From Reishi to Lion’s Mane, medicinal mushrooms are gaining traction in foods, beverages and supplements, buoyed by interest in ingredients that may support immunity, mood and cognition. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with California-based organic mushroom...
Shiru – a California-based startup producing proteins via microbial fermentation – has teamed up with bakery ingredients specialist Puratos to develop the next-generation of egg replacers.
Kalsec - a global producer of spice and herb extracts – has just teamed up with Infinome Biosciences to develop multiple ingredients via precision fermentation. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Kalsec EVP of global R&D and chief innovation officer...
Every day Americans drink an estimated 517 million cups of coffee, according to the most recent consumer research from the National Coffee Association, which found that while nearly one in five savor a classic black cup with no adornments, the percentage...
After dominating the UK CBD space with help from a highly engaged online fanbase, CBD beverage, oil and gummy brand Trip is hoping to cement a similar position in the US – but this time with the additional aid of $12m in funding from prominent entrepreneurs...
Despite an ongoing recall of Jif peanut butter, JM Smucker eked out better than expected net sales thanks to the success of its popular coffee brands, including Café Bustelo, Folgers and Dunkin, and its Uncrustables brand – all of which faced their own...
While inflation has impacted the entire food and beverage industry, recent data from Euromonitor shows that in certain categories the price of lower-priced items has increased exponentially compared to more modest price increases on higher-priced premium...
A new multi-million initiative by the US Department of Agriculture aims to reverse a downward trend in the number of farms transitioning to organic – a process that can put producers on their back foot financially as yields often drop during the three-year...
While sales of refrigerated plant-based meat may be slowing, shares of some plant-based milk brands are slipping and consumer response to a handful of new products are tepid at best, industry leaders argue the party is far from over for the overall plant-based...
By focusing on organic farming practices and grazing, the family dairies that contribute to Organic Valley have significantly lower carbon footprints than those that follow conventional practices – bringing the brand closer to its goal of being carbon...
A new study – published a month after the World Health Organization (WHO) sounded a cautionary note about the long-term effects of zero-calorie sweeteners such as sucralose and saccharin – suggests some diet sweeteners are not inert and can alter the...
Target has cut its inventory levels by 20% in the last two months in a conscious effort to streamline its business and set the company up for improved long-term growth, shared chairman and CEO Brian Cornell.
Farmers markets are more than a popular summer destination for Americans who want to learn where their food comes from – they also play a key role in Federal nutrition programs and the government’s plan to transform the food system to better support small...
Heightened US-China tensions have caused planners in all industrial sectors to reevaluate their sourcing arrangements. Stakeholders in the dietary supplement industry say having firm relationships with well-vetted suppliers is the best way to manage...
Still a niche segment within the plant-based food category, plant-based yogurt is poised to become a much larger piece of the chilled dairy set as consumers find products that can closely mimic the taste and mouthfeel of its conventional dairy counterparts,...
The acute health threat of COVID-19 may be ebbing for most Americans, but the desire it instilled in many to bolster their physical and mental wellbeing continues to push consumers to seek food as medicine, according to industry insiders.
So-called ‘ultra-processed foods,’ which include a significant portion of CPGs, are often demonized as calorie-dense, nutrient-poor and a major contributor to diet-related chronic diseases, but is this characterization an oversimplification that is just...
Food elasticities are finally ticking up as middle- and upper-income consumers whose spending so far has remained resilient in the face of rising inflation begin to feel pinched – prompting them to shift to more affordable retailers, including Walmart.
Extreme weather events from heat waves and droughts to ‘hundred-year storms’ happening every two years, the impact of climate change is obvious. And few industries are witnessing the impact as much as botanical supply chain.
At a time when pushback against sugar is spurring large CPG players to exit the ready-to-drink smoothie and juice market by off-loading well-known brands, two best friends see an opening for a new line of produce-packed beverages positioned as having...
A row is brewing in the multimillion-dollar natural preservatives arena as Kerry Group and Florida Food Products square off in the courts over label-friendly alternatives to synthetic nitrites for use in cured meats, with Kerry accusing FFP of infringing...
As Americans continue to adjust to post-pandemic life and mounting economic uncertainty, consumer research from Mintel shows that many believe there is no going ‘back to normal’ and as such are changing the way they think about, budget and shop for, and...
Notoriously thin operating margins in the food supply chain will likely keep manufacturers and retailers from incrementally lowering prices even as input costs begin to come down – preferring instead to wait until the economic landscape stabilizes and...
Microbes can produce a host of ingredients traditionally made by plants or animals more sustainably and efficiently. But if you want to make complex plant-based ingredients such as coffee or cocoa, single-celled microorganisms such as yeast and bacteria...
