A poll* of more than 4,200 US consumers conducted in April 2015 by CivicScience shows Americans believe that ‘preservatives / chemicals’ are significantly more harmful to their heath than added sugar, saturated fat and sodium.
Snyder’s-Lance has joined forces with Mediterranean Snacks to create a co-branded snack pack containing hummus and pretzels as part of its drive towards meal solutions, its marketing head says.
Chocolate marketers likely will gain more traction if they appeal to consumers emotionally and emphasize the health benefits of inclusions, such as nuts and dried fruit, suggest the results of a recent survey conducted by the Almond Board of California.
From veggie powders to sprinkle on your food to artisan dairy-free ‘cheeses’ made from nuts, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) selects nine natural food trends it predicts will inspire packaged foods and foodservice menus in 2015.
Consumer demand for high protein, on-the-go food is helping drive sales of jerky, which climbed 12.8% last year, and other dried meat snacks, which increased 14.3% last year, according to data analysis by IRI Worldwide. Meat snack manufacturers hoping...
Food marketers increasingly are training their crosshairs on millennials whose purchasing power is growing quickly, but they should not overlook baby boomers, who spend the most of any generation on snacks and sweets, according to analysis of sales data...
Hartman Group: Pleasure & distinction bigger drivers than health for premium products
While more premium brands from KRAVE to Noosa are being snapped up by big food companies and private equity firms, not every CPG category has the potential to be driven – or revitalized - by premium brands, according to a new analysis by Hartman Group....
Millennials are more likely to be hungry for new food products than other demographics, with 38% “always looking for new food products to try” versus 31% of total shoppers, according to survey data* from Chicago-based researcher IRI.
The latest outbreak of avian flu has, predictably, prompted a surge in demand for egg replacers. But some industrial egg users are now considering making permanent changes to recipes and menus rather than just making tactical substitutions whenever egg...
Snack makers can boost sales and secure stronger retail relations with data-driven product pairing rather than guesswork, says Nielsen Perishables Group.
Potato chips, tortilla chips and cheese snacks are performing strongly in the US retail market, despite growing demand for healthier snacking options. However, the big winners in the snacks aisle this year have been ready-to-eat popcorn, meat snacks,...
Bakers and other big users of eggs could face major supply shortages if the government does not act quickly to allow temporary imports from more egg-producing countries, claims the American Bakers Association (ABA), which says “25% of industrial egg product...
Sales of snacks account for a whopping 40% of the $370 billion U.S. packaged food market and are set to grow 2% annually through 2019, thanks in large part to millennials who eat more snacks than any other group, according to analysis by Euromonitor.
A Nestlé-supported study has examined the causes of chocolate fat blooming, a process when white defects appear on the surface of chocolate because of fat crystallization – a serious problem for the global confectionery industry.
Compared to previous generations Millennials are far more likely to make spur-of-the-moment food decisions and have less well-stocked pantries, say market researchers. But many food retailers are not geared up to meet their changing needs.
Retailers have voted for the new U.S candy items that have the best go-to-market potential at the National Confectioners Association’s Sweets & Snacks Expo.
The Hershey Company will not rule out additional M&A activity to strengthen traction in snacks and innovate beyond core confections, its brand head says.
Biena dry roasted chickpea snacks are about to roll out nationally at Target
When Poorvi Patodia first started pitching roasted chickpeas to retail buyers in 2012, not everyone was convinced they could be a mainstream hit. Today, they are gracing shelves in 3,000+ stores from Sprouts to Stop & Shop and are about to go into...
Dispatches from Canadean International Beer Strategies, Amsterdam
Social media strategies need to refrain from insistently pushing brands; but instead add value for consumers, explains Ashley Vinson, head of brand strategy Benelux, Twitter.
Just scaling up alone without fundamental changes to farming practices could decrease costs by 25-50%
While cost is a barrier – and regulatory issues need ironing out – mainstream food manufacturers “have been way more open to this [using edible insects in their products] than you would probably think”, says the founder of the world’s largest insect-based...
Culinary trend-spotting: Where retail & foodservice collide
For the first time, consumers are spending more money at restaurants than on groceries in America, likely reflecting more financial flexibility from savings garnered by shopping at less expensive box stores and from lower gas prices, according to recent...
Pressure on food manufacturers to label genetically modified food and provide non-GMO alternatives is mounting as consumer concern and confusion about the technology increases in response to a deluge of negative messaging about it.
