When I began studying organic food consumption in the early 2000s, I remember one of the first problems I encountered was a misperception among prominent public firm executives.
From surging ocean freight costs to sky high corn prices and general supply chain disruptions, the last 12-18 months have been a roller coaster ride, says Nate Yates, VP Global Sugar Reduction Platform at Ingredion. But one thing has remained remarkably...
Interest and demand for products that support the immune system increased since the pandemic began and according to a new survey, the dialogue has ushered in consumer knowledge of the strong interrelationship between digestive and immune function.
Most Americans' idea of Mexican cuisine is limited to cheese quesadillas, greasy nachos, and overstuffed burritos, argue the founders of a new brand called SOMOS ('we are' in Spanish), which is challenging this common consumer perception...
The Urgent Company – best known for Brave Robot ‘animal-free’ ice cream– is moving into new territory with the launch of Modern Kitchen lactose-free cream cheese, its second brand featuring Perfect Day’s animal-free dairy proteins (made with microbes,...
Upton's Naturals has been quietly pioneering the plant-based foods category, first with its seitan products, which were among the first to hit retail fifteen years ago, followed by jackfruit and banana blossom plant-based meat alternatives now sold...
In-store demos are one of the most effective ways to drive new product trial, but they are also one of the most expensive strategies – especially now that some retailers prohibit open sampling due to the pandemic.
With inflation driving up grocery prices and many government assistance programs ending, consumers are looking for deals now more than last year – but according to the marketing solutions company Vericast, they aren’t finding them when and where they...
Seven months after releasing a report alleging “dangerous” levels of heavy metals in top baby food brands, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi's subcommittee on economic and consumer policy has released a follow-up report alleging that the industry “consistently...
Beyond Meat is rolling out its Beyond Breakfast Sausage Links in Canadian grocery stores nationwide marking the plant-based brand's entry into the Canadian retail breakfast category.
From 'whole cuts' of seafood from fungi, to plant-based lamb, to highly functional proteins from brewers' spent grains, here's a quick snapshot of some of the alternative protein startups participating in a virtual pitch slam at last...
Shares of United Natural Foods skyrocketed yesterday after the natural and organic food wholesaler’s fourth quarter earnings beat industry expectations, and executives laid out an optimistic outlook for 2022 with concrete plans to make the best of lingering...
Fresh food may make most consumers feel happier and capture the lion’s share of retail sales – for now – but rising prices, concerns about perishability and shifting preference are pushing more shoppers to the frozen aisle, suggests new research by Deloitte.
While consumers are becoming increasingly aware of what they eat and drink and opting for 'better-for-you' products, they will never completely abandon their love for sugar and sweetness accelerating the need for low-calorie sweeteners such...
Berkeley-based startup Perfect Day – which makes dairy proteins using microbes instead of cows – has made its first move into the foodservice arena via a partnership with Villa Dolce to incorporate ‘animal-free’ whey into two new categories: gelato and...
Marking its first acquisition for its new fund, Charlotte, North Carolina-based private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners has acquired raw and unfiltered honey brand, Local Hive Honey. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Spending on Halloween candy is predicted to rebound to an all time high this year after the pandemic frightened away most trick-or-treaters and celebrants last year – causing sales to slump to a five-year low, according to industry research.
Flour-milling and ingredient company Ardent Mills hopes to expand its already “diverse and extensive” footprint, supply chain and expertise in the fast-growing specialty ingredient segment with the pending acquisition of the gluten-free, specialty grain...
More US shoppers report feeling unhappy with how grocery stores are handling the COVID-19 crisis now, including a prominent concern around the cost and price of their groceries, than earlier this year, according to dunnhumby in its latest Consumer Pulse...
Following its initial foodservice launch earlier this year, Beyond Meat is rolling out Beyond Chicken Tenders at retailers in select markets across the US next month.
New Age Meats has raised $25m in series A round* led by Hanwha Solutions of South Korea that will allow it to begin manufacturing sausage products combining cell-cultured and plant-based meat at a 20,000-square-foot pilot facility in Alameda, California,...
Cultivated Biosciences is addressing textural challenges in plant-based dairy with a fat ingredient developed from oleaginous yeast. Co-founder and CEO Tomas Turner explains how.
Not many companies would be satisfied with or even strive to produce a food or beverage that tastes ‘normal,’ but the founder of the better-for-you frozen dessert company Killer Creamery couldn’t be happier that the taste of brand’s new ice cream sandwich...
