Despite headwinds from closures of away-from-home channels due the ongoing pandemic, Danone grew sales and household penetration of its US plant-based and premium dairy brands for the first half of 2020.
US retail sales of tofu – which for years occupied a solid, but sleepy, niche in a plant-based meat category increasingly propelled by brands seeking to precisely match the taste and texture of conventional meat – have caught fire in recent weeks, says...
Alternative retail – restaurants and cafes to rock climbing gyms and spas – is a channel that should not be overlooked for emerging food and beverage brands looking to establish their retail footing, says Ben Zifkin, CEO of Hubba, a b2b e-commerce platform...
The plant-based Impossible Burger is now available at 2,100 Walmart stores in 50 states, says Impossible Foods, which has been aggressively ramping up its retail presence this year, with distribution expanding from just 150 stores in January 2020 to more...
Unilever has entered into a tie-up with biotech start-up Algenuity. FoodNavigator hears from both companies about the ‘huge potential’ to develop ‘future foods’ using Chlorella vulgaris microalgae as a nutritious and sustainable protein source.
San Leandro-based Artemys Foods – one of the latest startups to emerge from stealth mode in the nascent cell-cultured (a.k.a cell-based, cultivated) meat arena – aims to launch its first prototype, a hybrid burger combining cell-based meat and fat with...
The buzz around plant-based meat alternatives is strong, but what is the full consumer perception of plant-based protein products in terms of nutrition and healthfulness compared to animal meat, and what motivates consumers to buy plant alternatives?...
The Better Meat Co - a Sacramento-based startup supplying plant-based proteins that “blend seamlessly into ground meat products” at inclusion rates of 30-50% to create a new wave of ‘hybrid’ products - has closed an $8.1m seed round, bringing its total...
Retailer Albertsons, owner of Safeway and Jewel-Osco, reported a 21.4% increase in sales to $22.8bn for the 16 weeks ended June 20, 2020 compared to $18.7bn for the same period last year.
Despite growing interest in plant-based foods, the majority of meat eaters believe ‘real meat’ is the best source of protein, while nearly half of consumers who identify as flexitarians, pescatarians, vegetarians and vegans – diets that limit or eliminate...
Food has become a way for consumers to ease their worries and anxiety in an increasingly stressful world, and they are looking for products that can answer their basic needs for control, community, and purpose, says Eve Turow-Paul, a writer and cultural...
O’dang Foods has entered the niche category of plant-based mayonnaise offering consumers an egg-free alternative made with 20% chickpea protein and broth (a.k.a. aquafaba), creating a better-for-you alternative to traditional mayonnaise.
From plant-based queso to kolanut-fueled energy drinks and spreadable 'granola butter,' check out 17 emerging brands who took part in the first pitch event from Startup CPG, a new organization that promotes and supports startups founded by Daniel...
The US must strengthen and increase funding for federal nutrition research to accelerate critical discoveries, and most importantly, improve public health, say a group of research, policy, and government experts in a new report.
Organic wellness shot brand Vive Organic has raised $13m in a Series B round led by Monogram Capital, with participation from Cambridge SPG and Powerplant Ventures.
Sustainably-marketed products across categories are growing market share a whopping seven times faster than their conventional counter-parts and are disproportionally contributing to the overall growth of their CPG categories, according to new research...
Foods and beverages sweetened with miraculin, brazzein and curculin - proteins found in exotic fruits that can be produced far more efficiently via microbial fermentation - could hit the US market in less than two years, offering formulators intriguing...
Hybrid products combining meat grown from cells in bioreactors with plant-based proteins and fats could drive the first wave of cell-based product launches, predicts the founder of UK-based startup Higher Steaks, which unveiled the ‘world’s first’ cell-based...
Chobani has moved into new territory with the launch of Chobani Probiotic: a new line of organic, plant-based functional beverages; and Chobani Complete: a new line of protein- and fiber-packed lactose-free Greek yogurt cups and shakes with no added sugar,...
As with other aspects of American culture, racism has both deep and multiple roots in the food system, which CPG companies must address holistically, ranging from how they source materials and services to their hiring practices, marketing strategies and...
Does an association exist between dietary protein choice (animal or plant-based sources) and long-term overall mortality in the US population? Yes, say researchers who conducted a 16-year observational health study and found that greater intake of plant...
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...
Staying well has never been more important as Americans deal with unprecedented levels of anxiety and economic uncertainty. At the same time, budgets are tightening and consumers are looking for affordable foods and beverages that deliver the nutrition...
Eat JUST Inc. will launch its folded plant-based egg products at Whole Foods Market and select Walmart stores in Canada, where demand and investment in plant-based food is skyrocketing, says CEO and co-founder Josh Tetrick.
