Springboard – a new Kraft Heinz platform dedicated to nurturing and scaling “disruptive” US brands - has unveiled its first incubator class, spanning meat snacks and egg white chips to fermented foods, avocado-fueled sauces, and lemonade with a functional...
McDonald’s aggressive goals to improve the nutrition and limit the calories of its Happy Meals “has tremendous potential to improve child nutrition” and raises the bar for kid’s meals at by fast casual restaurants and CPG manufacturers, according to a...
The plant-based seafood space has heated up considerably since New Wave Foods co-founder Dominique Barnes first started wondering why plant-based burgers were a thing, but plant-based shrimp wasn’t, back in 2015, but we’ve still barely scratched the surface...
Based on emerging consumer concerns about their health and that of the planet, the future of packaged food must be both healthier for people and sustainable for the planet to succeed, according to the founder of the conceptual grocery store The Future...
Seaweed-fueled brand Ocean’s Halo is tapping into the ramen noodle craze with new shelf-stable retail meal kits featuring noodles, a single-serve Tetrapak of broth, a spice pack, and a plant fiber-based microwaveable bowl to create restaurant quality...
Childhood obesity: 'Are we making progress or has progress stalled?'
New data suggesting childhood obesity in the US is on the rise again may not tell the full story, but nevertheless serves as a call for manufacturers and public health advocates to redouble their efforts to improve the diet and health of young Americans,...
Cold brew coffee may have up to twice the caffeine as conventional hot brewed coffee, but research done by Kerry found that the beverage’s flavor profile provides an even stronger draw for consumers to the category.
Israeli start-up Aleph Farms' proprietary "three dimensional" process holistically grows all parts of meat - muscle, fat, blood vessels and connective tissue - together, yielding a 'free-range' taste and texture.
'We can accommodate clean meat within the existing regulatory framework...'
Attempts by the US Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) to restrict use of the terms ‘beef’ and ‘meat’ to products from animals ‘born, raised, and harvested in the traditional manner,’ would have a “chilling” effect on innovation “at a time when the global...
Personalized nutrition platform Habit was originally billed as "food company, not just a recommendation engine." However, delivery of customized fresh prepared meals based on its dietary advice – trialed in the Bay Area last year – is on hold...
Ready-to-eat popcorn is a posterchild of the better-for-you snack movement, but the co-founders of start-up Taali Foods think they can do even better with launch of a line of popped and roasted water lily seeds, which pack more protein and nutrients than...
Once considered simply a children’s snack that parents would sneak when no one was looking, puffs suddenly are everywhere – and for everyone – thanks to their better-for-you profile, new sophisticated flavors, increasingly diverse bases and playful shapes...
Barrel Creek Provisions has undergone a brand transformation to establish itself as a formidable player in the fermented foods category, a market that continues to grow alongside consumers’ interest in gut health and probiotics.
Keeping track of emerging food trends can be daunting, especially in an immediate, digital-centric environment, but there are a few constant principles to lean on in the increasingly cluttered, fragmented food and beverage market, according to Lynn Dornblaser,...
In a market where fruit and nut-based products own the majority of dollar share in the snacking category compared to vegetables (83% vs. 17%, according to Nielsen), seaweed brands like gimME Snacks may be the type of innovation the category needs to give...
Plant-based meat alternatives mimicking beef and chicken may be getting all the attention right now, but Good Catch Foods, a company aiming to bring a suite of plant-based seafood products to stores within six months, could change the tide of conversation.
What plant-based foods are trending in foodservice?
Plant-based is a hot trend in food marketing right now, but how is it playing out in foodservice, which ingredients are trending on menus, and what marketing resonates the best with diners?
On the face of it, the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ might appear to be interchangeable (they both involve avoiding animal products), but consumers do not view them in the same way, reveals new research from food development specialist Mattson.
‘Dieting’ and ‘reduced fat’ have become passé phrases in the world of packaged food replaced with terms like ‘clean label’ and ‘locally-sourced’, so what can explain low-calorie ice cream alternative Halo Top’s dramatic takeover of the frozen dessert...
With a growing Midwest footprint, ready-to-drink (RTD) cold brew coffee brand Blackeye Roasting Co. said it has ‘aggressive’ plans to triple its distribution to 30 states by the end of 2018 and sees c-stores as its secret weapon to reaching a new base...
Labeling framework for plant-based and clean meat should reflect modern technology and consumer trends, says GFI
A desire to protect its members, not consumers, is the primary motivation behind the US Cattlemen’s Association (USCA) petition to restrict use of the terms ‘beef’ and ‘meat’ to products from animals “born, raised, and harvested in the traditional manner”...
A year since launching the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network, executive director Alan Reed has said the message of connecting the Chicago food community, an area with more than 4,500 companies, has spread like wildfire with major industry players...
