Narrowing down where retailers position multi-faceted drinking vinegar is an essential step in establishing it as a category, and the step is one that the founder of the Vermont Switchel Company is resistant to take.
Tumbling gas prices that are lining consumers’ pockets with savings may provide an unexpected opportunity for private label to steal market share from national brands, rather than the other way around, recent consumer survey results reveal.
There was bad news for employees of two multinational food & beverage giants today as Coca-Cola confirmed plans to cut up to 1,800 jobs worldwide, and General Mills said it would close plants in Ontario, Canada and New Albany, Indiana, with the loss...
Consistency born from thoughtful attention to detail and hiring specialists before they were needed helped start-up Chameleon Cold-Brew rapidly expand distribution by three to four times, launch a new line of ready-to-drink coffees and scoop up a prestigious...
“Some people say maple water has been overhyped,” says DRINKmaple co-founder Kate Weiler. “And it’s not that I’m sitting here drinking my own Kool Aid, but based on the overwhelming reception we’ve had, I just feel the outlook is really bright, and that...
A few years ago, chia seeds were virtually unheard of in the U.S., but now they are available across food categories and retail channels in a plethora of finished consumer goods and as an ingredient, thanks largely to long-range planning by The Chia Co.
This merges soup and beverages; we’re creating a new category...
While some retailers didn’t know quite what to make of his ‘chilled soup in a bottle’ when he first started pitching the concept last year, around 75% “just got it immediately”, says Tio Gazpacho founder Austin Allan. “And then they would say: How come...
The maker of ALO, a top-selling beverage brand in the natural channel, is hoping to break into the convenience-store channel and expand its reach to more mainstream shoppers with the launch of a pulp-free version of its aloe vera drinks.
Mandatory GMO labels will be seen as 'warning labels', warns GMA
Supporters and opponents of GMO labeling will square up in a courtroom in Burlington, Vermont, today (Jan 7) to present oral arguments over the merits of Act 120, which will require mandatory labeling of foods produced with genetic engineering.
Two-year time frame 'would almost certainly drive an increase in food prices'
The two-year time frame in which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expects the food industry to switch to new-look Nutrition Facts labels is unrealistic, and “would almost certainly drive an increase in prices of food products”, claims Kroger.
Seeds and nuts will usurp kale and coconut as the top two superfoods in 2015 as consumers look for on-the-go, nutrient dense foods, according to a survey of 500 registered dietitians conducted by the trade magazine Today’s Dietitian and the public relations...
Not so long ago, “people would have said that any drink that’s above three bucks is crazy,” says the co-founder of organic and ‘raw’ coconut water pioneer Harmless Harvest, Justin Guilbert. “Well we came to the market with a 16oz bottle that retailed...
Milk and milk-based beverages can be more effective than traditional sports drinks at replacing fluid lost during exercise, the findings of an Australian study suggest.
From the first nationally-available instant oat cereal to be sweetened with stevia from Quaker Oats, to Yoplait’s new Greek Yogurt Whips, check out our latest gallery of new product launches. If there’s an overall theme, it’s that consumers are continuing...
As voted for by you the readers - effectively - and checked by us on Google Analytics, here are our Top 10 most read news stories of 2014 – from Constellation Brands attracting the ire of craft brewers to Dr Pepper’s stevia trials.
Wells Fargo Securities analysts say plant-based beverages are a ‘unique growth opportunity’ and believe a partnership with WhiteWave Foods would bring Coke several important strategic benefits.
Diet soda is in a funk, while 'real sugar' is back in vogue. Energy is hot, but caffeine is still controversial. Maple water is bang-on-trend, but will it really become the next coconut water?
GLG Life Tech Corporation has announced another milestone in its effort to breed new cultivars of the stevia plant. The company has developed a variety that expresses higher levels of Rebaudioside A, or Reb A, the most commercially important stevia fraction...
It’s time to get out our crystal balls and predict the hottest trends in the European food and drink sector for the year ahead. What’s in store for 2015?
Consumer interest in health and wellness and on-the-go food continue to fuel growth in the nutritional drink category, but manufacturers could take sales even higher by targeting older and non-athletic consumers, according to Synergy Flavors and market...
The absence of clean labels and fast energy from New Nutrition Business’ list of top 10 food, nutrition and health trends for 2015 is just as important as what made the cut.
US Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) laboratories has held a workshop with scientists from the China’s Ministry of Agriculture to highlight efforts on risk assessment and food quality.
