Fats & oils

Atlantic Natural Foods: Shelf-stable is area of untapped opportunity for plant-based meat, poultry, seafood

20-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

While the shelf-stable market for plant-based meats and eggs is small compared with the frozen and chilled segments, it represents an area of significant untapped opportunity, says Atlantic Natural Foods (ANF), which is gaining traction in this market...

Keto-friendly cereal Catalina Crunch generating almost a million in direct to consumer revenues a month, a year after launch

19-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

If super low carb, zero-sugar, keto-friendly cereal sounds like a super niche opportunity, think again, says Catalina Crunch founder and CEO Krishna Kaliannan, who is already generating “close to a million in monthly sales” via his website just a year...

The Bubbies mochi brand is on fire, says CEO: ‘This year our business will be 4x larger than when we acquired the company two years ago’

08-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

If growth in the frozen novelties category has not set the world on fire in recent years, one shiny bright spot in the market has been mochi: portable ice cream bites encased in chewy sweet rice dough that are lighting up retailers’ freezer cabinets,...

60-second interview: NSF International updates Non-GMO certification program

05-Aug-2019 By Elaine Watson

NSF International has just updated its Non-GMO certification scheme and logo. FoodNavigator-USA (FNU) caught up with Sarah Krol (SK), global managing director of food safety product certification to find out what this means... and whether firms are ready...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Plant-based burger orders up 10% at quick-service restaurants, says The NPD Group

26-Jul-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Plant-based burger orders are on the rise at quick-service restaurants (QSR), up 10% (228 million orders) for the year ending in May 2019 compared to same period last year, reports The NPD Group.

Bobo’s raises $5.5m to expand oat bar empire, predicts 40% growth in 2019

22-Jul-2019 By Elaine Watson

The bar category is awash with increasingly sophisticated functional offerings engineered to deliver a fixed amount of protein, net carbs, or the latest on-trend ingredient, says the CEO of Bobo’s, which makes oat bars he readily admits “anyone could...

4th & Heart raises $7.6m, gears up for September launch of egg, collagen and ghee WOKE bar

08-Jul-2019 By Elaine Watson

4th & Heart - best known for its grass-fed ghee – has closed a $7.6m series C funding round led by Harbinger Ventures, with support from Cambridge Companies SPG, Blueberry Ventures, Boulder Food Group, Monogram Capital Partners, Finn Capital Partners,...

‘Chaos’ looms if olive oil, cheese, hit with retaliatory tariffs over Airbus dispute, warn US importers

01-Jul-2019 By Elaine Watson

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...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How ingredient suppliers and distributors are stepping up to fill an innovation void

21-Jun-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

When large food companies began cutting back on in-house R&D in favor of investing in startups’ with promising ideas, some either didn’t factor in or miscalculated the resources and time needed to scale-up their acquisitions before seeing returns...

FDA approves qualified claims on omega-3s and their ability to lower blood pressure

20-Jun-2019 By Hank Schultz

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved a list of qualified health claims for omega-3 fatty acids and their effect on blood pressure, culminating a five year plus effort on the part of industry.

Vital Proteins shares strategies for building consumer relationships with DTC before going to retail

17-Jun-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

By building a strong direct-to-consumer market before launching into retail, Vital Proteins was able to connect with fans, discover how they use its collagen-based products and expand its portfolio with demand-based options so that when it entered brick-and-mortar...

Victory Hemp Foods’ expanded portfolio hints at the full potential of the crop across categories

17-Jun-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

CBD and THC are not the only buzz-worthy ingredients derived from hemp, according to Chad Rosen, founder of Victory Hemp Foods, who touts the plant’s seeds, which are packed with high quality protein and healthy fats, as an equally important “profit center”...

Tyson unveils blended burgers, pea protein-based nuggets: ‘Alternative protein could someday be a billion-dollar business for our company’

13-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

Alternative protein could “someday be a billion dollar business for our company,” predicted Tyson Foods CEO Noel White as the company unveiled the first products under its new Raised & Rooted brand, and a new line of blended products under its aidells...

