Health and nutritional ingredients

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...

Tomorrow Farms debuts animal-free flavored milk brand Bored Cow with Perfect Day: 'Animal-free is the future of this category'

19-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Fresh off of a $10.5m funding round, Tomorrow Farms is debuting is first product and brand -- Bored Cow -- which uses Perfect Day's animal-free whey protein to recreate a cow-free version of flavored milk, giving consumers the nutrition and functionality...

NotCo dips into foodservice with test launch at select Shake Shack locations

18-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

NotCo, a foodtech startup that uses patented AI technology to produce plant-based versions of traditional animal products, has partnered with fast food chain Shake Shack on a test launch of a plant-based chocolate custard and milk shake.

Nuritas establishes US HQ to support growth of AI-powered bioactive peptide discovery platform targeting everything from blood glucose management to wrinkle-reduction

17-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Nuritas – a Dublin-based biotech firm deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to identify bioactive peptides in plants that could impact everything from blood glucose management to skin aging – is setting up its US headquarters in Connecticut to support...

The Real Good Food Company on path to 'robust long-term growth'

16-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Real Good Food Company, which makes lower carb, higher protein, gluten- and grain-free versions of frozen comfort foods, has exceeded growth expectations and raised its guidance for the full year.

Study: Do vegetarian diets impact growth outcomes for kids?

13-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Children following vegetarian diets have similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets, but are more likely to be underweight, according to a new study from researchers in Toronto.

Vita Coco co-founder: 'The overall coconut water category continues to show robust growth'

12-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Vita Coco now commands a 50% share of the coconut water category and has grown household penetration of its brand to 11%, a strong indicator that consumer demand for coconut water remains elevated with plenty more runway, said Vita Coco co-founder and...

SpoonfulONE enters Walgreens stores nationwide expanding access to early allergen introduction

12-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

SpoonfulONE, a line of nutritional products that introduces babies to 16 food allergens at the beginning of their feeding journey, has expanded distribution to nearly 5,000 Walgreens stores nationwide helping make early allergen introduction a common...

Solnul potato prebiotic gains ‘upcycling’ certification

11-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

MSP Starch Products Inc., makers of the branded ingredient Solnul Resistant Potato Starch, said the offering has been certified by the Upcycled Foods Association (UFA).

PepsiCo sees oat genome unlocking gains for nutrition and sustainability: 'The mighty oat can play a big role in nutrition'

11-May-2022 By Katy Askew

PepsiCo is working alongside academia and other partners to develop our understanding of the oat genome for use in open-source applications. The company believes this can unlock gains in the fields of health and sustainability.

Future Farm CEO says future is still bright for plant-based meat: 'We have to take responsibility for developing this category'

11-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Brazilian plant-based meat firm Future Farm is steadily making inroads into the crowded plant-based meat category in the US, where CEO Alexandre Ruberti still sees runway for growth.

Consumers struggle with grocery shortages and rising price of goods, report finds

10-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

While many consumers report struggling with product shortages and delays in online orders along with mounting concerns over inflation, demand for groceries “tends to be relatively inelastic,” according to Morning Consult, which has just surveyed 1,000...

Radicle Science highlights findings from large CBD study

09-May-2022 By Danielle Masterson

The company collected data directly from thousands of participants in their real world environment.

Monster Energy sees strong demand for energy drinks while anticipating ongoing supply chain challenges

09-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Monster Energy reported a strong increase in net sales for Q1 2022 as it steadily works to stabilize its business against rising supply chain costs, but remains bullish on the market and consumer demand for its energy drinks portfolio.

Brightseed closes $68M financing to accelerate A.I. discoveries and launch own ingredients

09-May-2022 By Stephen Daniells

AI-phytonutrient pioneer Brightseed has announced $68 million in Series B funding to enable the company to accelerate its tech-based discoveries and launch novel ingredients for food, beverage, and supplements.

