Carbohydrates and fibers (sugar, starches)

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging demand for positive nutrition must balance functional benefits, taste, sustainability and convenience

23-Jan-2023 By Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging demand for positive nutrition must balance functional benefits, taste, sustainability and convenience

Born out of the pandemic when product availability was unpredictable or limited and when a premium was placed on immunity-boosting, consumers in 2023 increasingly are seeking positive nutrition – both for themselves but also for the planet and workers...

Unilever drives market share up 10pp by pruning innovation pipeline, product portfolio to do more with less

13-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Unilever is steadily gaining market share, boosting sales in fast-growing categories, lowering the cost of experimentation and improving its consumer engagement by doing more with less, CEO Alan Jope touted during the company’s investor day last month....

Corn prices to stay elevated as global supplies ‘remain tight’

12-Jan-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Procurement intelligence and analytics provider Beroe predicts that corn prices will remain high due to supply chain disruptions and increasing production costs.

Unilever rethinks formulation strategy, noting: ‘Just taste is no longer enough’ to win

11-Jan-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Taste may be considered king by most food and beverage makers, but at Unilever it no longer reigns supreme after the CPG giant adopted a new ‘holistically superior’ product testing framework and ‘boldly healthier’ food commitments for 2025 – a move that...

KraftHeinz, Wyss Institute develop new approach to make sugar healthier: ‘We thought we’d come to the Wyss with an impossible problem, and they turned it on its head to present an even crazier idea to solve it’

22-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

In 2018, the KraftHeinz Company approached the Wyss Institute to develop a solution to sugar reduction that is workable in a food production setting. After four years of collaboration, the research team has developed an answer: enzymes that convert sugar...

Nestlé’s budget-friendly innovation strategy: ‘We are faster now than many of the startups”

21-Dec-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

No longer a lumbering giant when it comes to R&D, Nestlé significantly increased its number of new product launches and number of patents in priority areas by simplifying its innovation process, fostering an entrepreneurial culture and collaborating...

CSPI: More transparency needed on school milk nutrition

19-Dec-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

An analysis of the nutritional content of milks served in US schools shows many do not adhere to school nutrition standards or the Dietary Guidelines for Americans on added sugar or sodium, says nonprofit the Center for Science in the Public Interest...

Dietary intake of sulfites ‘could be a safety concern’: EFSA

16-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said that dietary intakes of sulfites ‘could be a safety concern’ for people with a ‘high’ consumption of foodstuffs containing the additives.

STARTUP NATION PART THREE: Israeli food startups to watch, from animal-free dairy to designer sweet proteins

14-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

In part three of our gallery of highlights from FoodNavigator-USA's recent trip to Israel, we profile startups exploring everything from high-tech indoor vanilla cultivation to the manufacture of no-sugar-added snack bars using compression and ultrasonic...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Can bite-sized indulgences and twists on nostalgia help bakeries tame the ‘three-headed monster’ of inflation, supply shortages and labor challenges?

12-Dec-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The “three-headed monster” of rising inflation, product shortages and labor challenges continues to wreak havoc across the food industry with little sign of relief on the horizon – prompting many consumers to shift their shopping habits and forcing manufacturers...

STARTUP NATION PART TWO: Israeli food startups to watch, from antimicrobial proteins for food protection to upcycled yeast protein

08-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

In part two of our gallery of highlights from FoodNavigator-USA's recent trip to Israel, we profile startups exploring everything from upcycled yeast proteins and carob to antimicrobial proteins. Best viewed on a laptop!

Amai Proteins finalizing initial closing of $100m round as it gears up for launch of ‘designer’ sweet protein in 2023

02-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

Israeli food tech startup Amai Proteins is finalizing the initial closing of a $100m funding round as it gears up to launch its first product next year: a designer sweet protein up to 3,000 times sweeter than sugar with a clean taste and excellent heat...

Can a rail strike – and by extension food shortages on shelves – be avoided?

29-Nov-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Congressional leaders on both sides of the aisle promise to push forward this week legislation to divert a looming national freight rail strike that threatens significant job and financial losses and which could snarl still fragile supply chains, including...

Reinventing Oreos… with no added sugar: Sundays enters low-carb sandwich cookie space

29-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

British Columbia-based startup Sundays is on a mission to reinvent iconic chocolate sandwich cookie brand Oreos with a zero sugar positioning.

‘We want to move snacks from candy to food…’ Torr FoodTech raises $12m to form snack bars using compression and ultrasonic waves instead of sugary binders

21-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

Torr FoodTech - an Israeli startup deploying an intriguing new approach to creating snack bars by deploying pressure and ultrasonic energy instead of sugary binders to ‘weld’ natural ingredients together - has raised $12m in a series A round as it expands...

