Health and nutritional ingredients

Summer Fancy Food Show

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: ‘We’ve gone past the optional phase’ -- sustainability is mandatory

18-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As noted in the opening session of the IFT FIRST conference in Chicago last week, the food that brought us together during the pandemic and which fuels us everyday is in a crisis as climate change intensifies – pushing companies to weave sustainability...

Plink! The effervescent future of functional beverages

15-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Once associated with refreshment and relaxation, the crack of a can or hiss of gas following the twist of bottle top is becoming a source of anxiety for some consumers who associate it with single-use plastic, broken recycling systems and unwanted litter.

‘Our first sparkling product has been an absolute hit…’ Wize Tea: from hunch to sparkling coffee leaf tea

14-Jul-2022 By Asia Sherman

Wize Tea is not an iced tea in the traditional sense but a ready-to-drink answer to coffee jitters and crashes that extends the growing season for coffee farmers in Nicaragua.

IFT First: Benson Hill targets plant-based meat sector with ultra-high protein soy ingredients

13-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Benson Hill is seeing surging demand for its non-GMO ultra-high protein soy flour, which is now in full-scale commercialization mode thanks to a new industrial facility and partnerships with major food manufacturers including Kellogg.

PepsiCo makes progress on regenerative agriculture and nutrition commitments

11-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

PepsiCo has made progress in a number of areas of its business around regenerative agriculture and nutrition targets under its PepsiCo Positive (pep+) plan, the company's ESG program launched last year.

5 trends from Summer Fancy Food: From veggie-enhanced non-dairy cheese to convenient baking solutions to keto-friendly snacks and booze-fueled treats

08-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Invigorating sleepy segments, tackling persistent category challenges and balancing consumer desire for taste, convenience and experience, companies at the 66th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City late last month showcased innovative solutions to...

IFT First preview

Oat milk under the microscope: Research presented at IFT analyzes the popular beverage

07-Jul-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers’ love affair with oat milk continues to drive high double-digit, year-over-year sales food scientists are exploring how they can further enhance the beverage’s most beloved attributes, including its health benefits, sustainability and shelf...

EverGrain starts commercial production of upcycled barley protein: 'The timing of us reaching scale couldn’t be better'

07-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Backed by a $100m investment from Anheuser-Busch InBev, upcycling startup EverGrain is entering into large scale production of its barley protein with a new 130,000-square-foot facility in St Louis capable of churning out 7,000 tons of protein isolate...

Could cell-free biomanufacturing unlock a new generation of rare HMOs for infant formula?

07-Jul-2022 By Elaine Watson

San Diego-based startup Debut Biotech has teamed up with Korean firm GeneChem to develop a series of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) – health-promoting carbohydrates found in human breastmilk – that have never been commercialized before, using a novel...

Probiotic L. plantarum may have beneficial anti-obesity effects, for mice at least

06-Jul-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Daily supplementation with a specific strain of Lactobacillus plantarum may help reduce body weight and a range of other measures including blood lipid levels and liver enzymes, says a new study with mice.

REGISTER TODAY: Low-and-No-Sugar Beverages: From Soda 2.0 to Flavored Waters

01-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

What will the next frontier and low- and no-sugar beverages look like? Find out during FoodNavigator-USA's free-to-attend webinar on Low- and-No-Sugar Beverages: From Soda 2.0 to Flavored Waters online event, broadcasting on Tuesday, July 26th at...

Quest and Atkins outperform the competition in active nutrition and weight management categories

01-Jul-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Simply Good Foods, parent company to Quest Nutrition and Atkins brands, registered solid net sales growth in Q3 2022 as snacking behaviors stabilized and consumers adjusted to the company's new pricing actions.

General Mills warns of tumultuous year ahead, but remains confident it can deliver

30-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While General Mills was able to roll with the punches, including spiking inflation and supply chain challenges, over the past year to deliver better than expected financial results in fiscal 2022, some wonder if the CPG giant, and its competitors, will...

From Honest to Just: Seth Goldman unveils Just Ice Tea… ‘We’ve been in conversation with numerous retailers eager to launch with us’

29-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

Barely a month after Coca-Cola announced plans to phase out HONEST Tea, co-founder Seth Goldman, who sold the organic tea brand to Coca-Cola in 2011, says he plans to launch in a few months a new line of bottled organic teas under the ‘Just Ice Tea’ brand.

Conagra opens new facility to support Birds Eye brand and frozen meals business

29-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Conagra Brands has opened a new 245,000-square-foot 'state-of-the-art' vegetable and rice processing facility to support its growing frozen foods business and national Birds Eye brand.

Majority of CBD products tested in study found to have at least some THC

29-Jun-2022 By Hank Schultz

A new study that sampled dozens of commercially available CBD products found detectable THC levels in 64% of them. Some levels were high enough to approach therapeutic thresholds or to potentially trigger drug test failures.

