This week, food tech venture capital (VC) firm PeakBridge closed its Growth Fund II after raising $187m – surpassing its target — and invested in meat, dairy, and cocoa alternatives as part of its second fund, Nadav Berger, the company’s founder and managing...
Plant-based comfort food brand Blackbird Foods launched a crowdfunding campaign on Start Engine to grow its business, including a bigger push into school lunch programs, company CEO Emanuel Storch told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview....
Sales of plant-based products dipped slightly in 2023 from the prior year as prices rose to offset inflation at a faster rate than their animal counterparts in some – but not all – categories, according to new data from the Plant Based Foods Association....
The Coca-Cola Company is launching Coca-Cola Lens: an insights platform, available to all, that shares data and experience from hundreds of thousands of retail and foodservice outlets in North America.
Biotech company Oobli signed a formal agreement with Grupo Bimbo to supply the baked goods manufacturer with sweet proteins — the first major step in the startup establishing itself as an ingredient provider.
New data from the Organic Trade Association shows organic sales “bouncing back” after a post-pandemic and inflation-induced slowdown in incremental grown in recent years, with research from SPINS suggesting the products best positioned to seize this growth...
Blommer Chocolate Company, the largest cocoa processor and ingredient chocolate supplier in North America, has announced it is extending its partnership with sugar reduction company Incredo.
Given the complexity of alternative-protein manufacturing, many biotech companies are exploring how to reduce costs with AI technologies, process improvements and novel uses for waste streams from other industries, Lever VC shared in a recent report.
Better-for-you oat bar brand Bobo's develop its new Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite flavor by leveraging existing favorites, like Strawberry Stuff'd and Lemon Poppyseed, with innovation accelerated by its state-of-the-art bakery completed in 2022.
Hain Celestial is slashing its portfolio and consolidating its operating footprint to “unlock savings” and “further de-leverage the balance sheet” as part of a broader “Hain Reimagined Strategy,” but the four-prong plan may take longer than expected as...
Consumer tolerance is running out for food and beverage companies raising prices to offset inflation, based on volume and sales declines reported by several large CPG manufacturers during the most recent round of quarterly earnings calls.
Walnut snack company Unbound Snacks took home the gold at C.A. Fortune's Build Tank event in Chicago, for its category innovations and eye-catching packaging, while other brands impressed buyers through unique products and branding.
The FoodNavigator-USA team is heading to Chicago next month to Future Food-Tech’s Alternative Proteins summit, where we will help lead discussions around overcoming obstacles facing plant-based and cultivated meat and seafood and help identify areas of...
Hydration brand Liquid I.V.’s new packaging and summer ad campaign help “optimize and modernize” the brand “without disrupting shopability at shelf,” Brittany Shaw, the company’s senior brand director told FoodNavigator-USA.
Food-tech company Voyage Foods raised $52m in its Series A+ funding round to grow its ingredient business as it prepares to open a second facility later this year.
Mycelium food maker Meati raised more than $100 million in Series C-1 funding "to help meet the growing demand for its products," and support its expansion into 2,000 Kroger Family Stores last month, bringing its retail footprint to more than...
Laird Superfood is giving the best part of waking up – coffee – a functional boost with the release of its new protein-rich creamer, the brand’s VP of Marketing Martha Opela told FoodNavigator-USA.
Update is redefining the energy drink category with its star ingredient, paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine that provides the uplifting benefits of caffeine without the negative side effects, company Co-founder and CEO Daniel Solomons told FoodNavigator-USA...
Finalizing FDA’s massive reorganization to create a unified Human Foods Program under one leader is the “number one” priority ahead of the November presidential election, which could impact the agency’s focus if a new administration wins office, agency...
Bush’s Baked Beans, Clif Bar and SkinnyPop are building brand loyalty through multi-channel marketing that highlight each brand’s voice and commitment to values that resonate with their target audience.
Tillamook County Creamery Association (TCCA) is making significant strides across its packaging, recycling and animal welfare programs, as outlined in its 2023 Stewardship Report, Paul Snyder, executive VP of stewardship for the co-op dairy producer,...
Cereal maker WK Kellogg’s year-over-year sales continued to decline but are slowly improving quarter-over-quarter as is the gap between its price and volume, suggesting its new marketing model and supply chain management strategies are working to deliver...
