Baltimore-based Mobtown Fermentation wants to make kombucha – known for its sharp flavor profile and inconsistent texture – “more approachable to the general consumer,” starting with a more familiar shaped bottle, as well as a smoother taste, according...
A $6.5m funding round led by General Mills’ 301 INC arm will help Farmhouse Culture - which specializes in fresh organic sauerkraut, sauerkraut chips and fermented 'gut shots' – expand its distribution and support new launches, including a new...
Mess-free countertop juicer brand Juicero has seen a five-fold increase in consumer adoption after dropping its price tag from $699 to $399, and is now working on a second iteration that will have a “more attractive” price point, says CEO Jeff Dunn after...
Banana-fueled brand Barnana has broken new ground in the snack category for a second time with the launch of organic Banana Brittle, a new snack made from ‘upcycled’ bananas (that would otherwise go to waste).
Food and beverage entrepreneurs make global flavors approachable for hesitant Americans, offer functional beverages and put modern, unique twists on classic favorites at the Washington, DC-based incubator Union Kitchen’s Meet The Makers event March 4.
FoodFutureCo - a food business accelerator program targeting mission-driven companies in scale-up mode – has unveiled its second cohort, spanning spring water, local produce, kids’ snacks and fermented foods.
Americans’ love affair with protein shows no signs of cooling in the coming years with a compound annual growth rate projected at a steady 5.6% for the next three years, bringing sales to a predicted $39.08 billion, according to Markets and Markets research.
Baked oat bar brand BOBO’s could double revenues in 2017 (vs 2016) if it continues on its current growth trajectory, says the CEO of the Boulder-based brand, which has just raised $8m in a Series A funding round led by Boulder Investment Group Reprise...
It’s early days, but SmashMallow snackable marshmallows – launched by food & beverage brand incubator Sonoma Brands in August 2016 – are already in 2,000 stores and growing at an “explosive” pace, claims founder Jon Sebastiani.
For years, carbonated soft drinks were the go-to choice for Americans to quench their thirst and boost their energy, but in recent years the category has begun to falter – creating an opening for a bevy of innovative beverage brands to emerge, according...
18 months after its US launch, online product discovery platform RangeMe is adding 1,000 new CPG suppliers a week as more high-profile retailers use it to identify and compare new products.
Meal kit co Sun Basket raises $15m in Series C financing round
San Francisco-based Sun Basket, one of the fastest-growing players in the burgeoning meal kit delivery market, has raised $15m in a Series C funding round that will enable it to complete work on a third distribution center that will give it access to...
From restaurants’ fixation with ghost peppers to the presence of sriracha on dining tables across the country and chili pepper in everything from snack chips to hot chocolate, it is probably safe to say that America is obsessed with all things spicy.
The trend towards continuous grazing throughout the day will create new ‘multi-temperature’ snacking opportunities for manufacturers as a ‘tapas-style’ approach to eating gains momentum, predicted panelists at the FoodNavigator-USA/BakeryandSnacks snacking...
The bone broth category (shelf-stable and refrigerated) is pretty small in the scheme of things, but it’s growing rapidly, with US retail sales more than tripling to $19.7m in the 52 weeks to Jan 22,* fueled by a small but highly engaged set of health...
Yogurt manufacturers continue to expand and evolve their portfolios with healthier and more convenient options that meet consumers’ growing demand for products that are lower in sugar, high in flavor and easy to eat.
Typically considered smooth and creamy, the idea for most Americans that ice cream also could be chewy might seem like a stretch – and it is. Literally.
Artisanal vegan cheese maker Miyoko’s Kitchen has completed a $6m series B financing round led by JMK Consumer Growth Partners and supported by Obvious Ventures, Stray Dog Capital, and CircleUp’s internally-managed fund.
Pasta Chips, Bow Ties, on course to generate revenues of $15m in 2017
Snack brands that want to break through the $2-3m revenue barrier have to appeal to mainstream shoppers as well as trend-setters in New York or L.A. says serial snacking entrepreneur and CPG veteran Jerry Bello, who says his latest innovations – Pasta...
Bolthouse Farms expands its footprint in the crowded dressing category with the launch of a new premium line that fills the whitespace in the unexpectedly bare overlap between organic and better-for-you options.
If 50% of eating occasions are now snacks,* do we have to rethink what a snack is? An occasional treat or an everyday healthy indulgence? A fresh mini-meal? A quick energy boost? And when it comes to snacks, what new formats, flavors, label claims and...
You’ve got a great product, you’re bursting with entrepreneurial zeal, you’ve outgrown the space you’re renting in a commercial kitchen and you’re ready to look for a contract manufacturer/co-packer. Well steel yourself, says PartnerSlate founder and...
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
If the novelty factor surrounding edible insects has worn off somewhat, consumer interest in protein – particularly where there is a sustainability story to tell – continues to grow, says Denver-based start-up Lithic Nutrition, which packs 15g of protein...
