The steady growth of Kashi’s Certified Transitional program in the past two years along with positive consumer and retailer response to the protocol shows how paying more for ingredients from farms in the process of becoming certified organic can also...
Increasing consumer demand for fresh products, including new chilled alternatives to shelf-stable staples such as nutrition bars and baby food, is creating a logistical nightmare for some retailers and manufactures in need of more flexible refrigeration...
Consumers are embracing online grocery shopping nearly twice as fast as predicted just a year ago, but there are still significant barriers that retailers must address to maximize their reach across channels, according to new Nielsen data.
As a relative newcomer to the baby food category, Nosh wants to do more than just feed babies' and toddlers' stomachs, it wants to feed their minds with products that teach foundational skills and knowledge.
Love and passion, not a bottomless bank account and fierce competitive spirit, are the cornerstones for Bob’s Red Mill’s longevity and success, according to founder Bob Moore, who recently celebrated his 89th birthday and has overseen operations at the...
An infusion of $2OO million from a series E fundraise could help long-time Whole Foods Market delivery service Instacart hold its own against the retailer’s new owner Amazon’s decision last week to test two-hour delivery of the grocer’s products through...
More than half of US adults will celebrate Valentine’s Day today by spending a record-breaking $20.1 billion, or about $150 each on average, on “holiday indulgences,” including a variety of traditional sweets and better-for-you foods and beverages, according...
A controversial recommendation in the White House’s budget proposal released Feb. 12 to overhaul how benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as food stamps, are delivered to recipients could cost food retailers billions...
It started as an experiment. Would busy parents be prepared to pay for a service that delivered a week’s supply of pre-packed, nutritionally-balanced kids’ lunches to their homes, giving them one less thing to worry about?
With consumption of animal protein projected by USDA to reach record levels in 2018, and consumer demand for high-fat, low carb options on the rise, The Real Good Food Company is liberating meat from its traditional place on top of pizzas or inside enchiladas...
An infusion of $30 million into Harmless Harvest’s coffers by strategic investors who believe in “constructive capitalism” will help the refrigerated coconut water manufacturer expand production and distribution in a way that also benefits the Thai communities...
The Season Brand wants to expand the currently limited appeal of sardines in the US by launching a new line of on-the-go snack kits that will directly target tuna-lovers with a healthier alternative, while also appealing to existing sardine-lovers who...
To standout in an increasingly crowded category and manage rising consumer concerns about sugar, juice manufacturers are incorporating more exotic ingredients while also streamlining formulas and playing with new formats, according to one industry player.
More than 1,600 foods and beverages evaluated by the Guiding Stars nutrition guidance program will lose stars and roughly 1,400 items will gain stars as of Feb. 1 when the program updates how it assesses the nutritional quality of products to better reflect...
Busy parents are tired, stressed, time poor and often struggling to satisfy competing demands from different family members across multiple meal times, making them particularly receptive to food delivery services, say the founders of Nurture Life, one...
Consumers are embracing grocery shopping online faster than originally anticipated, and both manufacturers and brick-and-mortar retailers are at risk of being caught flat-footed unless they quickly hire the staff and build the technology necessary to...
The current rollout of national hummus brand Tribe’s new packaging featuring more white space, simplistic designs and fewer claims reflects the manufacturer’s recent commitment to clean label, including a reformulation to remove artificial ingredients,...
Despite downward price pressure in the nutrition bar category, Bobo’s continues to sell its organic oat bars for nearly three times as much as its competitors – helping it curry favor with retailers and earn prime in-store positioning that further boosts...
After dominating the premium end of the sparkling water category with Perrier and S.Pellegrino, Nestlé Waters North America is going after the mainstream shopper, and an even larger share of the fast-growing segment, with the launch of new and updated...
The plant-based creamer category has grown considerably more competitive since nutpods launched in early 2015 with its coconut-and-almond-based wares, but revenues surged 500% in 2017 for the Bellevue, WA-based brand, which has just completed a series...
Until recently, Americans only ate about one-third of the recommended amount of seafood per week, but industry insiders say this is changing and they note shoppers aren’t reaching for just any seafood – they want sustainably sourced seafood that is not...
While some commentators still suspect that the ‘emperor has no clothes’ despite the steady influx of cash being pumped into the burgeoning meal kit industry, the meteoric growth at Sun Basket – which boasts industry-leading margins as well as customer...
Consumer demand for products that are healthier for them is quickly expanding to include those that also are better for the environment – creating new opportunities for companies that strive to be more sustainable and barriers for those that do not, according...
Inspiring consumers through beautiful Pinterest posts, delicious recipes, heart-warming blog posts and viral videos can help build brand awareness, but the most effective digital marketers also make each experience easily shoppable, according to new research...
For the first time, Generation Z is emerging as an influencer in grocery spending and early indications suggests that they will favor more organic, healthy products as well as authentic and multicultural offerings, according to new research from Acosta....
