Fruit, vegetable, nut ingredients

IFT FIRST 2024

Marine Biologics dives into macroalgae functionality with ingredient platform

26-Jul-2024 By Ryan Daily

France-based food-tech company Marine Biologics will launch its first microalgae-based prototype in September, leveraging its ingredient discovery platform that searches for functional properties in seaweed to create sought-after food and beverage ingredients,...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Cooking up diverse flavors and textures in the pasta category

09-Jul-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Pasta is evolving to fit consumer preferences for convenient and accessible cooking at home, while creating improved taste, texture and packaging, according to category players showcasing at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City last month.

Summer Fancy Food Show

Soup-to-Nuts Podcast: Bold flavors, complementary pairings and easy customization emerge as top trends at the Summer Fancy Food Show

01-Jul-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

At the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City last week, health claims were downplayed and flavor came first – for real – followed by personalization with more brands offering consumers ways to dial up or down the heat, tang, funk and other characteristics...

Future Food Tech Alternative Protein Summit

50/50 Foods targets flexitarians with Both Burgers featuring half beef, half veggies

28-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

50/50 Foods' Both Burgers with a 50/50 beef and veggie blend target flexitarians who love meat but want more plants, while also addressing water scarcity caused by traditional agriculture, according to CEO Drew Arentowicz at the Future Food Tech...

Future Food Tech Alternatives Proteins

Startup Uncracked is unlocking seaweeds’ clean-label potential with proprietary SeaStack technology

28-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers seeking clean labels historically have given a pass to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives, even though they have long lists of unfamiliar or difficult to pronounce ingredients, but that may be changing as the category’s health halo dims...

How gut health and GLP-1s are reshaping food innovation

27-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

While protein, fiber and low-carb options dominate the market, new diet drugs and consumer preferences are pushing the food industry to innovate for a future focused on gut health and targeted nutrition, one industry player said.

Beyond sugar, salt, fat: Rethinking ultra-processed foods and reform

27-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans Advisory Committee is considering how the industry should approach ultra processed foods (UPFs) – including nomenclature and infrastructure.

Startup Spotlight

Crunchy Hydration finds sweet success by skipping sugar and its low-, no-calorie counterparts, underscoring consumer demand for flavorful but not sweet options

27-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The early retail success of functional beverage startup Crunchy Hydration shows sugar – or its low- and no-calorie counterparts – are not a necessary ingredient for success in a category that is laden with sweeteners used to mask the sometimes bitter...

Summer Fancy Food Show

Startup CPG offers entrepreneurs essential tools for building a packaged food business

25-Jun-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Building a packaged food or beverage business from scratch can be expensive and overwhelming for entrepreneurs, but Startup CPG is making it a little easier with a suite of free tools, extensive networking opportunities and a safe space for founders to...

Purely Elizabeth debuts ad campaign, reflects YoY sales growth

21-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Granola and breakfast brand Purely Elizabeth premiered its large-scale advertising campaign around wholesome nutrition last month following a 56% sales growth rate YoY during its first quarter, the company’s CEO and Founder, Elizabeth Stein, told FoodNavigator-USA.

SAUZ seeks to re-awaken the pasta sauce category with a Gen Z focus

19-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

SAUZ’s pasta sauces, made with premium ingredients and natural flavors, are designed by founders Troy Bonde and Winston Alfieri to bring flavor and convenience to consumers’ kitchens, while disrupting a stagnant category, they told FoodNavigator-USA.

Flashfood releases 2023 impact report, highlighting Meijer SNAP EBT success story

14-Jun-2024 By Ryan Daily

Flashfood diverted 37 million pounds of food from landfills and saved consumers more than $93 million on food, including $13 million in fresh produces, the technology provider said in its recently published 2023 impact report.

'We are genuinely looking for technology': Investment drivers in plant-based meat and dairy

13-Jun-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

The future of plant-based hangs in the balance. There are still investors who want in; but what are they looking for?

Milk made from black-eyed peas? New alt dairy overshadows competitors on protein

10-Jun-2024 By Flora Southey

A new base for alternative dairy has been developed with protein content front-of-mind.

Do vegetable crisps deserve their health halo?

06-Jun-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Colourful and classy vegetable crisps are often sought after as a ‘better-for-you’ alternative to ordinary crisps. But how accurate is this perception?

Mushroom product formulators urged to ‘patent now’

06-Jun-2024 By Olivia Haslam

With mushroom supplement popularity building, experts urged product developers to ‘just start patenting’ if they want to stay in the race.

