Food safety and labeling

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Unicorn brands are radically different, dedicated to design & ‘a little weird’

17-Jan-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The consumer-packaged goods industry is undergoing a “cataclysmic transformation,” according to one branding expert, who explained that a new crop of entrepreneurs who are unfettered by outdated taboos and not intimidated by industry giants are challenging...

New CEO at Label Insight: 'When people shop online today, they're searching attribute first, not product first'

07-Jan-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Former global president of Catalina, Todd Morris, has taken over as CEO of Chicago-based Label Insight seeking to fix the 'broken' online consumer shopping experience.

White Leaf Provisions seeks to give parents 'peace of mind' with regenerative agriculture commitment

03-Jan-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Baby food made using biodynamic and regenerative agriculture practices is becoming increasingly important to US consumers as parents become more aware, and wary, of things that don't make it onto product labels such as glyphosate residue.

Can big brands survive the next 10 years? It depends on whether they can evolve with consumers

11-Dec-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

While iconic brands currently are losing the tug-of-war with niche startups for consumer engagement and spending, how they continue to play the game in the next ten years will dictate whether they regain ground or become obsolete, according to senior...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Nielsen: Which sustainability attributes matter most to consumers?

03-Dec-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers are increasingly factoring in a product's sustainability attributes into their purchasing behavior and 73% of consumers surveyed by Nielsen say they are willing to change their consumption habits to reduce their environmental impact.

60-second Interview

Children’s products & plant-based foods primed for innovation, predicts Kraft Heinz sensory testing tech

26-Nov-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Given that the success of most food and beverage launches hinge on taste, but that consumer preferences for flavors, textures and overall experience are constantly shifting, sensory testing has become a lynch-pin in the innovation cycle.

Presence Marketing talks CBD and hemp: 'We need a few things to happen before CBD can realize its destiny'

25-Nov-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Presence Marketing, the largest independent natural and organic food broker in the US, sees CBD as a massive "bankable trend" for the broader CPG industry with products such as tinctures and supplements - which consumers perceive to be more...

FOOD FOR KIDS: From heavy metals to pesticide residues... What does clean label mean in food for babies and young children?

02-Nov-2019 By Elaine Watson

Clean label used to mean avoiding anything ‘artificial’ on your ingredients list. Today, many consumers want brands to address things that don’t appear on the label, from heavy metals to pesticide residues, especially in food for their kids.

Survey: A rising generation of food consumers embrace new food technologies

01-Nov-2019 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As new food technologies emerge, such as cell-cultured meat and new fermentation-based ingredients, younger generations such as Gen Z and millennials are more open and quicker to embrace these new advancements, according to a consumer perception survey...

The Real MEAT Act 2019: Plant-based brands should use term 'imitation' meat

29-Oct-2019 By Elaine Watson

A federal bill that would require plant-based and cell-cultured meat products to be labeled as ‘imitation’ meat has been welcomed by beef producers and slammed by plant-based meat advocates, as the row over terminology in the burgeoning space heats up.

Mississippi adds to regulatory tangle with warning on CBD products

28-Oct-2019 By Hank Schultz

Mississippi state officials have issued a blanket warning to consumers about the dangers of all CBD products sold in the state.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Is the low-FODMAP diet the next big trend?

25-Oct-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than 45 million Americans suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome – the same number who use online dating apps and have student loans – only unlike people looking for love or struggling with debt, those suffering from gastrointestinal discomfort predominately...

NPA says poll confirms consumers’ desire for CBD regulations

22-Oct-2019 By Hank Schultz

A new poll shows many consumers would stop using CBD products if they knew FDA has not yet set regulations around them. The poll was commissioned by the Natural Products Association.

ACSI: Customer satisfaction with food, soft drinks hold steady despite some headwinds

22-Oct-2019 By Elizabeth Crawford

Customer satisfaction in grocery food and beverages continues to outrank that of most other consumer good segments, but a slight reshuffling among the most trusted brands underscores a broader shift in shopper preferences from the once all-powerful national...

Plastic tea bags release microplastics into brew, says study

30-Sep-2019 By Rachel Arthur

Plastic tea bags can release billions of microplastic and nanoplastic particles into a cup of tea, according to Canadian researchers. But while the scientists say some brands have shifted to plastic tea bags instead of paper ones, the industry counters...