Meat, fish and savory ingredients

Don Lee Farms vs Beyond Meat protein claims case dismissed, three related suits from different plaintiffs still moving through courts

27-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Six days after settling their lengthy legal dispute over the early termination of a supply contact, Don Lee Farms and Beyond Meat have resolved their differences over a separate lawsuit* in which Don Lee accused Beyond Meat of over-stating the protein...

ENTREPRENEURS TO WATCH: From high-protein fermented grains to packaging from agri-residues, meet the 45 startups handpicked by FoodBytes! by Rabobank in 2022

25-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The 45 startups selected to participate in the FoodBytes! By Rabobank food and ag innovation program in 2022 provide a neat snapshot into trending topics in food and agriculture, from personalized nutrition and upcycling to robotics and farm biologics.

Beyond Meat rolls out Beyond Steak plant-based seared tips to Kroger and Walmart nationwide

24-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat is rolling out its latest innovation - Beyond Steak - at Kroger and Walmart stores nationwide, as well as at select Albertsons and Ahold divisions and other retailers across the country.

Futureproofing the food system: How are food insecurity and health outcomes connected and what benefits do produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals and personalized nutrition offer?

21-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Researchers are calling on clinicians and the healthcare system to screen for food insecurity and better promote food access programs after discovering that Americans with limited or uncertain access to adequate food is on the rise and they are more likely...

What’s the future of meat? Join Beyond Meat, Air Protein, Meati Foods, Orbillion Bio and the GFI at Futureproofing the Food System

21-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The long-term imperative behind reducing our reliance on animal agriculture seems fairly compelling: The planet can’t sustain it. But with less engaged consumers dipping in and then out of the meat alternatives category as budgets tighten, and a subsegment...

Tufts University establishes cellular agriculture consortium to pool together industry resources and knowledge

21-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Tufts University Center for Cellular Agriculture (TUCCA) has launched a new consortium of industry and nonprofit members to support research and development in the burgeoning field of cellular agriculture.

Frozen food prices up 17% vs. 2021, but consumers still believe it provides good value, says Acosta

19-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Seen as the economical and convenient option for preparing meals at home during the height of the pandemic, the affordability of frozen food has slipped with the average per unit price up 17% vs. one year ago. But consumers still believe it provides good...

'No party admitted liability or wrongdoing...' Beyond Meat and former co-packer Don Lee Farms settle dispute

19-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

Beyond Meat and former co-packer Don Lee Farms have agreed to settle an ugly five-year legal dispute prompted by the early termination of a supply contract in spring 2017.

unMeat fish-free tuna rolls out to Harris Teeter stores

18-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Plant-based seafood brand unMeat is rolling out its fish-free canned tuna products to 250 Harris Teeter stores capitalizing on the consumers' search for more affordable protein options.

Kroger to acquire Albertsons for $24.6bn solidifying its position as #2 grocery retailer with 11.8% market share

14-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Supermarket giant Kroger is merging with Albertsons Companies Inc. (Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco), bolstering its position as the second largest food retailer in the US with an estimated 11.8% market share behind Walmart at 17.1%.

Big Meat retrenches as meat alternatives lose their luster

13-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The nation’s leading meat companies all got in on the action on meat alternatives, with investments in plant-based and cell-cultured meat startups and their own dedicated consumer brands. But with category sales weakening in recent months amid surging...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: From food as medicine to sustainable packaging – trendspotting at Expo East

10-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Natural Products Expo East may not be as big as its West Coast counterpart, but the 18,500 registered attendees and more than 1,200 exhibitors who convened in Philadelphia earlier this month for the annual conference were just as enthusiastic and the...

Walmart bolsters e-grocery automation efforts with Alert Innovation acquisition

07-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

In its pursuit to become a top player in the grocery e-commerce space, Walmart has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire grocery automation firm, Alert Innovation.

Natural Products Expo East

What will it take to bolster plant-based protein? Meatless Farm says innovation

07-Oct-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While plant-based is still one of the hottest trends in food and beverage, sales and consumer engagement with alternative proteins have slid in recent quarters – prompting some players in the space to rethink their strategy.

'An emotional, tough day...' Impossible Foods eliminates 6% of roles as new CEO restructures to ‘grow and evolve’

07-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

In a restructuring announced days after meat giant JBS revealed plans to close its Planterra Foods plant-based meat division, impacting 121 jobs, Impossible Foods is eliminating approximately 6% of roles at the company (under 50 staff) in a move it claims...

BlueNalu: Tech breakthroughs will unlock ‘significant profitability’ for large-scale cell-cultured seafood

05-Oct-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

San Diego-based BlueNalu has outlined plans for a large-scale cell-cultured seafood plant it anticipates will be operational in 2027. This will deploys technology it claims can “unlock the path to significant profitability” and enable a projected 75%...

Introducing the FoodNavigator-USA digital summit: Futureproofing the Food System Nov 15-17

01-Oct-2022 By Elaine Watson

The western diet – and the food system that underpins it – is becoming increasingly unsustainable, for the health of humans and the planet. So how do we futureproof the food system to deliver healthier, more sustainable products that nourish our bodies...

