As consumers learn more about digestive health and all the implications that it has for the wellbeing of their bodies and minds, they are looking for products that go beyond probiotics – creating a booming digestive health category that is ripe for innovation....
60-second interview: Koen Burghouts, Global VP, nutrition group at PepsiCo
While a flurry of brands have piled into the oatmilk category of late, Quaker is seeking to carve a unique position in the category with a product that delivers the creamy texture and performance that consumers have come to expect, but also offers unique...
Are we approaching ‘peak plant milk’? Will ‘designer proteins’ created via synthetic biology catch on? And should dairy milk serve as the nutritional benchmark for plant-based ‘milk’? Elaine Watson caught up with Ripple Foods cofounder Adam Lowry at the...
While US household penetration of hummus has soared over the past decade, there is still a significant opportunity to increase consumption through new usage occasions, says Jason Levine, who has joined the nation’s leading hummus brand Sabra as chief...
Cargill will have commercial quantities of Non GMO corn protein available by 2022 as it seeks to capitalize on growing demand for plant-based proteins.
“Disheartened” but “not surprised” that so little venture capital currently is invested in startups led by women and minority entrepreneurs, Chobani Incubator’s new program director Zoe Feldman says she wants to more intentionally support founders from...
Since launching exclusively at the Whole Foods Market Pearl Street store in Boulder, Colorado, in late 2017, Beyond Meat's Beyond Sausage has expanded its distribution to over 4,000 grocery stores, restaurants, and sports stadiums across the US....
While imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, says German startup Harvest Moon, its founder was not amused when he saw the packaging of Chobani’s new coconut-based non dairy range, which he claims is the “spitting image” of his coconut dairy...
Chosen Foods -- which was acquired by Mexico-based specialty oils and ingredients producer Sesajal S.A de C.V. in 2017 -- processed over 300 million avocados last year used mainly for avocado oil sold across 40,000 stores in the US.
Emerging brands in the plant-based frozen food space are plentiful, but not many have proven their value in international markets as Strong Roots has in the UK and its home base of Ireland.
Triton Algae Innovations - a San Diego-based firm building a production platform for food proteins from algae - says it can produce heme (the red, meaty-tasting star ingredient in the Impossible Burger) without using genetic engineering, generating significant...
Over half (61%) of Americans following an exclusion diet (e.g. vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, keto) believe that following a restrictive diet means having to pay more for food and nearly half (47%) say that it takes a toll on their social life, according...
'What we're wrestling with is whether CBD is an ingredient play, or something huge brands can be built around'
The fact that CBD is not a legal ingredient in foods and supplements - at least not yet - did not deter scores of exhibitors at Expo West, who added it to everything from soda to protein bars (absent any claims), with some opting for isolates, but most...
The USDA and the FDA have provided more clarity on who will be responsible for what when it comes to regulating cell-cultured meat, but have not – yet – offered their thoughts on appropriate terminology with which to describe it on food labels.
The frequency with which food and beverage startups in the US secure multi-million dollar investments in early fundraising rounds might lead some entrepreneurs to believe earning capital is easy – but the founder of the moringa company Kuli Kuli says...
Brooklyn-born Square Roots, an urban indoor vertical farming startup, is taking its ultra-scalable, modular model to new markets through an exclusive partnership with Gordon Food Service (GFS).
JUST Egg - a plant-based scrambled egg alternative from Just Inc made with mung bean protein – is rolling out nationwide at Sprouts this month and Whole Foods Market next month, says CEO Josh Tetrick, who claims the product is “largely incremental to...
Plants undergo a lot of early environmental stressors pre- and post-harvest and a solution by AgroFresh can block the elements that take a toll on plants.
Kite Hill – a leading player in the fast-growing plant-based dairy category utilizing cultured almondmilk to create cream cheeses, yogurts and filled pastas – will be unveiling a new logo, package design and strapline (‘plant based artisans’) at the Natural...
RightRice, the brainchild of Popchips co-founder Keith Belling, has closed a $5.5m minority investment led by Strand Equity and a roster of celebrity investors and industry veterans, including Impossible Foods, COO David Lee, and celebrities Karlie Kloss,...
Coconut Collaborative has expanded distribution to more than 1,000 stores since launching in the US last year, and according to co-founder Edward Averdieck, the brand is hitting its stride just as the plant-based yogurt market is showing signs of becoming...
Nitro cold brew company RISE Brewing Co. is hoping the same strategies it used to successfully carve out a niche in the highly competitive ready-to-drink-coffee segment will help it win again, but this time in the increasingly crowded oat milk category.
Ingredion has acquired privately-held potato starch producer Western Polymer in Washington state, expanding the company's potato starch manufacturing capacity and processing capabilities.
Despite being around since 2010, bean chip brand Beanfields is now experiencing the kind of growth (i.e. triple digit sales growth in January 2019) most food and beverage startups see in their first few years on the market.
