Sharply contrasting views over the scope of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have emerged in comments submitted to USDA and HHS this week, with some stakeholders arguing that issues such as sustainability (eg. should we recommend eating less...
Mintel data* shared by stevia supplier PureCircle shows the number of global new product launches containing stevia grew by 10% in 2017, with stevia utilized in 28% of new products containing high intensity sweeteners, slightly ahead of aspartame – which...
In the push to win consumers, woo top talent and, believe it or not, balance budgets, corporate social responsibility programs could be one of the most powerful tools in companies’ arsenals – but determining what to include and how to structure them can...
After two years of radio silence, during which some legal commentators – and several judges dealing with civil litigation on the issue – suspected it might die on the vine, the FDA has given its clearest indication yet that it will attempt to define ‘natural’...
The Whole30 Approved logo has become a shortcut for consumers looking for products made with real, simple and nutritious ingredients, and as such it is giving products that bear the certification a huge market boost, as Applegate recently discovered....
Beech-Nut is hoping to do for the toddler snack space what it did four years ago for the ‘tired and dated’ baby food category by launching new products in revamped packaging for young children that are inspired by what parents make at home, but more convenient.
Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have urged courts to toss claims in a series of lawsuits* alleging consumers are being led to believe that diet sodas “will assist in weight loss or management,” when in fact the opposite may be true.
While increasing numbers of food manufacturers are experimenting with alternatives to animal proteins, enthusiasm for all things plant-based has not dampened overall demand for eggs, with US per capita egg consumption rising again in 2017, according to...
Health-Ade Kombucha has been sued for the second time in a month – this time in a complaint alleging its fermented beverages contain four to six times the sugar levels stated on pack.
Combining a unique and instantly recognizable flavor and a myriad of potential health benefits, ginger is ‘coming on strong’ in the beverage space, say the beverage gurus at Imbibe.
Standing out in the kombucha market is becoming more challenging as new players continue to pile in, but there are still opportunities to carve out a distinctive niche in the category, claim the creators of Bambucha Kombucha, who are drawing on their...
The Chicagoland Food and Beverage Network started almost a year ago with the mission to make Chicago the ‘Silicon Valley of Food and Beverage.’ Today, it’s gearing up for new projects including a seed fund for minority entrepreneurs, and creating a database...
“I wish we had as much energy around a regenerative, climate-smart Farm Bill as we did around the marketing of regenerative, because now is the time to craft a Farm Bill that could actually improve climate and the quality of our farming,” says Clif Bar’s...
After decades of a slow build, the regenerative agriculture movement is finally taking off, thanks in part to the Savory Institute, which has launched the Land to Market verification program, which is designed to help stakeholders not just sustain the...
Campbell Soup has finalized the purchase of Snyder’s-Lance and created a new snacks division that will combine the operations and brands of the Charlotte-based snacks company and Pepperidge Farm.
A miniaturised sensor that can be mounted on a tooth has been developed to transmit data on glucose and salt intake, in a development highlighting the progress made in health-monitoring wearable devices.
It’s a cruel reality that, even today’s most bold innovators in premium food and beverage may find themselves copied and mimicked with remarkable speed. Whether deliberate copycats or simultaneous innovation, ideas for innovation spread much, much faster...
From roasted chickpeas and flash fried mung beans to extruded pea, chickpea, and edamame puffs, pulse-based snacks are gaining traction, says Snack it Forward CEO Nick Desai. But none of them have delivered the sheer sensory pleasure you experience from...
The TāStation rewards testers for accurate taste testing via game-based technique
Opertech Bio has developed a novel approach to sensory testing utilising games and rewards, which it claims enables human testers to analyze hundreds of samples in a fraction of the time - and with a greater degree of accuracy - than is possible using...
A recent study shows that pecans, when substituted into a higher-fat diet resembling the average intake of Americans, improved cardiometabolic risk factors in older, overweight subjects.
From leveling the playing field between plant-based and meat and dairy, to increasing investment in plant-based food R&D research and development of plant-based foods and clean meat, leading plant-based advocacy groups are outlining their wish lists...
The US Public Lands Council (PLC), National Cattlemen's Beef Association (NCBA), and Washington Cattlemen’s Association (WCA) have expressed disappointment at the Department of the Interior’s announcement in support of introducing grizzly bears in...
China’s ministry of commerce has warned that it is prepared to impose retaliatory 25% duties on American pig meat exports to China as a retaliation to the USA’s imposition of 25% and 10% duties on imported steel and aluminium.
The omnibus spending bill just passed in the House directs the FDA to strengthen and enforce dairy standards of identity in a bid to crack down on plant-based 'imitators,' claim milk producers. But the Plant Based Foods Association says the...
