Flavors and colors

Soup-To-Nuts podcast: 4 flavor, color trends for 2025 that focus on simplicity, comfort & rediscovery

21-Oct-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

After a year of “unapologetically” embracing luxury, indulgence and whimsy through vivid colors and unexpected flavor combinations, consumers will rediscover and recenter themselves in 2025 by choosing taste profiles and hues that more realistically represent...

US private-label groceries to hit 25-30% market share in next 10 years, RaboResearch projects

16-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

The US private-label market is capitalizing on consumer trends on value, as food manufacturers push for quality and innovation to spur category growth in the next decade.

REBBL bulks up protein offerings with 26-gram shake, featuring upcycled EverPro ingredient

15-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Functional beverage brand REBBL is delivering on consumer demands for sustainability and enhanced macronutrient content with its new shakes that contain 26 grams of plant-based protein blend, including an upcycled barley.

Hershey leans into value, flavor with Kit Kat, Reese's, Jolly Ranchers

14-Oct-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The multinational candy maker aligns with shoppers’ interest in value-oriented products reflected through its Reese’s and Kit Kat brands, while Jolly Ranchers' brand refresh features new textures and formats.

Consumers turn to mood-elevating zero-proof beverages, as product launches slowdown, SPINS finds

14-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Sober-curious and -conscious consumers are pushing the non-alcoholic alternative market to new heights, creating market sub-categories focused on functionality, despite recent slowdowns in product innovation, SPINS shared in a recent report.

Reformulation is rife in F&B but consumers aren't sold yet

11-Oct-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Brands are reformulating to improve nutritional value and reduce or remove ‘unhealthy’ ingredient levels. But this is not always a vote winner with customers. Why?

How Bumpin Blends’ founder turned a flight delay into a Barbie collab

10-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

When a delayed flight could have ruined her day, Bumpin Blends' founder, Lisa Mastela, used the downtime to network with fellow travelers and, in doing so, connected with representatives from toymaker Mattel that ultimately landed the smoothie brand...

ADM: 83% of GLP-1 users are ‘very interested in products specifically marketed as supportive of their needs on these drugs’

09-Oct-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

A new platform designed by ADM to help food and beverage manufacturers better understand and meet the needs of weight-loss drug users brings together proprietary consumer research and science, a portfolio of targeted ingredients and more than 25 ready-to-go...

UPF linked to type 2 diabetes - what does this mean for industry?

09-Oct-2024 By Donna Eastlake

New research has linked ultra-processed foods to type 2 diabetes. How will this latest blow impact the food and beverage industry and is reformulation the only solution?

Founders’ Fundamentals Podcast: Christy Lebor of SmashBrand discusses 'the head and the heart' of brand strategy

09-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Successful CPG startups not only strike the right balance between delivering on product claims and branding aesthetics — the head and heart of building a food and beverage business — but also provide consumers easy ways to learn about their brand when...

PepsiCo lowers full-year guidance on Q3 2024 results, North American business continues volume declines

08-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

PepsiCo’s North American snack and beverage businesses continue to slow down in its third quarter of 2024, as the company adjusts its forecast from 4% organic revenue growth for the year to low single digits amid continued pressures but beats Wall Street...

From orange juice to cocoa powder: T. Hasegawa addresses supply-chain issues with replacers

08-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

T. Hasegawa’s orange juice and cocoa powder replacers provide CPG companies with alternatives to these highly sought-after ingredients, as the flavor house focuses on research and development of alternative ways to deliver authentic taste experiences...

Recoup launches gut-friendly beverage at Sprouts, raises awareness on benefits of regen ag

07-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Recoup’s prebiotic sparkling beverages hit the shelves at 420 Sprouts Farmers Market stores nationwide, as the company leans into gut health and regenerative agriculture claims to deliver consumer demands for functional and environmental benefits....

McCormick’s mini hot sauce bottles pack outsized punch, lifting volumes & sales

02-Oct-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

McCormick & Co. is holding its own in the hot sauce category as competition heats up thanks in part to the recent launch of mini bottles of fan favorites as well as new flavors, formats and recipe mixes to encourage consumers to pour, squeeze and...

Babylife Organics rebuilds trust in baby food category with transparency, regen ag focus

01-Oct-2024 By Ryan Daily

Babylife Organics is reducing the levels of heavy metals in baby food by carefully sourcing ingredients and committing to certified regenerative organic processes while providing caregivers an easy way to check arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury levels...

California bans common food dyes in schools days after FDA, stakeholders discuss proposed systematic post-market review process for chemicals in foods

01-Oct-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Manufacturers have just over three years to reformulate packaged snacks, confections and beverages with six common – and controversial – food dyes if they want to continue selling their products in California schools.

