What’s for dinner tonight? And could Watson - the IBM computer that trounced its human rivals at Jeopardy - have the answer? FoodNavigator-USA headed to the reThinkFood conference - a collaboration between the Culinary Institute of America and the MIT...
Unprecedented access to information about foods through smart phones and social media is a driving factor in consumers’ increasing interest in healthy eating, according to a leading food culture researcher.
Academic: "Anybody who thinks the world’s malnutrition problems are going to be solved without industry is dreaming."
By Shane Starling from the 3rd World Congress of Public Health Nutrition in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria
Emerging research linking vitamin E deficiency with increased risk of Alzheimer’s, miscarriages and fatty liver disease can contribute to an ongoing debate around recommended intakes, a nutrition congress was told yesterday.
John Gagliardi let his experience as a college and professional lacrosse player guide his choices when it came to formulating his new energy beverage company. Called Titan Tea, the product line is based on black tea and D-ribose as primary ingredients.
Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have voted to allow individual countries within the EU to ban the cultivation of genetically modified food crops on their soil, even if the EU has already approved them for wider cultivation.
Mainstream retailers that have been slow to take up the natural and organic product mantle now are realizing the trend is not a flash-in-the-pan and are scrambling to stock more healthy options, which is good news for Hain Celestial, company executives...
Senomyx has identified novel natural sweeteners “that are more potent than Rebaudioside A [the best-known sweetening component from the stevia leaf]”, according to president and CEO John Poyhonen.
Solazyme’s AlgaVia whole algal flour is now being used in eight commercially available products in the US from non-dairy creamers and powdered beverages to gluten-free baked goods, while the company is also in “late stage commercial tests with major national...
Whole Foods Market hopes to ditch its unwanted moniker “whole paycheck” and reinvigorate slowing sales by lowering select product prices and expanding its reward program nationwide in 2015.
Consumers want to eat healthier, but when it comes to snacking a desire for decadent and indulgent usually wins out over virtuous, which is why Berkeley, Calif.-based The Good Bean wants to “reclaim fun for the better-for-you-chip space” with the launch...
UPDATED - Initial returns indicate that voters in Colorado have given a firm thumbs down to GMO labeling initiative Proposition 105, while the vote in Oregon on Measure 92 headed to a nail-biting finish - but ended with voters saying NO.
Online grocery shopping, craft foods, fermented and pickled foods such as sauerkraut, and non-stop snacking will all gain momentum in 2015, according to ‘Supermarket Guru’ and TV personality Phil Lempert.
Given that the Dietary Guidelines urge Americans to reduce calorie intakes from added sugar, helping them identify foods that actually contain it by listing it on the Nutrition Facts panel seems like a no-brainer, says nutritional ranking system Guiding...
The Federal Trade Commission’s allegations that baby food maker Gerber overstated the ability of Good Start Gentle formula to prevent allergies underscores the difficulty of using qualified health claims, which often are restrictive, difficult for consumers...
DuPont’s nutrition & health division will play a big part in the launch of 4000 food-related products in the next six years, its chief said as the company celebrated 50 years at its Brabrand base in Aarhus, Denmark yesterday.
One of the fastest growing ingredients right now, coconut often is touted as a superfood, but that does not mean products containing its oil, flesh or milk are “healthy,” a recent FDA warning letter reminds the food and beverage industries.
Private label growth has slowed from the last several years when consumers flocked to the category due to the recession, according to a report from Packaged Facts. While retailers continue to launch and promote store brand products, a persistently sluggish...
Eating protein-rich breakfasts may increase levels of dopamine in the brain, which may reduce food cravings and overeating later in the day, says a new study from the University of Missouri.
General Mills will launch ancient grains Cheerios to take the fast-growing trend into mainstream cereal, its marketing manager for cereal innovation says.
Policies aimed at encouraging families and children to eat healthier could be aided by retailers that place healthier food options at the eye level of children, say researchers.
Cereal and plant proteins hold huge potential for breakfast cereal and snack bar fortification but taste and texture remain challenging, say Kellogg’s lead product development scientist.
From hop-free ales with lavender or elderflowers to ‘advanced Asian’ cuisine, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) looks at the top 10 culinary trends it predicts will inspire the packaged food and foodservice industry in 2015.
