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...
It has been another busy month for industry appointments, including a shuffle in the top jobs at Campbell's and Sara Lee. FoodNavigator-USA presents this latest photo gallery round-up of the big moves at major food manufacturing and ingredients companies.
Coupon use continued to increase in 2011 as money-saving habits adopted during the recession have become a way of life for many Americans, according to media and marketing services company Valassis.
Goya Foods has joined Michelle Obama to provide Spanish language, Hispanic-flavored nutrition resources centered on the MyPlate icon, or MiPlato, as part of the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative.
"At least 12 major players in the food industry" are testing canola protein from BioExx, while a tie up with Century Foods to develop canola-protein-based sports products is also progressing well, claims the veggie protein specialist.
PepsiCo now has 22 brands with at least $1bn of sales each year, including 14 billion-dollar beverage brands, with Diet Mountain Dew, Brisk and Starbucks RTD the most recent additions, the company has said.
Economic uncertainty is changing the way America eats, creating a series of “virtually untapped” opportunities for food marketers, according to a new report.
Natural extracts manufacturer Naturex has introduced a new range of fruit and vegetable-derived colors in the United States, as part of its NAT color range.
Pepsico says that the dairy sector is a ‘key component’ in its global growth strategy, and has the potential to post growth more than double that of bakery and chilled processed foods combined.
Global sugar prices could rise following a shortage in Mexican production unless the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) allows additional imports, according to the Jenkins Sugar Group.
So, the US imports quite a lot of orange juice from Brazil. The fact that so many are surprised by that underlines (again) how poorly we understand our food supply.
Today’s complex and interdependent food supply chain makes food safety a shared responsibility more than ever before, according to vice president of food safety at Walmart Frank Yiannas.
Food marketers have an opportunity to help consumers seeking healthy foods by providing easy-to-understand nutrition information on-pack, according to a new report from Nielsen.
Processed foods are likely to get a health kick this year, with more whole grains, lean poultry and seafood, vegetables, and mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
More than two-thirds of consumers avoid buying products if they dislike the parent company, according to the results of a new survey from Weber Shandwick and KRC Research.
Almond milk was the fastest growing non-dairy milk alternative in 2011 in sales and popularity, as consumer awareness of plant-based milk health benefits has grown, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
Industry-backed ad watchdog the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (NAD) has taken issue with Gerber over its use of the terms ‘natural’ and ‘immune support’ on products for toddlers.
PepsiCo is returning to using only Florida oranges in its Tropicana Pure Premium orange juice, saying that its decision was based on more people becoming interested in where their food comes from, rather than recent concerns over fungicide traces.
International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) has set up a scientific advisory board, with the aim of broadening its scientific knowledge and accelerating innovation at the firm.
The number of obese adults in the United States declined slightly in 2011, according to a new Gallup poll, from 26.6% of the population in 2010 to 26.1%.
African Mango, probiotics, chia, fermented drinks, organic supplements and cognitive health will be top of the health food pops this year, according to TrendWatch 2012, a new report from natural products specialist SPINS.
Food manufacturers have nothing to gain and everything to lose from moves to expand the number of top-level domain (TLD) names allowed on the internet, according to one legal expert.
Private label, or store brand, products continued to do well even as the economy began to recover, as retailers increasingly use private labels to differentiate themselves from the competition, according to a new report from the USDA’s Economic Research...
The price of orange juice futures hit a 34-year high, after news that US food safety authorities would block imports of the fruit containing even low-levels of carbendazim – a fungicide commonly used in Brazil.
The global food preservative market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5% in the next five years, according to a new report from Markets and Markets.
The US Juice Products Association (JPA) has moved to allay consumer concerns that orange juice produced in the country is unsafe, after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it was blocking some Brazilian imports found to contain the substance.
The US weight loss products industry is expected to grow 4.5% in 2012 to $65bn, as an increasingly overweight population looks to shift some of the extra pounds gained through recession comfort eating, according to market research organization Marketdata...
Novel flavor combinations from blueberry with cardamom and corn masa to grapefruit with red pepper could tantalize our taste buds in 2012 according to a new report from seasonings giant McCormick.
BioExx has received a no objections letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to its GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) notification for canola proteins Isolexx and Vitalexx.
Forget goji berries and noni juice. Tart cherries, blueberries and other more familiar fruits are likely to trump their exotic cousins in 2012 as shoppers tire of Orac-tastic superfruits, according to trend watcher Hartman Group.
