Food safety and labeling

Retailers, brands must rethink refrigeration & freezing to meet consumer demand for fresh

20-Feb-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Increasing consumer demand for fresh products, including new chilled alternatives to shelf-stable staples such as nutrition bars and baby food, is creating a logistical nightmare for some retailers and manufactures in need of more flexible refrigeration...

Adaptogens, CBD and nootropics rise as consumers consider their emotional & mental well-being

07-Feb-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

More products boasting the energy-managing, cognitive-enhancing and mood-moderating effects of adaptogens, CBD and nootropics will break out in 2018 as consumers continue to seek holistic and preventive ways to manage their mental health, according to...

Coconut water maker Harmless Harvest raises $30 million to support its ‘ecosystem-based ambition’

06-Feb-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

An infusion of $30 million into Harmless Harvest’s coffers by strategic investors who believe in “constructive capitalism” will help the refrigerated coconut water manufacturer expand production and distribution in a way that also benefits the Thai communities...

Guiding Stars’ updated algorithm considers new Nutrition Facts panel, artificial colors & omega-3s

01-Feb-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than 1,600 foods and beverages evaluated by the Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program will lose stars and roughly 1,400 items will gain stars as of Feb. 1 when the program updates how it assesses the nutritional quality of products to better reflect...

Tribe seeks to fill void in hummus category with a “clean” reformulation & new branding

30-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

The current rollout of national hummus brand Tribe’s new packaging featuring more white space, simplistic designs and fewer claims reflects the manufacturer’s recent commitment to clean label, including a reformulation to remove artificial ingredients,...

Consumers increasingly reward sustainable companies, punish those that are not socially responsible

25-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumer demand for products that are healthier for them is quickly expanding to include those that also are better for the environment – creating new opportunities for companies that strive to be more sustainable and barriers for those that do not, according...

5 strategies that set ‘genius’ digital marketers apart from the pack

24-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Inspiring consumers through beautiful Pinterest posts, delicious recipes, heart-warming blog posts and viral videos can help build brand awareness, but the most effective digital marketers also make each experience easily shoppable, according to new research...

Knowing when and who to ask for help allowed Phyter Foods to quickly expand nationally

15-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

Most food and beverage startups dream of expanding from a local brand serving only a handful of stores to one that is nationally distributed to hundreds or thousands of retailers, but the logistics of getting there can be a nightmare if not carefully...

USDA proposes modernizing food safety in egg plants

12-Jan-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

The US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA-FSIS) is proposing to modernize food safety inspection systems at egg products plants.

STEC O157 outbreak sickens 66 and kills two in US and Canada

11-Jan-2018 By Joseph James Whitworth

Canadian authorities have declared a Shiga toxin-producing E. coli O157:H7 (STEC) outbreak over while US officials are continuing to investigate.

TINE changes label after Facebook campaign to "Best before, but not bad after"

09-Jan-2018 By Jim Cornall

Last week, Norwegian dairy company TINE took to social media to ask consumers of its products for their input on how best before dates should be worded.

New 'high pressure certified' seal to hit stores in the next 90 days

09-Jan-2018 By Elaine Watson

Does the world need another packaging seal? Real estate on most food labels is limited, acknowledge the backers of the new ‘High Pressure Certified’ seal, but an independently-verified logo will help ensure the integrity of high pressure processing (HPP)...

Popchips’ Galaxy Puffs sales outpace other Star Wars products by going beyond images on the bag

02-Jan-2018 By Elizabeth Crawford

By going “beyond a typical licensing deal” that only places popular movie characters on packaging to include thematic custom shapes in the bag, shareable 4-ounce pouches of popchips’ Star Wars themed Galaxy Puffs’ are out-stripping the dollar velocity...

OTA promises to fight USDA decision to withdrawal popular organic animal welfare final rule

18-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

To the “dismay” of the Organic Trade Association and against the vast majority of comments submitted by industry, the USDA proposes to withdraw a final rule outlining new animal welfare standards for organic producers that was passed in the 11th hour...

News in Brief

Mérieux NutriSciences acquires majority stake in Colombian lab

18-Dec-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Mérieux NutriSciences has acquired a majority stake in a Colombian microbiology and chemistry testing lab to strengthen its presence in South America.

