Cereals and bakery preparations

Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

Nutrition experts reveal Healthy US-style dietary pattern – but is it flexible enough?

22-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) recommends consolidating various dietary patterns into a single, inclusive Healthy US-Style Dietary Pattern that includes nutrient-dense, plant-based foods and which is accessible for all Americans.

Standard serving size levels the playing field, NAD finds in tortilla advertising case

22-Oct-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Size matters – at least when it comes to crafting nutrient content and health claims for food based on servings, according to a recent BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division decision for a challenge brought by Olé Mexican Foods against competitor...

US private-label groceries to hit 25-30% market share in next 10 years, RaboResearch projects

16-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

The US private-label market is capitalizing on consumer trends on value, as food manufacturers push for quality and innovation to spur category growth in the next decade.

Why shoppers are turning towards costly organic food and drink

14-Oct-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

More consumers are buying pricier organic food and drink, despite continuing cost-of-living pressures, with sales expected to rocket as governments push to make organic farming central to future sustainability strategies.

Reformulation is rife in F&B but consumers aren't sold yet

11-Oct-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Brands are reformulating to improve nutritional value and reduce or remove ‘unhealthy’ ingredient levels. But this is not always a vote winner with customers. Why?

PepsiCo lowers full-year guidance on Q3 2024 results, North American business continues volume declines

08-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

PepsiCo’s North American snack and beverage businesses continue to slow down in its third quarter of 2024, as the company adjusts its forecast from 4% organic revenue growth for the year to low single digits amid continued pressures but beats Wall Street...

How running with Grupo Bimbo is fighting global hunger

08-Oct-2024 By Gill Hyslop

The Mexican bakery giant is using the power of running to make a global impact, donating over 3 million slices of bread to food banks through its Bimbo Global Race.

Policymakers call on Coca-Cola, General Mills, PepsiCo to address pricing practices

07-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Letters sent by Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Representative Madeleine Dean (D-Penn.) to the CEOs of Coca-Cola, General Mills and PepsiCo express concern over pricing and tax practices that, according to the policy makers, “squeeze profits out...

Launch Pad

The holiday rush inspires innovations for Halloween through New Year

01-Oct-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

New pumpkin spice products continue to hit store shelves as other food and beverage product launches in September usher in the holiday season from Halloween to Rosh Hashanah to Christmas.

From ‘crookies’ to sushi: What Gen Z consumers want out of bakery, deli options

30-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Deli counters and bakeries boost sales by meeting Gen Z demand for global and convenient cuisine — from sushi to street foods — Circana representatives shared during a recent IDDBA webinar.

W.K. Kellogg’s under fire for chemicals in US cereals: Key takeaways for other producers

27-Sep-2024 By Gill Hyslop

Following Bakery&Snacks’ report on the backlash against Kellogg’s over chemicals in its US cereals, the pressure is still mounting. What lessons can bakery and snack producers take from this?

Campbell bets big on snacks with Goldfish, innovations across brands driving ‘outsized growth’

20-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Campbell Soup. Co predicts “outsized growth” from its diverse portfolio of iconic snacks, including Goldfish crackers which has grown exponentially in recent years, despite economic headwinds that threaten a slowdown in segment sales following a multi-year...

NPD Trend Tracker: From spooky treats to Christmas sweets

16-Sep-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Discover the latest product innovations in the world of food and beverages.

ADM on the farm: Building regenerative agriculture builds business opportunities

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Regenerative agriculture is emerging as a powerful marketing concept with recent research by ingredient supplier ADM revealing most consumers familiar with the tenets are more likely to trust and buy from brands that support the practice.

Letter from the editor: How is rising demand for global flavors influencing innovation & ingredient sourcing?

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Long gone are the days when salt and pepper were sufficient seasonings for most Americans – now US consumers want bold flavors that will take their tastebuds on a global adventure, giving rise to a new class of frozen meals, sauces, spice blends and even...

WK Kellogg leaders are ‘even more confident’ in cereal than pre-spinoff from Kellogg

11-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nearly a year after Kellogg spilt its cereal and snack businesses, WK Kellogg leaders are “even more confident” in the “spin logic” that prompted the division and the future growth potential of its breakfast business.

Lil Bucks raises $3m in Series A funding to fuel retail growth, product innovation

10-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Sprouted buckwheat food brand Lil Bucks secured $3 million in Series A funding in a round led by Proterra Investment Partners, following measures to extend its runway amid continued capital-raising challenges, company founder and CEO Emily Griffith told...

General Mills plots a return to growth with new products, enhanced advertising & merchandising

10-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

After struggling to compete in recent years, General Mills is ready to return to growth along side the categories in which it plays by launching better tasting, healthier products, boosting its advertising and in-store merchandising, and diversifying...

Is Kraft Heinz undervalued? Leaders tout dramatic transformation, appeal to cash-strapped consumers

09-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Kraft Heinz executives want credit where credit is due for “dramatically” transforming the business in the last four years against a challenging backdrop pocked with inflation, supply challenges and shifting shopping habits by adopting practices often...