Chr. Hansen is tapping into the growing demand for plant-based dairy products with the launch of nu-trish LGG DA, a version of its Lactobacillus rhamnosus LGG strain designed for fermented plant-based dairy.
‘We’ve had pushback [over genetic engineering] for years now, but the conversation has to change’
If printing out DNA sequences that instruct yeast or bacteria to express proteins identical to those in eggs or milk in big fermentation tanks sounds a little ‘unnatural,’ consider how natural, sustainable, or indeed ethical, it is to continue to produce...
Armed with $5 million in series B financing and the belief that moringa will follow the lead of matcha and turmeric to become the next big superfood, Kuli Kuli plans to take the ingredient beyond its diverse portfolio of CPGs and into foodservice as well...
The moving target of what qualifies as 'clean label' among consumers can throw food marketers for a dizzying loop, however there are a few general constants food brands and manufacturers can follow to appeal to consumers' clean label ideal....
With the development of novel technology that more efficiently produces natural food colors, the Israeli-startup Phytolon one day hopes to help manufacturers replace unwanted synthetic colors without compromising on the visual appeal, taste or cost of...
Consumers' desire to eat better is having a strong impact across the fresh food sector from produce to prepared foods to meal kits, according to recent Nielsen research.
As recently as a few years ago, the words food and tech were incongruous together, but today they signal a booming industry that is ripe for innovation, and according to the VP of business development at the Israel-based incubator The Kitchen, the combination...
For new entrepreneurs with limited funds trying to make ends meet – or plant-based minced meat as in the case of Israeli startup Rilbite – focusing first on foodservice, rather than retail, can offer a more economic path to market.
Customer satisfaction across major supermarkets chains dipped 1.3% last year with two outliers that gained higher marks: Trader Joe's and Wegmans, according to new data from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI).
In an effort to find the ‘next big thing’ as early as possible, ingredients firm IFF Frutarom is considering expanding into other markets a version of its unique Israeli-based innovation lab FoodNxt, which launched about one year ago following a tender...
The frozen food category has been a core grocery purchase for nearly all consumers. However, the frozen food aisle can benefit from an image overhaul, leaving behind its reputation as back-up food stockpiled in the home freezer for weeks, to a quality...
The oldest of Generation Z (aged 12-22) is just entering adulthood and will have a profound impact on the packaged food and foodservice industries, yet will be the hardest audience for food marketers to reach, predicts market researcher The NPD Group.
Lean fish could have significant advantages over other aquatic or terrestrial species for cell-cultured protein production, according to the founders of Clean Research, a new open science initiative created to accelerate the research and development of...
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) has filed a citizen petition with the FDA proposing “a practical solution to the dairy labeling problem [a problem that plant-based companies say does not exist] that is grounded in current law and addresses...
Coconut water brand TAJA -- created by beverage industry veteran and engineer by trade, Nilang Patel -- uses a patented multi-step cold filtration process to create a coconut water that the company claims is as close to drinking right out of a coconut...
Good Karma – best known for its flaxmilk-based milks and yogurts – is moving into new territory with the launch of plant-based sour cream, ranch dips, and French onion dips, categories currently underserved when it comes to dairy-free options, says CEO...
A heightened awareness around food safety paired with consumer confusion around deciphering food date labels may be a major source of food waste at the consumer level, a study by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) suggests....
Canadian cannabis specialist Tilray is to buy Manitoba Harvest – the world’s largest hemp food manufacturer - from Compass Group and other shareholders in a deal that could be worth up to C$419m (US$317m).*
After pioneering and rising to the top of the roasted chickpea-based snack category, Biena Snacks is taking the legume – and company – in a new direction with the launch of a line of baked chickpeapuffs and a corresponding brand refresh complete with...
With the nutrition facts panels of plant-based milks under intense scrutiny as the row over naming conventions in the category heats up, Califia Farms has unveiled Übermilk, a new oatmilk-based line packed with extra protein and micronutrients.
Consumers are approaching food shopping differently than they have in years past with a greater emphasis on local, convenient, fresh, and functional, says market researcher Packaged Facts.
New brand RightRice – a vegetable rice grain made up of over 90% vegetables and 10% rice - has launched exclusively with Whole Foods Market nationwide and on Amazon where it intends to reinvigorate the rice aisle.
Offering on-site nutrition services such as access to registered dietitians is becoming more common place in grocery stores, but does it make shoppers with chronic illnesses such as hypertension make healthier food and beverage choices?
MyPlate – the government’s visual aide for healthy eating – features fruits, vegetables, grains, and a fourth segment simply called ‘protein.' Today, this might come from plants or animals, but tomorrow, it could come from a suite of microscopic...
Fresh Bellies entered the competitive HPP baby food market in 2015 with its line of savory refrigerated vegetable purees and has expanded its line to crunchy toddler snacks in order to 'age with' its consumer.