing and they note shoppers aren’t reaching for just any seafood – they want sustainably sourced seafood that is not...
While some commentators still suspect that the ‘emperor has no clothes’ despite the steady influx of cash being pumped into the burgeoning meal kit industry, the meteoric growth at Sun Basket – which boasts industry-leading margins as well as customer...
Packed with MCT oil, kale, pumpkin seed protein and probiotics, start-up Bear Squeeze wants to be known as a “higher-end, cleaner Soylent,” said co-founder and president Max Baumann.
Drinkable soup brand Tio Gazpacho has made its first executive hire with the appointment of beverage industry veteran Matt Merson as VP general manager. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with founder Austin Allan at the Specialty Food Association’s Winter Fancy...
Faba Butter uses aquafaba – the viscous liquid left over from cooking chickpeas – to bind water, coconut oil and a plant-based liquid oil to create a vegan buttery spread claimed to blow rivals out of the water. Elaine Watson caught up with brand owner...
'We hoped to provide a product that met your high standards for food that fuels an epic life...'
Phenomenal Foods – the Los Angeles-based start-up behind probiotic-fueled organic fruit & veggie snack brand Nomva – has called it a day just over two years after launching in southern California.
Inspiring consumers through beautiful Pinterest posts, delicious recipes, heart-warming blog posts and viral videos can help build brand awareness, but the most effective digital marketers also make each experience easily shoppable, according to new research...
Bored of popcorn, but looking for something equally light on the snacking front? Lotus Pops – a popped lotus seed snack on show at the Winter Fancy Food Show – meets consumer demand for guilt-free snacks that still deliver on taste and texture, claims...
Busy parents who don’t have time to chop & puree food for their babies and who distrust premade food in jars, pouches or HPP tubs, now have another option that meets them half way: Raised Real offers subscription flash frozen meal kits for children...
From cannabis cuisine - Jeff Sessions’ recent interventions notwithstanding - to ‘intrinsic nutrition' (a renewed focus on nutrient-dense foods naturally rich in healthy fats, protein, fiber, and other nutrients), here are 10 macro trends to watch...
Urban Remedy, a plant-based food company specializing in organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices, has closed a $17m series B fundraising round with lead investment from 301 INC, General Mills’ venture arm, and attracted natural products...
A joint venture between ingredient suppliers Cargill and PURIS announced today will allow for the significant expansion of pea protein production at a time when more consumers are looking for plant-based options that deliver health benefits, are sustainable...
In 2013, Mosa Meat showed the world what clean meat looks like; 'Burger 2.0' will now be ready in under 2 years. But it's not a case of being first, the CEO says. “The global meat market is worth over one trillion dollars. Four companies...
