Flavors and colors

Givaudan releases AI Customer Foresight platform, focuses on digital transformation in 2025 strategy

05-Jun-2023 By Ryan Daily

Swiss-based flavor house Givaudan is using AI-based capabilities with its Customer Foresight platform to predict upcoming market trends and provide opportunities to co-collaborate with CPG brands on new and innovative food and beverage products, Nandita...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Snack marketing for multicultural consumers

02-Jun-2023 By Deniz Ataman

As brands seek cultural fluency to develop products for different demographics, Kellogg’s presentation during the Sweets & Snacks Expo explored the various nuances of the multicultural and generational differences of the American snack consumer, specifically...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How retailers can enhance impulse purchases in-store and online

31-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

While e-commerce impulse buys are evolving, in-store purchases are still critical in capturing snack and candy consumers—with the self-checkout lane offering tremendous potential growth for both brands and retailers, Kathy Risch, senior vice president,...

Tracking the change: Mondelēz is delivering on bold Snacking Made Right goals

30-May-2023 By Gill Hyslop

From 100% sustainably sourced palm oil to slashing food waste internally by 25% to upping the diversity mix across its executive leadership, the Oreo maker is on track with its mission to lead the future of more sustainable snacking.

Pasta Noodles Co. looks to differentiate in RTE with rapid-cook technology

30-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

The Pasta Noodle Company is shaking up the ready-to-eat (RTE) space with a trio of options inspired by classic Italian dishes, created with natural ingredients and ready to eat within two minutes, company founder Paolo Internicola told FoodNavigator-USA....

Non-alcoholic market is at an “inflection point,” Ritual Zero Proof CEO discusses growth

22-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

Non-alcoholic spirit brand Ritual Zero Proof is tapping into the demand for more artisanal and craft mocktails with the release of its aperitif, as the overall market sees new growth from health-conscious and younger consumers, brand CEO and founder Marcus...

Cholula looks to spice up salsas, seasonings in first-ever category expansion

22-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

Cholula is expanding outside the hot sauce category with the release of three salsas and three taco seasonings, as spicier and bolder flavors become an increasingly important part of McCormick & Company’s business, the company’s VP of North America...

Celsius hits $1bn brand status with PepsiCo's help

18-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

Better-for-you energy drink brand Celsius leverages its PepsiCo partnership to reach $1bn in sales while exploring how to bring consumers into the category with unique flavors, CEO John Fieldly shared during the Goldman Sachs Global Staples Forum this...

Sports performance, natural products providing new opportunities for energy drink market, SPINS finds

17-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

Whether it’s that early morning pick-me-up or pre-workout boost, consumers increasingly turn to the energy drink category for its functional benefits, which is expanding the market and creating opportunities for brands to innovate around sports performance,...

Daiya taps into demand for savory flavors, allergen-free options with frozen pizzas release

16-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

Plant-based CPG company Daiya Foods seeks to satisfy consumer demand for savory flavor while providing an allergen-free option with a pair of new pizza options, the brand’s CMO Melanie Domer told FoodNaviagtor-USA.

‘A merger of equals’: DSM and Firmenich merge to form new fragrance and nutrition giant

09-May-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Dutch health and nutrition specialist DSM has merged with the Swiss flavor and fragrance company Firmenich International SA to form a new, 30,000-strong entity – DSM-Firmenich.

Clover Sonoma taps flavored milk, lactose-free trends in release of new flavors

05-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

California-based dairy producer Clover Sonoma is meeting demand for flavored and lactose-free milks with three new flavors (Chocolate, Strawberry, and Vanilla) of its Clover the Rainbow Milk with a Splash of Flavor product, Meg Sutula, VP of marketing...

Can plant-based seafood gain mainstream acceptance through familiar flavors, strategic placement in the frozen food section?

05-May-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Developing recognizable flavors for frozen plant-based seafood may enhance consumer acceptance, as taste and texture remain the primary drivers behind the popularity of plant-based food alternatives.