In another sign that inflation may be peaking, wholesale prices fell month-over-month for the first time in July since April 2020, but commodities remain significantly higher than last year, suggesting it may be well into next year before food manufacturers...
ADM will soon begin processing ultra-high protein (UHP) soybeans from farm tech company Benson Hill with the first commercialized products expected to hit the market in early 2023.
As consumers become more familiar with plant-based alternatives to animal products they are becoming more sophisticated in how they evaluate their options and less willing to compromise on nutrition, taste, texture and variety – pushing industry to find...
While overall inflation in the US cooled slightly in July, giving hope to some economists that financial pressures may be peaking, food prices continue to climb at their fastest rate in more than 40 years – suggesting the economic recovery still has a...
What’s more sustainable? Using acres of land, water and energy to grow plants that produce minuscule quantities of natural sweeteners; or making them via a fermentation process using a microbe that’s been engineered to produce exactly the same molecules?
While sports drinks are often loaded with sugar and can pack a hefty caloric punch, convincing people to replace them with water or unsweetened options may be more difficult than persuading them to ditch other sugar-sweetened beverages, including soda,...
Fresh off closing a $3.9m seed funding round* led by Unovis Asset Management, Paragon Pure is debuting its OléPBM alternative fat technology made from rice bran oil, which it claims outperforms palm and coconut oils in plant-based meat products.
Higher grocery prices across categories are starting to take a toll on consumers as they pull back on premium cuts of meat, overall animal protein volume and seek less expensive, value options, Tyson Food executives reported during the company’s third...
Well represented in key at-home eating categories of sauces (Rao's Homemade), yogurt (Noosa Yoghurt), and frozen entrees (Michael Angelo's and Rao's), Sovos Brands highlighted the performance of the company's largest brand Rao's...
Sustainability “is probably on slide two or three of every customer presentation now,” notes Ingredion, but how can consumers cut through the PR noise to make meaningful comparisons between brands? Checkout our final gallery of trends at IFT FIRST exploring...
Boston-based food tech firm Motif FoodWorks has promoted its CTO Dr Michael Leonard to the role of CEO, effective immediately, as current CEO Jonathan McIntyre moves to an advisory role in the company.
A week after warning of falling profits due to consumers pulling back on spending to offset rising food and gas prices, Walmart is laying off hundreds of corporate staff in a move some fear signals a cooling job market and increased risk of recession.
Sugar reduction is still top of mind for most US consumers, but their motivations for purchasing low- and no-sugar beverages have shifted from weight management and dieting pursuits to achieving a sense of general wellbeing, claims Howard Telford, head...
Despite being a nutrient powerhouse with more fiber and protein per serving than quinoa and nearly twice the amount of iron as a 3-ounce sirloin steak, sorghum hasn’t quite crossed into mainstream territory with most consumers. But that could soon change,...
Despite the difficult economic reset underway in the capital markets and lingering supply chain challenges, rising inflation and the growing threat of a recession, investors are still interested in the food and beverage space, according to one investment...
On Capitol Hill last week, hemp industry stakeholders and Congressional leaders frustrated by FDA’s lack of regulations for CBD and other hemp-derived compounds since the 2018 Farm Bill authorized commercial production of the crop, explored how the 2023...
Recent applications work has demonstrated that Merit Functional Foods’ Peazazz pea protein isolate – in combination with an enzyme called transglutaminase - can replace methylcellulose, a binding and gelling ingredient widely used in meat alternatives...
Net sales in Amazon's physical stores - Whole Foods Market, Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go - grew 12.5% year-on-year to $4.72bn in Q2 2022 and grew 2.8% vs Q1, 2022.
As consumer interest in ‘plant-based’ products has grown in recent years, so too have products proudly proclaiming their status as such – but what does the term actually mean, and how influential is it really?
Fine chemicals co DIC and San Diego-based startup Debut Biotech are developing a vibrant natural red color that is heat-stable, light-stable, and stable across a wide pH range, using a novel hybrid approach combining microbial fermentation and ‘cell-free’...
The IFT First 2022 show floor was abundant with companies touting their upcycled ingredients and other exhibitors highlighting plant-based meat and dairy innovation. Take a look at some of the trends highlighted at the show this year.
According to a new draft guideline from the World Health Organization (WHO), non-nutritive sweetener consumption is associated with metabolic syndrome, something proponents of diet sweeteners say shows correlation, not causation, and merely reflects the...
In the face of inflation and consumer price sensitivity, Mondelēz International saw positive volume growth and price resiliency across its snacking portfolio especially in its core areas of snacking and chocolate, reported chairman and CEO Dirk Van de...
