Will the UPF lawsuit be successful?
The ultra-processed foods lawsuit could completely shake-up the food and beverage industry, if successful. But will it be?
Meat
Animal protein leaders weigh in on DGA recommendations
Animal protein stakeholders responded to the Dietary Guidelines, affirming the need for more of the macronutrient in American diets
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
What defined consumers’ plates in 2024, and what’s next for 2025?
From Swedish candy to marry me pasta, consumers’ palettes stretched across the globe in 2024.
What’s in store for cultivated meat in 2025?
The innovative category has had an eventful year. How could 2025 shake things up?
How brands can balance health, indulgence & convenience in the morning
Convenience wakes up the morning routine for consumers, with 90% of morning meals prepared in under 15 minutes, according to Circana.
Luyef Biotechnologies nabs $1.25m to scale cell-cultivated meat production
Chile-based Luyef Biotechnologies secured two grants to research efficiencies in cell-cultivated meat production as the company seeks to close its $4 million seed round.
FDA calls for input on PFAS levels in seafood
FDA’s request this week for information on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in seafood is part of the agency’s investigation into the potential health impact of PFAS exposures, which may be higher in seafood according to sample data.
Beef, prepared deli sales soar as consumers embrace convenience, quality
Despite 96% of shoppers expressing concern about an economic recession in the coming months, fresh foods remain a top priority, with many willing to pay a premium for high-quality options, according to a recent Circana webinar.
Tyson’s turnaround: ‘We have a fundamentally different and better chicken business’
Tyson Foods’ chicken business is booming once again and investors are flocking back to the company, which has spent years reenvisioning its poultry business to focus more on fundamentals, value-added products and “operational improvements.”
Cultivated freshwater eel tech opens new opportunities in Japanese market
A cultivated seafood tech business has developed a system of cell cultivation to allow for commercial freshwater eel farming.
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
What does USDA’s stricter definition for ‘pasture-raised’ chicken mean for industry?
A broadly-supported new definition for “pasture-raised” poultry proposed by USDA this fall could help level the playing field for small, independent farms and brands competing in the increasingly important, crowded and confusing humanely-raised chicken...
UMAMI Bioworks’ Arbiter technology improves food safety with rapid, cost-effective pathogen testing
Biotechnology company UMAMI Bioworks’ Arbiter technology provides food safety and quality validation, that can be integrated into existing testing labs or made accessible to customers directly.
Beyond Meat grows in Q3 despite demand dip
Beyond Meat’s strategic decision to reposition its products as premium and rely less on discounts helped the company return its revenue to growth for the first time since 2022, but it cost the company volume, which continued to slide.
FDA grants more time for Phase II sodium reduction feedback – but is it enough?
FDA is giving the food and beverage industry an additional two months to respond to its request that they slash sodium in their products over the next three years to help Americans reduce their risk of diseases associated with overconsumption of the...
FDA’s Human Foods 2025 goals: Microbiological safety, food chemical safety & nutrition
FDA’s fiscal year 2025 priority deliverables for the Human Foods Program emphasize transparency and accountability amid state funding cuts and resource constraints.
Is the Nordic Diet the next major food trend?
Health trends are big business for food and beverage brands. So, will the new Nordic Diet take the industry by storm or be a foodie flash in the pan?
Organic sales hit record as regenerative organic sees growth, investment
Industry leaders are emphasizing the integration of regenerative agriculture alongside established organic practices, as demand for sustainable food and beverage products continues to rise.
GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic set to shake the global food industry
Originally intended as a treatment for diabetes, GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic could be set to turn the food and drink industry upside down.
Can plant-based overcome UPF links to avoid future trust issues?
Plant-based diets remain popular, but associations with UPF and low-quality ingredients has shaken consumer trust in alt meat, fish and dairy brands. So, what can the sector do to restore public opinion?
How can alternative proteins and regenerative agriculture work together?
