Canadian startup Yellofruit is using the same principles of ice cream food science to make its non-dairy frozen banana desserts that founder Andrew Kinnear says closely mimic the experience of eating traditional dairy ice cream.
On a mission to help more people “get back to human” through clean eating that doesn’t compromise on taste and experience, the founders of the vegan and paleo snacking brand Hu Products are teaming with confection behemoth Mondelēz International’s innovation...
A newly-engineered strain of yeast that can efficiently metabolize lactose into tagatose (a low-calorie, low-glycemic sweetener) may be the key to unlocking commercial-scale availability of the sweetener, researchers from the University of Illinois at...
Young kids (aged 3 to 5) were found to be highly susceptible to overeating when given larger portion sizes, challenging the "self-regulation" theory, in which children are claimed to have a natural ability to respond to internal cues of hunger...
Russell Stover enjoyed years of market dominance when it first launched its seemingly 'too-good-to-be-true' sugar-free chocolate line in the '80s. But lately, its sugar-free chocolate sales have wavered as it fell out of favor with consumers...
By 2050, the Earth’s population is predicted to reach upwards of 10 billion people who will require significantly more food than is produced today, which many predict is not feasible without drastic changes in the way food is produced, transported and...
Private label continues to give national brands a run for their money with over half of consumers saying they shop a store specifically for its private brand, according to a report by Daymon, a private brand innovation and development firm.
Maple Leaf Foods -- parent company of Lightlife and Field Roast brands -- and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Greenleaf Foods, has announced a $310m plan to build the largest (230,000-square-feet) plant-based protein facility in North America, claims president...
The growing US multicultural population -- projected to increase by 98 million people by 2060, according to the US Census Bureau -- will have a significant influence on the US grocery market, a report by sales and marketing firm Acosta indicated.
In response to the public’s growing aversion to sugar, manufacturers across categories have reformulated and launched products made with alternative sweeteners, but increasingly consumers don’t want those either – but they also can’t as easily identify...
Ultra-filtered milk brand fairlife (backed by Coca-Cola) is increasing its production and distribution capacity with plans to build a $200m, 300,000-square-foot facility in a suburb outside of Phoenix, Arizona. The new facility is slated to be operational...
Ecommerce may account for only a fraction of overall grocery sales currently, but it is growing quickly – and retailers and brands can better take advantage of the opportunities it offers by working with dietitians to create nutrition-centered apps and...
Frustrated that efforts to “treat or fix” childhood obesity in the US have fallen short, Sprout Foods is teaming with the Partnership for a Healthier America to try and prevent the problem from occurring by training children from an early age to crave...
The options available to those with a lactose intolerance have expanded with the boom of non-dairy alternatives to lactose-free milk products, but until now, there hadn't been a premium lactose-free ice cream made with dairy ingredients and free...
Using tactics such as “sin taxes” and a new bold-faced call-out for added sugar on the revised Nutrition Facts panel, public health advocates and regulators have targeted sugar as a primary caloric contributor in the ongoing obesity epidemic in the US...
Kids' meals at fast food chains are typically limited to chicken nuggets, pizza, or grilled cheese. In 2016, Panera Bread challenged the industry standard by introducing a revamped version of its kids' menu with more healthy soups and salads,...
FDA will push forward with its Nutrition Innovation Strategy despite the departure this month of FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb who championed the initiative as a way to reduce the burden of chronic disease through improved nutrition, according to an...
While some animal protein producers might see the rise in plant-based eating as a threat, Applegate sees it as an opportunity to push forward its mission of changing the meat we eat with several new products, including a blended burger that combines meat...
Chicago-based Skinny Souping is seeing nationwide demand for its on-the-go, nutrient-dense soups (made with fresh ingredients and free from any sort of preservatives and additives), which are designed to be consumed chilled or hot.
The FDA has ruled in favor of a citizen petition requesting dietary fiber status for MGP Ingredients' Fibersym RW and FiberRiteRW -- both resistant starches 4 (RS4) -- with the agency stating that it will propose that cross-linked phosphorylated...
Emerging and new-to-market brands are all vying for precious shelf space at retail, so where should founders focus their time and energy to secure a spot in their desired store area?
Chloe's has made its first line extensions with "permissibly indulgent" chocolate dipped pops and a kids line in partnership with Nickelodeon since launching five years ago.
How brick-and-mortar retailers merchandise and present their fresh produce selection plays an important role in driving sales, shares the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) in its 2019 Power of Produce report.
Sparkling botanical beverage brand Petal has had a busy first year as the company doubled its product line with three new flavors, underwent a reformulation (swapping out stevia and erythritol for organic agave), and is now primed for national distribution...
In the past five years, online grocery retailer Thrive Market has grown its business to 500,000 paid members shopping its 6,000+ products, allowing the company to dive head first into new projects around regenerative agriculture, and "dramatically"...
If areas of the grocery store were to be placed in a figurative bracket based on annual volume growth over a three year period (2015-2018), which departments would come out on top? According to Nielsen's "Total Store Bracket" ranking 16...
