Cereals and bakery preparations

Investing in the Future of Food: Pandemic slows investment dealmaking, but also opens opportunities

25-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

After initially hitting pause on new deals during the early days of the coronavirus outbreak, investors have steadily returned to the bargaining table, but the CEO of one venture capital firm warns the pandemic has raised the bar for and slowed the pace...

Post Holdings: Rising next wave of COVID-19 cases will bring ‘new challenges’ to supply chains

23-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Surging COVID-19 cases across the country in the coming three months presents “a very challenging environment,” which threatens near term supply chain viability despite proactive steps to protect employees and automate production, warns Post Holdings...

Flavor trends for 2021: fresh from the garden, breakfast all day, chicken & home baked goods

19-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers’ desire for comforting, nostalgic and indulgent foods and beverages as a way to cope with pressures from the pandemic, election and economic hardship in 2020 is about to clash with more austere preferences more typical of each new year, including...

Uplift Food navigates how to communicate prebiotics and gut health to consumers

18-Nov-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While consumer understanding of prebiotics may still be in its infancy, basic knowledge around the topic is growing as more food and beverage brands enter the category, finds Kara Landau, founder of prebiotic functional food brand Uplift Food.

Webinar Tomorrow: Meeting Children’s Nutritional Needs from conception through the teenage years

17-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Children’s dietary patterns are mostly set by the time they turn 2 years old, which doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for indulging picky eaters if caregivers want their kids to grow up eating – and liking – a wide variety of healthy, nutrient-dense...

Frito-Lay survey: 300% surge in online holiday food shopping with snacks at the top of grocery lists

16-Nov-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With the holidays approaching, half of US shoppers surveyed by Frito-Lay said they will be shopping for their holiday groceries online this year (up from 15% in 2019) with snacks being a top item for 77% of surveyed consumers.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Mondelēz finds snacking offers a ‘lifeline,’ antidote to loneliness during COVID

16-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While snacking was on the rise long before the coronavirus outbreak, new research from Mondelēz International shows the pandemic has turbo-charged the trend – spurring more people to snack more often, but for entirely different reasons than they did before...

FOOD FOR KIDS Trailblazers recap: ‘DTC is probably the way to go’ to break into children’s food & beverage

12-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Companies hoping to break into the children’s food and beverage category may have a better shot at success by going direct-to-consumer with solutions that extend beyond kids to target the whole family than they do at breaking into and out on grocery retail...

IRI: Consumers rethink holiday plans amid the pandemic uncertainty

09-Nov-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers are dramatically rethinking their holiday plans this year as COVID-19 cases continue to rise, notes IRI.

Axiom Foods unveils AvenOlait 2.0 oat ingredient

09-Nov-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Axiom Foods has introduced its AvenOlait 2.0 oat ingredient, which is claimed to offer manufacturers of dairy alternatives enhanced functionality and nutrient density, facilitating the "next big wave" of oat-based dairy alternatives.

B&G Foods predicts elevated sales will continue next year: 'Consumers will be working from home even after a vaccine is available'

06-Nov-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Reporting a 22% net sales increase to $495.8m for the third quarter (ended Sept. 27, 2020), B&G Foods continues to benefit from its portfolio of brands and products which are “very well-suited for the stay at home, work at home, cook and eat at home...

WEBINAR tomorrow (Nov. 11): Innovation in Action … Meet the Trailblazers

06-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

As illustrated by the diversity and record number of entrants to FoodNavigator-USA’s 2020 Food For Kids Trailblazers Challenge, innovation abounds in the children’s food and beverage segment, but funding and shelf space in stores – even digital ones –...

Sprouts Farmers Market on track to double business in 5 years with innovation, new branding

30-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Encouraged by strong third-quarter sales online and in stores as well as net sales in the period that grew twice that of a year ago, Sprouts Farmers Market is “financially stronger than ever,” and on track to double its business by 2025, according to...

Cereal shakes off negative stereotypes as the pandemic reshuffles consumer priorities

29-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

New research from General Mills suggests cereal is shaking free from some of its negative stereotypes as consumers look for relief from pandemic-related pressures, including balancing tighter budgets due to lost jobs, wanting to maintain their families’...

Researchers call for crackdown on ‘kid influencers’ promoting unhealthy food, beverages on YouTube

27-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

After discovering a “staggering level of exposure” of fast food, candy, soda and other unhealthy branded foods and beverages on YouTube videos featuring and targeting young children, researchers from New York University are calling on the Federal Trade...

JM Smucker sells strong-performing Crisco for $550m to B&G Foods to focus on coffee, snacking & pet food

27-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

JM Smucker Co. is selling its iconic line of Crisco oils and shortening to B&G Foods for $550m cash in a deal that allows it to dedicate more resources to its “core growth platforms” while simultaneously strengthening B&G’s small but growing baking...

