Food & beverage trends, regulation, labeling, innovation

Headlines

Food prices continue to climb, prompting some shoppers to rethink grocery budgets

While overall inflation in the US cooled slightly in July, giving hope to some economists that financial pressures may be peaking, food prices continue to climb at their fastest rate in more than 40 years – suggesting the economic recovery still has a long way to go.

Which Reb M production method is best for the environment? Ingredion LCA probes stevia sustainability metrics

What’s more sustainable? Using acres of land, water and energy to grow plants that produce minuscule quantities of natural sweeteners; or making them via a fermentation process using a microbe that’s been engineered to produce exactly the same molecules?

ADM to commercialize Benson Hill ultra-high protein soy ingredients with first products to launch in early 2023

ADM will soon begin processing ultra-high protein (UHP) soybeans from farm tech company Benson Hill with the first commercialized products expected to hit the market in early 2023.

Plant-based pain points: Solutions for cleaner labels, improved moisture retention and a better bite

As consumers become more familiar with plant-based alternatives to animal products they are becoming more sophisticated in how they evaluate their options and less willing to compromise on nutrition, taste, texture and variety – pushing industry to find...

TreeHouse Foods sells major chunk of meal prep business in $950m deal

Private label specialist TreeHouse Foods – which has been looking to reengineer its portfolio to focus on higher-growth, higher-margin snacks and beverages markets – has struck a deal to sell a significant portion of its meal preparation business to European...

Don Lee’s “vindictive and retaliatory” claims vs Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown are “not grounded in law or fact

'Blind fury' prompted former co-packer's recent lawsuit over protein content and methylcellulose, argues Beyond Meat

A lawsuit* recently filed by former co-packer Don Lee Farms accusing Beyond Meat of “grossly” overstating the protein in its products is motivated by “personal vendetta" and should be seen as a “transparent attempt to gain leverage” on the eve of...

Study: Convincing consumers to ditch sports drinks for water ‘most difficult’ despite health risks

While sports drinks are often loaded with sugar and can pack a hefty caloric punch, convincing people to replace them with water or unsweetened options may be more difficult than persuading them to ditch other sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda,...

Trendspotting at IFT First 2022: ‘We don’t want regenerative ag to become the next ‘natural’ because then it doesn’t mean anything’

Sustainability in focus at IFT First 2022: ‘We don’t want regenerative ag to become the next ‘natural’ because then it doesn’t mean anything’

Sustainability “is probably on slide two or three of every customer presentation now,” notes Ingredion, but how can consumers cut through the PR noise to make meaningful comparisons between brands? Checkout our final gallery of trends at IFT FIRST exploring...