As Americans prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving in a week, many are worried they won’t be able to afford a traditional meal – prompting some to look for alternatives, including plant-based options, and triggering massive promotions by retailers eager for...
Cultivated meat – made from animal cells grown in bioreactors instead of living breathing animals – has edged one step closer to commercialization in the US after the FDA sent Berkeley-based UPSIDE Foods a ‘no questions’ letter affirming the safety of...
Instead of coffee beans, Minus Coffee is taking ingredients such as chicory root, dates, and lentils, which undergo a fermentation process that its founder claims precisely replicates the taste and aroma of cold brew coffee, but in a much more sustainable...
“It's very frustrating to hear people talk all the time about transportation and power [in conversations about climate change] when right in front of you three times a day, there is a solution that's more impactful,” observed Beyond Meat founder...
Chicago-based kids lemonade brand Poppilu has been acquired by American Beverage Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harvest Hill Beverage Company (makers of Juicy Juice and SUNNYD), to build upon the brand's success of establishing the kids...
Zevia continues to gain new shoppers, increasing the brand's household penetration (+1.3 million households in Q3 2022 vs. Q3 2021) while the company sorts through temporary inventory management issues that have dented its full 2022 year outlook.
Between Americans’ hectic on-the-go lifestyles pre-COVID, the pandemic prompting everyone to hit pause followed by hybrid work schedules, inflation rates at 40-year highs, and increased expectations that food not only nourish the body but also the soul,...
Plant-based foods and beverages co-manufacturer SunOpta continues to see strong growth across its plant-based milks portfolio especially in oatmilk, which is growing at more than twice the rate of the broader oatmilk segment.
Beyond Meat posted a year-over-year net loss of $101.7m on net sales of $82.5m in Q3 2022 as the company executes a "full force pivot" to its operating model, which includes slashing operating expenses to fortify the business and focusing on...
Square Roots is expanding its indoor farming footprint of teched-out converted shipping containers by co-locating one of its new farms at grocery wholesaler UNFI's distribution center near the Twin Cities where frigid winters reduce access to fresh,...
Having outgrown its three facilities in Colorado, Bobo's is moving into its two-years-in-the-making 'super bakery' which will give it enough capacity to triple its output of bars and put it on track to eclipse $100m in revenue next year.
Shoppers at Sprouts Farmers Market may be putting fewer items in their cart per visit to manage their budgets as inflation drives up prices but what they are buying tends to be higher margin grab-and-go items illustrating the need for convenience as on-the-go...
Hain Celestial is cautiously optimistic that the “macro environment is beginning to stabilize” and expects “modest sequential improvement in total company profit performance” in fiscal 2023 after better-than-expected sales in North America that softened...
While the high-single to double-digit drop in plant-based meat sales over the past year has prompted significant handwringing among investors, retailers and other stakeholders, category front-runner Impossible Foods is neither surprised about the segment’s...
As Bang Energy battles its way through costly bankruptcy proceedings, Monster Energy saw its share and sales increase as consumers embrace its portfolio of energy drink brands.
While consumer spending on groceries has yet to dramatically slow in the face of rising prices to offset inflation, some CPG companies – including Hershey – are bracing for an eventual pushback, even as they continue to pass additional costs through to...
Despite efforts to brand fruit ‘as nature’s candy,’ celebrity endorsements by the likes of Jessica Alba designed to make vegetables ‘sexy,’ and many retailers selling fresh produce at a loss to improve access and drive foot traffic – the vast majority...
Two US-based precision fermentation startups making real dairy ingredients using microbes instead of cows have announced significant developments as they gear up to launch next year in the emerging ‘animal-free dairy’ category.
While consumers are tightening their purse strings and cutting down on many discretionary purchases, snacking is one area many are not, according to Mondelēz International, which continues to see consumers opt for name brands over private label and value-priced...
'Molecular farming’ startup IngredientWerks has developed corn varieties that express everything from casein proteins to meaty-tasting heme proteins, in an approach it claims is more efficient than precision fermentation for producing ingredients...
At a time when American voters seem more divided than ever on key political issues, they are coming together around the need for a simpler, more effective recycling system to reduce their environmental footprint – a sentiment that supports regulatory...
Food tech startup Better Juice has opened its first full-scale manufacturing plant to enable commercial production of its patented sugar reduction technology, which can reduce sugar content in juice products by 30-80%.
Contrary to the growing chorus of critics pigeonholing ultra-processed packaged food as innately unhealthy for people and the planet, a group of food system and nutrition experts gathered by Clif Bar & Co. argue some could play a “crucial” role in...