Study shows humans innately base food choices on specific micronutrients

05-May-2022 By Danielle Masterson

New research suggests humans are more sophisticated in their food choices than previously thought, and have "nutritional wisdom," whereby foods are selected in part to meet vitamin and mineral needs.

Mars exec talks innovation: 'We're at a fascinating moment, where we will be creating the next relevant portfolio for consumers'

05-May-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As a 100+-year-old company of some of the most well-known CPG brands, Mars Inc. sees innovation as the driving force behind the company's next chapter of growth and the key to maintaining consumer relevancy.

FDA slams Delta-8 THC sellers over claims

04-May-2022 By Hank Schultz

FDA came down hard on purveyors of Delta-8 THC and CBD products that were making disease claims on the substances. The Agency also reiterated the reasons it believes Delta-8 is not a suitable ingredient for products marketed as supplements.

Smallfood targets alt seafood market with ‘wholefood’ marine organism combining high quality protein, omega-3 EPA+DHA, and seafood flavor

03-May-2022 By Elaine Watson

Halifax-based Smallfood is targeting the alternative seafood market with a novel marine-based whole food ingredient high in protein “with an amino acid profile similar to beef” and meaningful levels of the coveted long-chain omega-3 fatty acids EPA and...

News in brief

FDA has no objections for GRAS status of BeniCaros carrot-derived immune ingredient

27-Apr-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Netherlands-based NutriLeads has received a letter of no objection from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regarding the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status of its upcycled immune health ingredient, BeniCaros.

Blueberries show cognitive benefits in study

25-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

A new study has suggested that whole blueberry powder provided cognitive benefits in older individuals with insulin resistance and a heightened risk of future dementia.

‘Proudly genetically modified…’ Moolec ‘molecular farming’ co gears up to launch meat proteins from GM crops

25-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Moolec Science – which has developed a ‘molecular farming’ platform to produce plants that express animal proteins – is developing genetically engineered peas and beans containing bovine and porcine proteins that it claims can improve the taste, texture,...

Potential review of ‘ultra-processed food’ by dietary guideline committee could portend trouble for packaged food industry

22-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Undefined and increasingly under fire for allegedly delivering low nutrition but high calories, so-called ultra-processed food could be under the microscope during the next review of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, slated for publication in 2025.

Kerry’s new liquid BC30 to expand into plant-based milks and more

21-Apr-2022 By Stephen Daniells

With an ever-expanding portfolio, Kerry Taste & Nutrition is looking to expand its ingredients into new formats, with its new liquid BC30 probiotic giving opportunities in plant-based milks and liquid milk.

IFIC: More Americans seek pro- and prebiotics, but confusion about sources abounds

20-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

More Americans are trying to consume probiotics and prebiotics than a year ago, but many are confused about the best sources for each and the relationship between them, fermentation and strain-specificity – hindering their goals, according to new data...

General Mills: 'Regenerative agriculture is the most promising solution to reach our climate goals'

20-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As the largest natural and organic packaged food company in the US*, General Mills has the scale and resources to drive positive change in the food system through its work in regenerative agriculture, sustainable ingredient sourcing, and nutrition access....

Guayusa extract shows trend toward better results in trial using Fortnite video game

19-Apr-2022 By Hank Schultz

A branded guayusa extract showed a trend toward better gameplay on the Fortnite video game in a controlled trial. But the study pointed to the difficulty in translating a product’s demonstrated biochemical effects into results in the complex format of...

Could sunflower protein join the plant-based protein major league? It ‘checks all the boxes’ says Burcon

15-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Sunflower is the world’s third largest oilseed crop behind soy and canola, so why isn’t it a major player in the plant-based protein arena?

Misfits Market launches private label line: 'It's clear shoppers are looking for new ways to save'

14-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Direct-to-consumer online grocer Misfits Market has launched its own private label offering of 'Odds & Ends' pantry staples specifically designed to address certain supply chain inefficiencies around sourcing, food waste, and elevated pricing,...

