UPDATED - Kellogg has announced a new cost-cutting program called Project K that will see it eliminate 7% of its workforce by 2017, with some cuts beginning immediately.
Increasing numbers of products with superfoods like chia will see this favorite of the Aztecs joining the mainstream functional food/beverage ranks, says a leading marketing expert.
Special edition: Tackling diabetes. Formulating for healthy blood sugar
Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, and poor diet and lack of exercise may be largely to blame, what can food and beverage manufacturers do to tackle this epidemic?
There is huge untapped potential in the Asian foods category - despite its relative maturity - according to KeHE, a leading national distributor of natural and specialty food products.
Looking for a new challenge in your career? Check out food and drink’s most powerful global recruitment network from the publisher of FoodNavigator-USA and FoodNavigator.
The number of consumer fraud class actions brought in federal court against food and beverage companies skyrocketed from 19 cases in 2008 to more than 100 in 2012, according to the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR)*.
Special Edition: Tackling diabetes: Formulating for healthy blood sugar
The overall topic of blood sugar management is becoming increasingly important beyond the population with type 2 diabetes, as mainstream media has made consumers more aware of the health needs of blood sugar management—known more colloquially as “energy...
If the first generation of gluten-free products was short on flavor and nutrients; the next generation - ‘gluten-free 2.0’ - is all about taste, health and convenience, and is infiltrating every food category and channel, delegates at the Food & Nutrition...
From the risks and rewards of energy drinks to what Americans eat for breakfast, strategies to tackle mindless eating and the next generation of gluten-free foods, Houston was the place to be this week as 8,000+ nutrition professionals gathered for the...
In new developments in the highly charged debate over GMOs, General Mills has been targeted in a report blasted by a plant geneticist as “a collection of discredited studies and half-truths”, while the GMA has been slapped with a lawsuit alleging it concealed...
A federal judge handling three lawsuits vs General Mills over ‘100% natural’ claims on Nature Valley products claimed to contain GMOs and other allegedly ‘un-natural’ ingredients says the courts are perfectly capable of deciding if consumers have been...
The Ontario Food Cluster is encouraging global food and beverage buyers and suppliers to join the likes of General Mills Canada, Maple Leaf Foods and Unilever by investing and becoming part of Ontario’s $39 billion, 3,200-company food and beverage processing...
Oreo maker Mondelez International will introduce video display units near checkouts that estimate a person’s age and gender to deliver targeted advertising.
A new Mintel report provides further evidence that the gluten-free market is being propelled by consumers avoiding gluten for perceived health benefits or as a weight management strategy rather than those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
While proteins, whole grains and omega-3s might have got more air time lately, fiber should be top of mind for formulators given that nearly all consumers are still getting significantly less than they need, and you can now add fiber to almost anything...
Kellogg cannot shirk its palm oil responsibility by deflecting attention to its supplier, says RAN following a statement from Kellogg calling for productive talks between its supplier Wilmar and the environmental group.
Incorporating whole grains into bakery formulations dramatically impacts functionality and so it is easier if bakers start from scratch, says the director of R&D at Archer Daniels Midland.
Is there a natural ceiling to the gluten-free market? Is the party over for energy drinks? Are '100%-natural' claims worth the hassle? Find out in FoodNavigator-USA's round up of 10 of the hottest topics in US food and beverage development.Click...
In a world that has seen such unlikely yet brilliant combinations as taco shells made of Doritos and tornados made up of man-eating sharks, why not a chip that’s half tortilla, half potato?
Stevia specialist Steviva Ingredients has developed an organic syrup combining blue agave nectar and stevia extract that is suitable for formulators looking to cut calories and maintain clean labels in sauces and dressings, bars, beverages and baked goods.
In year one of launching its first retail products, POP! Gourmet Popcorn notched up sales of almost $1m. In year two, it’s looking at $3-4m. Next year, it's aiming for $10m, says founder David Israel, who’s on a mission to turn the bland stuff we...
The traditional snacks category has veered off course with pulses, beans and veg being favored over potato and corn. But what does this mean for old favorites?
A federal judge has dismissed as “ridiculous” allegations in a lawsuit alleging Nabisco misled shoppers by describing its cookies as containing ‘real fruit’ when they in fact contained fruit purée.
