The diverse and tech saavy ways of Generation Z or the iGeneration – referring to those aged 11-22 in 2018 – will have a profound impact on food and beverage formulations over the next several years, Mintel noted during a presentation at IFT 2018.
The rumored Campbell Soup sale to Kraft Heinz has sparked debate among industry analysts on whether or not it would be a smart move for both CPG players. Taking a closer look at the potential deal some benefits for both companies start to emerge.
One of the best places to spot emerging trends is at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City where earlier this month more than 2,400 manufacturers and suppliers showcased more than 180,000 products ranging from innovative sweets, better-for-you snacks...
The FDA’s July 12 public meeting on cell-cultured (aka ‘clean’ meat) exposed sharp differences of opinion over how meat grown from cells outside an animal should be labeled and regulated. But there was also real excitement about the potential of a technology...
Spindrift, a sparkling water brand flavored with fruit juice, has achieved some significant milestones including multiple rounds of equity funding ($10m and $20) led by VMG Partners, triple digit sales, and national distribution. But according to the...
The first time Innova Market Insights’ director of innovation, Lu Ann Williams, heard the term 'clean label' was in 2008, long before the term 'clean' started to infiltrate business to consumer marketing.
Artesa chickpea protein: 'It's as close to dairy as any plant protein we've tested'
Plant-based proteins are hot property, but organoleptic and functional challenges continue to hold the market back, claims Virginia-based Nutriati, which says its new chickpea protein concentrates can open up new application opportunities and give soy,...
It wasn’t too long ago when locally-grown produce evoked images of backyard gardens or roadside produce stands many miles outside of city limits. Now, the local produce movement has morphed into an urban-centered industry thanks to the rise of hydroponic...
Ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee is experiencing massive interest with emerging brands and large beverage players looking to take a gulp of the market as consumers increasingly swap out energy drinks and carbonated soft drinks for a chilled, on-the-go coffee...
Just Egg - a plant-based scrambled egg alternative from JUST made with mung bean protein - is rolling out to all 30 Veggie Grill restaurants next week, and has secured approvals at a raft of retailers including Fresh Thyme, Wegmans, Gelson's Market...
In a letter to Nestlé, the world’s largest food company by revenue, Third Point, a New York-based asset manager with $18bn in capital ($3bn in Nestlé), called out the food and beverage giant for falling short on its long-term, sustainable growth mission.
There's a lot of hype around 'big data' and 'data analytics', but how can you cut through the noise to distill these buzzwords down into something that is useful to your startup or established company?
Specialty food used to be reserved for special occasions and accessible only to those who could afford its premium price, but increasingly specialty food is becoming everyday food sold at everyday prices that are accessible to more people.
Consumer devotion to coffee has not wavered, with coffee sales continuing to heat up, largely attributed to the growth of single-cup coffee, cappuccino/iced coffee, and refrigerated ready-to-drink (RTD) coffee, Packaged Facts' July 2018 report said....
While consumers still respond to the convenience of popping open a bag of chips, their mindset around snacking has expanded to products that promise a sense of culinary adventure, conscious-sourcing, unexpected ingredients, and satiating benefits.
Mushroom chip brand Mudlrk (pronounced ‘mudlark’ – a term meaning a person who scavenges for objects of value) is aiming to begin online retail of its four SKUs at the end of July and hit brick & mortar stores later this year.
Urban Remedy – a brand specializing in ‘ultra-fresh’ organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices – grew sales by nearly 100% vs the previous quarter in the first quarter of 2018, driven by the rapid expansion of its ‘store within a store’...
The plant-based milk segment was already pretty crowded by the time Jeff Richards quit the day job to launch Mooala in 2016. But the fact that buyers at the likes of Whole Foods, Safeway, H.E.B., Costco, and Wegmans, were willing to give him a shot this...
Investors in early stage food companies are constantly searching for the ‘what’s next?’ in food, and many fundamentally agree that the ideas and people worth investing in are the ones that are fulfilling an unmet consumer need in a "unique way that...
Frozen kids food brand Kidfresh has carved out a solid spot for itself in the frozen foods aisle, an area that’s re-heating with consumer interest after years of flat growth.
Beyond Meat has struck a deal with A&W - Canada’s fastest growing national burger chain – to add its plant-based Beyond Burgers to the menu at 925 outlets, boosting its overall distribution in the foodservice sector to 10,000+ restaurants, hotels,...
Large food corporations growing through bolt-on acquisitions isn’t anything new and will continue, but what is changing are the structures and programs big companies are putting in place to tap into the mindset of emerging startup brands.
General Mills has led a funding round that poured $12 million into Boulder,CO-based functional food firm NextFoods and its GoodBelly brand via its venture investing arm 301 Inc.
Plant-based food options continue to win over Americans’ share of stomach and wallets accounting for nearly 20% of food and beverage dollars spent last year, according to a new report by Nielsen.
