Alternative retail – restaurants and cafes to rock climbing gyms and spas – is a channel that should not be overlooked for emerging food and beverage brands looking to establish their retail footing, says Ben Zifkin, CEO of Hubba, a b2b e-commerce platform...
Vital Farms - which launched with 20 hens in Austin, Texas, in 2007 and is now the #1 pasture-raised egg and butter brand in the US and the #2 egg brand in retail dollar sales with products in 13,000 stores – is going public today.
Legislation proposed yesterday to provide all children free school meals not only would help feed the increasing number of children who face food insecurity due to the pandemic and associated economic downturn, but it would also ease financial strain...
Iconic brands from Heinz ketchup to Kraft Mac & Cheese are gaining ground with “higher income, younger, and more diverse parts of the population where we have historically under indexed,” the head of Kraft Heinz’s US business, Carlos Abrams-Rivera,...
The plant-based Impossible Burger is now available at 2,100 Walmart stores in 50 states, says Impossible Foods, which has been aggressively ramping up its retail presence this year, with distribution expanding from just 150 stores in January 2020 to more...
Blue Apron has posted 10% net revenue growth to $131m in Q2 2020 (vs the same period last year), and 29% growth compared to the previous quarter, benefiting from a massive wave of consumers cooking at home more. But will its customer base stick around...
Working from home, pantry and freezer stockpiling, and having more time to cook have had a massive impact on consumer shopping and eating behaviors, highlighting a consumer desire for healthy and affordable food, new research from Signal Analytics shows.
Maintaining a metabolic state of ketosis requires a level of discipline that’s pretty hard to sustain; however, the high fat, moderate protein and ultra-low carb keto diet is nevertheless exerting a growing influence on new product development across...
Unilever has entered into a tie-up with biotech start-up Algenuity. FoodNavigator hears from both companies about the ‘huge potential’ to develop ‘future foods’ using Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as a nutritious and sustainable protein source.
The US Food and Drug Administration may be willing to sit down with a company about a possible NDI submission for full-spectrum hemp extracts, says Steve Mister, president and CEO of the Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN).
Food and beverage brands with ambitious sustainability goals to create more packaging with post-consumer materials face significant challenges, including supply shortages due to limitations of the fractured US recycling system, increased competition for...
The National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard – which requires firms to label ‘bioengineered’ foods and beverages - is unlawful and should be nullified and then revised, according to a lawsuit filed by a coalition of retailers and nonprofits who...
Decrying the US food system as “fundamentally broken and worsening the challenge of justice in our country,” Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., is on an mission to block and dismantle corporate consolidation in agriculture, which he argues places profits over...
San Leandro-based Artemys Foods – one of the latest startups to emerge from stealth mode in the nascent cell-cultured (a.k.a cell-based, cultivated) meat arena – aims to launch its first prototype, a hybrid burger combining cell-based meat and fat with...
The US hemp-derived CBD market (spanning everything from drinks and supplements to pharmaceuticals and petfood) is projected to rise 14% to $4.7bn in 2020, predicts a new report from Brightfield Group.
The buzz around plant-based meat alternatives is strong, but what is the full consumer perception of plant-based protein products in terms of nutrition and healthfulness compared to animal meat, and what motivates consumers to buy plant alternatives?...
Even as the pandemic continues to strain the food system and pressure manufacturers to balance increased demand with restricted supply, companies must still pursue sustainability goals, including minimizing their environmental impact and improving the...
In a Citizen’s Petition filed today, children’s health advocates are ramping up pressure on FDA to address the labeling of so-called ‘transition formulas’ or ‘toddler milks,’ which they say offer “no unique nutritional value,” threaten the health of young...
The Better Meat Co - a Sacramento-based startup supplying plant-based proteins that “blend seamlessly into ground meat products” at inclusion rates of 30-50% to create a new wave of ‘hybrid’ products - has closed an $8.1m seed round, bringing its total...
Geltor - a startup producing collagen proteins via microbial fermentation (without animals) – has closed a $91.3m Series B round led by CPT Capital with significant commitment from WTT Investment Ltd, and says it plans to launch its first ingestible products...
Retailer Albertsons, owner of Safeway and Jewel-Osco, reported a 21.4% increase in sales to $22.8bn for the 16 weeks ended June 20, 2020 compared to $18.7bn for the same period last year.
Despite growing interest in plant-based foods, the majority of meat eaters believe ‘real meat’ is the best source of protein, while nearly half of consumers who identify as flexitarians, pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans – diets that limit or eliminate...
There are over 1,600 human clinical trials on probiotics listed in ClinicalTrials.gov and the WHO’s trial database, according to a new analysis that seeks to address the misconception that there is no human data around probiotics.
