Flavors and colors

CPG disruption: SPINS shares why innovation is needed in juices, pickles, pantry staples

25-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

CPG companies seeking to disrupt a market might want to turn their attention to categories where whitespace innovation is lacking — including in juices, pickles and pantry staples — a SPINS representative suggested in a recent webinar.

IFT FIRST 2024

Bell Flavors & Fragrances showcases flavor trends at IFT using SPARK platform

25-Jul-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The global supplier Bell Flavors & Fragrances showcased its latest flavor innovations at the Institute of Food Technologists' (IFT) annual event, IFT FIRST, highlighting how its SPARK trend design platform identifies upcoming preferences.

NPD Trend Tracker: From plant-based treats to snacks that are perfect for pairing

22-Jul-2024 By Donna Eastlake

In this weeks’ edition, we discover plant-based ice cream treats, some perfect snacks for that boozy sundowner and more…

Should you be marketing on the metaverse?

19-Jul-2024 By Natasha Spencer-Jolliffe & Jess Spiring

As one confectionery firm launches its own candyland on Roblox to appeal to young gamers, we explore the merits of brand-building in virtual reality

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.

[On-demand webinar] Healthy snacking market moves from free-from claims to holistic nutrition

15-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

Consumers are turning to healthy snacks that deliver functional claims — from improving gut health to promoting weight management — while still providing the sweet and salty flavors they expect, food and beverage industry experts shared during a recent...

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: Widespread dehydration in US points to ‘opportunities for customization, variety & healthier options’ within functional beverages

15-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Mega-viral social media trends promoting water “recipes” and consumption, including #watertok, #beveragegoblin and #sexywater, alongside surging demand for hard-to-find Stanley cups may lead one to believe that Americans are sufficiently hydrated – but...

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.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Smart Sweets unveils new formula across portfolio at Sweets & Snacks

10-Jul-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Better-for-you gummy maker, Smart Sweets, launched its new and improved formula across its portfolio, including five new SKUs, catering to consumers seeking healthier candy for nearly any type of occasion, Katrina Hahn, Smart Sweets’ co-CEO, told FoodNavigator-USA...

IFT FIRST

Startup Pavilion at IFT FIRST showcases sustainable, better-for-you solutions

09-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Startup Pavilion at the Institute of Food Technologists’ annual Food Improved by Research Science and Technology (IFT FIRST) conference in Chicago this month will feature 100 food and tech businesses ranging from pre-seed to growth stage featuring...

GNT showcases rainbow of natural food-dye possibilities at IFT FIRST 2024

09-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

Food ingredient company GNT is demonstrating the full range of its natural color capabilities at IFT FIRST next week, as CPG companies continue to assess the impact food dye regulations might have on their need to reformulate, Alice Lee, technical marketing...

Seedlip founder debuts non-alc bitters brand seasn in the US, tees up further beverage innovation

08-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

Non-alcoholic bitters brand seasn is adding a dash of sophistication to mocktails and cocktails, as it enters the US market at a time when consumers are seeking better-for-you and premium beverages, Ben Branson, founder of Pollen Projects and Seedlip,...

Future Food Tech Alternative Proteins Summit

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Danone’s innovation strategy focuses on ‘big bets’ of protein, enhanced plant-based & the biome

08-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

In an era where money is tight for consumers and companies alike, and leeway for new products to fall short of expectations is even tighter, many CPG companies are rethinking their innovation investment strategy to make fewer but bigger bets – a strategy...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Vêsucré’s recipe for creamy, clean-label vegan desserts: neurodivergent employees + simple ingredients

01-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Crafted by a neurodivergent team with special skills for consumers with special diets in a facility where nothing goes to waste, startup Vêsucré is bringing to market decadent vegan desserts that are free from soy, gluten and refined sugar.

Future Food Tech Alternatives Proteins

Startup Uncracked is unlocking seaweeds’ clean-label potential with proprietary SeaStack technology

28-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers seeking clean labels historically have given a pass to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, even though they have long lists of unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce ingredients, but that may be changing as the category’s health halo dims...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Consumers want cleaner-label, better tasting gluten-free options in more categories

27-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Gluten free may not be as trendy as it once was, but the call-out continues to resonate with consumers as the quality, quantity and variety of products making the claim continue to improve – as showcased by brands across categories at the Summer Fancy...

Beyond sugar, salt, fat: Rethinking ultra-processed foods and reform

27-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee is considering how the industry should approach ultra processed foods (UPFs) – including nomenclature and infrastructure.

