Nestlé scientists are among a team that has detected novel gut bacteria present in the transition from infancy to early childhood. The Swiss company tells FoodNavigator it hopes the discovery will advance innovation that supports childhood development...
Scientists have identified the specific molecules in breast milk which if added to formula may help address the disparity that formula-fed babies are more sensitive to allergens.
How much sugar is too much, and do pouches for babies and young kids containing pureed fruits and vegetables present long-term health risks, even if they don’t contain any added sugars?
The baby food landscape has changed drastically in recent years with an emphasis on fresh products and a flurry of DTC brands coming to market. So which trends present the biggest growth opportunities for brands and manufacturers?
Childhood hunger is a serious problem in the US, so at first blush it may appear flippant that General Mills created a full-sized slide that extends from a giant cereal box into a bowl of heart-shaped Cheerio pillows to raise awareness and funds for the...
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is indirectly pressuring children’s food manufacturers to elevate the healthfulness of their products sold at retail by incentivizing schools to improve the quality of the food they serve and prioritizing the reinstatement...
When it comes to plant-based milks for kids, the options are few and far between, say Alex and Lauren Abelin, founders of Kiki Milk, which is made with organic oats, hemp seeds, sprouted pumpkin seeds, coconut, and other “whole food ingredients.”
Baby and toddler food brand Yumi is making its retail debut at Target stores nationwide with a new line of products addressing a market void for nutritious toddler-focused snacks.
Two years after launching at the height of the pandemic, Mavericks Cookies has established a strong foothold in the under-served better-for-you kids snacking category with new distribution at 1,250 Target stores and a streamlined portfolio focused exclusively...
Children’s health advocates and the School Nutrition Association lauded President Joe Biden signing this weekend a bipartisan bill to increase funding for school meals and ease requirements for institutions struggling with ongoing supply chain challenges,...
Children following vegetarian diets have similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets, but are more likely to be underweight, according to a new study from researchers in Toronto.
SpoonfulONE, a line of nutritional products that introduces babies to 16 food allergens at the beginning of their feeding journey, has expanded distribution to nearly 5,000 Walgreens stores nationwide helping make early allergen introduction a common...
By Jonathan Sharp, CFO, Environmental Litigation Group PC
Last year’s Congressional Subcommittee report alleging 'dangerous' levels of lead, arsenic, mercury, and cadmium in leading baby food brands has brought the issue of heavy metals in foods targeting infants into sharp focus. So what can manufacturers...
Recently strengthened self-regulatory efforts to curb marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children still do not go far enough to “meaningfully protect” children, argue public health advocates after new analysis reveals “loopholes” in the Children’s...
Doolies – the latest innovation to emerge from General Mills’ G-Works corporate venture studio – is a fruit- and fiber-packed snack for young kids designed to “help your kid go #2 with ease.”
While regenerative agriculture resonates with rising consumer interest in sustainability, it can be difficult to explain in snappy marketing sound bites and callouts – prompting natural and organic meat company Applegate to try a different approach through...
Despite efforts in recent years to disrupt the roughly $5b fruit snack market with better-for-you options made with more, whole or only fruit, the category remains dominated by legacy products high in added sugars and fillers and low in nutritional value...
Tiny Organics has launched its Tiny Beginnings non-puree baby food line for 4- to 7-month-olds, targeting the narrow window of babies' feeding journey where they are most open to trying and developing a preference for bitter vegetables and other...
In unveiling stricter ‘transitional’ school nutrition standards for the upcoming academic year, the Department of Agriculture appears to have drawn a line in the sand for what could become a contentious debate between schools, industry and other stakeholders...
Taking the helm as CEO of prepared foodservice company Revolution Foods late last year, Dominic Engels will lead the company's next chapter of growth, which includes expanding its footprint into new channels and continuing to create healthy and "culturally-relevant"...
Bobbie, a direct-to-consumer organic infant formula brand that has taken off like a rocket ship in its first year on the market, is raising the bar for the category after receiving the Clean Label Purity Award as well as certification as a Pesticide-Free...
Figuring out what kids are craving while pushing them to try new types of food is a challenge for many families and households, notes Chartwell K12, which put together its list of top kid-approved food trends based on its specialized insights creating...
The fast-growing Australian children’s food and formula brand Bubs is bringing two of its clean-label toddler formulas to the US at a time when fears about heavy metals in baby food are pushing some consumers to reevaluate their loyalty to established...
The J.M. Smucker Co. is investing $1.1bn in a new manufacturing facility and distribution center in McCalla, Alabama, to meet high consumer demand for Smucker's Uncrustables frozen handheld sandwiches, bites, and rollups.
An emerging market for lactation support products aiming to help more women hit the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months is much-needed, but also could trigger unintended consequences depending...