Despite both being sustainability-focused, regenerative agriculture and protein diversification have not always got along. How can the two sectors work together?
Brand Alchemy
How F&B brands can boost their ROI with a diversified media strategy
Today’s marketing strategies need flexible adjustments and a blend of channels to keep pace with rapid shifts in media consumption, unlike the fixed annual media plans of yesteryear.
How to identify and engage with your target market
Creating and building brand awareness, with potential customers, is essential to success. Here’s how to recognise and connect with your target market.
NOVA reform: The flawed UPF classification system requires change
Some nutritious foods under the current NOVA system could be demonised alongside unhealthy variants. Industry's calling for reform, but what would the next generation look like?
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
How would eliminating ultra-processed foods and products high in sugar, fat impact diet, health?
Diets that exclude foods high in added sugar and saturated fat, like sugary drinks, snacks and processed meat, still provide sufficient levels of essential nutrients, like vitamins, minerals and fiber, according to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
Startup Spotlight
Fishwife reels in bold flavors, creative branding to revive canned fish category
Tinned fish brand Fishwife launched in response to the lack of innovation and bold branding in the multi-billion-dollar canned fish category, with a strategic focus on culinary-inspired flavors and artistically-driven packaging, CEO and Co-Founder, Becca...
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
DGAC recommends more repeated exposure to healthy foods for kids
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recommended introducing a variety of fruits, vegetables and grains at appropriate ages does not adversely impact growth or increase obesity risk in young children.
LanzaTech’s partnerships accelerate commercialization for proprietary protein production
Biotech company LanzaTech is making strides in global microbial fermentation protein production with the launch of its proprietary LanzaTech Nutritional Protein (LNP), in collaboration with organizations like the US Navy to accelerate commercialization.
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
Nutrition experts reveal Healthy US-style dietary pattern – but is it flexible enough?
The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recommends consolidating various dietary patterns into a single, inclusive Healthy US-Style Dietary Pattern that includes nutrient-dense, plant-based foods and which is accessible for all Americans.
Listeria outbreak impacts deli meat market, grab-and-go options, Circana finds
An outbreak of listeria is hitting the lunchmeat category — driving down dollars and volume sales — as consumers still rely on the deli department for quick meals and globally inspired flavors, as shared in a recent International Dairy Deli Bakery...
Seafood rides tides of inflation, deflation with some long-awaited signs of demand recovery
Shellfish sales underwent a sea change in September with lower prices, Labor Day celebrations and stock-ups ahead of back-to-back hurricanes in the Southeast and strikes at major points in early October helping to buoy volumes, according to data from...
Will alternative meats thrive in frozen? Circana shows growth
Meat alternative sales dropped in the last four years, but all is not lost for the segment which has opportunity to thrive in the frozen department with a particular focus on convenience, value, ingredient quality, diverse formats and new flavors,...
Why shoppers are turning towards costly organic food and drink
More consumers are buying pricier organic food and drink, despite continuing cost-of-living pressures, with sales expected to rocket as governments push to make organic farming central to future sustainability strategies.
FDA pushes for progress in sodium reduction target, aims to cut average intake to 2,750 mg/day
The FDA's phase two draft guidance on sodium reduction, released on August 15, sets new voluntary targets for food manufacturers to reduce average consumption to 2,750 milligrams per day by 2024, as nearly three-quarters of Americans' sodium intake...
DGAC: Diets high in plant-based foods are moderately linked towards reducing illness
Although the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) did not find strong evidence between dietary patterns and disease risk, some age-related cognitive health issues and breast cancer are moderately linked to diet.
UPSIDE Foods & Institute for Justice gain support from industry trade group on Florida lawsuit
The Association of Meat, Poultry & Seafood Innovation (AMPS), a non-profit organization representing the cell-cultured industry, expressed its support for cultivated meat producer UPSIDE Foods and non-profit Institute for Justice on the lawsuit filed...
