MUSH kickstarts innovation engine with refrigerated protein bars
MUSH leverages dedicated facility to fuel innovation
Health, wellness & nutrition
Natural market remains resilient in 2024 with functional options
The natural food and beverage category remained resilient in 2024 with functional options growing as plant-based products yield mixed results, according to data shared during a Naturally Chicago webinar.
5 Food trends warming up the frozen aisle in 2025
Consumers are balancing healthy and adventurous flavors when buying frozen foods, Conagra shared in its annual report on the category.
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
2025 coffee trends: Cold brew, private label heat up
Coffee culture, cold brew and private-label varieties are stirring up the category, as consumers experiment with flavors to recreate the café experience at home
Biggest trends of 2024 and what to expect in 2025
Healthspan tops Euromonitor’s 2025 trends list
Consumers interested in staying mentally and physically fit are focusing on healthspan over lifespan, spurring innovation in better-for-you foods and beverages, according to Euromonitor’s end-of-the-year report.
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
2025 trendspotting: Exhausted consumers demand lower prices, healthy food, treats
Most US consumers are exhausted after a year of uncertainty marked by ongoing inflation and political turmoil, and industry insiders predict as they enter the new year many will seek relief – physical, emotional and financial – from the foods and...
Plant-based diet, mental health interventions may help improve older adult sleep
There may be a positive correlation between nutrient-rich plant-based diets and improved sleep health among older adults, according to a study by researchers in China.
Are diet drinks damaging to gut health?
The diet drinks industry is booming, but could links to gut damage threaten its success?
From gut health to GLP-1: Top 5 NPD trends of 2024
2024 has been a wild ride for the food and beverage industry, with some seriously exciting new trends taking hold. But which ones have proven most popular for NPD?
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.
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
Persistent inflation will shape where and what groceries consumers buy in 2025
Consumer frustration and fear about their finances likely will continue to color their shopping behavior in the new year after the latest Consumer Price Index data released last week revealed prices – including for groceries – picked back up in November...
Is Gen Z embracing the healthy eating trend?
Healthy eating is dominating food and beverage, but how are younger people responding?
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee omits ultra-processed food guidance, pushes for health equity
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee stops short on offering guidance for ultra-processed foods but for the first time calls on regulators to factor in race, culture and socioeconomic status in nutrition guidelines in its highly anticipated final report...
Quarter of Americans don’t know how much protein they need
Market research by dairy company Chobani spotlights dietary misconceptions around protein intake
What’s next for the plant-based trend?
2024 has thrown some big challenges at the plant-based industry, leading to suggestions it’s in decline. But the sector has weathered the storms and is emerging stronger. So, what’s next for this enduring trend?
‘Mood food’ megatrend set to boom in 2025
As poor mental health continues to rise across the globe, consumers are growing increasingly reliant on ‘mood foods’.
Elevate your nutrition knowledge with our biggest ever global broadcast series
Eight free webinars, over 50 experts and one unmissable opportunity to turn nutrition insights into action. It’s FoodNavigator’s global Positive Nutrition event
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
What will it take for the US hummus market to break $1 billion annually?
PepsiCo’s acquisition of the remaining 50% stake in Sabra and Obela dips and spreads brands from Strauss Group late last month underscores the growth potential of the US hummus market, which Persistence Market Research predicts will grow at a compound...
SNAP recipients more likely to buy national brands over private-label, Circana reports
US shoppers receiving assistance from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) gravitate to national CPG companies over private label alternatives, despite the cost-saving associated with store brands, according to a recent Circana webinar.
Insect protein buzz waning as patents slow
Insect protein’s predicted take off has been less than a flutter as market innovation stagnates, with worldwide patents sliding year-on-year again.
2025 Beverage trends to watch: Circana expects growth in water enhancers, functional drinks
Hydration-boosting, functional and non-alcoholic (non-alc) beverages will continue their growth in 2025, but generations are seeking out different drinks to meet their health and nutrition needs, according to a recent Circana webinar.
Mood food for mental wellbeing – How can industry capitalize?
On-the-go functionality: Snack brands like Mood Bars blend brain-boosting benefits, convenience
Consumer demands for on-the-go functionality are fueling growth in the nascent mood-support snack bar, with brands like Mood Bars and others differentiating themselves in a crowded category with the help of brain-boosting ingredients.
Mood food for mental wellbeing – How can industry capitalize?
Relaxation, mood-support foods focus on ‘other side’ of functional
A good night's sleep could be a functional product away, as consumers swap their alcoholic nightcap for a nonalcoholic option or their favorite comfort food to ease their mind after a long day, Scott Dicker, director of insights at SPINS told...
Mood food for mental wellbeing – How can industry capitalize?
