What’s more sustainable? Using acres of land, water and energy to grow plants that produce minuscule quantities of natural sweeteners; or making them via a fermentation process using a microbe that’s been engineered to produce exactly the same molecules?
Sustainability “is probably on slide two or three of every customer presentation now,” notes Ingredion, but how can consumers cut through the PR noise to make meaningful comparisons between brands? Checkout our final gallery of trends at IFT FIRST exploring...
Tweaks to Sprouts Farmers Market’s marketing strategy to focus on competitive produce pricing and product differentiation along with other strategic decisions are paying off as foot traffic and sales begin to rebound after plummeting following the retailer’s...
Health Canada has published new labeling standards for supplemented foods such as snacks and beverages fortified with vitamins and minerals or caffeinated energy drinks; and introduced new nutrition labelling regulations for packaged foods requiring a...
Food and beverage companies are under increasing pressure to measure, reduce, and accurately report their social and environmental impact, with the SEC recently outlining proposals* that would require all registrants to disclose their scope three greenhouse...
Fine chemicals co DIC and San Diego-based startup Debut Biotech are developing a vibrant natural red color that is heat-stable, light-stable, and stable across a wide pH range, using a novel hybrid approach combining microbial fermentation and ‘cell-free’...
The past two years have been a rollercoaster for many food and beverage companies, who have had to deal with everything from a global pandemic to rocketing inflation, labor shortages, and massive disruption across their supply chains. So what does all...
The IFT First 2022 show floor was abundant with companies touting their upcycled ingredients and other exhibitors highlighting plant-based meat and dairy innovation. Take a look at some of the trends highlighted at the show this year.
According to a new draft guideline from the World Health Organization (WHO), non-nutritive sweetener consumption is associated with metabolic syndrome, something proponents of diet sweeteners say shows correlation, not causation, and merely reflects the...
Through the merging of three companies with a combined 175 years of experience in innovation, Revela Foods debuted at IFT First in Chicago this month with the simple idea that “life is complicated – food doesn’t have to be.”
So-called ‘alternative proteins’ – from upcycled barley and canola protein to animal-free whey made in fermentation tanks using genetically engineered microbes – were a hot topic at IFT First in Chicago. But with US retail sales of some meat alternatives...
Frustrated with FDA’s “inefficient decision making,” reliance on “inexperienced and undertrained” inspectors and “split and siloed” approach to food safety and oversight, the Consumer Brands Association this morning reiterated its call for the agency...
Fiber may be best known for improving regularity and most commonly associated with older consumers, but the multifunctional ingredient is getting a makeover thanks to a slew of new products touting its other benefits and targeting shoppers across generations...
From more efficient production of rare sugars tagatose and allulose (and intriguing new possibilities with D-allose), to ‘enhanced’ sugars, and a mystery disaccharide that behaves like sugar, but is metabolized very differently, check out part one of...
Online grocery sales totaled $7.2bn for June 2022, tracking ahead of the same month last year (+6%) and slightly above May 2022 figures (+1%), according to the latest data from Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey.
Viral video-sharing app TikTok may be best known for the seemingly infinite clips of teenagers dancing to catchy songs in inconvenient places like the middle of the street or a department store aisle, but the social media platform is much more – and when...
Bonumose – a Virginia-based startup with patented technology it claims could enable the mass market adoption of rare sugars which have exciting benefits but currently come with a hefty price tag – is gearing up to start commercial production of tagatose...
After being demonized as high-carb and maligned with foggy grain-brains and gluten sensitivities, pasta consumption, which had been flat and declining for years pre-COVID, bounced back during the pandemic with unprecedented growth as consumers looked...
Emerging brand Fila Manila is blazing a trail for better representation of Filipino flavors and cuisine in mainstream grocery with its line of savory simmer sauces and brand new launch, coconut and ube jams.
Invigorating sleepy segments, tackling persistent category challenges and balancing consumer desire for taste, convenience and experience, companies at the 66th Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City late last month showcased innovative solutions to...
The next generation of brands, ingredient suppliers and processors are placing sustainability at the center of how they do business and making it easier for their partners to do the same as illustrated by the companies showcasing in the Startup Pavilion...
As the enthusiasm for cooking that many discovered early in the pandemic wanes, retailers and CPG brands can protect against lost sales to restaurants and foodservice by offering more fresh prepared and minimal-prep options as well as inspiration that...
Two years after launching at the height of the pandemic, Mavericks Cookies has established a strong foothold in the under-served better-for-you kids snacking category with new distribution at 1,250 Target stores and a streamlined portfolio focused exclusively...
While General Mills was able to roll with the punches, including spiking inflation and supply chain challenges, over the past year to deliver better than expected financial results in fiscal 2022, some wonder if the CPG giant, and its competitors, will...
