As illustrated by the diversity and record number of entrants to FoodNavigator-USA’s 2020 Food For Kids Trailblazers Challenge, innovation abounds in the children’s food and beverage segment, but funding and shelf space in stores – even digital ones –...
The market for functional yet fun drinks that parents feel good about giving their kids – and that kids want to drink – is narrow, and a pain point for many parents combing store shelves looking for something other than a juice, water, or milk product,...
Cow’s milk allergy is one the most common food allergies among infants and toddlers, yet very few formula alternatives exist for parents looking for a solution that eases their baby’s digestive sensitivities while matching the nutritional profile of breast...
COVID-19 has screwed up many a brand’s best-laid marketing plans for 2020 (how does a 'back-to-school' campaign work if kids are not actually going back to school?), but it’s also forced marketers to find creative ways to adapt to stay relevant,...
Kids are drinking less milk and juice as they get older, but what are they drinking instead, and is it good for them? How do parents evaluate what types of drinks are good for kids? What are parents looking for on food labels?
Do children like oatmilk and Beyond Burgers? Research* shows that US families with children over-index for plant-based milk and yogurt sales and that parents of children under 18 are more likely to think that plant-based proteins are healthier than animal-based...
After discovering a “staggering level of exposure” of fast food, candy, soda and other unhealthy branded foods and beverages on YouTube videos featuring and targeting young children, researchers from New York University are calling on the Federal Trade...
There’s been a lot of innovation in the baby and toddler food market in recent years, and many new brands target Gen Z and Millennials. But kids aged 4-11 often get overlooked, says Mavericks Snacks founder Livio Bisterzo, who hit CPG gold with Hippeas...
The US Food and Drug Administration has taken action against two companies that claim their products can help prevent children from developing food allergies. The claims turn the products into unapproved drugs, the Agency claims.
Building off the landmark LEAP (Learning Early About Peanut Allergy) study, food allergy advocacy group FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education), is launching the SEED (Start Eating Early Diet) study exploring early introduction of multiple allergenic...
While the ongoing pandemic has caused many venture capitalists to hit pause or slowdown, other investors and even consumers increasingly are interested in supporting growing businesses and diversifying their portfolios as illustrated by a surge in crowdfunding.
Tweens... aged between nine and 12, they're not young kids anymore, but they're not teens either, so how food and beverage brands reach them (and their parents/guardians), and what's the best way to engage with this age cohort via influencers...
How are parents coping with the COVID-19 pandemic in their households when it comes to feeding their kids? Has the extra time spent at home given families more opportunity to cook and experiment with new recipes, or has the anxiety left parents scrambling...
Despite broad efforts to reduce sugar, sodium, fat and excess calories in the American diet in recent years, childhood obesity continues to afflict one in seven 10- to 17-year-olds in the US, leaving them vulnerable not only to type II diabetes, high...
With a recent national rollout at 500 Target stores, fresh baby and toddler food brand Little Dish is addressing the gap in the US market for nutritionally-balanced, just-like-homemade meals aimed specifically at the under-served toddler age group, says...
From bubbly probiotic water for kids to chickpea butter, ketchup with extra veggies, and goat's milk toddler formula, entrants to our 2020 FOOD FOR KIDS Trailblazers Challenge showcased innovative new products, brands, and routes to market for healthier...
We had a record number of entries for this year's FOOD FOR KIDS Trailblazers Challenge, spanning everything from chickpea butter and lentil-based meat crumbles to bubbly probiotic water and veggie-infused ketchup. Here are some of the innovations...
Introducing high doses of gluten into an infant’s diet beginning at four months of age could prevent them from developing celiac disease, one study suggests – although further research is needed, say researchers.
Evergreen, an emerging Chicago-based frozen waffle brand made from recognizable pantry ingredients, is steadily increasing its availability in a category long dominated by big food brands.
With today’s launch of a trio of toddler purees with bone broth, emerging children’s food brand Serenity Kids not only expands its reach beyond baby food pouches, but its founders say they hope to further boost the brand’s already fast-rising position...
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,...
Want to present your child-focused food or beverage launch, brand, or business in front of our expert panel at FoodNavigator-USA's virtual FOOD FOR KIDS summit in the fall? The deadline to enter our annual trailblazers challenge is Monday, September...
As many schools negotiate how to teach children safely during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they also must navigate how to feed them – a challenge that will require creativity and cooperation from regulators, legislators, and school nutrition professionals...
Nestlé Waters North America’s (NWNA) recent launch of Fruity Water – a flavored, zero-sugar and unsweetened water collection for kids – provides parents with a convenient hydration alternative to plain water addressing the reality that many kids aren’t...
