Sweeteners (intense, bulk, polyols)

What's the difference between plant-based and vegan? Foodchain ID unveils new certification schemes

07-Dec-2020 By Elaine Watson

While the terms 'plant-based' and 'vegan' might appear to be interchangeable (they both exclude animal products), consumers do not view them in quite the same way, claims Foodchain ID, which has just launched separate 'vegan,'...

GALLERY: Plant-based brands and innovations to watch in 2021

04-Dec-2020 By Elaine Watson

Plant-based eggs, bacon, and everything inbetween… check out our gallery of plant-based brands and innovations to watch in 2021, from NotCo and Black Sheep Foods to Gold & Green. There are of course SCORES of exciting brands not covered here; this...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Tate & Lyle acquires US-based stevia supplier Sweet Green Fields

01-Dec-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Tate & Lyle has acquired Washington state-based stevia supplier Sweet Green Fields (SGF), strengthening the global ingredients company’s stevia solutions and capabilities by creating a fully-integrated supply chain along with unified research and...

Eclipse Foods moves into retail, raises $12m Series A: ‘We’re following the Beyond Meat playbook’

17-Nov-2020 By Elaine Watson

Many plant-based dairy brands are built around ‘hero’ ingredients such as almond or coconut. At Eclipse Foods, by contrast, the mission is to replicate the taste and functionality of real dairy, and the brand, which could span multiple dairy platforms,...

Webinar Tomorrow: Meeting Children’s Nutritional Needs from conception through the teenage years

17-Nov-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Children’s dietary patterns are mostly set by the time they turn 2 years old, which doesn’t leave a lot of wiggle room for indulging picky eaters if caregivers want their kids to grow up eating – and liking – a wide variety of healthy, nutrient-dense...

Rip Van rides e-commerce wave: 'We’re one of the fastest-growing brands on Amazon within grocery'

16-Nov-2020 By Elaine Watson

Rip Van Winkle* slept for 20 years and woke up to find the world had completely changed. The founders of Rip Van came up with a snack while studying at Brown University in 2010 (inspired by Washington Irving’s famous fictional slumberer), worked like...

NERD rebrands and expands as nootropics beverage trend gains steam

11-Nov-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Following its acquisition by Beverage USA Holdings Inc. (BevUSA) earlier this year, mental acuity beverage company NERD is on track to become a nationally-recognized brand with new retail distribution, an expanded direct-to-consumer business, and refreshed...

Kaylee’s Culture builds test market for kids bubbly probiotic water: ‘It’s not another juicebox’

03-Nov-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The market for functional yet fun drinks that parents feel good about giving their kids – and that kids want to drink – is narrow, and a pain point for many parents combing store shelves looking for something other than a juice, water, or milk product,...

SweeGen starts commercial production of Reb I stevia sweetener

02-Nov-2020 By Elaine Watson

Stevia specialist SweeGen has started commercial production of Reb I, a lesser-known steviol glycoside “with its own unique and distinct taste” that works well in a wide range of food and beverage applications.

WEBINAR Nov. 4: FOOD FOR KIDS Beverage Trends

28-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Kids are drinking less milk and juice as they get older, but what are they drinking instead, and is it good for them? How do parents evaluate what types of drinks are good for kids? What are parents looking for on food labels?

DouxMatok partners with Canadian sugar refiner Lantic to take next-gen enhanced sugar to North American market

28-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

DouxMatok, the Israeli firm behind patented technology that makes sugar taste sweeter, has struck a deal with Canadian sugar refiner Rogers Sugar, parent of Lantic, to manufacture commercial quantities of its ‘enhanced’ sugar, with the first products...

ADM shares top 5 food trends for 2021: ‘It’s going to be a year of innovation, marked by significant breakthroughs in nutrition’

27-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Influenced by feelings of stress and anxiety, shifting priorities caused by the ongoing pandemic, and changes in social connectivity, consumers are taking a more holistic and proactive approach to health and wellness, according to a new report from ADM....

