Almost 99% of foods labeled as gluten-free in the US are in compliance, with 1.1% mislabeled/misbranded because of the presence of gluten above an acceptable threshold. But the numbers are far higher for non-labeled ‘gluten-free’ foods, says a new survey...
What new gluten-free product launches, market analysis tell us
Aug. 5 marked the deadline for manufacturers making voluntary gluten-free label claims to ensure they meet the FDA’s definition of a gluten-free food (less than 20 parts per million of gluten). And while gluten-free product launches have risen every year...
Retailers are going to reduce the space given to legacy brands
Leading CPG companies are like huge ships that cannot change course quickly enough to address evolving consumer trends, claims the boss of Boulder Brands (which owns the Udi’s Gluten-Free, Earth Balance and EVOL brands). But unless they make some bold...
Whether it’s designated “gluten-free”, “no gluten”, “without gluten”, “free of gluten”, tomorrow (Aug. 5) is the deadline for manufacturers to ensure they meet the Food and Drug Administration’s definition of a gluten-free food.
US retail sales of gluten-free products surged 47% in 2013, with a significant chunk of the growth coming from snacks, according to flour milling giant Ardent Mills.
FoodNavigator-USA takes you through the latest and greatest in new product launches, from affordable healthy snacks and chia energy drinks to all-purpose stevia and dairy-free desserts.
A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 26% of children with two copies of a high-risk variant in a specific group of genes develop an early sign of celiac disease called celiac disease autoimmunity (CDA) by age five.
In the latest iteration of FoodNavigator-USA’s What do you do interview series, we talk with the boss of organic ancient grain specialist Ancient Harvest about the challenges of long-distance (work) relationships, his move from banking to CPGs and what...
Although fewer than one in 100 (0.9%) of US consumers is afflicted with a peanut or treenut allergy, the purchasing power of that group extends far beyond those with allergies, according to the recent Nut Allergy Ecosystem survey by Rich Products Corp.
The frozen food aisle has historically suffered from a bit of an image problem, given consumers’ long association with frozen TV dinners and freezer-burned commodity vegetable bags. But the growing interest in premium offerings among increasingly time-strapped...
Gluten-free and allergy-friendly packaged foods manufacturer Enjoy Life Foods understands the particular importance of word of mouth when it comes to its customers, and the firm has embraced the next generation of this through its investments in social...
There are significant opportunities to grow the Rudi’s Organic Bakery brand, both through increasing distribution and taking it into new categories, says its new owner, Hain Celestial.
If the size of the US gluten-free market is hard to pin down as everyone measures it differently, few doubt that its double-digit growth seems set to continue - at least for the next 2-3 years - according to experts at the FoodNavigator-USA Gluten Free...
Want to learn more about the gluten-free market? Click HERE to tune into FoodNavigator’s online forum to learn about celiac disease and gluten sensitivity, the size of the gluten-free prize, who buys gluten-free products, and why.
Hillshire Brands has struck a $165m deal to buy frozen breakfast and snack foods maker Van's Natural Foods from private equity firm Catterton Partners.
There are just two weeks to go until FoodNavigator’s live (and hopefully very lively) online debate on one of the hottest trends in food development: gluten-free.
One daily serving of beans, peas, chickpeas or lentils may slash bad cholesterol levels, says a new meta-analysis that supports the cardiovascular benefits of pulses.
The human protein elafin could be delivered into the gut using a probiotic bacterium to reduce the inflammatory reaction typical of celiac disease, researchers suggest.
It’s 70 degrees, and there are a lot of free snacks, so the FoodNavigator-USA team did the decent thing and headed to Anaheim to bring you the highlights from the nation’s biggest natural products show: Natural Products Expo West…
In 2012, Late July’s revenues were a modest $18.6m. In 2014, founder and CEO Nicole Dawes says the brand is "currently at a $60M run rate", primarily due to explosive growth in sales of organic snack chips. Not bad going considering she’s vying...
Interview with Bobo's Oat Bars founder Beryl Stafford
Ten years after Bobo’s Oat Bars first hit natural food store and coffee shop shelves in Boulder, CO, the now profitable cereal bar manufacturer is capitalizing on the parallel growth in popularity of the gluten-free and grab-and-go segments to target...
