The US ready-to-eat popcorn category has been “growing in the double-digits for the past 3-4 years” and is now worth “north of $600m in annual [retail] sales”, according to Diamond Foods CEO Brain Driscoll, who says new launches under the Kettle and Pop...
Many people developing new products at CPG companies feel frustrated and demotivated according to a new survey, which probably comes as no surprise given the high failure rate in the trade. But looking at what firms that produce more winners have in common...
The neuropsychologist behind cognitive health beverage Nawgan reckons his latest innovation 'ON powered refreshment’' - which combines caffeine and the fatigue-busting amino acid ornithine - has more mainstream appeal, bringing a fresh twist...
Nestlé has filed a patent for high-carb and high-protein bite-size dough snacks for athletes and health-conscious consumers looking to manage nutritional intake before and during exercise.
While Chobani, Dannon and Yoplait have been battling for supremacy in the US yogurt market (and at halftime at the Super Bowl), another equally ambitious player has recently emerged from the leftfield and served as a reminder that Greek isn’t the only...
In the latest iteration of FoodNavigator-USA’s What do you do interview series, we talk with the boss of organic ancient grain specialist Ancient Harvest about the challenges of long-distance (work) relationships, his move from banking to CPGs and what...
Becoming a target of opportunistic lawsuits is the price you pay for being successful, says Chobani’s marketing boss, who says he is “baffled” by a complaint filed by Dov Seidman accusing the yogurt firm of infringing his trademarks with its ‘How Matters’...
Dannon, Daisy Brand and Lactalis American Group (LAG) have questioned the reliability of a US study that reported finding levels of titanium dioxide nanoparticles in their products.
DIGGING INTO INNOVATION AND NPD WITH DATAMONITOR CONSUMER
Chobani is laying off a small but undisclosed number of temporary workers at plants in Twin Falls, Idaho and South Edmeston, New York as it harmonizes production between the two facilities after a labor-intensive ramp-up phase, and moves to new shift...
Jerry Bello - the founder of Veggie straws maker Sensible Portions (sold to Hain Celestial in a multimillion dollar deal in 2010) - remembers the exact moment when he stumbled across something he reckons could be an even bigger snack food hit.
Although fewer than one in 100 (0.9%) of US consumers is afflicted with a peanut or treenut allergy, the purchasing power of that group extends far beyond those with allergies, according to the recent Nut Allergy Ecosystem survey by Rich Products Corp.
The frozen food aisle has historically suffered from a bit of an image problem, given consumers’ long association with frozen TV dinners and freezer-burned commodity vegetable bags. But the growing interest in premium offerings among increasingly time-strapped...
From drinkable grains to Non-GMO verified, Sterling-Rice Group has identified 10 natural and organic food trends that are starting to influence the mainstream grocery market. Are you up to speed?
Nestlé says its scientists played a central role in developing a new physical mechanism that it is already using to improve the nutritional quality and pleasantness of powdered beverages.
A lawsuit filed by bestselling author and corporate ethics consultant Dov Seidman accusing Chobani of infringing his trademarks with its 'How Matters' campaign is "baseless and without merit", says the Greek yogurt maker.
It’s not as well-known as yerba maté or guarana, yet, but another natural source of caffeine - the Amazonian leaf guayusa - is about to give them both a serious run for their money, predict the entrepreneurs behind Runa, who are on a mission to do for...
World Environment Day - June 5 2014 - Driving action on climate change
Food manufacturers don’t understand the urgency of sustainability and need to act faster, but also communicate actions better with consumers, says the president of global NGO Food Tank.
General Mills has developed a high-protein variant of its flagship cereal brand Cheerios using soy – a product it says will sit comfortably in the mainstream breakfast aisle.
Several food manufacturers have been let off the legal hook recently as lawsuits filed against them for using ‘evaporated cane juice’ (ECJ) on labels have been dismissed or stayed following the FDA’s decision to look again at its guidance on ECJ. But...
The first bottles of fermented milk drink Yakult - packed with probiotic strain Lactobacillus casei Shirota - have rolled off the production line at the Japanese firm’s new US factory in Fountain Valley, California.
Hillshire Brands has entered into formal talks with Tyson Foods and Pilgrim's Pride, which have both made unsolicited offers to the Jimmy Dean sausage maker, which is itself negotiating a deal to merge with Pinnacle Foods.