Schwan’s Company invests in manufacturing facility to expand Asian food category

05-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

U.S.–based Schwan’s Company and CJ Foods, its South Korea-based subsidiary, purchased a 142-acre site in Sioux Falls, S.D., for its 700,000 square-foot production facility to support its Korean food brand, bibigo, using modernized automated production...

New genetically engineered potato could be a gamechanger for snacks

05-Jun-2024 By Gill Hyslop

The Kal91.3 potato can be stored in cool temperatures for long periods of time and produce healthier potato chips.

Navigating pesticide use in produce: Diverse approaches from industry leaders

04-Jun-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Despite the prevalence of pesticide use in farming, recent research from Consumer Reports has raised health concerns and sparked conversations about the varying practices in pesticide management within the industry, while indoor farming companies like...

Startup Spotlight

Insights from a solopreneur: How bayjoo’s founder navigates the RTD landscape

30-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

While bayjoo’s founder Ana Bautista Lee embarked on the solopreneur path to bring bayjoo, a traditional Caribbean beverage, to the United States, she relies on a vast network of other founders and experts to help her navigate the competitive and complex...

Cibo Vita stays ahead in ‘smart snacking’ with scientific backing, cutting-edge tech

30-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

A self-declared leader in the “smart snacking movement,” Cibo Vita stays ahead of the competition in an increasing saturated category by developing products with “more scientific backing,” adding functional benefits to popular categories without them...

CVS’s expanded, rebranded private label snack line blends functional, fun & flavor

30-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

CVS is putting the ‘fun’ in functional food with the launch of more than 40 snacks, beverages and grocery items with trendy flavors and ingredients consumers want, including probiotics, fiber, protein and superfoods like turmeric and goji berries under...

How Mariani Packing Co. aligns with healthy snacking trend, launches two products

30-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Mariani Packing Co.’s portfolio of dried fruits aligns with the ever-expanding food as medicine movement where nutrition and functionality meet.

Has the plant-based trend peaked?

30-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The plant-based trend has been on the up and up in recent years. But has it finally peaked and, if yes, can the plant-based industry do anything to prevent a decline?

Future Food Tech

Tapping into the $2b+ mycelium market to improve alternative protein innovation

29-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Mycelium has a long history in food, but its potential for today’s consumer packaged foods (CPG) industry highlights the need for increased R&D in resourceful and responsible food production that helps address the challenges of a growing global population...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How can brands become more than a trending flavor?

24-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Confectionery and snack brands can stay head of the curve by offering layered flavors and textures inspired from other food and beverage categories, tapping into nostalgic tastes and international cuisines that consumers gravitate towards, Alice Mintz,...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

More than protein: How meat snacks are redefining convenience and nutrition

21-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

With more than 40 meat snack brands exhibiting during the Sweets & Snacks Expo, the protein-packed and portable food category is surging in popularity due to its alignment with consumers seeking convenient, satiating snacks to replace meals on-the-go.

Sweets & Snacks Expo

How are gummy brands setting themselves apart in a saturated category?

20-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

While intense sour and bold fruity flavors have helped brands carve out a space in the crowded gummy category, brands look towards variety mixes and cross-brand partnerships to attract ongoing retailer and consumer attention, according to several segment...

Sweets & Snacks Expo

Sweets and snacks defend sales as interest in GLP-1 medications rise by expanding better-for-you indulgent products

20-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Rivalz’s stuffed, vegan snacks could deliver the satiety effects of GLP-1 medications and meets USDA guidelines for healthy snacks distributed in schools thanks to patented extrusion technology that creates vegan fillings packed with protein and fiber,...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Organic advocates ask legislators for funding, market data and research support as Farm Bill negotiations continue

20-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

More than 100 organic industry stakeholders converged on Capitol Hill in Washington last week to lobby for increased funding, continuous improvement for certification standards, access to additional market data and improved coordination for research and...

Building loyalty: Heritage Grocers Group's approach to the Hispanic market

16-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Heritage Grocers Group operates 115 locations across four banners in six states, “adjusting to the local customer needs” of the Hispanic market by offering affordable groceries, including prepared and fresh foods, Adam Salgado, the group’s chief marketing...

Organic Trade Association's Organic Week Summit

Organic sales ‘bounce back to a higher growth rate’ to reach nearly $70bn in 2023

16-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

New data from the Organic Trade Association shows organic sales “bouncing back” after a post-pandemic and inflation-induced slowdown in incremental grown in recent years, with research from SPINS suggesting the products best positioned to seize this growth...

Almond growers buck the trend: Good news for food and beverage manufacturers

16-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

With reported ingredient shortages and price rises across the food and beverage industry, it appears the almond industry is bucking the trend, with prices at an 'all-time-low' with supply exceeding demand.