Michelle Obama gets into the better-for-you CPG business with PLEZi launch

04-May-2023 By Ryan Daily

To change the food and beverage industry from the inside, former first lady Michelle Obama announced at the Wall Street Journal Future of Everything Festival this week the launch of better-for-you kid’s brand PLEZi Nutrition, where she will serve as a...

Better-for-you Hero Bread lands $15m in series B round by ‘going from pitching a dream to pitching a business’

03-May-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

A “massive” repeat purchase rate of 74% direct-to-consumer and 54% at retail combined with healthy margins and strong “no f***ing way” factor helped food-tech startup Hero Bread secure $15m in series B funding despite the challenging economic environment.

Popping with flavor: Imbibe shares boba beverage trends, tastes to keep an eye on

28-Apr-2023 By Ryan Daily

As consumers look for sweet flavors and tantalizing textures, many are turning to bubble teas (boba) for a unique sensory experience, creating an opportunity to innovate around flavor in the RTD space and beyond, Laura Harper, marketing associate at beverage...

Consumer interest in animal-free dairy builds, but many still have questions about processing, safety

27-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

While most consumers are willing to buy animal-free dairy made with precision-fermentation, a sizeable portion are either unsure or unwilling to try it – revealing a potential stumbling block that if left unaddressed could be just as damning for the nascent...

Coca-Cola beats expectations thanks to higher prices, innovations that appeals to Gen Z

25-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Coca-Cola Co.’s North American margins “reached toward a new high watermark” in the first quarter of 2023 observed one market analyst during the company’s quarterly call yesterday – a better-than-expected outcome that leadership attributed to higher prices...

Drink Monday looks to crowdfunding to fuel retail expansion, as non-alcoholic category evolves

20-Apr-2023 By Ryan Daily

Non-alcoholic beverage brand Drink Monday is using recent crowdfunding to expand its retail presence, meet the demand for non-alcoholic drinks and spirits, and navigate the tighter capital market, the brand’s new CEO Ken Young told FoodNavigator-USA.

Ithaca Hummus’ expansion into salsa underscores retailers' need to rebalance private label sales with premium offerings

17-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Retailers investing in private label to cater to consumers trading down as inflation rises, simultaneously are looking to offset lower dollar sales with a broader selection of premium offerings that can boost basket rings – creating an opportunity for...

BabyBel maker Bel Group, biotech Climax Foods partner to refine plant-based cheese with AI

12-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Iconic cheesemaker Bel Group and biotech startup Climax Foods are teaming up to create the next generation of “best in class” plant-based cheese that they say will be indistinguishable from their dairy counterparts with “zero-compromise” on taste, texture...

CSPI et al’s letter to the FDA urges the immediate and formal removal of Red Dye No. 3, industry trade groups representing color additives request comment deadline extension

11-Apr-2023 By Deniz Ataman

Citing numerous studies that suggest Red Dye No. 3 could be carcinogenic, The Center for Science in the Public Interest and a coalition of 23 other associations want FDA to remove the color from its list of approved additives in foods, dietary supplements...

Is MSG making a comeback? Perceptions shift among younger consumers

05-Apr-2023 By Ryan Daily

Monosodium glutamate — better known as MSG — might be shaking off its negative perception as CPG brands look to the ingredient to create savory flavor profiles and products with lower sodium.

Natural Products Expo West

Dip, savory spread sales surge as consumers shake off pandemic era restrictions

05-Apr-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Once reserved for special occasions and parties, dips are breaking out as an everyday snack – and in some cases meal – to emerge as a fast-growing category driven by pandemic-fatigue, consumer interest in global flavors and an enviable family-friendly...