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: Challenges in complementary feeding reveal opportunities for baby food

15-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

The baby food aisle is undergoing a renaissance with new packaging, processing and flavor combinations aimed at presenting better-for-you options that promise to help children grow up healthy – and yet, childhood obesity remains a huge problem in the...

Happy Family’s new CEO will stay the course to grow in baby food & adjacent categories

13-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

When Anne Laraway takes the reins of the fastest growing baby food brand in the country in January as the new CEO of Happy Family Organics, she plans to expand its reach into new markets with new products while remaining “laser focused on our mission...

E. coli O157 sickens 21 in Canada with link to romaine lettuce

13-Dec-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

More than 20 cases of E. coli O157 have been linked to romaine lettuce in Canada.

Nutritional rating systems encourage healthier choices and boost retailer revenues, study finds

07-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

On-shelf nutritional rating systems, such as Guiding Stars, not only help consumers make healthier purchases, but they can boost retail sales by encouraging larger baskets with more expensive items, according to new research.

Best-in-show chocolate packages embrace minimalism as reflection of clean label movement

04-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

In an ironic twist, consumer desire for cleaner nutrition labels is extending to their preferences for minimalist packaging that is free-from the certification logos and claims that call attention to simpler, easy-to-understand ingredient decks as illustrated...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: HarvestPlus reveals business opportunities in combating hidden hunger

01-Dec-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Hidden hunger due to malnutrition can have devastating consequences not only for those who suffer from it, but also on the economy – prompting governments to seek help in a way that is creating business opportunities for innovators with solutions.

News in Brief

USDA NIFA funds food safety projects

01-Dec-2017 By Staff Reporter

A US Department of Agriculture (USDA) institute is to fund projects on food safety.

Almost half of seafood samples mislabelled

Oceana Canada highlights scale of seafood fraud

30-Nov-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Almost half of seafood samples tested by Oceana Canada in Ottawa were found to be mislabelled.

Smart Flour Foods helps clean up the frozen snack aisle with better-for-you twist on classic pizza roll

29-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers no longer have to trade nutrition for convenience when shopping the frozen snack aisle thanks to innovative companies, such as Smart Flour Foods, that are revamping classic comfort foods with cleaner ingredient decks that also deliver on taste...

eBev 2017

Perrier appeals to experience-seeking consumers with interactive branding: Kinetic Worldwide

28-Nov-2017 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The majority of millennials (72%) seek experiences over material objects: motivating beverage brands like Perrier to test out-of-home, multi-sensory marketing to effectively target a mobile generation of consumers, says CEO of Kinetic Worldwide North...

Consumers will seek comfort and escape through food to balance economic, political uncertainty in 2018

21-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Next year, Americans will seek food that comforts them and helps them escape from reality as the unpredictable political climate, wobbly economy and emotionally draining natural disasters that impacted so many in 2017 continue to create a sense of uncertainty,...

‘Needed’: FDA issues draft guidance for best practices for GRAS panels

20-Nov-2017 By Stephen Daniells

Hailed by experts as ‘needed’ and ‘significant’, the US Food and Drug Administration has issued draft guidance on best practices to follow when convening a panel of experts to evaluate whether a substance is “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS).

The new marketing playbook acknowledges consumers are in control of brands’ fate

20-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

The days of pushing out a refined, tightly controlled marketing message without listening to what consumers want to know are long over, and brands that want to make it in the modern world must listen first, according to a top marketing professional with...

Organic industry fights back against USDA delay of animal welfare rule

13-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Against the vast majority of stakeholders’ wishes, the US Department of Agriculture once again is delaying the widely supported Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices because the department believes the final rule oversteps Congress’ mandate ‘for the...

Avocado producers from Mexico discredit ‘America first’ rhetoric around NAFTA renegotiations

09-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

As the process of renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement continues to sour under the current US Administration’s ‘protectionist war’ that emphasizes ‘America first,’ stakeholders for Mexican Avocados are trying to smooth tensions by highlighting...

Plus update on other US and Canada outbreak investigations

Salmonella outbreaks from Mexican papayas ends

08-Nov-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

The investigation into Salmonella illnesses from a variety of serotypes linked to papayas from Mexico has been closed by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Frozen finally gains traction after years of struggling by playing up convenience, Acosta reveals

07-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

After giving the frozen section the cold shoulder for years, consumers’ attitudes towards the category could be thawing out as manufacturers and retailers better tell the segment’s story around convenience, clean label and food waste reduction, new research...