Who is being hit hardest by inflation? Less-healthy older adults, poll finds

30-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Record-high levels of food inflation are impacting different segments of the population differently, with those over the age of 50 who rate their physical or mental health as 'fair' or 'poor' struggling the most, a recent poll conducted...

UNFI executes against its growth strategy, ramps up warehouse automation investment

29-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Ending its fiscal year on a strong note, grocery wholesaler UNFI is ramping up investment in warehouse automation and robotics as part of its long-term growth plan to enhance efficiencies and long-term profitability for its customers.

Number of US households online grocery shopping has grown 116% since 2019, finds Brick Meets Click/Mercatus

29-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Year-over-year online grocery sales slipped slightly in August 2022 vs. August 2021, but research from Brick Meets Click/Mercatus shows a dramatic increase in online grocery shopping behavior over the past three years.

Dairy cows at higher welfare risk than beef cattle – study

29-Sep-2022 By Teodora Lyubomirova

Dairy herds are more likely to experience worse welfare than cattle raised solely for beef, a multi-national study has revealed.

Future of plant-based meat: 'The addressable market may be more limited than many thought,' says Deloitte

28-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

What's behind the recent slow down of the plant-based meat category? According to new research from Deloitte, there are several factors at play including a more limited addressable market, the pressure from inflation, and questions around the products'...

NotCo to launch NotChicken at Sprouts nationwide, unveil first fruits of Kraft Heinz JV, by year end

28-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Santiago-based NotCo - which claims to offer superior products in the alt meat set through the use of an artificial intelligence platform called ‘Giuseppe’ - is gearing up to enter the increasingly crowded US plant-based chicken category with NotChicken,...

Could reframing ‘food as medicine’ counter rising prices that are pushing healthier options out of reach?

27-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Food prices at near forty-year highs now overshadow most other consumer concerns about grocery shopping – including fears of contracting COVID-19 or experiencing violence in stores – prompting many to rethink where they shop, what they buy and what product...

Costco sees uptick in store traffic and membership renewals as shoppers realize value of mass & club channel

26-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With many consumers fixated on the price of their grocery bill amid ongoing inflation, mass and club channel retailers such as Costco are seeing increased foot traffic and higher shopper spending at its stores.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: ‘There hasn’t been a better time for small brands to help transform the CPG industry’

26-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

As consumers navigate rising inflation, out-of-stocks due to lingering supply chain and labor challenges and contemplate the potential impact of their purchases on the environment and workers, they are more willing to push aside old loyalties and try...

InnovaFeed raises $250m to expand edible insect platform, build plant in Decatur, IL

22-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

InnovaFeed, a French company with global ambitions in the edible insect arena, has raised $250m in a series D round* backed by agri-food giants including ADM and Cargill, and says it will break ground on a large-scale production facility to farm black...

General Mills’ new digital rewards program, marketing drive sales, consumer loyalty

21-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

General Mills is gaining market share and driving higher sales despite ongoing supply chain challenges and price hikes thanks in part to strategic investments in brand building and digital consumer engagement, including through a new rewards program,...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: How can plant-based protein overcome sliding sales, better meet consumer demand?

19-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Plant-based meat alternatives continue their downward slide with sales, units and volume all dropping in July from a year ago – a trajectory that IRI data crunched by 210 Analytics shows was set in motion months ago, but which doesn't shake at least...

Kraft Heinz is ready to move beyond ‘good’ to ‘great,’ which ‘is a very different game’

16-Sep-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

After previous plans to boost Kraft Heinz’s profit margins and add value by aggressively cutting costs and practicing zero-based budgeting went awry and caused the company’s stock and consumer trust to plummet, Miguel Patricio was focused on the basics...

Quorn Foods USA president talks meat alternatives: ‘We all need to take a deep breath’

16-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

It’s been a “rollercoaster year” for meat alternatives, acknowledges Quorn Foods USA president Judd Zusel. But flagging sales in some parts of the market do not mean we should throw the baby out with the bathwater.

‘There’s going to be a lot of burnt capital…’ Navigating the ‘hand-wringing phase’ of alt meat investment

12-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

The long-term imperative driving meat alternatives is clear: We only have one planet, with a growing population and finite resources, and raising animals to feed them all just takes up too many of them, says Tom Mastrobuoni, chief investment officer at...

Beyond Meat hits Panda Express locations nationwide for a limited time with Beyond The Original Chicken

07-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

Panda Express is rolling out Beyond: The Original Orange Chicken – a “plant-powered” entrée co-developed with Beyond Meat – to 2,300+ US locations until November 30, while supplies last, following a successful small-scale trial in 2021.

