If the novelty factor surrounding edible insects has worn off somewhat, consumer interest in protein – particularly where there is a sustainability story to tell – continues to grow, says Denver-based start-up Lithic Nutrition, which packs 15g of protein...
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
Dahlicious – a brand best-known for its cultured dairy product, lassi – is moving into new territory this year with the launch of almondmilk-based yogurt and kefir.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
That’s It fruit bars were an immediate hit, but will the brand’s new veggie bars – which combine black beans with veggies such as peas, carrots, kale, and corn – be a tougher sell?
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
In regular water, hydrogen is bound to oxygen (H2O) making it "difficult for our bodies to enjoy the [antioxidant/anti-inflammatory] benefits of hydrogen," claims the company behind Hfactor, which contends that dissolving hydrogen gas into water...
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
Rhythm Superfoods has just closed a $6m financing round led by Gen Mills' 301 INC arm. But what will it spend the money on? FoodNavigator-USA editor Elaine Watson caught up with CEO Scott Jensen at the Winter Fancy Food Show to find out.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
Cold soup in a bottle is still a novelty for many Americans, but the concept of ‘souping’ (as opposed to ‘juicing’) is gaining traction, particularly for consumers watching their sugar intake, claims Sonoma Brands founder Jon Sebastiani.
Billed as a “product sampling community” and influencer marketing company, Social Nature wants to take the time-honored and go-to strategy of in-store demonstrations into the digital age for a “better, cheaper and more direct way to target and acquire...
Consumers’ growing familiarity with the health benefits of nuts and seeds paired with their versatility is inspiring manufacturers to seek new varieties, uses and packaging for the ingredient – propelling it into a starring role in the American diet in...
In today’s highly competitive landscape, many food and beverage manufacturers try to set their brands apart by tapping into consumers’ desire for products that not only are better for them but also better for the planet or for society.
MAIO, an indulgent tasting yet better-for-you alternative to conventional mayonnaise, is the latest test product to come out of C-Fresh's innovation team and its unique approach to incubating products on a small scale before expanding.
“We did everything you’re not supposed to do,” observes the COO of Primal Kitchen, which exploded out of the blocks with a sugar-free avocado oil-based mayo in February 2015, notched up revenues of $13.2m in 2016, and is expecting to almost double that...
A $5.3m injection of capital will help Barnana support a new line of organic snacks debuting in March, move into more retail channels, and ramp up its marketing, according to co-founder and chief marketing officer Nik Ingersoll.
Snackfood firm Rhythm Superfoods has closed a $6m Series D financing round filled through the CircleUp platform, with 301 INC - General Mills' new business development and venturing unit - as the lead investor (additional investors include Blueberry...
Consumers have moved on since dairy standards of identity first hit the statute books, says Miyoko's Kitchen founder and CEO Miyoko Schinner, and it's time regulators did too.
With an investment of $2.5 million from Aqua-Spark, startup seafood meal kit maker Love The Wild hopes to change the way Americans eat fish and perceive aquaculture farming, which has a notoriously bad reputation.
If retailers were originally querying whether to stock refrigerated baby food, the more progressive players are now more focused on how and where to merchandise it, says Pure Spoon CEO Alyson Eberle, who is gearing up for a rollout at Walmart (350 stores),...
Alex McCoy: 'Ostrich is by far the most environmentally sustainable red meat'
Check out Alexander McCoy’s linkedin profile and you’ll see a string of corporate finance-related entries until you get to 2013, when he abruptly switched gears and took up ostrich farming.
Kellogg Company’s venture capital fund eighteen94’s inaugural investment and lead position in a $4.25 million raise for the fast-growing startup Kuli Kuli will help the moringa superfood supplier and manufacturer expand its presence in retailers with...
Dairy can get a bad rap in debates on animal welfare and sustainability, but it’s time the conversation became more nuanced, says 100% grass-fed, organic and “unapologetically full-fat” dairy brand Maple Hill Creamery, which is now available in 6,000...
By blurring the line between subscription boxes and home delivery meal kits, industry newcomer SoBakeable takes the best parts of each category to create a unique business model that promises sustained consumer engagement – an essential component that...
Ancient Nutrition takes the burgeoning bone broth category in a new direction by bringing it into the well established and wildly successful protein powder segment with the creation of a more versatile Bone Broth Protein powder.
Drinkable organic soup brand Tio Gazpacho is gearing up for a significant expansion in 2017 as it starts to reap the benefits of partnerships with General Mills and Michelin-Starred Chef José Andrés, and prepares to launch a new, lower-priced line targeting...
FoodFutureCo - a food business accelerator program targeting ‘purpose-driven’ companies in scale-up mode (on track to grossing more than $1 million annually) – will unveil its new cohort of 6-8 companies in early 2017.
As snacking continues to encroach on mealtime in the US, industry newcomer Farmer’s Pantry wants to ensure that the grab-and-go options consumers reach for are well-balanced, sufficiently filling and worthy of their new elevated position in the American...