Watch on demand: Innovating low- and no-sugar beverages that meet function & flavor

30-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers increasingly want more from their beverages – more benefits, more flavor and more fun, but they do not want more sugar nor do they want to compromise on taste, which creates a challenge for manufacturers to find the sweet spot between shoppers’...

Rä Foods rebrands frozen yogurt to grow in natural channels, sprouts go pink with Susan G. Komen

26-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Rä Foods rebranded and reformulated its line of frozen yogurts — from Mixmi to Wild About Mixmi Froyo — to appeal to consumers in the natural channel, as the company partners with the Susan G. Komen Foundation for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

Rising wellness trends: Zero-proof is ‘the next wave of beverages,’ foods for anxiety relief see ‘varied results’

20-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Zero-proof beverages are gaining market traction as health-conscious consumers moderate their alcohol consumption while many shoppers also seek out functional foods to combat stress and anxiety, market research company Circana shared in a recent webinar...

Startup Spotlight

Coffee for children? Kiid Coffee takes a functional twist on the morning cup of Joe

19-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Coffee is not just for adults thanks to Kiid Coffee, a functional beverage mix designed to help children hit their daily recommended intake of iron, magnesium, calcium and other important nutrients, the brand's co-founder David Sanborn told FoodNavigator-USA...

What is zebra striping?

18-Sep-2024 By Rachel Arthur

More than a quarter of drinkers embrace 'zebra striping', according to recent research. How can brands engage with this trend?

Gatorade mixes up portfolio with vitamin-enhanced Hydration Booster line, as water enhancer market grows

17-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Gatorade released Hydration Boosters, an electrolyte drink mix line with a “heavier lifestyle lean” than its sports-focused products, as the brand evolves its portfolio to tap into more everyday occasions, Marissa Pines, senior marketing director for...

Pumpkin spice innovation to fall for: From Oreos to Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes and everything in between

16-Sep-2024 By Gill Hyslop

As we dive into the world of new product development (NPD) in this seasonal segment, it's clear that pumpkin spice is more than just a fleeting trend.

NPD Trend Tracker: From spooky treats to Christmas sweets

16-Sep-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Discover the latest product innovations in the world of food and beverages.

ADM on the farm: Building regenerative agriculture builds business opportunities

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Regenerative agriculture is emerging as a powerful marketing concept with recent research by ingredient supplier ADM revealing most consumers familiar with the tenets are more likely to trust and buy from brands that support the practice.

Letter from the editor: How is rising demand for global flavors influencing innovation & ingredient sourcing?

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Long gone are the days when salt and pepper were sufficient seasonings for most Americans – now US consumers want bold flavors that will take their tastebuds on a global adventure, giving rise to a new class of frozen meals, sauces, spice blends and even...

‘Tajin is what sriracha was a couple of years ago,’ Imbibe flavorist on global tastes impacting RTD beverages

12-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

With more adventurous palates, consumers today are seeking a wide range of sweet and spicy flavors — and sometimes both — for their beverages, bringing more globally inspired tastes like Tajin, horchata and popular Asian fruit flavors like honeydew to...

Clean-label trends boost natural flavors, but price remains key purchase driver

12-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

CPG companies developing clean-label foods and beverages are turning to natural flavors over their artificial counterparts, while consumers might be overstating the importance of more natural additives.

Spice blend sales surge as consumers seek flavorful solutions for easy home cooking, reinventing leftovers, McCormick executives say

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Flavor exploration remains essential for consumers as they look for ways to manage their food budgets amid ongoing inflation, including by investing in herbs, spices and flavor blends that help them cook at home more and reinvent leftovers to reduce waste...

Sauces, condiments, spices bring global flavors to consumers’ kitchens

12-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Sauces, condiments and spices are offering consumers convenient ways to experiment with global flavors at home, as the seasoning category becomes one of the fastest-growing in specialty foods, driven by the rise in home cooking and the demand for bold,...

Garden variety flavors: Floral, herbaceous and root flavors grow across categories

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumer interest in better-for-you and functional benefits have them reaching for products with flavors they associate with health benefits and nature, including florals, like lavender and rose, herbs such as basil, rosemary, dill and thyme, roots like...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Reimaging how to source spices helped Burlap & Barrel meet demand for fresh flavors

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

As US consumers embrace a wider variety of seasonings to flavor their food they increasingly want to know where spices come from, their safety profile and environmental and social impact – prompting the industry stakeholders to rethink spice supply chains,...

USDA certification for meat, poultry flavors from T. Hasegawa helps meet demand for complex, authentic & clean-label options

12-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers are less willing to settle for basic flavor profiles, such as “beef” or “chicken,” and instead want increasingly complex and authentic options – like braised short rib or barbecued wings, according to flavor giant T. Hasegawa, which now can...

