Better-for-you candy company Issei Mochi Gummies is bolstering its retail footprint with recent launches into Albertsons and Walmart stores nationwide, as it finds an opportunity to provide an alternative to the gelatin- or pectin-based products on the...
Through a global challenge offering up to $2 million in prize funding announced this week, the US Department of Agriculture and the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) want to place “big bets” on high-risk, but high-reward innovations...
For many small startups, creating a strong company culture may not feel as important as securing and filling purchase orders or as fun as developing social media content – but according to the cofounders of the non-alcoholic beverage brand Revvl, setting...
Two former Google researchers, who helped write the algorithm for trendspotting using queries from the search engine, are using their knowhow to empower product developers to create the must-have meals and breakout beverages of the future with the expansion...
While bayjoo’s founder Ana Bautista Lee embarked on the solopreneur path to bring bayjoo, a traditional Caribbean beverage, to the United States, she relies on a vast network of other founders and experts to help her navigate the competitive and complex...
'Holistic hydration' and 'hydration+' appeared as popular concepts across the Vitafoods tradeshow in Geneva earlier this month, with Arla Foods Ingredients and PharmaLinea offering dynamic options.
Confectionery and snack brands can stay head of the curve by offering layered flavors and textures inspired from other food and beverage categories, tapping into nostalgic tastes and international cuisines that consumers gravitate towards, Alice Mintz,...
Organic is one of the most trusted and recognized claims and certifications in the grocery aisle, and yet most consumers do not fully understand what it represents – a knowledge gap that the Organic Trade Association (OTA) and The Organic Center are trying...
Plant-based comfort food brand Blackbird Foods launched a crowdfunding campaign on Start Engine to grow its business, including a bigger push into school lunch programs, company CEO Emanuel Storch told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview....
New data from the Organic Trade Association shows organic sales “bouncing back” after a post-pandemic and inflation-induced slowdown in incremental grown in recent years, with research from SPINS suggesting the products best positioned to seize this growth...
Gelatin may not be flashy and new, but it remains the second fastest growing hydrocolloid off a significant base thanks in part to its ability to meet a wide range of emerging consumer interests, including clean-eating and high protein to permissible...
Update is redefining the energy drink category with its star ingredient, paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine that provides the uplifting benefits of caffeine without the negative side effects, company Co-founder and CEO Daniel Solomons told FoodNavigator-USA...
New Zealand-based non-alcoholic (NA) beverage brand Free AF is expanding in the US in Walmart and Target stores, company Founder Lisa King told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview.
Contrary to popular belief, not all video-gamers are happy to chug energy drinks and devour junk food for fuel – rather most eSports enthusiasts want convenient, tasty snacks that will not compromise their competitive edge by compromising their health.
Laoban Dumplings pays homage to traditional Chinese flavors and ingredients that combine convenience, quality and flavor in its line of homemade-style frozen dumplings and an upcoming launch of bao buns explained Patrick Coyne, the company’s co-founder...
Nourish Ingredients, a pioneer in the emerging ‘animal-free’ speciality fat segment, is expanding into non-dairy with the debut of Creamilux – a low-inclusion lipid that recreates the rich, creamy mouthfeel, taste and emulsification properties of dairy...
Japan’s 2foods sets itself apart in the American market and meets consumer demand for plant-based products with a clean label and a unique taste and texture profile with the US debut of its three-in-one dessert Gâteau Chocolate at Natural Products Expo...
Berlin-based food-tech startup Nosh.bio is overcoming capacity constraints that have hampered other fermentation-derived alternative protein players by developing a proprietary production process that is “minimal, scalable and sustainable” and by teaming...
Nearly nine out of 10 consumers snack daily to fuel their busy days, carve out a mindful moment of ‘me time,’ and connect with family and friends – but according to Mondelez International’s recently released 5th State of Snacking report, what they are...
Better-for-you sweet snack brand DEUX is making 2024 “a year of retail" with its recent expansion in Sprouts, while tapping into larger permissible indulgent trends, brand Founder and CEO Sabeena Ladha shared with FoodNavigator-USA during a Startup...
Through its TRENDfinder events and ELEVATE program, KeHE is helping CPG brands achieve their retail goals, but startups seeking a distribution deal must first ensure that they meet specific requirements, Tabitha Sewell, director of category management...
Mason Dixie Foods' transition from foodservice to retail, including Whole Foods and Costco, allowed the brand to tap into whitespace in frozen breakfast foods with a healthy halo and clean label, Ayeshah Abuelhiga, the brand’s founder and CEO, explained...
Brand building platform Spring Foods is on a mission to revive what it says is the lost flavor, nutrition and virtue of bread with the launch of Essential – a certified organic, ready-to-bake bread line that is building on the success of the company’s...
In this episode of Startup Spotlight, Jon Katz, founder of baked oat and seed bar brand, Amia Snacks, focused on using functional ingredients to address migraines, as outlined by a trigger-free diet, which includes eliminatings ingredients that may trigger...
