The FDA says it will take a “fresh look” at the health effects of caffeine on kids following the launch of Alert Energy Caffeine Gum - a new caffeinated gum from Wrigley (Mars).
Wisconsin firm LiveGreat Foods is launching a rebranded version of its Clarinol CLA-fortified milk Acclaim at the forthcoming Healthy Beverage Expo in Las Vegas (June 7-9).
In February 2012, Kraft unveiled a category first: MilkBite milk and granola bars for the refrigerated dairy aisle combining “real milk” (and as much calcium as an 8floz glass of milk), whole grains, nuts and fruit.
Unilever has filed an international patent for a process that creates tea juices with improved taste and color, to cater for the upsurge in demand for tea powders and RTD drinks with minimal processing and higher levels of bioactive compounds.
DISPATCHES FROM THE 2013 INNOBEV GLOBAL BEVERAGES CONGRESS, WARSAW, POLAND
Unilever has described tea as the ‘hottest beverage’ in the global drinks landscape, and one with unlimited opportunities as a natural product with scientifically proven health and wellness benefits.
While demand for some more exotic fruits can wax and then rapidly wane after celebrity backers lose interest, and over-use (and abuse) has devalued the term ‘super fruit’ somewhat, enthusiasm about fruits of all kinds continues to grow.
Coca-Cola’s ready-to-drink iced tea brand Gold Peak is “rapidly on its way to becoming a $1bn brand”, revealed CEO Muhtar Kent in an earnings call yesterday.
While the US juice market has been “essentially flat” for five years, Packaged Facts predicts stronger growth in future driven by reduced calorie products, better-for-you premium juices and blends, and an increase in the number of ‘multicultural’ households...
A patent application filed by PepsiCo reveals some of the more “surprising” properties of Rebaudioside D (Reb-D) - the steviol glycoside claimed to have one of the best sweetness profiles of them all.
From a standing start in 2007 - when it accounted for just 1% of refrigerated yogurt sales in the US food, drug and mass channels excluding Walmart (FDMx) - Greek yogurt now commands a whopping 35% share of the market, according to a new report from Packaged...
All confectionery categories will grow in Mexico over the next five years, but gum will grow the fastest and confectioners can capitalize with products enriched with vitamins and minerals, according to research from Canadean.
An international patent application filed by PepsiCo last September - and published yesterday - reveals the firm is seeking to patent high-protein nutrition beverages in 4floz ‘hydration units’ containing alpha-lactalbumin, whey protein hydrolysates,...
MINTEL PREDICTS STRONG US GROWTH FOR HEALTHY KIDS YOGURT DRINKS
Dairy giant Dannon (Danone) says it spent two years reformulating its Danimals Smoothies for kids in the US to achieve a 25% sugar reduction, as Mintel predicts strong growth for kid-friendly yogurt drinks with health and wellness benefits in the country...
Contrary to some media reports, Coca-Cola is not developing a new high-fiber frozen beverage, but it did help develop Slurpee Lite - a low-calorie beverage launched in 7-Eleven last May, said bosses today.
It made its name by selling frozen yogurt, and is now moving into fresh with the roll-out of Pinkberrygreek. But will customers buy into the concept? And could this be a prelude to a retail product to take on Chobani? Elaine Watson caught up with Pinkberry...
Improving circulation is a hot new trend in heart health, while cardio-healthy foods and drinks for children represent an "explosive untapped functional foods opportunity", according to Elizabeth A. Sloan, PhD and Catherine Adams Hutt, PhD,...
60 second interview: Dr Michael Wald, Director of Nutritional Services, Integrated Medicine of Mount Kisco, NY
TV’s ‘blood detective’ and zombie fan Dr Michael B. Wald has combined his interest in nutrition and er, zombies, to develop the Zombie Food Bar. But does it have what it takes to stand out in an increasingly crowded market? Elaine Watson caught up with...
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
US sales of foods and beverages marketed on a cardiovascular health platform grew by 22% in the period 2007-2012 to top $3.1bn in 2012, according to Euromonitor International.
A large chunk of the growth in the beverage category in North America over the next decade will come from products in categories that do not even exist today, predicts Coca-Cola’s Venturing & Emerging Brands (VEB) team.