Conagra Brands (Gardein) talks alt meat: ‘There's no way the space supports 20 manufacturers making plant-based burger patties’

06-Sep-2022 By Elaine Watson

“12-18 months ago, refrigerated plant-based meat was growing at three times frozen and we were thinking should we try and jump into that?” recalls Bob Nolan, SVP demand science at Conagra Brands, which acquired alt meat brand Gardein in 2018 via the acquisition...

Organoid tech can deliver 3D tissue in cellular agriculture: ‘It is a highly scalable platform that bypasses the scaffolding stage’

06-Sep-2022 By Katy Askew

Forsea Foods has developed cell-cultured fish leveraging its patented organoid technology. FoodNavigator hears how this novel approach is simplifying the process of growing animal cells in bioreactors and assembling them into whole cuts and fillets.

Campbell Soup Co. sees more consumers switch to private label in condensed soup and broths

03-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Campbell Soup Co. reported a 6% net sales increase to $2bn in Q4 2022 (three months ended July 31, 2022) vs. the prior year, while volumes declined (-4%) for the quarter, revealing consumers may be rethinking some of their name brand purchases in favor...

Brightfield Group: 'Plant-forward consumers are going to be the ones to make or break the category. And right now their loyalty is wavering'

01-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The pressure of inflation and general consumer disillusionment are causing an overall downward trend in self-reported consumer usage of plant-based categories, finds new research from Evergi, Brightfield Group's research platform.

Walmart acquires minority stake in Sustainable Beef

01-Sep-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

In a bid to provide its customers with more "high-quality, affordable" beef, Walmart has acquired a minority stake in Nebraska-based Sustainable Beef.

Cheese flavors lead savory snacking category, finds Kerry

31-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

In the bellwether category of savory snacks, cheese-flavored options are outpacing the overall segment in new product launches and consumer preferences, finds new research from Kerry.

Impossible Foods tweaks formulation, slashes saturated fat: ‘The category has done a lousy job of explaining itself,' says CEO

26-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

While weakening retail sales and grim quarterly earnings from some publicly listed players have prompted intense debate about the future of meat alternatives, the “crisis of confidence” this has prompted has overshadowed the fact that amid all this noise,...

Future Meat Technologies unveils cultivated lamb, aims to break ground on US facility early 2023: ‘Price parity has to be the goal’

25-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

Future Meat Technologies is finalizing the site selection process for a large-scale cultivated meat plant in the US, with plans to break ground early next year and start manufacturing in 2024. However, it hopes to get products from its pilot plant in...

Almost 90% of marine species at risk under high emissions scenarios: ‘Mitigation needs to occur now’

25-Aug-2022 By Katy Askew

Fresh research shows that high emissions scenarios place the vast majority of ocean life at ‘high’ or ‘critical’ risk, with implications for the economic wellbeing of costal economies and future food security.

Plant-based meat by numbers in US retail: A tale of two temperature states

23-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

US retail sales of meat alternatives in measured channels tell a tale of two temperature states. Dollar sales of refrigerated meat alternatives are declining in double-digits, while frozen products are growing in the high single digits, according to IRI...

Aleph Farms CEO: ‘It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat’

22-Aug-2022 By Elaine Watson

“It has been clear for a while that plant-based analogs will not displace meat,” says the CEO of Israeli cell-cultured (a.k.a. ‘cultivated’) meat co Aleph Farms. “The addressable market is larger for cultivated meat than for plant-based because the products...

Target cuts overloaded inventory levels to refocus on high-growth categories

19-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Target has cut its inventory levels by 20% in the last two months in a conscious effort to streamline its business and set the company up for improved long-term growth, shared chairman and CEO Brian Cornell.

JUST Egg reaches price parity with premium chicken eggs: 'It's an opportunity for trial by consumers who may have been on the fence before,' says CEO

15-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

As the average retail price of chicken eggs has surged 51% in the past year, JUST Egg has reduced pricing for its 12-ounce plant-based liquid egg product by 41%, reaching cost parity with premium chicken egg competitors, according to recent data from...

Why are food prices continuing to go up while inflation eases in other categories?

15-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

Notoriously thin operating margins in the food supply chain will likely keep manufacturers and retailers from incrementally lowering prices even as input costs begin to come down – preferring instead to wait until the economic landscape stabilizes and...

Prices for key food commodities remain high even as overall wholesale costs dip

12-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

In another sign that inflation may be peaking, wholesale prices fell month-over-month for the first time in July since April 2020, but commodities remain significantly higher than last year, suggesting it may be well into next year before food manufacturers...

ADM to commercialize Benson Hill ultra-high protein soy ingredients with first products to launch in early 2023

11-Aug-2022 By Mary Ellen Shoup

ADM will soon begin processing ultra-high protein (UHP) soybeans from farm tech company Benson Hill with the first commercialized products expected to hit the market in early 2023.

Food prices continue to climb, prompting some shoppers to rethink grocery budgets

11-Aug-2022 By Elizabeth Crawford

While overall inflation in the US cooled slightly in July, giving hope to some economists that financial pressures may be peaking, food prices continue to climb at their fastest rate in more than 40 years – suggesting the economic recovery still has a...