Product packaging today often is cluttered with so many certifications that consumers’ can’t absorb everything in the brief time they look at labels in stores, and as a result the icons’ impact is diminished and manufacturers likely aren’t getting their...
11th hour reprieve from the courts or from Congress increasingly unlikely
Private litigants, or so-called ‘bounty hunters’, may start targeting food manufacturers over alleged violations of Vermont’s new GMO labeling law from day one (July 1), lawyers at Hogan Lovells have warned.
Members of the Natural Products Association met with their senators' and representatives' offices in Washington, DC, April 13 to promote standardized GMO labeling nationwide, insurance coverage of dietary supplements, increased oversight of...
'We want to be clear what we stand for and ‘all-natural’ is not clear'
Good Food Made Simple – one of a new wave of companies on a mission to revitalize the frozen food aisle - is transitioning its burritos and wraps to a 'made with organic ingredients' platform and ditching the much maligned term ‘all-natural’...
'Our enforcement priorities will focus on willful violations of the labeling law'
In a memorandum on the new GMO labeling law coming into force in Vermont in July, attorney general William H. Sorrell says enforcement action will “focus on willful violations of the labeling law” and that there will be a six-month safe harbor period...
First was Campbell Soup, then General Mills, Mars and Kellogg... and now ConAgra Foods has become the latest major food company to roll out GMO labeling nationwide in order to comply with a law coming into force in Vermont on July 1.
Kellogg has joined CPG giants Mars, General Mills, and Campbell Soup in opting to roll out GMO labeling nationwide in order to comply with a GMO labeling law that comes into force in Vermont in July.
CFSAF: 'Gen Mills was forced to make decision because of Senate’s failure to act'
It was prompted by pragmatism, rather than an ideological shift, but General Mills and Mars have resolved to roll out GMO labeling nationwide as Congress has proved unable to hammer out a federal solution that all stakeholders can get behind before new...
Organic and Non-GMO claims are both gaining strong traction on US food and beverage labels, while there has been a slight decline in the percentage of new launches featuring 'natural' claims, according to Mintel.
Sen. Pat Roberts’ GMO labeling bill (S. 2609) has been defeated in the Senate (48:49), as lawmakers proved unable to hammer out a compromise that all stakeholders could get behind in the race to create a federal GMO labeling standard before new laws take...
From the apparently 'unstoppable' growth in the natural and organic products industry to the FDA's 'natural' probe, check out our gallery of highlights from the education sessions at Expo West.
New York-based startup Masienda wants to elevate the $6.8 billion corn tortilla market in the US by importing biodiverse, heirloom corn from Mexico to create a better tasting, nonGMO alternative to the options currently available in the staple category.
Calculations by researchers at Purdue estimate 102,000 hectares of US forest and pasture would have to be converted to cropland if GMOs were eliminated, but anti-GMO organizations argued that the study isn’t valid.
Bill requires mandatory GMO labeling but would not require front of pack ‘warning’ statements
Two days after Senator Pat Roberts’ voluntary GMO labeling bill got the green light from the Senate agriculture committee, Senator Jeff Merkley* (D-OR) has introduced a ‘common-sense’ alternative he claims will please supporters of mandatory GMO labeling,...
A bill that would pre-empt state laws that mandate GMO labeling (such as Act 120 in Vermont) and set up a federal voluntary labeling system instead, has passed in the Senate Agriculture Committee 14:6, but faces an uphill battle when it goes to the Senate...
California judge tosses Chipotle GMO labeling lawsuit
A California federal court has dismissed a high-profile lawsuit alleging Chipotle falsely advertised its food as non-GMO. And while it has given the plaintiff leave to amend her suit, it has made it clear she will have to come up with a stronger argument...
The current shift away from dieting and calorie-counting towards eating more whole, nutrient dense foods is a double-edged sword when it comes to fighting the obesity epidemic in America, according to an internationally recognized nutritionist.
Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan) has unveiled proposed legislation that would pre-empt state laws that mandate GMO labeling (such as Act 120 in Vermont) and set up a federal voluntary labeling system.
Modeled after the coveted architectural LEED certification, being REAL certified tells buyers that manufacturers have gone “above and beyond” to produce a responsible, healthy product.
Hain Celestial hopes to stay “one step ahead” of the conventional CPG manufacturers now flocking to the increasingly popular natural and organic space, which the New York-based firm has dominated for years, by better customizing marketing, pricing and...
For flavor giant McCormick & Co. Inc., 2016 promises strong growth driven by innovative product launches, consumer inspired reformulations, a brand building campaign and potential acquisitions, according to company executives.
The top 10 branded processed food companies in the US have lost 4% of their market share in the past five years as smaller, more innovative brands have seized the initiative, says Rabobank.