Consumers want more natural, less processed, ‘clean’ foods. But do they give certain brands – and categories – a pass? And what cues are they looking for? Checkout what our consumer and legal experts had to say in the opening session of our Natural and...
With annual retail sales of cold brew coffee estimated at more than $29 million in 2017 and predicted to grow to $170 million by the end of 2025, it is easy to see why at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim earlier this month so many new players were...
In order to feed a nutritious, sustainable diet to the predicted 10 billion people who will populate Earth by 2050, environmental advocates and food & beverage industry stakeholders must work together rather than apart from – or even at times against...
Reimagining base brands, cultivating the M&A pipeline, and developing new innovation models
Will big food companies increasingly buy in innovation and serve simply as scale up platforms for smaller, more 'authentic' brands they didn’t create, or can they come up with their own cool stuff that will resonate with new generations of consumers?...
Revive Kombucha is taking a direct shot at the center aisle carbonated soft drink (CSD) consumer with a shelf-stable sparkling kombucha in 12-ounce cans that contains less sugar (5g) and lower calories (20 calories) than its raw refrigerated kombucha....
Mondelēz International is already a powerhouse in snacking (parent company to Ritz, Wheat Thins, Triscuit, and allergen-friendly brand, Enjoy Life Foods). In November 2018, however, the company decided to pour more efforts into its snack business strategy...
“Disheartened” but “not surprised” that so little venture capital currently is invested in startups led by women and minority entrepreneurs, Chobani Incubator’s new program director Zoe Feldman says she wants to more intentionally support founders from...
Since launching exclusively at the Whole Foods Market Pearl Street store in Boulder, Colorado, in late 2017, Beyond Meat's Beyond Sausage has expanded its distribution to over 4,000 grocery stores, restaurants, and sports stadiums across the US....
Emerging brands in the plant-based frozen food space are plentiful, but not many have proven their value in international markets as Strong Roots has in the UK and its home base of Ireland.
Clio Snacks, which makes chilled Greek yogurt bars dipped in chocolate, sees itself as supplementing a declining Greek yogurt category by expanding usage occasions and answering the consumer call for a permissibly indulgent snack.
Over half (61%) of Americans following an exclusion diet (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto) believe that following a restrictive diet means having to pay more for food and nearly half (47%) say that it takes a toll on their social life, according...
Outer Aisle is doubling down on its grain-free, low-carbohydrate mission with redesigned packaging and three new 'bread-like' cauliflower products, all while ramping up for a national and global launch with Whole Foods.
We clocked a number of brands using terms from 'clean candy' to 'clean protein' on the showfloor at Expo West, but what does 'clean eating' mean, is 'clean' a term that brands should use on product labels, and where...
While snacking has become more acceptable, many consumers still bring some baggage to the trend – usually in the form of guilt – but a new ad campaign for Whisps cheese crisps wants to relieve shoppers of this burden.
'What we're wrestling with is whether CBD is an ingredient play, or something huge brands can be built around'
The fact that CBD is not a legal ingredient in foods and supplements - at least not yet - did not deter scores of exhibitors at Expo West, who added it to everything from soda to protein bars (absent any claims), with some opting for isolates, but most...
Mondelēz International has taken a minority investment in Uplift Food, a startup focusing on prebiotic functional foods, marking the first investment of Snack Futures, the snacking giant's independent innovation and venture hub.
When it comes to improving sustainability, most of the focus is placed on reducing packaging, especially if it is plastic, but according to the co-founder of snack brand Prana, companies could see a greater impact if they focused first on their agricultural...
The frequency with which food and beverage startups in the US secure multi-million dollar investments in early fundraising rounds might lead some entrepreneurs to believe earning capital is easy – but the founder of the moringa company Kuli Kuli says...
Brooklyn-born Square Roots, an urban indoor vertical farming startup, is taking its ultra-scalable, modular model to new markets through an exclusive partnership with Gordon Food Service (GFS).
Plants undergo a lot of early environmental stressors pre- and post-harvest and a solution by AgroFresh can block the elements that take a toll on plants.
The number of class action filings against food and beverage companies rose 9% to 158 in 2018, with firms vulnerable to legal action on a host of fronts, from slack fill to natural claims, says law firm Perkins Coie.
Kite Hill – a leading player in the fast-growing plant-based dairy category utilizing cultured almondmilk to create cream cheeses, yogurts and filled pastas – will be unveiling a new logo, package design and strapline (‘plant based artisans’) at the Natural...
RightRice, the brainchild of Popchips co-founder Keith Belling, has closed a $5.5m minority investment led by Strand Equity and a roster of celebrity investors and industry veterans, including Impossible Foods, COO David Lee, and celebrities Karlie Kloss,...
Coconut Collaborative has expanded distribution to more than 1,000 stores since launching in the US last year, and according to co-founder Edward Averdieck, the brand is hitting its stride just as the plant-based yogurt market is showing signs of becoming...