ADM makes $300m investment to expand alternative protein production capabilities

14-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

ADM has made a $300m investment to expand existing production capabilities of its soy protein concentrate and open a new protein innovation center in Decatur, Illinois.

WATCH: Gut health soda, plant-based, and regenerative agriculture... Trendspotting with PRESENCE

13-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With 33 years operating in the natural foods industry, national food broker PRESENCE has seen many trends come and go and others grow into long-term growth drivers for the industry.

Private label returns to solid single-digit growth while outpacing national brands, reports PLMA

08-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

After experiencing unprecedented double-digit growth in 2020 fueled by pandemic shopping behaviors, private label brands grew by a more modest 1% for the full-year 2021, but have gathered steam again in the Q1 2022 registering 6.5% sales growth compared...

Almost 80% of endurance athletes use supplements: Survey

08-Apr-2022 By Stephen Daniells

Dietary supplement use is very high among endurance athletes, with older athletes using the products, says a new study that suggests opportunity to develop age-specific products for this population.

Four emerging plant proteins to watch: Pongamia, hemp, barley, and chickpea

08-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

Hemp, barley, chickpeas, and Pongamia (a.k.a. ‘vertical soy’) are four plant-based proteins to watch in the next decade, according to panelists at FoodNavigator-USA's recent ‘Plant-based protein in focus’ webinar, who predicted advances in crop breeding...

Beyond Meat expands presence in drugstore channel, entering 2,000 Rite Aid Stores

07-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Beyond Meat is rolling out its Beyond Burger and Beyond Meatballs products at approximately 2,000 Rite Aid stores nationwide as the company aims to expand its presence across all retail channels including drugstores.

Feeding the gut microbiome webinar: ‘I look at products that say ‘contains probiotics’ and I'd say the vast majority of the time, they're incorrectly named'

06-Apr-2022 By Elaine Watson

The terms ‘prebiotic’ and ‘probiotic’ are appearing on a growing number of food & beverage brands, while another term – ‘postbiotic’ – is also starting to emerge. But food marketers should do their homework before slapping these terms on their wares,...

Mondelēz SnackFutures VP talks future of snacking: 'I think COVID shocked our systems in a lot of ways'

06-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Snacking behaviors evolved in a few key ways over the past few years as consumers balanced familiarity with health and wellness and are now looking to expand and diversify their snacking routines, says Brigette Wolf, VP, global head of SnackFutures at...

KeHE ‘golden ticket’ winners reveal hot trends retailers and consumers want

06-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

In a highly competitive industry in which 80-85% of new products fail in the first two years, natural grocery distributor KeHE consistently picks winners and fosters growth among emerging brands thanks to several key initiatives, including its TrendFinder...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From stress reducing to exercising boosting -- 4 opportunities for functional beverages

04-Apr-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Ongoing strain from the pandemic and increasing financial pressure related to rising inflation are causing consumers to reprioritize their health and wellness goals, and by extension their food and beverage purchases, according to new research from the...

Tracking Instacart's growth: 'Grocery delivery has shifted from a nice perk... to a convenience that is worth the cost of use'

01-Apr-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Adoption of grocery e-commerce and delivery continues to increase even as the pandemic has lapped its two-year mark and foot traffic at grocery stores has picked back up, noted 1010 data which tracked the growth of Instacart over the past two years (2019-2021).

MycoTechnology raises $85m in series E to expand mycelium-fueled platform

31-Mar-2022 By Elaine Watson

Colorado-based MycoTechnology – which is building a functional ingredients platform utilizing mycelium, the filament-like roots of mushrooms - has raised $85m in a series E* round (taking its total funding to $200m) that will help it expand its portfolio...

OCA brings simpler, cleaner alternative to energy drink category: 'What drives me the most is to make a change in the category'

30-Mar-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Led by a PepsiCo alum turned beverage entrepreneur, OCA is carving out a spot for itself in the growing 'clean' energy drink category with a simple ingredient deck which includes 120mg of caffeine from green coffee extract.