Llamaland Organics ramps up awareness for Peruvian superfoods with line of cereals and spreads

26-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Houston, Texas-based brand Llamaland Organics is introducing American families to a variety of superfood ingredients sourced directly from Peru through approachable and familiar product formats including cereals and fruit spreads.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: COVID-19 impact underscores need, ability for industry to tackle sustainability goals

26-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Farmers and ranchers have long grappled alone with “extreme and episodic” events that have threatened their ability to meet demand, but according to one food and ag non-profit the added strain of the pandemic has illustrated the need for stakeholders...

‘Authentically kid-first’ brand Mavericks Snacks heads to Target after successful debut at Whole Foods

23-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

There’s been a lot of innovation in the baby and toddler food market in recent years, and many new brands target Gen Z and Millennials. But kids aged 4-11 often get overlooked, says Mavericks Snacks founder Livio Bisterzo, who hit CPG gold with Hippeas...

Bimbo Bakeries meets increased demand for record Q3, but worries about impact of second COVID-19 wave

23-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While Grupo Bimbo has managed to stay on top of and benefit from increased demand for its baked goods and snacks in the US during the pandemic so far, executives are weary of any additional strain on capacity and employee safety posed by a potential second...

Judge’s decision to block SNAP work requirements will help hundreds of thousands buy food

20-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

In a withering opinion published Sunday, a federal judge struck down a Final Rule pushed by the Trump administration that would have severely reduced or eliminated nutrition assistance to more than 1 million Americans during and after the pandemic.

Blue Stripes blends whimsy, functional health & sustainability to start a ‘whole cacao revolution’

20-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Cacao currently may be most prized by manufacturers and mainstream consumers for its beans to make chocolate, cocoa and cocoa butter, but the fruit and shell surrounding the bean also are packed with nutrients and potential, which famed chocolatier Oded...

Tune into the Consumer Parents' Panel in part one of the FOOD FOR KIDS 2020 virtual summit

14-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

How are parents coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in their households when it comes to feeding their kids? Has the extra time spent at home given families more opportunity to cook and experiment with new recipes, or has the anxiety left parents scrambling...

Ongoing obesity epidemic among children sparks call for expanded nutrition benefits, stricter school meal standards

14-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite broad efforts to reduce sugar, sodium, fat and excess calories in the American diet in recent years, childhood obesity continues to afflict one in seven 10- to 17-year-olds in the US, leaving them vulnerable not only to type II diabetes, high...

Study: Early introduction of wheat in high doses may prevent celiac disease in young children

12-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Introducing high doses of gluten into an infant’s diet beginning at four months of age could prevent them from developing celiac disease, one study suggests – although further research is needed, say researchers.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Organic Trade Association & CPG leaders address ‘existential threat’ of climate change

05-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Over the last two weeks of September, members of the Organic Trade Association met virtually with 30 legislators on both sides of the aisle from 19 states to advocate for policies that they say will help all farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change,...

PepsiCo pursues ‘Faster, Stronger, & Better’ framework to build on better-than-expected Q3

01-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

PepsiCo reinforces its commitment to its three-pronged “Faster, Stronger, and Better” strategic framework Oct. 1 as it comes off a better than expected third-quarter in which its beverage business rebounded and pandemic-fueled demand for snacks and packaged...

Conagra posts strong Q1 2021 results: ‘Our business is healthy, our products are relevant, and our capabilities are strong’

01-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Conagra Brands posted stronger-than-expected Q1 2021 (13 weeks ended Aug. 30) results, which saw organic net sales increase 15% with significant growth coming from its grocery & snacks (+16%), refrigerated & frozen (+17.9%), and international...

Introducing the FOOD FOR KIDS 2020 virtual summit: From kids and the plant-based trend to dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers

29-Sep-2020 By Elaine Watson

School closures – and tentative re-openings – have compounded stress levels for families, while COVID-19-induced economic anxiety is also straining household budgets. So how can food and beverage brands come up with enticing – but affordable – recipes,...

General Mills looks to maximize ‘stickiness’ of consumers gained in pandemic with 3-prong plan

24-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While uncertainty around the reopening of America in 2021 complicates predicting at-home versus away-from-home consumption for the full year, General Mills expects retail sales of its CPGs to remain higher than pre-pandemic levels for at least the next...

Investments in grocery CPG, food delivery increase despite lingering economic uncertainty

22-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Venture capitalists’ initial hesitancy to enter new deals immediately following the coronavirus outbreak appears to be easing with the most interest and activity focused on grocery CPGs and food delivery, according to an analyst with Pitchbook.

Study: Facts up Front nutrition labels associated with improved nutritional quality

21-Sep-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

An analysis of 21,096 food products from 9,083 brands across 44 categories found an association between Facts Up Front labeling – in which nutrition facts appear on the front of the package in addition to mandated nutritional information on the back of...

13% of Americans rely on SNAP food assistance – IRI shares strategies to win & keep their business

17-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the number of Americans dependent on what was once known as food stamps swells to 13% of the population due in large part to an unemployment spike related to the pandemic, they have become an increasingly important demographic for CPG retailers, according...

