General Mills has been hit with a second putative class action lawsuit alleging that shoppers are being misled by ‘natural’ claims on Annie’s salad dressings containing xanthan gum – a widely used thickener and stabilizer produced via microbial fermentation.
Innovation in the baby food aisle has come in waves. First came jars, then shelf stable pouches, and most recently a new generation of HPP (high pressure processed) refrigerated brands carving out a premium niche in the category. But could freeze-drying...
Despite continued pressure from the on-the-go lifestyles that dominate today’s culture and have fueled the rise of convenience foods, packaged snacks and quick service restaurants, new research shows many consumers are beginning to shun these options...
In the early days, the news about Hampton Creek was almost universally positive. A man on a mission to disrupt the food system, founder Josh Tetrick emerged victorious from spats with Unilever and the FDA, raised bucketloads of cash from Silicon Valley’s...
A minority equity investment from Encore Consumer Capital could help fast-growing Veggie Noodle Co. spring to new levels by funding the startup's expansion into a larger facility in East Austin that will allow it to produce more than five times its...
Small size food manufacturers have only five weeks left before the deadline hits to develop food safety plans under the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Preventive Controls for Human Food – and for those that haven’t yet started, or think they can’t afford...
Much of the punditry immediately following the Amazon/Whole Foods announcement focused on how the tie up might impact Whole Foods stores. Will they become test beds for Amazon Go-style technology and fulfilment centers for Amazon's broader grocery...
While it's probably still best known for its iconic condensed soup, Campbell Soup has been quietly re-engineering its portfolio in recent years via a series of strategic acquisitions and investments spanning everything from hummus and dips to organic...
Seeing a looming opportunity, dietary ingredients supplier Ethical Naturals has brought a new monk fruit sweetener ingredient to market that it says uses the same technology that it applies to its botanical extracts.
Americans are expected to eat more chicken than ever before, despite foodservice and supermarket reports claiming consumption dropped by 6.9% and 3.4% respectively.
There’s a very likely chance that Amazon will come to dominate the meal kit category, according to market research analyst Howard Waxman at Packaged Facts.
The ready meal category in the US is set to explode in part as a natural evolution of the meal kit craze that taught consumers how to cook healthy, fresh food at home, but which still ultimately takes more time than many people have daily, according to...
As consumers continue to seek new flavors and experiences, Coca-Cola is exploring the booming US meal kit market in a new partnership with Chef’d that offers co-branded meal kits with complementary Coca-Cola brands.
Convenience is a dominating factor influencing which foods and beverages shoppers in Mexico buy – even beating out innovation and authenticity, which also weigh heavily in the decision-making process, according to a recent Culinary Visions Panel.
Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Monsanto’s herbicide RoundUp) will be added to California's Prop 65 list on July 7, 2017, meaning warning labels will be required from July 2018. But what, if anything, does this mean for packaged foods that might...
Producing ‘clean’ meat by culturing cells – instead of raising or slaughtering animals - is a new frontier in food production, but will it require a new regulatory framework, and what should we call it? Elaine Watson caught up with one food law attorney...
The increasingly loud debate about food waste could easily lead one to believe it is “the” biggest issue industry currently faces, but new study in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics suggests most estimates are overblown and many proposed...
The gradual increase in demand for spicier foods, more interesting flavors, and simpler ingredients lists has proven to be a curve ball for many manufacturers. Asenzya has done its research on consumer preferences, and will present it to its booth's...
Newly Weds Foods has confirmed it is involved in the massive tranche of recalls issued by 10 US meat businesses, which fear their products may contain undeclared allergens.
Speakers include Chobani, PeaPod, Sir Kensington's, Geltor, Miyoko's Kitchen, Terra's Kitchen, Sun Basket, VMG
With more Americans only starting to think about what to have for dinner a few hours – or even minutes – before they plan to eat, but at the same time becoming more demanding and health conscious, retailers and manufacturers are under pressure to offer...
Attorney: ‘Slapping another undefined term on packages that could be attacked legally’ is risky
A new 'clean label' certification scheme has been launched in the US market as the concept of ‘clean’ eating continues to gain traction. But will CPG brands embrace the ‘Go Clean Label Certified’ logo, and are there risks to using a term that...
Naturex is launching two botanical-based preservatives that are more effective than artificial preservatives in fighting Listeria and Salmonella in processed meat products.
