From a rise in interest in essential oil copaiba, which is claimed to have similar benefits to CBD (although it lacks clinical data to prove it), to a resurgence of enthusiasm for carob, food trend watcher Liz Moskow has identified eight culinary trends...
Can the new CEO stop the rot at Kraft Heinz, and should selling off the firm’s cheese, snack nuts, and coffee businesses to reshape the portfolio form part of his hotly anticipated strategic plan, to be announced in early 2020?
Kellogg has agreed to allocate $20m to a fund to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it falsely advertises some cereals as healthy and nutritious when they are also high in sugar, highlighting the risks facing manufacturers as the Plaintiff’s Bar homes...
A rush to market for CBD has left the terpenes in hemp out in the cold. An expert in the space said there is much potential benefit yet to be discovered in these fractions of the plant.
A new poll shows many consumers would stop using CBD products if they knew FDA has not yet set regulations around them. The poll was commissioned by the Natural Products Association.
West African foods from the ancient grain fonio to tigernuts and moringa; to refrigerated protein-packed snacks; chickpea butter; and more imaginative food for kids will all gain traction in 2020 according to buyers, product developers, category managers...
US food importers have written to the US trade representative to argue that tariffs on foods resulting from a dispute over EU subsidies to Airbus should not be applied to products that were shipped before the WTO issued its ruling on the dispute (Oct...
By Larry Levin, EVP market & shopper Intelligence, IRI and Jessica Lukas, SVP, BDS Analytics
Many consumers are on the hunt for the next 'good-for-me' health ingredient, as part of the $450bn trend in self-care. This trend has continuously evolved with consumers focusing on protein-heavy foods, botanical extracts, probiotics, and more...
Even as food and beverage brands are starting to look more closely at Gen Z shoppers to determine what they want and what makes them tick, many are still struggling to pinpoint how best to engage with millennials who Goldman Sachs has dubbed “the most...
In 2020, diners ordering Nestlé's plant-based Awesome Burger (in the US) or Incredible Burger (in Europe) will be able to pair it with plant-based cheese and bacon via the 'PB triple play’: a "no-compromise plant-based bacon cheeseburger."
As widely predicted, the plaintiff’s bar has turned its attention to the burgeoning CBD category with a series of lawsuits alleging that products contain “significantly lower levels of CBD than advertised.”
As protesters and activists filled the streets of New York City last week to draw attention to climate change, many food and beverage companies around the globe also touted existing and new commitments to reduce their impact on the planet.
A lawsuit alleging that Nestlé USA is misleading shoppers with its ‘No GMO Ingredients’ seal has been allowed to proceed, although legal experts stress that this doesn’t mean that the plaintiffs will ultimately prevail.
Food industry stakeholders have pushed back hard on the FDA’s proposal to permit the term ‘potassium chloride salt’ on food labels as an alternative to ‘potassium chloride,’ arguing that anything with the word ‘chloride’ in it is not consumer-friendly...
“By 2030, the US dairy and cattle industry will have collapsed,” as ‘precision fermentation’ – producing animal proteins more efficiently via microbes – disrupts food production as we know it, predicts think tank RethinkX, which critics argue is living...
Barb Stuckey: 'When you talk about cells, you leave the realm of deliciousness...”
The term ‘clean meat’ is confusing (and carries the tacit implication that regular meat is 'dirty’), while ‘cell-based meat’ – a more neutral term favored by some startups – doesn’t poll well with shoppers. ‘Lab-grown’ is a food marketer’s nightmare....
Virginia-based Nutriati has commercialized what it claims is the world’s first textured chickpea protein, providing plant-based meat formulators with a Non-GMO protein source that rivals soy, wheat, and peas in the functionality and nutrition stakes,...
While there is something of a Gold Rush mentality driving parts of the CBD market right now, “there will be a lot of winners in this space, if brands can create a credible product and tell the appropriate story,” predicts one new player in the space.
Kombucha Brewers International (KBI), has contracted with EAS Consulting Group independent consultant April Kates to review a proposed standard of identity for kombucha designed to help preserve the integrity of the category as it grows.
Interest in CBD is “off the charts,” but those mulling the regulatory path forward for the hottest functional ingredient of the moment might be well advised to consider how other cannabinoids will fit into the regulatory framework going forward, says...
A California court has granted a request from Mondelēz Canada to compel Facebook and Google to release information associated with Instagram and Gmail accounts of a company selling THC-infused gummies under the STONEY PATCH brand.
The legal dispute over the ‘natural’ credentials of LaCroix sparkling beverages is heating up with brand owner National Beverage Corp urging a court in Illinois to enter a protective order shielding it from discovery that it claims would compel it to...
The new wave of ‘fresh’ plant-based meats from brands such as Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods might be grabbing all the headlines, but there is still a “massive opportunity” in the freezer aisle for quick and convenient plant-based products from pizza...
Edible insect pioneer Chapul – which introduced many Americans to the concept of eating bugs by milling them into powder and adding them to protein bars – has pulled out of the bar category for the time being after its co-packer went out of business,...
