Flavors and colors

Flavor Flash: T. Hasegawa highlights dairy trends for 2023

13-Dec-2022 By Asia Sherman

Dairy should focus on reclaiming its functional food identity and infusing excitement through flavor innovation, according to experts from food and beverage flavor company T. Hasegawa.

Danone’s International Delight creamer targets next generation of coffee drinkers with whimsical, nostalgic flavors and partnerships

13-Dec-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Danone North America, the maker of International Delight creamers, wants to entice the next generation of coffee drinkers who are just establishing their daily rituals with a line-up of flavors launching this holiday season and throughout the new year...

SPECIAL REPORT: FDA doubles down on titanium dioxide safety as CSPI raises concerns; Skittles lawsuits dismissed

12-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

While the European Commission recently banned the use of titanium dioxide (TiO2) in foods in the EU, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has just warned consumers to avoid it, the FDA tells us it has reviewed the scientific opinion...

Novozymes, Chr. Hansen merger: ‘The combination…will show the world the true power of biosolutions’

12-Dec-2022 By Katy Askew

Danish enzyme and cultures suppliers Novozymes and Chr. Hansen plan to merge their businesses in a move they say will create a ‘leading global biosolutions partner’.

Bel Brands, Perfect Day launch animal-free cream cheese to expand exposure, appeal of dairy alternatives to mainstream shoppers

09-Dec-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While the alternative cheese market remains relatively small and the focus of a niche consumer-base of vegan and lactose-intolerant consumers, a partnership between cheesemaker Bel Brands USA and animal-free dairy protein innovator Perfect Day seeks to...

Impossible Foods EU patent revoked; US IP dispute with Motif FoodWorks ramps up: 'If Impossible wins, it means no one else can experiment with heme in the plant-based industry.'

07-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

Motif FoodWorks has filed a suite of new petitions with the US Patent and Trademark Office challenging US patents held by Impossible Foods over the use of heme proteins in meat alternatives as it defends itself against accusations of IP infringement....

STARTUP NATION PART ONE: Israeli food startups to watch, from a flavor revolution with solid state fermentation to boozy shelf-stable creams

06-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

It's got a population of under nine million, but in the food innovation stakes, Israel punches way above its weight. FoodNavigator-USA headed to Tel Aviv for the Food Tech IL annual innovation event organized by The Strauss Group’s The Kitchen FoodTech...

Firmenich’s flavor of the year for 2023 is… dragon fruit: ‘Light, refreshing, sweet, and delicious…’

05-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

Dragon fruit is making the shift from niche to mainstream, says flavors giant Firmenich, which has selected the fruit as its flavor of the year for 2023 after it exhibited “one of the fastest growth rates of any ingredient we’ve tracked in recent years.”

Amai Proteins finalizing initial closing of $100m round as it gears up for launch of ‘designer’ sweet protein in 2023

02-Dec-2022 By Elaine Watson

Israeli food tech startup Amai Proteins is finalizing the initial closing of a $100m funding round as it gears up to launch its first product next year: a designer sweet protein up to 3,000 times sweeter than sugar with a clean taste and excellent heat...

Talking sustainability and food colors with GNT: ‘Of course, natural does not automatically mean sustainable…’

30-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

From breeding carrots with greater color intensity to using filtration to increase dry matter content in fruit concentrates before deploying energy-intensive evaporation techniques, coloring foodstuffs specialist GNT is exploring a multi-pronged approach...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Emerging flavor trends cater to comfort, nostalgia & whimsy

28-Nov-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The stressful one-two punch of pandemic lockdowns followed by runaway inflation has many consumers looking for comfort and escapism from their food and beverages, which industry leaders say is driving demand for new flavor combinations that are nostalgic,...

WATCH: Next-gen biomanufacturing… from lower-cost feedstocks for precision fermentation to ‘cell-free’ approaches

28-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

Biomanufacturing everything from ‘animal-free’ dairy and egg proteins and high-intensity natural sweeteners to heat-and pH-stable red pigments is a hot topic in food tech. But which microbes will be the production workhorses in future, will new cell-free...

