There are three major concerns about the use of AI in the food industry, with the majority of benefits at present related to market research and advertising strategies – as evidenced by Coca-Cola – according to an industry expert.
The functional beverage category is growing at a rapid clip as consumers look for fast, easy ways to support their on-the-go lifestyles and their health, but not all ingredients, products and platforms are created equally and the segment faces significant...
Despite overall sales growth, the specialty foods industry has faced challenges in recent years, including inflation, declining unit sales (for the first time) and increased competition from conventional grocery stores, explained David Lockwood, CEO,...
The average American eats 48 pints of ice cream per year - and according to new consumer research, adults with children reach out for a frozen treat more often than most.
Capsaicin-forward, craft hot sauce makers walked the fine line between flavor and heat, all while paying homage to locally sourced chilis from around the world, at the Summer Fancy Food Show in New York City this week.
Whole Foods Market’s newest store opened this week in the historic Walter Reed Parks in Washington, DC, as an anchor for the redeveloping neighborhood and a new opportunity for area startups hoping to break into the competitive food and beverage industry....
FoodNavigator-USA visited HI-Chew's pop-up to speak with Teruhiro Kawabe, Chief Representative for the USA & President, CEO of Morinaga America Inc. and Joanne Hsu, senior brand marketing manager, to discuss the brand's HI-Chew bites launch.
As CPG brands look to grow their e-commerce business in the face of changing consumer behaviors, they are facing several key technology challenges and opportunities in the form of collecting first-party data and embracing AI to deliver on mass personalization,...
As CPG food and beverages companies grow brand penetration, they are met with a consumer who is increasingly savvy in finding the best purchase for their dollar, requiring e-commerce teams to rethink how to attract new customers and keep the ones they...
With the help of technological advancements, CPG brands and retailers are taking a hard look at their carbon footprint through real-time analytics as the push to carbon label standards becomes a bigger focus for governments around the world, Antony Yousefian,...
Despite an overall decline in capital investments over the last year, BevNet Live’s panelists of financial experts encourage CPG brands to continue innovating along the supply chain while “strengthening velocity, sales and margins.”
The UK throws away around 100 billion pieces of plastic each year, much of which goes into landfill. Tetra Pak North Europe managing director Alex Henriksen told FoodNavigator about how inexorably politics and food packaging are tied together.
Under a new CEO and with peak-pandemic receding farther into the background, the Consumer Brands Association is “going back to the future” to focus on core values that, while still priorities in recent years, took a backseat during the chaos of COVID...
The Danish brand Naturli' will feature two versions of its vegan butters—Plant Butter Spread and Plant Butter Block—both formulated to perform and taste like traditional butter.
While most plant-based categories saw year-over-year unit sales slide last year in the face of higher prices to offset inflation, a handful of categories bucked the trend – including plant-based cream cheese, sour cream and spreads.
Within plant-based milks, almond may dominate sales and oat may be the fastest growing sub-segment, but an increasing variety of nut-, seed-, legume- and grain-based options are coming to market – simultaneously fragmenting and growing the overall segment.
Cultivated meat could debut on upscale restaurant menus in the US in as little as a few weeks or months after the USDA on Wednesday gave the greenlight for UPSIDE Foods and GOOD Meat to sell their “cell-cultured chicken” in the US.
Poultry producer Perdue Farms is shaking up what’s possible with direct-to-consumer offerings with new digital avenues, as it tells a better story about its animal welfare strategy, brand CMO and SVP of e-commerce David Zucker told FoodNavigator-USA in...
Sustainability messages can have a “dramatic amplifier effect” on brands’ reach and appeal when paired with traditional category claims such as “tastes great,” but to fully leverage their power marketers should focus on how sustainability claims benefit...
Meat-packing giant JBS begrudgingly agreed to discontinue “aspirational” claims about its goal to reach ‘net zero’ greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 after failing to convince an advertising watchdog that consumers would not interpret the commitment as...
AI technologies can help reduce food waste and increase efficiencies while improving the overall digital customer experience, Alex Weinstein, chief digital officer for Hungryroot, shared in a fireside chat with FoodNavigator-USA at the Digital Food and...
After overcoming a period of declining sales and discontinuation from retailers like Walmart and Walgreens, The Vita Coco co-founder and executive chairman Mike Kirban discussed the company’s operational strategy including brand exposure, reaching consumers...
Snack maker Mondelēz is embracing in-store and digital shopping experiences, as the company is committed to the direct-to-consumer (DTC) model for the long haul, company director of global eCommerce Abhishek Ahluwalia told FoodNavigator-USA in an interview...
Even in the face of widening price gaps, Kraft Heinz is unwilling to bring back the deep-discounts that were prevalent pre-pandemic – preferring instead to elevate and invest more in marketing and R&D so promotions and products are better tailored...
