Innovative packaging can really help smaller brands punch above their weight. But which food & beverage companies have really nailed it from a design perspective? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Blake Mitchell, partner at food and beverage brand...
Technology is reshaping how consumers discover, evaluate and select food – creating dichotomies to which manufacturers must adapt their marketing and product positioning, a recently released white paper evaluating consumer trends in 2015 by Euromonitor...
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.
The world’s third largest cocoa processor Olam has agreed to pay a fine of $3m for alleged mistrading of cocoa futures but has refused to admit wrongdoing.
Improving the quality and selection of gluten-free foods available in mainstream channels will help sales in the category grow nearly 1.5 times through 2019, according to market analysis by Packaged Facts.
Weak fourth quarter cocoa grinds in developed markets suggest that consumers have reacted negatively to wholesale chocolate price hikes from the major brands, according to an analyst.
What are the hottest trends in snacks? Sprouted grains? Baked popcorn? Gourmet jerky? Join Elaine Watson from FoodNavigator-USA on a snacking odyssey at the Winter Fancy Food Show in San Francisco to find out more about...
The FDA has written to Solazyme to say it has no objections to the firm’s GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) determination for its AlgaVia whole algal protein, a move which the microalgae specialist claims will “pave the way for mainstream adoption...
Entrepreneurs need to stay healthy in order to ensure the long-term success and health of their start-up, advises a top executive at TumericALIVE, a young beverage company dedicated to making elixirs packed with turmeric to rejuvenate, restore and re-energize...
Nutrition and health bars are stealing market share from the category leading snack and cereal bars in part because they tie into the health and wellness trend dominating many consumers’ purchasing decisions in a way snack and cereal bars don’t, according...
US sales of ready to eat popcorn grew 25% to an estimated $750m in 2014
“Tired brands and off-trend categories should take inspiration from the astonishing turnaround in the fortunes of popcorn,” according to a new report from Rabobank International, which reveals that US sales of the bagged, pre-popped, ready-to-eat (RTE)...
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...
New consumers continue to enter the organic category for the first time, but the health halo cast by the US Department of Agriculture’s certification is dimming as it becomes more mainstream and as shoppers’ interpretation of the standard evolves.
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.
Consumers’ shifting preference for snacks as meals are changing how retailers, restaurants and packaged food manufacturers market food, according to data from Packaged Facts and Dupont Nutrition & Health.
Despite popular resolutions to eat healthier, manufacturers do not need to fear a drop in sales of less healthy foods at the start of the New Year compared to during the holidays when many people indulge, according to a new study published in PLOS ONE.
Tumbling gas prices that are lining consumers’ pockets with savings may provide an unexpected opportunity for private label to steal market share from national brands, rather than the other way around, recent consumer survey results reveal.
A few years ago, chia seeds were virtually unheard of in the U.S., but now they are available across food categories and retail channels in a plethora of finished consumer goods and as an ingredient, thanks largely to long-range planning by The Chia Co.
Even though the Super Bowl is still more than three weeks away, snack and beverage companies are ensuring they get the most bang for their potentially millions of dollars by using social media to build buzz around their ads, which will run during the...
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...
Ready-to-eat grain-based dessert manufacturers in the US must do more to reformulate cakes, donuts, pastries, pies and cookies because there has been little change between 2005 and 2012, researchers warn.
From the first nationally-available instant oat cereal to be sweetened with stevia from Quaker Oats, to Yoplait’s new Greek Yogurt Whips, check out our latest gallery of new product launches. If there’s an overall theme, it’s that consumers are continuing...
The rise of grocerants, or in-grocery-store dining, is helping supermarkets – and by extension food-based consumer packaged goods – hold their own against restaurants, drive-thrus, food trucks and take-out joints as consumer spending on food at home loses...
A recent study linking children’s fast food consumption with lower standardized test scores in reading, math and science adds to the growing body of research suggesting nutrition significantly influences academic success.
Weight management, heart health, and digestive health are the top opportunities for functional food and beverage formulators, with growth in the sector driven by increasingly health-conscious consumers, says a new report from Packaged Facts.
It’s time to get out our crystal balls and predict the hottest trends in the European food and drink sector for the year ahead. What’s in store for 2015?
Fruit & veg powders can make snacks and prepared foods appear more nutritious, but owing to the rigors of the production process, by the time we eat them, they have lost most of their nutritional punch, says South Carolina-based NutriFusion, which...
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...
Olam’s $1.3bn deal to acquire ADM Cocoa is likely to have little impact on the price of cocoa ingredients for chocolate makers because grinding capacity is still concentrated with three players.
Midnight cereal chomping, energy-dense sports snacks and on-the-go breakfast replacements are just some of the trends set to shape the snacking market next year, according to Datamonitor Consumer.
To make it in the crowded energy and nutrition bar category, a company needs a great tasting product, top-notch packaging, persistence, fortitude and differentiation, says Mark Brooks, founder of Mudd+Wyeth, a lifestyle company for dogs and their owners.
Natural & organic food brands are doing better than their ‘legacy brand’ counterparts and big food manufacturers want a slice of the action, which has stimulated some high profile mergers & acquisitions (M&A) activity in 2014. FoodNavigator-USA...
Antioxidant-rich cereals, protein-packed snack bars and bread tailored to women’s nutritional needs were just some of the product innovations identified by Datamonitor Consumer during 2014.
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:...