Cup Noodles taps into rising demand for instant ramen with breakfast-inspired flavor, premium offerings

03-Apr-2023 By Ryan Daily

Cup Noodles is stirring up soup occasions with a breakfast-inspired ramen as the brand looks to expand its ramen business with a focus on premium offerings and flavor innovation, Priscila Stanton, senior VP of marketing for Nissin Foods, told FoodNavigator-USA.

Health-Ade CMO says kombucha “is here to stay,” ready for growth

30-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

With a new can format and marketing campaign geared towards younger consumers, Health-Ade is looking to grow its brand and expand its base by tapping into occasions and capitalizing on greater consumer awareness of gut health, Health-Ade CMO Charlotte...

McCormick leverages price hikes, innovation & cost-cutting to improve margins

29-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Through a combination of price hikes, cost-cutting and a multi-prong strategy to regain shelf space lost during the pandemic, flavor and spice giant McCormick & Co is clawing back its gross margins ahead of expectations after they took a hit last...

Meet the plant-based cheese that uses kimchi probiotics to bolster taste and nutrition

29-Mar-2023 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Armored Fresh says fermentation is a key step in developing the texture and flavor of its almond-based cheese range, which is expected to enter US nationwide distribution in summer 2023.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Rising consumer skepticism requires more proof for claims

27-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers look for foods and beverages to do more for them and the planet they are becoming more sophisticated and skeptical of unverified claims – demanding proof that products and companies can deliver what they promise.

Trade group Founders Heritage brings transparency to cultural claims

24-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

Newly formed trade group Founders Heritage is connecting consumers to authentic products with a new certification that highlights food and beverage brands focused on unique heritages and cultures.

Can prebiotics and probiotics beverages grow together? Brew Dr. CEO says yes

24-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

Oregon-based organic kombucha brand Brew Dr. is going "a little bit bolder, a little bit bigger" with its new branding and flavors as the company looks to expand household penetration amidst a growing competitive landscape in the functional...

Plant-based meat has more to offer: Stakeholders share strategies for success

23-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

It is too soon to give up on the plant-based meat segment, which has seen sales and household penetration slip in the past year, but which is evolving to meet demand for products that are healthier, tastier and more convenient, argued industry stakeholders...

HOP WTR taps into functional benefits, alcohol moderation to grow brand

22-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

Non-alcoholic beverage brand HOP WTR is leaning on functional ingredients like ashwagandha and L-Theanine to provide consumers with added mood management benefits, as the brand looks to sustain interest and repeat purchase following a spike in sales from...

McCormick freshens up red-cap business with new look, bottle

20-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

After nearly 40 years with the same look, McCormick’s red-cap business of spices and herbs is getting a shake-up with a new bottle and packaging, as the company tries to tap into consumer demand for freshness and more sustainable products, Nikki French...

Natural Products Expo West

Uncle Matt’s looks to functional innovation in face of “most challenging season” for citrus sourcing

20-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

With the increasing demand for functional beverages, Uncle Matt's is preparing for a year of product innovation in the organic juice space at the same time that it navigates another challenging season for citrus sourcing, as brand CEO and founder...

WhatIF targets ‘climate anxious Gen Z’ with bambara groundnut plant-based milk, noodles

17-Mar-2023 By Lauren Nardella

Singapore-based WhatIF Foods looks to bring its line of products derived from the bambara groundnut to a wider audience in the coming year, focusing on educating consumers about the legume’s benefits and appealing to the “climate anxious GenZ consumer,”...

Eat the Change expands Just Ice Tea line, aims to recapture Honest Tea market

16-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

Eat the Change co-founder Seth Goldman is continuing to fill the gap left behind by The Coca-Cola Co.'s decision to discontinue Honest Tea by creating a “rhyming copy” of the beloved ready-to-drink brand under his new company, which recently released...

Tostitos triples up on cheese in expansion of its chip line

15-Mar-2023 By Ryan Daily

With the launch of its latest Tostitos flavor — Mexican Style Three Cheese — PepsiCo is advancing its proposition to elevate its chips beyond a side to the center of the plate.

