Meat, fish and savory ingredients

Startup Spotlight

Blackbird Foods launches crowdfunding campaign, explores plant-based opportunity in school lunches

17-May-2024 By Ryan Daily

Plant-based comfort food brand Blackbird Foods launched a crowdfunding campaign on Start Engine to grow its business, including a bigger push into school lunch programs, company CEO Emanuel Storch told FoodNavigator-USA in a Startup Spotlight interview....

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...

What is next for alternative proteins? Strategies for engaging with consumers, enhancing nutrition and moving beyond nuggets, patties and sausage

10-May-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

The FoodNavigator-USA team is heading to Chicago next month to Future Food-Tech’s Alternative Proteins summit, where we will help lead discussions around overcoming obstacles facing plant-based and cultivated meat and seafood and help identify areas of...

Umami Bioworks, Shiok Meats merge to scale cultivated seafood production

09-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Umami Bioworks and Shiok Meats merge to accelerate the development of sustainable seafood solutions to “provide consumers with mercury-free, nutritious and culturally relevant seafood alternatives, thereby contributing to the regeneration of marine ecosystems,”...

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?

Choppy! blends animal, plant-based ingredients to bridge alternative protein taste gap

01-May-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Choppy!, an alternative meat brand that combines textured plant protein with animal byproducts like collagen, beef tallow and bone broth, provides consumers with "the sensory experience of meat" in its hybrid product with the long-term goal...

North Coast Seafoods charts course for sustainable seafood with Naked product line

30-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

With its vertically integrated supply chain, family-owned North Coast Seafoods connects directly with its fishing partners around the world while providing transparent communications around seafood sourcing to consumers, as Christian L'Heureux,...

Join FoodNavigator-USA at a free editorial Webinar exploring plant-based protein

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...

Startup Spotlight

Laoban Dumplings merge traditional Chinese flavor, ingredients with convenience

25-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Laoban Dumplings pays homage to traditional Chinese flavors and ingredients that combine convenience, quality and flavor in its line of homemade-style frozen dumplings and an upcoming launch of bao buns explained Patrick Coyne, the company’s co-founder...

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...

Shoppers believe government policies are responsible for price increases, study finds

22-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

As shoppers continue facing high grocery prices on shelves, they look to government policies as the most responsible for these increases, while believing retailers should communicate price increases more clearly, according to recent data from The Feedback...

Future Food-Tech

At Future Food-Tech's event, explore strategies for future-proofing the alternative proteins sector through diverse solutions, next-stage investments, and public-private partnerships

22-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite declining sales and investment in the alternative protein industry in recent years, the segment is seeing early green shoots that suggest category stakeholders may be clawing their way out of the trough of disillusionment and up the other side...

Natural Products Expo West

Evergreen launches Waffles 'N' Bites, continues expanding into breakfast category

19-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The debut of breakfast brand Evergreen’s Waffles 'N' Bites at Natural Products Expo West last month taps into a growing consumer demand for handheld and “snackable quick breakfast formats,” and frozen quick options, which Innova Market Insights...

Omnivores, enhanced protein content might be keys to growing alt-protein market, GFI reports

18-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

The plant-based meat market could grow by providing options to omnivores and consumers embracing a high-protein, low-meat diet, the Good Food Institute (GFI) shared in its annual State of the Industry report.

Startup Spotlight

Nourish Ingredients expands in animal-free specialty fats with Creamilux for dairy

18-Apr-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Nourish Ingredients, a pioneer in the emerging ‘animal-free’ speciality fat segment, is expanding into non-dairy with the debut of Creamilux – a low-inclusion lipid that recreates the rich, creamy mouthfeel, taste and emulsification properties of dairy...

Serenity Kids on creating global cuisines for the next generation of foodies

15-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

With an infusion of $52m in Series B funding closed last month, Serenity Kids will drive growth and innovation to provide diverse, nutritious baby food inspired by global cuisine.

Consumers trade down to save on meat, plant-based still struggles on taste, texture, 84.51˚ reports

15-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

Consumers are buying less expensive cuts of meat and buying more meat on sale as food prices driven up by inflation remain high, market research firm 84.51˚ shared in its latest consumer report, which also detailed shopper trends for plant-based alternatives....

The Future of Protein Production Chicago takes ‘temperature’ of alt protein investments, regulations

15-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

As the alternative protein industry continues to wade through challenging macroeconomics, the sector might have reasons to be more optimistic in 2024, with investment activity picking up and more companies obtaining commercial approval across the globe,...

