As consumer demand for vegan and plant-based options continues to accelerate, cocoa supplier Cargill is introducing its Chocolate ExtraVeganZa, a new range of vegan chocolate and couverture chocolates.
The trajectory appetite for sweet snacks and specifically for plant-based treats has called for the creation of a day to celebrate vegan chocolate, an event spearheaded by the entrepreneur known as the Vegan Willy Wonka.
Special Edition: The rise of vegan/plant-based chocolate
New research from Barry Callebaut on how the confectionery industry is responding to the Veganuary movement reveals plant-based indulgence is enticing more consumers to try alternatives - but taste is a key motivation in their choice.
DouxMatok, an Israeli firm that is shaking up sugar reduction with patented technology that heightens the perception of sweetness, is teaming with Blommer Chocolate to produce a ‘game changing’ portfolio of chocolate products with significantly less sugar,...
Swiss chocolatier Lindt & Sprüngli has shrugged off the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic by reporting a 14.2% increase in group sales, to CH 4.59bn (€4.42 billion) in financial year 2021
Nearly a third of Americans plan to drop or reduce animal-based products in their diet this month in favor of vegan options as part of Veganuary – a well-established global movement that may still be relatively new in the US, but which still is shining...
In its first year, low-sugar candy startup Behave has faced demand-driven stockouts, reformulated with less sugars and expanded into stores across the US.
After upending the gum category with the wildly successful launch of plastic-free, all-natural gum in a sleek, thoughtful package, the makers of Simply Gum are hoping to strike lightening twice – or preferably thrice – with its recent “low-key” entrance...
Synergy Flavors has expanded several areas of its Illinois headquarters to support forward-looking flavor innovation and increased customer collaboration, said the company.
Record surge for chocolate by American consumers has pushed sales to $29bn, with retail chocolate sales climbing more than 5% a quarter, according to data from Chicago-based researcher IRI.
Americans continue to leave their jobs in droves, and while the negative impact can be felt across industries the manufacturing segment – especially within food – continues to be hit hard, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The supply chain bottlenecks, labor shortages and rising inflation that have plagued the economy during the pandemic may last longer than previously expected with some businesses facing “deteriorating” conditions due to omicron and other coronavirus variants,...
Natural color supplier Oterra continues its shopping spree as it strives to become a leading force in the highly fragmented food color segment with the acquisitions of Food Ingredient Solutions and Diana Foods – both of which expand its global footprint.
Plant-based alternatives to egg whites can fall short – literally – when it comes to creating towering meringues, pavlovas and mousses, but the Israeli food-tech frontrunner InnovoPro’s new chickpea-based egg white replacement system, CP-Foam 1001, promises...
Fear and frustration related to the ongoing pandemic will continue to shape flavor preferences in 2022 with consumers gravitating to taste profiles that signal health benefits, hint at escape to far away lands, offer comfort or promise something new,...
Botanicals continue to be a strong force for new food and beverage product development as many consumers regard the category of ingredients as healing and revitalizing, according to global fragrance and taste company Firmenich, which named “Magical Botanical’...
Undeterred by the chaos of the pandemic, including supply chain challenges and retailers significantly scaling back selection and even pausing new product introductions, an elite, cross-functional team of innovators at Clif Bar & Co. secretly pushed...
Determining the most sustainable packaging option for CPG products is rarely as clear cut as it might appear. Take yogurt cups, which are typically made from polypropylene (PP), which can be recycled, although many US curbside pickup services don’t yet...
Will 2022 be the year the FDA finally weighs in on CBD regulations, or defines 'natural'? Will we see guidance from the FDA on the pre-market consultation process for cell-cultured meat? Is compliance with the bioengineered food disclosure standard...
With the Jan. 1, 2022 deadline for compliance with the National Bioengineered Food Disclosure Standard (NBFDS) fast approaching, many companies are still struggling with compliance, even at this incredibly late stage, say industry sources.
Move over sourdough, a new era of baking is rising in 2022 that focuses less on practicality and austerity and more on decadence, extraordinary experiences, celebration and holistic well-being, according to industry insiders.
Food has taken on deeper meaning for many consumers serving as a connection to experience, community, and personalized health goals, noted Tastewise in its 2022 report, which uses AI to analyze over 1 million restaurants and delivery menus, 22 billion...
With the holiday season in full swing, Americans who are looking for safe ways to celebrate with friends and family increasingly are turning to dessert boards – a flexible, emerging trend that Dawn Foods says meets evolving consumer demands, has ‘unlimited...