Whole Foods products at wholesale prices, delivered to your door? It sounds almost too good to be true, and at the beginning, that’s certainly how many potential investors viewed Thrive Market. But with a run-rate approaching $100m and hundreds of thousands...
In a dramatic rebranding, Lean Cuisine ditches the “antiquated” idea of dieting to become an advocate for overall healthy lifestyles, and in doing so, is empowering women to change the conversation about weight and value perceptions, according to brand’s...
There will be two companies authorized to verify GMO-free claims in Vermont. Some experts worry about application backlog to meet the July 1 deadline, while others say it’s a step in the right direction.
Growing consumer concern about food waste and the environmental impact of food production could be a “conversation starter” for food manufacturers to shift consumers’ focus on genetically modified organisms away from the perceived negative impact to the...
Campbell Soup has broken ranks with the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) on the GMO labeling front and declared its support for the enactment of “federal legislation to establish a single mandatory labeling standard for foods derived from GMOs”...
As part of our Food Vision USA program, FoodNavigator-USA quizzed food & beverage entrepreneurs on the trends they are tracking, plus what keeps them awake at night, from fundraising to recruitment. Here's part 2! (Best viewed on your desktop.)
If you didn't make it to Chicago in October for FoodNavigator-USA's inaugural Food Vision USA event, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of industry experts covering everything from our nutritional needs on a manned mission to Mars to the challenges...
There’s a widening sense of distrust from Canadian consumers against food manufacturers, especially when it comes to free-from claims on packaging. A Mintel study conducted in September found that a whopping 65% of Canadians see the free-from label as...
A $1.1 trillion omnibus spending package released late last night does not contain a much-anticipated policy rider on federal GMO labeling that would pre-empt state GMO-labeling laws, although it does seek to block the sale of genetically engineered salmon...
The FDA will have its work cut out when it comes to coming up with a workable definition of ‘natural’, if the comments submitted to the FDA thus far are anything to go by.
The FDA has rejected a citizen’s petition calling for mandatory labeling of foods from genetically engineered crops, arguing that labels are not warranted unless there is a material difference in the safety or nutritional profile of the foods in question.
Becoming non-GMO certified can help brands attract new consumers and boost sales, but it also could alienate existing shoppers if manufacturers are not careful, cautions Asian sauce maker San-J.
What is 'natural'? FDA finally weighs into the debate
Having studiously avoided this food labeling minefield for years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has surprised many in the trade by seeking comments on the definition of a word that has launched a thousand class action lawsuits (well almost):...
JM Smucker has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit accusing it of misleading shoppers by labeling selected Crisco cooking oil as ‘all natural’, according to court papers filed in New York.
If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the inaugural Food Vision USA event, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of industry experts covering everything from our nutritional needs on a manned mission to Mars to the challenges facing small...
Armed with little more than her neighbors’ accolades for her homemade granola and a business book recommended on Oprah Winfrey’s website, Viki Sater dove head first into the competitive cereal market.
Blending is the way forward for plant based proteins in sports nutrition and their price stability can help manufacturers, says World Food Processing president Tyler Lorenzen.
Can a bunch of food-tech start-ups really ‘fix the broken food system’, feed 9bn people by 2050 and ‘disrupt’ the food industry with a killer app? Maybe, but they might be better off focusing on more tangible goals, according to investment experts gathered...
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) will go to court on Thursday (Oct 8) in a last-ditch attempt to convince judges that a GMO labeling law due to come into effect in Vermont next year should be blocked until litigation over the legislation is...
With snacking replacing more meals in the US, manufacturers are responding with a variety of fast, on-the-go options that are packed with nutrients, protein, fiber and energy.
Retailers that initially warned Enjoy Life Foods not to enter the baking mix segment are now clamoring to stock the manufacturer’s new line of five ready-to-use mixes in large part because they go beyond the convenience of competitors to include hot functional...
Jackfruit, a previously hard-to-find but popular meat substitute among vegans, is going mainstream in the US with two manufacturers launching ready-to-eat product lines featuring the fibrous plant as a main ingredient.
Demand for GMO certification services has been growing faster than supply, and NSF has responded to that demand with its new True North certification program, said the scheme’s director.
Data from Label Insight* shows that one in five (21%) snack, energy or granola bars in the US now makes a non-GMO claim of some kind – making it the leading category for non-GMO claims, compared with an average of 4.2% for all the grocery products in...
'Nowadays, a food crisis starts when the Food Babe is on line two'
In an era of shorter consumer attention spans and heightened suspicion about food science, the packaged food and beverage industry can take a page from the world of pop culture and bring food science down to earth with humor and proactive transparency.
Flowers Foods – which has just snapped up Dave’s Killer Bread for $275m – has made another move into the fast-growing organic bakery category with a $120m deal to acquire Alpine Valley Bread Company.