Another start-up in the burgeoning cultured meat arena has emerged from stealth mode this month in the form of San Diego-based BlueNalu, which aims to make a splash in the cellular aquaculture field with cell-cultured seafood products after raising an...
With a clutch of start-ups getting closer to commercialization of cell-cultured meat (aka ‘clean meat’) the FDA has announced a public meeting to give stakeholders the chance to comment on the technology and the terminology used to describe it, and suggested...
While the US beverage industry is “fundamentally strong” with double-digit sales growth in the last five years, it also is experiencing “big swings” that are reordering the leaderboard as consumers revamp their daily routines to focus more on their health...
Which cooking oils are growing most strongly and why? Is ghee trending and has coconut oil lost some of its luster? Is butter outperforming vegetable-oil-based spreads?
Organic iced tea specialist Steaz – which debuted in 2002 with a new-to-the-market carbonated green tea – has generated double-digit sales increases over the past 12 months, and is working on additional product platforms that will take it into new territory...
It’s been one year since German grocery chain Lidl made its US debut, and according to global consulting firm Oliver Wyman, American shoppers seem to have a growing appetite for the hard discounter’s prices and assortment.
Finding nutrient-dense snacks becomes more of a challenge for moms once they exit the baby aisle and right around the time 'picky-eater syndrome' sets in. To fill this gap, Messy Monkeys is positioning itself as an affordable and healthy snack...
'We’ve spoken to large and small food companies that are interested in partnering with us'
It’s not hard to see why cell-cultured (aka ‘clean’) meat is beginning to attract some serious attention – and investment. The addressable market is huge, and the product – if it delivers on its promise – could ensure meat does not become a luxury only...
Americans’ obsession with dieting is nothing new, but which diets are in and which ones are out is constantly shifting – creating a marketing nightmare for food and beverage brands that want to link their products to consumers’ desired outcomes.
Ocean Hugger Foods is gearing up for a significant expansion this year after striking deals that will help it gain access to thousands of outlets across the US, Europe and Southeast Asia and propel plant-based seafood into the culinary mainstream, claims...
JUST CEO Josh Tetrick has predicted that consumers will be able to get their first taste of lab-grown, clean meat by the end of this year – with the product likely to first debut in restaurants.
Collagen has long held a place of worth in the beauty industry for its proclaimed abilities to reverse the signs of aging, strengthen nails and thicken hair, but now it is expanding into food and beverage where its restorative powers are quickly earning...
Up Mountain Switchel, a six-year-old beverage company started in Vermont is continuing its path of reinvigorating a heritage recipe with its most recent product launch, Original Swizzle, a carbonated switchel drink that uses fresh ginger root, Vermont...
Kroger and Home Chef announced a merger agreement that will bring the Chicago-based meal kit brand to thousands of stores across the country signaling a massive evolution of meal kit companies vying for the in-store, non-subscription space.
With newly minted branding centered on nourishment and a range of new products launching, Pacific Foods is angling to claim as its own the burgeoning bone broth category as well as secure a larger share of the booming plant-based milk segment, according...
High Brew Coffee of Austin, Texas, closed a $20m funding round led by investment firm Charles Street Partners, marking its third and largest investment since launching in 2014.
Bright Foods has brought added innovation to the emerging refrigerated bar space with the recent launch of Bright Bars – chilled whole food bars made via high pressure processing (HPP) – available in select Whole Foods stores in Southern California.
As a food or beverage startup, it’s natural to want to expand very quickly, but brands should take a moment to revel in their small-scale existence and take advantage of their ability to be nimble, says Poppilu founder Melanie Kahn.
For years ready-to-eat cereal has suffered sleepy sales and battled nightmarish consumer perceptions around poor nutrition and lack of convenience, but several natural and organic manufacturers are hoping the reawaken the category with better-for-you...
With an estimated one in three people suffering from malnutrition, the extent of hunger around the world is significant – but so too is the impact of investments in malnutrition prevention, such as those made this week in Washington, DC, by Kraft Heinz.
Ghee – a ‘clarified butter’ produced by boiling butter and pouring off the butterfat, leaving milk sugar (lactose) and protein (casein and whey) behind - is very high in saturated fat, but it’s gaining traction among shoppers looking for something new...
South African BOS Brands’ vibrantly colored slim cans in hues of violet, turquoise, and lightening yellow, may not look like a better-for-you RTD iced rooibos tea at first glance, but despite its playful image, it makes no comprise on taste and health...
The Good Food Institute (GFI) – a non-profit representing players in the plant-based and cultured meat sectors – has written to the House Appropriations Committee asking that it strike a passage in the agriculture appropriations bill requiring the USDA...
Refrigerated snack bar brand nomi, previously known as ‘Fresh Bar’, believes its new brand name will give it a strong foothold in the rapidly growing refrigerated bar space.
