At the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City last week, health claims were downplayed and flavor came first – for real – followed by personalization with more brands offering consumers ways to dial up or down the heat, tang, funk and other characteristics...
Innovative startup Hydrosome Labs is leveraging ultra-fine bubbles to overcome significant roadblocks to the development of alternative proteins via precision fermentation, including capacity constraints, by dramatically increasing yield from the same...
Crafted by a neurodivergent team with special skills for consumers with special diets in a facility where nothing goes to waste, startup Vêsucré is bringing to market decadent vegan desserts that are free from soy, gluten and refined sugar.
With Reese’s collaborating with One to launch a high protein iteration of the iconic peanut butter cup, should other manufacturers be looking at this functional ingredient too?
50/50 Foods' Both Burgers with a 50/50 beef and veggie blend target flexitarians who love meat but want more plants, while also addressing water scarcity caused by traditional agriculture, according to CEO Drew Arentowicz at the Future Food Tech...
Gluten free may not be as trendy as it once was, but the call-out continues to resonate with consumers as the quality, quantity and variety of products making the claim continue to improve – as showcased by brands across categories at the Summer Fancy...
Ingredient provider Balchem revealed VitalBlend Oat 2540, a cold-water-soluble creamer, designed to capitalize on demands for plant-based milks, Josephine Nakhla, the company’s powders and cereals strategic marketing and business development director,...
Equitea, maker of cold brewed USDA organic teas, wants to destigmatize mental health and improve access to wellness products, the company’s co-founder and CEO Quentin Vennie told FoodNavigator-USA during BevNet Live in New York earlier this month.
Portuguese-based food-tech startup PFx Biotech is harnessing precision-fermentation to create human milk proteins for infant formulas and other applications, company Co-founder Harry Barraza shared during the Future Food-Tech Alternative Proteins event...
The early retail success of functional beverage startup Crunchy Hydration shows sugar – or its low- and no-calorie counterparts – are not a necessary ingredient for success in a category that is laden with sweeteners used to mask the sometimes bitter...
Hero Bread is using $21 million in series B funding to reinforce its retail footprint as more consumers demand more nutritious and healthier baked goods, including through direct-to-consumer (DTC) channels, company CEO YuChiang Cheng told FoodNavigator-USA....
Alt-protein startups have unlocked the potential to create a range of novel meat products — from cell-cultivated mammoth meatballs to tiger meat — with the help of biotech processes. However, companies should think carefully when developing products too...
Building a packaged food or beverage business from scratch can be expensive and overwhelming for entrepreneurs, but Startup CPG is making it a little easier with a suite of free tools, extensive networking opportunities and a safe space for founders to...
An end may be in sight for the capital crunch that has slowed innovation, growth and M&A activity in the food and beverage space in recent years, according to one investment insider, but she warns the timeline is longer for closing deals and the bar...
Granola and breakfast brand Purely Elizabeth premiered its large-scale advertising campaign around wholesome nutrition last month following a 56% sales growth rate YoY during its first quarter, the company’s CEO and Founder, Elizabeth Stein, told FoodNavigator-USA.
Taking nods from his career as director of performance for the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, Mubarak Malik developed sports drink brand Barcode with a formulation that aligns with fitness and recovery, and includes vitamin D3, an uncommon...
The US beef market remains resilient in Q2 with high prices and consumer demand, as global production is expected to decline in the coming quarters and the industry struggles to implement environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting changes, Lance...
In this episode of Startup Spotlight, Bandit’s Founder Bo Babaki discusses how his passion project making vegan cheese eventually landed him a distribution deal with Lancaster Farm Fresh in 2020 and secured a $1.5 million investment from VC firm Prime...
Liquid Death has turned the bottled water category on its head: with its energy-drink-esque branding and novel approach to marketing ('Murder your thirst!' declares the brand's tagline). Mike Cessario, founder and CEO, sits down with BeverageDaily...
SAUZ’s pasta sauces, made with premium ingredients and natural flavors, are designed by founders Troy Bonde and Winston Alfieri to bring flavor and convenience to consumers’ kitchens, while disrupting a stagnant category, they told FoodNavigator-USA.
Sparkling water brand Aura Bora is turning negative comments about its brand into a positive with its Chili Watermelon flavor, made possible through a collaboration with candle company P.F. Candle.