The launch of Amazon Go and a separate $5.5 million infusion of seed preferred financing into Cargo’s “in-car commerce platform,” underscore how quickly the grocery channel landscape is changing and the need for brands to take an omni-channel marketing...
The increasing speed with which new fads emerge and old ones fade can leave companies scrambling to innovate and launch products before consumer whims shift, but as cookie maker Donsuemor shows there are other ways to meet changing trends without changing...
Busy parents who don’t have time to chop & puree food for their babies and who distrust premade food in jars, pouches or HPP tubs, now have another option that meets them half way: Raised Real offers subscription flash frozen meal kits for children...
Members of Congress chastise the US Department of Agriculture in a Jan. 17 letter for threatening to withdraw a widely popular final rule passed in the 11th hour of the Obama Administration that would heighten animal welfare standards for organic producers.
The jury may be out still on whether trace amounts of the popular herbicide glyphosate pose health risks to humans, but industry insiders predict mounting consumer fear about the possibility will pressure more food and beverage manufacturers in 2018 to...
Hoping to overcome sales-limiting stereotypes about prunes and expand when and how people consume them, the California Dried Plum Board is teaming with the meal kit provider Chef’d to showcase the dried fruit’s diverse uses and benefits in three new meals...
The global financial crisis that began with the housing market crash in 2008 may technically be over, but its long-term impact will continue to influence how consumers spend their money in 2018 and beyond and which companies and brand they support, according...
Urban Remedy, a plant-based food company specializing in organic ready-to-eat meals, snacks, and cold pressed juices, has closed a $17m series B fundraising round with lead investment from 301 INC, General Mills’ venture arm, and attracted natural products...
While some commentators say Trader Joe's is most at risk of losing customers to a resurgent Whole Foods, the chain's curated product selections, superior customer service, and creative private label items have helped propel it to the top of...
Most food and beverage startups dream of expanding from a local brand serving only a handful of stores to one that is nationally distributed to hundreds or thousands of retailers, but the logistics of getting there can be a nightmare if not carefully...
Lidl’s entrance last summer into the highly competitive US retail market already is placing significant pricing pressure on nearby major retailers, which likely will need to drop prices even further and offer more convenient shopping services in order...
Catering to consumer demand for “experiences,” food and beverage manufacturers in 2018 will make their products more “tactile” in a way that goes beyond Instagramable unicorn colors and unexpected black, predicts Supermarket Guru Phil Lempert.
Food and beverage companies must do more than just follow the money as consumers shift spending away from eating at home and towards eating out – they also must consider the eating occasion and experience on a meal-by-meal basis to excel, new research...
With the help of industry professionals and consumers who were inspired by The Soulfull Project’s mission to donate a serving of hot cereal to a food bank for each serving it sells, the young company has reached milestones in first year that most startups...
Despite US adults spending more than three hours a day online, print is not dead – at least when it comes to advertising fast-moving consumer goods like groceries, according to a recent Nielsen research.
Blockchain technology, which has been in the news of late for its role in secreting cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin around the Internet, is being hyped as the next big thing to revolutionize not just the banking industry – but all business, including...
Achieving sustained profitability is a basic business goal that has eluded many in the highly competitive meal kit category, but a top executive of Home Chef says the company may be the first to achieve it in 2018 in part by following the lead of the...
Vegetarian and vegan diets – actively recast in recent years by stakeholders as ‘plant-based’ in a bid to shake off negative baggage – are quickly gaining traction among America’s youngest consumers and are predicted to become a breakout trend in 2018,...
By going “beyond a typical licensing deal” that only places popular movie characters on packaging to include thematic custom shapes in the bag, shareable 4-ounce pouches of popchips’ Star Wars themed Galaxy Puffs’ are out-stripping the dollar velocity...
2017 has been a rollercoaster ride for the food industry, with Amazon coughing up a cool $13.7bn for Whole Foods, a flurry of M&A activity from Nestlé, Hershey, Campbell Soup and Kellogg, and an exodus from the industry’s biggest trade association,...
Whole Foods’ 365 Everyday Value private label range has already generated an estimated $10m in sales via Amazon in just over three months, reveals a new report from e-commerce data firm One Click Retail, which "can pretty much guarantee that Whole...
From entrepreneurs pioneering new farming methods and food technologies, to big brands adjusting to the changing landscape, FOOD VISION USA 2017 brought together a wide cross-section of industry players to explore how the industry is facing the challenges...
With hindsight, we can all pretend we saw it coming, but in reality, Amazon’s acquisition of Whole Foods Market – announced on June 16 – caught most of the industry by surprise, says Rabobank, which polled 200+ food execs from entrepreneurs to CEOs of...
Ecommerce may account for only a small portion of food and beverage sales for now, but that is changing quickly and manufacturers and retailers need to develop a game plan now for how they will leverage the change to their advantage, suggests an analyst...