Egg prices have risen steadily in the past three years, and firms touting plant-based proteins as an alternative have attracted a huge amount of media attention. But new data suggests that this has not dampened demand for eggs, with per capita consumption...
I am one of many scientists around the world whose work involves studying an ecosystem of diverse species. Some are already known to us, others have never been catalogued before.
US sales of hummus have almost doubled since 2009 to top $600m, but could easily break through the $1bn mark in the next few years, predicts Eat Well Embrace Life, which is carving out a leading role in the ‘other bean hummus’ category and aims to be...
FoodNavigator-USA brings you part two of our gallery of highlights from the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Atlanta, GA, which addressed everything from nutrigenomics, plant-based diets and Millennials’ eating habits to whether...
Consumers – and specific groups of consumers – are changing how, when and where they shop, with the influence of Millenials and Hispanics set to grow over the next decade, says a new report from IRI.
Supplementing the diets of overweight and obese people with prebiotics and synbiotics may improve some metabolic measures, including cholesterol and triglyceride levels, says a new systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials.
Consumers want to see what you are putting into the product as well as what isn’t in there
With revenues going from zero to “north of $20m” in three years, the growth of Way Better Snacks has been nothing short of meteoric. But while great branding, its focus on ‘sprouted’ seeds and the CPG experience of its founder & CEO Jim Breen have...
We’ve never had access to more information about how to get healthy. So why are two thirds of Americans still overweight or obese, and what can we do about it? To find out, FoodNavigator-USA headed to Atlanta, GA, for the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference...
Daily consumption of at least 3 grams of oat beta-glucan may reduce cholesterol levels, with greater effects linked to high molecular weight forms of the ingredient, says a new meta-analysis of 28 randomized controlled trials.
San Diego will host the first ever Probiota Americas in June 2015, which will bring together eminent scientists and business leaders from the pre & probiotic and microbiota focused nutrition industries of North and South America.
Press coverage of Ingredion’s $340m acquisition of starch & gums maker Penford made much of reducing its reliance on high fructose corn syrup in the light of lackluster soda sales. But HFCS now accounts for just 15% of sales at Ingredion, which has...
As the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans are developed, there has been a lot of heated debate about saturated fat (not the nutritional bogeyman we always thought?) and protein (it’s a hot trend, but do we really need more?). But what about choline?
Small companies can carve a niche - even in a mature category like pasta sauce - if they have a genuine point of difference, a novel pack size that stands out on shelf (and enables them to meet a price point), and a striking label, says Nello’s Sauce...
Sweeteners & starches giant Ingredion has expanded its ingredients empire with the acquisition of potato starch specialist Penford in a $340m deal that could close before the end of the year.
Beverages continue to be one of the hot beds for innovation when it comes to nutrient fortification, with insoluble fiber, nutritional oils, and (of course) protein all catching the eye.
The Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s’ campaign to promote positive messages about omega-3s has finally launched, but more funds needs to be raised to allow a national roll-out, said GOED’s Adam Ismail.
Consumers are looking for individual and integrated strategies to optimize their health and wellness, but no company has yet put all the pieces together, says BrandHive’s Jeff Hilton.
Food industry ‘tinkering’ with sugar content while foods and drinks remain relatively high in sugar may detract from more basic sugar reduction strategies, warns a public health expert.
The impressive growth with all things protein will continue, with clear beverages, breakfast cereal, and maybe even protein in French fries offering opportunities for suppliers and manufacturers alike.
As Halloween approaches, pumpkin spice mania has gripped the nation, but there’s plenty of other interesting stuff hitting shelves this fall, from Pepsi’s Caleb's Kola to chia vitality bars from Mamma Chia, and new coconut water & juice blends...
St Louis-based Post Holdings - the company behind Grape-Nuts, Honey Bunches of Oats and PowerBar protein bars - has promoted chief financial officer Robert Vitale to the role of chief executive, replacing Bill Stiritz, who will take up the newly-created...
Authorities have closed the upcoming three-month anchovy fishing season in Peru because insufficient numbers of fish were found in a recent acoustic survey. Fishing quotas have been sharply reduced during other low fish seasons, but this is the first...