Food has become a way for consumers to ease their worries and anxiety in an increasingly stressful world, and they are looking for products that can answer their basic needs for control, community, and purpose, says Eve Turow-Paul, a writer and cultural...
As Americans continue to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, they increasingly are living vicariously through social media influencers, many of whom have yet to raise their advertising rates to reflect their higher engagement – making them a...
An amendment to a military funding bill would make it possible for military personnel to openly use hemp/CBD products for the first time. While advocates welcome the development, there is little prospect that CBD products will become part of standard...
O’dang Foods has entered the niche category of plant-based mayonnaise offering consumers an egg-free alternative made with 20% chickpea protein and broth (a.k.a. aquafaba), creating a better-for-you alternative to traditional mayonnaise.
By using wireless sensors to detect subtle changes in the quality of stored crops, the CEO of California-based startup Centaur Analytics says food and beverage companies will be better able to ensure supply chain continuity in the face of “unique or random...
Unilever has leveraged ‘agility’ to adapt its business to COVID-19. How does the company plan to cope with the global economic recession that now looks likely?
From plant-based queso to kolanut-fueled energy drinks and spreadable 'granola butter,' check out 17 emerging brands who took part in the first pitch event from Startup CPG, a new organization that promotes and supports startups founded by Daniel...
Beverage industry veteran Bryan Crowley has taken the helm at ZenWTR, a high pH, distilled bottled water brand seeking to stand out in the category with 100% recycled PET bottles made with certified ‘ocean bound’ plastic, a first for the industry.
The US must strengthen and increase funding for federal nutrition research to accelerate critical discoveries, and most importantly, improve public health, say a group of research, policy, and government experts in a new report.
Organic wellness shot brand Vive Organic has raised $13m in a Series B round led by Monogram Capital, with participation from Cambridge SPG and Powerplant Ventures.
Sustainably-marketed products across categories are growing market share a whopping seven times faster than their conventional counter-parts and are disproportionally contributing to the overall growth of their CPG categories, according to new research...
The US needs a more integrated nutrition security system to help fight the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which disproportionately impacts people with underlying health conditions – often related to poor diet, according to an expert from The Rockefeller...
Foods and beverages sweetened with miraculin, brazzein and curculin - proteins found in exotic fruits that can be produced far more efficiently via microbial fermentation - could hit the US market in less than two years, offering formulators intriguing...
Israeli startup Better Juice has signed agreements with US-based global beverage manufacturers to commercialize its patent-pending enzymatic technology, which can achieve up to 80% sugar reduction of naturally-occurring sugars (e.g. sucrose, glucose,...
Global flavor company Givaudan registered a 3.6% sales increase in its flavors division where it experienced a shift demand from foodservice and alcoholic beverages to retail CPG products including juice-based beverages, culinary solutions, nutritional...
The US Food and Drug Administration will not object to the use of certain qualified health claims regarding consuming certain cranberry juice and supplements and a reduced risk of recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) in healthy women.
Hybrid products combining meat grown from cells in bioreactors with plant-based proteins and fats could drive the first wave of cell-based product launches, predicts the founder of UK-based startup Higher Steaks, which unveiled the ‘world’s first’ cell-based...
Ruckus and Co - a brand of ready-to-drink frozen smoothies for kids developed by the Mondelēz SnackFutures Innovation hub - was set to land in retail freezer sections in early May before the world took a turn, temporarily halting its distribution and...
Chobani has moved into new territory with the launch of Chobani Probiotic: a new line of organic, plant-based functional beverages; and Chobani Complete: a new line of protein- and fiber-packed lactose-free Greek yogurt cups and shakes with no added sugar,...
As with other aspects of American culture, racism has both deep and multiple roots in the food system, which CPG companies must address holistically, ranging from how they source materials and services to their hiring practices, marketing strategies and...
Trader Joe's indefinite commitment to remove "very soon" any store brand labels with "variations" of the name Trader Joe's, which the petition describes as 'harmful stereotypes,' could be too little too late late...
Does an association exist between dietary protein choice (animal or plant-based sources) and long-term overall mortality in the US population? Yes, say researchers who conducted a 16-year observational health study and found that greater intake of plant...
King Arthur Flour has rebranded to King Arthur Baking Company, a transformation that preserves its roots in the baking industry, but more accurately reflects the company’s relationship with modern consumers and the baking “counter trend” currently sweeping...
As consumers settle into living with the threat of the coronavirus and better understand their grocery needs while staying at home, their priorities inevitably will shift from panic purchasing any and all products to stocking their pantries more selectively...
