If you didn’t make it to Chicago for the Food Technology and Innovation Forum last week – or were too busy speed-dating with suppliers in the exhibition hall to attend the conference - we’ve rounded up some of the best bits…
The National Consumers League (NCL) has filed a formal complaint with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) about the NuVal on-shelf nutrition rating system – and urged the agency to standardize nutrition rating schemes.
The proportion of Americans who say they would like extra on-pack information about their food has increased over the past two years, according to new poll results from the International Food Information Council (IFIC).
Health Canada is considering new rules for the labeling of prebiotics in foods, which could mean some food companies have to drop or modify existing health claims, the agency has said.
Smaller portion sizes, curbing food marketing to children, cutting sugary drink intake and boosting availability of healthy foods are among policy recommendations in a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM).
Red Bull is launching a new variant of its eponymous energy drink with no calories, sugar or carbohydrates, adding to a limited product portfolio that analysts had identified as a weakness.
The Californian ‘Right to Know’ campaign in support of labeling foods and ingredients produced using genetic engineering looks set for inclusion in the state’s November ballot, after it attracted nearly a million signatures. If enacted, what would the...
Kraft Foods reported a 1.8% increase in first quarter profit after it raised prices for its products around the world and increased sales of its ‘power’ brands, particularly in developing markets.
Sales of private label foods and beverages have been on the rise for more than a decade, but consumers are beginning to lose enthusiasm, suggests a new report from market research organization The NPD Group.
What’s on the menu for 2012? Traditional fruits, Thai and Indian cuisine, freshness, different varieties of chili, plant proteins, smoke flavors, more part-prepared foods and Asian and Latin American flavors, predict trendwatchers…
A suite of novel functional food and beverage concepts containing Hidrox - a potent anti-inflammatory ingredient from olive juice - is being developed by California-based CreAgri as it seeks to build on its success in the dietary supplements arena.
Sales of new mid-calorie cola Pepsi NEXT are ahead of expectations, while early feedback suggests it is attracting new consumers - as well as lapsed cola drinkers - into the cola category, PepsiCo has revealed.
What’s in a name? Everything, when it comes to ‘cleaning’ up ingredients declarations, says National Starch/Corn Products International, which has launched an online hub at cleanlabelinsights.com to collate the latest research and market data to help...
The Canadian government has said it will no longer allow functional foods and drinks to be marketed under Natural Health Products regulations, requiring manufacturers to revise labels and/or reformulate to keep products on the market.
Florida-based ATM Metabolics is in advanced negotiations with some of the biggest food and beverage brands in the US and Europe about incorporating Emulin - the insulin-mimicking active ingredient in GNC’s top-selling glucose control supplement GC7X -...
The US organic market grew 9.5% last year, breaking the $30bn barrier for the first time, and continuing to outpace sales of non-organic food, according to a new report from the Organic Trade Association (OTA).
The food industry could promote meat and dairy substitutes ‘like digital technology’ to tackle climate change, suggests former World Bank environmental adviser Robert Goodland.
The global market for foods developed for those with food allergies and intolerances is expected to grow to more than $26.5bn over the next five years, according to a new report from Global Industry Analysts (GIA).
Seasonings giant McCormick is working on a ’flavor print’ service with MyWebGrocer it claims will replicate Amazon’s recommendation capabilities in the world of flavor, delivering personalized recipes to consumers using McCormick ingredients.
With class action lawsuits alleging labeling violations now “filed almost daily in California”, food manufacturers are spending “hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees and settlement amounts” to resolve cases that are entirely avoidable, according...
Generational tastes are more different than ever before – and food marketers should not ignore these variations, claims flavor marketing expert Kim Holman.
A coalition of consumer groups has written to the FDA urging it to “act decisively” and refuse the Corn Refiners Association’s petition to allow ‘corn sugar’ as an alternative name for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) on ingredient lists.
If the government plans to set sodium reduction targets for food categories it should take into account progress already made by ‘proactive’ firms or risk unfairly penalizing companies that have taken the initiative, Subway has warned.
Star-K Kosher Certification has begun providing triple inspections to certify plants and products as non-GMO, organic and kosher, which it says can save companies time and money on individually conducted inspections.
The popularity of gluten free foods is set to taper off within the next two or three years, claimed Dr. Elizabeth Sloan, president of Sloan Trends, at the recent Research Chefs Association conference in Texas.
