While some fear AI spells the end of humanity, others are optimistic the technology will optimise food production and achieve ‘what has previously not been possible’.
FoodNavigator-USA sat down with Jillian Semaan, VP, sustainability in Ketchum’s food, agriculture and ingredient division, during the Vegan Women Summit in New York City to discuss how food and beverage brands can cultivate an authentic ESG and DEI strategy...
Sustainability and future-proofing the food system
With between a quarter and a third of human caused greenhouse gas emissions linked to food production and climate change intensifying to a point that its impacting how, where and when key crops are grown, improving sustainability in the food system is...
Urban farming startup Atarraya is launching an e-commerce website to provide locally sourced, sustainable shrimp to consumers from its facility in Indianapolis while also looking for partners to accomplish its goal of operating 400 Shrimpboxes in the...
Consumers interested in health and wellness continue to shop more often for groceries and spend more on food and beverage than all shoppers despite economic headwinds, but the bulk of their investment currently is in the center of the store – not the...
The Vegan Women Summit featured a wide range of perspectives from industry professionals and thought leaders on shifting the food narrative in the United States to an industry of partnership, particularly between meat and plant-based food producers, organizations...
Consumers are turning away from fresh as their stress levels rise – preferring the convenience and mood management claims offered more prominently in the center of the store, suggests data from consumer research firm Circana, previously known as IRI....
Flashfood’s State of Food Waste Impact report underscores the link between food waste and food insecurity in the midst of inflation-driven grocery prices and shifting food policies surrounding SNAP benefits and accessibility.
Grocery stores could lose upwards of $20b in sales in 2023, or 2.8% of the industry’s $850b in sales last year, due to cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, and unless they act with “genuine” empathy that...
Shoppers looking for convenient and budget-friendly proteins are turning to canned seafood as perceptions about it change and younger consumers learn how to use it, Sara Kelly, brand marketing manager for Season Brand, told FoodNavigator-USA.
Fresh and frozen retail seafood in the US has been on a rollercoaster the past three years with shifting shopping and eating habits during the pandemic sending sales and volumes to dramatic highs and then rising inflation in the past year causing unit...
Ingredient supplier ADM and food-tech startup Air Protein are partnering to scale production of the latter’s novel air-based nutritional protein that promises to “reinvent the supply chain” in a way that simultaneously improves food security and ease...
Libre Foods is working with both fungi fruiting bodies and mycelia to boost diversity, functionality, and taste in meat-free offerings, CEO Alan Iván Ramos tells FoodNavigator.
Plant-based, woman-owned company Shroomeatsoffers nutritious, minimally processed foods with its portfolio of shelf-stable shitake mushroom-based patties, meatballs, and crumbles, co-founder and CEO Dissaya Theerakaosal told FoodNavigator-USA.
Plant-based CPG company Daiya Foods seeks to satisfy consumer demand for savory flavor while providing an allergen-free option with a pair of new pizza options, the brand’s CMO Melanie Domer told FoodNaviagtor-USA.
Plant-based food brand Franklin Farms enters the seafood category with its latest tuna product, as it looks to innovate around ready-to-eat offerings and unique proteins, Shelley Cheng, VP of marketing and product development for the brand’s parent company...
Mushroom-based protein startup Prime Roots is expanding distribution of its alt-based meats to deli counters and restaurants across the US with the help of $30m in Series B funding, brand CEO and co-founder Kimberlie Le told FoodNavigator-USA.
Fresh research out of the University of California, Davis suggests the global warming potential of cultured meat could be between 4-25 times higher than regular beef if a highly refined growth medium is used in its production.
Animal-free protein startup The EVERY Company is partnering with Alpha Foods to bring its expertise in flavor and texture to the plant-based brand, as it anticipates future growth from the category, company CEO Arturo Elizondo told FoodNavigator-USA....
The US Supreme Court’s decision Thursday to uphold California’s ban of pork that does not meet its heightened animal welfare standards simultaneously is being hailed as a “watershed moment” by animal rights activists and condemned by producers and their...
Nestlé officially inaugurated its Lausanne, Switzerland-based research institute, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, to improve agricultural sustainability throughout its supply chain.
California-based meat snack brand Cattaneo Bros. is looking to expand its physical and digital footprint by meeting rising consumer demand for better-for-you snacks and animal welfare, brand CEO Katelyn Kaney told FoodNavigator-USA.
Following a successful seed round last year, foodtech startup Lypid is ready to take its plant-based fat technology to a larger audience with the release of a whole-cut, plant-based pork belly, designed to meet the demand for healthier meats, brand founders...