Feeling the squeeze? How juice brands are dealing with an orange shortage

14-May-2024 By Rachel Arthur

The world’s top orange production regions are struggling: putting pressure on the global supply of oranges for the juice industry. Beverage brands are finding innovative ways to deal with high costs and shortages.

Bobo’s Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite blends existing flavors into new product

14-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Better-for-you oat bar brand Bobo's develop its new Strawberry Lemonade Oat Bite flavor by leveraging existing favorites, like Strawberry Stuff'd and Lemon Poppyseed, with innovation accelerated by its state-of-the-art bakery completed in 2022.

Why is the price of tea going up?

14-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Like many other commodities, tea is increasing in price. This is due to instability: instability in the climate and instability in the world of geopolitics.

NPD Trend Tracker: From plant-based ice-cream to gluten-free fast food

13-May-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

On our NPD Trend Tracker this week, we have a range of new products from big brands; new flavours from Kettle Chips, plant-based thighs from This, plant-based ice cream from Flora Professional, and a gluten free range from Leon. We also have a collaboration...

Voyage Foods CEO on where brand goes after $52m raise: 'Retail products were always really a steppingstone'

10-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Food-tech company Voyage Foods raised $52m in its Series A+ funding round to grow its ingredient business as it prepares to open a second facility later this year.

Beyond the jingle: How brands are reaching consumers with authenticity and quality

08-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Bush’s Baked Beans, Clif Bar and SkinnyPop are building brand loyalty through multi-channel marketing that highlight each brand’s voice and commitment to values that resonate with their target audience.

McCormick releases first red-cap SKU in nearly five years with Crushed Jalapeño Pepper

07-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

McCormick is expanding its red-cap line of spices and herbs with the release of Crushed Jalapeño Pepper next month, as the company capitalizes on a recent rebrand, Giovanna DiLegge, the company’s VP of marketing, North America consumer, told FoodNavigator-USA....

Sorghum’s inclusion in WIC program reflects ‘changing cultural makeup’ in U.S.

07-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Sorghum’s addition to USDA’s finalized updates to the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) is a win for the nutrient-rich grain in contributing towards “global foodways,” Lanier Dabruzzi, director of nutrition and...

From the environment to AI: Disruptive forces in the food and beverage industry

03-May-2024 By Donna Eastlake

The past decade has seen seismic shifts in the economic, environmental, political and technological landscapes. But how are these and other influences affecting the food and beverage industry?

Kraft Heinz sales, volume slip after emergency SNAP benefits were slashed, but executives remain optimistic for full year results

02-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Kraft Heinz executives are optimistic that the company will hit its full year financial goals despite a rocky start to the year in which organic sales and overall volumes dropped, due in part to a one-two punch of higher prices and less government support...

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Plant-based 3.0: Industry insiders share strategies for pushing alternative proteins forward

29-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

After a challenging few years in which falling sales and units dragged plant-based protein into the trough of disillusionment, stakeholders are finding ways up the other side of the Gartner Hype Cycle by leveraging emerging technologies, novel ingredients...

Finding the most accurate way to measure the environmental impact of coffee

29-Apr-2024 By Rachel Arthur

A new scientific review offers recommendations on how to measure the environmental impact of coffee – with the hope of also standardizing how this is done in the future.

USDA caps added sugar in school meals, but pulls back on sodium, milk restrictions

25-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

In nutrition guidelines published in the Federal Register April 25, the US Department of Agriculture for the first time capped added sugar in school meals, but pulled back on proposed restrictions for sodium, milk and refined grains that school nutrition...

USDA announces partnerships to improve food access nationwide, globally

23-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

To expand nutrition access in underserved communities, USDA partners with Reinvestment Fund to improve local food financing programs in 20 states and Washington and partners with US Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide emergency food...

Natural Products Expo West

How are alternative protein players finding solutions for consumers, retailers?

23-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

While alternative protein sales and units declined notably in recent years, players cite improved food science, commercial scale, production and navigation of retailer expectations during the Natural Products Expo West event last month.

Natural Products Expo West

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Functional beverages trends from gut health to energy to low-sugar & high-protein

22-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Consumers increasingly are weary of “drinking empty calories,” and are instead looking for less sugar and more functional benefits from their beverages – be it enhanced hydration, gut-health support, mood and mental health management or permissible indulgence...

FDA requests $7.2bn for FY2025 to unify Human Foods Program, strengthen data infrastructure

22-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

FDA’s total request of $7.2bn for FY 2025, an increase of $341m from the FY 2024 numbers, “will allow the agency to continue to leverage new and emerging technologies,” and unite the Human Foods Program under “a single line of authority,” FDA Commissioner...