Women’s health issues that have long been taboo are starting to come to the forefront of marketing, research and innovation, but many brands still do not know how to talk about them – a challenge that NielsenIQ is addressing with the help of neuroscientists.
Emotional Utility Beverage sparkling functional drinks were developed to provide a functional, healthy tool to support consumers’ evolving emotional and cognitive states, Charles Gores, chairman and owner of Emotional Utility Beverage, explained to FoodNavigator-USA...
Consumers increasingly want food that is not only good for them, but also good for the planet and those who work the land, which is why Daily Harvest is teaming with industry leaders and USDA to help more farmers – including small-scale BIPOC farmers...
From cognition and immunity to gut-skin health and menopause, Jordan Dow, vice president at Kerry ProActive Health, discussed a range of topics at this year’s Expo West trade show.
Cows are often the posterchild for the negative environmental impacts of farming or ranching, but what if they could be a force for good in the fight against climate change?
Bovine collagen infused Pretty Tasty Tea may be new to the functional beverage space, after launching in February, but the team behind the beauty-from-within brand includes industry veterans with deep expertise in distribution strategy and retail management...
Goodles is shaking up the mac and cheese shelf with colorful branding, playful product names and better-for-you options, including a new gluten-free option sampled at the recent Natural Products Expo West event.
Through its patented technology that both replicates the delicate microalgae environment and extract its bioactive compounds from biomass, Microphyt is able to produce microalgae at scale in its Montpelier, France facility for a range of food and beverage...
As consumer concerns rise over a variety of food ingredients and food additive bans increase, the non-profit Clean Label Project is helping brands make sense of it all, the organization’s executive director Jaclyn Bowen told FoodNavigator-USA in an interview...
Fusing together adaptogens with single-origin coffee, subscription-based Zend Coffee features functional coffee blends that support skin, cognitive, immunity and emotional health using responsibly sourced coffee beans – a blurred category that the company’s...
FoodNavigator-USA's free editorial webinar 'The Future of Seafood' is available on demand and explores how plant-based Bettafish, acquaculture brand Local Coho and cultivated seafood Forsea Foods maximize taste, nutrition and environmental...
United Sodas of America’s recently appointed president, Dan Herndon, is taking a practical hands-on approach to growing the low-sugar soda company, as the brand focuses on expanding in select channels and deploying capital efficiently to maintain a sustainable...
The greater stability and shelf life of postbiotics, coupled with documented benefits for performance and recovery, may make postbiotics an attractive option for athletes leading strenuous lives with demanding travel schedules.
Cargill showcased the breadth of its protein portfolio and sustainable sourcing partnerships in a multi-course tasting earlier this month in New York City.
Consumers increasingly want more from their beverages when it comes to health, but they also want less in terms of calories, ingredients, processing and environmental impact – a delicate balance that startup Lattini strikes without compromising taste...
CPG brands increasingly rely on AI technologies to crunch large data stores and find insight to win in the market, but many are falling short of their digital transformation goals due to outdated technology, Capri Brixey, EVP, strategy consulting at Insite...
Functional coffee and tea brand Clevr Blends is taking a “deep, not wide” approach to growing beyond its direct-to-consumer (DTC) roots and into Target, brand founder and CEO, Hannah Mendoza, told FoodNavigator-USA during a Startup Spotlight video.
Startup élevé distinguishes its adaptogenic sparkling water brand in a saturated market through its vintage-inspired packaging, natural ingredients and distribution, co-founders and CEOs Tanya Major and Dianna Aguilar tell FoodNavigator-USA in this episode...
The discontinuation of Eat Just Inc.'s Just Mayo and Just Ranch products in 2020, despite market success, was a strategic play to “put every bit of energy into JUST Egg,” the company’s flagship animal-free liquid egg alternative, before relaunching...
Better-for-you confection newcomer Rotten’s early distribution gains since it launched in September underscores an unmet consumer desire for candy that cuts back on sugar and artificial ingredients, but not the fun.
Finding a reliable manufacturer that can meet product specifications and has production capacity that aligns with supply needs is one of the biggest challenges brands face, but a new matching platform launching today could simplify and dramatically shorten...
Winner of the first season of Netflix’s Snack vs. Chef show, Lauryn Bodden, is taking her award-winning noodle snack concept from TV screens to store shelves with the official launch of S’NOODS, as she shared in the recent episode of FoodNavigator-USA’s...
While many entrepreneurs adopt a “sky’s the limit” mentality, few literally reach it the way that Whoa Dough did when American Airlines began offering its first class passengers the company’s better-for-you, plant-based and protein-packed cookie dough...
The founder of startup Harken Sweets, which launched earlier this month, wants to “nutritionally overhaul” the candy bar category by using “the power of the date fruit,” like how she helped Caulipower reinvigorate the pizza category with the “power of...