Protein giant Tyson Food’s branded foods business, including Hillshire Snacking, Jimmy Dean and Ball Park, was a bright spot in an otherwise “tough” second quarter marred by supply and demand imbalances, ongoing high costs and reduced consumer spending.
Across income groups, shoppers continue to focus on value although retailers have an opportunity to instill a competitive edge by enhancing private label strategy.
With higher interest rates and investors being more cautious on where they put their money, many plant-based food and beverage start-ups are going back to business basics of creating a sustainable business model while continuing to find new ways to innovate...
Plant-based manufacturers and ingredient suppliers are investing heavily in crop development and fractionation as well as technical and mechanical innovations to improve the taste, texture, nutrition and cost of their products in an effort to woo more...
As food and beverage companies look to allocate capital in the coming year, many food and beverage manufacturers are taking a moment to reflect on how best to move forward with alternative meat production while investing heavily in ESG-related infrastructure...
Positioning cell cultured meat as a critical climate mitigation solution could help the nascent industry unlock much-needed additional funding – and engage a more diverse set of investors – at a time when traditional resources are ebbing and competition...
Food and beverage brands and retailers likely will not see any time soon a rebound in inflation-supressed units and volumes across categories despite the Labor Department reporting a dip in grocery prices in March for the first time in more than two and...
Plant-based food technology company Motif FoodWorks is taking a page out of the retail playbook with a limited-time-offering, direct-to-consumer (DTC) offering of its finished products, which sold out in 52 hours, company CEO Michael Leonard told FoodNavigator-USA....
Grocery prices may finally be falling after stubbornly going up for more than two and a half years even as annual inflation across other categories and overall have dropped in recent months, according to the most recent data from the Labor Department....
Ingredient supplier ADM and cultivated meat pioneer Believer Meats are joining forces to accelerate development and commercialization of cultivated meat products with a focus on improving the taste, texture, color and other consumer relevant characteristics...
Cell-based food producers, regulators and stakeholders should proactively and transparently address safety concerns about their products and processes now – before they hit the market – or else risk losing in the court of public opinion, cautions the...
As the plant-based foods and protein market faces headwinds in 2023, stakeholders from across the supply chain will gather at the Bridge2Food America Summit later this month in Chicago to chart a path forward for the industry.
Food-tech startup Aqua Cultured Foods’ plant-based, whole-muscle seafood made through biomass fermentation will launch in select restaurants this summer thanks in part to an infusion of $5.5 million in seed funding led by Stray Dog Capital announced this...
Seafood sales fell 3.8% last year to $16.3b from the previous year, as consumers shifted their shopping in response to rising inflation, but remained above pre-pandemic levels as consumers sought options that are healthier, more diverse and environmentally-friendly,...
While many industry stakeholders laud FDA’s efforts to reduce lead in baby food and products for children under 2 years old, they question the logic behind the tolerable levels proposed by the agency in draft regulation and want additional guidance on...
Rapidly rising food prices are expected to slow in 2023 after supply chain challenges, geo-political strife, climate change and agricultural policy changes contributed to record inflation in 2022 and prompted government action, according to federal agencies....
Fresh research suggests the planetary health diet does not provide enough vitamins and minerals – including iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B12 – to nourish the global population due to its low amount of animal source foods.
Extracellular, a UK-based contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) in the cultivated meat space, secured $1.2 million, including $700K in non-dilutive funding according to the company. CEO and founder, Will Milligan spoke with Food Navigator-USA...
Even as cellular meat companies continue to clear regulatory, technical and scientific hurdles, the timeline for when their products will launch remains a moving target as emerging challenges – ranging from the banal to black swan events – threaten to...
Consumers are reacting to higher meat prices by shifting how much and what type they buy, but the share of households purchasing meat or poultry from retailers was virtually unchanged in 2022, according to a new report.
It is too soon to give up on the plant-based meat segment, which has seen sales and household penetration slip in the past year, but which is evolving to meet demand for products that are healthier, tastier and more convenient, argued industry stakeholders...
Insect-based food company Hey Planet is taking its mission of eating bugs to improve health and the sustainability of the planet to a wider audience with a move into the US market, brand co-founder Jessica Buhl-Nielsen told FoodNavigator-USA.
Precision fermentation is emerging as one of the buzziest technologies in food, and even though it has been used safely for decades without raising eyebrows, new uses and broader awareness are prompting consumer questions that if left unanswered could...
Over the last several years, mushrooms have increasingly become a popular functional ingredient in a range of products, from plant-based burgers to snacks to ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages. And at Natural Products Expo West last week, many of these latest...
As CPG brands look to innovate in the plant-based meats category, they often meet a host of formulation challenges, including ensuring products have a similar taste, texture, and appearance as their animal-based counterparts. At Natural Products Expo...