From ube to gulab jamun... Gen Z and Millennials embrace 'diverse, unusual flavors' in desserts and confections

22-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Moving on from the comfort and nostalgic flavors that grounded consumers during the pandemic, consumer interest in more diverse and unexpected flavors within dessert categories is on the rise, according to consumer research from T. Hasegawa.

‘We want to move snacks from candy to food…’ Torr FoodTech raises $12m to form snack bars using compression and ultrasonic waves instead of sugary binders

21-Nov-2022 By Elaine Watson

Torr FoodTech - an Israeli startup deploying an intriguing new approach to creating snack bars by deploying pressure and ultrasonic energy instead of sugary binders to ‘weld’ natural ingredients together - has raised $12m in a series A round as it expands...

Poppilu acquired by Juicy Juice and SUNNYD parent company to fuel growth of better-for-you kids lemonade category

15-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Chicago-based kids lemonade brand Poppilu has been acquired by American Beverage Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Harvest Hill Beverage Company (makers of Juicy Juice and SUNNYD), to build upon the brand's success of establishing the kids...

Zevia gains household penetration while riding out temporary inventory management issues

14-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Zevia continues to gain new shoppers, increasing the brand's household penetration (+1.3 million households in Q3 2022 vs. Q3 2021) while the company sorts through temporary inventory management issues that have dented its full 2022 year outlook.

Blue and beyond: GNT gains FDA approval for use of spirulina extract in beverages

14-Nov-2022 By Rachel Arthur

GNT has secured US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for the use of spirulina extract in beverages: offering a clean label way of delivering not only vibrant blue shades but also an associated palette of navy blues and violets.

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: How are US eating patterns evolving and what opportunities are emerging?

14-Nov-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Between Americans’ hectic on-the-go lifestyles pre-COVID, the pandemic prompting everyone to hit pause followed by hybrid work schedules, inflation rates at 40-year highs, and increased expectations that food not only nourish the body but also the soul,...

Monster takes share in energy drink segment while Bang Energy sees double-digit sales declines

07-Nov-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As Bang Energy battles its way through costly bankruptcy proceedings, Monster Energy saw its share and sales increase as consumers embrace its portfolio of energy drink brands.

Motif FoodWorks suffers setback in IP row with Impossible Foods over heme proteins, but remains ‘confident in our legal position’

27-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Motif FoodWorks has suffered a setback in its dispute with Impossible Foods over meaty-tasting heme proteins in meat alternatives after the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) rejected its request for an inter partes review of the patent at the center...

If biomanufacturing is the next industrial revolution, what does that mean for food ingredients?

27-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Will a large percentage of flavors, colors and sweeteners be made in bioreactors by 2050 or are the costs and challenges associated with precision fermentation technology such that it only makes sense to produce a handful of high-value ingredients in...

Coca-Cola prioritizes offering more value to consumers: ‘We're not chasing the competitors. We're chasing the consumers and the retailers,’ says CEO

26-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Still battling a challenging global economic environment, Coca-Cola said it is laser-focused on delivering increased value to its consumers by introducing products at more affordable price points, said chairman and CEO James Quincey on the company's...

ENTREPRENEURS TO WATCH: From high-protein fermented grains to packaging from agri-residues, meet the 45 startups handpicked by FoodBytes! by Rabobank in 2022

25-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The 45 startups selected to participate in the FoodBytes! By Rabobank food and ag innovation program in 2022 provide a neat snapshot into trending topics in food and agriculture, from personalized nutrition and upcycling to robotics and farm biologics.

Reinventing chocolate milk: Triple digit growth for Slate Milk, an 'all natural strength' brand

24-Oct-2022 By Asia Sherman

Three years after its “no deal” television appearance on Shark Tank, Slate Milk has raised over $5m in seed money and continues to expand its shelf-stable ultra-filtered, high-protein, lactose-free chocolate milk footprint.