FDA invites comment on nutrition labeling of sugars that are metabolized differently than traditional sugars

19-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

The FDA – which recently said allulose does not have to be listed as added or total sugar on food labels – is now inviting comment on whether other sugars that are not metabolized in the same way as traditional sugars (such as isomaltulose and D-tagatose)...

Whole Foods reveals top 10 food trends for 2021

19-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Heavily influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Whole Foods Market has unveiled its top 10 food trends for 2021, which include revitalized “epic” breakfast meals and culinary-inspired baby food, to growing consumer adoption of fringe cooking oils and food...

Staying true to values helped SkinnyDipped secure funding, drive YOY growth of more than 6,000%

15-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Entrepreneurs desperate for capital or unsure of the best path forward for growth may be tempted to overlook dismissive or demeaning comments from potential investors, but the co-founder of the fast-growing brand SkinnyDipped warns these are huge red...

Tune into the Consumer Parents' Panel in part one of the FOOD FOR KIDS 2020 virtual summit

14-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

How are parents coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in their households when it comes to feeding their kids? Has the extra time spent at home given families more opportunity to cook and experiment with new recipes, or has the anxiety left parents scrambling...

Ongoing obesity epidemic among children sparks call for expanded nutrition benefits, stricter school meal standards

14-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Despite broad efforts to reduce sugar, sodium, fat and excess calories in the American diet in recent years, childhood obesity continues to afflict one in seven 10- to 17-year-olds in the US, leaving them vulnerable not only to type II diabetes, high...

From the UK to the US, Little Dish rolls out nationally at Target stores

13-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

With a recent national rollout at 500 Target stores, fresh baby and toddler food brand Little Dish is addressing the gap in the US market for nutritionally-balanced, just-like-homemade meals aimed specifically at the under-served toddler age group, says...

FOOD FOR KIDS TRAILBLAZERS GALLERY: Entrepreneurs to watch... innovative new brands in kids' food & beverage

13-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

We had a record number of entries for this year's FOOD FOR KIDS Trailblazers Challenge, spanning everything from chickpea butter and lentil-based meat crumbles to bubbly probiotic water and veggie-infused ketchup. Here are some of the innovations...

Steaz hit with lawsuit over ‘lightly sweetened’ claims on beverages featuring 20g added sugar

12-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

Describing a beverage that contains 20g of added sugar per serving as ‘lightly sweetened' is deceptive and misleading, claims a proposed class action lawsuit filed against Healthy Beverage Co, maker of Steaz iced teas.

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Muniq offers ways to close the race-related health disparity gap with nutrition

12-Oct-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Frustrated that many of the underlying health conditions that increase the risk of contracting COVID-19 disproportionately impact black, indigenous and people of color, the founder of Uplifting Results Lab wants to help close the race-related health disparity...

Trick or treat: How different will Halloween will be this year?

05-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

One in three US households with kids that sent them out trick or treating last year will not be doing so this Halloween due to COVID-19, according to an IRI survey of primary grocery shoppers.

Beverage alliance IncuBev provides one-stop-shop for beverage brands navigating ‘the choppy go-to-market waters’

02-Oct-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Four companies have teamed up combining their beverage commercialization expertise to launch IncuBev, a multi-phase service offering to assist beverage brands with the challenges of product development and commercialization.

Real honey… without bees? Berkeley-based startup MeliBio gears up for launch in late 2021

02-Oct-2020 By Elaine Watson

First came real milk proteins without cows, then egg proteins without chickens, and collagen without animals … and now honey, minus the bees?

Introducing the FOOD FOR KIDS 2020 virtual summit: From kids and the plant-based trend to dietary guidelines for infants and toddlers

29-Sep-2020 By Elaine Watson

School closures – and tentative re-openings – have compounded stress levels for families, while COVID-19-induced economic anxiety is also straining household budgets. So how can food and beverage brands come up with enticing – but affordable – recipes,...

