Convenience chain 7-Eleven has developed an organic better-for-you snack range to retail alongside premium brands – an interesting move but one that needs to be executed cleverly, warns an analyst.
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.
Big interview: Sarah Wallace, co-founder, the good bean
After spending years marketing products from Luna Bars and PopChips to thinkThin bars, The Good Bean co-founder Sarah Wallace knew a thing or two about building healthy snacking brands before she decided to put her money where her mouth is and go it alone...
Big interview: Josh Tetrick, founder and CEO, Hampton Creek Foods
Egg replacers have been around for years, acknowledges the entrepreneur who has persuaded everyone from Bill Gates to the co-founder of PayPal to part with some serious cash to fund his plant-based egg alternatives. “But wait till you try ours.”
TOP Packaging expert believes time could be ripe for patented technology
A top packaging expert suspects the 'timing is coming good' for beverage packaging that encapsulate smells to woo consumers after PepsiCo’s patent filing seeking US protection in this field.
Big Interview: Chris Cuvelier, founder/CEO of Zola Fruits of the World
In the increasingly crowded marketplace of functional beverages, what kind of impact can one more manufacturer of acai juice and coconut water expect to have?
60-second interview, Kristen Mercure, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
The recent growth of the single serve coffee market has been nothing short of meteoric. But is 'fresh-brewed' soup a bridge too far, or could Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (GMCR) and partner Campbell Soup have stumbled upon CPG gold?
PepsiCo is seeking to patent a method of encapsulating aromas within beverage packaging to entice US consumers with ‘favorable aromas’ before they drink, say, juices or coffees.
On paper, it looks like a winner. Why not put Campbell soup in a K-Cup? It’s worked for coffee, tea and hot chocolate. And it beats donuts if you get the mid-afternoon munchies and don’t want to be consumed with guilt for the rest of the afternoon.
PepsiCo is exploring the potential of natural energy drinks containing Chinese herbal extracts that can alleviate fatigue and enhance sports performance without a big dose of caffeine, a patent application indicates.
Consumer demand for hotter, spicier, foods has continued to increase on both sides of the Atlantic, says natural extracts specialist Kalsec, which has tied up with Mintel to develop ‘heat indexes’ measuring usage of peppers in retail and foodservice.
Europeans tend to be quite conservative when it comes to flavour, but there are ways to create innovative tastes even around well-established popular flavours, says Euromonitor ingredients analyst Lauren Bandy.
While any flavor house with sufficient resources can monitor what’s happening in stores, restaurants and bars to get a sense of emerging trends, this only tells you what’s happening now, not what the future might taste like, says Firmenich senior marketing...
Do college students eat like the rest of us? Broadly yes (washed down by a lot more energy drinks), but there are some notable differences, according to online ordering expert GrubHub, which says students are significantly less likely to place ‘healthier’...
‘Eco-eating’, which encompasses everything from edible packaging trends to sustainable seafood, is moving from natural stores and fancy restaurants to the mainstream of food culture, according to a new report.
Early stage algae company Heliae has taken a quiet approach to business development. While the Arizona-based company is close to coming to market with a range of nutraceutical ingredients, not much has been said about them in the marketplace or the press,...
Big interview, Yves Potvin, founder and CEO, Garden Protein (Gardein)
Despite all the recent hype about plant-based protein, the frozen meat alternatives category was stuck in a bit of a rut until pretty recently, says the man behind the fastest growing brand in the market.
Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, foods and supplements targeting pre-diabetics and type 2 diabetics would appear to have enormous potential. So why isn’t the ‘healthy blood glucose’ market exploding?
While just 7% of Americans identify themselves as vegetarian, more than a third of shoppers (36%) buy meat alternatives, suggesting the category is appealing to a far broader demographic, according to a consumer survey conducted by Mintel.
With state fair season in full swing and deep-fried Oreos on the menu, online food ordering service GrubHub embarked on a study of ‘extreme foods’ to determine who is ordering jumbo corn dogs and Big Gulps (spoiler alert - it’s men…)
Many US supermarkets are stuck in a timewarp, and their market share will continue to decline unless they makes radical strategic changes, according to a provocative new report from Hartman Strategy.
