Innovation at the hands of forward-thinking entrepreneurs will be key to creating a more sustainable food system and healthier population, Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey told attendees of an online discussion about the new documentary, 'They...
New data shows oatmilk – a relative newcomer to the US plant-based milk category – has overtaken soy to take the #2 spot in the category behind almondmilk. But what are consumers looking for from their oatmilks, do they expect them to be fortified, and...
School closures – and tentative re-openings – have compounded stress levels for families, while COVID-19-induced economic anxiety is also straining household budgets. So how can food and beverage brands come up with enticing – but affordable – recipes,...
A new slate of better-for-you, non-alcoholic beverage brands developed by Molson Coors and beverage incubator L.A. Libations launching over the next several months -- including a plant-based barley milk and a nootropic performance beverage -- will position...
As plant-based protein gains acceptance with mainstream consumers, manufacturers and investors are looking beyond the flash of new brands to consider the needs – and marketing opportunities – around services and ingredients that support increased production...
Spiceology, Inc., a privately held, direct-to-consumer spice company, has closed a $4.7m round of financing led by retail and grocery executive Ty Bennett, with participation by the Cowles Company, Kickstart Funds III & IV, and angel investors to...
Brazi Bites, best known for its frozen gluten-free Brazilian-style cheese bread, is expanding its consumer reach by launching on Amazon and in 300 Walmart stores where the brand can tap into a new base of consumers, said co-founder and CMO, Junea Rocha.
To create a “perfect food system” that can feed more people with fewer resources in the next 50 years, the food industry needs to turn 180-degrees away from long-considered “best practices,” including focusing on high yield crops, concentrating production...
With $2M in just-announced seed funding, a “junk free” promise and a bright, modern packaging that trades heavily in on-trend buzz words, recently launched Bellway aims to bring new life – and a younger generation – to the sleepy fiber segment.
Santiago-based food tech company NotCo has closed an $85m Series C funding round co-led by Future Positive and L Catterton,* and is gearing up for a move into the US market in late 2020 or early 2021.
Retailers interested in attracting more Black shoppers, who Nielsen reports wield an annual buying power of $1.5 trillion and make more grocery trips per year than all other racial groups, need to stock and prominently highlight more products by Black-owned...
Under normal circumstances the Campbell Soup Co.’s 12% organic sales increase, 13% operating profit increase and strong double-digit consumption growth across all core brands in the fourth quarter would be lauded as great – but during the pandemic, when...
Giving up meat was tough… but there are lot of great alternatives out there, says LOCA Food founder Lauren Joyner, a UX designer turned food entrepreneur. Giving up nacho cheese sauce – a staple of her childhood diet – was a whole different ballgame....
Dietary supplement manufacturer Pharmavite has filed a RICO lawsuit against the Clean Label Project, alleging that the organization’s testing and product grading activities amount to a protection racket.
Honey Mama's, a brand of truffle-like chocolate wellness bars made with whole foods merchandized in the burgeoning refrigerated bar set, has closed a $4.5m Series A round led by Amberstone Ventures, to fast track the brand to mainstream consumer...
Making the next-generation of plant-based foods might not be rocket science, but it will take a hefty dose of data science, predicts the astrophysicist behind Climax Foods, a Berkeley-based startup on a mission to reverse engineer animal foods and re-build...
As demand for more meat-like plant-based products grows, Dr. Praeger’s Sensible Foods continues to expand beyond the vegetable-forward frozen foods it is best-known for with the launch of the Perfect Turk’y Burger, while still holding the line on its...
Boulder-based Sovos Brands is building out its portfolio of what it calls 'one-of-a-kind brands' with a signed agreement to acquire Birch Benders, the #1 'just-add-water' pancake and waffle mix in the natural channel.
Sugar cane distillates and cane molasses distillates can form an intriguing part of the sugar reduction toolkit, says ASR Group, the world’s largest cane sugar refining and marketing company. FoodNavigator-USA (FNU) caught up with Cesar Contreras (CC),...
What’s hot and what’s not in the world of sweeteners? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Icon Foods, Cargill and Beneo to explore formulation trends as brands remain under pressure to reduce sugar and keep labels clean.
Sparkling water brand Waterloo – which is just approaching its third anniversary – is getting close to a run rate of $100m as it continues to increase velocity and distribution, say the CEO of the Austin-based brand, which has just been acquired by an...
Flavored water brand Hint has closed a $25m Series D financing round led by Springboard Growth Capital and supported by Philippe Laffont, Linnea Roberts’ Gingerbread Capital and Emiliano Román’s Medina Heights Capital Partners.
Better Booch has grown from a Southern California kombucha brand with a cult following to distribution at over 2,000 retail locations including new partnerships with Whole Foods Southern Pacific, Southwest and Northern California regions.
Faced with different shopper behavior throughout the pandemic, Sun-Maid has launched a marketing campaign aimed at moms navigating the new normal of the back-to-school season and who now must be prepared with snacks for their kids throughout the day,...
