PepsiCo has announced plans to consolidate its position at the top of the global snacks market by investing in the rapidly growing premium and value snack segments.
A petition calling for food manufacturers to state on labels whether their products contain genetically engineered ingredients has attracted more than 850,000 comments, claim organizers of the Just Label It campaign.
DuPont Nutrition & Health has launched a blend of plant extracts to protect against oxidation in high-lipid foods and offer a natural alternative to the industry’s traditional synthetic chelator, EDTA.
February 2012: Job cuts at PepsiCo and ADM, Pringles to go to Kellogg, volumes dive at Smucker, Kellogg and Campbell Soup unveil a wave of new products, and battle lines are drawn in the sodium reduction debate.
Canadian plant protein specialist Burcon NutraScience says it remains confident of finding a new partner to commercialize its canola proteins after it emerged that ADM will not now be taking the proteins to market – after eight years of talks.
The US market for dairy“remains largely untapped”, according to PepsiCo, which is pumping $206m into a new US facility to make yogurts and other dairy products as part of a joint venture with Müller.
Consumers, the marketers all tell us, want foods that are ‘wholesome’, ‘authentic’, and above all ‘natural’, although few of them can articulate what this means.
Attempts to link ‘all-natural’ clean-labeling policies with the healthy eating agenda have been so successful that research now shows shoppers equate ‘healthy’ with ‘natural’ or ‘minimally processed’ foods.
The inventor of 'breathable' caffeine shot AeroShot Energy says he has barely scratched the surface when it comes to potential applications for the novel delivery format.
Increased recognition that diet plays an important role in a range of health conditions is spurring sales in targeted foods and beverages, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
Tara gum and locust bean gum are being touted as credible guar gum replacers in light of the high prices and lack of supply for food grade guar, claims a hydrocolloid expert.
Consumers increasingly are choosing whole and unprocessed foods – so is it the end of the line for processed food manufacturers? Not if they move with the times, say ingredient suppliers.
Processing has become a dirty word, but we are going to need more processing, not less, in order to feed a growing population, according to professor and head of food science at Penn State University John Floros.
Food safety experts need to do a better job of communicating the consumer’s role in keeping food safe, by using personalized messages and the example of kitchen role models, says a consumer food marketing specialist.
A new global survey of food manufacturers found that most (98%) are confident about their food safety performance - but 70% of consumers aren't convinced. FoodNavigator-USA spoke to Hank Lambert, general manager of food and water at UL, which commissioned...
Clarisoy, the invisible protein developed by Burcon and commercialized by ADM, will be available in commercial quantities by the summer, ADM has revealed.
As the global food system has become more complex, food manufacturers are looking for ways to harmonize safety standards. Cargills Mike Robach, a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) board member, tells FoodNavigator-USA about what's driving the...
Kellogg’s $2.7bn deal to acquire Procter & Gamble’s Pringles will significantly boost its global snacks presence and open existing products up to new markets, according to analysts.
The 2011 cantaloupe-related Listeria outbreak has continued to effect food recalls across the US, with a 50% increase in the number of recalls in the fourth quarter of 2011 compared with Q3.
Integrated Marketing Group has entered a ‘new phase of expansion’ with the appointment of industry veteran Peggy Jackson as director of business development.
Kansas State University researchers have developed a new procedure to predict success of new flavored snack product launches, allowing success rates of about 70%.
Suggestions by the Salt Association and other industry associations that sodium reductions could hurt rather than improve health are “not supported by science”, the American Heart Association (AHA) has insisted.
About 75% of the sodium in our diets comes from processed foods. It’s a regularly cited figure – but what exactly is a ‘processed’ food? Consumers might be surprised.
The US Agency for International Development (USAID) will invest US$15m in a five year program, AMARTA II, in a bid to drive production of Indonesia’s high value commodities; cocoa, coffee and horticultural crops.
Shoppers increasingly are looking to the internet for better deals on foods and beverages, according to a new survey from the Integer group and M/A/R/C Research.
If consumers are not demanding lower-sodium products, and the government does not mandate reductions, the food industry has “no incentive to be at the forefront of change”, according to one legal expert.
Nine out of ten Americans eat too much sodium, and bread and rolls are the biggest problem, rather than salty snacks, according to the latest Vital Signs report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
How to tackle obesity and hunger remains a two-pronged challenge for the agri-food industry, but increasing crop yield is not the answer - instead the focus should be on boosting the nutritional value of crops, claims a sustainable food systems activist.
Walmart’s new front-of-pack label might have stricter nutrition criteria than many others currently in use, but how does it fit in with other logos in the grocery store?
Ashland Specialty Ingredients has introduced two new cellulose gum products to provide alternatives to guar gum, for which the food industry has seen tight supply and higher prices since late 2010.
Non-GMO Project Verified has become the fastest growing food eco-label in North America, as sales of certified products hit $1bn in 2011, according to findings unveiled at Organic Monitor’s Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco last month.
Cargill’s reuse of methane, water-saving strategies from ConAgra and Coca-Cola, and Campbell Soup’s energy efficiency measures are among sustainability success stories highlighted in a new report from the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA).
Walmart has unveiled its new on-shelf and front-of-pack logo to highlight healthy choices among its own-brand products, including fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables.
General Mills is the latest company to experiment with QR (quick response) codes and plans to add them to its cereal boxes, but one well-known technology commentator is sceptical about their benefits.
A Brazilian orange juice trade body has called for a stop to ‘double standard’ carbendazim measures after US officials declined to take action against US-manufactured orange juice containing the banned fungicide.
Hispanic influence on overall American eating habits is growing – and marketers should pay attention to US Hispanics’ dining traditions to stay ahead of the curve, according to market research organization The NPD Group.
From nature to the laboratory to supermarket shelves, FoodNavigator-USA takes a journey behind the scenes of flavor development. IFF flavorist Rich Dandrea tells us about his 20-year career in the industry.
Most people consider fresh fruit and raw vegetables healthy snack choices, according to a recent survey from market research organization Mintel, but a surprising number think cookies and ice cream are also healthy snacks.
While traders “jumping in and out of the stevia marketplace” are disrupting prices and standards by peddling some “awful” extracts, high-quality stevia suppliers in it for the long-haul will ultimately prosper, according to one leading player.
The Institute of Food Technologists (IFT) has submitted comments to government agencies suggesting that actions to reduce sodium should not go “too far, too fast”, and has raised concerns about consumer acceptance and the safety of reduced sodium foods.
While single-cup coffee made using pods is still a popular choice among devotees of the drink in the developed world, recent Mintel research suggests that cost may be a barrier to further uptake of the technology.
Reducing sodium is expensive and difficult, and many bakers are beginning to wonder whether it is worth investing millions into reformulating products that consumers do not want to buy, according to the Association of Bakers (ABA).
January has proved a challenging month for the food industry, which waited anxiously for more details about the Food Safety Modernization Act, grappled with an unauthorized fungicide in orange juice and unveiled plans to slash thousands of jobs to remain...
