VeganSmart, a plant-based line of meal replacements, is penetrating areas plagued with malnutrition via a unique marketing vehicle—the power of hip hop.
Recognizing that in today’s on-the-go culture, most people don’t have time to escape to a secluded island to unwind, the founder of NOA Potions created a premium beverage that blends natural herbs to help people relax while improving their focus simultaneously...
CORE Organic, an organic 5-calorie-per-serving flavored water/juice blend with coconut water concentrate and antioxidants from white tea extract and maqui berry - is rolling out nationwide next month after a successful launch in southern California.
Product packaging today often is cluttered with so many certifications that consumers’ can’t absorb everything in the brief time they look at labels in stores, and as a result the icons’ impact is diminished and manufacturers likely aren’t getting their...
Milk could be followed by yogurt, creamers, cheeses, protein powders and shakes
Ripple – a plant-based ‘milk’ claimed to blow both dairy milk and existing milk alternatives out of the water in the taste, nutrition and sustainability stakes – is rolling out nationwide at Whole Foods in April, and Target stores in July, with other...
America is on the “cusp of a market-revolution” to replace animal products with plant-based alternatives, but consumers need more choices that are convenient, affordable and tasty in order for long-term diet changes to take root, according to an expert...
FoodNavigator-USA's latest pick of entrepreneurs to watch in the US food and beverage market features a clutch of firms developing truly innovative concepts from HPP babyfood and nut milks, to savory dishes from steel-cut oats, and a potentially...
If the edible insect movement is to meaningfully impact the protein market (and the planet) by displacing less sustainable animal-derived protein sources (beef, poultry, dairy), cricket companies will have to move beyond snacks into the center of the...
Tiny Farms – which has spent the past three years researching feed formulation, habitat engineering, farm automation and management software to drive scale and lower costs in insect production – has finally completed work on its own pilot bug farm in...
If you spot a hot guy handing out samples in a Whole Foods store that looks kind of familiar (if you’re a fan of Jane the Virgin, Cougar Town or Veronica Mars, that is), it could be a case of wishful thinking. Conversely you might just have stumbled across...
Today’s consumers claim to want bold, authentic flavors, but many still shy away from unrecognizable foods – giving manufacturers the difficult task of presenting new products or flavors in a familiar way that still respects their authenticity.
Under cover of darkness, deep in Northern and Central India and the Himalayans, harvesters for Heavenly Organics gently brush away sleeping bees from wild hives to collect the velvety, organic raw white honey that fills the firm’s award-winning confections...
RangeMe, an online platform which streamlines new product discovery between suppliers and retailers, has teamed up with FoodNavigator-USA's publisher William Reed Business Media to help facilitate new product discovery at The Healthy and Natural...
When you launch a new food brand, says Frontier Snacks Inc founder Matt Oscamou, “people will tell you a 100 things you should know about working in this industry, and you’ll say ‘I won’t make that mistake,’ but the reality is, you almost certainly will.”
2015 was a difficult year for some in the embryonic edible insect ingredients business, with Big Cricket Farms suspending activities due to water supply problems and All Things Bugs facing significant challenges. However, Ontario, Canada-based Entomo...
An infusion of $1.5 million will help vegan meal delivery startup Veestro fully take advantage of growing consumer demand for organic, plant-based food and ready-to-eat meals delivered to their doors.
As the nascent bone-broth category comes into its own, early pioneers in the space are rebranding with professionally polished packaging that communicates their products’ benefits and points of differentiation to better take advantage of the segment’s...
Though not everyone is convinced that the dietary rot set in once we stopped hunting and gathering and started to grow crops and raise animals for food, there’s no doubt that the ‘Paleo’ diet is gaining traction, and Caveman Foods – the brainchild of...
Lupini beans have a nutritional profile to die for. The problem is, most Americans have never heard of them. But that could change rapidly if the New York based entrepreneur behind BRAMI snacking beans gets his way.
Move over sweet and savory – zesty is the latest flavor profile to enter the nutrition bar category with the launch of a new line of fruit bars from manufacturer That’s It.
For shoppers today, buying groceries is all about fresh and local – which can be a tall order for retailers in urban areas or with limited access to nearby farms.
Consumer interest in plant-based alternatives for animal products is driving innovation across categories from dairy and eggs to meat and desserts as showcased by manufacturers at Natural Products Expo West.
Food-X – a bi-annual food accelerator program backed by venture capital firm SOSV – has unveiled its spring cohort of 10 early stage companies spanning everything from Mexican cooking sauces to meal-delivery services for pregnant women.
The demand for tea in the US is skyrocketing, but so too is the desire for speed and convenience – two terms that do not apply to high quality loose leaf tea, which requires special tools for measuring and steeping, or tea bags, which can create a drippy...
Drinkable organic soup brand Tio Gazpacho has closed a $1.25m Series A funding round on CircleUp led by 301 Inc, General Mills’ new business development and venturing unit*, and unveiled plans to launch a new, lower-priced line targeting conventional...