Nutrition: Plant-based drinks ‘not real alternatives’ to dairy milk – study

14-Nov-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Nutrient quality in plant-based beverages should be considered on a par with sustainability credentials, researchers say as they assessed the quality as well as quantity of micronutrients in common plant-based drinks.

Natural Products Expo East

Strong Roots expands into frozen meals – one of the few bright spots in plant-based

01-Nov-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While sales of plant-based products across the board continue to slide, consumer data from Evergi shows at least one segment is bucking the trend – frozen meals and bowls – an area into which the fast-growing vegan brand Strong Roots is eagerly expanding...

Is baby food with pureed fruits & veggies too sugary? Judge tosses ‘mushy’ and ‘speculative’ lawsuit vs Sprout Foods

31-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

How much sugar is too much, and do pouches for babies and young kids containing pureed fruits and vegetables present long-term health risks, even if they don’t contain any added sugars?

Measuring and communicating sustainability: ‘The biggest challenge right now is the pace of change,’ says Ingredion VP

27-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Sustainability has rapidly evolved from a check box exercise for many food companies to something that impacts decision making throughout the supply chain. But how are firms measuring sustainability, how reliable is industry data in this respect, and...

Sugar reduction: Lactase grown directly in milk can create naturally sweet yogurt

27-Oct-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Scientists have found that lactase derived from lactic acid bacterium can be used to produce naturally sweet yogurt, paving the way for the production of flavored yogurt without added sugars.

Rare sugars expert announces sweetener breakthrough

26-Oct-2022 By Oliver Morrison

European industrial biotechnology specialist BRAIN Biotech has teamed up with Bonumose to bring the rare sugars expert’s sweetener tagatose to market globally.

Brightseed to debut dietary fiber with bioactives for gut health in protein crisp

26-Oct-2022 By Asia Sherman

Biotech company Brightseed has launched Brightseed Bio 01 – a novel bioactive-enriched, A.I.-powered dietary fiber sourced from hemp hulls that promotes gut health in food and beverage applications.

ENTREPRENEURS TO WATCH: From high-protein fermented grains to packaging from agri-residues, meet the 45 startups handpicked by FoodBytes! by Rabobank in 2022

25-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The 45 startups selected to participate in the FoodBytes! By Rabobank food and ag innovation program in 2022 provide a neat snapshot into trending topics in food and agriculture, from personalized nutrition and upcycling to robotics and farm biologics.

IRVINS salted egg chips gains steam in US: 'Asian snack aisles are one of the highest-growing segments'

11-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Singaporean snack brand IRVINS is broadening its reach into the US snacking category with its salted egg chips and salted egg salmon skins, which have become some of the most popular snacks across Southeast Asia.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From food as medicine to sustainable packaging – trendspotting at Expo East

10-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Natural Products Expo East may not be as big as its West Coast counterpart, but the 18,500 registered attendees and more than 1,200 exhibitors who convened in Philadelphia earlier this month for the annual conference were just as enthusiastic and the...

SlimFast unveils new packaging, ads, intermittent fasting line, to ‘position the brand for a return to growth in 2023’

05-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

As the brand name suggests, none too subtly, SlimFast is a brand you tend to think of when you want to lose weight, fast. But in a food culture where ‘wellness’ is in, ‘dieting’ is out, and even the word ‘slimming’ can make you sound like an ‘80s throwback,...

Introducing the FoodNavigator-USA digital summit: Futureproofing the Food System Nov 15-17

01-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The western diet – and the food system that underpins it – is becoming increasingly unsustainable, for the health of humans and the planet. So how do we futureproof the food system to deliver healthier, more sustainable products that nourish our bodies...

What is ‘healthy’? FDA proposes new definition as added sugar, not fat, becomes nutritional bogeyman

28-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

The FDA has issued a proposed rule updating the criteria for the ‘healthy’ nutrient content claim on food labels that for the first time restricts the amount of added sugar firms can include in products bearing the claim.

myAir blends technology with food as medicine to tackle growing stress pandemic

28-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

By using a patent-pending algorithm to pair and assess physiological responses to stress and diet tracked by smart watches with psychological data gathered through an online quiz, food-tech start-up myAir has found a way to overcome one of the biggest...

Biden administration to explore voluntary targets for added sugar, develop front-of-pack nutrition labeling system

27-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

The Biden administration is exploring steps the federal government could take to reduce intake of added sugars “such as developing targets for categories of foods, similar to the voluntary targets FDA developed for sodium,” as part of a National Strategy...

