While sales of vitaminwater and SoBe Lifewater have been pretty lackluster of late, US consumers are still looking for functionality along with hydration and refreshment in the enhanced waters category, and energy is the one trend that refuses to go away,...
The birthplace of Allen Ginsberg, Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey is also home to food industry giants from Campbell Soup and Goya Foods to Unilever USA. But is the Garden State doing what it takes to attract the next generation of food...
As the dental benefits of erythritol become more widely known, gum and confectionery products positioned for oral health are set to increase, says Cargill, but they have a long way to go to compete with beverages as the main use.
Chicago-based Sensient Flavors has unveiled a new toolbox of natural flavor masking ingredients that can tackle bitterness associated with everything from stevia to caffeine by selectively targeting multiple taste receptors.
Bai Brands founder Ben Weiss says he believes carbonated soft drinks are ‘dying on the vine and need true variety’ as his firm aims to disrupt the category with sparkling line Bai Bubbles.
Are consumers weary of 'all-natural' claims? And if so, what other cues do they look for on pack to see if a brand fits in with their values? We quizzed the bosses of some innovative food brands, ingredients suppliers and branding experts to...
Almost 99% of foods labeled as gluten-free in the US are in compliance, with 1.1% mislabeled/misbranded because of the presence of gluten above an acceptable threshold. But the numbers are far higher for non-labeled ‘gluten-free’ foods, says a new survey...
Here’s a look at the latest and greatest in new product launches—from General Mills making the old new to kombucha for all, bean-based chips, eggless eggs, and protein-packed chips and even gummies.
Twelve years after it was discontinued, the Coca-Cola Co. is reviving Surge soda after fans of the citrus-flavored soda launched a Facebook campaign to bring it back.
The rising aging population in the US presents an underexploited opportunity for food and beverage marketers—particularly in the already massive protein market, as older consumers are just as desperate for sustained energy as their younger counterparts.
Food trade associations are seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the state of Vermont from implementing its GMO labeling law (Act 120) until a lawsuit they have filed that challenges the law has “run its course”.
From how to keep control of your trade spending to presenting the perfect pitch to investors (spoiler alert: ‘Let me get back to you on those numbers’ will not inspire confidence), food & beverage industry veterans and financiers took to the podium...
Reducing, enhancing or even eliminating caffeine content in coffee plants will be possible in the near future researchers are saying after completing the genomic map of the coffee plant Coffea canephora.
As it ramps up flaked and shredded coconut production in anticipation of another holiday season, private label and branded grocery products manufacturer Trailblazer Foods says the growing popularity of coconut has resulted in a 12% increase in the amount...
While 28% (66 million) of American adults are trying to lose weight, and a further 14% (32 million) are trying to maintain their weight, they are losing interest in strict diet plans, calorie-counting and ‘diet’ foods, says a new report from Packaged...
A look at first year of implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
From crowded hallways to pop quizzes, cliques and assemblies, the 2014-2015 school year will likely look a lot like previous years—except when it comes to the food served to students.
While there were some bright spots in Campbell Soup's fourth quarter results, its performance in core categories such as ready-to-serve soup was a bit lackluster, CEO Denise Morrison told analysts Monday.
Global instability in key regions and continued slumping US soda sales have put pressure on Coca-Cola’s long-term growth volume goals, but the beverage industry giant is prepared to take a few more risks to get its growth trajectory back on track, said...
In the latest edition of FoodNavigator-USA’s ongoing What do you do? series, we talked with Gert Van Manen, founder of bulk coconut importer iTi Tropicals on pioneering the tropicals market in the US and the yet-untapped potential of coconut water concentrate,...
Only Coca-Cola knows what really went wrong, but it seems highly unlikely that stevia was to blame for the recent Vitaminwater reformulation debaclé, according to Almendra, an ambitious new entrant to the global stevia manufacturing arena.
While Diet Pepsi sales remain pretty dire, strong growth from Mountain Dew Kickstart, Wild Cherry Pepsi and retro-style ‘real-sugar’ Pepsi prove that Americans haven’t lost their enthusiasm for carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), says PepsiCo.
More than half of CPG firms say their trade spending programs are 'ineffective'
It will probably not surprise food & beverage CEOs to learn that most CPG firms responded with a resounding ‘NO’ when asked in a recent survey if they were getting a decent bang for their trade spending bucks. But why is there so much frustration?
Keurig Green Mountain and Coke will roll-out Honest Tea in K-Cups from tomorrow - the beverage giant's first launch in this format since it took a 10% equity stake in Keurig this February.
PepsiCo is seeking to patent a method of adding fiber- and polyphenol-rich co-products from fruit and veg juice extraction back to juices and other beverages in a bid to improve their sensory and nutritional profile, and minimize waste from the juice...
As brand managers at Monster and Red Bull are well aware, their audience has always extended well-beyond extreme sports enthusiasts. But boy-racers still seem to dominate much of their marketing, says one man hoping to engage a broader demographic with...