Manufacturers working to develop high quality gluten-free bakery products must not forget how important starch is in the formulation and its reaction during baking, warns a professor.
The foodservice sector could generate explosive growth for gluten-free products, although it’s hard to predict exactly when talk will translate into action, according to the firm behind leading gluten-free brands Udi’s and Glutino.
The founders of an online food allergen guide are hoping to fill a void left by the current federal food allergen labeling system in an effort to make packaged foods safer for those suffering from food allergies.
Gluten-free bakery still offers plenty of opportunity in Europe, but beer, pizza and prepared meals are the most untapped segment of the cereal-containing products, according to a Mintel analyst.
Are consumers who say they’re avoiding gluten really just avoiding wheat? Can we trust survey data about the number of people following ‘gluten-free diets’? Are market researchers' (wildly differing) estimates about the size of the gluten-free market...
Oats, when the supply chain ensures no cross-contamination, are a gluten-free cereal grain. So why haven’t we seen a flurry of oat-based gluten-free options in the global bakery sector? Are they a missed golden opportunity for gluten-free bakery?
From ready meals to breakfast bars, lots of pulse flour-based gluten-free products are coming on stream, says Margaret Hughes from Best Cooking Pulses, Inc., with the favorable nutritional profiles and moderate costs gaining traction with manufacturers...
Gluten-free baked products have a historically bad reputation—be it in the flavor, texture, performance or shelf life department. But the surge of demand from all corners of the market has forced bakery and snack manufacturers to respond with improved...
While market researchers predict continued healthy growth for the US gluten-free market*, not everyone is convinced that it is built on a solid foundation.
If there is a natural ceiling to the gluten-free market, we’re nowhere near hitting it yet, according to Weston Bakeries, which is rolling out its new All But Gluten fresh bakery range across Canada and the US.
Two years after famed restaurateur Thomas Keller and his R&D chef Lena Kwak launched Cup4Cup (C4C), a multipurpose gluten-free flour blend targeting celiac and gluten-intolerant consumers, the brand is eyeing “controlled” growth into mainstream channels...
Few topics can spark a more spirited debate these days than gluten, and yet, as the Whole Grains Council/Oldways points out, misconceptions abound when it comes to gluten—especially within the larger scope of whole grains.
We know that almost a third of the population has a genetic predisposition to celiac disease, in that they have particular versions (DQ2 or DQ8) of a cellular receptor called the human leukocyte antigen (HLA). But why do only a fraction of those with...
Regular consumption of quinoa appears to be safe for people with celiac disease, according to research published in The American Journal of Gastroenterology.
The manufacturers of a soy-, nut-, dairy- and gluten-free protein bar are hoping to make allergy-friendly products more accessible for on-the-go consumers with national distribution on Amazon.com and a strong community of backers who helped the bar launch...
Gluten-free major Genuis is suitably busy with an ambitious international expansion plan as it moves into the United Arab Emirates (UAE), its commercial director says.
Consumers are demanding more nutritional information than ever, and yet obesity rates continue to climb, with some dietitians worrying that Americans are becoming complacent in their unhealthy weights. Kale, chia and wheat-free will stay hot in 2014,...
The FoodNavigator-USA business leaders round table debate
What are the hottest trends in food and beverage? And are the big bucks really in blue-sky innovation, or have the most successful firms played with an existing concept and just done a better job at executing, marketing and selling it?
From maple water to ‘brogurt’, posh jerky, seaweed chips, purple corn, gourmet popcorn and non-GMO labels; what were the hottest trends of 2013, and what’s on the menu for 2014?
A controversial new report alleging that genetically engineered foods could be an environmental trigger for gluten sensitivity and celiac disease has been challenged by the Celiac Disease Foundation and a leading plant geneticist.
While quinoa and chia have stolen much of the limelight, one of the most interesting ‘ancient grains’ to watch is freekeh - wheat that has been harvested early while it is still green and then roasted and cracked - according to one leading supplier of...
Penford Food Ingredients has developed a corn-based fiber that it says has a cleaner flavor than other corn fibers – opening up broader application opportunities.
