Baby Boomers, who have driven the growth of the natural products and dietary supplements space in recent decades aren’t done yet. A recent report from the Natural Marketing Institute says the impending retirement of millions of boomers will present a...
Attending a series of sessions on sugar reduction during the Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) 2014 Wellness conference, a few common themes kept resurfacing: that obesity remains a big problem, and that—like it or not—the sugar industry is assuming...
Top brands and new product launches are reaching increasingly segmented consumer groups through targeted, measured innovation, according to market research firm IRI Inc., which released its “New Product Pacesetters” and “Growth Leaders in CPGs” survey...
Diet soda sales remain in a funk according to the latest Nielsen data, with dollar sales in the four weeks to March 15 plunging 7.3%. Regular soda fared somewhat better (+ 0.6%), while energy drinks (+8.3%) and sparkling water (+26.2%) continued to steam...
Pistachios – most associated with snacking in the consumer’s mind – could be finding their way into many a food product as an ingredient over the next few years, says the executive director of the American Pistachio Growers, as production is set to double...
Snack firms should brace for a transition year shaped by new competition but brimming with opportunities in digital brand building and expansion, says a leading sector analyst.
Sometimes it’s hard to think inventively about the ingredient that comprises half the ubiquitous peanut butter and jelly sandwich or is passed to us in small pouches on most airplane rides. But from flours and spreads to use as a legume, the potential...
At the 2014 Research Chefs Association Conference & Culinology Expo, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with chef Michael Holleman, director of culinary development at artisan grain and legume supplier InHarvest, for a podcast Q&A on trends in pulses,...
Sales of Blue Diamond Grower’s retail products - from Almond Breeze to Almond Nut Thins - have surged dramatically over the past five years and now account for nearly $500m in annual revenues, says its CEO.
While die-hard opponents of GM crops probably won’t undergo a damascene conversion after checking out the latest updates on ag-biotech-funded website GMO Answers, they are not the target audience, say its backers.
Confectioners should focus on the hard-core candy consumers that make up the bulk of sales, according to the National Confectioners’ Association (NCA) and DunnhumbyUSA.
If you asked most people where nuts belonged on a food pyramid 20 years ago, they would probably say in the candy (eat occasionally) section. Today nuts are widely regarded as nutritional dynamite, which could explain why 60% of nut-related snack launches...
The manufacturer of a ready-to-drink coffee beverage line looks to snag some market share from category-leading Starbucks with a cold brewed line that’s more about the flavor of coffee than masking it with milk and sweeteners.
A consumer’s definition of ‘snack’ is broadening to encompass beverages and foodservice items, and snacking at least twice a day is up, according to new research from foodservice research and consulting firm Technomic.
FoodNavigator-USA correspondent Maggie Hennessy headed to the great food city of Portland, OR, last week for the Research Chefs Association's 2014 Conference & Culinology Expo. Here's a snapshot of who she saw, what she learned and what...
If it’s in the natural channel today, it could be in food, drug and mass merchandise stores tomorrow, so food and beverage trend-spotters were out in force at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim on March 6-9.
Production of omega-9 canola oils from Dow AgroSciences' patented Nexera seeds has surged 250% since 2011 as food manufacturers continue to seek healthier alternatives to oils high in trans- and saturated fatty acids, says Dow.
If big food brands start to lose the GMO argument at the checkout and in the court of public opinion, they will feel compelled to respond, whether they are in favor of GM crops or not, predicted trend-watchers at Expo West.
Snack makers survived a difficult 2013 with increased competition forming a much larger battleground that included quick-serve, online and even airlines, says a leading sector analyst.
Revoking the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in a bid to crack down on artificial trans fats is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, says the American Bakers Association (ABA), which has urged the FDA to consider four alternative...
Network marketing giant Herbalife has confirmed that is the subject of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Trading in shares of the company were briefly halted on the New York Stock Exchange after the price plunged 12% in the minutes after...
Markets, whether for dietary supplements, functional foods or other consumer products, are divided between “market makers” and “market followers.” You don’t want to be in the latter group if you can help it, said market research expert Peter Leighton.
Butter might be winning the PR war in the spreads category owing to its all-natural credentials and short ingredients list; but from a nutritional standpoint, the healthier choice is margarine, says the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers...
On day three of Natural Products Expo West, the FoodNavigator-USA team checked out education sessions on connecting with shoppers, natural claims, non-GMO Project certification, and consumer trends.
