Dairy-based ingredients

Egg prices soar, supplies could tighten as war, cage-free transition and Avian flu take toll

20-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Already high, egg prices likely will continue to climb as some producers struggle to meet increased demand as supplies tighten with the spread of Avian flu and efforts to convert to cage-free production ahead of looming deadlines slow repopulation efforts...

Dairy Trends: From zero-sugar to ‘animal free’ – where is the biggest opportunity?

19-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Dairy, plant-based and animal-free products often unnecessarily are pitted against each other as competing for the same place in consumers’ fridges, when in reality most Americans buy across the segment and manufacturers would be better served by highlighting...

Tomorrow Farms debuts animal-free flavored milk brand Bored Cow with Perfect Day: 'Animal-free is the future of this category'

19-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fresh off of a $10.5m funding round, Tomorrow Farms is debuting is first product and brand -- Bored Cow -- which uses Perfect Day's animal-free whey protein to recreate a cow-free version of flavored milk, giving consumers the nutrition and functionality...

NotCo dips into foodservice with test launch at select Shake Shack locations

18-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

NotCo, a foodtech startup that uses patented AI technology to produce plant-based versions of traditional animal products, has partnered with fast food chain Shake Shack on a test launch of a plant-based chocolate custard and milk shake.

Walmart plans to push back on rising food prices: 'We need to do more to help customers’

17-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Walmart’s already low appetite for price increases across food and beverage may be further dampening as more consumers switch to private label and smaller packs to keep expenses down – a signal to the retailer that it is not doing enough to deliver on...

Rising food costs outpace those for all goods, suggesting more inflation to come

13-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Food prices likely will remain stubbornly high as the cost of key ingredients, packaging materials, transportation and warehousing paid by producers continues to rise, albeit at a slightly slower pace – sparking optimism among some that high inflation...

Soaring prices for food at home outpace overall inflation, signaling need for strategic shift by retailers, manufacturers

11-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Rising food prices slowed slightly in April over the prior month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics April Consumer Price Index released today, but they continue to climb at a brisk pace that is significantly faster than all items, allowing them...

Consumers struggle with grocery shortages and rising price of goods, report finds

10-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While many consumers report struggling with product shortages and delays in online orders along with mounting concerns over inflation, demand for groceries “tends to be relatively inelastic,” according to Morning Consult, which has just surveyed 1,000...

Inflation triggers 3.8% decline in online grocery sales in April 2022 vs. April 2021

09-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Online grocery activity declined across the board last month in three main segments including pickup (in-store, curbside, lockers, etc.), delivery (first and thirst party providers such as Kroger, Instacart, Shipt), and ship-to-home (parcel carriers including...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Climate Neutral helps brands calculate, offset emissions & tell sustainability story

09-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

More consumers are factoring sustainability into their purchase decisions, according to data from NielsenIQ, but effectively and efficiently communicating a product’s environmental impact in less than the 10 seconds most shoppers spend deciding what to...

Austrian start-up plans dairy disruption via precision fermentation-derived cheeses

05-May-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Vienna’s Fermify claims its digitised production platform delivers casein proteins with the same superior functional properties and nutritional profile of real cheese and allows producers to produce cow-free cheese at scale.

Innovation, added-value help offset inflation threats in dairy – but what do consumers want?

03-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Dairy innovation that delivers added-value is becoming increasingly important as inflation rises and shoppers look to justify higher prices for products across the board – including for staples, such as dairy, that previously may taken for granted their...

Coca-Cola et al to pay $21m to settle fairlife animal abuse litigation: 'Animal welfare is and will always be a top priority...'

30-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Coca-Cola owned ultra-filtered milk brand fairlife has agreed to step up animal welfare oversight at supplier farms as part of a $21m agreement to settle a series of lawsuits filed in the wake of allegations of animal abuse at former ‘flagship’ milk supplier...

Can Hershey hold on to share gains as capacity constrains bump against increased demand?

29-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Hershey’s higher-than-expected sales and market share gains in the first quarter is a double-edged sword for the confection and snack company – allowing it to raise its full year guidance but simultaneously straining inventory and increasing the company’s...

Carbon neutral milk brand attracts celebrity investors, picks up raft of new retail accounts

27-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

While some plant-based and emerging ‘animal-free’ dairy products have strong sustainability bona fides, most Americans still drink cow’s milk, so trying to give consumers more environmentally-friendly options within a category they are reluctant to give...

'We have come to the tough conclusion that it does not make sense for Chobani to be in the dairy milk business at this time...' Chobani discontinues ultra-filtered milk three months after launch

26-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Chobani has discontinued its new ultra-filtered milk line just three months after launch, but is keeping its new half & half products.

Remilk to build the world’s largest precision fermentation site in Europe

26-Apr-2022 By Flora Southey

Animal-free dairy start-up Remilk has announced plans to build its first fully-owned facility, and the largest of its kind in the world, in Denmark.