UPF linked to type 2 diabetes - what does this mean for industry?
New research has linked ultra-processed foods to type 2 diabetes. How will this latest blow impact the food and beverage industry and is reformulation the only solution?
Novonesis develops ‘cleaner ingredient deck’ for plant-based meat with biosolution technology
Biotech company, Novonesis, addresses core taste, texture and nutritional challenges in plant-based meat and dairy with its biosolution technologies, potentially reducing the ingredient label deck.
Policymakers call on Coca-Cola, General Mills, PepsiCo to address pricing practices
Letters sent by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.) to the CEOs of Coca-Cola, General Mills and PepsiCo express concern over pricing and tax practices that, according to the policy makers, “squeeze profits out...
Soup-to-Nuts Podcast
Steward’s novel lending model reinforces supply chains for regenerative, regionally produced ingredients and products consumers want
Consumer interest in products made with ingredients from regional smallholder farmers or those practicing regenerative agriculture is on the rise, but CPG companies and suppliers are struggling to meet their demand in part because most farmers are unable...
Funding alt-protein: Investors shift to supply chains, startups eye govt grants
Venture capitalists are focusing further down the alt-protein supply chain when investing, as startups partner up and use government grants to survive and thrive in a challenging funding environment.
Conagra seeks acquisitions, considers divesting low growth businesses amid sales slump
Conagra Brands executives warned investors earlier this year that its fiscal 2025 would start with “plenty of noise,” and it did – including not just anomalies for which the maker of Slim Jim and Healthy Choice planned, but also unexpected dynamics that...
Future Food-Tech 2024
Mycoprotein’s finished being quiet and about to raise its game
The OG meat alternative mycoprotein is set to retake the spotlight in a sector rife with food start-ups bringing to market products through an increasing array of food-tech innovations.
Unsaturated vs saturated fats, Dietary Guidelines on dairy, meat & plant-based oils
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) determined the relationships between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease (CVD) and the roles of dairy, red meat and plant-based oils with findings from last week’s meeting indicating benefits of...
Texas district court greenlights plant-based labeling lawsuit
The United States District Court of the Western District of Texas will allow to proceed a lawsuit filed by the Animal Legal Defense Fund and the Good Food Institute on behalf of Tofurky that challenges a 2023 Texas law that imposes additional labeling...
Rebellyous Foods deploys Mock 2 system to lower plant-based meat costs with continuous production
Rebellyous Foods launched its much-anticipated Mock 2 plant-based meat production system with RMS Foods following delays of its launch in Dec. 2023 after plans with an initial co-manufacturer fell through.
USDA concludes final round of funding to boost farmer support, lower grocery prices
The final installment of funding from the Meat and Poultry Processing Expansion Program (MPPEP) is expected to give independent US farmers and ranchers in rural communities a competitive advantage and lower grocery costs, according to USDA.
'Sustainable products have to win the health battle,' Mintel on environmental trends in food, beverage
As greenwashing leads to "greenhushing," consumers are focusing on sustainable food and beverage claims that tap into their sense of health and self-preservation, with air quality and water conservation attributes set to take off in the US, Mintel shared...
Alternative meat patents are rising, but which country leads the way?
Meat alternative makers are applying for patents at increasing levels, with the US leading the way, FoodNavigator reveals.
Letter from the editor: How is rising demand for global flavors influencing innovation & ingredient sourcing?
Long gone are the days when salt and pepper were sufficient seasonings for most Americans – now US consumers want bold flavors that will take their tastebuds on a global adventure, giving rise to a new class of frozen meals, sauces, spice blends and even...
USDA certification for meat, poultry flavors from T. Hasegawa helps meet demand for complex, authentic & clean-label options
Consumers are less willing to settle for basic flavor profiles, such as “beef” or “chicken,” and instead want increasingly complex and authentic options – like braised short rib or barbecued wings, according to flavor giant T. Hasegawa, which now can...