While some of the initial challenges that food and beverage startups experienced when the pandemic began have subsided, like restrictions on sampling and freezes on category resets, others remain and new ones have emerged – complicating the path to market...
The Department of Justice’s bid to block a sugar industry mega-deal - US Sugar’s proposed acquisition of rival Imperial Sugar - is “based on a static, contrived, and internally inconsistent view of how competition for the sale of refined sugar occurs...
Hain Celestial is singing the same tune as many other CPG companies reporting quarterly earnings in the past month, and that is the back half of the year will be better than the first thanks to pricing increases to alleviate higher costs, increased inventory...
Microbes from yeast to fungi are now routinely used to produce some ingredients more efficiently than plants or animals. But next-gen ‘cell-free’ processes that deploy some of the biomolecular machinery inside the cell wall, could slash R&D lead times...
Taza Chocolate is celebrating the release of one million pounds of finished goods and its best year since it set out in 2005 to make “stone ground chocolate that is seriously good and fair for all."
In the race to bring the high intensity sweetener brazzein to market at commercial scale, taste solution provider Sweegen is claiming first place today with the launch of Ultratia, which the company says is a key tool in improving the health profile of...
As waves of COVID-19 and its variants ebb and flow they are creating an unpredictable tug-of-war between restaurants and grocery retailers that one industry insider predicts will continue to complicate inventory management long after the current supply...
Oreo-maker Mondelez warns the start of 2022 will be marred by lingering low inventory levels due to a now-resolved strike late last summer and ongoing labor challenges at third-party manufacturers as well as persistent supply chain challenges hindering...
Two new sweetness modulators from Icon Foods promise to smooth out the flavor profiles of popular sugar substitutes that, despite significant advancements, continue to fall short of recreating the flavor of processed sugar – either because they come on...
Plant-based chocolate manufacturers have a new ingredient to add to their toolbox: Palsgaard AMP 4455, an emulsifier which Palsgaard claims is twice as efficient as lecithin and can reduce the amount of cocoa butter used in plant-based chocolate formulations...
The North American sweet snacks giant rewarded nearly 2,000 bakery and distribution centre employees for their hard work to get products out during the pandemic.
The adoption of four production technologies for steviol glycosides by the international food standards authority Codex Alimentarius earlier this month opens doors for industry to produce and source at scale and more sustainably less-common versions of...
Chocolate is one of the first places consumers turn to when they're looking to indulge, says global chocolate ingredient supplier Barry Callebaut, adding that future growth opportunities in the category will be centered around health, transparency,...
When it comes to building a new category, the founder of the better-for-you, late-night snacking company NightFood found after years of struggling to explain his value proposition to consumers that a new playbook was in order – one that focuses more on...
The green M&M is trading in her go-go boots for kicky low-rise sneakers and toning down her sexuality as part of a brand refresh by Mars intended to make the candies “more inclusive, welcoming and unifying,” but it appears to be having the opposite...
Founded on the belief that sugar cravings are rooted equally in physical and emotional needs, the co-founders of Israeli startup Sweet Victory drew on their backgrounds as a psychologist and nutritionist to solve for both -- helping people kick their...
After discovering online grocery retailers fail to consistently provide key nutritional and allergen information for products on their websites, researchers are calling on FDA, USDA and FTC to close online labeling “gaps” by requiring ecommerce sites...
Special Edition: The rise of vegan/plant-based chocolate
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...
