The $321 bn US packaged food market’s appetite for digital is growing, yet just a handful of brands are truly differentiating themselves when it comes to their digital presence, says a new study from digital business intelligence firm L2 ThinkTank.
PepsiCo gobbled up more global interest last year, fueled by three ‘star’ brands – Lay’s, Doritos and Cheetos, according to Kantar Worldpanel's Brand Footprint report.
Guest article: Steven Hoffman, managing director, Compass Natural
Pointing out problems and flaws in organic farming and certification is constructive in that they need to be addressed. But using the imperfections of the organic production system to defend why GMOs are a preferred way to produce food - as Mischa Popoff...
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.
If biotech’s big guns want to seize the initiative in the GMO debate, they should ditch their defensive strategy (telling consumers why they don’t need GMO labels) and go on the offensive, launching a positive campaign about the merits of GM crops, according...
The majority of the leading US supplement companies are working on using non-GMO ingredients in their formulations, said Cal Bewicke, CEO of Ethical Naturals Inc (ENI), as the company launches non-GMO vitamin C.
Rising levels of carbon dioxide will mean that some grains and legumes will become significantly less nutritious than they are today, according to new international research.
As anti-GMO activists celebrated their first major victory in Vermont this week with the passage of GMO labeling bill H112, the GMA said it would mount a legal challenge within weeks. But while big food companies may well win the courtroom battle ahead,...
New research from Purdue University scientists has revealed the dye content of scores of packaged food products, some of which contain more than the 35 mg per serving that has been shown in certain trials to affect behavior among a small percentage of...
While some analysts still need convincing that the much-anticipated Keurig Cold at-home carbonation system will revolutionize the soft drinks market, Keurig Green Mountain CEO Brian Kelley says he has no doubt it will prove to be “disruptive” technology.
Now the world's largest exporter of nonfat dry milk (NDM) and skim milk powder (SMP), it is fair to say the US has discovered "the power of exports," says DairyReporter.com's US commodities expert John Geuss.
Ahead of the June 4 vote on whether New York City delis and restaurants should be allowed to serve large sugary beverages, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Lisa Young, RD, PhD of New York University on the importance of more radical approaches to curbing...
For a growing global population facing dwindling resources, non-GMO plant-based proteins are the future, says 29-year-old non-GMO and organic soybean and corn supplier World Food Processing (WFP).
84% of US consumers buy organic food sometimes, and 45% of them buy it at least once a month, according to a new national survey of 1,016 adults. However, there is a disparity between what they think the organic seal means and what they think it should...
Get the latest insights and highlights from the Vitafoods 2014 show right from your web browser with our live video feed from the show. Tune in to watch key interviews with vitafoods attendees as they happen, plus our own Livetafoods Live! debates.
While the National Coffee Association says 83% of American adults now drink coffee (up from 78% in 2012), 18-24 year-olds are not consuming as much of it as many people think, according to Packaged Facts.
They’re addicted to their smartphones, big fans of social networking sites, and more likely than their parents to buy store brands. But what else do we know about Millennials - the 100 million Americans born between 1980 and 2000?
It’s becoming harder to avoid the looming UN statistic that the world population will reach 9.6 billion by 2050, and harder still to evade the question: How will we feed them all in an environment of dwindling resources?
Two amicus (friend of the court) legal briefs have been filed in support of New York City’s proposed cap on sugary drink portions, saying the rule is a sensible step toward stemming the tide of obesity, diabetes and other diet-related chronic illnesses.
Food companies need to develop online personalities to successfully connect with savvy consumers who expect a human connection, according to nutritionist and social media guru Jenny Westerkamp.
If the size of the US gluten-free market is hard to pin down as everyone measures it differently, few doubt that its double-digit growth seems set to continue - at least for the next 2-3 years - according to experts at the FoodNavigator-USA Gluten Free...
Interview with Dan Belliveau, creator of coffee flour and co-founder of CF Global
A longtime executive at the likes of Starbucks, Frito-Lay and General Motors used his experience in improving supply chain efficiency to create a groundbreaking food ingredient traditionally left to rot as a byproduct of the roughly 17 billion pounds...
Want to learn more about the gluten-free market? Click HERE to tune into FoodNavigator’s online forum to learn about celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, the size of the gluten-free prize, who buys gluten-free products, and why.
Understanding consumer expectations and respecting these, combined with a boldness to draw inspiration from new areas is the perfect mix for successful innovation, say experts.