WATCH: Epogee unveils a fat replacer … without Olestra’s messy side effects

12-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

“It sort of sounds too good to be true,” acknowledges the man behind a fat replacer that can reduce calories from fat by up to 92% without negatively impacting taste or texture. But Epogee comes with no catch, and unlike Olestra, no messy side effects,...

Keto-friendly Dang Bar beats expectations: ‘The early results are astounding’

12-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

The keto-friendly Dang bar – the latest innovation from snack brand Dang Foods – has been a hit right out of the starting blocks, claims founder and CEO Vincent Kitirattragarn. “This is seriously bringing new life into our brand and the early results...

Lavva plant-based yogurt rolls out nationwide at Whole Foods

11-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

Lavva – which is seeking to stand out in the burgeoning plant-based yogurt category with a no added sugar product fueled by Pili nuts and plaintains – is rolling out nationwide at Whole Foods Market.

Corteva Agriscience cultivates consumer-centric and 'crops for purpose' market approach

10-Jun-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Corteva Agriscience has completed its spin off from DowDuPont to become a "pure-play agricultural company" with a sharpened focused on the end consumer of packaged food products, a business model it claims sets it apart from the commodity-first...

Nestlé gears up to launch the plant-based Awesome Burger under the Sweet Earth brand

10-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

Nestlé’s new ‘cook from raw’ plant-based Awesome Burger (launching in the fall under the Sweet Earth brand in retail and foodservice) has similar levels of sodium and saturated fat to the Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger, but has significantly...

FOOD FOR KIDS: Ice-cream startup Peekaboo building a 'hidden veggie empire', says founder

06-Jun-2019 By Kacey Culliney

Miami-based startup Peekaboo is developing a range of vegan ice-cream variants to join its line of organic-certified, hidden veggie products targeting kids and adults looking for guilt-free indulgence.

Trendspotting at IFT 2019 part 1: From novel fat- and egg-replacers to CBD and plant-based innovation

06-Jun-2019 By Elaine Watson

Plant-based meat, dairy and egg alternatives got top billing at the IFT annual meeting and expo in New Orleans this year, while hemp-derived CBD also made its debut, regulatory uncertainty notwithstanding... Check out part 1 of our gallery of highlights...

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: As organic sales continue to climb stakeholders look for long-term success

31-May-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Members of the Organic Trade Association converged in Washington, DC, last week to celebrate the segment’s continuous improvement, and to brainstorm with each other and legislators potential solutions to ongoing challenges facing the industry.

Plant-based start-up Before the Butcher gears up for retail launch in the meat case with Uncut brand

31-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

California based start-up Before the Butcher – which launched its plant-based burgers, grounds and chunks in the foodservice sector last year - is looking to make a big splash in retail in 2019 as it gears up to launch in three of the nation’s biggest...

Barùkas takes the baru nut to the US: 'When I tasted it, it was like an epiphany...'

30-May-2019 By Kacey Culliney

Baru nut startup Barùkas wants to spark a superfood movement in and beyond the US to support its goal of replanting 20 million trees and supporting the local people of the Cerrado region in Brazil.

NadaMoo! rolls out at Walmart and Target, predicts 60-65% growth in 2019 as plant-based dairy gains traction in the frozen case

29-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Austin, TX-based NadaMoo! – which claims to be significantly outpacing category growth in dairy-free frozen desserts – is rolling out at c.400 Target stores in 40 states and c.350 Walmart stores in Colorado, Louisiana, Montana, Texas and Wyoming as mainstream...

Bunge Loders Croklaan to unveil new line of specialty shortenings at IFT show

28-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Bunge Loders Croklaan will unveil Vream, a new line of specialty shortenings to enhance the appearance, mouthfeel, and functionality of icings, donuts, and tortillas at the IFT annual meeting and expo next week.

