FoodNavigator-USA visited HI-Chew's pop-up to speak with Teruhiro Kawabe, Chief Representative for the USA & President, CEO of Morinaga America Inc. and Joanne Hsu, senior brand marketing manager, to discuss the brand's HI-Chew bites launch.
Snack maker Mondelēz is embracing in-store and digital shopping experiences, as the company is committed to the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model for the long haul, company director of global eCommerce Abhishek Ahluwalia told FoodNavigator-USA in an interview...
Halfway through the National Confectioners Association’s National Candy Month campaign and new data reveals 47% of consumers are seeking out ‘healthy’ candy options to lower their sugar intake.
Due to the rise in grocery prices, consumers have transitioned into value shoppers, prioritizing price sensitivities over brand loyalty. This shift has opened an opportunity for smaller retailers to more efficiently meet consumer needs by leveraging their...
Critical supply chains are finally “normalizing” after the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted transportation and slowed production, triggering bottlenecks and driving up inflation to 40-year highs, according to a White House report card...
Legislation reintroduced yesterday could add another layer of oversight – and office – for food safety at FDA as the agency reimagines and tries to repair what many consider a broken review system for the nation’s food supply.
Natural cereal brand Three Wishes is tapping into a tried-and-true nostalgic flavor for its latest limited-time-offering with s'mores, as the brand looks to capitalize on the demand for better-for-you and allergen-conscious food products, brand CEO...
The company’s manufacturing plant in Bloomington, Ill.n will feature a chocolate processing facility and a Kinder Bueno production line. The plant is expected to strengthen the company’s presence in the US, while showcasing its diverse portfolio, Hugh...
Cargill's consumer preference study revealed that despite the widespread popularity of gelatin-based gummies, participants overwhelmingly favored a softer gummy texture made from alternative ingredients like pectin or tapioca.
While e-commerce impulse buys are evolving, in-store purchases are still critical in capturing snack and candy consumers—with the self-checkout lane offering tremendous potential growth for both brands and retailers, Kathy Risch, senior vice president,...
Despite inflationary pressures, consumers at all life stages continue to treat themselves both in-store and online with candy and snacks, Acosta Group's Kathy Risch shares in this first story in the two part series about consumers' candy and...
Whether as daily delights or a moment of self-care, consumers are turning to bakery items in a range of flavors, including established classics and globally inspired tastes, as the overall market also provides better-for-you options, Sarah Hickey, senior...
In a bid to create a more “memorable” identity, Israeli food-tech company DouxMatok is rebranding to share the same “single, powerful” name as its signature sugar reduction product – Incredo – which it plans to further develop and commercialize with the...
A draft compliance policy guide published in today’s Federal Register outlines how FDA plans to enforce major food allergen labeling and the risk of cross-contact, but does not directly address the unintended consequences of the recent addition of sesame...
A lack of transparency around 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee members' affiliation with industry trade groups and multinational brands sparked scrutiny by public health advocates after last week's committee meeting.
During “The Promise and Pitfalls of Generative AI for Food and Beverage Operations” webinar, Nick Markman, senior product manager, Evocalize, explained that while the risks of producing misinformation from generative AI are significant, it’s up to brands...
The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new guideline on non-sugar sweeteners (NSS), which recommends against the use of NSS to control body weight or reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
With new inventions and innovations coming thick and fast, the plant-based confectionery category is increasingly shifting into the mainstream market with big brands like Mars entering the space in the past couple of years.
Barry Callebaut Group has announced significant changes to its Forever Chocolate sustainability programme adding additional targets and sharpening existing ones as it looks to make sustainable chocolate the norm beyond 2025.
Across income groups, shoppers continue to focus on value although retailers have an opportunity to instill a competitive edge by enhancing private label strategy.
The Alliance for Fair Sugar Policy (AFSP) urges Congress to make “reasonable targeted changes to the US sugar program” to help lower food prices, reinforce supply chains and make American businesses and farmers more competitive on the global playing field.
Discount stores need to keep a close eye on pricing strategies to remain competitive and balance affordability with product displays and differentiation, advises one industry insider.
Hershey's net sales increased 12.1% to $2.98bn thanks to price and volume gains across both confectionery and salty snack segments, driven heavily by consumer demand and media investments.
Biscuit and chocolate giant Mondelez International nearly doubled its outlook for fiscal 2023 after delivering its “best quarter ever” with organic revenue growth up 19.4% to $1.5bn over the same period last year and “significantly ahead of [an] already...