Baby and toddler food and beverage manufacturers looking for innovation inspiration will find a treasure map for new product ideas in the recommendations for children under two years included, for the first time, in the current Dietary Guidelines for...
Packaged baby and toddler food manufacturers may have a better chance of winning over new mothers – many of whom prefer feeding their children fresh, natural homemade food – if they fortify their products and clearly communicate the benefits of added...
Parents are constantly looking for snacks that meet both the nutritional needs, and oftentimes, the picky palates of their child. Brands that can effectively meet both these fundamental demands are best positioned to win in the competitive landscape of...
Fresh baby food seemed to set the category on fire with a flurry of new entrants over the past five years, but has the burgeoning segment lost some steam as retailers pull back and consumers become more price-conscious?
Parents and caregivers crave information about how best to feed their children, and while they have a lot of resources available via the Internet, health care providers, peer groups and brand marketing – they aren’t always sure what to trust or where...
FDA reinforces and clarifies advice that pregnant and nursing women and young children should eat fish lower in mercury to support brain, heart and immune health and development, according to updated guidance released by the agency late last week.
Fresh Bellies has pivoted away from its original line of HPP fresh baby food and refocused its resources and efforts on the kids snacking category, a decision CEO and founder Saskia Sorrosa says has put the brand on the map in a big way.
Israeli start-up Maolac is leveraging artificial intelligence to develop human milk proteins for the food industry, with an initial focus on sports nutrition.
Consumers have evolved their definition of what qualifies as a snack and are increasingly seeking out permissibly indulgent options, which has given rise to a new type of snacking behavior in the frozen set, Mintel consumer insights research suggests....
Recognizing that what and how parents choose to feed their newborns and toddlers goes beyond just nutrition, Gerber undertook an ambitious investigation into the universal pressures that caregivers face with an eye towards better supporting them as they...
Beginning at conception and continuing through first bites to afterschool snacks and beyond, nutrition plays a pivotal role in children’s brain development, emotional lives, and long-term health – but all too often they aren’t getting all the nutrients...
Picky eating that extends into school years can take a toll on children and parents alike, but what influences a child's dislike of certain foods in the first place, and what can parents do to help tackle this behavior?
Square Baby, a direct-to-consumer baby food company offering veggie-forward meal solutions, is making the leap from a regional brand serving the West Coast to a full-blown national operation, a milestone that couldn't have been achieved without a...
TurtleTree, a biotech company using cell-based technologies to create dairy ingredients, has opened a new US-based research facility in Sacramento, California, accelerating its commercialization plans to bring its cell-based milk and dairy ingredients...
While many parents say that their family has eaten more healthily since the start of the pandemic, one in five parents reports relying more heavily on fast food as a quick fix family meal option, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott...
For a company with an over 90-year history, Ocean Spray is still in its early days of tapping into the kids beverage category with its Growing Goodness line, a functional line of kids juice products with no added sugar.
While Quest Nutrition may not have achieved its founders’ somewhat lofty goal of ‘ending metabolic disease’ just yet, the high-protein, low-carb, low-sugar positioning of the company – one of the runaway CPG success stories of the past decade – is continuing...
Specialty ingredients supplier Balchem has developed several product concepts for the kids snacking market addressing specific nutrition areas of increasing importance to parents and families of young children.
Grocery retailers and packaged food and beverage brands should brace for another significant shift in consumer shopping habits this month as many families with students returning to in-person school after a year or more of distance or hybrid learning...
While children’s consumption of sugary beverages has fallen in recent years, it still exceeds recommendations in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans with rates remaining stubbornly higher among Black and Hispanic adolescents than white students, according...
Calories from ultra-processed foods comprise more than two-thirds (67%) of children's and adolescents' diets, up from 61.4% in 1999, according to researchers from Friedman School of Nutrition Science & Policy at Tufts University.
It's hard to imagine what began as a family pancake recipe, which co-founder Joel Clark would sell to neighbors in brown paper bags from a little red wagon as an 8-year-old, would become a $200m business selling a growing portfolio of better-for-you...
Once a brand focused solely on meat snacks, The New Primal has extended into a number of adjacent categories in the past three years including sauces and marinades, condiments, salad dressings, and dry seasonings, making it a bonafide platform brand,...
While a recent Congressional Subcommittee report alleging “dangerous” levels of heavy metals in leading baby food brands “brought the issue of toxic contaminants to the fore,” it also “shocked and confused parents of young children,” said a senior FDA...
New York-based direct to consumer brand Little Spoon – which delivers chilled fresh food for babies, toddlers and young children to homes across the continental US - has raised $44m in a Series B round led by Valor Equity Partners, with participation...