The food and beverage industry has been a tale of two cities since the coronavirus pandemic was declared with some companies seeing surging sales reinforced by fresh rounds of high-dollar investments and other businesses grinding to a halt with both revenue...
‘Lab-grown’ seafood is a food marketer’s nightmare. ‘Clean’ seafood carries the tacit implication that the regular stuff is dirty. ‘Cultivated’ seafood – a term that performed well in recent research on meat & poultry – could be confused with farmed...
Perceived health benefits remain the #1 purchase driver for plant-based foods according to new consumer research from innovation consultancy Mattson, although environmental factors, taste (in the case of plant-based dairy), and the sense that ‘I feel...
The uneven impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has underscored systemic inequalities, but it also has created an opportunity “to build back better” the food system, according to a panel of experts gathered on the opening day of the Institute of...
Animal proteins will become less of a center-of-the-plate staple for many consumers, according to Mintel, which attributes the shift to the ability to meet protein needs from a wider variety of sources, and ongoing concerns about food safety and price...
Brands struggling with plant-based snacks becoming excessively dry, chewy or crumbly over time or beverages designed to mimic dairy falling short of a desired creamy mouthfeel could improve the functional benefits of their products with the addition of...
In the early days of the pandemic when many retailers suspended in-store promotions to focus on stocking shelves, Arizona-based FoodStory Brands turned to online third-party deal vendors to offer digital rebates to consumers who rely on sales to fill...
Plant-based meat sales increased by an average of 23% when sold in the meat department next to animal proteins, according to new research from Kroger and the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA).
Baze, a personalized nutrition startup which provides customers with tailored supplements based on its at-home blood diagnostic test, has broadened its service to include food and meal recommendations addressing the “root cause” of nutrient deficiencies,...
After KRAVE Jerky inspired entrepreneurs to flood the meat snack segment with innovative and premium products in a bid to replicate its breakout success, the company’s founder and recently renewed owner appears ready to roll-up the most promising new...
Founders who wear multiple hats during the lean early years of a startup may struggle to pass responsibilities to others as their companies grow, but, according to the founder of Sweet Loren’s, to fully maximize companies’ potential entrepreneurs need...
Rabobank is updating its FoodBytes! platform with a redesign of its pitch competitions and its corporate innovation program (formerly known as the TERRA accelerator) in a bid to foster year-round engagement with its network of food and ag startups, investors,...
The specialty food and beverage market has consistently outpaced the growth rate of conventional grocery for the past decade, says the Specialty Foods Association (SFA), but the COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly altered this growth trend, reports SFA in...
In a move that may not come as a huge surprise given executives' recent hints about “pruning” the portfolio, Coca-Cola is discontinuing the Odwalla juice brand and the refrigerated network of trucks supplying it to stores. So was the 40-year-old...
Plant-based snack brand Outstanding Foods, maker of PigOut Pigless Pork Rinds, has closed a $5m round of financing led by SternAegis Ventures to propel the snack brand into its next phase of growth.
A firm believer that you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take, the founder of Holmes Made Foods not only seized every chance he was offered to build his all-natural applesauce company, but he also unabashedly created his own opportunities through persistence...
Plant-based meat manufacturers can more easily mimic the texture, appearance and flavor of animal products while simultaneously simplifying their ingredient decks with the help of two new ingredients that Florida Food Products will unveil at the Institute...
E-commerce sales at Conagra Brands surged by 89.7% in the year ending May 31 compared to same time last year, as more consumers opted for the convenience (and perceived safety) of click-and-collect and at-home grocery delivery services.
Redefine Meat today unveiled its trade-marked Alt-Steak, a plant-based 3D printed steak, with consumer testing to kick off in high-end restaurants this year. FoodNavigator speaks to co-founder and CEO Eshchar Ben-Shitrit to learn more about the path to...
From plant-based protein trends to sustainable packaging, managing food waste, using artificial intelligence to track consumer sentiment, and the latest developments in cell-cultured meat and keto diet trends, here are some of the education sessions that...
Confused about navigating the virtual IFT show (Institute of Food Technologists' annual meeting and expo) next month (July 13-15)? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with Corrine Calice, senior director, knowledge and learning experiences; and Susan Young,...
With the launch of its frozen meals line last month and growing demand for its frozen sustainable meat and seafood line, Thrive Market has its eye on expanding and strengthening its frozen food portfolio which is seeing strong and sustained consumer interest,...
COVID-19 has impacted everything from how, when, and where we buy groceries (spoiler alert, online is gaining share), to consumers' health priorities (immunity is rapidly gaining traction), but what, if anything, does this mean for food innovation...
Meati Foods (formerly Emergy Foods) is gearing up for the direct-to-consumer launch of protein- and fiber-packed fungi-based ‘steaks’ in Q4 after a successful debut in foodservice, carving out new territory in an alternative meat category that remains...