Mondelēz prepares for ‘a frugal year’ in 2025, turns to collabs, pack sizes to spur growth

05-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Sweets and snacks giant Mondelēz is preparing efficiency measures in 2025 to offset lower volume sales and higher cocoa prices and focusing on product collaborations like its one with Coca-Cola to spur growth, two executives shared during a fireside chat...

Albertsons expands private label portfolio with Overjoyed, ‘first major new brand launch in over 10 years’

04-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Albertsons is bolstering its private-label business with a new brand dedicated to celebrating special occasions, Overjoyed, as the grocery giant taps into demands for value-focused products, especially among younger shoppers.

From pumpkin spice to caramel apple: Unwrapping 2024’s fall LTO lineup of foods, beverages

03-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

With summer winding down, falls flavors — including the infamous pumpkin spice — are returning to store shelves and CPG products in coffees, cookies, yogurts and more as consumers seek new seasonal taste experiences.

September Launch Pad: Fall brings a burst of color, nostalgic flavors & back-to-school solutions

03-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The waning days of summer bring a colorful lineup of food and beverage launches featuring bold purples and blues, along with nostalgic flavors that welcome the promise of cooler weather and seasonal partnerships that celebrate traditional fall activities.

Startup Spotlight

Mission MightyMe’s snack puffs hit Target shelves, as brand aims ‘to drastically reduce the rate of nut allergies’

29-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Children's snack brand Mission MightyMe is taking its first big step beyond ecommerce, launching in select Target stores, after raising $2.3 million earlier in the year to fuel growth and raise awareness on reducing peanut allergies by introducing...

JM Smucker optimistic about Hostess Brands' integration despite lower than expected segment sales that prompted overall guidance cut

29-Aug-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Peanut butter and jelly maker JM Smucker remains confident in the long-term potential of recently acquired Hostess Brands despite slightly lower than expected net sales from the sweet snack brand during the company’s first quarter as consumers continue...

Hain Celestial improves margins in Q4 2024, ‘well positioned’ for growth in FY 2025

28-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Snack and tea maker Hain Celestial beat Wall Street earnings estimates in its fourth quarter, as the company seeks to capitalize on its Reimagined strategy in fiscal year 2025, following divestitures and success in growing in away-from-home and e-commerce....

The call of the USA: why Europe’s bakers are going American

27-Aug-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

Largescale European bakeries are transporting their businesses to the USA as home markets reach saturation point and opportunities for growth increase Stateside, with many facilities there for sale.

Dairy, deli, bakery categories see strong unit, dollar growth in July, as recalls slow sliced meats

21-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Dairy, deli and bakery categories were “not just driving dollar sales, [but] are also seeing strong unit volume growth,” amid summer holidays and entertainment occasions, as sliced meat recalls and avian flu could derail gains in the months to come, Joanna...

Do film tie-ins boost sales?

16-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Many film studios use tie-ins with food and beverage brands to market their motion pictures. But does this drive sales for the food and beverage products themselves?

Snack attack: Is Mars’ $35.9bn bet on Kellanova the key to dominating the healthier snacks market?

15-Aug-2024 By Gill Hyslop

The mega payout by Mars, Inc. for Kellanova is driven by the candy giant’s desire to expand its footprint in the fast-growing market for healthier snacks, which is underpinned by consumer preference that is shifting away from traditional packaged foods...

Mars to acquire Kellanova for $35.9bn in snack push, as M&A activity set to takeoff

14-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Following media reports, candy and snack maker Mars is set to acquire Kellanova — the parent company of Pringles, Cheez-It, Pop-Tarts and more — in an all-cash deal worth $35.9 billion, marking one of the biggest deals in food and beverage CPG history...

Price-conscious snackers seek value, global flavors in-store

13-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Price-conscious consumers are increasingly seeking healthier yet affordable snack options and shopping for new global flavors in-store, creating a significant opportunity for brands and retailers to develop more engaging and diverse offerings, according...

Premium snacking NPD: Elevating cravings with gourmet, better-for-you snacks

12-Aug-2024 By Gill Hyslop

Ramping up the premium snacking experience involves curating high-quality, gourmet ingredients and emphasizing sophisticated, unique flavors that cater to discerning palates. This approach not only enhances the sensory pleasure of snacking but also elevates...

Digital Food & Beverage 2024

Kellanova delivers digital marketing content with ‘ruthless prioritization,’ AI optimization

09-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Kellanova is optimizing digital marketing through a test-and-learn approach, and leveraging AI capabilities to create assets more efficiently, Lauren Freedman Autry, senior director of integrated marketing and ecommerce at Kellanova, told FoodNavigator-USA.

Why are gluten-free products more expensive?

09-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Gluten-free products are typically more expensive than those containing gluten. A cost-of-living crisis has exacerbated the problem.