Restaurants in 2015 will act locally when it comes to sourcing ingredients, but think globally when incorporating flavors into new dishes, the National Restaurant Association’s annual What’s Hot culinary forecast reveals.
Kraft Foods Group chairman John Cahill will also take on the role of CEO at the end of this year following the retirement of current CEO Tony Vernon on December 27.
In-depth on carbonates with Euromonitor International
Carbonates will never return to the buzz of the 80s but beverage makers can inject life back into the category from side-stepping into the water aisle to bottling up retro-style or moving into new day parts, says Euromonitor International.
Consumer desire to effectively manage their weight and improve their health through food will continue to influence new product development and sales in 2015, according to New Nutrition Business, a food- and nutrition-focused market research firm.
Food-X - a new food business accelerator program backed by venture capital firm SOSventures that runs twice a year - is seeking the ‘best and brightest disruptors in the food space’ to join its second accelerator program starting in New York in early...
Natural & organic food brands are doing better than their ‘legacy brand’ counterparts and big food manufacturers want a slice of the action, which has stimulated some high profile mergers & acquisitions (M&A) activity in 2014. FoodNavigator-USA...
Researchers investigating the types of microbes found in foods from different dietary patterns have questioned whether the bacteria in our foods plays a role in the structure and function of our gut microbiota.
Whether supermarket loyalty cards actually drive loyalty, or provide retailers with killer consumer insights that give them a genuine competitive edge, has long been a source of debate. But the evidence is clear, according to one expert in promotions:...
Trendwatching with Mintel, Euromonitor, Rabobank & Trailblazer Foods
From the 'astounding' reinvention of popcorn as "Millennial friendly, cool and healthy", to the proliferation of apps & devices enabling us to track our calories, sleep and bowel movements, what have we learned about the food culture...
The biggest rise was in products making non-GMO or GMO-free claims
Non-GMO, Kosher, gluten-free, ethical, environmentally-friendly, lactose-free, vegan, no additives/preservatives, and on-the-go claims are all gaining more traction on US food labels; while growth in ‘all-natural’- antioxidant- and low/no/reduced sugar/sodium/fat...
New flavors created for a wider variety of protein sources, made possible by advancements in masking research, is expanding the consumer base for and driving sales of high protein products, such as sports nutrition drinks, according to Synergy Flavors...
PREMIUM WATERS 2014, ZENITH INTERNATIONAL, DUBAI, DECEMBER 8-9
Waters connoisseur Michael Mascha believes hydration alone is boring and believes that premium water brands should push their epicurean credentials to emphasize distinctive terroir and taste.
BIG Cola insists global brands don’t need a presence in the US or Europe as it says it competes with the likes of Coke and Pepsi by 'democratizing consumption' with fairly priced quality products.
Vancouver-based GLG Life Tech has developed a new variety of stevia containing “remarkably high” levels of Reb C glycosides, which it claims could “revolutionize the global food and beverage industry’s ability to utilize naturally-sourced Reb C”.
While premium juice brands hit the market every week hoping to become the next Suja, and the coconut water category is getting crowded, the company behind WTRMLN WTR (watermelon flesh, watermelon rind, lemon) reckons it has a product sufficiently distinctive...
From ready-to drink soup and nootropics to mocktails for Millennials, the beverages aisle is not short of innovation. But what distinguishes the winners from the losers, how easy is it to build distribution, and how difficult is it to finance your beverage...
Nottingham University scientists claim to have shone new light on the intra-gastric behaviour of ‘aerated’ drinks with enhanced satiating properties that they say could be used to fight obesity.
Genetically engineered crops are not a magic bullet and some weeds have become resistant to the herbicide glyphosate (RoundUp) used with selected GM crops, said Monsanto’s chief technology officer Dr Robert Fraley in a debate on Wednesday. But that doesn’t...
By thinking inside the box and packaging water in cartons instead of plastic containers, Benjamin Gott identified a way that consumers who know bottled water is wasteful but who buy it anyway for convenience can live more environmentally-friendly lives.
A class action lawsuit filed in California accuses Whole Foods Market of misleading consumers by advertising and selling Almond Breeze products with non-GMO Project verified labels before they had officially achieved Non-GMO Project verified status.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
Mintel says the presence of nutritionally beneficial compounds could see stevia-based sweeteners of the future that combine functional benefits as well as calorie-free sweetness.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
PureCircle has launched a new stevia blend called Sigma-D to target non-fermented, sweetened dairy drinks and other dairy products in what it says is a breakthrough category specific launch.