Dragged down by higher-than-expected cost inflation, supply chain challenges and unanticipated, stringent COVID-related restrictions in China, McCormick missed its sales and earnings targets in its second quarter – forcing the spice maker to slash its...
As rising gas and food prices cause US consumers’ confidence and short-term outlook for the economy to plunge, some are shifting their spending habits and the blame from the pandemic to ongoing supply chain costs, constraints and related government policies,...
By leveraging packaging innovations that increase fun and flavor while decreasing mess and monotony, startups at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York this month are waking up sleepy categories, expanding their segments’ traditional user bases and standing...
While some industry players are reining in spending to build-up reserves in case of a recession, General Mills is taking the opposite tack – choosing to double down on investments and explore acquisitions that could help it stay ahead of the competition...
The Kellogg Company’s unexpected announcement Tuesday to split its snack and cereal empire into three independent, public companies “to better position each business to unlock its full potential” tears a page from Kraft Foods’ playbook ten years ago when...
The Oreo, belVita and Lus biscuit producer has agreed to acquire organic energy bar maker Clif Bar & Company for $2.9bn, which will expand its global snack bar business to more than $1bn.
Kroger is seeing inflation heavily impact the way consumers are shopping at its stores, with many choosing more store brands and selecting fewer premium products (eg. switching from beef to pork), says CEO Rodney McMullen.
Mondelēz International has generated consistent growth across its portfolio of biscuits, chocolate, cakes, and pastries, and will keep its focus on these categories as the company navigates current economic volatility, says Mondelēz International CEO...
Ukraine is producing enough crops, but Russia’s Black Sea blockade is severely limiting how much it can export, according to Ukraine’s Deputy Minister for Economic Development, Trade and Agriculture. Is there a workaround?
Total online grocery sales dropped on a monthly basis to $7.1bn in May 2022 (down from $8.1bn in April 2022), but are still slightly above (+1.7%) the same period last year, according to the latest Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey, which...
Minnesota-based startup Apparo – which developed technology now being deployed by AB InBev on a commercial scale to extract highly functional barley protein from brewer’s spent grains – has turned its attention to another upcycled protein it reckons could...
Beverages dominate IRI’s 2021 New Product Pacesetters report, accounting for a record eight out of the top 10 new products by dollar sales and 46 out of the top 100 new products.
General Mills and Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) are working together on a multi-year plan to scale and expand a program, called Eco-Harvest, which rewards farmers for beneficial outcomes of regenerative agricultural practices.
JM Smucker’s optimistic outlook for fiscal 2023 despite ongoing headwinds related to inflation, supply chain challenges, uncertainty about consumer spending and impact from its Jif peanut butter recall is notable as it is one of the first CPG companies...
Even as General Mills adopts an ‘always on’ approach to mergers & acquisitions, it remains dedicated to driving organic growth through innovation by deploying elite tiger teams to identify consumer problems and then develop and test solutions-oriented...
From the latest animal-free 'milk' launch fueled by Perfect Day's whey protein (made without cows), to plant-based bacon, fungi-based steaks and no-sugar-added gummies, checkout FoodNavigator-USA's latest roundup of new product launches.
Announcing the investment of hundreds of millions of dollars across the supply chain, the US Department of Agriculture says it hopes to rebalance the food system’s historic focus on efficiency with much-needed resiliency so that the country is better...
While most Americans are not short of protein, 90%+ of women and 97% of men fail to meet recommended* intakes of fiber. However, growing awareness of the relationship between fiber, the gut, and immunity, coupled with a wave of keto product formulations,...
Oat bar company Bobo's is continuing its growth streak, predicting 45% growth for the full year 2022 vs. 2021 even as challenging supply chain conditions linger, says CEO TJ McIntyre.
While many retailers are raising prices on grocery items, German discount retailer Lidl is reducing the cost on over 100 items in all of its US-based stores for the summer months.
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...
While much of the press coverage in food tech is devoted to brands making meat, egg, and dairy alternatives, these technologies will only be scalable – and sustainable - if we pay the same level of attention to the enabling technologies underpinning them,...
Food companies are increasingly opting for insetting over offsetting their carbon emissions, it's been claimed, as the voluntary carbon offset market continues to look to improve its credibility.
With $10m in series A funding, the carbon assessment platform Planet FWD hopes to dramatically reduce the time it takes CPG companies to evaluate and neutralize their environmental impact while simultaneously speeding up their development of eco-friendly...
More Americans are worried about the planet’s health and understand that their dietary choices impact the environment, yet few are willing to pay significantly more for eco-friendly products – potentially squeezing companies undertaking expensive sustainability...
ADM’s nutrition business may represent only 15% of its operating profit currently, but executives expect that to double in the next three years and to drive a majority of the company’s operating growth thanks to its “systems” approach to business development,...