Plant-based cheese by numbers: Small declines in dollars and units overall, but big variations within category

24-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

SPINS data shared with FoodNavigator-USA ahead of our Futureproofing the Food System virtual summit (Nov 15-17) shows a mixed picture for US retail sales of plant-based cheese, with overall dollar sales down -2.3% to $218.94m and unit sales down -3.6%...

What’s the future of meat? Join Beyond Meat, Air Protein, Meati Foods, Orbillion Bio and the GFI at Futureproofing the Food System

21-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The long-term imperative behind reducing our reliance on animal agriculture seems fairly compelling: The planet can’t sustain it. But with less engaged consumers dipping in and then out of the meat alternatives category as budgets tighten, and a subsegment...

Starbucks to sell Seattle's Best Coffee to Nestlé: 'This is a great day for coffee lovers around the world'

20-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Starbucks plans to sell the Seattle’s Best Coffee brand to Nestlé to allow both companies to focus on their core strengths within their respective coffee portfolios.

Willow Biosciences bids for slice of astaxanthin market with precision fermentation tech breakthrough

18-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Willow Biosciences – one of a clutch of biotech firms producing cannabinoids via biosynthesis rather than extraction – has started strain optimization and process development for commercial production of astaxanthin from yeast using a downstream processing...

How Givaudan is re-thinking sugar reduction: ‘Holistic profiling is not about replacing the sugar experience’

11-Oct-2022 By Katy Askew

Givaudan has developed a ‘radical approach’ that it says can assist efforts to reduce the amount of sugar in products: ‘holistic profiling’. FoodNavigator hears more about how this new technique represents a departure from conventional approaches to cutting...

IRVINS salted egg chips gains steam in US: 'Asian snack aisles are one of the highest-growing segments'

11-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Singaporean snack brand IRVINS is broadening its reach into the US snacking category with its salted egg chips and salted egg salmon skins, which have become some of the most popular snacks across Southeast Asia.

Sweeteners from citrus? Researchers find sweetness-enhancing compounds from citrus cultivars

10-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Researchers at the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) have found eight new sweetness-enhancing compounds in 11 citrus cultivars that could offer improved palatability and lower sugar content in food and beverage...

‘Love wheat again…’ Revival Einkorn launches mission to make ‘easy to digest’ ancient grain a household name

10-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Revival Einkorn – a new organic consumer brand dedicated to einkorn, a protein-packed ancient wheat variety with a gluten profile billed as ‘easier on the gut’ than modern wheat – is making its debut direct to consumer and in the pasta aisle at natural...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From food as medicine to sustainable packaging – trendspotting at Expo East

10-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Natural Products Expo East may not be as big as its West Coast counterpart, but the 18,500 registered attendees and more than 1,200 exhibitors who convened in Philadelphia earlier this month for the annual conference were just as enthusiastic and the...

FDA to host webinar to discuss proposed changes to the ‘healthy’ definition

07-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The FDA will host a stakeholder webinar on October 21 (1pm ET) to provide an overview of its proposed rule to update the definition of the nutrient content claim ‘healthy,' which for the first time restricts the amount of added sugar firms can include...

SlimFast unveils new packaging, ads, intermittent fasting line, to ‘position the brand for a return to growth in 2023’

05-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

As the brand name suggests, none too subtly, SlimFast is a brand you tend to think of when you want to lose weight, fast. But in a food culture where ‘wellness’ is in, ‘dieting’ is out, and even the word ‘slimming’ can make you sound like an ‘80s throwback,...

Introducing the FoodNavigator-USA digital summit: Futureproofing the Food System Nov 15-17

01-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The western diet – and the food system that underpins it – is becoming increasingly unsustainable, for the health of humans and the planet. So how do we futureproof the food system to deliver healthier, more sustainable products that nourish our bodies...

NotCo to launch NotChicken at Sprouts nationwide, unveil first fruits of Kraft Heinz JV, by year end

28-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Santiago-based NotCo - which claims to offer superior products in the alt meat set through the use of an artificial intelligence platform called ‘Giuseppe’ - is gearing up to enter the increasingly crowded US plant-based chicken category with NotChicken,...