Want to get feedback on your new child-focused food or beverage launch, brand, or business, from our expert panel at FoodNavigator-USA's virtual FOOD FOR KIDS summit in the fall?
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,...
Seafood industry stakeholders and public health advocates want more clarity in the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans around how much seafood children and pregnant women should eat to reap its potential cognitive developmental benefits, but they diverge...
Three quarters of families with school-aged children now report being able to spend more time together eating at the breakfast table, promoting an uptick in cereal consumption, according to a new survey commissioned by General Mills Big G cereals.
Despite parents’ best efforts to introduce their children to a variety of foods, many children between the ages one and three are falling short of key nutrients including vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, fiber, and iron, reveals a study examining National...
Could children's pester power (the influence kids have over their family’s eating behaviors) be a force for promoting positive and healthy eating behaviors at home?
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recent recommendations that children under 2 years avoid all added sugar to ensure they consume the nutrients they need without excessive caloric intake may not go far enough to drive a significant change in...
Legislation proposed yesterday to provide all children free school meals not only would help feed the increasing number of children who face food insecurity due to the pandemic and associated economic downturn, but it would also ease financial strain...
Ruckus and Co - a brand of ready-to-drink frozen smoothies for kids developed by the Mondelēz SnackFutures Innovation hub - was set to land in retail freezer sections in early May before the world took a turn, temporarily halting its distribution and...
After months of adapting to the roller coaster of shifting business priorities caused by the coronavirus pandemic, GoGo squeeZ is entering another period of uncertainty: the back-to-school shopping season, typically a peak sales time and marketing push...
Ongoing social distancing requirements, the resulting recession and a rediscovery of the joy of cooking and baking will help sustain some, but “certainly not all,” of the surging sales enjoyed by many CPG food and beverage brands since the coronavirus...
Americans need to more than halve their consumption of added sugars, reducing average consumption from 13% of daily energy intake to just 6%, the equivalent of 30g for someone on a 2,000 calorie-a-day diet, according to the expert committee advising the...
“More rigorous methods” are necessary for developing, communicating, and disseminating recommendations for feeding children from birth to 24 months -- arguably the most critical window for nutrition for a child, according to new report by the private,...
Beverage companies spent $1.04bn to advertise sugary drinks and energy drinks in 2018 in the US, a 26% increase compared to 2013, according to Sugary Drinks FACTS 2020, a new report from the Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity at the University...
Children under the age of 2 years should avoid all added sugars in order to better make “every bite count,” according to the Dietary Guidelines advisory subcommittee tasked with creating the first ever dietary guidelines for children younger than 24 months....
With fears that another wave of the coronavirus could hit the US just as the academic year begins, parents likely will seek products that could help support their children’s immune systems, claims Slammers Snacks.
With last Friday’s launch of the first-of-its-kind, single-material baby food pouch, Gerber is one step closer to its ambitious goal to make 100% of its packaging recyclable or reusable by 2025 without compromising the convenience and safety that parents...
Children’s brands that previously relied on “the nag factor,” impulse purchases or being the reward parents give children to behave in stores are pivoting their marketing to target adults now that most families send only one adult to the grocery store...
The middle of a global pandemic when many consumers are filling their grocery carts virtually may seem like a strange time to expand distribution in brick-and-mortar stores, but for the vitamin enhanced water brand KidsLuv the timing of its current rollout...
Higher costs associated with serving school meals to needy children during the coronavirus pandemic paired with reduced program participation are generating “crippling financial losses” that could compromise efforts to serve students next year unless...
Creating a healthy food environment that allows children to choose what and how they eat encourages positive, long-term eating habits and maintenance of a healthy body weight, according to a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.
With Expo West canceled and instore sampling off the menu for the foreseeable future, New York based high protein, low-sugar gluten-free startup Three Wishes Cereal decided to get creative…
Baby foods that mask the taste of vegetables may be doing children a disservice in the long run who never learn to like the taste of broccoli, spinach, or brussel sprouts later in childhood and even, adulthood, according to Penn State researchers.
Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA) is teaming up with baby and kids food manufacturers, early childhood educators, and other key stakeholders under its 'Shaping Early Palates Initiative', which aims to disrupt the marketplace of childhood...
While "banana bread is having a moment" during the lockdown, most consumers that didn't previously have great cooking skills are "not turning into gourmet chefs," and when it comes to dinnertime, they're looking for 'heat-and-eat'...
The US Department of Agriculture is making it easier for low-income participants in the Women, Infant and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program to fill their grocery carts despite lingering shortages of program-eligible food staples due to panicked...