The International Formula Council (IFC) has dismissed claims that the US practice of providing free hospital discharge bags containing samples of infant formula is in violation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes.
The future of snacks will be positioning them as part of a 'meal bridge' solution that hits on convenience, value, taste and health, says the marketing head at Snyder’s-Lance.
Two leading food industry associations have urged the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) not to set category-by-category limits for sodium amid rumors that the agency is planning to outline a new sodium reduction strategy this year.
Vital Juice CEO Edward Balassanian insists the product is outselling larger rivals including Hain Celestial’s BluePrint he says evangelize nutrition in juice that only his brand delivers.
Gluten-free and allergy-friendly packaged foods manufacturer Enjoy Life Foods understands the particular importance of word of mouth when it comes to its customers, and the firm has embraced the next generation of this through its investments in social...
The founders of Canadian bakery products manufacturer One Degree Organic Foods think the current packaged food landscape has distanced consumers far too much from Mother Nature. They’re looking to narrow the gap between food producers and the end consumer...
The founders of Bitsy’s Brainfood, which has launched a new line of childrens’ breakfast cereals to go with its cookies, used their experience as mothers and working with kids in eductation and nonprofit organizations to drive their goals for the brand,...
General Mills and Kellogg have dismissed Oxfam’s claim that they are the ‘worst offenders’ on global greenhouse gas emissions and not doing enough to tackle climate change.
A recent analysis of more than 1,500 cereals, including 181 marketed for children, by the Environmental Working Group found that a person eating an average serving of cereal a day for a year ends up consuming 10 pounds of sugar.
Greek yogurt has long been edging its way beyond the refrigerated aisles and into everything from coated snacks to bars, to baking chips and frozen yogurt. With that, the competitive landscape has grown increasingly crowded, with big names including Chobani,...
Recent acquisitions in the natural space—Bolthouse Farms and Plum Organic—were among the bright spots in a disappointing quarterly earnings report for Campbell Soup Company. The development points to changing sales patterns within the United States overall.
Big Interview: Sarah Pike, CEO & founder of Buen Sabor
The daughter of parents who owned one of the first certified organic farms in Maine, Sarah Pike grew up in a big family for whom the freezer was the preservation tool of choice for home-cooked food.
In the latest edition of FoodNavigator-USA’s What do you do series, we talked with Mike Helser, who heads up General Mills’ Worldwide Innovation Network, on his transition from oceanographer to food scientist, the challenging job of bringing innovation...
There’s a reason why beef burgers are so popular, says Cluck ‘n Moo founder Steve Gold. They taste great and they are really succulent. But what if you could have the same great taste with less than half the saturated fat and 32% fewer calories?
What does it take to get to the top of a leading food and beverage company? Can you still make it from the shop-floor to the boardroom? Is an MBA essential? And do operations managers or R&D directors ever get to lead Fortune 500 companies, or do...
I worked for five years as a USDA-contract organic inspector after growing up on an organic grain farm in Saskatchewan. I had the pleasure of inspecting over 500 organic farms and processors, but I began questioning this career path when I realized the...
Caffeinated chocolate firm Awake Chocolate wants to up distribution among US college students and eventually bring the brand to 'forward-thinking' Europe.
Danone's US 'yogurt with toppers' business YoCrunch has teamed up with Kellogg's to combine the latter's most popular breakfast cereal brands with Greek and traditional yogurt.
Greek yogurt takes on the freezer aisle, Gen Mills rethinks instant oatmeal, the grab-and-go craze continues, and more… Check out the latest and greatest food and beverage products hitting store shelves with FoodNavigator-USA’s new products roundup.
US retail sales of organic products grew 11.5% to $35.1bn in 2013, the strongest growth the industry has seen in five years, according to new data from the Organic Trade Association (OTA), which is predicting even higher growth of 12% this year.
Big interview: Craig Lieberman, founder & CEO, 34 Degrees
When Craig Lieberman flew to Sydney to study for a Master’s Degree in International Relations in the mid-1990s, his goal was to be a diplomat. But not long after he arrived, the idea for another, very different, career started to take shape.
The US plant-based milk category grew 20% in the last quarter driven by continued growth in almond milk - sales of which were up more than 50% year-on-year, says WhiteWave Foods.