Report: 2019 marks largest national reduction in beverage calories consumption

28-Sep-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Per-capita liquid refreshment beverage (LRB) calories have declined 5.6% over a five-year period (from 203 calories per person per day in 2014 to 191.8 calories in 2019), according to the American Beverage Association’s latest Beverage Calories Initiative...

Molson Coors talks alcohol-free, better-for-you beverage ambitions from probiotic seltzer to barley milk

25-Sep-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

A new slate of better-for-you, non-alcoholic beverage brands developed by Molson Coors and beverage incubator L.A. Libations launching over the next several months -- including a plant-based barley milk and a nootropic performance beverage -- will position...

Bellway ‘junk free’ psyllium fiber emerges from beta-testing with $2M fundraise to target millennials

21-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

With $2M in just-announced seed funding, a “junk free” promise and a bright, modern packaging that trades heavily in on-trend buzz words, recently launched Bellway aims to bring new life – and a younger generation – to the sleepy fiber segment.

General Mills ventures into keto with :ratio

21-Sep-2020 By Jim Cornall

General Mills is launching :ratio – a new keto-friendly product line that marks the food company’s first keto-focused product.

PepsiCo speeds new functional drink Driftwell to market through internal pitch competition

17-Sep-2020 By Rachel Arthur

PepsiCo is launching Driftwell: a functional beverage containing L-theanine to promote relaxation. Representing PepsiCo’s fastest beverage brand ever to market, it was created through an internal idea pitch competition for employees.

The key to Coca-Cola’s innovation success: balance agility, discipline & consumer, customer needs

15-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

For innovations to succeed they do not need to be perfect out of the gate, but they do need to offer a real benefit to companies, their consumers and their retailer and business partners at a scale that justifies the investment and risk, top executives...

Kroger sees at-home cooking and eating as predominant consumer behavior for foreseeable future

14-Sep-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers have grown accustomed to eating and cooking more meals at home due to the pandemic and will continue this behavior well into 2021, said Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen during the company's Q2 2020 earnings call.

ADM spotlights six emerging health and wellness trends from gut health to immune function

08-Sep-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Consumers’ attitudes, priorities and behaviors are shifting significantly as a result of the global health pandemic, and ADM has identified six emerging behavioral changes highlighting consumers' prioritization of health and wellness.

Campbell’s plans to leverage ‘quick-scratch cooking’ to retain millions of new consumers, but is it enough?

08-Sep-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Under normal circumstances the Campbell Soup Co.’s 12% organic sales increase, 13% operating profit increase and strong double-digit consumption growth across all core brands in the fourth quarter would be lauded as great – but during the pandemic, when...

Coca-Cola restructures global operations resulting in ‘voluntary and involuntary reductions in employees’

28-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Coca-Cola has announced several structural changes to streamline its global business including a consolidation of operating units, which will result in reallocation of some employees and resources, as well as a reduction to its workforce.

Sugar reduction and sweetener trends: From stevia and allulose to isomaltulose... 'not all carbohydrates are the same'

26-Aug-2020 By Elaine Watson

What’s hot and what’s not in the world of sweeteners? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Icon Foods, Cargill and Beneo to explore formulation trends as brands remain under pressure to reduce sugar and keep labels clean.

Sugar reduction reformulation progress: 77% of Canadian food and beverage products saw no changes in sugar levels over 4-year period

24-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Despite sugar reduction being a major consumer health trend impacting nearly every corner of the CPG industry, many food and beverage products in Canada have seen limited changes in sugar content, a recent study by the University of Toronto suggests.

GUEST ARTICLE: Reduced sugar beverages see pockets of growth, but trend towards naturally sugar-free cannot be beat

24-Aug-2020 By Aga Jarzabek, Research Analyst, Euromonitor International

Reduced sugar categories have seen high growth in the past, but their sales have dipped as consumers became hesitant about artificial sweeteners. However, in the past year, sales have seen a guarded rebound across many categories due to new launches and...