Two years since Seattle introduced its sugar-sweetened beverage tax, new research indicates that the 1.75-cent per ounce tax has significantly curbed sales of soda, juice, and other sugar-sweetened drinks.
Sugar giant US Sugar says it “fully intends to litigate” to prove its proposed deal to acquire rival Imperial Sugar will not result in higher prices and harm sugar buyers after the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an anti-trust lawsuit in a bid to block...
The risks JM Smucker took as one of the first CPG companies to announce sweeping price increases in the face of inflation earlier this year are paying off as the company’s sales grew high single digits with “every business outperforming our expectations”...
Membership-only natural and organic online marketplace Thrive Market now generates a quarter of its sales from 700+ private label products spanning everything from super fine almond flour to grass-fed beef. FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Jenna Engleman,...
While scientists are still unlocking the secrets of the microbiome, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the billions of bugs in our bodies are intimately connected to our health and wellbeing. But how far have we come since Jamie Lee Curtis first introduced...
Walmart is gaining market share in grocery in the US by not only holding prices steady as many competitors raise them in the face of increasing inflation, but also by continuing to look for rollbacks – a counterintuitive strategy it says will benefit...
Despite the surge in hunger, sluggish supply chains and transportation woes that have drastically delayed food production, delivery and availability since the coronavirus outbreak more than 20 months ago, cross-disciplinary experts at the global design...
Michroma – a startup building a production platform for natural food colors from fungi – has advanced to pilot-scale production of a heat-stable vibrant red colorant it claims can give synthetic dyes a serious run for their money when it comes to performance...
Where should food businesses begin net zero action? With a ‘forest positive’ approach, Earthworm Foundation CEO Bastien Sachet tells FoodNavigator, stressing action is required this decade.
Dream Pops will be expanding outside of frozen desserts and novelties and entering the shelf-stable confectionery category with a line of plant-based products to compete with the likes of Hershey, Mars, and Ferrero, says founder and CEO David Greenfeld....
Consumers' pursuit of comforting foods with a slight twist in flavor, ingredients, and nutritional benefits will drive the majority growth of the $170.4bn specialty food industry in 2022, according to the Specialty Food Association (SFA) Trendspotter...
In its Q3 earnings call yesterday, TreeHouse Foods’ CEO observed that, “as certain federal stimulus programs expire, we are seeing signs of private label recovery.” So will store brands regain some share they lost during the pandemic, and how are retailers...
Edible insects were always going to be a slow burn in the alternative protein market in Europe and North America, given the ‘ick’ factor and the lack of infrastructure to farm and process them at scale, says Israeli firm Hargol FoodTech. But while the...
Despite recent warnings that key holiday foods may be out-of-stock or more expensive than previous years due to ongoing supply chain challenges, consumer concern about obtaining food and the impact of inflation hasn’t changed much compared to August,...
While the CPG industry continues to steadily add jobs, the rate at which companies are onboarding new employees still falls woefully short of what is needed to keep pace with quickly rising consumer demand – prompting industry leaders to reevaluate the...
The confectionery industry received a boost as it heads into the important Halloween weekend when the Hershey Co raised its annual net sales and adjusted earnings forecast.
Best known for its lightly-coated chocolate-covered almonds and other nuts, SkinnyDipped has evolved into a platform brand expanding into high-growth adjacent categories, said CEO Breezy Griffith.
An international team of scientists have completed what they claim is the ‘largest review ever conducted’ looking at agricultural crop diversity. The results are in: we are seeing ‘enormous’ diversity loss, with implications for future...
Consumers have evolved their definition of what qualifies as a snack and are increasingly seeking out permissibly indulgent options, which has given rise to a new type of snacking behavior in the frozen set, Mintel consumer insights research suggests....
Unilever joins the parade of CPG manufacturers hiking prices “significantly” to offset rising commodity costs and other inputs, with CEO Alan Jope warning, “there is more pricing still to come.”
Nestlé has entered the refrigerated snacking set with its line of permissably indulgent Rallies, a three-bite snack of chocolate enrobed nut butters, which is targeting a growing group of consumers who need a pick-me-up to rally themselves out of a slump,...
Clearly communicating the environmental benefits of CPGs can be a heavy lift given the complexity of sustainability, the relative lack of space on most packages, and differences in consumer awareness across demographics – but new research suggests doing...
Albertsons’ “surgical approach” to pricing to offset rising inflation coupled with its ability to quickly offer alternatives to out-of-stocks due to ongoing supply chain and labor challenges helped it deliver better-than-expected margins in its second...