Potential review of ‘ultra-processed food’ by dietary guideline committee could portend trouble for packaged food industry

22-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Undefined and increasingly under fire for allegedly delivering low nutrition but high calories, so-called ultra-processed food could be under the microscope during the next review of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, slated for publication in 2025.

Brave Robot says report shows 72% emissions reduction compared to dairy

21-Apr-2022 By Jim Cornall

Brave Robot, the animal-free dairy ice cream brand launched by The Urgent Company, has released research findings it said show a substantial reduction in consumption of natural resources when compared with ice cream made through conventional dairy production.

Perfect Day announces second US location and new enterprise biology hub

21-Apr-2022 By Jim Cornall

Perfect Day, Inc., the biotechnology company that developed the world's first animal-free milk protein, is headed to Salt Lake City.

IFIC: More Americans seek pro- and prebiotics, but confusion about sources abounds

20-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

More Americans are trying to consume probiotics and prebiotics than a year ago, but many are confused about the best sources for each and the relationship between them, fermentation and strain-specificity – hindering their goals, according to new data...

General Mills: 'Regenerative agriculture is the most promising solution to reach our climate goals'

20-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As the largest natural and organic packaged food company in the US*, General Mills has the scale and resources to drive positive change in the food system through its work in regenerative agriculture, sustainable ingredient sourcing, and nutrition access....

Arla Foods and DSM start large-scale on-farm pilot to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

20-Apr-2022 By Jim Cornall

European dairy cooperative Arla Foods and Royal DSM, are set to start a large-scale on-farm pilot with the methane reducing feed additive Bovaer on 10,000 dairy cows across three European countries.

Misfits Market launches private label line: 'It's clear shoppers are looking for new ways to save'

14-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Direct-to-consumer online grocer Misfits Market has launched its own private label offering of 'Odds & Ends' pantry staples specifically designed to address certain supply chain inefficiencies around sourcing, food waste, and elevated pricing,...

Record-breaking spike in cost of goods portends inflation will go higher before it levels off

14-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

March’s staggering 11.2% year-over-year producer price increase revealed yesterday by the Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests inflation, which reached a 41 year high of 8.4% last month, may be far from peaking and manufacturers, and consumers, should...

Annual inflation for food at home surges 10%, calling into question future elasticities

12-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Fueled by ongoing supply chain constraints and skyrocketing energy costs due partly to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, inflation continues its upward march with the Consumer Price Index topping out at a staggering 8.5% for all items and 10% for food...

Larger Easter and Passover celebrations boost confection sales despite higher prices

12-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

After forgoing large Passover and Easter celebrations for the past two years, Americans are eager to gather with friends and family beyond their households – driving up projected unit sales of confections and groceries despite higher prices, according...

Private label returns to solid single-digit growth while outpacing national brands, reports PLMA

08-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After experiencing unprecedented double-digit growth in 2020 fueled by pandemic shopping behaviors, private label brands grew by a more modest 1% for the full-year 2021, but have gathered steam again in the Q1 2022 registering 6.5% sales growth compared...

Conagra Brands hikes prices as inflation rises: ‘There is nothing normal about the current environment’

08-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

In the face of ‘unprecedented’ inflation and transportation troubles, Slim Jim and Birds Eye maker Conagra Brands is raising prices – again – but executives are confident that sales, market share and household penetration will remain strong thanks to...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From stress reducing to exercising boosting -- 4 opportunities for functional beverages

04-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Ongoing strain from the pandemic and increasing financial pressure related to rising inflation are causing consumers to reprioritize their health and wellness goals, and by extension their food and beverage purchases, according to new research from the...

WATCH: The a2 Milk Co... ‘There's been a realization that there is going to be a significant sub-segment of dairy that's A1-free’

25-Mar-2022 By Elaine Watson

Billed as friendlier on the gut, The a2 Milk Co's milk comes from cows that only produce A2 beta casein protein. But how much science is behind it, and what share could it ultimately take of the US fluid milk market? We caught up with Blake Waltrip,...

Blurring function and fun expands consumer appeal, meets unmet needs, Kerry finds

24-Mar-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the line between functional and fun blurs, foods and beverages no longer need to fit neatly into the “healthy” or “treat” categories – they can simultaneously offer the lifestyle and health benefits consumers want and serve as the rewards they crave,...

'We are a little older and wiser, but more excited than ever...' Chobani founder welcomes back Kevin Burns as president

18-Mar-2022 By Elaine Watson

Chobani has re-hired Kevin Burns – who served as its president and COO between 2014 and 2016 – as president and COO following the departure of Peter McGuinness.

Sales growth of natural, organic products continues to drop but holds long-term promise

14-Mar-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The drop in US sales growth of natural and organic products following the 10% pantry-stocking surge early in the pandemic will linger well into 2023 – dropping to less than 4% before starting to climb again slowly to about 5% in 2024, according to analysis...