The natural products market continues to grow and achieve scale, reaching $150 billion last year and projected to hit $226 billion by 2018—with 68% of that coming from food and beverage products, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.
On day two of Natural Products Expo West, the FoodNavigator-USA team trawled the show floor and found a proliferation of protein, popcorn, quinoa, chia, gluten-free and non-GMO claims. But there was also some innovative stuff happening in the frozen meal...
Dispatches from NCA State of the Industry Conference in Miami
Impulse-reliant confectioners should be wary of emerging technology that could spell the end for in-store checkouts as we know them, says a retail expert.
Global per capita food supply has increased over the past 50 years – but it has become more similar among countries, increasing reliance worldwide on a narrow range of commodities.
It’s 70 degrees, and there are a lot of free snacks, so the FoodNavigator-USA team did the decent thing and headed to Anaheim to bring you the highlights from the nation’s biggest natural products show: Natural Products Expo West…
Moving enzyme production largely into factories using genetically modification has resulted in better functioning enzymes, yet the bakery industry has been a poor communicator on both the ubiquity and benefits of GM enzymes, said one baking enzyme expert.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has advised halving sugar intake advice from 10% of total calories to 5% of total calories in a new dietary guideline proposal.
The word ‘game-changer’ is used so liberally these days that Cargill has not given in to the temptation to employ it here. But ViaTech - its new range of stevia-based sweeteners - opens up completely new territory for food and beverage formulators, enabling...
Activist group GMO Inside has turned its attention towards Starbucks in the latest phase of its campaign to persuade big brands to move away from GMOs.
While manufacturers faced renewed pressure to clean up labels following recent media attacks on the dough conditioner azodicarbonamide and artificial preservatives, far less attention has been paid to what these ingredients are actually being replaced...
Interview with Bobo's Oat Bars founder Beryl Stafford
Ten years after Bobo’s Oat Bars first hit natural food store and coffee shop shelves in Boulder, CO, the now profitable cereal bar manufacturer is capitalizing on the parallel growth in popularity of the gluten-free and grab-and-go segments to target...
Governments, NGOs and consumers are driving change in the bakery sector, but how can industry keep up? What’s the next direction for healthy bakery? And will this future need to be regulated?
Dispatches from Snaxpo 2014: Frito-Lay marketing executive insight, part I
Mass marketing no longer resonates with today's consumer and it must be replaced by one-on-one marketing with dedicated focus on pre-shop behavior, says Frito-Lay’s senior vice president and chief marketing officer.
By Winnie Byanyima, executive director, Oxfam International
Food and drink companies can have a big influence over sustainability and ethical issues in their supply chains - and have the power to change them rapidly. One year on from Oxfam's first Behind the Brands sustainability scorecard, nine of the ten...
While the consumer price index (all food) rose a modest 1.4% in 2013, it is likely to rise 2.5-3.5% in 2014, predict USDA economists, who believe food price inflation will “return to a range closer to the historical norm”.
The foodservice sector could generate explosive growth for gluten-free products, although it’s hard to predict exactly when talk will translate into action, according to the firm behind leading gluten-free brands Udi’s and Glutino.
While the debate about deforestation due to palm oil rumbles on, new research has suggested that the release of methane from palm oil processing wastewater may also be a significant concern.
As Americans continue to trade traditional meals for smaller eating occasions throughout the day, the $7 billion market for US crackers (as of 2013) is benefiting from this shift in eating habits, especially those touting healthy ingredients in their...
Gluten-free bakery still offers plenty of opportunity in Europe, but beer, pizza and prepared meals are the most untapped segment of the cereal-containing products, according to a Mintel analyst.
Are consumers who say they’re avoiding gluten really just avoiding wheat? Can we trust survey data about the number of people following ‘gluten-free diets’? Are market researchers' (wildly differing) estimates about the size of the gluten-free market...
On Thursday the Obama administration unveiled the changes that the Food and Drug Administration drafted to the nutrition facts panel (see what the FDA is proposing here). In anticipation of the announcement, the Center for Science in the Public Interest...
Launching a new brand in the ultra-competitive US carbonated soft drinks market - which is facing well-documented problems right now - is notoriously tough, but the Dutch entrepreneur behind new market entrant Veri Soda is convinced he has found the sweet...