Cubiq Foods talks cell-cultured fat: New source of EPA and DHA could give fish oil, krill and algae a run for their money

21-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

A new source of more affordable long-chain omega-3 fatty acids could give fish oil, krill, and microalgae a run for their money and open up new fortification opportunities for food manufacturers, claims Barcelona-based start-up Cubiq Foods, which has...

Spero Foods seeks capital to ramp up manufacturing for plant-based eggs, cheese

17-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Plant-based meat, eggs and dairy products that precisely replicate their animal-based counterparts might be more sustainable, but they’re not always more nutritious, and often come with a lengthy ingredients list and a high degree of ‘processing,’ says...

Socati acquires Blue Marble Biomaterials leading to mass scale production and quality control of broad spectrum hemp extract

15-May-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Hemp extract processor, Socati Corp.'s acquisition of Blue Marble Biomaterials, a global manufacturer of specialty compounds for consumer goods, will usher in mass scale production and quality control of in-demand broad spectrum hemp extract (which...

Raised Real passes half a million meals mark, adds Twilight star Nikki Reed to advisory board

10-May-2019 By Elaine Watson

Direct-to-consumer baby and toddler food brand Raised Real has delivered more than half a million meals since launching in January 2018, and added Twilight actress Nikki Reed onto its advisory board as it expands its product range and explores new ways...

Avocados can have a long-lasting, satiating effect, study says

09-May-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Swapping out refined carbohydrates for fresh avocado can significantly suppress hunger and increase meal satisfaction, a recent study by the Center for Nutrition Research at the Illinois Institute of Technology suggests.

YUMI founders on fresh baby food, millennial moms and going viral: ‘Parents love to share recommendations…’

30-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

New parents are busy, demanding, and sleep-deprived (cranky). But if you make products that solve problems for them, they’re also far more likely than most consumers to tell other people about your brand, which is the kind of free marketing most start-ups...

InnovoPro proffers chickpea as a protein that can overcome hurdles other plant-based options can’t

29-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the plant-based protein category is booming, none of the top-selling ingredients dominating the space offer a perfect solution in terms of function, nutrition, sustainability and consumer-experience – a gap in the market that the CEO of Israeli...

Keto products should embrace functional benefits and personalization options, says Mintel

25-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

'Keto' products -- from coffee creamers and ice cream to cheddar crisps and on-the-go nut butters -- are no longer a niche find for consumers, but is it wise to market a product solely around the keto diet, even it ticks all the right macronutrient...

News In Brief

Cargill opens a “digital front door” for edible oil – and soon other customers with online platform

25-Apr-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Recognizing that business in the modern world never stops, ingredient-supplier Cargill is launching a digital platform that will allow customers 24-hour access to key product and safety information as well as a streamlined ordering process.

Yellofruit frozen banana-based desserts to enter 600 stores in Canada this summer: 'This is not a niche brand'

19-Apr-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Canadian startup Yellofruit is using the same principles of ice cream food science to make its non-dairy frozen banana desserts that founder Andrew Kinnear says closely mimic the experience of eating traditional dairy ice cream.

Soylent unveils new Soylent Squared 100-cal mini-meal bar, plans savory product launch in the fall

18-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

Almost three years after launching - and then rapidly withdrawing - its Food Bar from the market, Soylent has unveiled Soylent Squared, a 100-calorie ‘mini meal bar’ featuring 5g of soy protein, 36 essential nutrients and probiotics.

Introducing Futuro: Brazilian start-up launches 'tech-based' vegan burger

12-Apr-2019 By Niamh Michail

Brazilian start-up Fazenda Futuro has launched a plant-based meat alternative, the Futuro Burger, developed using artificial intelligence (AI).

TerViva raises $20m to fuel plant-based protein ambitions with ‘vertical soy’

02-Apr-2019 By Elaine Watson

TerViva - a California-based start-up on a mission to commercialize a new source of plant-based protein from the pongamia tree - has raised $20m in a series D round.