Startup Spotlight

Crunchy Hydration finds sweet success by skipping sugar and its low-, no-calorie counterparts, underscoring consumer demand for flavorful but not sweet options

27-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The early retail success of functional beverage startup Crunchy Hydration shows sugar – or its low- and no-calorie counterparts – are not a necessary ingredient for success in a category that is laden with sweeteners used to mask the sometimes bitter...

From sip to scent: Aura Bora partners with P.F. Candle Co. on Watermelon Chili LTO

18-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Sparkling water brand Aura Bora is turning negative comments about its brand into a positive with its Chili Watermelon flavor, made possible through a collaboration with candle company P.F. Candle.

Issei Mochi Gummies celebrates Japanese heritage with better-for-you indulgences

13-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Better-for-you candy company Issei Mochi Gummies is bolstering its retail footprint with recent launches into Albertsons and Walmart stores nationwide, as it finds an opportunity to provide an alternative to the gelatin- or pectin-based products on the...

Coca-Cola reigns supreme as ‘world’s most chosen brand’ – but other beverages make surprise moves up in Kantar brand rankings...

04-Jun-2024 By Rachel Arthur

Coca-Cola has solidified its status as the world’s most chosen FMCG brand with a staggering global reach. But other beverages have also seen standout performances this year...

NPD Trend Tracker: From sweet butter to Milka chocolate milk

03-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

Sweet butter is creating a ‘new standard’ for the category, we’re told. And that’s not the only sweet NPD for the month. What’s the latest in sweet (and savoury) innovations?

‘Swicy’ flavors take the spotlight in ad campaigns

31-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Sweet and spicy (swicy) play into consumers’ ongoing pursuit of diverse, globally inspired taste experiences, and are reflected in recent brand ad campaigns.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Spate leverages machine intelligence to identify, separate emerging trends from fads

30-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Today's niche diets, social media blips and internet search spikes could be tomorrow's must-have functional ingredients, breakout snacks or new kitchen staples -- the trick is spotting them early and knowing whether they represent long-term...

Preparing for food-dye bans: What CPG brands must know about reformulations ahead of mandates

30-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

As food additive bans roll out across numerous states, many CPG companies that rely on artificial dyes might need costly reformulations, while clean-label and natural ingredient trends might influence product changes well before regulatory mandates.

CVS’s expanded, rebranded private label snack line blends functional, fun & flavor

30-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

CVS is putting the ‘fun’ in functional food with the launch of more than 40 snacks, beverages and grocery items with trendy flavors and ingredients consumers want, including probiotics, fiber, protein and superfoods like turmeric and goji berries under...

5 top tips for selling soft drinks in convenience channels

30-May-2024 By Rachel Arthur

Soft drinks are now bigger than baked goods in UK convenience retail channels. How can shops make the most of this growth?

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Mars-Wrigley appeals to Gen Z through product innovation, including gummies and peanut butter

29-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Gen Z consumers prefer new snacking experiences "that are talking to them in an authentic way," Mike Gilroy, the Mars-Wrigley’s VP of trade development and sponsorship, told FoodNavigator-USA at the Sweets & Snacks Expo earlier this month.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Confectionery brands are blending pink lemonade into the latest launches

28-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

As consumers seek layered flavors that enhance their snacking experience, the sweet and tart notes of pink lemonade served as a popular confectionery trend during the Sweets & Snacks Expo.

Plant-Based 3.0 webinar: Tune in May 29 to discover what consumers want from meat alternatives, how to deliver on their taste, texture, appearance & nutrition demands

28-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nearly two-thirds of Americans are willing to swap meat for plant-based alternatives, and more than half have tried an alternative protein – but of those that have tried, nearly a quarter have not done so a second time, according to research cited by...

Eco-friendly food colouring: How one company is cutting carbon

28-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The food industry is coming under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint and find more sustainable ways to operate. Food colouring manufacturer Exberry tells us how it's cutting carbon intensity, and improving water efficiency, for greener...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How can brands become more than a trending flavor?

24-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Confectionery and snack brands can stay head of the curve by offering layered flavors and textures inspired from other food and beverage categories, tapping into nostalgic tastes and international cuisines that consumers gravitate towards, Alice Mintz,...

Virginia Dare opens new HQ for ‘maximum efficiency,' including technical and product development labs for food and beverage

22-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Virginia Dare recently unveiled its new headquarters in Carteret, NJ, a significant milestone in its century-long history. The facility, double the size of its former Brooklyn location, is designed to enhance processing efficiency and customer collaboration...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

More than protein: How meat snacks are redefining convenience and nutrition

21-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

With more than 40 meat snack brands exhibiting during the Sweets & Snacks Expo, the protein-packed and portable food category is surging in popularity due to its alignment with consumers seeking convenient, satiating snacks to replace meals on-the-go.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How are gummy brands setting themselves apart in a saturated category?