As the media landscape has become more fragmented in the past ten years, social media has emerged as one of the most influential sources of information on the consumer path to purchase and many companies are shifting advertising dollars accordingly –...
Under the new brand FERMY, American biotech startup The EVERY Co. and Canadian functional beverage and supplement business Landish launched protein and adaptogen-infused coffee enhancer and matcha latte mixes today.
The spin off of Unilever’s ice cream business, which includes iconic brands such as Ben & Jerry’s, Wall’s and Magnum, is “underway” and on track to be completed by the end of 2025 as part of a broader cost-savings and productivity enhancement program,...
Price-conscious consumers are gravitating to brands with clear value propositions — including private-label — as companies offer products that tap into permissible indulgence and functional trends at affordable price points, Ari Goldsmith, VP of marketing...
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...
Canadian-based vegan seafood brand Seed to Surf is debuting its tinned fish product at more than 150 US Whole Foods Markets after completing the retailer’s Local and Emerging Accelerator Program (LEAP), and is teeing innovation in the soup category, company...
Food and beverage brands should focus on the fundamentals of growing slowly and strategically to set up long-term success while also complementing a founder's vision with a team of experts with diverse skillsets, Seth Goldman, co-founder and chief...
USDA is working through a backlog of much-needed updates to labels for meat and poultry, and anticipates publishing this year or early next several proposed rules, including for uncured and cultivated products, according to an agency official.
The World Health Organization is linking ultra-processed food, alcohol, tobacco, and fossil fuel industries to millions of deaths in Europe every year.
While homegrown startups frequently use ABC’s investment reality series to springboard their brand, Like Air Snacks already had a solid retail presence and was pulling in more than $5m in sales. So, what did its appearance on Shark Tank really achieve?...
Congressional approval late last month of FDA’s proposed reorganization to create a Human Foods Program that operates under a single leader, brings the agency one step closer to the end of a long, and at times arduous, process of self-reflection, prioritization...
In-store product demos and digital couponing can help brands vying for retail distribution by boosting sales and velocities, Luke Abbott, founder and CEO of VDriven Consulting, explained during an International Dairy Deli Bakery Association webinar.
Many key commodities in the food industry are sourced from conflict areas. What role can a social enterprise play in helping businesses operate in these areas without exacerbating harm?
JUST Egg enhances its plant-based egg formula with JUST Egg v5 for wider culinary applications, while solidifying its breakfast category presence with the Breakfast Burrito launch last month.
Venture-backed bread company EQUII is launching in 88 Midwest Hy-Vee stores — more than doubling its retail footprint — as it demonstrates the potential of fermentation to create better-for-you versions of classic pantry staples, brand Co-founder and...
The iconic chocolate brand Butterfinger is celebrating its centennial by reviving its partnership with The Simpsons, as it finds new ways to tap into pop culture through video gaming and seasonal products to stay relevant among consumers of all ages,...
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...
U.S.–based Schwan’s Company and CJ Foods, its South Korea-based subsidiary, purchased a 142-acre site in Sioux Falls, S.D., for its 700,000 square-foot production facility to support its Korean food brand, bibigo, using modernized automated production...
Chocolate is a favored ingredient in everything from cakes to donuts – and even in sweets snacks like energy bars and popcorn – so bakers are undoubtedly feeling the impact of rising cocoa prices.
Children’s food brand Little Spoon expands into breakfast with a range of new products, as it remains bullish on its direct-to-consumer (DTC) channel growth, company Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Angela Vranich told FoodNavigator-USA.
Coca-Cola has solidified its status as the world’s most chosen FMCG brand with a staggering global reach. But other beverages have also seen standout performances this year...
The alternative-protein market might have an opportunity to kickstart market growth with innovative products that cater to more meal occasions, including breakfast, and by meeting the demands of flexitarian consumers, Fazeela Abdul Rashid, partner at...
Kraft Heinz will continue to innovate and actively promote its Oscar Mayer brand, which has a “role to play in the scale of the company,” CEO Carlos Abrams-Rivera told investors last week when asked about rumors that the company could divest the iconic...
Colour plays a key role in how consumers see products. Should plant-based companies use red to evoke flavour, or green to evoke sustainability, with their offerings?