'It still feels like magic a little bit…' Animal-free milk space heats up as Opalia churns out milk with 'all of the functional components of traditional dairy'

09-Mar-2022 By Elaine Watson

If churning out milk from lactating bovine mammary epithelial cells in a bioreactor seems a bit, well, unnatural, ask yourself what’s ‘natural’ about the life of a dairy cow in an industrial-scale dairy farming operation, says Opalia co-founder Jennifer...

Belgian Boys secures $7m in funding led by KIND Snacks founder's investment platform

01-Mar-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Belgian Boys, a fast-growing brand selling European-inspired treats and fresh breakfast items, has received $7m in funding led by Equilibra Ventures, a startup and investment platform from KIND Snacks founder Daniel Lubetzky, to expand the brand's...

Nestle shifts portfolio to premium to fend off commoditization, drive sustained growth

01-Mar-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Through a combination of rapid innovation, investing in growth platforms, ongoing “prudent” M&A and strategic paring down of labor and factories, Nestle is on track to deliver solid mid single-digit organic growth in 2022 and into the foreseeable...

US Agriculture outlook remains bright after years of economic decline, but challenges remain

01-Mar-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

A much-needed economic boost during the pandemic that helped reverse US agriculture’s multi-year downward financial slide likely will hold through at least 2022, although beneficial conditions likely won’t be “quite at the same level” as the past two...

UN demands more diverse food production methods as report warns climate change risks are greater than thought

01-Mar-2022 By Oliver Morrison

Nearly a third of the world's crop fields will be unsuitable for food production by the end of this century unless carbon emissions are curbed, warns the latest instalment of the IPCC climate change report.

Lifeway Foods key shareholders seek removal of CEO Julie Smolyansky and explore ‘strategic alternatives’

28-Feb-2022 By Elaine Watson

UPDATED: An SEC filing from key shareholders at Lifeway Foods suggests all is not well at the top of the Illinois-based kefir company, with feuding members of the family that created it seeking the removal of CEO Julie Smolyansky and urging the board...

GUEST ARTICLE: Microbes all dressed up... with no place to go?

25-Feb-2022 By Mark Warner, founder, Warner Advisors

The draw of industrial biotechnology is compelling: beef without the cow, eggs without the chicken, almost every animal-based product that society has relied on for centuries having a non-animal replacement in the works. Maybe it’s just me, but with...

Upcycled Food Association CEO: 'We want an upcycled product in every aisle of every grocery store'

24-Feb-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Upcycled food products (made from ingredients that would otherwise not have gone to human consumption) are the most straightforward and scalable path to reducing and preventing food waste, says Upcycled Food Association CEO Turner Wyatt.

betterland foods unveils ‘cow-free milk’ with Perfect Day… so how close is it to the real thing?

24-Feb-2022 By Elaine Watson

Perfect Day – one of a new breed of startups deploying synthetic biology to coax microbes into expressing animal proteins such as whey – has teamed up with new brand betterland foods to launch a ‘cow-free’ milk it claims is “virtually indistinguishable...

Good Culture lands $64m Series C funding: 'Many nutrient dense, cultured food categories are on the table for innovation'

23-Feb-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Good Culture, best-known for disrupting the cottage cheese category with its clean label formulation, has just secured $64m in Series C funding to drive continued expansion of its healing cultured foods platform.

General Mills adopts 'always on' acquisition approach as ‘ongoing part of our accelerate strategy’

23-Feb-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

General Mills continues to hunt aggressively for acquisitions to build out its five core platforms, including cereal, ice cream, snack bars, Mexican food and pet food, and to consider strategic divestitures as part of a broader strategy to reshape its...

Ignoring price-sensitive shoppers could cost grocers even though they are only 1/3 of consumers

22-Feb-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Price sensitive consumers may be on the decline and make up only a third of all grocery shoppers, but they appear to have an outsized impact on select categories as rising inflation prompts them to rein in spending, according to new research by Symphony...

Soup-To-Nuts podcast: Mondelēz reveals pandemic’s long-term impact on snacking trends

21-Feb-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nearly nine in ten consumers snack daily, but according to new research from Mondelēz International, what they reach for and when has evolved significantly during the pandemic – requiring brands to rethink their product offerings, marketing strategies...

Kodiak Cakes taps into pro-athlete circle with new investment

17-Feb-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Kodiak Cakes, best known for its protein-packed pancakes and waffles products, has received an investment from Patricof Co (P/Co), a specialized private investment platform for professional athletes, to fuel the brand's continued expansion and leadership...

Animal-free dairy heats up as Change Foods collaborates with Sigma and Violife owner Upfield, raises $12m

15-Feb-2022 By Elaine Watson

Silicon Valley-based Change Foods – one of a new breed of startups making 'animal-free' dairy ingredients using microbes instead of cows – has closed an oversubscribed $12m seed extension round, and signed collaboration agreements with two leading...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Race to create next gen infant formula heats up with Helaina fundraise

14-Feb-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Originally designed to help babies grow, but not much else, traditional infant formula often falls far short of delivering the same benefits as breast milk, which also boosts immunity, contributes to cognitive development, is more easily digested, and...