Enjoy Life revamps packaging to emphasize allergy-friendly branding, mainstream appeal

02-Nov-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Bold new packaging, streamlined branding and even cleaner ingredient decks will boost the appeal of Enjoy Life’s snacks and baking mixes to its core allergy-suffering consumer-base as well as more mainstream shoppers, a company spokeswoman predicts.

Barilla’s new Ready Pasta pouches help consumers overcome hurdles to get dinner on the table fast

30-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Pasta is often passed over by consumers who perceive it as having ‘too many carbs,’ or not being nutritionally dense or simply taking too long to prepare – but Barilla is making it a snap to make as part of a healthy meal with its new Ready Pasta pouches.

Sofina Foods linked to Salmonella outbreak

20-Oct-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Sofina Foods Inc. has issued a recall after being linked to an outbreak in six Canadian provinces.

Strong compliance with gluten-free labeling could free FDA to focus more on cross contamination risk

18-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Encouraged by positive early compliance rates with the ‘game-changing’ gluten-free labeling standard that went into effect in mid-2014, FDA could now focus its attention on reducing the risk of cross contact with gluten-containing foods and ingredients,...

‘Revolutionary’ platform from maker of Love With Food offers agile alternative to focus groups

11-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

From the makers of the better-for-you snack subscription box Love With Food, which builds brand awareness and gathers consumer feedback for finished products, comes a new product testing and insights platform that promises to do what traditional focus...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Cook County board votes 15-1 to repeal sugary drink tax

11-Oct-2017 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Cook County Board of Commissioner’s Finance Committee has voted 15-1 to repeal the county’s sweetened beverage tax, effective Dec. 1, 2017.

Latin American ‘value’ shoppers split on higher quality vs. larger quantity

10-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

High inflation in many Latin American countries is pushing consumers to shop based on value, but whether they define this as higher quality or larger quantity varies on their age, goals and specific country, according to recent research from Nielsen....

Canada links another Salmonella outbreak to raw breaded chicken

03-Oct-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Canada is investigating its third Salmonella outbreak linked to frozen raw breaded chicken in the last three years.

Manufacturers must take ‘balanced’ approach to fortification & supplementation for nutrient shortfalls

02-Oct-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

In America we tend to think more is better, but when it comes to solving the rising problem of malnutrition or hidden hunger – fortifying foods with higher levels of vitamins and minerals or creating supplements with nutrient levels that far exceed the...

Sealed Air and Alchemy Systems to address supply chain risks

27-Sep-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Sealed Air and Alchemy Systems are to work together in Latin America and North America.

NAFTA talks a chance to create joint risk assessment body

18-Sep-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

With NAFTA renegotiation talks ongoing it is a critical time for a conversation on protecting and improving the supply chain, according to two think tanks.

Imports and FSMA driving demand from Latin America - Hygiena

04-Sep-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Hygiena has expanded distribution operations in Latin America with a permanent base in Mexico City.

More than 200 sickened by Salmonella from Mexican papayas

04-Sep-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

The outbreak of Salmonella in the US linked to imported papayas has passed 200 cases.

USDA to provide user with new information on recalls

01-Sep-2017 By staff reporter

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has updated a mobile application to provide users with new information on recalls.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: The rise and potential of high pressure processing for fresh, clean products

01-Sep-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

In general, talking about how a food or beverage is processed is not a way to win the hearts, minds and money of today’s consumers, who increasingly want products that are fresh, made with clean ingredients and as close to their natural state as possible. 

Research round-up: NASA, active packaging and dormant pathogens

28-Aug-2017 By Joseph James Whitworth

Summer is almost over and it is back to the research lab – we take a look at what research has been done in the last month.

As organic gains prominence, shoppers increasingly seek lower cost and higher value

21-Aug-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Rising sales and household penetration of organic is a double-edged sword for the industry in the US as more Americans have started looking for lower prices, bulk packaging and easier access through direct to consumer channels, according to purchasing...

Soup-to-Nuts podcast: The opportunities & challenges of consumers' return to home kitchens

18-Aug-2017 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite continued pressure from the on-the-go lifestyles that dominate today’s culture and have fueled the rise of convenience foods, packaged snacks and quick service restaurants, new research shows many consumers are beginning to shun these options...