What are the hottest trends in food and beverage? And are the big bucks really in blue-sky innovation, or have the most successful firms played with an existing concept and just done a better job at executing, marketing and selling it?
What might give the food and beverage industry's regulatory affairs teams sleepless nights in 2014? From more evaporated cane juice lawsuits to proposed changes to the Nutrition Facts panel, stay up to date with this FoodNavigator-USA gallery…
Consumer packaged goods companies are underestimating the growth potential of online sales and still lack clear e-commerce strategies, according to a new study from consulting firm Deloitte LLP.
Amid mounting false advertising lawsuits and increased pressure from consumer advocacy groups, the future of the historically vague marketing term "natural" is in question.
From maple water to ‘brogurt’, posh jerky, seaweed chips, purple corn, gourmet popcorn and non-GMO labels; what were the hottest trends of 2013, and what’s on the menu for 2014?
Packaged food companies continue to see mid-range market share stolen from an increasingly sophisticated store brand segment. So they’ll look to stay relevant with continued focus on convenience and popular messaging like high protein.
As the FDA prepares to conduct consumer research into whole grain labeling statements before it issues finalized guidance for industry, the debate over precisely what should constitute a ‘whole grain’, as well as how the amount of whole grain should be...
Jatropha protein concentrate can be used to fortify bread without adverse textural impact and bakers should consider using the ingredient more, researchers say.
Food manufacturers have urged the FDA to give them more time to consider its proposal to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in a bid to eradicate artificial trans fats from the American diet.
Why is your business using social media? To sell more products? Raise your profile? Change your image? Find out what key ‘influencers’ really think about your brands? Identify and target a new customer base? Or because everyone else is on Twitter and...
While the FDA has raised concerns about the recent proliferation of caffeine-containing products on the market, particularly those marketed at young people, new data suggests energy drinks and shots contribute “minimally” to total caffeine intakes, say...
A judge has provisionally approved a $5.3m settlement between CytoSport and California plaintiff Claire Delacruz in a false advertising class action lawsuit over the marketing of Muscle Milk bars and beverages.
Special Edition: Super grains! From chia to quinoa
The marolo fruit should be used in flour form for snack bars because of its powerful nutritional properties and ability to improve taste and quality, researchers say.
Crisco oil maker JM Smucker says the FDA’s proposal to look again at the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in a bid to eradicate artificial trans fats will not materially impact its business.
HSBC has said that despite challenges market tides deciding the sustainability of the palm oil industry are changing - although an environmental group has published a damning report of the bank’s investment practices.
PepsiCo holds six slots in the top 10 global snack brands and fighting for a space is a huge challenge for other snack makers but not impossible, an analyst says.
The percentage of new US food product launches featuring ancient grains or seeds has almost tripled since 2008, according to Datamonitor. But the bulk of activity is focused around just two ingredients: Chia and quinoa.
60-second interview: Matt Fifer, co-founder, 8th & Walton Group
Want to get on the shelf at Walmart? Prepare to put in some serious work, says Matt Fifer, who spent nearly 13 years in senior roles in store & club operations, people development, marketing, and international marketing at Wal-Mart before co-founding...
Campbell Soup has posted a 30% slide in first quarter profits to $172m and downgraded its guidance for the full year. Revenue declined 1.8% to $2.17bn.
The US Food and Drug Administration has no questions for DuPont (Danisco) and the generally recognized as safe (GRAS) status of its Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strains HN019, Bi-07, B1-04, and B420 (B. animalis subsp. lactis strains).
While quinoa and chia have stolen much of the limelight, one of the most interesting ‘ancient grains’ to watch is freekeh - wheat that has been harvested early while it is still green and then roasted and cracked - according to one leading supplier of...
There will be pressure from some corners to give the food industry several years to phase out partially hydrogenated oils, but from a technical perspective, viable alternatives are already out there for pretty much every application, according to one...
San-Diego-based flavor innovator Senomyx says the first products arising from a collaboration with PepsiCo using a novel sweet taste modifier called S617 should hit shelves next year - contingent upon a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) determination.
Annies Inc. has announced the $6 million acquisition of a cracker and cookie plant in Joplin, MO that will more than triple the company’s volume in the important snacks segment.
While many grocery brands are struggling to generate any growth right now, top gluten-free brands Udi's and Glutino notched up combined net sales growth of 53% in the latest quarter, bosses at brand owner Boulder Brands have revealed.
Demonization of ingredients and a lack of consumer understanding has fueled clean label, but it remains niche among a small group of consumers, DuPont Nutrition & Health says.
News that the FDA is considering revoking the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in a bid to eradicate artificial trans fats from the US food supply has been broadly welcomed. But how long should the agency...
Washington DC-based non-profit the Center for Food Safety (CFS) has urged the FDA to reject calls to make an administrative determination over whether GMOs belong in products marketed as ‘natural’.
UPDATED - Kellogg has announced a new cost-cutting program called Project K that will see it eliminate 7% of its workforce by 2017, with some cuts beginning immediately.
Increasing numbers of products with superfoods like chia will see this favorite of the Aztecs joining the mainstream functional food/beverage ranks, says a leading marketing expert.
Special edition: Tackling diabetes. Formulating for healthy blood sugar
Given that one in three American adults is expected to develop type 2 diabetes by 2050, and poor diet and lack of exercise may be largely to blame, what can food and beverage manufacturers do to tackle this epidemic?
There is huge untapped potential in the Asian foods category - despite its relative maturity - according to KeHE, a leading national distributor of natural and specialty food products.
Looking for a new challenge in your career? Check out food and drink’s most powerful global recruitment network from the publisher of FoodNavigator-USA and FoodNavigator.
The number of consumer fraud class actions brought in federal court against food and beverage companies skyrocketed from 19 cases in 2008 to more than 100 in 2012, according to the U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (ILR)*.
Special Edition: Tackling diabetes: Formulating for healthy blood sugar
The overall topic of blood sugar management is becoming increasingly important beyond the population with type 2 diabetes, as mainstream media has made consumers more aware of the health needs of blood sugar management—known more colloquially as “energy...
If the first generation of gluten-free products was short on flavor and nutrients; the next generation - ‘gluten-free 2.0’ - is all about taste, health and convenience, and is infiltrating every food category and channel, delegates at the Food & Nutrition...
From the risks and rewards of energy drinks to what Americans eat for breakfast, strategies to tackle mindless eating and the next generation of gluten-free foods, Houston was the place to be this week as 8,000+ nutrition professionals gathered for the...
In new developments in the highly charged debate over GMOs, General Mills has been targeted in a report blasted by a plant geneticist as “a collection of discredited studies and half-truths”, while the GMA has been slapped with a lawsuit alleging it concealed...
