Kraft Foods Group has come under renewed fire over ‘natural’ claims this month, with a judge certifying a false advertising lawsuit over its ‘natural cheese’ and a plaintiff filing a new lawsuit alleging Capri Sun 100% juice is not ‘all natural’ as it...
Pope Francis has weighed into the debate over GM crops, arguing that while he doesn’t believe there is any “conclusive proof that GM cereals are harmful to human beings”, he worries about their effects on the ecosystem, and argues that they have resulted...
Food ingredients produced using ‘synthetic biology’ techniques – such as Evolva's vanillin, which is made from genetically engineered baker’s yeast - do not qualify for the Non-GMO Project Verified stamp, says the Non GMO Project.
New developments in three high-profile false advertising lawsuits underline the risks associated with making ‘all-natural’ claims on foods made with genetically engineered ingredients, with Kashi and Karlin Foods agreeing to sizeable settlements, and...
A poll* of more than 4,200 US consumers conducted in April 2015 by CivicScience shows Americans believe that ‘preservatives / chemicals’ are significantly more harmful to their heath than added sugar, saturated fat and sodium.
Compared to previous generations Millennials are far more likely to make spur-of-the-moment food decisions and have less well-stocked pantries, say market researchers. But many food retailers are not geared up to meet their changing needs.
Pressure on food manufacturers to label genetically modified food and provide non-GMO alternatives is mounting as consumer concern and confusion about the technology increases in response to a deluge of negative messaging about it.
Meet execs from Sparkling ICE, Chobani, Tio Gazpacho, NASA
Imagine a place where you can meet the entrepreneurs behind new food & beverage categories and retail channels; pioneers in the field of nutrigenomics, edible insects, and 3D printing; food law attorneys; investment bankers; and number crunchers who...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Process Verification Program could provide an avenue for firms to certify the veracity of non-GMO claims without indirectly suggesting that genetic engineering is undesirable or unsafe.
Swiss fermentation specialist Evolva and sweeteners expert Cargill have agreed to start engineering work so they can produce next-generation stevia sweeteners via fermentation at a Cargill biofuel and corn milling facility in Blair, Nebraska, ready for...
Zevia – a zero-calorie carbonated beverage line sweetened with stevia, monk-fruit and erythritol – has removed colors from its entire product range, including colas, and put every SKU through the non-GMO Project verification process.
'Millennials are increasingly health conscious...'
As widely predicted, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is appealing a federal court ruling denying its bid to halt implementation of Vermont’s GMO labeling law (Act 120) until a lawsuit over the Act is resolved.
Attacking biotech companies and spurning ‘artificial’ ingredients will usually generate some positive PR for your business, even if food scientists wearily point out that there are greater threats to our health - and the planet - than GMOs and dough conditioners...
Consumers’ concern about genetically modified food is on the rise, but most shoppers are not yet willing to pay a premium for non-GMO foods – making it difficult for manufacturers to evaluate the business case for going non-GMO, according to research...
Attorney: This case could end up in the Supreme Court
While opponents of Vermont’s GMO labeling Act 120 suffered a major setback this week after a federal judge rejected many of their arguments, some attorneys predict the case could ultimately end up in the Supreme Court to settle a long-running debate over...
A federal court has rejected an attempt by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and other trade associations to prevent the state of Vermont from implementing its controversial GMO labeling law until litigation over the legislation has been resolved.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has “achieved its goal of moving to only non-GMO ingredients to make all of the food in its US restaurants”, and is now embarking on a quest to eliminate additives such as dough conditioners from its foods.
Four out of 10 consumers claim to be avoiding or reducing genetically modified foods in their daily diets, mainly because they are concerned about the possible impact of GMOs on their health and well-being, according to The Hartman Group’s Organic &...
The use of certain biotechnologies could support organic production in the future – although the currently approved ‘cross-species’ GM technologies are the biggest threat to the organic food system, says Christopher Stopes.
The organic industry must overcome substantial hurdles to sustain its double digit sales growth, including the threat posed by genetically modified organisms, limited technological advancements and a dwindling farming population, said organic farmer and...
Congress needs to strengthen FDA’s oversight of genetically modified organisms before foreign countries, with potentially lower safety standards, begin genetically engineering crops used in finished products that are imported to the U.S., argues an executive...
US sales of specialty foods blasted through the $100bn barrier in 2014, with retail ($85.5bn) and foodservice sales ($24bn) combined hitting $109.5bn, up 10.3% on 2013 sales of $99.3bn, according to a new report from the Specialty Food Association using...
Monsanto says the view of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (part of the World Health Organization) that the herbicide glyphosate is “probably carcinogenic to humans" is at odds with the conclusion reached by “all regulatory agencies...
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says two high-profile genetically engineered foods - Simplot's low acrylamide 'Innate' potatoes, and Okanagan Specialty Fruit's non-browning 'Arctic' apples – are “as safe and nutritious...