JellaTech hits tech milestone with production of cell-cultured type 1 collagen

29-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

Raleigh-based startup Jellatech has hit a key milestone with the development of a full length, triple helical and functional native collagen (type 1) produced by its proprietary cell lines, which will initially be targeted at the biopharma and biomedical...

New survey provides snapshot of menopause experience

28-Jun-2022 By Danielle Masterson

With more than one billion women expected to have entered menopause worldwide by 2025, Bonafide is highlighting the need to increase education on preparing, managing, and addressing solutions for menopause symptoms.

Summer Fancy Food Show

Packaging innovations help wake up sleepy categories by adding fun, convenience

28-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

By leveraging packaging innovations that increase fun and flavor while decreasing mess and monotony, startups at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York this month are waking up sleepy categories, expanding their segments’ traditional user bases and standing...

'I think cacao water is the new coconut water': Blue Stripes sees mainstream future for cacao fruit

27-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Blue Stripes has recently unleashed a broad line of cacao-based products made from underutilized and wasted parts of the cacao fruit to Whole Foods stores nationwide and will be launching its star product -- cacao water -- next month, which founder Oded...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Roquette adds rice protein to plant-based protein ingredient toolbox

24-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Plant-based ingredient supplier Roquette is launching two new gluten-free rice proteins to tap into new market opportunities in the areas of special diet foods, sports nutrition, and snacks.

Elevated ketchup, global barbecue, and ranch reimagined... Whole Foods reveals summer condiment trends

22-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

From new takes on ranch to elevated ketchup and mustard products, Whole Foods Market's Trends Council revealed which condiments will be appearing on more picnic and barbecue plates this summer.

Chobani uses Roblox to tap into new Gen Z and Y audiences: 'We need to be where the people are,' says CMO

22-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Chobani has crossed into the metaverse through the online gaming platform Roblox where it's targeting a new generation of consumers with its oatmilk portfolio helping to transition its identity from a yogurt brand to broader food company, says Chobani...

Diet disconnect? US adults overestimate quality of their diet, research says

21-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

US adults struggle and often overestimate the quality of their diet, according to recent research from the USDA's Agricultural Research Service.

General Mills holds firm in face of recession threat: ‘It’s not really a time to pull back’

21-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While some industry players are reining in spending to build-up reserves in case of a recession, General Mills is taking the opposite tack – choosing to double down on investments and explore acquisitions that could help it stay ahead of the competition...

Kemin enters hemp-CBD space with Luxiva distillates range

15-Jun-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Iowa-based Kemin is expanding its portfolio to introduce a range of USDA-certified organic, traceable, U.S.-grown hemp CBD distillates for use in health and wellness products.

Sweet Earth Foods expands frozen foods lineup: 'People lean towards plant-based versions of the flavorful and comforting recipes they love'

14-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nestlé USA-owned Sweet Earth Foods is expanding its plant-based entrée bowls line to meet growing consumer demand for flavor, convenience, and plant-based nutrition within the frozen foods aisle.

Tim Tebow joins NuSkool Snacks as low-sugar, plant-based bar category gains steam

14-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

NFL free agent player and ESPN broadcaster Tim Tebow is joining the ranks of low-sugar, plant-based nutrition bar company NuSkool Snacks, a move founder and CEO Joe Christensen believes will help the brand secure new accounts and distribution.

Online sales drop by $1bn from April to May 2022 fueling migration towards mass channel shopping

13-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Total online grocery sales dropped on a monthly basis to $7.1bn in May 2022 (down from $8.1bn in April 2022), but are still slightly above (+1.7%) the same period last year, according to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey, which...

Upcycling protein tech co Apparo seeks partner to commercialize ‘highly functional’ sunflower protein isolates

12-Jun-2022 By Elaine Watson

Minnesota-based startup Apparo – which developed technology now being deployed by AB InBev on a commercial scale to extract highly functional barley protein from brewer’s spent grains – has turned its attention to another upcycled protein it reckons could...

Study finds higher DHA cuts Alzheimer’s risk in half in elderly cohort

10-Jun-2022 By Hank Schultz

A new study has found that higher levels of DHA can lower the overall risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, which the authors say could potentially help save billions of dollars in health care costs.

Yolélé Foods ramps up fonio production to meet building market demand

09-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

When co-founders Philip Teverow and Pierre Thiam first launched Yolélé Foods and its flagship product fonio, a West African ancient grain, the lack of consumer awareness was the brand's biggest challenge. Now roughly four years later, the brand is...

Danone supports microbiome research ‘critical’ for future innovation

09-Jun-2022 By Katy Askew

Danone marked a ‘decade of commitment’ to exploring the link between human health and the microbiome through its latest Fellowship Grant Program. We caught up with Dr Miguel Freitas, VP of Scientific Affairs, to find out more about what we’ve learnt over...