A Minnesota-based firm making waves with anthocyanin-packed purple-corn ingredients says it has had significant interest from the snack food market, but is also talking to microbrewers, confectioners, and firms manufacturing everything from sourdough...
Boulder Brands, the firm behind two of the biggest names in gluten-free, Udi’s and Glutino, is talking to one of America’s largest coffee chains, and one of its largest donut chains, about launching gluten-free bakery items.
Sports nutrition marketers have traditionally focused on young men, sports teams and hardcore athletes. In future, however, they will need to spend more time targeting women, weekend warriors and consumers pursuing individual sports and fitness activities...
Plant-based proteins were a hot topic at the IFT show this year, whether from algae, pea, rice, soy or other plant-based sources. One firm making waves in this market is RiceBran Technologies, which caught up with FoodNavigator-USA at our booth to talk...
Pakistani, Caribbean and Halal cuisines experienced the greatest growth in order volumes in US restaurants over the past year, although Italian, Chinese and Japanese remain the top three most popular ethnic cuisines in America, according to digital food...
A perfect example of the fact that shoppers are willing to pay a premium for quality and convenience - even in tough times - the growth of the single serve coffee market has been nothing short of meteoric, growing from $1bn in 2011 to more than $1.8bn...
Two weeks after announcing a parting of ways with Californian joint venture (JV) partner and algae expert Solazyme, French ingredients giant Roquette says it will be showcasing two microalgae-based food ingredients at the IFT show in Chicago.
Wrigley has filed a patent to use a compound in gum that creates a cooling sensation without unwanted flavors and odors associated with options currently on the market.
Food innovation, from concept to consumer brand, will soon be the focus of a new television show, with ‘Supermarket Superstar’ giving entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete for a spot on supermarket shelves.
While the zero-calorie natural sweetener stevia is now used in scores of high-profile brands from Sprite Select to Vitamin Water Zero, the only top-tier cola brand to try it to date has been the Australian formulation of Pepsi Next, which has 30% less...
SPECIAL EDITION: HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONAL CONFECTIONERY
USDA certified organic on a food label means something concrete. ‘Natural’ or ‘clean label’ mean something rather more fluid. But while the stream of lawsuits over ‘natural’ claims suggests more clarity is needed - particularly on GMOs - some general...
60-second interview: Rohit Tibrewala, CEO, Roha, North America
As part of FoodNavigator-USA’s probe into clean labels ahead of our June 26 Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013 online event, Elaine Watson caught up with Rohit Tibrewala CEO, Roha, North America, to talk natural colors…
Chipotle has started adding a red ‘G’ for GMOs next to foods on its online menu that are made using ingredients that may come from genetically modified crops such as corn and soy.
Foods inspired by fiction - from Harry Potter and Downton Abbey to Game of Thrones, Mad Men and Lord of the Rings - are starting to gain traction in the real world, according to food trends expert Hartman Group.
60-second interview: Carol Locey and Gary Augustine, Kalsec
As part of FoodNavigator-USA’s probe into clean labels ahead of our June 26 Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013 online event, Elaine Watson caught up with Carol Locey, colors product director, and Gary Augustine, market development director, at Kalsec,...
PL Thomas claims to be taking the wholefood concept to a completely new level with the launch of whole food powders made using a novel process that can turn “pretty much anything that is a food into a powder”, from salmon to pumpkin.
Gourmet nut butters, pea protein, purple corn, yogurt for men and more chewy drinks? Sterling-Rice Group identifies the top 10 natural and organic food trends that are starting to influence the mainstream grocery market.
Jif peanut butter to Folgers coffee maker JM Smucker said sales of K-cups topped $290m in fiscal 2013 (ending April 30), compared with just under $180m in 2012, a 61% increase.
Back in 2008/9, Boulder Brands CEO Steve Hughes had a lot of sleepless nights. The struggling Smart Balance spreads business - which represented 90% of group revenues - was running “in fourth gear” - and the economy was in the doldrums.
The number of calories Americans are taking in from sugar sweetened beverages has been dropping steadily over the past decade, with the sharpest declines starting to kick in from around 2006, according to new data.
