Launching a new food or beverage company requires a lot of passion, but it also requires a business plan, regulatory knowledge, access to equipment, distribution and exposure – which is a lot for any startup to fully grasp out of the gate.
'We’re selling products you won’t find in big box retail stores or on Amazon'
Consumers are increasingly enthusiastic about discovering ‘small-batch’ foods from artisanal producers, while growing numbers of small producers are looking for other avenues beyond traditional retailers to get their wares to market. Hatchery – an online...
General Mills coughed up a cool $820m to buy Annie’s last year. But it has also signaled its intention to invest in brands at an earlier stage in their development via its 301 Inc venturing arm and a recent tie up with equity crowdfunding site CircleUp....
Union Kitchen: Inside a food and beverage incubator
Washington, DC-based incubator Union Kitchen expanded its toolbox for driving sales of member companies’ products with the May 2015 opening of Union Kitchen Grocery – an upscale corner store aimed at redefining what local means and how healthy a corner...
The world’s largest meat processor, Brazilian firm JBS, has reported strong sales growth in its third financial quarter (Q3), driven largely by its food division, despite struggles in its US protein business.
With volumes flat or declining in many CPG categories, and dollar growth coming primarily from price increases, manufacturers are increasingly relying on promotions to drive engagement, but find they are becoming less and less effective, according to...
Protein is hot, sugar is public enemy #1, and fat is back (so the trend-watchers say). But when it comes to good, bad and ugly fats, does everyone agree on which are which? Check out our gallery of insights from consumers, industry stakeholders, and the...
Mobile shopping tech company Grability is reinventing online grocery shopping to make the experience more user-friendly, enhance manufacturers’ marketing results and increase overall basket size for retailers, according to the firm’s CEO.
Healthy aging and increasing coverage by the mainstream media could help drive demand for products addressing inflammation over the next few years, say experts.
In an effort to maintain the current Dietary Guideline recommendation to restrict cholesterol intake, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Nutrition has launched an aggressive public health campaign against eggs, which it says are the primary source...
The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has concluded that glyphosate, a herbicide used on food crops, is unlikely to cause cancer and recommends raising safety levels.
Online retail of food and beverage may be small now, but it is slowly gaining traction in the US – providing start-ups struggling to get their foot in the door another option for reaching consumers, according to the CEO of online subscription snack service...
Clear windows on packaged foods and beverages seem to be all the rage right now as manufacturers try to literally meet consumer desire for transparency and authenticity – but a well-placed photograph sometimes is a more effective marketing tool, branding...
Fully hydrogenated oils (FHOs) do not create harmful trans-fats, and could replace partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in many applications. However, manufacturers are reluctant to use them because the word ‘hydrogenated’ has become “demonized”, argues...
Becoming non-GMO certified can help brands attract new consumers and boost sales, but it also could alienate existing shoppers if manufacturers are not careful, cautions Asian sauce maker San-J.
While only a small portion of people currently buy food online, the expansion of digital shopping is eroding consumer loyalty to retailers – forcing them to rethink how best to approach consumers, according to an industry consultant.
Beef has been compared with other meats and alternative sources of protein, in order to analyse the most efficient ways of feeding a growing population that wants more, and better, meat.
Two global technology firms that serve the poultry and fish processing industries have announced a co-operation agreement that will allow them to share and combine their products and expertise.
Solazyme is aiming to launch the latest addition to its micro-algae-based ingredients portfolio in early 2016 - an algae butter - which it says could replace hard fats such as palm oil or partially hydrogenated oils in a variety of applications spanning...
High-pressure-processing (HPP) – which gave birth to the super-premium juice category – will also play a disruptive role in the baby food market in the next five years, predict the founders of Once Upon a Farm, a new baby food brand in a pouch that will...
Demand for more plant-based, vegetable-forward food has been growing the past few years, but the trend will hit new heights in 2016 – taking over the center of the plate and more often than before fully replacing animal protein, predicts trend tracker...
Quest Nutrition has a somewhat ambitious mission statement (“Our goal is to end metabolic disease,” says president Tom Bilyeu). But while it may be some time before the El Segundo-based firm can tick this particular goal off its checklist, its progress...
WhiteWave Foods’ efforts to expand the plant-based dairy alternative category beyond beverage and outside of the natural channel already is paying off for the company, and it holds significant promise for the larger category’s and retailers’ future, executives...
If services such as Blue Apron target people that love to cook and prepare meals, but don’t always have the time or energy for meal planning and grocery shopping, TableRunner appeals to people that want restaurant quality meals at home but don’t have...
What is 'natural'? FDA finally weighs into the debate
Having studiously avoided this food labeling minefield for years, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has surprised many in the trade by seeking comments on the definition of a word that has launched a thousand class action lawsuits (well almost):...
Eating healthy shouldn’t be hard, but all too often it is – in part because superfoods frequently are sold in large containers and inconvenient formats that can be daunting to category newcomers, according to a health food industry veteran.
JM Smucker has agreed to settle a class action lawsuit accusing it of misleading shoppers by labeling selected Crisco cooking oil as ‘all natural’, according to court papers filed in New York.
As opening night of the latest installment of the Star Wars movies nears, grocery store shelves are becoming crowded with packaged foods and drinks decorated with the iconic characters in an attempt to capture consumers’ attention and drive sales. Here...
Details of cuts to tariffs attached to meat and livestock traded between signatory countries of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal have now been released, helping traders identify new market openings.
While no single substitute for nitrite can replace all of its functions, a combination of emerging technologies and plant-based ingredients could be used to reduce or completely replace nitrite in processed meats, say researchers.
The recently formed Kraft Heinz company is off to a rocky start with sliding profits and more layoffs and facility closures recently announced, but the company has a three-prong plan for future growth, executives said Nov. 5 during the firm’s third-quarter...
The medical case study of a man rushed to intensive care with severe potassium deficiency has brought the issue of energy drinks and hypokalemia back into the spotlight.
From tea to turmeric beverages, and from smoothies to spice blends, the GanedenBC30 probiotic is everywhere. After successful regulatory approvals around the world, next year promises to be ‘exceptional’.
Demonizing unhealthy food as the primary cause of weight gain may be off-track, suggest researchers who found consumption of fast food, sweets and salty snacks alone may not be the harbinger of obesity it often is made out to be.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel cut the ribbon to officially open the new corporate headquarters for SPINS, a move that gives the company greater access to top talent to continue its impressive growth.
A study suggesting men consuming two or more sugary drinks per day are more likely to suffer heart failure does not provide conclusive evidence, say medical professionals while industry calls it 'unhelpful'.
Building more supermarkets is not the only way to reduce food deserts, suggests new research that found corner stores are stocking more healthy foods and beverages now than almost 10 years ago.
Hella Bitters' explosive growth in the last three years has been a dream come true for the founders, but it easily could have been a nightmare if the young company had not had in a place a viable finance plan it could access quickly.
Methods to analyse nanoparticles, food safety from the US perspective and insight into a range of EU projects were key topics during the second day of a conference in Prague.
