The mega-merger between AB Acquisition LLC *(parent company of Albertson’s LLC and New Albertson’s Inc) and Safeway Inc was formally completed Friday. But should suppliers crack open the champagne, or drown their sorrows?
You can make money out of online grocery shopping if you have a scalable business model, a targeted range of high quality fresh foods, and the tools to help you build meaningful relationships with consumers, says Door to Door Organics, which has proved...
Dietary sugars intakes are decreasing or stable in most countries, according to a data review of ten European countries, Australia, New Zealand and the US.
Trendwatchers at Sensient Flavors have identified eight up-and-coming flavor trends for 2015 using the company's proprietary ‘Trends to Taste’ program, a predictive process that filters trends from the broad, consumer, macro level down to finished...
Private label penetration rates have not budged since 2011
Dollar sales of foods and beverages edged up a modest 2.1% to $470bn in the US retail market in 2014, but unit sales (an indication of volumes) were pretty flat (up just 0.9%), according to Chicago-based market research firm IRI.
Field Roast Grain Meat Co. expands its portfolio into the retail vegan cheese category with the Jan. 1 launch of Chao Slices, which it claims are “revolutionary” because they do not try to mimic dairy cheese like other players in the segment.
Are Americans falling out of love with Greek yogurt? No, says Three Happy Cows director of marketing Brian Twomey. But growth is slowing and space allocation in some stores is shrinking, so brands that want to stay on shelf need to “identify the white...
With buyers from Whole Foods, Kroger, KeHE, Compass Group, Dean & DeLuca and hundreds of other retailers and foodservice chains walking the floor looking for innovative new products, the Winter Fancy Food Show has helped to launch scores of high-profile...
Peeled Snacks: If you don’t take time to understand retail buyers, why should they take time to understand you?
Which retail channel is right for your brand? Natural? Club? Convenience? And once you’ve jumped through all the buyers’ hoops, will you still be able to make any money? It all depends on whether you’ve done your homework, one snacking sales expert told...
Understanding how products' sensory characteristics and packaging both individually and synergistically provoke emotions in consumers can help manufacturers to design and optimise products, say researchers.
US probiotic market growth has been bolstered by big media investment, something yet to be seen in the EU, according to the Swedish firm Probi which just secured its largest transatlantic order to date.
Guilt-free but indulgent frozen dessert brand Arctic Zero grew sales by more than 25% in 2014 versus 2013 and is “poised for significant growth” in 2015, says the San Diego-based firm, which has just unveiled a new logo and pack design.
Authentic street foods with international roots that were traditionally eaten outside as make shift meals by laborers are coming inside and appealing to a wider variety of people as more consumers favor fast food over home cooking, according to Packaged...
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...
Chobani has confirmed that it has been looking for a new CEO for some time, but says the process was set in motion by its current CEO, founder and chairman Hamdi Ulukaya, so “to imply that he is being pushed out by the board is completely ridiculous”.
Stevia-sweetened yogurt has 15g protein per 5.3oz pot
Dannon is attempting to revitalize the Greek yogurt category with a new high-protein Greek yogurt sweetened with stevia “that appeals equally to both men and women”.
Start-up meal kit delivery service Chef’d is able to raise much-needed capital to launch and at the same time work out the kinks in its operations, production and delivery by working with the crowd-funding website Indiegogo.
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.
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...
Acid whey - a byproduct of Greek yogurt production that has been causing headaches for manufacturers - could be transformed “from a liability into an asset”, says a dairy scientist who has filed a patent covering beverages that cash in on acid whey’s...
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...
Eating all your vegetables might be easier in 2015 than in recent years as they increasingly show up in unexpected places, including desserts and drinks, according to the International Food Network.
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...
Chobani has installed a multi-million dollar reverse osmosis filtration system at its Twin Falls plant in Idaho that will help it better handle the whey generated as a byproduct of its production process.
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”.
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...
Does selling up mean selling out? Not if you go in with your eyes open, says the boss of Talenti, who has just jumped into bed with Unilever, but says the premium gelato brand will retain its autonomy, its integrity, and its management team, post the...
A series of patent applications from General Mills reveals it has been exploring novel ways to ‘neutralize’ acid whey - a byproduct of some Greek yogurt production - and use it in value-added food products, while Dannon and Chobani are also making progress...
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.
Unilever is planning to set up a standalone business unit for its North American and European spreads, prompting speculation that it is planning a spin off - something bosses have denied.
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.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
David Thorrold, CEO of the world’s largest monk fruit extract supplier BioVittoria insists the sweetener can complement rival stevia to achieve a better-tasting product – as the experience of successful zero-calorie US soft drinks brand Zevia shows.
While frozen yogurt franchises might be appearing on every street corner, US retail sales of frozen yogurt/tofu have slumped over the past year, with multi-outlet* data from Chicago-based market research firm IRI revealing an 8.23% drop in dollar sales...
An organization supporting “family-scale” farming accuses the makers of Dannon, Yoplait and other yogurt manufacturers of misleading parents to believe their yogurts are healthy, even though some products include sugar and “myriad questionably safe artificial...
Students who bring their lunch from home and their parents apparently missed the memo from Congress mandating the mid-day meal meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Consumers want bolder, more intense flavor experiences, says McCormick
Consumers want bolder, more intense flavor experiences, from Japanese 7 Spice to sour cherries and salt, according to McCormick & Co’s flavor forecast for 2015.
Becoming part of a global company will give best-selling gelato & sorbet brand Talenti an “unprecedented opportunity to grow and expand its footprint”, says the Minneapolis-based company, which has been snapped up by Unilever for an undisclosed sum.
Agri commodity process will trend lower or remain stable in 2015, predicts Rabobank, which says favorable growing season conditions through 2014 coupled with moderate consumption growth have improved stocks of crops including soybeans, corn and cocoa.
While it used to take years for a food & beverage start-up to build a national presence, the explosive growth of brands such as Suja Juice and Way Better Snacks show that with the right product, the old rules no longer apply, says one corporate finance...
JK Sucralose - which claims to be the largest sucralose manufacturer in China - has weighed into the debate over sucralose pricing raised by market leader Tate & Lyle.
