Weighing unpredictable inflationary prices, a prioritization of wellbeing along with an enduring pandemic, consumers are self-editing their grocery baskets and carts by asking themselves one fundamental question -- "Do I need this?" -- when...
New Culture – one of a cluster of startups in the emerging ‘animal-free’ dairy space genetically engineering microbes to produce dairy milk proteins, without cows – has raised $25m in an oversubscribed series A round led by Ahren Innovation Capital and...
Membership-only natural and organic online marketplace Thrive Market now generates a quarter of its sales from 700+ private label products spanning everything from super fine almond flour to grass-fed beef. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Jenna Engleman,...
Brightseed – a San Francisco-based firm using artificial intelligence (AI) to probe the ‘dark matter of nutrition’ – has teamed up with Ocean Spray to analyze the phytochemical structure of cranberries at a granular level, and has already identified compounds...
While scientists are still unlocking the secrets of the microbiome, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the billions of bugs in our bodies are intimately connected to our health and wellbeing. But how far have we come since Jamie Lee Curtis first introduced...
From Olipop, Poppi and Mayawell to Health-Ade Pop, Live Soda and Revive, a new category is beginning to emerge in the soda aisle promising fun and functionality, says beverage industry veteran Tom First, who is throwing his hat into the ring again with...
Prebiotics, defined by ISAPP* as “a substrate that is selectively utilized by host microorganisms conferring a health benefit,” are finally starting to gain traction in food & beverage as more brands from Chobani and Luna to Olipop and Rebbl explicitly...
Spero – which is carving out a niche in the plant-based dairy and egg space by using seeds as a base rather than nuts and legumes – has moved into a new 31,000sq ft production facility in the East Bay and is already scouting for a 100,000sq ft facility...
Currently dominated by the duopoly of Kraft and Annie's, the macaroni and cheese category is in need for disruption, say the founders of GOODLES, a new 'adultified', better-for-you mac and cheese brand that gives adults the permission to...
Full year 2021 revenues at Oatly will likely exceed $635m, up 51% vs 2020, but well under the $690m+ the Malmö-based oatmilk maker was projecting over the summer, thanks to slower-than-expected production in the US, inflationary pressures, and ongoing...
Parents are constantly looking for snacks that meet both the nutritional needs, and oftentimes, the picky palates of their child. Brands that can effectively meet both these fundamental demands are best positioned to win in the competitive landscape of...
Despite the surge in hunger, sluggish supply chains and transportation woes that have drastically delayed food production, delivery and availability since the coronavirus outbreak more than 20 months ago, cross-disciplinary experts at the global design...
When it comes to proteins, says Christian Koolloos, chief business development officer at Dutch startup The Protein Brewery, boring is good. In fact, the blander the better: “Fermotein [his firm’s fermented fungi protein] is extremely boring in its profile...
As expected, the Biden Administration has nominated Dr Robert Califf, MD, as the new FDA Commissioner. Dr Califf previously served in the role during the Obama Administration.
Michroma – a startup building a production platform for natural food colors from fungi – has advanced to pilot-scale production of a heat-stable vibrant red colorant it claims can give synthetic dyes a serious run for their money when it comes to performance...
Dream Pops will be expanding outside of frozen desserts and novelties and entering the shelf-stable confectionery category with a line of plant-based products to compete with the likes of Hershey, Mars, and Ferrero, says founder and CEO David Greenfeld....
With the COP26 meeting in Glasgow due to end Friday 12 November, Fairtrade has announced is has launched a new climate-focused partnership with Grow Ahead, a leading crowd-funding platform addressing the local challenges of climate change.
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) has fired the latest salvo in the battle over the labeling of plant-based products in its second lawsuit* challenging Oklahoma’s Meat Consumer Protection Act, which it claims “provides no benefit to consumers,...
Beyond Meat CEO Ethan Brown urged analysts to “differentiate between short term variability on the one hand, and ongoing strong progress toward a long term vision of becoming tomorrow's global protein company on the other,” during the plant-based...
Bobo’s is embarking on a major capacity expansion to meet demand for its baked oat bars, bites, and toaster pastries, with a new ‘mega-bakery’ facility set to open in summer 2022 in Loveland, Colorado, that will consolidate manufacturing and warehousing...
Consumers' pursuit of comforting foods with a slight twist in flavor, ingredients, and nutritional benefits will drive the majority growth of the $170.4bn specialty food industry in 2022, according to the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Trendspotter...
In its Q3 earnings call yesterday, TreeHouse Foods’ CEO observed that, “as certain federal stimulus programs expire, we are seeing signs of private label recovery.” So will store brands regain some share they lost during the pandemic, and how are retailers...
'Animal-free’ protein startup The EVERY Company - has teamed up with cold-pressed juice brand Pressed to road test its highly soluble, "nearly invisible" egg protein EVERY ClearEgg, its second product produced via precision fermentation...
Parents and caregivers crave information about how best to feed their children, and while they have a lot of resources available via the Internet, health care providers, peer groups and brand marketing – they aren’t always sure what to trust or where...