NEWS IN BRIEF

Coca-Cola names new president of Coca-Cola North America

24-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

The Coca-Cola Company has named Alfredo Rivera as president of Coca-Cola North America. Rivera most recently served as president of the beverage giant's Latin America group overseeing business operations across 40 countries.

Behave grants consumers permission to enjoy candy again with low-sugar, chef-created gummy bears

21-Aug-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

Upstart candy brand Behave has entered the buzzing low-sugar gummy candy category with its line of original and sour gummy bears which tout 3g of sugar, 6g of net carbs, and 90 calories per serving.

Food & beverage entrepreneurs! Want to take center stage at the 2020 FOOD FOR KIDS virtual summit?

17-Aug-2020 By Elaine Watson

Want to get feedback on your new child-focused food or beverage launch, brand, or business, from our expert panel at FoodNavigator-USA's virtual FOOD FOR KIDS summit in the fall?

PureCircle 'strongly refutes' claims its stevia was processed in China with prison labor, as CBP issues fine

14-Aug-2020 By Elaine Watson

Stevia supplier PureCircle USA says it “strongly refutes” claims from US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials that it imported shipments of stevia that had been processed in China with prison labor, but claims it “made financial sense for our...

DouxMatok gears up for US launch, tests next-generation enhanced sugar using fiber as a carrier

06-Aug-2020 By Elaine Watson

DouxMatok, the Israeli firm behind patented technology that makes sugar taste sweeter, has struck a deal with a North American sugar refiner to manufacture commercial quantities of its ‘enhanced’ sugar, with the first products containing the sugar likely...

Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Baby food doesn’t have an ‘added sugar problem’ it has a ‘too much sugar’ problem

03-Aug-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recent recommendations that children under 2 years avoid all added sugar to ensure they consume the nutrients they need without excessive caloric intake may not go far enough to drive a significant change in...

SHIFT20: ‘Keto really did just explode last year…’

30-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

Maintaining a metabolic state of ketosis requires a level of discipline that’s pretty hard to sustain; however, the high fat, moderate protein and ultra-low carb keto diet is nevertheless exerting a growing influence on new product development across...

Move over stevia? Joywell Foods raises $6.9m, aims to commercialize sweet proteins in 18-24 months

22-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

Foods and beverages sweetened with miraculin, brazzein and curculin - proteins found in exotic fruits that can be produced far more efficiently via microbial fermentation - could hit the US market in less than two years, offering formulators intriguing...

Chobani moves into functional beverage category with Chobani Probiotic; unveils new high protein Complete yogurt range

21-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

Chobani has moved into new territory with the launch of Chobani Probiotic: a new line of organic, plant-based functional beverages; and Chobani Complete: a new line of protein- and fiber-packed lactose-free Greek yogurt cups and shakes with no added sugar,...

Americans need to more than halve their consumption of added sugars, says Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee

15-Jul-2020 By Elaine Watson

Americans need to more than halve their consumption of added sugars, reducing average consumption from 13% of daily energy intake to just 6%, the equivalent of 30g for someone on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, according to the expert committee advising the...

MCTco protein keto bars enter beauty-from-within and immunity categories

13-Jul-2020 By Mary Ellen Shoup

MCTco is competing in the highly-competitive snack bar category, addressing major consumer demands around protein and sugar content as well as emerging ‘beauty-from-within’ and immunity trends with its line of products containing collagen protein and...

Grain Processing Corp.’s maltodextrins, modified starches improve plant-based eating experience

10-Jul-2020 By Elizabeth Crawford

Brands struggling with plant-based snacks becoming excessively dry, chewy or crumbly over time or beverages designed to mimic dairy falling short of a desired creamy mouthfeel could improve the functional benefits of their products with the addition of...