Consumer confusion about organic verses non-GMO claims abounds, and the Natural Product Association wants to set the record straight with a new lobbying effort.
EU member states have voted to allow national governments to ban or restrict cultivation of genetically modified (GM) crops even when approved at EU level, meaning the new rules will be written into law.
Okanagan Specialty Fruits – the company behind the non-browning ‘Arctic Apple’ – is to be acquired by Intrexon Corporation, which also owns a majority stake in GE salmon firm AquaBounty Technologies.
The first products containing Solazyme’s high stability, high-oleic algae oil – which boasts “unprecedented” amounts of healthy monounsaturated fat – will hit shelves later this year, says the firm, which has just received a no objections letter from...
When trying to source non GMO dietary ingredients for supplements, the inclusion of enzymes presents a special case. There is confusion about the penetration of genetic modification technology into the sector, a confusion that is abetted by the tightly-held...
We’re not trying to hide the fact that we’re using genetic engineering
While anti-GMO activists warn that the technology behind non-browning ‘Arctic apples’ is untested, unnecessary, and "dangerously imprecise", the grower behind them says he’s confident that the food industry and the American public will come...
Meet the CEOs of KRAVE, Health Warrior, Fruigees, HUMAN and Barnana
With the percentage of energy derived from snacks in the American diet doubling since the late 1970s, the pressure is on to make those snacking calories count. But what is a healthy snack, and are the boundaries between snacks and meals blurring as consumers...
From the GMO labeling debate and food litigation trends to new strategies to revitalize the Greek yogurt category, FoodNavigator-USA’s 2015/16 editorial calendar of special editions (once a month), online forums/events (once every two months) and face-to-face...
As more consumers avoid genetically modified organisms, manufacturers that fail to label whether their products contain GMOs are at an increased risk of losing consumer trust and relevance, according to The Hartman Group.
Mandatory GMO labels will be seen as 'warning labels', warns GMA
Supporters and opponents of GMO labeling will square up in a courtroom in Burlington, Vermont, today (Jan 7) to present oral arguments over the merits of Act 120, which will require mandatory labeling of foods produced with genetic engineering.
All the rhetoric for and against genetically modified organisms voiced leading up to November when several states voted on GMO labeling initiatives can make it difficult to understand exactly what genetic engineering is, let alone the benefits and downsides.
Trendwatching with Mintel, Euromonitor, Rabobank & Trailblazer Foods
From the 'astounding' reinvention of popcorn as "Millennial friendly, cool and healthy", to the proliferation of apps & devices enabling us to track our calories, sleep and bowel movements, what have we learned about the food culture...
The biggest rise was in products making non-GMO or GMO-free claims
Non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free, ethical, environmentally-friendly, lactose-free, vegan, no additives/preservatives, and on-the-go claims are all gaining more traction on US food labels; while growth in ‘all-natural’- antioxidant- and low/no/reduced sugar/sodium/fat...
Genetically engineered crops are not a magic bullet and some weeds have become resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (RoundUp) used with selected GM crops, said Monsanto’s chief technology officer Dr Robert Fraley in a debate on Wednesday. But that doesn’t...
A class action lawsuit filed in California accuses Whole Foods Market of misleading consumers by advertising and selling Almond Breeze products with non-GMO Project verified labels before they had officially achieved Non-GMO Project verified status.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage reported strong revenue growth for the fourth quarter of its 2014 fiscal year. Net sales grew by 17.8% over the same period in 2014 and were up by 20.9% for the fiscal year. The company notched $520.7 million in net...
What’s for dinner tonight? And could Watson - the IBM computer that trounced its human rivals at Jeopardy - have the answer? FoodNavigator-USA headed to the reThinkFood conference - a collaboration between the Culinary Institute of America and the MIT...
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to allow individual countries within the EU to ban the cultivation of genetically modified food crops on their soil, even if the EU has already approved them for wider cultivation.
Boulder Brands - which announced a high-profile re-launch of its Smart Balance spreads on a non-GMO platform in March - has admitted that the move has not transformed the brand’s flagging fortunes.
UPDATED - Initial returns indicate that voters in Colorado have given a firm thumbs down to GMO labeling initiative Proposition 105, while the vote in Oregon on Measure 92 headed to a nail-biting finish - but ended with voters saying NO.
FoodNavigator-USA brings you part two of our gallery of highlights from the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Atlanta, GA, which addressed everything from nutrigenomics, plant-based diets and Millennials’ eating habits to whether...
A&B Ingredients has introduced a new pea protein isolate to the US market to meet the demands for vegetarian forms with greater functionality, the company said. The new variety, called Pisane B9, is optimized for baked goods applications.
Consumers want to see what you are putting into the product as well as what isn’t in there
With revenues going from zero to “north of $20m” in three years, the growth of Way Better Snacks has been nothing short of meteoric. But while great branding, its focus on ‘sprouted’ seeds and the CPG experience of its founder & CEO Jim Breen have...