What’s new in the world of food preservation? FoodNavigator-USA (FNU) caught up with Courtney Schwartz (CS), marketing director for Kemin Food Technologies, Americas, at the SHIFT20 virtual IFT show to fund out.
Adults who swapped out animal protein for plant-based protein saw lower levels of LDL cholesterol, moderate weight loss, and similar sodium intake and blood pressure levels (compared to animal protein consumption) after eight weeks, revealed a two-phase...
Plenty Unlimited Inc. will be entering 430 Albertsons stores across California with four SKUs of its leafy greens, further demonstrating the scalability of its indoor hydroponic vertical-farming operations, which use 99% less land and up to 95% less water...
Corbion has discontinued Thrive – the first culinary algae oil on the market – three years after acquiring the brand from San Francisco-based TerraVia in the fall of 2017.
Confronted by trash and recycling bins overflowing with food and delivery packaging during the pandemic as well as near daily stories of essential workers risking exposure to the coronavirus to help keep them fed, consumers are placing more pressure on...
DouxMatok, the Israeli firm behind patented technology that makes sugar taste sweeter, has struck a deal with a North American sugar refiner to manufacture commercial quantities of its ‘enhanced’ sugar, with the first products containing the sugar likely...
Partake Foods, an emerging allergen-friendly cookie brand, has grown its retail presence from 350 stores to over 3,000 in less than one year including recent national distribution in Target and a vision to create a platform brand that spans across multiple...
Evolving shopping habits brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic are remolding consumer needs, and food brands must build new connections with their customers by paying close attention to new emerging issues, pain points, and desires that matter most to their...
Even as the pandemic continues to strain the food system and pressure manufacturers to balance increased demand with restricted supply, companies must still pursue sustainability goals, including minimizing their environmental impact and improving the...
O’dang Foods has entered the niche category of plant-based mayonnaise offering consumers an egg-free alternative made with 20% chickpea protein and broth (a.k.a. aquafaba), creating a better-for-you alternative to traditional mayonnaise.
Foods and beverages sweetened with miraculin, brazzein and curculin - proteins found in exotic fruits that can be produced far more efficiently via microbial fermentation - could hit the US market in less than two years, offering formulators intriguing...
As consumers settle into living with the threat of the coronavirus and better understand their grocery needs while staying at home, their priorities inevitably will shift from panic purchasing any and all products to stocking their pantries more selectively...
The uneven impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has underscored systemic inequalities, but it also has created an opportunity “to build back better” the food system, according to a panel of experts gathered on the opening day of the Institute of...
Animal proteins will become less of a center-of-the-plate staple for many consumers, according to Mintel, which attributes the shift to the ability to meet protein needs from a wider variety of sources, and ongoing concerns about food safety and price...
Brands struggling with plant-based snacks becoming excessively dry, chewy or crumbly over time or beverages designed to mimic dairy falling short of a desired creamy mouthfeel could improve the functional benefits of their products with the addition of...
Baze, a personalized nutrition startup which provides customers with tailored supplements based on its at-home blood diagnostic test, has broadened its service to include food and meal recommendations addressing the “root cause” of nutrient deficiencies,...
Founders who wear multiple hats during the lean early years of a startup may struggle to pass responsibilities to others as their companies grow, but, according to the founder of Sweet Loren’s, to fully maximize companies’ potential entrepreneurs need...
With today’s launch of a limited-edition peanut butter and jelly low-fat Greek yogurt, Chobani expands its support for food banks nationwide while simultaneously offering a comforting new flavor that the company president says he hopes will recall ‘happy...
After helping to build a category for biltong – jerky’s less-processed, softer and often healthier cousin – the founders of Kalahari Snacks believe the “next evolution” in the meat snack segment is a trio of crunchy beef crisps that it launched online...
Plant-based meat manufacturers can more easily mimic the texture, appearance and flavor of animal products while simultaneously simplifying their ingredient decks with the help of two new ingredients that Florida Food Products will unveil at the Institute...
Often called the “Swiss Army knife of food formulators’ toolbox for their versatility,” eggs can help brands meet Generation Z’s, sometimes contradictory, demand for experimental flavors, elevated eating experiences and, yet, still comforting foods, according...
Hard boiling an egg may seem basic, but according to the American Egg Board it is one of the most frequent questions asked of the checkoff marketing group – revealing a deep need for education and inspiring the commodity board to launch an online egg...
From plant-based protein trends to sustainable packaging, managing food waste, using artificial intelligence to track consumer sentiment, and the latest developments in cell-cultured meat and keto diet trends, here are some of the education sessions that...
A majority (81%) of consumers say transparency is ‘important’ or ‘extremely important’ to them when shopping online and in-store, according to a new report by The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) and Chicago-based Label Insight.
From more CBD-infused sparkling beverages to keto bone broth, adaptogen-laced yogurts and 'snapchilled' coffee, checkout FoodNavigator-USA's latest gallery of new products hitting shelves.
Combining pea protein with a proprietary form of chickpea flour could pave the way for a new generation of plant-based meat products with a meatier texture and a cleaner label, claim the makers of Artesa textured pulse protein (TPP).