“A lot of cricket protein products seem to be bars and powders targeted at 18-35 year old males that are into mountain biking,” observes Shelby Smith, founder of Iowa-based edible insect startup Gym-N-Eat Crickets. “But in my experience, having interacted...
Edible insects were always going to be a slow burn in the alternative protein market in Europe and North America, given the ‘ick’ factor and the lack of infrastructure to farm and process them at scale, says Israeli firm Hargol FoodTech. But while the...
GoodPop Frozen Pops is targeting a growing consumer segment frequenting the frozen novelties aisle in search for products that can serve as a permissably indulgent snack or treat.
For now, the Kellogg Co. believes it can still hit its full year profit targets – but executives warn it may be a close call as an ongoing strike at US cereal facilities drags on, compounding already challenging supply-chain and inflationary challenges...
Brazilian plant-based meat brand Future Farm (Fazenda Futuro) has raised $58m in a Series C round led by BTG Pactual and supported by Rage Capital, bringing its cumulative funding to $89m as it builds its presence in international markets.
Protein snacks company IWON Organics recently closed a $1m financing round from friends and family, helping to fuel the brand's evolution into becoming an organic legume-based foods company with products that span across salty snacks, cereal, and...
Six weeks after the publication of an article arguing that cell-cultured meat faces “intractable technical challenges at food scale,” industry pioneer UPSIDE Foods has opened what it claims is the “most advanced cultivated meat production facility in...
On a long-term mission to become the world's leading food solutions group, HelloFresh continues to register strong year-over-year growth in revenue and in key performance metrics including order rates, and active customer acquisition.
While the CPG industry continues to steadily add jobs, the rate at which companies are onboarding new employees still falls woefully short of what is needed to keep pace with quickly rising consumer demand – prompting industry leaders to reevaluate the...
The CPG industry is facing a potential $3bn loss as temporary pandemic-related stimulus earmarked for groceries was phased out last month – despite the launch of a simultaneous permanent increase in monthly benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance...
The Coca-Cola Co. appears to be making a run for the pole position in the fast-growing sports performance and hydration category with the $5.6bn acquisition of the remaining stake of BodyArmor announced yesterday – but is the deal enough to topple PepsiCo’s...
Fresh Bellies has pivoted away from its original line of HPP fresh baby food and refocused its resources and efforts on the kids snacking category, a decision CEO and founder Saskia Sorrosa says has put the brand on the map in a big way.
Given the food system currently contributes a third of greenhouse gas emissions and is a driving cause of soil and species loss, adopting ‘sustainable’ practices is no longer enough to save the planet’s health or ensure sufficient nutritious food for...
Aspire Food Group - which is on a mission to automate and professionalize edible insect farming – aims to start production at a CAD $90m 100,000sqft automated cricket processing facility near London, Ontario, in Q1/Q2 of next year that will produce 10,000...
Plant-based online retailer Vejii Holdings has received conditional approval for public listing on the Canadian Stock Exchange (CSE) under the symbol “VEJI” once a commencement date of trading is confirmed.
Swedish keto-friendly brand Nick’s – which entered the US in late 2019 with low carb light ice cream pints and has since expanded into ice cream sandwiches and keto snack bars – has raised $100m in a Series C round led by Kinnevik, Ambrosia Investments...
Best known for its lightly-coated chocolate-covered almonds and other nuts, SkinnyDipped has evolved into a platform brand expanding into high-growth adjacent categories, said CEO Breezy Griffith.
When Layn Corp subsidiary HempRise first announced plans to invest a cool $80m into a state-of-the-art hemp processing facility in Jeffersonville Indiana a couple of years ago, the expectation was that by the time it opened, we’d have clarity on the regulatory...
Chicago-based startup Aqua Cultured Foods – which is carving out new territory in the seafood alternatives space with a Non-GMO fermentation-based production platform capable of delivering high-protein ‘whole cuts’ of fungi-based seafood - has closed...
Shiru - an Emeryville, CA-based startup producing proteins via microbial fermentation to create label-friendly alternatives to everything from methylcellulose to gelatin and casein - has closed a $17m Series A round* led by S2G Ventures that will help...
Consumers have evolved their definition of what qualifies as a snack and are increasingly seeking out permissibly indulgent options, which has given rise to a new type of snacking behavior in the frozen set, Mintel consumer insights research suggests....
Losing your sense of smell and taste - a common side effect of COVID-19 – is pretty unsettling for anyone, but if your job is chief global flavorist at one of the world’s leading ingredients companies, you could be forgiven for experiencing some existential...
With an eye towards identifying technologies and innovations that “exemplify the new food economy” by offering scalable solutions that increase nutrition with minimal environmental impact, FoodBytes! by Rabobank has winnowed down from 45 global startups...
Above Food, a vertically-integrated plant-based foods company, has entered into an agreement to acquire Atlantic Natural Foods and its portfolio of shelf-stable, plant-based food brands Loma Linda, TUNO, and Neat for an estimated $30m.