20-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

While intense sour and bold fruity flavors have helped brands carve out a space in the crowded gummy category, brands look towards variety mixes and cross-brand partnerships to attract ongoing retailer and consumer attention, according to several segment...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Sweets and snacks defend sales as interest in GLP-1 medications rise by expanding better-for-you indulgent products

20-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Rivalz’s stuffed, vegan snacks could deliver the satiety effects of GLP-1 medications and meets USDA guidelines for healthy snacks distributed in schools thanks to patented extrusion technology that creates vegan fillings packed with protein and fiber,...

Developing Ozempic-era foods, beverages: Mattson shares research on what GLP-1 users crave

14-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

CPG companies offering nutrient-dense, portion-controlled food and beverages could tap into emerging needs of consumers on weight-loss drugs, like Ozempic and WeGovy, consulting firm Mattson shared in a recent webinar.

Bobo’s Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite blends existing flavors into new product

14-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Better-for-you oat bar brand Bobo's develop its new Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite flavor by leveraging existing favorites, like Strawberry Stuff'd and Lemon Poppyseed, with innovation accelerated by its state-of-the-art bakery completed in 2022.

Umami Bioworks, Shiok Meats merge to scale cultivated seafood production

09-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats merge to accelerate the development of sustainable seafood solutions to “provide consumers with mercury-free, nutritious and culturally relevant seafood alternatives, thereby contributing to the regeneration of marine ecosystems,”...

Startup Spotlight

Update disrupts RTD energy drink category with star ingredient that promises energy minus the jitters

09-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Update is redefining the energy drink category with its star ingredient, paraxanthine, a metabolite of caffeine that provides the uplifting benefits of caffeine without the negative side effects, company Co-founder and CEO Daniel Solomons told FoodNavigator-USA...

mio’s brand refresh highlights simplicity in the energy drink category

07-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Mio liquid water enhancers’ brand refresh blends flavor and function to provide a simple solution for consumers with multiple beverage needs, as well as bright packaging that communicates wellness, Samantha Mills, director of brand communications for...

Mondelēz is hungry for snacks innovation: What’s its VC arm looking for?

06-May-2024 By Flora Southey

When Mondelēz International searches externally for savoury snack and confectionery innovation, what kinds of start-ups is it looking for?

Startup Spotlight

From New Zealand to the US: Non-alc brand Free AF spurs international growth with Walmart, Target deals

02-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

New Zealand-based non-alcoholic (NA) beverage brand Free AF is expanding in the US in Walmart and Target stores, company Founder Lisa King told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview.

Olipop benefits from social media buzz following accidental early launch of Barbie-inspired flavor

01-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Olipop commemorates Barbie’s 65th birthday with a new Peaches & Cream flavor of its gut-friendly soda, as the brand expands into the convenience and gas channel, Steven Vigilante, the company’s director of growth and partnerships, told FoodNavigator-USA....

Coca-Cola fights ‘flat to modest growth’ in North America with innovation, in-store displays & RGM

01-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Coca-Cola Company anticipates “flat to modest growth in volume” in North America despite characterizing the US consumer as “in good shape” with only modest “compression” among lower-income shoppers, and reporting positive response to stepped-up innovation,...

‘I’ve heard of ultra-processed food, but can’t explain it’: Demystifying UPF confusion

30-Apr-2024 By Flora Southey

What ‘ultra-processed food’ means to one consumer may not be what it means to another.

KEY unlocks potential of ketones in energy-drink category with help of $4m investment

29-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

KEY is providing consumers an alternative to sugar-laden energy drinks through ketones, as it seeks to deploy $4m in funding to grow its brand.

Driving confectionery sales through promos, micro-occasions, catchy displays

25-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Consumers continue to buy sweet treats as rewards and to celebrate despite higher prices due to inflation, helping confectionery sales reach $48bn in 2023 and potentially $61bn by 2028, according to the National Confectioners Association’s State of Treating...

Nassau Candy introduces more bulk candies, expands into dextrose market

25-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Nassau Candy’s positioning in confectionery as an importer, manufacturer and distributor allows the company flexibility to focus on innovation and its customers’ needs by filling in the gaps from discontinued but in-demand products, Dana Rodio, director,...

PepsiCo struggles with slower US volumes in Q1 2024, challenges persist in beverage business

24-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

PepsiCo is sticking with its fiscal 2024 guidance, after releasing its first-quarter results yesterday, which showed fresh challenges for the food and beverage giant as volumes decreased across its core US businesses amid fierce competition and ongoing...