Amid a spate of direct-to-consumer subscription snack launches, the founders of NatureBox say the power of their model lies in keeping all products under the NatureBox brand and the company’s use of data to create the ultimate customer service experience.
Zenith International chairman Richard Hall has expressed skepticism over RTD coffee’s credentials as the ‘next big thing’, despite impressive growth since 2003.
Just over three months after launching in the US market, grocery coupon app Checkout 51 has attracted an eye-boggling 1.4 million users, and expects to attract tens of millions more. Why? Because it’s really easy to use, says co-founder Noah Godfrey.
Fear is a major roadblock to many food companies getting it right when it comes to social media, according to business mentor and entrepreneur Mike Greene.
Earlier this month, a California Senate committee approved a bill to mandate warning labels on sugary beverages. As SB 1000 awaits votes in the Senate Committee on Appropriations later this month before a full Senate floor vote, the question of public...
Dollar sales of diet soda plunged 9.5% in the four weeks to April 12, while sales of regular soda fared hardly any better (- 2.4%), as Americans sought out other options from energy drinks (+8.9%) to sparkling water (+24.5%), according to the latest Nielsen...
More than four out of every 10 dollars spent on ground coffee in the US is now spent on single-serve pods such as K-Cups, according to the latest Nielsen data.
Exclusive interview: Pat Crowley, director and founder of Chapul
As one of the forerunners of the commercialization of edible insects in the US, Chapul, makes its first big push into the national market with its cricket protein bars, founder Pat Crowley caught up with FoodNavigator-USA on the enviable efficiency of...
Hillshire Brands has struck a $165m deal to buy frozen breakfast and snack foods maker Van's Natural Foods from private equity firm Catterton Partners.
Is there a smarter way to deal with food waste? One firm convinced the answer is ‘yes’ is WISErg - a start-up founded by two former Microsoft execs that have just convinced Whole Foods Market to give their patent-pending technology a test-drive at its...
Consumers have spent years paying over the odds for organic foods based on the erroneous belief - promulgated by stakeholders with a vested interest - that they are healthier and safer than their conventional counterparts, claims a controversial new report.
The Food Vision event in Cannes brought together global food and drink industry leaders to tackle some of the biggest issues and key topics directly affecting the future of the industry and the profitability of businesseses. FoodNavigator and the Food...
The good news? Two-thirds of primary household shoppers who own smartphones have used their mobile devices on a shopping trip. The bad news? Most of them were not bowled over by the experience.
In conversation with Goya VP Bob Unanue on the $250 mn US expansion
Historically a mainstay brand in ethnic grocery stores and the international aisle of supermarkets, Goya has grown into much more than an ingredient company—with a portfolio of more than 2,000 SKUs ranging from beans and olive oil to coconut milk and...
An analysis of breakfast orders placed with 28,800 restaurants in 600+ US cities between 6-11am local time over the past 12 months reveals sharp differences between men and women, according to GrubHub, the nation’s leading online and mobile food-ordering...
It’s hard to find an American pantry that doesn’t contain peanut butter, chocolate hazelnut spread or some variation therein. But there’s still room for growth in the $3.9 billion nut-based and sweet spread category, according to a report from Mintel.
Can food be too convenient? Just ask General Mills, which saw sales of its Betty Crocker instant bakery mixes skyrocket in the 1950s as soon as it asked users to add an egg, which made housewives feel more invested in the process. But what can we learn...
There are just two weeks to go until FoodNavigator’s live (and hopefully very lively) online debate on one of the hottest trends in food development: gluten-free.
If you want to see what success looks like in US grocery retailing, look no further than Trader Joe’s. Its unique combination of affordable prices, innovative private label items and gourmet, organic, and natural foods have helped drive sales per square...
BUT BONNIE HERZOG SAYS PEPSICO COULD BE ON RECOVERY ROAD
US beverage analyst Bonnie Herzog says she is ‘increasingly concerned’ about The Coca-Cola Company’s ability to reach its 2020 vision due to a US soda slowdown and global instability.
Peruviuan cuisine is a hot culinary trend and a “powerful funnel for bringing resurgent South American cuisine into the US food retail and foodservice market”, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
Walmart has signaled its intention to get into organic food in a big way this week with plans to carry 100 Wild Oats organic products at a “new, more affordable price point” in 2,000 stores.
Few short answers exist in the world of complex consumer food litigation. Arthur Miller, PhD, principal scientist and engineering and scientific consulting firm Exponent Inc., summed up three key industry trends that have contributed (and likely will...