General Mills invests $3m to advance regenerative agriculture practices

08-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

General Mills and Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) are working together on a multi-year plan to scale and expand a program, called Eco-Harvest, which rewards farmers for beneficial outcomes of regenerative agricultural practices.

CDC report raises red flag over big increase in melatonin poisoning reports

07-Jun-2022 By Hank Schultz

A new report from the Centers of Disease Control has found that annual number of pediatric ingestions of melatonin reported to poison control centers increased 530% from 2012 to 2021.

Review looks at variety of sodium reduction strategies available to the food industry

07-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

US adults are advised to consume no more than 2,300mg of salt per day (the equivalent of 1 teaspoon), according to 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines, an amount that is easy to surpass thanks to the high levels of sodium in many processed and packaged food,...

Barry Callebaut: Mindful indulgence fuels next wave of chocolate consumption

06-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers are taking a more mindful approach when it comes to chocolate consumption by balancing their cravings for indulgence with a growing interest in various better-for-you attributes whether it be health related or environmental, says global chocolate...

General Mills revamps its innovation strategy to leverage tiger teams to find, quickly seize opportunities

06-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even as General Mills adopts an ‘always on’ approach to mergers & acquisitions, it remains dedicated to driving organic growth through innovation by deploying elite tiger teams to identify consumer problems and then develop and test solutions-oriented...

'Fresher, cleaner granola bar'... Mooski enters refrigerated bar space with chilled oat bar line

03-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

San Diego-based Mooski is carving out a niche spot for itself in the emerging refrigerated bar space with a chilled oat bar line which offers consumers a fresher, cleaner version of the traditional granola bar, says founder Robert Broome.

Health concerns drive plant-based meat and dairy consumption, Euromonitor survey finds

02-Jun-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

What is driving consumers to eat plant-based meat and dairy alternatives? According to Euromonitor International's 2022 Voice of the Industry survey, a desire to feel healthier and avoid long-term health risks are ahead of environmental and animal...

USDA investments to ‘transform’ food system could shift power between large, established players and small, mid-sized challengers

02-Jun-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Announcing the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars across the supply chain, the US Department of Agriculture says it hopes to rebalance the food system’s historic focus on efficiency with much-needed resiliency so that the country is better...

Vitamin D food fortification works better with water and milk than in juice: study

01-Jun-2022 By Oliver Morrison

By measuring the maximum concentration over time, Danish researchers found bioavailability of vitamin D to be higher in milk and water.

What feedstocks will fuel the next wave of microbial fermentation? High-protein ‘mycelium flour’ startup Hyfé Foods turns to ‘goldmine’ in waste water…

31-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Growing food from microbes – whether it’s meat alternatives or high-intensity sweeteners - is more efficient and in many cases more sustainable than raising animals or growing crops. But if we want to build a truly circular economy, says Hyfé Foods co-founder...

Hershey eyes opportunities in snacking: 'We have ambitions to become a snacking powerhouse'

31-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While its legacy may be in chocolate, The Hershey Company's portfolio of snacks has grown by leaps and bounds over the last several years, positioning the company as a growing snacking powerhouse, says Todd M. Scott, manager, corporate brand &...

Firmenich and DSM merger creates ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing

31-May-2022 By Katy Askew

Firmenich and DSM have revealed plans to merge the two companies in a move that they believe will create an ‘unparalleled’ leader in nutrition, beauty and wellbeing.

New BODYARMOR CEO on J-Lo, taking on 800lb gorillas, and the ‘separate but connected’ strategy with Coca-Cola

24-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Gatorade is the undisputed leader in sports drinks, says the new CEO of BODYARMOR, which recently overtook Powerade to capture the #2 slot in the category. But after four years at Chobani, challenger brand extraordinaire, Federico Muyshondt knows a thing...

Antibiotics for UTIs disrupt microbiome, lead to recurrent infections

24-May-2022 By Danielle Masterson

The findings highlight the importance of finding alternatives to antibiotics for treating UTIs.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Fast-growing popularity of medicinal mushrooms spurs innovation

23-May-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

They may not be magic, but mushrooms – at least medicinal ones – are having a moment as consumer demand for functional benefits, such as clarity, calm, digestive support and enhanced immunity, are driving discovery and sales of the versatile, easy-to-you...

Superbrewed Food secures self-affirmed GRAS status for 'postbiotic cultured protein,' expects first product launches in 2023

20-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Superbrewed Food has secured self-affirmed GRAS status for a new whole food, non-GMO ingredient - marketed as a ‘postbiotic cultured protein’ – that founder Dr Bryan Tracy is billing as “the most nutrient dense protein source on the planet,” with 80%+...

How are companies using canola protein? In conversation with Merit Functional Foods

19-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

A new entrant to the burgeoning plant-based protein arena, canola protein can improve the taste, texture, and nutrition of everything from protein bars to plant-based ice cream, says Merit Functional Foods, which recently opened a facility in Manitoba...