Is it legal for nut or other non-dairy based beverages sold in the US to describe themselves as ‘milk’ (almondmilk, cashewmilk, soymilk) on food labels?
Cacao is best known for its antioxidant-rich nut that is used to make chocolate, but the fruit has more to offer -- including a sweet white pulp that helps set Suavva Cacao Smoothies apart from other RTD juices and shakes.
Offering products made from crops transitioning to organic at a premium above conventional but not as high as certified organic “helps the farmer, helps the consumer and helps the planet,” says the owner of the McKaskle Family Farm.
For more than 100 years, brewing and benefiting from the health aspects of Yaupon Holly -- a lightly caffeinated and antioxidant packed plant native to the US -- was nearly forgotten, but now it is coming back and ready to go mainstream thanks to the...
As the plant-based movement marches on, alternatives to animal-based products are starting to show up in some unexpected places -- most recently as substitutes in the burgeoning meat bar category.
Getting retailers to give up valuable space in the chiller for nutrition bars was a tough sell when Bill Keith first started knocking on doors in 2006. Today, Perfect Bars are the third best-selling snack bar in the natural channel, and their success...
Launching a new brand in the ready-to-drink tea market is not for the faint-hearted, but Shaka Tea - one of three winners in this year's trailblazers challenge at Food Vision USA - has unique attributes that set it apart from the competition, says...
Give peas a chance? It's tough breaking into the ultra-competitive snacks market with a brand that resonates across all retail channels, but Hippeas - one of three winners in this year's trailblazers challenge at Food Vision USA - has managed...
Afineur – one of three winners in this year's trailblazers challenge at Food Vision USA – reckons microbes can transform the flavor and nutrition of a host of agricultural products, starting with coffee.
Cold pressed watermelon juice brand WTRMLN WTR – which hit the headlines in May after Beyonce took a ‘meaningful stake’ – has notched up 300%+ growth in 2016 and is now in 15,000+ stores, says co-founder and creative director Jody Levy, who says fans...
Home delivery meal kit provider Chef’d breaks away from the dinner focused competition by partnering with the Quaker Oats Company to become one of the first services in the crowded category to offer breakfast options.
Ripple – a pea-based ‘milk’ claimed to blow both dairy milk and plant-based alternatives out of the water in the taste, nutrition and sustainability stakes - appears to be living up to the hype, and is now available in 3,000 stores just nine months after...
Kabrita USA cuts through the competition in the infant and toddler formula category to earn shelf space and parents' trust by cultivating consumers' positive reviews and healthcare providers' recommendations.
Based in part on the idea that good things come in small packages, the founders of The Little Kernel earlier this year launched a line of tiny pre-popped popcorn, which they say is sweeter, crunchier and easier to eat than regular sized popcorn because...
Most entrepreneurs are lucky if they strike CPG gold once. Jason Cohen has done it multiple times, and reckons he could be onto a winner again with Road Crew Crunch, a simple combination of chocolate, nuts, rice and pretzels he discovered on a family...
‘Clean’ (a.k.a. cultured/lab-grown) meat pioneer Memphis Meats says it aims to have products in grocery stores by 2021, and says it is confident it will be able to mass produce meat in bioreactors at prices at parity, or below, that of meat from farm...
The Beyond Burger – the first refrigerated plant-based patty to sit in the meat counter – will move into all Whole Foods regions by the end of the year, while brand owner Beyond Meat is also in talks with foodservice chains interested in testing or launching...
US volume sales of products featuring a ‘grain-free’ claim surged 75.7% in the 52 weeks to July 30, 2016, according to Nielsen Wellness Track data,* with many retailers now carving out grain-free or ‘Paleo’ segments in everything from hot cereal and nutrition...
The founders of startup Malt Shop Cookies are hoping to jumpstart their new ecommerce business by launching on Cyber Monday the online sale of their line of malted milk cookies before expanding into more traditional brick and mortar stores next year.
As widely rumored, two major players in the functional beverages space are to change hands, with PepsiCo to acquire KeVita for an undisclosed sum and Dr Pepper Snapple Group to acquire Bai Brands – in which it already has a small stake – for $1.7bn. And...
Rightly or wrongly, organic snacks often are stereotyped as “esoteric” products that sacrifice flavor and fun for nutrition and are “hard on the wallet” compared to their conventional counterparts, according to the CEO of Pure Growth Organic.
From terminology (do US consumers get the word ‘pulses’?), to positioning (what are the key selling points?), and how to deal with flatulence questions, the recent FoodNavigator-USA Pulse Innovation Forum covered a lot of ground. Here are some of the...
Kombucha and fermented beverages category grew 32% in year to October 2, says SPINS
According to SPINS data*, retail sales of refrigerated kombucha and fermented beverages** surged 32% to $375.4m (natural, specialty, conventional multi-outlet) in the year to October 2, but with household penetration still very low, there is still significant...
Ten years after launch, Oakland, CA-based Revolution Foods is on course to generate revenues of $130m in 2016, up 25% vs 2015, and expects to continue on the same trajectory in 2017 as more kids and families discover its “kid-inspired, chef-crafted” meals...
