While many entrepreneurs adopt a “sky’s the limit” mentality, few literally reach it the way that Whoa Dough did when American Airlines began offering its first class passengers the company’s better-for-you, plant-based and protein-packed cookie dough...
Eco labels, from Fairtrade America to Marine Stewardship Council to Non-GMO Project, can help tip the scales when consumers are deliberating between products at shelf and even encourage them to try a new or unfamiliar brand, according to leading sustainability...
The frozen dessert aisle may feel frozen in another time to some consumers who are looking for clean labels but who are often confronted by long ingredient lists with preservatives, additives, processing aids and emulsifiers that are unfamiliar and may...
Plant-based milk brand milkadamia moves into the refrigerated set and proves “less is more” with the debut of its organic Artisan macadamia milk and blends line that skips the fillers and gums common in many non-dairy beverages and responds to a growing...
A resounding theme of “better” emerged at the Winter Fancy Food Show in Las Vegas last week, where more than 1,200 specialty food companies came together to showcase the latest innovations in cheese, condiments, baked goods, snacks and more.
When most Americans think of walnuts, if they think of them, they think of a topping for oatmeal or salads or an inclusion in baked goods, not as a standalone snack – but newcomer Unbound Snacks wants to change this with the launch of a line of brightly...
Most food and beverage startups’ go-to-market strategy includes a combination of direct-to-consumer and grocery, but when mushroom-based snack brand Popadelics recently launched it took a less conventional route – placing a greater emphasis on luxury...
At the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City late last month emerging and established brands were going back to basics with simplified ingredients, streamlined packaging, clear cut benefits and natural – if not always familiar – flavor profiles.
Even though women make up half of marathon runners, only 2.5% of sports nutrition products explicitly target them, and those that do tend to be more expensive and tend to be rated poorly, forcing many female athletes to compromise their health by consuming...
Upcycled foods continue to gain traction and awareness at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City with more products becoming certified and using the trade group’s logo as a shorthand for consumers seeking sustainable products – prompting some to...
As Americans return to a post-pandemic routine marked by more evening shopping trips and a preference for better-for-you convenient snacks, the snack bar category continues to evolve to meet their needs with notable trends featured during the Fancy Food...
Non-alcoholic beverages continue to grow with brands differentiating themselves through active ingredients, botanical flavors, glass and aluminum packaging and bold designs, as showcased at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City 25-27 where attendees...
As noted in the opening session of the IFT FIRST conference in Chicago last week, the food that brought us together during the pandemic and which fuels us everyday is in a crisis as climate change intensifies – pushing companies to weave sustainability...
After being demonized as high-carb and maligned with foggy grain-brains and gluten sensitivities, pasta consumption, which had been flat and declining for years pre-COVID, bounced back during the pandemic with unprecedented growth as consumers looked...
While homogenous plant-based patties, nuggets and sausages abound, few currently available meat alternatives recreate the multi-layered experience of biting though skin to release a juicy burst of flavor that is reinforced by a marbling of fat or the...
Invigorating sleepy segments, tackling persistent category challenges and balancing consumer desire for taste, convenience and experience, companies at the 66th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City late last month showcased innovative solutions to...
By leveraging packaging innovations that increase fun and flavor while decreasing mess and monotony, startups at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York this month are waking up sleepy categories, expanding their segments’ traditional user bases and standing...
To offset the threat of commoditization and keep consumers from trading down or stepping away from the dairy case to save money as the economy tightens, specialty cheesemakers are moving beyond traditional formats, flavors and packaging that may be intimidating...
The Specialty Food Association (SFA) - which was forced to cancel the 2020 Summer Fancy Food Show and 2021 Winter Fancy Food Show due to the pandemic – will hold a ‘modified’ in-person trade show September 27-29 at the Javits Convention Center in New...
The Specialty Food Association’s (SFA's) Summer Fancy Food Show, scheduled for June 28-30 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York (which has recently been turned into a makeshift hospital), is the latest major food show to be canceled due to the coronavirus...
The Specialty Food Association's (SFA) Summer Fancy Food Show is scheduled to take place in June in New York City: but its location - the Javits Center in Manhattan - is currently being converted into a makeshift hospital.
Made with five ingredients: cashews, water, Himalayan pink salt, nutritional yeast, and cultures, Nuttin Ordinary is seeking to stand out in the burgeoning plant-based cheese category with a short, clean ingredients list and a product that doesn’t try...