SHICKEN fuels US expansion with $5.3m investment from Veg Capital

12-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

Plant-based chicken manufacturer SHICKEN is using a recent investment from venture-capital firm Veg Capital to expand into the US, brand Co-founder and CEO Parm Bains told FoodNavigator-USA.

A traceable seafood industry requires a globalized effort for standardized data collection

11-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The seafood industry needs coordinated data collection and standardization to reduce the risk of illegal, unregulated and unrecorded seafood, explained Sara Bratager, food traceability and food safety scientist at the Global Food Traceability Center (GFTC)...

USDA finalizes modern WIC program, secures additional $1bn in funding

10-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

A wider range of packaged foods, including canned fish, canned beans and some plant-based dairy, could qualify for reimbursement under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) following an update by the US Department...

Natural Products Expo West

Safe Catch sets its own heavy metal standards for packaged seafood

09-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Canned seafood brand, Safe Catch, initially began as a technology company that tested and analyzed fish tissue samples for heavy metals within seconds, which was later implemented into the brand’s standard that contained metals “10 times below the FDA...

Mason Dixie’s frozen breakfast sandwiches make comfort food clean

05-Apr-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Mason Dixie Foods' transition from foodservice to retail, including Whole Foods and Costco, allowed the brand to tap into whitespace in frozen breakfast foods with a healthy halo and clean label, Ayeshah Abuelhiga, the brand’s founder and CEO, explained...

Nourished on how to communicate the potential of personalised nutrition to consumers

05-Apr-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

Personalised nutrition has immense potential for extremely bespoke nutritional benefits to consumers. But for such a niche category, how does a company communicate this potential?

From ice age to modern day: Mammoth Meatball maker Vow releases cell-cultivated quail meat

04-Apr-2024 By Ryan Daily

Australian-based cell-cultivated meat company Vow is moving from extinct animals to something more familiar with the release of Forged Parfait, featuring a cell-cultivated meat product based on the Japanese quail, company Co-founder and CEO George Peppou...

FDA’s import alert targets synthetic chemicals for food products, including PFAS

22-Mar-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The recent import alert grants FDA the authorization to prohibit entry of human food products into the US if they are contaminated with a broad range of synthetic chemicals that are deemed harmful for human consumption and the environment.

Changing freshwater cycle: Are we on a collision course with disaster?

22-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

Human activity has significantly altered the freshwater cycle. But is this change reversible, and if not, what does it mean for the future of food and water supplies?

How is the food industry supporting childhood nutrition?

21-Mar-2024 By Donna Eastlake

From infancy through to adolescence, nutrition is essential in ensuring a healthy body and mind for our youngsters. So how can this be achieved and what it the food industry doing to help parents?

FoodEx Japan 2024

Beefing up activity: US hopes to drive Japan exports as tourism rebounds and retail opportunities emerge

20-Mar-2024 By Gary Scattergood

The US is hoping to see a resurgence in beef exports to Japan on the back of a post-pandemic increase in tourism and new retail opportunities, after reporting a 23% drop in 2023 to shipments valued at $1.8bn.

Season Health partnership will focus on reducing hypertension, improving nutrition access

18-Mar-2024 By Deniz Ataman

The partnership will serve two segments of patients at Steward Health Care Network in Mass. with the goal to “reduce stage two hypertension for patients in the hypertension program and improve both engagement and nutrition insecurity status for patients...

Future of Seafood

Tune in on demand: Future of Seafood webinar explores role of R&D and technology

14-Mar-2024 By Deniz Ataman

FoodNavigator-USA's free editorial webinar 'The Future of Seafood' is available on demand and explores how plant-based Bettafish, acquaculture brand Local Coho and cultivated seafood Forsea Foods maximize taste, nutrition and environmental...

Cole’s Seafood focused on aligning with ASC certifications to reach a broader market

13-Mar-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Seafood suppliers increasingly need to navigate a complex landscape of ethical, regenerative, and eco-friendly certifications, which can feel like a "juggling act" that confuses consumers, Dean Hrabar, marketing and business development manager...

Single-ingredient meat analogue developed in ‘happy accident’: ‘We’re the first and only ones doing this’

12-Mar-2024 By Flora Southey

Although developing meat alternatives from a single ingredient was not Nosh Bio’s initial aim, the start-up very quickly realised it had something ‘super powerful’ on its hands.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Applegate doubles down on regenerative agriculture after seeing the positive impact of its DO GOOD DOG

11-Mar-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Can the humble hotdog help slow or even reverse the negative effects of climate change? According to natural and organic meat brand Applegate Farms the answer is yes – especially if it is made with regeneratively farmed beef, which the company is committing...