Mio liquid water enhancers’ brand refresh blends flavor and function to provide a simple solution for consumers with multiple beverage needs, as well as bright packaging that communicates wellness, Samantha Mills, director of brand communications for...
McCormick is expanding its red-cap line of spices and herbs with the release of Crushed Jalapeño Pepper next month, as the company capitalizes on a recent rebrand, Giovanna DiLegge, the company’s VP of marketing, North America consumer, told FoodNavigator-USA....
Private-label beverage manufacturer FedUp Foods is opening a new facility in Wilmington, N.C. later this summer, which will add cold-brew coffee capabilities, two company executives shared with FoodNavigator-USA.
Alt-protein startups that are trying to attract the attention of venture-capital (VC) investors often need to ensure their business pitches focus on how they can capture a market through their product and team, while founders must convey confidence and...
The extreme volatility causing cocoa prices to whipsaw should not impact Hershey’s performance in fiscal 2024, thanks to proactive hedging and supply chain diversification, but the outlook for next year is unclear, executives said during the company’s...
Water stewardship and use claims are quickly emerging as a top trend in 2024 and could become a “tiebreaker” between competing products as consumers become progressively concerned about sustainability amid increasingly inconsistent rainfall – including...
Kellanova’s ramped up commercial activity is paying off – helping the snack giant drive higher volume and sales amid challenging macro and industry conditions, which in turn helped convince retailers to accept price hikes, smaller pack sizes and other...
New Zealand-based non-alcoholic (NA) beverage brand Free AF is expanding in the US in Walmart and Target stores, company Founder Lisa King told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview.
Kraft Heinz executives are optimistic that the company will hit its full year financial goals despite a rocky start to the year in which organic sales and overall volumes dropped, due in part to a one-two punch of higher prices and less government support...
Mondelēz International has maintained the company expects Organic Net Revenue growth of 3% to 5% in its 2024 Outlook after the Cadbury parent beat market expectations for first-quarter sales and profit.
Olipop commemorates Barbie’s 65th birthday with a new Peaches & Cream flavor of its gut-friendly soda, as the brand expands into the convenience and gas channel, Steven Vigilante, the company’s director of growth and partnerships, told FoodNavigator-USA....
Choppy!, an alternative meat brand that combines textured plant protein with animal byproducts like collagen, beef tallow and bone broth, provides consumers with "the sensory experience of meat" in its hybrid product with the long-term goal...
The Coca-Cola Company anticipates “flat to modest growth in volume” in North America despite characterizing the US consumer as “in good shape” with only modest “compression” among lower-income shoppers, and reporting positive response to stepped-up innovation,...
Major cocoa supplier ofi (olam food ingredients), has claimed recent developments in data and technology are behind its progress towards creating a more sustainable supply chain.
Supergut is expanding nationwide as part of GNC’s new section dedicated to GLP-1 nutritional support, as the brand has quadrupled its sales in the last two quarters due to consumer interest in gut health and products to alleviate symptoms from drugs like...
After a challenging few years in which falling sales and units dragged plant-based protein into the trough of disillusionment, stakeholders are finding ways up the other side of the Gartner Hype Cycle by leveraging emerging technologies, novel ingredients...
Packaged food, especially ultra-processed, is a popular scapegoat for the ongoing struggle with diet-related chronic disease in America, where 70% of adults are overweight or obese, 50% have diabetes or prediabetes and 50% have heart disease – but what...
Unilever’s first quarter sees growth in all of its categories, including nutrition and ice cream. However, growth in these two categories is driven by price, with volume sales falling.
Nearly a third of Americans are self-described “health-conscious snackers,” according to new research by YouGov, which also found 35% of healthy snackers are willing to spend more than $50 on snacks each month.
Contrary to popular belief, not all video-gamers are happy to chug energy drinks and devour junk food for fuel – rather most eSports enthusiasts want convenient, tasty snacks that will not compromise their competitive edge by compromising their health.
Snacks from the Sea is moving beyond e-commerce with the help of new packaging and product formulations to make kelp’s health and sustainability more widely appreciated in the US, brand founder Jennifer Murphy told FoodNavigator-USA.
Nassau Candy’s positioning in confectionery as an importer, manufacturer and distributor allows the company flexibility to focus on innovation and its customers’ needs by filling in the gaps from discontinued but in-demand products, Dana Rodio, director,...