New consumer research from Health Focus International shows that perceived health benefits and taste preferences are more significant purchase drivers for plant-based foods and beverages than sustainability or animal welfare concerns, echoing recent research...
In an editorial published yesterday former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the agency needs to act quickly on CBD, but must not compromise on its mission of safety in doing so.
While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, ripping off a beloved children’s candy brand (SOUR PATCH Kids) in order to sell THC-infused gummies is no laughing matter, says Mondeléz Canada in a trademark infringement lawsuit against edibles...
The amount of capital flowing into the food & beverage industry is rising rapidly with recent research from Food+Tech Connect reporting a 34% increase in funding worth $1.45 billion going to startups in the space in 2018 compared to $1.08 billion...
While ending factory farming and reducing GHG emissions are top priorities for start-ups such as Impossible Foods, most shoppers are primarily motivated by ‘benefits for me’ – be it taste and discovery, or health and wellness, when it comes to plant-based...
EFSA’s decision-making process may have been biased by ‘conflicts of interest’ and the distribution and sale of aspartame in the EU should be suspended, says the author of a new research dossier calling the safety of the sweetener into question.
The FDA’s proposal to permit the term ‘potassium chloride salt’ on food labels as a more consumer-friendly alternative to ‘potassium chloride’ has not gone down well with Campbell Soup, which favors the term ‘potassium salt.’
Starting or running a business is undeniably hard – for everyone. Even if someone appears to be strolling down easy street, chances are they still wake up panicked in the middle of the night, check their work email on their phones in the bathroom and...
Attorneys for the plaintiff in a lawsuit alleging LaCroix falsely markets its flavored sparkling waters as ‘all natural’ say it should be compelled to respond to discovery requests regarding the composition and suppliers of its natural flavors, insisting...
The Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and member company Upton’s Naturals have filed a lawsuit in Mississippi challenging a new labeling law that could make using ‘meaty’ terms to describe plant-based and cell-cultured meat subject to criminal penalties....
As a 15-year-long dispute between the US and the EU over subsidies paid to European aircraft suppliers comes to a head, importers warn retaliatory tariffs on a host of products from the EU could wreak havoc on the specialty foods market, potentially doubling...
Oatly has voluntarily agreed to stop marketing its oatmilks as containing ‘no added sugars’ in ad campaigns following a complaint by Campbell Soup drawing attention to its oatmilk production process, which breaks down oat starch into simple sugars.
Four class action lawsuits have already been filed against high-protein milk brand fairlife, its founders, and JV partner Coca-Cola over alleged animal abuse at its flagship dairy farm in Indiana, but this could be just the beginning of the company’s...
Consumer interest in grass-fed meat/dairy and plant-based foods, stems from the same desire to find more humane and sustainable alternatives to factory farming, says Maple Hill Creamery CEO Tim Joseph, who was surprised to see Impossible Foods single...
Despite the ubiquity of bug consumption in some parts of the world, the tools and techniques to raise and process insects as human food on an industrial scale are still evolving, and there are still no globally agreed standards about how to do it in the...
As ingredient choices made by ‘next-generation’ plant-based meat brands attract more scrutiny, with some making a virtue of using peas over soy, and others promoting their use of non-GMO soybeans, Impossible Foods has defended its use of GM soy on sustainability...
Trying to generate excitement around an ingredient called ‘resistant starch’ in a carb-wary food culture fixated on keto and paleo diets is a tough sell, but a growing body of evidence suggests that insoluble fibers from unripe bananas, potatoes, wheat,...
While not everyone was on the same page about the legal path forward for hemp-derived CBD during Friday’s marathon FDA hearing, multiple speakers made clear that the current situation is untenable, with one predicting a wave of lawsuits, and others demanding...
“If we do not succeed in working together to reassure the card brands that they can safely support our industry, then we predict a significant decrease in CBD sales within the next few months,” the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) has warned.
True Food Innovations will steam ahead expanding its retail offering of Chef'd and True Chef meal kits this year and will also reveal an exclusive licensing deal with a major CPG brand, its president says.
Bills to prevent plant-based and/or cell-cultured products from being labeled as ‘meat’ or ‘beef’ have been introduced in 25 US states, and have already passed in states including Mississippi, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, North...
Routine headlines about multi-million – or billion – dollar venture capital investments into food and beverage startups may give the impression that VC funding is the best way to scale a business, but according to one insider the model is far from perfect...
Raising the threshold above which kombucha would be classified as an alcoholic beverage from 0.5% to 1.25% abv, is not the way to deal with the industry’s alcohol problem, says Vermont-based kombucha brand Aqua ViTea, which utilizes spinning cone technology...
Do picky eating habits when children are toddlers follow them into their teenage years? And should parents be concerned that their picky eaters aren't getting as many nutrients as their non-picky eater peers?
We’re no longer in the ‘Wild West’ when it comes to hemp-derived CBD, but buyers can still get burned if they don’t do their homework, says Colorado-based BBB Labs, which has launched a quality assurance seal for its hemp extracts to reassure partners...