News In Brief

USDA scrutinizes negative antibiotic claims, may require more testing for veracity

06-Mar-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Companies that make negative antibiotic claims may soon be required to regularly conduct and submit to USDA test results documenting the claims’ veracity if an ongoing study conducted by the agency confirms antibiotics routinely in animals destined for...

Cargill highlights its sustainable proteins for first-ever tasting in NYC

03-Mar-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Cargill showcased the breadth of its protein portfolio and sustainable sourcing partnerships in a multi-course tasting earlier this month in New York City.

Fly By Jing, Fishwife, Aura Bora share best practices for successful product collaborations

01-Mar-2024 By Ryan Daily

Two heads are better than one — or in the case of the CPG world — two brands in one product might be the recipe for business growth, as representatives from Fly By Jing, Fishwife, and Aura Bora shared during a recent SPINS webinar on product collaborations....

Consumers embrace 'just-in-time shopping,’ shift fresh-food spending to save money, Circana finds

29-Feb-2024 By Ryan Daily

To combat high food prices, consumers are increasing store trips and shifting what they purchase in fresh food, including moving away from meat, seafood, and produce to deli and bakery items, Jonna Parker, principal II, fresh foods team lead at Circana,...

Sustainable aquaculture: Charting US growth through NOAA's initiatives, retail demand

21-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

US aquaculture is in a state of transformation led by initiatives from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA Fisheries), coupled with the increasing prevalence of certifications, and a growing demand for responsibly sourced seafood...

Protecting children from deceptive food advertising: The scope of NY’s S213-B bill

21-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Recently proposed legislation in New York seeks to expand the state’s deceptive food advertising regulations to include safeguarding children who may be susceptible to excessive consumption of unhealthy goods, but lawyers with the firm Venable argue the...

Earth Fare and Merryfield gamify nutrition labels in-store

20-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Earth Fare, an organic and natural grocery chain, has partnered with Merryfield for its Micro-Moments program where shoppers can scan QR codes in-store for additional ingredient education on select better-for-you brands. This supplements Merryfield's...

USDA approves RTE meal box delivery for children in rural Alaska

20-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) approved the demonstration project, Alaska Meals to You (M2Y), for the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development (AK DEED), to help find an effective way to provide meals to children in rural Alaska during...

Egg prices drag down dairy again, prepared meats remain strong in deli, Circana reports

19-Feb-2024 By Ryan Daily

After a challenging year, dairy and deli markets are starting 2024 with unit growth, as egg prices rise once again as a result of avian flu, Jonna Parker, principal of fresh foods team lead at Circana, shared during an International Dairy Deli Bakery...

NPD Trend Tracker: From mandarin orange juice to AI-generated recipes

19-Feb-2024 By Augustus Bambridge-Sutton

In this week's NPD Trend Tracker, we see how high orange juice prices have led to the development of mandarin orange juice, and the rise of generative AI has led to the creation of an AI cookbook. Furthermore, we see a rebranding from Mallow &...

Frozen foods continue serving consumers’ needs, open opportunities for brands to provide variety

16-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Consumers seek frozen foods to reduce waste and as a cost-effective nutrition source, creating opportunities for brands to reimagine options for the nearly $78bn frozen food department, according to Conagra Brands’ recent Future of Frozen Food 2024 report.

USDA pushes for more timely SNAP payments that account for a third of retail grocery sales

12-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

SNAP households are a major contributor to F&B sales, with 70% of SNAP dollars going towards food and beverages, according to Circana data, yet problems with late and inaccurate payments by states hinder access to food for the 42 million participants...

Hungryroot grows 40% YoY, expands curation of healthy foods

09-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

Generating $333m in net revenue and more than $9m in profit, Hungryroot attributes its growth to its AI-driven “core personalization” of users’ food preferences and an expanded inventory in its three facilities, explained Alex Weinstein, the company’s...

Super Bowl ranks high among holiday weekends, snacks take center stage

08-Feb-2024 By Deniz Ataman

As Las Vegas prepares for the estimated $215bn economic growth from the additional 215,00 visitors for the Super Bowl, CPG companies and retailers have a significant opportunity to feature value-added offerings for viewers across the country, according...

Tyson Foods’ decision to shutter less efficient chicken plants, beef facilities pays off with strong Q1

06-Feb-2024 By Elizabeth Crawford

Tyson Foods’ multi-point plant to improve its performance, including “right-sizing” its footprint by shuttering older, less efficient chicken plants and several fresh meat case-ready facilities, is paying off as the protein packer reported better-than-expected...