When Coca-Cola & PepsiCo invested in Zico and O.N.E. in 2009; Vita Coco CEO and co-founder Michael Kirban admits he became a little nervous as pundits predicted he’d get sidelined as the world’s biggest beverage companies slugged it out for supremacy...
Although grocery lags other sectors when it comes to e-commerce, the effects of digital marketing are beginning to show, as a growing number of shoppers seek out coupons before and during store trips. But the majority of food brands have yet to shift...
Kidney disease patients unable to discern phosphorus levels in foods, AND claims
The FDA’s proposed revamp of the Nutrition Facts panel misses a public health opportunity to mandate disclosure of phosphorus content on nutrition labels, despite the micronutrient’s association with adverse outcomes among kidney patients and growing...
Consuming Nawgan, the ‘alertness beverage’ containing citicoline and caffeine, can boost attention and alertness in young adults, according to results of a randomized clinical trial.
Big interview: Dave Asprey, CEO of Bulletproof Exec
For the creator of Bulletproof Coffee, the butter-infused, "low-toxin" coffee that’s created something of a media storm, the epiphany of the Bulletproof lifestyle came (as epiphanies sometimes seem wont to do) thousands of miles from home after...
Nebraska Cultures has joined the ranks of probiotics suppliers competing in the functional food realm with spore-forming bacterial ingredients with the announcement of GRAS status on its ProDura Bacillus coagulans ingredient.
Coke fails to disclose use of artificial flavoring and/or chemical preservatives, claims lawsuit
A class action lawsuit alleging that Coca-Cola misrepresents its flagship product as being free from added preservatives and artificial flavors, has been allowed to proceed by a judge in California.
Despite market watchers’ predictions that private label will all but take over the world, its share of the packaged food market has remained relatively flat since 2008.
Just over a year on from Cargill’s purchase of soluble wheat bran extract from health and nutrition firm Fugeia, the supplier is edging closer to commercializing the soluble dietary fiber and powerful antioxidant, as consumers worldwide (and at all ages)...
While there is no shortage of high-protein shakes gracing shelves at mainstream as well as specialty retailers these days, there is a gap in the market for more refreshing beverages that pack in a meaningful amount of protein, without the calories, says...
Nutrients could precipitate out of solution or cause cloudiness, claim juice firms
FDA proposals to increase the RDI for calcium and vitamin D as part of an overhaul of the Nutrition Facts panel mean that juice makers could face major formulation challenges if they still want to make nutrient content claims about these ingredients,...
US version of Coca-Cola Life has 60 calories per 8-oz glass bottle
Stevia-and-sugar-sweetened Coca-Cola Life is making its US debut this week following successful launches in Latin America and the UK. But will it bring a surge of new - or lapsed - consumers to the cola category and help to reverse the flagging fortunes...
Despite the legal hot water in which many manufacturers and retailers have found themselves in recent months over “natural” and its growing list of synonyms, the term likely won’t disappear from food and beverage product labels any time soon, as consumers...
Given its apparently limitless potential to feed and fuel the world, there is a huge buzz around microalgae. But with some notable exceptions such as DHA and astaxanthin, this has not - yet - translated into much hard cash. But that’s about to change,...
Nestlé Waters North America engaged in “deceptive, fraudulent and predatory behavior” in a bid to drive a small competitor out of business, alleges New York-based Nirvana Inc in a lawsuit accusing the world’s biggest bottled water company of illegal anti-competitive...
Big interview: Joseph Montgomery III, CEO of Agro Innova
A long beloved refreshment for cacao plantation workers—albeit previously underused part of the cacao fruit—the nutritional powerhouse cacao pulp is making its way to US supermarket shelves in smoothie form.
100% juice from concentrate may have to declare its sugar as 'added'
One bizarre consequence of FDA proposals to include ‘added sugars’ on the Nutrition Facts panel would be that not-from-concentrate 100% fruit juice could boast 0g ‘added sugar’ on the new-look labels, whereas 100% juice made from concentrate (containing...
The BevNET Food & Beverage University heads to LA on Sept 11
Want to avoid rookie mistakes when you take your new food or beverage brand to market? Or perhaps you’ve been in business a couple of years and are looking to take your brand in a new direction, secure new financing or utilize new sales and marketing...
How clean is your label, and who decides - plaintiff's attorneys or Whole Foods Market? Are ‘all-natural’ claims still resonating with consumers or are other on-pack cues more important? And do shoppers understand the difference between natural and...
Natural claims on food and beverage products appear to be leveling off, according to recent product launch data from market research firms Datamonitor and Mintel.
Given the recent concerns surrounding safe supply of chia seed coupled with rising consumer demand for minimally processed ingredients, Anne Brown, general manager of Glanbia Nutritionals’ Next Generation Grains processor, says manufacturers can’t underestimate...
400 representative products tested for 4-mei levels
UPDATED Aug 22: The FDA has conducted new tests to determine exposure to 4-mei (4-Methylimidazole) via consumption of products containing caramel colors III and IV, and plans more to assess exposure from other sources such as brewed coffee and roasted...
Consumers have more negative views towards sugar-sweetened drinks, and show less preference for them, when they come with concrete images of the amount of sugar they contain, suggest researchers.