Chilled drinkable soup had a moment five to six years ago with a flurry of brands entering the niche segment attracting excited investors who backed brands positioning themselves as a fresh meal on the go that consumers could drink like a juice. But what’s...
While sales of plant-based products across the board continue to slide, consumer data from Evergi shows at least one segment is bucking the trend – frozen meals and bowls – an area into which the fast-growing vegan brand Strong Roots is eagerly expanding...
San Diego-based cell-cultured seafood company BlueNalu has set up a scientific advisory board bringing together experts in consumer research, sensory science, product development, bio-engineering, and systems biology to accelerate its commercialization...
Suja Life's recent acquisition of cold-pressed juices shots brand Vive Organic brings together the No. 1 and No. 2 brands in the category to accelerate and scale the still-niche wellness shots segment.
Will a large percentage of flavors, colors and sweeteners be made in bioreactors by 2050 or are the costs and challenges associated with precision fermentation technology such that it only makes sense to produce a handful of high-value ingredients in...
Mondelēz International is investing an additional $600m by 2030 in its cocoa sustainability program, Cocoa Life, for a total investment of $1bn since the start of the program 10 years ago.
Still battling a challenging global economic environment, Coca-Cola said it is laser-focused on delivering increased value to its consumers by introducing products at more affordable price points, said chairman and CEO James Quincey on the company's...
The 45 startups selected to participate in the FoodBytes! By Rabobank food and ag innovation program in 2022 provide a neat snapshot into trending topics in food and agriculture, from personalized nutrition and upcycling to robotics and farm biologics.
Terviva – a California-based firm commercializing ingredients from low-input, high-yielding pongamia trees – has teamed up with food ingredient supplier Ciranda to launch the first commercial supplies of ‘Ponova’ oil by mid-2023.
Three years after its “no deal” television appearance on Shark Tank, Slate Milk has raised over $5m in seed money and continues to expand its shelf-stable ultra-filtered, high-protein, lactose-free chocolate milk footprint.
Beyond Meat is rolling out its latest innovation - Beyond Steak - at Kroger and Walmart stores nationwide, as well as at select Albertsons and Ahold divisions and other retailers across the country.
SPINS data shared with FoodNavigator-USA ahead of our Futureproofing the Food System virtual summit (Nov 15-17) shows a mixed picture for US retail sales of plant-based cheese, with overall dollar sales down -2.3% to $218.94m and unit sales down -3.6%...
Between the supply chain challenges and product shortages that marked the beginning of the pandemic and rising food prices due to inflation continuing to push some products out of consumers’ financial reach, many Americans are being forced to try new...
Researchers are calling on clinicians and the healthcare system to screen for food insecurity and better promote food access programs after discovering that Americans with limited or uncertain access to adequate food is on the rise and they are more likely...
The Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA) has launched a new consortium of industry and nonprofit members to support research and development in the burgeoning field of cellular agriculture.
Nestlé is continuing to fine tune its portfolio through ongoing SKU rationalization paired with an increased focus on high-growth segments of coffee and its Nestlé Health Sciences division with plans to introduce additional pricing actions to keep up...
To keep pantries stocked and food on the table – especially during the upcoming holidays – more Americans are cutting back on spending in other areas and modifying how they buy groceries as well as the types and amount of products they place in their...
Starbucks plans to sell the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand to Nestlé to allow both companies to focus on their core strengths within their respective coffee portfolios.
From avocado oil “going mainstream” in packaged foods, to date sweeteners and Yaupon tea, Whole Foods has just unveiled its annual list of 10 trends to watch in the year ahead.
Seen as the economical and convenient option for preparing meals at home during the height of the pandemic, the affordability of frozen food has slipped with the average per unit price up 17% vs. one year ago. But consumers still believe it provides good...
Nourish Ingredients – one of a new breed of startups deploying synthetic biology to program microbes to produce more animal-like fats - has raised $28.6m in a series A round led by Horizons Ventures and supported by Main Sequence Ventures and Hostplus...
Kraft Heinz is making progress towards several of its environmental and sustainability goals including cutting the amount of waste sent to landfill by 15% in 2021 and converting 84% of its global packaging portfolio to fully recyclable materials.
Plant-based seafood brand unMeat is rolling out its fish-free canned tuna products to 250 Harris Teeter stores capitalizing on the consumers' search for more affordable protein options.
The baby food landscape has changed drastically in recent years with an emphasis on fresh products and a flurry of DTC brands coming to market. So which trends present the biggest growth opportunities for brands and manufacturers?
Organic sales continue to reach unprecedented highs as consumers gravitate to options they perceive as healthier for them and the planet, but the segment faces significant headwinds that are slowing growth and will demand ongoing flexibility, innovation...