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
Dahlicious – a brand best-known for its cultured dairy product, lassi – is moving into new territory this year with the launch of almondmilk-based yogurt and kefir.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
That’s It fruit bars were an immediate hit, but will the brand’s new veggie bars – which combine black beans with veggies such as peas, carrots, kale, and corn – be a tougher sell?
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
In regular water, hydrogen is bound to oxygen (H2O) making it "difficult for our bodies to enjoy the [antioxidant/anti-inflammatory] benefits of hydrogen," claims the company behind Hfactor, which contends that dissolving hydrogen gas into water...
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
Rhythm Superfoods has just closed a $6m financing round led by Gen Mills' 301 INC arm. But what will it spend the money on? FoodNavigator-USA editor Elaine Watson caught up with CEO Scott Jensen at the Winter Fancy Food Show to find out.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
Cold soup in a bottle is still a novelty for many Americans, but the concept of ‘souping’ (as opposed to ‘juicing’) is gaining traction, particularly for consumers watching their sugar intake, claims Sonoma Brands founder Jon Sebastiani.
Billed as a “product sampling community” and influencer marketing company, Social Nature wants to take the time-honored and go-to strategy of in-store demonstrations into the digital age for a “better, cheaper and more direct way to target and acquire...
Consumers’ growing familiarity with the health benefits of nuts and seeds paired with their versatility is inspiring manufacturers to seek new varieties, uses and packaging for the ingredient – propelling it into a starring role in the American diet in...
Matcha, seaweed (paired with chocolate and coconut), veggie snacks, grass-fed meat and dairy, coconuts, hemp, and pulses (beans, peas, chickpeas, lentils) featured heavily at the 2017 Winter Fancy Food Show, where trend-spotters also got to taste Brazilian...
FoodNavigator-USA's latest set of entrepreneurs to watch in the US food and beverage market is flogging everything from ostrich meat to māmaki tea, mung bean snacks, personalized nutrition services and grass-fed dairy products.
In today’s highly competitive landscape, many food and beverage manufacturers try to set their brands apart by tapping into consumers’ desire for products that not only are better for them but also better for the planet or for society.
MAIO, an indulgent tasting yet better-for-you alternative to conventional mayonnaise, is the latest test product to come out of C-Fresh's innovation team and its unique approach to incubating products on a small scale before expanding.
“We did everything you’re not supposed to do,” observes the COO of Primal Kitchen, which exploded out of the blocks with a sugar-free avocado oil-based mayo in February 2015, notched up revenues of $13.2m in 2016, and is expecting to almost double that...
A $5.3m injection of capital will help Barnana support a new line of organic snacks debuting in March, move into more retail channels, and ramp up its marketing, according to co-founder and chief marketing officer Nik Ingersoll.
Snackfood firm Rhythm Superfoods has closed a $6m Series D financing round filled through the CircleUp platform, with 301 INC - General Mills' new business development and venturing unit - as the lead investor (additional investors include Blueberry...
Consumers have moved on since dairy standards of identity first hit the statute books, says Miyoko's Kitchen founder and CEO Miyoko Schinner, and it's time regulators did too.
With an investment of $2.5 million from Aqua-Spark, startup seafood meal kit maker Love The Wild hopes to change the way Americans eat fish and perceive aquaculture farming, which has a notoriously bad reputation.
If retailers were originally querying whether to stock refrigerated baby food, the more progressive players are now more focused on how and where to merchandise it, says Pure Spoon CEO Alyson Eberle, who is gearing up for a rollout at Walmart (350 stores),...
Alex McCoy: 'Ostrich is by far the most environmentally sustainable red meat'
Check out Alexander McCoy’s linkedin profile and you’ll see a string of corporate finance-related entries until you get to 2013, when he abruptly switched gears and took up ostrich farming.
Kellogg Company’s venture capital fund eighteen94’s inaugural investment and lead position in a $4.25 million raise for the fast-growing startup Kuli Kuli will help the moringa superfood supplier and manufacturer expand its presence in retailers with...
Dairy can get a bad rap in debates on animal welfare and sustainability, but it’s time the conversation became more nuanced, says 100% grass-fed, organic and “unapologetically full-fat” dairy brand Maple Hill Creamery, which is now available in 6,000...
By blurring the line between subscription boxes and home delivery meal kits, industry newcomer SoBakeable takes the best parts of each category to create a unique business model that promises sustained consumer engagement – an essential component that...
Ancient Nutrition takes the burgeoning bone broth category in a new direction by bringing it into the well established and wildly successful protein powder segment with the creation of a more versatile Bone Broth Protein powder.
Drinkable organic soup brand Tio Gazpacho is gearing up for a significant expansion in 2017 as it starts to reap the benefits of partnerships with General Mills and Michelin-Starred Chef José Andrés, and prepares to launch a new, lower-priced line targeting...
FoodFutureCo - a food business accelerator program targeting ‘purpose-driven’ companies in scale-up mode (on track to grossing more than $1 million annually) – will unveil its new cohort of 6-8 companies in early 2017.
Personalized nutrition? Plant-based foods? Paleo diets? FoodNavigator-USA quizzed food & beverage entrepreneurs and CEOs to find out what trends they will be monitoring in 2017 and why…