US-based machinery manufacturer Dynamic Conveyor Corporation has launched a new conveyor belt top for the food industry, with a rough-textured surface to stop sticky foods from sticking to the material.
Former KeVita exec Bryan Crowley has joined Los Angeles-based Soylent as president as the firm seeks to grow its bricks & mortar retail footprint, develop new products and expand overseas after a rocky few months marred by recalls and a public squabble...
Consumer research indicates that for many shoppers, ‘healthy,' is all about foods that are organic, minimally processed, natural, non-GMO, or free of artificial ingredients. But such factors should not be included in the legal criteria for 'healthy'...
Incubators provide startups with more than access to heavy-duty machinery and production space at a reduced price, they also plug entrepreneurs into an active network of professionals, suppliers and potential investors who can help accelerate a company’s...
To the casual observer, ‘cleaning up’ our food sounds like an eminently sensible thing to do. But where is the clean label trend going, and is ditching every ingredient you can’t pronounce really the key to fixing the ‘broken’ food system (as Panera implies...
What is healthy? Comments flood in as FDA docket closes
“If we were looking for an easy answer and widespread agreement on the definition of ‘healthy,’ we didn’t find it [at a public meeting last month],”observed the FDA in a blog post this week. So could it seriously consider banning the word from food labels...
Packaged foods company Conagra Brands has recalled over 50 tonnes of chicken nugget ready meals after a supplier said one ingredient may contain Salmonella.
The results of the 2017 FoodNavigator-USA reader survey are in… and not surprisingly, given the breadth of our readership, they’re pretty mixed, with many readers excited about their company’s prospects and others feeling trapped in a race to the bottom...
A new report found that preparing a meal together and sharing a meal at home is important to Mexican consumers—so what does this mean for packaged food companies?
Two of the biggest hurdles to ending hunger in the US are the lack of consequences for politicians who vote against programs designed to reduce hunger and food insecurity, and misconceptions about who receives the benefits, Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) told...
Impossible Foods, the Silicon Valley start-up producing plant-based burgers that bleed, will build a new factory in California that can produce 12 million pounds (lb) of meat alternative burgers per year.
With the launch of 10 boldly and authentically flavored, ready-to-cook frozen whole fish fillets, premium seafood company High Liner Foods hopes to tear down several of the barriers that currently hold back many Americans from eating as much seafood as...
Every year $8 billion is invested in new products or processes in the food and beverage industry each year, according to a new report released earlier this month that looked at how the food and beverage industry impacts the overall US economy.
Many successful entrepreneurs extol the value of work-life balance when they talk about getting a business off the ground, but at the recent graduation of Chobani Food Incubator’s first class of food and beverage companies, the yogurt company’s CEO and...
Looking at global product launches, the world is craving for hot and spicy, according to the HeatSync Heat Index tracked by food ingredient company Kalsec.
Plant-based steak, with a taste and texture to rival the real thing, is one step closer to the market as Unilever, Givaudan and Ingredion join Wageningen researchers in the Plant Meat Matters consortium.
JBT Corporation’s takeover of Avure Technologies for US$57 million gives it greater capability to extend food and drink products’ shelf-life without involving preservatives shunned by retailers, according to JBT.
A trade deal with the US will give “the majority of the UK public food they don’t want” as well as open “a very new can of worms” in terms of food fraud, according to Chris Elliott, professor of food safety and founder of the Institute for Global Food...
Moon Cheese – a shelf-stable, clean-label 100% cheese snack developed using 'radiant energy vacuum’ (REV) dehydration technology - is now in 20,000+ stores three years after launch, and will soon be followed by a flurry of other novel snacking concepts...
Meal kit co Sun Basket raises $15m in Series C financing round
San Francisco-based Sun Basket, one of the fastest-growing players in the burgeoning meal kit delivery market, has raised $15m in a Series C funding round that will enable it to complete work on a third distribution center that will give it access to...
Legislation aimed at redirecting food that would be wasted to hungry Americans would make it easier for stakeholders to donate food and reduce the risk that consumers prematurely throw away food that they erroneously believe has spoiled.
After observing trade shows, lab test requests, and online forums on food and health, BioChecked executive director Scott Prentice and his team thought the timing was right to launch a 'non glyphosate' certification.
With the new administration comes new opportunities for the food and beverage industry, from agriculture and scientists to manufacturers and public health advocates, to make their priorities heard by collectively raising their voices, stakeholders argued...