Vanilla Vida scouts US locations as it expands high-tech vanilla cultivation operation

26-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Vanilla Vida – an Israeli startup addressing the huge mismatch between supply and demand in the natural vanilla market – is exploring locations in the US as it ramps up its indoor growing platform for vanilla planifolia plants with significantly higher...

SPECIAL REPORT: Bioengineered food labeling: ‘They kind of shot in the middle and missed every constituency’

23-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Advocates arguing for greater transparency about the use of GMOs in food scored a minor victory this month after a district court told USDA to re-work the digital disclosure portions of the bioengineered food labeling law, which came into effect in January....

From 'Coffeetok' influencers to 'textured' cold coffee drinks, fourth wave coffee is here, says Mintel: 'Expect to see more brands take a less serious approach to coffee'

22-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The US coffee market is now entering its fourth wave driven by Gen Z's 'easy-going' approach to coffee and surging demand for at-home specialty coffee drinks, according to Mintel.

Aura Bora closes Series A funding round to fuel national expansion into the mainstream sparkling water set

21-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Aura Bora has closed a Series A funding round led by Siddhi Capital bringing its total fundraising efforts to over $10m since launching in 2019.

BakeryandSnacks.com webinar: How is the clean label megatrend impacting the snacks market?

20-Sep-2022 By Gill Hyslop

For most snack producers, clean label means familiar ingredients perceived as wholesome and natural, and a short ingredients list. But today, clean also means green, highlighting opportunities for ingredients and products that can deliver on that ‘better...

Kraft Heinz is ready to move beyond ‘good’ to ‘great,’ which ‘is a very different game’

16-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

After previous plans to boost Kraft Heinz’s profit margins and add value by aggressively cutting costs and practicing zero-based budgeting went awry and caused the company’s stock and consumer trust to plummet, Miguel Patricio was focused on the basics...

Where’s the smart money going in food tech? From precision nutrition to enabling tech for alt meat, dairy. In conversation with PeakBridge

14-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Where’s the smart money in food tech? Tackling food waste? Precision nutrition? Cell-cultured meat? And where can investors have the biggest impact on human and planetary health… and make a return? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Nadav Berger and Yoni...

Coca-Cola confident 2 years after reorganization despite ‘all the inflationary weirdness’

13-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Coca-Cola Co.’s decision early in the pandemic to dramatically restructure, including consolidating 17 business units into nine, laying off thousands of employees and discontinuing a slew of SKUs, may have appeared “slightly quick off the middle,”...

Japanese BBQ sauce brand’s fast growth attracts $13m buy in from prominent investment firm

08-Sep-2022 By Hank Schultz

A Japanese-style sauce brand with a history of personal connection with customers has parlayed that authenticity into a $13m cash infusion in a funding round led by a prominent consumer brands investment firm.

Gatorade debuts Fast Twitch, the 'go-to energy drink option designed for athletes'

02-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Gatorade is preparing for a massive 2023 rollout of energy drink brand Fast Twitch, designed for athletic performance with 200mg of caffeine, B vitamins, and electrolytes.

When does it make sense to make natural ingredients in a fermentation tank vs a field? Kalsec teams up with Infinome Biosciences

30-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Kalsec - a global producer of spice and herb extracts – has just teamed up with Infinome Biosciences to develop multiple ingredients via precision fermentation. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Kalsec EVP of global R&D and chief innovation officer...

Heyday Canning Co: Ex Clif Bar, Sweet Earth execs aim to disrupt ‘tired’ canned food category

29-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Offering great value for money and some sustainability bona fides (low food waste/easy recycling), the canned food aisle has obvious attractions, especially if you're on a tight budget. But it’s not exactly the place you go to discover exciting new...

Dairy grown in lettuce? Meet the start-up triggering protein, pigment, and aroma production in a greenhouse

23-Aug-2022 By Flora Southey

Israeli start-up Pigmentum is producing biomolecules for the food industry in transgenic plants. Co-founder Tal Lutzky explains how the technology works, which hurdles stand in the way of commercialisation, and whether consumers are willing to drink ‘lettuce...