US food and beverage manufacturers have not been put off making immunity claims despite the fact that they have plunged several big brands into legal hot water, according to immune health expert Biothera.
Consumer demand for less processing, fresher ingredients and more participation in food preparation is a huge challenge for the processed food industry, but there are ways that food manufacturers can respond to this demand, according to experts at the...
For a long time, Tate & Lyle had the sucralose market to itself. It discovered it, patented it to the hilt, and perfected the manufacturing process at plants capable of producing it on an industrial scale.
Interview, James Blunt, senior VP, product management and marketing, Tate & Lyle
It’s not as sexy as stevia, and not as cheap as aspartame, but sucralose continues to press food formulators’ buttons, and demand is still growing – fast - says market leader Tate & Lyle.
The row over the legal line between liquid dietary supplements, conventional beverages and energy drinks hit the headlines again this week with Senator Dick Durbin calling on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to enforce its own guidance.
While US firms using inulin and oligofructose are still primarily interested in adding fiber or reducing fat and sugar, they are starting to move beyond generic fiber claims into discussing more specific health benefits, says Cargill.
An LA-based firm on a mission to turn ginseng into next big thing in functional beverages says there is room in the market for a new product that can compete with Red Bull and Monster but pack a greater nutritional punch.
While the food bar market has traditionally been split into two distinct categories: cereal/granola bars and energy/nutrition bars; the boundaries between them are becoming increasingly blurred, according to a new report.
PepsiCo is facing another class action lawsuit in California – this time accusing it of making a nutrient content claim (0 grams trans fat) on Frito-Lay snacks, without adhering to the legal conditions of use for such claims.
Once the preserve of sweaty men pumping iron, protein has emerged from an image overhaul as the ingredient of choice for food developers targeting consumers of all ages and both genders keen to battle the bulge and stay strong, according to one trends...
With lean finely textured beef (LFTB) now off the menu at some of the nation’s biggest retailers and fast food chains, recriminations are flying thick and fast over who is to blame for the whole sorry, pink, slimy mess currently engulfing the food industry.
Baffled by ‘pink slime’, confused by probiotics and antioxidants and suspicious of anything with a name that they can’t pronounce on the ingredients list…
The term ‘antioxidant’ should be banished from food labels and replaced with more specific claims about the health benefits of the phytonutrients and other ingredients in question, according to one leading academic.
The growing Hispanic market holds huge opportunity for food manufacturers in the United States, but understanding cultural dynamics is vital to new product success, according to a panel of experts speaking at the Research Chefs Association conference...
The use of generic food names like parmesan cheese, bologna, feta, provolone, and salami could be under threat, claims the Consortium for Common Food Names, a newly formed alliance seeking to prevent naming restrictions for international producers.
Chef Eric Ripert added his voice to the million others supporting genetically modified ingredient labeling during his keynote speech at the Research Chefs Association conference on Friday, but said consumers need to increase their food budgets if they...
An overwhelming chorus of “eww, that sounds gross!” alongside some scary junk science about ammonium hydroxide, has led to a safe, nutritious product being pulled from stores – but there is an important lesson here for industry.
A controversial government proposal designed to curb the marketing of junk food to kids is not high up the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC’s) priority list, it has emerged.
The threat of civil litigation is now so great that food manufacturers using any ingredients not found in ‘Grandma’s kitchen cupboard’ should think twice about making ‘all-natural’ claims on pack, according to one firm specializing in food label compliance.
Shoppers are holding on to frugal habits in 2012, but there are emerging trends that food and beverage manufacturers can use to attract consumers, according to the latest research from SymphonyIRI.
Attorneys for the Sugar Association and the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) went head to head at federal judge Consuelo Marshall's courtroom in Los Angeles at noon today as the dispute over the CRA’s right to describe high fructose corn syrup (HFCS)...
It might not have garnered as much publicity as stevia, but monk fruit (luo han guo) “has found a niche within the all-natural market but will hit mass market sooner than stevia in this space”, according to one leading supplier.
For the third year running, soy ingredients company Solae has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as one of the World’s Most Ethical (WME) companies, but it is still the only food ingredients company on the list.
Health Canada has approved a new health claim advising consumers that replacing saturated fats with mono- and polyunsaturated fats can reduce cholesterol.