There’s the audacity of hope, and then there’s the hard data proving that most new food and beverage brands are quickly consigned to the dustbin of history. But some do manage to ride that magical CPG skate curve. So what are they doing differently?
After more than a decade working in the food industry, Hector Saldivar knew the lay of the land better than most aspiring entrepreneurs when he quit the day job in 2016 to start his own food brand, Tia Lupita, and part of that was knowing the power of...
The FDA has promised to provide more clarity over CBD “in the coming weeks.” But how should brands navigate the regulatory minefield in the meantime, and what options does the agency have?
The quest to precisely mimic the taste and texture of meat and dairy is driving innovation in the next generation of ‘plant-based’ foods. But there is also growing demand for less ‘processed’ products made from whole foods, says the CEO of Cool Beans.
Avocado leaf tea has a reddish hue and a distinct earthy - but not bitter - taste, says Scott Wibbenmeyer, who has developed a patent-pending method for producing it from leaves sourced from his avocado grove in Temecula, California.
PB&J is an all-American classic… but what about CB&J? If you combine roasted chickpeas and sunflower seeds with olive oil and a dash of coconut sugar and sea salt, the net result (‘chickpea butter’) is remarkably similar to peanut butter, minus...
With a portfolio spanning everything from refrigerated plant-based yogurt drinks to shelf-stable cans of cold brew coffee and oatmilk, Califia Farms has raised a jaw-dropping $340m+ over four funding rounds to build its plant-based empire over the past...
From a flurry of new plant-based products to a surge of brands tapping into the high-fat, moderate protein and ultra-low-carb keto trend, the Winter Fancy Food Show – organized by the Specialty Food Association - showcased a wide range of innovations....
With a new logo and vision that will serve as a ‘rallying cry,’ the Specialty Food Association wants everyone to know that it is more than the host of the widely popular semi-annual Fancy Food Show, but also a platform for connecting key players and nurturing...
The latest innovation from LiveKuna – which works directly with Ecuadorian farmers to produce chia- and quinoa-packed products – is a line of ready-to-eat cereals that reflect the brand’s mission to create more convenient ways to consume superfoods.
Nothing’s as healthy as fresh fruit, but novel ‘grape-like’ refrigerated fruit bites made from fruit and veggie purees held together with fibers make for a healthier alternative to fruit leathers and gummies for kids’ lunchboxes, claims Incredible Foods,...
As the bar category becomes increasingly ‘engineered’ and functional, with brands touting keto or paleo credentials, high protein, high fat, low carb, collagen, and adaptogens, the success of Bobo’s – an oat bar that above all, just tastes really good...
While Califia Farms’ barista blend oatmilk was designed to deliver exceptional performance for the specialty coffee trade, oatmilk also has the potential to make waves in grocery retail, because it delivers the taste and texture consumers want, without...
CBD (cannabidiol) isolates are off the menu for food, beverage and supplement companies until the FDA lays out some kind of regulatory pathway. But are ‘broad spectrum’ hemp extracts legal in all 50 states following the passage of the Farm Bill? And if...
Tempting though it can be to jump on every culinary or nutritional trend, from adding collagen or CBD to embracing keto or Paleo diets, successful snack brands tend to have a longer-range strategy, says the founder and CEO of Folsom, CA-based chips brand...
Demand for plant-based proteins and oils is increasing steadily, while the arable land available to grow them is constrained. But what if you could grow something like soy – but with a far higher yield - on trees?
We’ve never thought of ourselves as a ‘bar company.’ We’re a social impact platform
Celebrity-backed brand This Bar Saves Lives – which is built around a social mission: You buy a bar, we’ll donate a live-saving pack of food to a child in need – has launched a new line of allergy-friendly oat bars aimed at children.
Miyoko’s Kitchen – which has built a rapidly growing brand of plant-based cheeses and butters around cultured cashew nuts and coconut oil – is expanding into new territory via a new line of nut-free cheeses made with legumes, seeds, and potatoes with...
Launching online and in Erewhon and Lazy Acres stores in Los Angeles this month, Lumen hemp elixir is a HPP (high pressure processed) superfood shot with a 60-day shelf life featuring cold pressed hemp juice and on-trend ingredients such as ashwagandha...
From new sources of plant-based protein (pongamia, bambara) to novel biomaterials extending the shelf life of foods (Cambridge Crops), the Winter Fancy Food Show – organized by the Specialty Food Association - showcased a wide range of innovations, although...
Specialty food used to be reserved for special occasions and accessible only to those who could afford its premium price, but increasingly specialty food is becoming everyday food sold at everyday prices that are accessible to more people.