84% of US consumers buy organic food sometimes, and 45% of them buy it at least once a month, according to a new national survey of 1,016 adults. However, there is a disparity between what they think the organic seal means and what they think it should...
They’re addicted to their smartphones, big fans of social networking sites, and more likely than their parents to buy store brands. But what else do we know about Millennials - the 100 million Americans born between 1980 and 2000?
Interview with Dan Belliveau, creator of coffee flour and co-founder of CF Global
A longtime executive at the likes of Starbucks, Frito-Lay and General Motors used his experience in improving supply chain efficiency to create a groundbreaking food ingredient traditionally left to rot as a byproduct of the roughly 17 billion pounds...
Just over three months after launching in the US market, grocery coupon app Checkout 51 has attracted an eye-boggling 1.4 million users, and expects to attract tens of millions more. Why? Because it’s really easy to use, says co-founder Noah Godfrey.
Consumers are confused about what evaporated cane juice (ECJ) is, but the FDA’s preferred term - ‘dried cane syrup’ - is not much better, according to one of the first groups to respond to the agency’s new request for comments on ECJ.
Consumers have spent years paying over the odds for organic foods based on the erroneous belief - promulgated by stakeholders with a vested interest - that they are healthier and safer than their conventional counterparts, claims a controversial new report.
If you want to see what success looks like in US grocery retailing, look no further than Trader Joe’s. Its unique combination of affordable prices, innovative private label items and gourmet, organic, and natural foods have helped drive sales per square...
Peruviuan cuisine is a hot culinary trend and a “powerful funnel for bringing resurgent South American cuisine into the US food retail and foodservice market”, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
On the face of it, the FDA’s proposal to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) - the source of most of the ‘artificial’ trans fats in the US food supply - seems like a no-brainer. After all, even if the jury is apparently still...
FDA proposals to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in order to crack down on trans fats will lead to increased saturated fat intakes, greater reliance on imported palm and canola oil and the “diminished ability for food manufacturers...
The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) has hit out at claims from the American Sugar Alliance that the confectionery industry is dominated by big players and is crying poor about sugar prices.
FDA proposals to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in order to crack down on trans fats will cause massive headaches for gum manufacturers, according to the International Chewing Gum Association.
Japanese researchers claim that chewing gum for over 10 minutes can reduce stress, adding to a growing body of science linking gum chewing to stress relief.
Suntava - the Minnesota-based firm promoting anthocyanin-packed purple-corn ingredients - has gone through the Non-GMO Project verification process to reassure customers and consumers that the corn from which they are derived is not genetically engineered.
Attending a series of sessions on sugar reduction during the Institute of Food Technologists’ (IFT) 2014 Wellness conference, a few common themes kept resurfacing: that obesity remains a big problem, and that—like it or not—the sugar industry is assuming...
The US National Confectioners Association (NCA) has earmarked consumer education on calories and sugar as an industry priority for 2014 but admits there is skepticism about industry-funded research.
Confectioners can reduce reliance on the big seasons with packaging and formats that outlast one day events, licensing deals and distribution at holiday hot spots, according to Jelly Belly.
Sales of Blue Diamond Grower’s retail products - from Almond Breeze to Almond Nut Thins - have surged dramatically over the past five years and now account for nearly $500m in annual revenues, says its CEO.
Two practical alternatives to a blanket ban on partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) would help the FDA achieve its objective (cracking down on trans-fats) without causing formulation nightmares, claim leading food manufacturers.
Confectioners should focus on the hard-core candy consumers that make up the bulk of sales, according to the National Confectioners’ Association (NCA) and DunnhumbyUSA.
US headquartered firm Spangler Candy says it will not move large volumes of its production back to the US from Mexico until the US government creates a domestic sugar regime that matches world prices.
The National Advertising Division has recommended that Hershey modify its packaging and advertising for Brookside candies so consumers know the product is made with fruit flavors and not real fruit.
Mondelēz International said it may include a pledge to reduce sugar in its new health & wellness program, but only if the World Health Organization (WHO) makes its latest sugar advice formal.
An all-natural fermentation process using mushrooms to remove bitter and acidic qualities from food ingredients created by food technology firm MycoTechnology Inc. claims it will revolutionize the coffee and chocolate markets.
If it’s in the natural channel today, it could be in food, drug and mass merchandise stores tomorrow, so food and beverage trend-spotters were out in force at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim on March 6-9.
Lindt & Sprüngli has announced plans to double the size of its US headquarters to meet growing consumer demand in the US premium chocolate market, which it says is its biggest and carries the most potential.
Mondelēz is to cut saturated fat and sodium by 10% by 2020, but suggests reducing consumer sugar intake is manageable with portion controlled products and education.
Mars has committed to ending deforestation associated with its palm oil supply by the end of 2015, becoming the latest multinational to do so, alongside Unilever and Nestlé, among others.
Impulse-reliant confectioners should be wary of emerging technology that could spell the end for in-store checkouts as we know them, says a retail expert.
It’s 70 degrees, and there are a lot of free snacks, so the FoodNavigator-USA team did the decent thing and headed to Anaheim to bring you the highlights from the nation’s biggest natural products show: Natural Products Expo West…
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has again urged the FDA to come up with its own mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labeling system and “ignore” the industry-backed, voluntary ‘Facts up Front’ scheme.
By Winnie Byanyima, executive director, Oxfam International
Food and drink companies can have a big influence over sustainability and ethical issues in their supply chains - and have the power to change them rapidly. One year on from Oxfam's first Behind the Brands sustainability scorecard, nine of the ten...
While the debate about deforestation due to palm oil rumbles on, new research has suggested that the release of methane from palm oil processing wastewater may also be a significant concern.
The fat composition of food not only influences cholesterol levels and the risk of cardiovascular disease but also governs where the fat will be stored in the body, say researchers.
Private equity firms and Hershey are prospective suitors for up for sale Russell Stover, but America’s leading boxed chocolate firm could struggle to stay relevant, according to an analyst from Mintel.
When PepsiCo replaced the word ‘Simply Natural’ with ‘Simply’ on some Frito-Lay lines recently, some commentators wondered if this signaled the beginning of the end of the industry’s love affair with all-natural claims. However, new data suggests otherwise.
While some analysts predict US private label penetration rates (which have remained stubbornly at around 18% of dollar sales for in recent years) could reach 25-30% or higher in the next few years, their “exuberance… is perplexing at best”, according...
While the number of lawsuits filed against food and beverage manufacturers over ‘all-natural’ claims appeared to peak in 2012 and drop off again in 2013, it’s too early for the industry to start cracking open the champagne just yet, say legal experts.