When function meets convenience: how mood foods are shaping F&B NPD
High quality nutrients – from vitamins and minerals to botanical extracts – drive consumers’ purchasing decisions, while the line between function and form continues to blur as brands develop foods and beverages that deliver targeted health benefits and...
Mood food for mental wellbeing – How can industry capitalize?
Letter from the editor: What is the opportunity for mood-boosting foods, beverages?
Many Americans are eating their feelings or turning to drink to manage their mood, but that isn’t necessarily bad as innovative manufacturers leverage nootropics, adaptogens and botanicals alongside packaging and branding to create products that...
Innovation watch: Natural clean energy drinks
Health conscious consumers don’t want sugar-laden, taurine energy drinks: but they still want a burst of energy to keep them powering through their day. How are brands providing that better-for-you buzz?
PoLoPo seeks seed funding, partners with CSM Ingredients to crack egg on commercialization efforts
Israel-based alt-protein company PoLoPo is inching closer to commercialization of its molecular farming-derived ovalbumin powder, as the food-tech company raises seed funding for its US expansion and partners on product applications.
2025 trends to watch: Functionality, sustainability, comfort flavors continue growth
Functionality and sustainability will grow in 2025, as shoppers balance their desires for authentic and indulgent flavors with nutritious foods and beverages, C.A. Fortune and SPINS shared in a recent webinar.
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...
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?
How F&B is reformulating to make nutrition more affordable
Food and beverage is evolving to make nutrition affordable for all incomes. And it’s using reformulation to do it.
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?
Chobani’s yogurt cups, drinks feature up to 30-grams of protein
Yogurt-maker Chobani's clean-label, high-protein and lactose-free yogurt is part of the company’s mission to make protein more accessible to everyday consumers.
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.
Dairy innovation and trends
Letter from the editor: Innovations, trends & startups reshaping the dairy category
The dairy case is no longer a limited selection of fat-free, low-fat or whole milk in generic white bottles or a bare-bones choice between just “orange” or “white” cheese – rather an explosion of innovation in recent years has dramatically multiplied...
Milk alternatives lead plant-based dairy category
Milk alternatives are the most consumed product in the plant-based dairy category, particularly among Gen Z consumers, while hybrid dairy products help narrow the gap for those skeptical of plant-based options' taste, texture and nutritional profile.
Soup-To-Nuts Podcast
What is the business proposition for 100% grass fed dairy?
Research and advocates for 100% grass-fed dairy suggest the practice is better for people, the planet and animals – but is it better for business?
Unmet need in plant-based dairy revealed with rise of low-FODMAP diet
The influx of plant-based milk in recent years could provide relief and stability for consumers suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, but there remains a significant unmet need for clean-label, allergen-free options, according to one registered...
Yogurts appeal beyond gut health, as coconut options gain in popularity
Consumers are buying yogurt for more than gut health benefits, including for protein and indulgence, as shoppers turn to coconut-based as their preferred plant-based yogurt despite general slowdowns in the category, per research from market research...
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.
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.
Startup Spotlight
Tips to secure deals in writing: ‘A verbal commitment means almost nothing’
Long gone are the days when a deal was sealed with a handshake and verbal commitment, which is why the co-founder of veggie snack startup Theo’s advises entrepreneurs to be persistent – but not annoying – about securing commitments in writing before acting.
Gut health: What’s next for this major F&B trend?
Consumer demand for ‘gut-friendly’ foods and beverages is growing fast, and industry is innovating just as quickly to meet it. So, what’s next for this seemingly unstoppable trend?
REBBL bulks up protein offerings with 26-gram shake, featuring upcycled EverPro ingredient
Functional beverage brand REBBL is delivering on consumer demands for sustainability and enhanced macronutrient content with its new shakes that contain 26 grams of plant-based protein blend, including an upcycled barley.
Beauty meets confectionery: A growing trend in functional wellness
Discover how beauty-enhancing ingredients like collagen and biotin are changing the confectionery industry with delicious, functional treats.
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...
Reformulation is rife in F&B but consumers aren't sold yet
Brands are reformulating to improve nutritional value and reduce or remove ‘unhealthy’ ingredient levels. But this is not always a vote winner with customers. Why?
General Mills, Welch’s Fruit Snacks clash over where the line is for humor and truth
Welch’s Fruit Snacks’ maker Promotion In Motion (PIM Brands) went too far in ads it intended to humorously highlight the difference between its fruit snacks and those of competitors, and should discontinue messages that suggest competing products are...
ADM: 83% of GLP-1 users are ‘very interested in products specifically marketed as supportive of their needs on these drugs’
A new platform designed by ADM to help food and beverage manufacturers better understand and meet the needs of weight-loss drug users brings together proprietary consumer research and science, a portfolio of targeted ingredients and more than 25...