Expo West Trendspotting: From beverages bursting with boba to munchable mochi and plant-based beyond meat and dairy

13-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Emerging and maturing trends revealed at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim last week ranged from dips delivering delightful dinners, mochi moving into multiple day parts, plant-based expanding beyond analogues, and beverages brimming with better-for-you...

Register today for FoodNavigator-USA’s webinar Plant-Based Meat: Beyond The Honeymoon Period

02-Mar-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

As dollar and unit sales of frozen and refrigerated plant-based meat at retail continue to slide and grocers cut back on their selections of refrigerated meat alternatives, many stakeholders are wondering if the honeymoon period for the category has ended,...

Symrise report finds global flavor mash-ups key trend to watch in food, beverage in 2023

27-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

From Polish to Korean flavor mashups to low-alcoholic beverages, these are a few areas that CPG companies and tastemakers should be on the lookout for in 2023, according to a recent consumer trends report from flavor house Symrise.

Coca-Cola rebuilds portfolio with a ‘higher bar for innovation,’ eye on larger market

24-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

After The Coca-Cola Co. halved its brands during the pandemic, the beverage giant is ready to strategically rebuild its product portfolio with “consumers at the center,” a new marketing model, a higher bar for innovation and an eye on a much larger prize...

Exclusive: Frozen Chinese food brand XCJ rebrands as MiLa as it expands its portfolio, distribution

23-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Xiao Chi Jie (XCJ), the modern Chinese food brand that helped put authentic soup dumplings on the US map by cultivating a cult-like direct-to-consumer following during the pandemic is ready to expand into brick and mortar stores this April with a new...

Kraft Heinz reaches ‘inflection point’ in transformation with bold goal to capture $2b in sales with innovation in three years

22-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Kraft Heinz is entering the final stage of its transformation in which it plans to capture $2b in incremental net sales from innovation through 2027 after the company has systematically rebuilt itself following the dramatic fallout of an aggressive cost-cutting...

Devil’s Foot Beverage Co. is ‘doing more good, less harm’ with its Full Fruit Life Program

16-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

Devil’s Foot Beverage Company has a simple philosophy: do more good and less harm -- and with its Full Fruit Life Program, the brand is doing just that by maximizing the use of its raw ingredients while providing a byproduct to local brands, company co-found...

Sweet but healthy? Cargill finds unmet demand for healthier sweet baked goods

13-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

While consumers often look to the sweet bakery category for sugary fixes and chocolatey crunches, CPG companies might have an opportunity to innovate a new — healthier — path forward for the space, according to a recent survey and analysis from food ingredient...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: What does plant-based protein need to cross the trough of despair?

13-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Alongside falling sales, volume and units, plant-based meat has slid into the trough of despair, also known as valley of disillusionment or sorrow, and while it is unclear if the category has hit bottom yet, many stakeholders already are looking for a...

Tabasco spices up salads with TikTok-influenced, LTO hot sauce dressing

10-Feb-2023 By Ryan Daily

With a new product collaboration with TikTok influencer Tinx, Tabasco is looking to “normalize hot sauce as dressing,” as Lee Susen, chief sales and marketing officer at McIlhenny Company (Tabasco’s parent company), told FoodNavigator-USA.

PepsiCo leans on new flavors, double-digit marketing to enhance consumers’ value perception, justify price increases

10-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Through a combination of new flavor and product launches, boosting advertising and marketing, and integrating purpose throughout the organization, PepsiCo expects to build on a strong fourth quarter and deliver upwards of 6% organic revenue growth in...

Hooray Foods’ plant-based bacon bucks declines in overall meat alternatives

09-Feb-2023 By Elizabeth Crawford

Against the grim backdrop of tumbling sales, units and volume for fresh and frozen alternative proteins, plant-based bacon is emerging as a bright spot – with sales inching up, thanks in part to innovative production techniques, like those championed...