Meat, fish and savory ingredients

Impossible Foods launches direct-to-consumer site and rolls out to hundreds more retail stores this month

05-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Impossible Foods has launched an e-commerce site to make its plant-based burgers available to all US consumers in the lower 48 states, offering free, two-day shipping of larger, family-sized quantities of the Impossible Burger.

KIND Foundation’s Frontline Impact Project is 'still live and in need of support'

04-Jun-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As stay-at-home restrictions ease across the US and Americans attempt to return to a post-pandemic normal way of life, the crisis and nationwide aid initiatives such as the Frontline Impact Project are far from over.

FreshRealm develops new 'high-quality, low-effort' ready-to-cook meals with restaurant chains, retailers

03-Jun-2020 By Elaine Watson

While many Americans have cooked more than ever in recent weeks, with some picking up new skills, demand for fresh ready-to-heat and ready-to-cook meals that require minimal effort has never been higher, says the founder of FreshRealm, which has teamed...

Investing in the Future of Food: NextGenChef connects ‘foodpreneurs’ with mentors, consumers online

03-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

No longer able to rely on conferences, in-store demos or serendipitous meetings to raise awareness of a new business or product, entrepreneurs increasing are connecting with each other, mentors and consumers through subscription-based online platforms...

Brands' support of anti-racism movement balances business benefits, risks

03-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Many food and beverage companies are joining the fight against racism in America by temporarily pausing sales, using their voices and positions to raise awareness of systemic racism in the US, donating profits and pulling advertising from platforms that...

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.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How do fad diets & personalized nutrition influence the obesity epidemic?

01-Jun-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Even before the threat of the “quarantine 15” – or the idea that some Americans are at risk of packing on 15 pounds during the pandemic due to stress-baking, mindless snacking and reduced physical activity – the rate of obesity in America has been stubbornly...

Japanese cell cultured meat co IntegriCulture raises $7.4m, aims to commercialize foie gras in 2021

27-May-2020 By Elaine Watson

Tokyo-based cell-cultured meat company IntegriCulture has raised JPY 800m (US$ 7.4m) in a Series A round that will help it advance its mission of ‘democratizing cellular agriculture’ and build a production facility to take slaughter-free foie gras to...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Plant-based foods outpace total food sales during pandemic, PBFA and SPINS data shows

26-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

New data from the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA) and SPINS shows that US retail sales of plant-based meat, cheese, tofu, and tempeh outpaced total food retail sales for the 16 weeks ending April 19, 2020.

E-commerce expert: “This is a great entry time for new and small brands to flourish on Amazon”

26-May-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The uneven impact of the coronavirus on sales of food and beverage brands of different sizes has created an opportunity for smaller and emerging companies to drive consumer awareness by advertising on Amazon at a scale that previously would not have been...

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...

Walmart leads in online grocery during coronavirus, but will it last post-pandemic?

22-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Nearly a quarter (24%) of consumers have taken their grocery shopping online in the months of March and April 2020 compared to 6% in 2019 highlighting the need for retailers to provide a seamless shopper experience between in-store, pickup, and delivery...

Hormel Foods continues to invest in flagship brands, anticipates $80m-$100m in supply chain disruption costs this year

21-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Hormel Foods saw organic net sales increase 20% for its grocery products (SPAM, SKIPPY, Hormel chili, and Hormel Compleats microwave meals) and registered a 12% rise in net sales for Jennie-O Turkey products offsetting a decline in foodservice sales in...

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...

Walmart sees e-commerce sales jump 74% in Q1 2021, discontinues Jet.com

19-May-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Walmart US e-commerce sales grew 74% in the first quarter (13 weeks to May 1), driven by strong demand for its expanded grocery pickup and delivery services offered during the COVID-19 pandemic.