As CPG companies look to boost efficiencies during an economically challenging year, organizations like Bumble Bee Seafood are beginning to revamp their e-commerce strategy with a keen focus on return on investment (ROI) while also looking to streamline...
The move is part of the Special K, Coco Pops and Corn Flakes maker’s drive to become a more inclusive employer: recognising that a university degree doesn’t always have a correlation to the contribution that someone can make within a role.
Sustainability and future-proofing the food system
Alternative proteins hold significant potential to help combat climate change by offering a more environmentally sustainable alternative to animal agriculture – a benefit that could help them unlock much-needed funding and strategic support to refine...
As CPG brands and retailers respond to shifting consumers behaviors -- from trading down to private label to more brick-and-mortar shopping -- they need to put aside preconceived notions of what consumers want and use data and their internal resources...
While M&A activity is slower, the total capital invested in 2022 remains similar to previous years, with an increase in venture capital funds in the food and beverage industry, and trends surrounding plant-based food, private label and automation,...
A slight uptick in the price of food at home in May from April after months of steady decline isn’t as worrisome to some industry stakeholders as it could be given year-over-year food prices continued to slow and remained far lower than the double-digit...
Nearly 2,000 companies and 270 trade groups, including those representing grocers, convenience stores and other retailers that sell packaged food and beverages, are calling for the swift passage of legislation that could lower credit and debit card swipe...
Due to the rise in grocery prices, consumers have transitioned into value shoppers, prioritizing price sensitivities over brand loyalty. This shift has opened an opportunity for smaller retailers to more efficiently meet consumer needs by leveraging their...
The online marketplace PartnerSlate will “accelerate the growth of its online marketplace digitizing the $200-billion food and beverage contract manufacturing industry" with a $4m fundraise led by Supply Change Capital, according to its recent press...
Despite efforts to upcycle ingredients, promote so-called ugly produce and educate retailers and consumers about how to sell and use food before it spoils, food waste in the US remains at a stubborn 30%, in part due to inaccuracies predicting consumer...
The application-based program will deliver two FarmboxRx packages for six months containing a variety of fresh produce and essential pantry items for 200 households. In addition, households will receive information to help them prepare nutritious meals,...
Critical supply chains are finally “normalizing” after the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine disrupted transportation and slowed production, triggering bottlenecks and driving up inflation to 40-year highs, according to a White House report card...
Sustainability and future-proofing the food system
Improving the sustainability of the food system is no longer optional from an optics and long-term business perspective, but short-term challenges – including consumer engagement – threaten immediate and mid-range returns and margins, complicating the...
While scaling is a challenge for the plant-based industry, Tindle is focused on leveraging its minimal assets to expand its US presence through meal kits primarily sold online and limited retail launches, JJ Kass, VP of business development and strategy...
While some fear AI spells the end of the humanity, others are optimistic the technology will optimise food production and achieve ‘what has previously not been possible’.
As brands seek cultural fluency to develop products for different demographics, Kellogg’s presentation during the Sweets & Snacks Expo explored the various nuances of the multicultural and generational differences of the American snack consumer, specifically...
Already a cult-favorite among Gen Z coffee and tea drinkers who prize quality but also want a bit of whimsy, Chamberlain Coffee hopes to expand its appeal, distribution and usage occasions in the coming months with an infusion of $7m in follow-on series...
Sustainability and future-proofing the food system
With between a quarter and a third of human caused greenhouse gas emissions linked to food production and climate change intensifying to a point that its impacting how, where and when key crops are grown, improving sustainability in the food system is...
While e-commerce impulse buys are evolving, in-store purchases are still critical in capturing snack and candy consumers—with the self-checkout lane offering tremendous potential growth for both brands and retailers, Kathy Risch, senior vice president,...
Despite inflationary pressures, consumers at all life stages continue to treat themselves both in-store and online with candy and snacks, Acosta Group's Kathy Risch shares in this first story in the two part series about consumers' candy and...
Consumers interested in health and wellness continue to shop more often for groceries and spend more on food and beverage than all shoppers despite economic headwinds, but the bulk of their investment currently is in the center of the store – not the...
The Pasta Noodle Company is shaking up the ready-to-eat (RTE) space with a trio of options inspired by classic Italian dishes, created with natural ingredients and ready to eat within two minutes, company founder Paolo Internicola told FoodNavigator-USA....
The US Department of Agriculture should help farmers and ranchers better manage climate change risks and step-up oversight of federal assistance programs, including future reevaluation of the Thrifty Food Plan, which determines benefits under the Supplemental...
Consumers are turning away from fresh as their stress levels rise – preferring the convenience and mood management claims offered more prominently in the center of the store, suggests data from consumer research firm Circana, previously known as IRI....
As food prices remain stubbornly high year-over-year, consumers are becoming more sophisticated in how they manage their grocery budgets – allowing them to expand their definition of value beyond the historic combination of price, quantity and quality,...