Dean Foods has launched a high-protein, long-life version of its popular TruMoo flavoured milk range in an attempt to meet increasing US consumer demand for protein-enriched beverages.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
A growing body of science unraveling exactly why olives are so healthy - coupled with a new wave of olive-polyphenol ingredients targeting food and beverage makers - is prompting a resurgence of interest in one of the oldest ‘heart-friendly’ foods in...
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
A start-up called Pectacea is making "solid progress" on a pioneering project that could create a completely new category of heart-healthy foods based on the ability of natural pectins to inhibit a protein called galectin-3.
Special edition: New trends in heart healthy foods
While LDL cholesterol is one biomarker of cardiovascular disease risk everybody can name, the next generation of heart healthy foods will address a broader range of risk factors from galectin-3, C-Reactive protein (CRP), and oxidized LDL (OxLDL) levels...
General Mills’ Yoplait Greek 100 yogurt is on track to deliver $100m in retail sales in its first year on the market, revealed CEO Ken Powell on the firm’s third quarter earnings call yesterday.
Big Interview: Terry Howell, director of business development, Suntava
Purple is hot (well, so says Dr Oz). From purple carrots, potatoes, tomatoes and cauliflower to blackberries, grapes, blueberries and cabbage, a deep purple hue is usually a good sign that fruits and veg contain a healthy dose of beneficial phytonutrients.
While there have been some standout successes - from PepsiCo’s Trop50 juice drinks to ThinkThin protein bars - growth in the overall weight management market is pretty sluggish, according to new research.
Hain Celestial has unveiled a raft of new products utilizing hot ingredients from chia and quinoa to coconut pulp and almonds, including organic gluten-free chia seed corn tortilla chips under the Garden of Eatin' brand, and coconut almond butter...
Seeing light at the end of the economic tunnel puts a spring in consumers’ steps and a little sizzle on their palates, too. Culinary trends expert Suzy Badaracco said we’re not in extreme consumption mode yet, but consumers are starting move beyond the...
Why do pineapple and blue cheese taste so great together? Lots of reasons, but a key one is that they both contain the flavor component methyl hexanoate, say the founders of Belgian firm Foodpairing.com, which has built a business around identifying novel...
From non-entity to 15 retailers in 2.5 years is a rapid rise, and doing so by blending health, convenience and affordability to produce prepared foods that also taste ‘amazing’ is only the beginning, says the Founder and CEO of Lyfe Kitchen Grocery.
Convenience stores and value supermarkets are the fastest growing channels for confectionery in the US as cash strapped consumers down-trade and stores expand, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA) and market analysts Nielsen.
Big interview: Ingrid Hirstin Lazcano, CEO, Andean Dream
A technical paper produced by NASA in 1993 observes: "While no single food can supply all the essential life sustaining nutrients, quinoa comes as close as any other in the plant or animal kingdom.”
Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg, who recently lent his name to a new range of sports nutrition products called MARKED, has teamed up with fellow celebrity Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs to promote and develop high pH alkaline water AQUAhydrate.
Muller Quaker Dairy, the joint venture between PepsiCo and German dairy giant Theo Müller Group, is rolling out Müller yogurts to more US cities in the Mid-Atlantic, Great Lakes and Southeast regions, including Chicago, Atlanta, Cincinnati and Tampa after...
Expect more products containing beans and lentils, new quinoa-packed soups and entrees, high-protein nut and seed-based spreads, and more popped whole grains in US grocery stores this year, predicts market researcher Packaged Facts.
As food marketers focus more on positive nutrition than ‘food minus’ concepts, the boundaries between ‘diet’ foods and ‘regular’ foods are becoming increasingly blurred, says Euromonitor International.
It might sound counter-intuitive given the lackluster state of the economy, but food manufacturers most attuned to the tastes of a small but powerful group of affluent and educated ‘upscale’ shoppers are the most likely to succeed in the US food retail...
While obesity in America has reached epidemic proportions, manufacturers seeking to help us battle the bulge are avoiding the word ‘diet’ like the plague; cutting sugar, fat and salt by stealth; and instead promoting more positive messages about food...
Affordable gourmet confectionery is on the rise in the US, according to the National Confectioners Association (NCA) which has seen a hike in demand from exhibitors wanting to showcase products in the Gourmet Marketplace at the 16th Sweet & Snacks...