IFT FIRST 2024

Innophos’ Levair Select answers rising calls for clean-label, aluminum-free leavening agents without compromising performance across applications

08-Aug-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

US consumer and retailer demand to remove aluminum-based leavening agents from baked goods due to health concerns are rising even though FDA considers them GRAS, but efforts to replicate the speed and degree of lift of sodium aluminum phosphate (SALP)...

From volleyball courts to retail shelves: How Act Bar’s founder is growing her upcycled snack brand

07-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Act Bar is on a mission to reduce food waste and nutrition insecurity with its line of snack bars, which were created with the help of ingredient and product development company Upcycled Foods, brand Founder Amelia Allen told FoodNavigator-USA.

Summer Fancy Food Show

Protein takes centerstage across categories to meet insatiable demand: From frozen dessert to chips

07-Aug-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even though most Americans consume enough protein, they continue to want more and companies at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City are delivering with increasing innovation and sophistication across categories and occasions, including snacks,...

Mars could acquire Kellanova as part of portfolio overhaul, potentially signaling larger industry rebound in M&A activity

05-Aug-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Family-held candy maker Mars Inc. could acquire snack giant Kellanova, according to media reports over the weekend, which, if accurate, could signal the beginning of a long-awaited return to M&A activity in the food and beverage industry following...

Kellanova’s ‘return to full commercial activity,’ innovation drive volumes higher than expected even as competitors continue to struggle with declines, sluggish recovery

02-Aug-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Kellanova’s better-than-expected second quarter bucks major trends in the US, where volumes generally have continued to struggle as consumers grapple with inflation and two-plus years of price hikes, thanks in part to the snack-maker’s aggressive rollout...

Digital Food & Beverage 2024

PepsiCo's FLVR TikTok inspires Gen Z, Millennial consumers to cook with Frito-Lay products

01-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

PepsiCo is engaging younger consumers with its social-media brand, FLVR, which is helping the snack and beverage giant expand into meal occasions and attract new shoppers, James Clarke, senior director of digital and social for PepsiCo, shared at the...

Mondelēz counters snacking softness in US with lower-priced packs, promos & increased distribution in value channels

31-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Cookie and confection giant Mondelēz International plans to implement new targeted promotions, introduce lower-priced pack sizes and increase distribution in value-oriented club and convenience stores to counter volume declines in North America that directly...

Digital Food & Beverage 2024

How IHOP is finding retail success with the help of PepsiCo, General Mills, Kraft Heinz

29-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

International House of Pancakes (IHOP) expands beyond its diner tables to retail store shelves with a line of CPG products created with General Mills, Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo, including Mini Pancakes cereal, Signature Blend coffee, Lay's potato chips...

Digital Food & Beverage 2024

Mondelēz on creating the future of ecommerce, AI 'is not about who goes fastest’

29-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

Mondelēz is investing in new omnichannel shopping capabilities and educating employees on digital shopping best practices, the snack giant’s Global Ecommerce Director Abhishek Ahluwalia said at the 2024 Digital Food and Beverage event in Palm Springs,...

IFT FIRST 2024

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Trends at IFT’s Startup Pavilion include upcycled ingredients, clean label preservatives, novel proteins and more

29-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Startup Pavilion at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual Food Improved by Research Science and Technology (IFT FIRST) in Chicago earlier this month featured cutting-edge solutions to some of the most pressing challenges facing the food system,...

Startup Spotlight

Sugar Bliss CEO: Cutting short pitch meetings could pave the way for long partnerships

25-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Given how little time entrepreneurs have during most pitches, intentionally ending the meeting a few minutes early may sound counterintuitive, but the founder of the bakery and packaged cookie company Sugar Bliss says this gives potential buyers or investors...

Startup Spotlight

From bootstrapping to big box store shelves: Love+Chew CEO shares tips for growth

18-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

Vegan cookie company Love+Chew is controlling its destiny by not accepting venture capital (VC) funding and finding success at Costco in the process, brand CEO and founder Lauren Chew told FoodNavigator-USA during a Startup Spotlight interview.

PepsiCo reveals finalists for 2024 Greenhouse Accelerator Program: Juntos Crecemos Edition

12-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

PepsiCo named the finalists for this year's Greenhouse Accelerator Program, featuring eight brands that create products inspired by Hispanic heritage and tap into consumer demands for better-for-you and functional foods and beverages.

PepsiCo sees slowdown in US salty snack business, plans to ‘make disciplined commercial investments’

11-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

PepsiCo’s second quarter 2024 earnings released this morning, revealing new challenges to its Frito-Lay North America business, as company Chairman and CEO Ramon Laguarta vows to tap into consumer demand for zero-sugar and functional products and increase...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Bread is back: Better-for-you, artisanal and take-and-bake options coax consumers to back to the bakery

11-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Bread is back after being demonized for years as high in calories and carbs and low in nutrition, innovative bakers are bringing to market bagels, buns and brioches that are high in fiber, protein, healthy fat and, of course, flavor.