The North American cocoa grind has risen 5.77% in the first of quarter (Q1) compared to last year, leading one analyst to say there is still room for growth in the US chocolate market.
Millet is nutritionally superior to wheat and other gluten-free grains, yet a lack in novel processing technologies at a commercial level is holding industry use back, a new review finds.
A merchandising system enabling retailers to highlight products containing pre-selected health and wellness attributes from whole grains to gluten-free via customized shelf tags and other tools will be rolled out to thousands of US stores this year.
A false advertising class action lawsuit filed in California based on zero calories and fat claims on Unilever’s I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spray seems destined for the dustbin, unless the case winds up with the right judge, legal observers say.
A caffeine-free version of Coke Zero will hit US stores from mid-July to give fans a “great-tasting option for later-in-the-day consumption”, says Coca-Cola.
The initial findings of a research study has shown that pesticides are the number one problem reported by consumers around the world concerning food imported from China.
Special edition: Superfruits - old news or still super?
While demand for some more exotic fruits can wax and then rapidly wane after celebrity backers lose interest, and over-use (and abuse) has devalued the term ‘super fruit’ somewhat, enthusiasm about fruits of all kinds continues to grow.
‘Facts Up Front’ icons now appear on 9 out of 10 products in some categories, with penetration highest in cereals, beverages and dry goods, said the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) as it unveiled a new website promoting the scheme.
Advertising sodium reduction claims on food labels may increase a consumer’s purchasing intentions, says a new study from Canada that contradicts the industry strategy of ‘stealth’ sodium reduction.
Runa Tea, a Brooklyn, NY-based company that introduced line of beverages based on an Amazonian leaf to the US market, has launched an energy drink with an ultra clean label.
Coca-Cola’s ready-to-drink iced tea brand Gold Peak is “rapidly on its way to becoming a $1bn brand”, revealed CEO Muhtar Kent in an earnings call yesterday.
Concern for the environment may be increasing among Americans, but suspicion of corporate ‘greenwashing’ may be slowing their willingness to pay extra for ‘green’ products, including organic, suggests a new survey of 2,276 adults.
A patent application from Kraft shows it is exploring ways to incorporate ‘crude caffeine’ from coffee beans into functional or medical foods, building on a growing body of research that suggests it has neuro-protective effects.
Plum Organics, a company founded on getting nutritious food to kids, has committed to manufacturing and distributing 500,000 pouches of food designed to meet the needs of food-insecure babies and toddlers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has moved to defuse remaining consumer “confusion” surrounding the US dairy industry-filed request to amend the standard of identity for milk to include non-nutritive sweeteners such as sucralose and aspartame.
The state of California has placed bisphenol-A (BPA) on its ranking of dangerous chemicals that should not be used in products consumers are exposed to.
Nestlé USA has launched a new initiative called ‘Balance Your Plate’ after data from NPD Group revealed that US consumers meet the dietary guidelines on average on just seven days out of 365 (less than 2% of the time).
US Marshals have seized food products from the Ridgewood, NY, factory and warehouse of kosher food specialist V.I.P. Foods after FDA investigators found “widespread rodent infestation”.
While the US juice market has been “essentially flat” for five years, Packaged Facts predicts stronger growth in future driven by reduced calorie products, better-for-you premium juices and blends, and an increase in the number of ‘multicultural’ households...
US dairy giant Dean Foods plans to “accelerate” its existing cost reduction efforts in 2013 in an attempt to minimise the impact of an anticipated decline in private label milk volumes.
A patent application filed by PepsiCo reveals some of the more “surprising” properties of Rebaudioside D (Reb-D) - the steviol glycoside claimed to have one of the best sweetness profiles of them all.
We have heard from attorneys representing food and beverage manufacturers about what Judge Richard Seeborg’s decision to throw out a lawsuit vs AriZona Iced Tea could mean for other ‘all-natural’ cases. But what do lawyers representing consumers in such...
Clover-Stornetta Farms has joined the ranks of firms targeted with class action lawsuits that allege added sugar is being concealed by listing it on pack as ‘evaporated cane juice’.
A report on labeling and marketing of energy drinks by three members of Congress matches much of what industry is already working toward, according the Council for Responsible Nutrition.
One of the inventors of the B Corporation concept, Andrew Kassoy, said his goal was to find a way to harness the entrepreneurial spirit to solve social problems. Along the way, he discovered that a new corporate structure was needed to support that mission.
Industry they may see benefits in lowering prices and making products available to broader markets, according to one expert who suggests that manufacturers should consider people not profits by looking at the bigger 'socially responsible picture'.
Obesity-prone minority US children from low-income families could reduce their body mass index (BMI) by prolonged consumption of ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereals, new research suggests.
At 270.7lbs, Americans eat more meat per capita* than any other nation (with the exception of the carnivorous folk of Luxembourg, who get through a whopping 301.4lbs). But they are eating less than they used to, says market researcher Packaged Facts.
Hostess Brands has closed all asset sales and pulled in $860m; a figure a little less than the worth of the company but expected given the speed of the sell-offs, an analyst says.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released a new report outlining European salt reduction strategies – and while most countries are following EU guidelines, there are still big differences between policies.
Heinz’s (soon to be) new owners 3G Capital and Berkshire Hathaway today revealed that Burger King boss Bernardo Hees will become CEO of Heinz once their 28bn deal (including debt) to buy the soups to ketchup giant is completed.
In part two of this FoodNavigator-USA special looking at the OC&C index of the world’s top 50 CPG companies, we look at which emerging markets present the juiciest opportunities for food and beverage firms.
Strip out inflation from the revenue growth of some of the nation’s leading food and beverage manufacturers in their domestic market, and you are left with some pretty lackluster figures.
The US Food and Drug Administration has requested a $4.7 million dollar budget for fiscal year 2014, an increase of $821 million, or 21%, over FY 2012. The biggest chunk of that increase is due to the Food Safety Modernization Act and almost all of that...
CEO ROBERT SANDS EXCITED AT SECURING MODELO 'CROWN JEWEL'
Constellation Brands plans to double of the capacity of its new Piedras Negras brewery in Mexico to 20m hectolitres within three years, and says its ‘transformational’ deal with AB InBev will make it the No.3 US brewer.
FIRMS SEE UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN CLEAR, FUNCTIONAL BEVERAGES
Virun and Stepan Lipid Nutrition have signed a letter of intent to exploit what both companies agree is untapped potential in the clear, functional beverage space.
The US’s largest natural foods retail cooperative PCC Natural Markets claims it has become the first grocer in the nation to sell chocolate made only from ethically sourced cocoa.
Swiss-based Evolva Holding SA has announced that the food industry can expect its fermentation-derived vanillin product to be available for commercial launch in 2014, with fermentation-derived stevia and saffron following in 2015 & 2016.