Court thwarts attempts by DOJ to block US Sugar mega-deal: 'Ruling will allow our acquisition of Imperial Sugar to proceed as planned'

26-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

A US district court in Delaware has thwarted attempts by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to block a sugar industry mega-deal it argued would create a "cozy duopoly": US Sugar’s proposed acquisition of rival Imperial Sugar.

Costco sees uptick in store traffic and membership renewals as shoppers realize value of mass & club channel

26-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With many consumers fixated on the price of their grocery bill amid ongoing inflation, mass and club channel retailers such as Costco are seeing increased foot traffic and higher shopper spending at its stores.

SPECIAL REPORT: Bioengineered food labeling: ‘They kind of shot in the middle and missed every constituency’

23-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Advocates arguing for greater transparency about the use of GMOs in food scored a minor victory this month after a district court told USDA to re-work the digital disclosure portions of the bioengineered food labeling law, which came into effect in January....

General Mills’ new digital rewards program, marketing drive sales, consumer loyalty

21-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

General Mills is gaining market share and driving higher sales despite ongoing supply chain challenges and price hikes thanks in part to strategic investments in brand building and digital consumer engagement, including through a new rewards program,...

Not all indulgent snacks contribute equally to obesity and not all strategies to reduce their consumption are effective

20-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Curbing consumption of sugary beverages and sweet baked goods could take center-stage in future obesity-fighting campaigns while chocolate and confections move to the wings after new research from Georgetown University reveals the former are more likely...

Specific HMOs linked to infant brain development: Study

19-Sep-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Individual human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) may play critical roles in the maturation of gray matter in an infant brain, showing that inclusion of specific HMOs in infant formula could be beneficial, says a new study.

'Our culture compels us to act,' ADM and PepsiCo strike regenerative agriculture agreement

15-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

ADM and PepsiCo have entered a 7.5-year strategic commercial agreement to expand regenerative agriculture across its North American supply chains, reaching up to 2 million acres by 2030.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Brazi Bites’ Latino Entrepreneur Accelerator Program offers helping hand during ‘tough times’

12-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Knowing entrepreneurs often dramatically underestimate the time it takes to validate their business models, are more likely to lose money or break even than make a profit and face abysmal failure rates, one successful founder is offering a helping hand...

Converting air into sugar: Coca-Cola and University of California Berkeley team up to develop space mission tech for F&B

30-Aug-2022 By Rachel Arthur

Coca-Cola Europacific Partners and the University of California Berkeley are investigating scalable methods of converting captured CO2 into sugar. The idea – which is already being developed separately with NASA for long-haul space missions – has the...

Study finds link between ultra-processed foods and mental health

29-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A study exploring the connection between ultra-processed foods (UPF) consumption and reported adverse mental health symptoms found that participants who had a diet high in UPF were more likely to report instances of 'mentally unhealthy' and...

Food as medicine continues to gain traction and inspire innovation post-pandemic

18-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The acute health threat of COVID-19 may be ebbing for most Americans, but the desire it instilled in many to bolster their physical and mental wellbeing continues to push consumers to seek food as medicine, according to industry insiders.

News in brief

US honey consumption hits record highs as domestic production steadily drops, USDA report

17-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

US honey consumption reached record highs last year while domestic production dropped to its lowest since 1991, primarily due to lower yield per colony, according to USDA’s latest sugars and sweeteners outlook report, which notes that imports have surged...

Prices for key food commodities remain high even as overall wholesale costs dip

12-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

In another sign that inflation may be peaking, wholesale prices fell month-over-month for the first time in July since April 2020, but commodities remain significantly higher than last year, suggesting it may be well into next year before food manufacturers...

IFT FIRST

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

11-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

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...

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

10-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

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?

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

10-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

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,...

Seasonal candy

Hershey calms Halloween nerves after shortage of treats scare

08-Aug-2022 By Anthony Myers

Hershey has moved quickly to reassure consumers that there will be plenty of candy for this year’s Halloween celebrations.

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’

07-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

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...

WATCH ON DEMAND: Low-and-No-Sugar-Beverages webinar, 'Sugar reduction is still overwhelmingly important to American consumers'

03-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Sugar reduction is still top of mind for most US consumers, but their motivations for purchasing low- and no-sugar beverages have shifted from weight management and dieting pursuits to achieving a sense of general wellbeing, claims Howard Telford, head...

Sorghum in focus: ‘The goal is to increase the use of sorghum in the US food supply,’ says Sorghum Checkoff

03-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Despite being a nutrient powerhouse with more fiber and protein per serving than quinoa and nearly twice the amount of iron as a 3-ounce sirloin steak, sorghum hasn’t quite crossed into mainstream territory with most consumers. But that could soon change,...