Food safety and labeling

Consumers seek transparency online and in-store: FMI and Label Insight study

26-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A majority (81%) of consumers say transparency is ‘important’ or ‘extremely important’ to them when shopping online and in-store, according to a new report by The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Chicago-based Label Insight.

FDA moves to keep coronavirus fears from interrupting ingredients trade

25-Jun-2020 By Hank Schultz

The US Food and Drug Administration says it will move actively to prevent the worldwide trade in dietary ingredients, food ingredients and whole foods from being restricted because of misplaced coronavirus infection concerns.

Food allergy consumers represent large untapped market opportunity: FARE study

22-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

US consumers managing food allergies spend more than $19bn annually on specialty food products free of the top nine food allergens, according to results of a two-year consumer study released by FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), the largest...

Norway squashes speculation that salmon was source of fresh Covid wave in China

17-Jun-2020 By Oliver Morrison

Norway’s seafood industry has hit back after China halted imports from European salmon suppliers after a new wave of coronavirus at a Beijing market was said to have entered the city via salmon.

Stress prevention replaces weight management as top health concern, creating marketing opportunity

16-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

For the first time in a decade, weight management is no longer America’s top health concern as anxiety and stress prevention and treatment rise to the No. 1 position of a long list of health conditions with which households are grappling, according to...

Label Insight report shows millions of dollars in missed opportunity for brands selling online

15-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Despite online grocery taking off in recent months, CPG brands may be leaving millions of dollars of missed revenue on the table by not highlighting key product attributes when they present their brands online, according to a report by Label Insight.

New directions at Nestlé as it explores sale of North American water brands

12-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nestlé said it is exploring the potential sale of the majority of its Nestlé Waters North America unit, which includes regional spring water brands (Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ice Mountain, Ozarka, Poland Spring, and Zephyrhills), its purified water business,...

CBD firms team up with CRO to conduct large scale safety study

10-Jun-2020 By Hank Schultz

A group of hemp/CBD purveyors have teamed up with a clinical research firm to conduct a large scale study to provide the safety data that the US Food and Drug Administration says it lacks.

Investing in the Future of Food: Patent protection is an essential first step ahead of fundraising

10-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The high cost and opaque process of securing patents can be daunting for cash-strapped startups, but the CEO of the home hydroponic growing system GroPod advises entrepreneurs not give into the temptation to skip or delay this step until after fundraising.

Acosta: Consumers mixed on when grocery shopping will return to post-pandemic normalcy

01-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While many states emerge from several weeks of shelter-in-place mandates and businesses begin to reopen, many consumers feel their usual shopping behaviors won’t return to “normal” for some time, an Acosta report revealed.

Gerber CEO: New single-material IncrediPouch is “designed for the future of recycling”

01-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

With last Friday’s launch of the first-of-its-kind, single-material baby food pouch, Gerber is one step closer to its ambitious goal to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 without compromising the convenience and safety that parents...

FDA grants temporary labeling flexibility for non-allergen minor ingredients

22-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

With many food manufacturers experiencing difficulties in sourcing some ingredients during the pandemic, the FDA is allowing temporary flexibility in food labeling requirements enabling them to make minor formulation changes without updating labels, provided...

Consumer concern for employee wellbeing impacts perception of food safety, access, research shows

21-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

As news continues to break about more workers at grocery stores and meat and poultry packing plants contracting coronavirus, consumer concern about employee health and their access to food and beverage during the pandemic is on the rise again after a...

Will online shopping be the norm post-coronavirus? Not entirely, say Brick Meets Click and Symphony Retail AI

15-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The number of US households who reported shopping online for groceries rose dramatically in March when the pandemic hit, and stayed consistently high for the month of April, reveals new data from Brick Meets Click.

OTA asks USDA for funding flexibility, remote inspections and increased enforcement during pandemic

15-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Organic Trade Association is calling on the US Department of Agriculture to help ease mounting pressure on the organic supply chain posed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic by increasing flexibility for inspections and the disbursement of funds related...