GOOD FOOD EXPO

What it takes to win shelf space, according to buyers and brands

29-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Emerging and new-to-market brands are all vying for precious shelf space at retail, so where should founders focus their time and energy to secure a spot in their desired store area?

Nutrition Index, Partnership for a Healthier America shine light on industry efforts to improve health

25-Mar-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite efforts by the largest food and beverage manufacturers in the United States to tackle obesity and diet-related disease in the market, nearly 40% of adults and 18.5% of children in the US are obese – putting them at risk of Type 2 diabetes, high...

Weller launches CBD sparkling water: We're comfortable with the risk factors associated with saying 'CBD'

21-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Weller, a Boulder-based snack and beverage company, is not tip-toeing around using the word 'CBD' on its packaging as it launches a line of sparkling waters featuring 25mg cannabidiol (from full spectrum hemp extract).

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Trendspotting at Expo West reveals upticks in keto, MCT oil, plant-based protein and better-for-you snacks & kids’ foods

15-Mar-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

CBD far and away stole the show as the hot new ingredient at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week, but it wasn’t the only notable trend with promising market potential or significant recent development.

NEWS IN BRIEF

New incubator and accelerator program launches to fast-track CBD and THC brands in food and beverage

13-Mar-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Growpacker Inc., a contract manufacturer of THC- and CBD-infused edibles and beverages based in Canada with a presence in the US market, has launched a brand incubator and accelerator program designed to fast-track CBD and THC brands sold in California.

Natural and clean label trends 2019: Have you registered yet?

11-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

We clocked a number of brands using terms from 'clean candy' to 'clean protein' on the showfloor at Expo West, but what does 'clean eating' mean, is 'clean' a term that brands should use on product labels, and where...

Could a fat replacer developed in the 80s hit the big time in the 2020s? 'This is not another Olestra,' stresses Epogee

04-Mar-2019 By Elaine Watson

Three decades after the technology was first developed, Epogee (formerly Choco Finesse) is gearing up for a commercial launch of fat replacers called EPGs (esterified propoxylated glycerols) which can reduce calories from fat by up to 92% without impacting...

How to define clean label? 'There isn’t any one singular definition,' says Hartman Group

28-Feb-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The moving target of what qualifies as 'clean label' among consumers can throw food marketers for a dizzying loop, however there are a few general constants food brands and manufacturers can follow to appeal to consumers' clean label ideal....

Investing in the Future of Food: Unique technology can offer startups protection from competitors

27-Feb-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

As recently as a few years ago, the words food and tech were incongruous together, but today they signal a booming industry that is ripe for innovation, and according to the VP of business development at the Israel-based incubator The Kitchen, the combination...

Good Karma launches plant-based sour cream and dips, defends ‘plant milk’ labels: ‘This whole nutritional equivalency argument doesn’t even hold up within the dairy industry'

21-Feb-2019 By Elaine Watson

Good Karma – best known for its flaxmilk-based milks and yogurts – is moving into new territory with the launch of plant-based sour cream, ranch dips, and French onion dips, categories currently underserved when it comes to dairy-free options, says CEO...

Hemp food giant Manitoba Harvest to be acquired by Tilray, plans summer launch of broad spectrum hemp extracts with CBD

20-Feb-2019 By Elaine Watson

Canadian cannabis specialist Tilray is to buy Manitoba Harvest – the world’s largest hemp food manufacturer - from Compass Group and other shareholders in a deal that could be worth up to C$419m (US$317m).*

Biena Snacks’ baked chickpea puffs take the company and legume in new direction with fresh look

19-Feb-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

After pioneering and rising to the top of the roasted chickpea-based snack category, Biena Snacks is taking the legume – and company – in a new direction with the launch of a line of baked chickpeapuffs and a corresponding brand refresh complete with...