The future for food and beverage brands is not about market share, it is about mindshare, says Neil Saunders from GlobalData. “If you have a strong brand that is front of mind for consumers, you have a much better chance of being successful.”
Not so long ago, dairy and meat alternatives were niche categories for vegans and vegetarians; today they’re driving a new ‘plant-based’ movement. But does plant-based necessarily mean healthy, and can brands in this space meet demand for cleaner labels?...
The Council for Responsible Nutrition says that FDA’s proposal to revoke a law authorizing use of heart health claims for soy protein is inconsistent with stances of other international regulatory bodies, while the Natural Products Association president...
‘The traditional direct to consumer subscription model reaches a limited consumer base’
A significant percentage of consumers buy into the meal kit concept, but don’t want to commit to a subscription, and want more flexible options to purchase them on- and off-line, says Chef’d, which is rolling out meal kits to 1,500 grocery stores by the...
Industry newcomer Em+Pact is carving out an underserved niche in the $600 million protein bar category by targeting women with products that are crafted to meet their specific nutritional needs and by working with nonprofits to empower them to be “goal...
Americans are snacking more than ever, but not just any bag of chips or candy bar will do. Rather, they want products that are both convenient and nutritious – two boxes that the makers of Truth Bar check with their line of functional nutrition bars.
Acquisitive large CPG brands now recognize that their best bet is to be leave their sexier bedfellows well alone, but give them the resources they need to expand more rapidly, rather than swallowing them under the corporate umbrella, says Justin’s founder...
Does the world need protein popcorn? Why not, says Protes co-founder Krik Angacion, who says his latest innovation is less about giving Americans more protein, than giving them a wider range of options in the protein snacking set (what the world probably...
Meal kit brand HelloFresh is profitable for the first time internationally and “close to breakeven” in the US, claims the company, which announced a 52% increase in group revenues to 905m euros (c.$1.11bn) in 2017 the day after unveiling a deal to acquire...
Atlanta-based Kill Cliff, a sports beverage brand focusing on clean label formulations, launched a new line of sports drinks called Endure, which features a slow-burning specialty carbohydrate, at the Natural Products Expo West show. However, the carbohydrate...
Cricket-protein bar maker Chapul recently overhauled its packaging to create a “much better hierarchy of messaging,” including clarifying flavors, elevating the value proposition of its ingredients and opting for imagery that encourages consumers to overcome...
An infusion of $1.5 million from new and existing investors announced this month will help Chicago-based COCO5 pursue its mission to bring its lower-sugar, clean-label sports drink to professional and everyday athletes across the US and in Canada.
Brazil has hit the headlines once again for the wrong reasons but while one processor is under investigation, the entire meat industry is working to make the sector sustainable for the future.
The Brazilian Association of Animal Protein (ABPA) has expressed confidence that "immediate and effective solutions" will be put in place by the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply in order to resume BRF exports to the EU following...
Multiple exhibitors at the Natural Products Expo West show were showcasing plant-based yogurts this year, but each with a slightly different slant, says Jody Polishchuk, who claims his product – Yooga – delivers on taste and nutrition, without as much...
EverSweet - the hotly-anticipated ‘next-generation’ Reb D and Reb M sweetener from Cargill and Evolva produced via fermentation – is now available in commercial quantities, say the partners, who have also struck a deal to explore whether other high intensity...
Consumer demand for fiber is on the rise thanks in part to increased awareness of the ingredient’s cancer-fighting and other health benefits, but according to recent research not all fiber packs the same punch.
According to the Tea Association of the USA, sales of tea in the US are growing 3-5% annually, which the co-founder and CEO of Pique Tea attributes to rising consumer interest in plant-based diets, convenience and function beyond simple hydration.
Allulose is the sweetener generating the most buzz among food formulators right now, although many are waiting to see if the FDA exempts it from sugar labeling (it’s technically a sugar, but it’s not metabolized like one), before launching products featuring...
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced an agreement with the government of South Korea to place trade restrictions at the state level instead of the country level during any future highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) detections.
For KIND Snacks, rising consumer concern about sugar and upcoming changes to the Nutrition Facts panel that will more boldly highlight the nutrient represent an opportunity – rather than a threat – to set itself apart from the competition with new products...
Kashi hopes that other brands will follow its lead in paying more for crops from farmers transitioning from conventional to organic to encourage more producers to make the switch and ensure there is sufficient ingredient supply in the future to meet the...
Japan is now the United States’ leading export market for beef, in value and volume, and largest market for pork exports in value, according to 2017 trade data released by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA).