Americans’ long-term love affair with protein shows no sign of slowing, but new research from the full service sales and marketing firm Acosta suggests that the sources of the macronutrient that shoppers are buying is evolving as are their reason for...
‘Our platform enables us to understand and reverse-engineer all animal products’
Plant-based burger maker Impossible Foods has raised a jaw-dropping amount of money for a food company (almost $400m in debt and equity), albeit one supported by a lot of IP. So what gives its bosses the confidence they can generate the kind of returns...
Edible insects remain a niche in American food culture, but recent moves from two major industry stakeholders – Loblaws and Maple Leaf Foods – suggest they could edge into the mainstream more quickly than many commentators originally envisaged, predicts...
While nutrition scientists are still unlocking the secrets of the gut microbiome, consumers increasingly understand that what we feed the army of microbes that line our digestive tracts may be intimately connected to our physical – and mental - health...
The combination of astaxanthin and sesamin (AS) may help promote recovery from mental and physical fatigue, according to a study from Tohoku University in Sendai, Japan.
With a successful series A fundraise of $8 million announced today, nutrition-related data services and analytics firm Nutrino wants to build “the world’s largest and most adaptable nutrition insights platform” in part to help manufacturers track trends,...
Hearts of palm noodles could be the next ‘zoodles’ (zucchini vegetable noodles), according to Palmini founder Alfonso Tejada, who is selling the pasta substitute through Amazon and in Florida Whole Foods stores with the goal of bringing the product to...
As the clean label movement expands, food and beverage manufacturers should lean more heavily on science to explain to consumers how products are made and the role specific ingredients play to ensure shelf stability and safety are not lost along with...
While private label’s dollar share of the US CPG market has hovered stubbornly around 18% in recent years, things started to change in 2017, according to new data from Nielsen, which says store brands have experienced a “complete reversal in growth trajectory...
The nation’s top selling nut butter - peanut butter - is not actually made from nuts (peanuts are legumes), so if you think about it, a spread made from chickpeas (also legumes) is a logical extension for a category that now includes everything from cashew...
Plant-based protein beverage brand Koia is on course to triple sales in 2018 after quintupling sales last year, fueled by a $7.5m cash injection from KarpReilly and AccelFoods in July 2017.
As meat made by culturing cells – instead of raising and slaughtering animals – gets closer to commercialization, Rep. Rosa DeLauro (Dem-CT) has asked the government accountability office (GAO) to conduct a review to determine if the technology requires...
The Whole30 Approved logo has become a shortcut for consumers looking for products made with real, simple and nutritious ingredients, and as such it is giving products that bear the certification a huge market boost, as Applegate recently discovered....
After decades of a slow build, the regenerative agriculture movement is finally taking off, thanks in part to the Savory Institute, which has launched the Land to Market verification program, which is designed to help stakeholders not just sustain the...
From roasted chickpeas and flash fried mung beans to extruded pea, chickpea, and edamame puffs, pulse-based snacks are gaining traction, says Snack it Forward CEO Nick Desai. But none of them have delivered the sheer sensory pleasure you experience from...
Not so long ago, dairy and meat alternatives were niche categories for vegans and vegetarians; today they’re driving a new ‘plant-based’ movement. But does plant-based necessarily mean healthy, and can brands in this space meet demand for cleaner labels?...
For KIND Snacks, rising consumer concern about sugar and upcoming changes to the Nutrition Facts panel that will more boldly highlight the nutrient represent an opportunity – rather than a threat – to set itself apart from the competition with new products...
There’s a reason why plant-based yogurts haven’t achieved anything close to the category share of plant-based milks – and it’s not simply that they are newer to market – claims Edward Averdieck, CEO at British coconut yogurt and dessert brand The Coconut...
'This year will be the most transformational year for Quaker in its history'
The Quaker brand – best known for its hot and cold cereals and snack bars – is planning its first foray into the chiller, as brand owner PepsiCo seeks to tap into consumer demand for more convenient nutrition, says Seth Kaufman, head of the company’s...
Ancient Nutrition is ready to “grab the proverbial tiger by the tail” with a $103 million investment that will allow it to reach and educate more consumers about its on-trend powdered bone broth, collagen products and a recently launched and already hot...
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...
'The shoulders of the Kite Hill brand can hold many product platforms'
Almondmilk-fueled brand Kite Hill could potentially play in multiple categories in the ambient, chilled and frozen aisles of the store, says new CEO Rob Leibowitz , who plans to sit down with co-founder Tal Ronnen in the weeks ahead to explore opportunities...
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.
Novel ‘grape-like’ refrigerated fruit bites made from fruit and veggie purees held together with fibers will start shipping to the produce section of 500+ stores in New England in April, says brand owner Incredible Foods, the firm behind allergy-friendly...
Preparing delicious healthy home cooked meals every night requires inspiration, time and energy: things most working people are short of, hence, the growth of meal kits. But not everyone can afford them, is comfortable with the amount of packaging they...
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...