£9m secured by small ingredients supplier for ‘US expansion’

11-Sep-2024 By Nicholas Robinson

A family-owned natural colours, flavours and extracts business supplying global food and drink manufacture has secured a £9m investment to grow into the States.

IFF’s weight management portfolio tailors nutrition with smaller portions

10-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Ingredient supplier IFF’s portfolio reflects evolving consumer demands and emerging trends in weight management , including proprietary proteins, natural flavors and fiber solutions to support satiety, enhance taste and promote overall wellness.

SPATE: Google, TikTok uncover emerging snack trends and sensory innovations

09-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

From spicy dill pickle chips to freeze-dried Skittles, today’s top snack trends reflect a growing demand for sensory overload coupled with nostalgic comforts, according to SPATE’s trend tracker with data from Google Search ending July 31 and hashtags...

David protein bars secure $10M backing, led by CPG veterans emphasizing nutrition over diet trends

05-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Protein bar brand David’s founders, including RXBAR Co-founder Peter Rahal, attracted investors with their industry experience and an emphasis on protein as a science-backed, enduring macronutrient over fleeting diet trends, Rahal told FoodNavigator-USA

Startup Spotlight

Functional beverage startup Yesly’s viral social media posts underscore big ad budgets are not necessary for big impact

05-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Big advertising budgets are not a requirement for big sales or an indicator of how successful a marketing campaign will be as illustrated by a viral video on social media by functional beverage newcomer Yesly, which generated more than 16 million views...

Albertsons expands private label portfolio with Overjoyed, ‘first major new brand launch in over 10 years’

04-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

Albertsons is bolstering its private-label business with a new brand dedicated to celebrating special occasions, Overjoyed, as the grocery giant taps into demands for value-focused products, especially among younger shoppers.

Two Rivers Coffee and Eggo team up for strategic licensing in coffee category

03-Sep-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Two Rivers Coffee's collaboration with Eggo to launch Eggo Coffee showcases the coffee maker’s flavor innovation and strategic licensing partnerships, setting it apart in the competitive coffee market by delivering a nostalgic novelty for consumers.

From pumpkin spice to caramel apple: Unwrapping 2024’s fall LTO lineup of foods, beverages

03-Sep-2024 By Ryan Daily

With summer winding down, falls flavors — including the infamous pumpkin spice — are returning to store shelves and CPG products in coffees, cookies, yogurts and more as consumers seek new seasonal taste experiences.

September Launch Pad: Fall brings a burst of color, nostalgic flavors & back-to-school solutions

03-Sep-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The waning days of summer bring a colorful lineup of food and beverage launches featuring bold purples and blues, along with nostalgic flavors that welcome the promise of cooler weather and seasonal partnerships that celebrate traditional fall activities.

Hershey brings iconic flavors to hot cocoa mixes, readies further licensing innovation

30-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

The Hershey Company once again is expanding beyond its iconic cocoa product with its Candy Shop collection — a portfolio of hot chocolate kits based on its iconic flavors — as the company leverages licensing agreements to create new products to stay on...

The rise of 'Summerween' expects to boost confectionery sales

29-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Core holidays like Halloween are being planned for earlier by consumers who are simultaneously looking for value in their holiday preparations and a desire for extended celebrations, which gives brands an opportunity to offer more assortments, formats...

Whipnotic reveals holiday LTOs, seeks to expand use of patented nozzle technology

22-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Whipnotic is releasing two new holiday flavors of its whipped cream, as the company hits business milestones ahead of schedule with the help of its patented nozzle technology, the two co-founders shared with FoodNavigator-USA.

SmartSweets expands into video commerce with QVC partnership, expects ‘broader audience’

21-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Low-sugar gummy manufacturer SmartSweets will tap into QVC’s platform to “reach a broader audience of health-conscious” at-home shoppers and promote a new bundle exclusive to the retailer, Heidi Dorosin, Co-CEO, SmartSweets told FoodNavigator-USA.

Consumers prefer sweet over salty snacks, as healthy options ripe for innovation, IFIC finds

19-Aug-2024 By Ryan Daily

Consumers largely prefer sweet and salty snacks – in that order – as many shoppers use snacking to satisfy hunger in between meals and provide an indulgent moment, the International Food Information Council (IFIC) shared in a recent report.

Do film tie-ins boost sales?

16-Aug-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Many film studios use tie-ins with food and beverage brands to market their motion pictures. But does this drive sales for the food and beverage products themselves?

Will diabetes concerns impact sales of fruit juice?

16-Aug-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Could a recent study, linking fruit juice to diabetes, spell trouble for beverage manufacturers?

Flavors, authenticity, consumer connection to drive food & beverage

15-Aug-2024 By Deniz Ataman

From indulgent treats to non-alcoholic alternatives, consumers are craving brands that provide nostalgic flavors, better-for-you benefits and authentic brand connections - trends that are set to grow into 2025, according to several reports.