Nestle’s near double-digit price hike across its portfolio of coffee and confections over the past three months helped buoy sales and offset a notable jump in costs without significantly dragging down volumes, prompting executives and analysts to characterize...
Day one of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) Sugar Reduction Summit centered around the organization’s sugar reduction initiatives for all food and beverage categories, aligning with USDA and the New York Department of Hygiene and Mental...
Similar to previous partnerships between SweetLeaf and the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the collaboration intends to bring more visibility towards diabetes risk and management and provide actionable ways for people with diabetes to improve their...
Discussions between FMI – The Food Industry Association’s Government Relations Committee and lawmakers will surround Farm Bill reauthorization, food safety regulations and credit card competition, among others on April 19, 2023.
In a controversial move that could have a ripple effect for food and beverage manufacturers nationwide, California Assembly’s Committee on Health approved AB 418 -- bringing the state one step closer to potentially banning brominated vegetable oil, potassium...
The no-code electronic data integration software offers automatic compliance testing, certification services and onboarding amenities to connect food and beverage brands with a network of trading partners.
The fintech platform, along with the Global Entrepreneurship Network, intends to help small to medium-sized businesses access capital with the launch of the Equitable Access Program and its first product, the Business Health Score.
Citing numerous studies that suggest Red Dye No. 3 could be carcinogenic, The Center for Science in the Public Interest and a coalition of 23 other associations want FDA to remove the color from its list of approved additives in foods, dietary supplements...
Raising prices while simultaneously shrinking products to offset higher inflation could cost brands more in the long term, suggests a new survey from YouGov that found consumers turned off by shrinkflation are turning to private label.
US Consumers plan to spend a collective $24 billion on Easter this year, up from $20.8 billion in 2022 and the previous record high of $21.7 billion in 2020, according to the annual survey released today by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights...
In news over-shadowed by the shock resignation of CEO Peter Boone, Barry Callebaut announced sales volumes in the six months ending 28 February fell 2.9% to 1.13 million tonnes and has lowered its sales volume guidance as inflationary pressures continue...
A new survey commissioned by the National Confectioners Association (NCA) reveals 84% of Americans say they plan to celebrate the 2023 Easter season by sharing or gifting some kind of confectionery treat.
Mars, Kellogg, Mondelez, and other CPG players are launching seasonal sweets and snacks to mark the start of Spring and Easter with unique and classic flavors as well as bite-size formats that also satisfy consumer demand for permissible indulgence.
Hershey plans to aggressively scale its salty snack business with ambitious goals to take SkinnyPop popcorn and Dot’s Homestyle Pretzels from second and third place respectively to first in their categories “in the next couple of years” by building brand...
Hershey is gaining market share in the US confection market while its top competitors fall farther back by replacing its old playbook of innovating and marketing to masses with a more targeted “occasion-based” approach to product development and “mass...
Hershey is making more of the sweets and snacks consumers want with less and overcoming extreme supply chain challenges by replacing and repurposing underutilized manufacturing capacity, ditching conventional lines in favor of more efficient modular operations...
Consumer demand for snacks continues to increase, and Mondelez International sees itself as well-positioned to not only meet those needs but increase its market share in the process.
Strong consumer demand for affordable, sustainable products will drive the Fairtrade market in 2023, the organisation said after a successful awareness campaign in the UK brought ethically sourced products, such as chocolate, bananas and coffee, into...
Emerging and maturing trends revealed at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week ranged from dips delivering delightful dinners, mochi moving into multiple day parts, plant-based expanding beyond analogues, and beverages brimming with better-for-you...
Katjes USA is launching ‘Sheroes’ a new plant-based gummy candy at Expo West this week, which will also honour women across the country who ‘are heroes in their own right’.
Artificial sweeteners have gained in popularity as consumers seek out products without sugar, but a new study suggests a potential link between keto-friendly sweetener erythritol and an elevated risk of heart attack or stroke.
Senior figures from US confectionery are set to gather in Miami this weekend for its annual State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC), hosted by the National Confectioners Association (NCA).
As 2023 comes into focus, CPG brands are addressing yet more changes to supply chains, marketing, and how they approach consumers, retailers, and the markets they serve, as shared in a recent IRI and Boston Consulting Group webinar.
Industry leaders and food safety stakeholders are calling out FDA for not going far enough in its plans to unify under a new Human Foods Program nearly all of its major food components that currently are scattered across multiple divisions.
Nestlé has reported its net profit fell to CHF 16.9 billion ($18.33 billion) in its full year results for 2022, with sales increasing to CHF 94.4 billion ($102.38 billion), missing forecasts for CHF 95.02 billion ($103.05 billion), despite price increases...