Breaking into the cut-throat world of consumer packaged goods takes blood, sweat, tears... and enough cash to sustain some momentum after the initial excitement of seeing your product hit the shelf wears off.Here's FoodNavigator-USA's pick of...
A federal judge in California has given the green light to a proposal from Diamond Foods - potentially worth $120m - to settle a class action lawsuit from investors who bought stock in the firm just before its $2.3bn mega-deal to buy Pringles went south...
What do Hunt’s ketchup and Capri Sun have in common? They both switched back to using high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) after taking it out of the recipe, the former citing ‘consumer indifference’ and the latter citing sugar prices. Market data indicates...
The Andre Agassi Foundation for Education has teamed up with Michigan-based private label specialist V20 Foods to create Andre Agassi's Box Budd!es, a line of kids' snacks that will be sold in grocery stores nationwide.
The FDA says it will permit qualified health claims on the relationship between eating whole grains and a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, but is the wording it has proposed so qualified that no food manufacturer will want to use it?
From August 5, 2014, manufacturers using the term ‘gluten-free’ on food labels must adhere to new FDA rules that set a gluten limit of 20 parts per million (ppm). But can consumers take their word for it, or will they still look for some kind of third...
The return of brands from the former Hostess stable including Devil Dogs, Ring Dings, Yodels and Drake’s Coffee Cake on Monday will be followed by several other Drake’s products in the coming days including Honey Buns, Blueberry Muffins, Banana Nut Muffins...
A bill proposing sweeping changes to food labeling laws covering everything from ‘natural’ claims to whole grain statements has been welcomed by consumer groups, but stands little chance of success, legal experts have told FoodNavigator-USA.
The US breakfast cereal category can be bolstered by unlocking neglected brands and pushing deeper into the natural segment, the head of cereals at General Mills says.
Weight management is not as simple as the ‘calories in, calories out’ model of energy balance, claim researchers at the International Conference of Nutrition (ICN) in Granada, Spain.
Consumer perceptions of store brands are continuing to improve in the US as retailers move beyond cheap me-too products. But perceptions of quality still vary considerably across different categories, says a new survey.
The healthy snacking boom has created a storm that small, boutique snack makers are benefiting from as their personal, niche products connect with the enthusiasm of consumers, Packaged Facts finds.
One in five Americans now grazes on snacks throughout the day instead of eating three square meals or even several ‘mini-meals’ a day, according to new research suggesting the line between meals and snacks has become increasingly blurred.
Mounting interest in the benefits of rice protein from the technical and sports nutrition communities alike has turned to increased sales of Axiom Foods’ brown rice protein powder.
Convenience chain 7-Eleven has developed an organic better-for-you snack range to retail alongside premium brands – an interesting move but one that needs to be executed cleverly, warns an analyst.
US retail sales of non-GMO foods and beverages are projected to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.9% in the next five years, and could represent 30% of the market with a value of $264bn in 2017, predicts Packaged Facts.
Although federal efforts have led to “modest improvements” in food quality and marketing practices in recent years, “commercial interests have consistently overridden the health concerns of children”, according to one former government health expert.
Big interview: Sarah Wallace, co-founder, the good bean
After spending years marketing products from Luna Bars and PopChips to thinkThin bars, The Good Bean co-founder Sarah Wallace knew a thing or two about building healthy snacking brands before she decided to put her money where her mouth is and go it alone...
Aside from people with celiac disease, which is estimated to affect less than 1% of the US population, why do so many other Americans buy gluten-free products, and will they carry on buying them, or are current growth rates unsustainable?
Big interview: Josh Tetrick, founder and CEO, Hampton Creek Foods
Egg replacers have been around for years, acknowledges the entrepreneur who has persuaded everyone from Bill Gates to the co-founder of PayPal to part with some serious cash to fund his plant-based egg alternatives. “But wait till you try ours.”
A new report from Rainforest Action Network says food giants supporting "weak" and "diluted" Round Table on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) standards or buying GreenPalm certificates are kidding themselves if they think this will save...
Is it too risky to label products that may contain ingredients from genetically engineered crops as ‘all-natural’? And will the FDA step in and decide this issue so consumer class action lawsuits over this issue stop clogging up the court system?