Animal-based meat and dairy manufacturers increasingly are addressing consumer demand for improved animal welfare and environmental impact – helping to defend and grow their sales in the face of encroaching competition from plant-based options.
US Senators from Maine Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden have sent a letter to US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack urging the department to provide federal support to the 14 Maine organic...
What new products are hitting shelves in Europe? This week, we look at Moving Mountains’ new plant-based fish fillet, an innovative cocoa fruit juice concentrate for chefs, and a rebrand from Pringles UK.
PepsiCo's Frito-Lay North America division introduced an industrially-compostable bag for select products of its Off The Eaten Path better-for-you snack brand as part of its newly-launched pep+ sustainability program.
Addressing the lack of public investment in the alternative proteins space, the Good Food Institute (GFI) is awarding nearly $5m to 22 research projects that the organization says will get closer to unlocking “the holy grail” of alternative proteins:...
Demand for immunity-boosting products may have driven an initial double-digit surge of natural and organic product sales early in the pandemic, but many category newcomers have stayed – and more have flocked to the segment in 2021 – even as the threat...
Now that fall has officially arrived, immune health is front and center, with 75% of consumers saying they’re relying on some type of supplement. So where do probiotics stand? Danone conducted a survey recently to find out.
Growing plant-based foods company Above Food – which began as an ingredient supplier of specialized plant proteins – is quickly gaining ground in its B2C business, snapping up several brands and launching its own direct-to-consumer site with a growing...
General Mills is tapping into hard-to-access receipt-level, first party consumer data from retailers as it scales up its much vaunted “connected commerce” program – allowing it to create “strong one-to-one relationships” with shoppers and ultimately drive...
Pea protein-fueled brand Ripple Foods has raised $60m in an oversubscribed Series E round* that takes its cumulative funding to almost $250m, and will help the plant-based firm enter new categories, channels, and overseas markets, and extend its proprietary...
As consumers increasingly seek out sustainable and wellness-focused products, Walmart has created a dedicated online shopping destination to help consumers discover products considered to be better for their personal health and better for the environment.
Fueled by its ultra-scalable, modular farm system, indoor farming startup Square Roots has recently acclerated its retail presence where the company aims to disrupt the packaged salad mix category with its unique blend of baby and micro greens.
Iron Ox – one of a flurry of high-tech indoor farming startups attracting significant interest from agtech investors in recent years – has closed a $53m series C round led by Breakthrough Energy Ventures (taking its cumulative funding to $98m) to help...
The ongoing inaction by the US Food and Drug Administration over CBD (cannabidiol) in foods and dietary supplements is having a negative impact on trademark laws, says an industry lawyer.
Supply chain challenges exacerbated by the pandemic have bolstered consumer interest in buying local to better support farmers, ensure product quality and reduce environmental impact, but many do not want to sacrifice the savings or year-around variety...
Plant based meat brand Tofurky has teamed up with San Diego-based Triton Algae Innovations to commercialize new ‘algae-based meat innovations’ featuring Triton’s protein-rich Non-GMO ‘essential red' algae for retail launch in Q1, 2022.
While many parents say that their family has eaten more healthily since the start of the pandemic, one in five parents reports relying more heavily on fast food as a quick fix family meal option, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott...
Startup Aqua Cultured Foods is carving out novel territory in the nascent alternative seafood space with a Non-GMO fermentation-based production platform capable of delivering high-protein, nutrient-rich ‘whole cuts’ of fungi-based seafood, with the first...
As the popularity of oat milk continues to rise in the US, so too do the number of players – but by taking an “oat milk for all approach,” that includes a lower average price point, more inclusive distribution strategy and aggressive sampling program,...
Venture capital firm Lever VC has completed final close of Lever VC Fund I, with $80m raised to back early stage plant-based and cell-cultured meat and dairy companies around the world.
Eat Just’s cell-cultured meat division GOOD Meat has secured an additional $97m on top of the $170m announced in May, bringing its overall fundraise to $267m, the largest to date in the nascent sector.
A keen empathy for consumers, a deep commitment to innovation and an open-door approach to collaboration helped the founder of Nissin Foods not only capture the hearts of billions of people when he invented instant noodles, but also helped build and sustain...
Berkeley-based startup Perfect Day has underscored its sustainability credentials with the release of an expanded lifecycle assessment suggesting its ‘non-animal’ whey protein - produced by microbes, not cows – has a dramatically lower environmental footprint...