Retailers and manufacturers that want to meet consumers’ growing demand for food free from preservatives need to rethink their strategies for packing, shipping and stocking products, suggest the husband and wife team behind Grain-Free JK Gourmet.
Despite doctors’ recommendations to eat more fish for its many health benefits, many consumers steer clear of tuna – an affordable, sustainable source of omega-3s and beneficial nutrients because they are worried about mercury.
Wilde Snacks’ entrance into the nascent meat bar segment promises to “turn the category upside down” with a revolutionary baking process that offers a healthier finished product and potential for near endless new flavor combinations, according to the...
Consumer demand for premium and functional waters appears insatiable based on the number of new brands jumping in the category at Natural Products Expo West earlier this month and the long-term success of early entrants also showcasing at the show.
The co-founders of SuperLeaf hope the upcoming national distribution and launch in March of new flavors of Detox Water will show Americans aloe can offer significantly more benefit than just easing the pain from sunburns.
With more fiber than cold-pressed juice (4-5g per serving), plus a dose of probiotics (Ganeden’s ultra-resilient BC30 strain), Nomva is targeting consumers seeking simple, minimally processed snacks in a convenient format, says brand owner Phenomenal...
While most college freshmen are asking probing philosophical questions about the universe or each other out on dates, the ambitious co-founders of New Grounds Food were asking for help and advice on launching and running a successful new company.
No longer able to idly watch the increasingly popular plastic pouches that currently are taking the US market by storm continued to mount in landfills, Alter Eco -- a “full-circle sustainability” craft food company -- created the first laminated, fully...
Assured Bites Inc.’s launch of Hello, Peanut! in early March gives caretakers a much-needed tool with which they can confidently, safely and systematically introduce children to peanuts to reduce the risk they will develop a potentially deadly allergy...
Explosive consumer interest in functional beverages and bold flavors have prompted retailers in the natural channel to pack their shelves with national and regional brands of kombucha – completely saturating the category and limiting the growth potential...
With sugar reduction in full swing, the sales opportunity in the salty snacks category is growing fast to the tune of 3.7% annually with a projected $22 billion in sales in the US in 2015, according to a recent Packaged Facts report. And innovative manufacturers...
Beverage company Four Sigmatic wants to help Americans overcome their fear of mushrooms so they can reap the ingredient’s health benefits by grinding them into a powder that is combined with familiar flavors in easy to make drink mixes.
Remember when food and drink in the office amounted to a vending machine in the basement spewing candy and soda? While this is still the norm in many workplaces, the landscape is changing rapidly as a generation of young people now expect employers to...
Unlike some of the more esoteric products at Expo West, Banza chickpea pasta is aimed squarely at mainstream consumers who are looking for more protein and fiber in their pasta, but are not prepared to compromise on taste or texture (no mush).
Ongoing interest in products that are gluten free and better for you are colliding with the international push to celebrate 2016 as the year of the pulse to create a burgeoning category of pasta created from legumes rather than more traditional wheat...
Whether it’s a mug with your beloved pet’s picture on it, or a bespoke set of placeholders for a party you’ve ordered online, consumers love to design their own products these days. But how can mass customization work in the food industry, where minimum...
Beyond Meat – the California-based maker of plant-based ‘meat’ – is preparing to test market what it claims is “the first plant-based burger that will be placed in the meat counter”, according to executive chairman Seth Goldman.
As 301 Inc’s recent investment in start-up Good Culture demonstrates, large CPG companies are placing bets in promising food companies earlier than ever as the natural & organic food market heats up, says general manager John Haugen, who is looking...
In-store demonstrations and sampling at events are tried and true ways to drive initial consumer trial and boost sales, but using the tactic in unconventional places – like on airplanes or in hotel rooms, can provide a more memorable experience and lasting...
As the debate over the meaning of the most controversial term in food marketing (‘natural’) heats up now the FDA has finally weighed in, more food companies will seek organic certification, predicts Annie’s president John Foraker, who reckons organic...
If you felt overwhelmed at Expo West, imagine what it’s like for retailers, who are inundated with pitches from entrepreneurial food companies on a daily basis. But what if there were a simpler way for buyers to identify and compare new products and screen...
Boston-based start-up Farmwise – the maker of veggie fries - has triumphed at New Hope's pitch slam event at Expo West, which pitted entrepreneurial food and beverage brands against each other in a range of categories from bone broth to HPP babyfood.
Individually wrapped snacks and bars have revolutionized how busy Americans eat by offering on-the-go convenience, but their current, standard size range also could offer too many calories, suggests the CEO of Zing Bars.
From high pressure processed (HPP) pistachio milks to probiotic-packed juices and elixirs, check out FoodNavigator-USA’s latest gallery of new beverages hitting US shelves - many of which are on show at Expo West (so we've added the booth numbers...
Edible insect expert All Things Bugs has unveiled a new brand name for its cricket powder: GrioPro (based on grillo – Spanish for cricket; and Pro for protein), which it claims opens up a broader variety of application opportunities for food & beverage...