Consumer feedback on Solazyme’s new high-oleic algae oil reveals high acceptance levels, with 98% of healthy oil purchasers sent samples for at-home testing reporting it had a ‘pleasant or no aftertaste’, 87% agreeing it had a ‘cleaner taste than other...
Meet execs from Sparkling ICE, Chobani, Tio Gazpacho, NASA
Imagine a place where you can meet the entrepreneurs behind new food & beverage categories and retail channels; pioneers in the field of nutrigenomics, edible insects, and 3D printing; food law attorneys; investment bankers; and number crunchers who...
Concern about “chemicals” in the food supply is growing among Americans, many of whom are changing how they buy food as a result, according to a recent survey.
More than four out of 10 (43%) American infants aged 12-23 months eat cookies, cakes or pastries on any given day; almost a third (32%) eat chips, popcorn or pretzels; 19% eat candy; and 31% consume soda, fruit or sports drinks; according to dietary intake...
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Process Verification Program could provide an avenue for firms to certify the veracity of non-GMO claims without indirectly suggesting that genetic engineering is undesirable or unsafe.
30 years ago, nuts were perceived as the nutritional equivalent of candy. Today, they are widely recognized as a nutrient powerhouse. But why are peanuts – which have unique health and sustainability credentials – still perceived by some consumers as...
The flavor of Welch’s famous Concord grape no longer is limited to juices, jellies and purees, but can now be found in concentrated fruit pieces and pastes that can easily be formulated into a broad range of products thanks to a partnership between Welch’s...
The Hershey Company made significant progress against its responsible sourcing and sustainability commitments in 2014, according to its latest Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report.
The world’s biggest food firm, Nestlé, has put reducing food waste firmly on its agenda, announcing plans to help further prevent the issue of food losses and waste around the world at the Save Food Congress.
Trans fat ban / Nutrition Facts Panel overhaul / FSMA implementation
Bakers must be prioritize and collaborate in the face of policy upheaval on nutrition, ingredients and food safety this year, warns the American Bakers Association (ABA).
Recent acquisitions to diversify Post Holdings’ portfolio are paying off more quickly than anticipated, prompting the cereal giant to raise its full year guidance despite a larger than expected negative impact from a supplier that tested positive for...
Premium organic packaged food manufacturer WhiteWave Foods raised its guidance for 2015 following strong first quarter sales driven by innovative line extensions and recent product launches.
60-second interview: Kyle von Hasseln, creative director food products 3DSYSTEMS
Food was already 3D last time we checked, so once you get over the excitement of being able to ‘print’ a multi-dimensional product in layers, are you left with an expensive gimmick, or something that is going to change the culinary world forever?
More than 2 billion tons of coffee by-products that are currently thrown away could have applications in the food and nutrition sector, say researchers.
Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) could be at risk of disordered eating patterns that can lead to obesity and other health problems, say researchers.
Sprouts Farmers Market is accelerating expansion of its deli and prepared food offerings to help drive traffic and mitigate the impact of a tightening supply of high quality produce, which currently drives the majority of store visits.
Unable to shake its reputation for being notoriously expensive, Whole Foods Market is changing tack to appeal to less affluent millennials with the launch of a new value-focused chain.
'Millennials are increasingly health conscious...'
As widely predicted, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is appealing a federal court ruling denying its bid to halt implementation of Vermont’s GMO labeling law (Act 120) until a lawsuit over the Act is resolved.
The secret to Plum Organics’ rapid ascent to the top of the organic baby, toddler and children’s food industry is its deeply engrained philosophy to “lead with the heart,” the firm’s CEO Neil Grimmer says.
Only a small fraction of the hundreds of nutrition bars that launch in the U.S. annually will survive the first year, but among those that have are Kuli Kuli Bars, thanks in part to their unique nutrition profile and the manufacturer’s strong social mission...
Check out who’s moving onwards and upwards at Kellogg, Coca-Cola, Jelly Belly, Smithfield Foods, Nestlé, Mondelez, Hershey, Vita Coco, Campbell Soup and KeVita in FoodNavigator-USA’s latest round-up of new hires in food and beverage.
A multi-million dollar investment in the online snack delivery start-up NatureBox Inc. suggests the firm’s direct-to-consumer subscription model has long-term viability, according to market research analysts and investors.
Manufacturers of high-end juices, nutritional shakes and smoothies likely will get more bang from their advertising buck in marketing associated with music, sports, technology and politics, according to consumer research conducted by CivicScience.
New data from Instantly’s Product Watch tool - a "live, crowd-sourced insights engine" which gathers insights from an army of consumers via their mobile phones as they shop – reveals fairly low purchase intent scores on many of the recent launches...