Nestlé is ready to buy after 18 months of divesting brands, but it will do so cautiously, CFO says

11-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nestlé is ready to be “much more acquisitive” now after 18 months of aggressively selling underperforming businesses and brands that did not tidily fit into the company’s new image of itself as a primarily nutrition, health and wellness business, according...

Walmart’s grocery business still ‘solid’ despite counter-intuitive impact from stimulus spending

11-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

While economic stimulus spending has helped drive up Walmart’s market share in general merchandising in recent months, it may have taken an unexpected toll on the retailer’s grocery business when paired with other pandemic-related operational changes,...

Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference

CPG companies strategize how to maintain new consumers, market share as pandemic sales normalize

10-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

As record high sales from the early days of the coronavirus pandemic level out at rates significantly lower than March and April but still higher than last year, CPG companies are trying to reassure investors that they can hold on to new customers and...

Retail strategies to support Black-owned businesses, tap into $1.5 trillion buying power of Black shoppers

09-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Retailers interested in attracting more Black shoppers, who Nielsen reports wield an annual buying power of $1.5 trillion and make more grocery trips per year than all other racial groups, need to stock and prominently highlight more products by Black-owned...

Campbell’s plans to leverage ‘quick-scratch cooking’ to retain millions of new consumers, but is it enough?

08-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Under normal circumstances the Campbell Soup Co.’s 12% organic sales increase, 13% operating profit increase and strong double-digit consumption growth across all core brands in the fourth quarter would be lauded as great – but during the pandemic, when...

Consumer desire for ‘resiliency’ during pandemic opens door for functional products, says Hartman Group

02-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

New opportunities are opening for functional foods and beverages as the ongoing coronavirus pandemic pushes consumers to seek products that will boost their “resiliency,” support their health and wellness and personally empower them while simultaneously...

Investing in the Future of Food: Strategies to maximize boards for fast growth, successful fundraising

02-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Cash-strapped startups may hold-off on establishing a board to save money, but according to one career coach a solid line-up of advisors can generate returns several-fold higher than their fees or salaries and can reassure potential investors, making...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How can industry help feed students returning to school online & in person

31-Aug-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

As many schools negotiate how to teach children safely during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they also must navigate how to feed them – a challenge that will require creativity and cooperation from regulators, legislators, and school nutrition professionals...

Sovos Brands to acquire Birch Benders as part of its 'one-of-a-kind brands' strategy

27-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Boulder-based Sovos Brands is building out its portfolio of what it calls 'one-of-a-kind brands' with a signed agreement to acquire Birch Benders, the #1 'just-add-water' pancake and waffle mix in the natural channel.

Whole grain study ‘paints misleading picture’ of real-world products, says Oldways Whole Grains Council

25-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A recent study which found widespread consumer misunderstanding of whole grain products and labeling is painting an unrealistic and misleading picture of whole grain products actually available to consumers on the market today, says Kelly Toups, director...

Study points to consumer confusion over products' whole grain content and presents 'strong legal argument' of misleading labeling

21-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Roughly half of respondents in a recent study overstated the whole grain content of cereal, bread, and cracker products, said lead researchers at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University and the...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Ardent Mills expands retail capabilities and production

19-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Flour and ingredients company Ardent Mills has made significant updates and investments to its retail and production capabilities to better meet booming demand in the baking industry.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Chocolate, cereal, and snack brands rank among Morning Consult’s 50 Most Loved Brands list

14-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fourteen food companies made global data intelligence company Morning Consult’s 2020 50 Most Loved Brands list, which analyzed more than 150,000 consumer interviews conducted by the firm in June and July 2020.

Investing in the Future of Food: “You will need smiles, you will need creativity & you will need decisions” to succeed, Rambuhealth CEO says

12-Aug-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

All entrepreneurs are destined to fail, but that doesn’t mean they also must lose, according to the CEO of the startup ingredient company Rambuhealth, who explained that companies can overcome almost any obstacle as long as leaders are creative, decisive...

General Mills finds more families report eating breakfast together

11-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Three quarters of families with school-aged children now report being able to spend more time together eating at the breakfast table, promoting an uptick in cereal consumption, according to a new survey commissioned by General Mills Big G cereals.

Post Holding’s spun-off BellRing off to a rocky start with pandemic, but confident in long-term results

11-Aug-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Executives from Post Holdings and its recently spun-off active nutrition business BellRing Brands may be confident that the new food company will meet its full-year targets, but analysts on the company’s third quarter call late last week sounded dubious.

Post rebuilds cereal assortment, promos with eye toward leveling the playing field, segment share

10-Aug-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

With its full assortment of cereals returning to store shelves this month, Post Holdings expects to regain some of the share it lost in recent months in the segment to competitors that were faster to rebuild their assortment and resume promotions after...