The percentage of energy derived from snacks in the American diet has increased from 12% in the late 1970s to 24% in 2009/10, according to analysis of National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) data.
Browse the baby food aisles and everything is pretty healthy, as your baby’s body is a temple, right? But then things change, say the founders of MySuperFoods, which was set up by two Moms that were underwhelmed by the snack options available to children...
From hop-free ales with lavender or elderflowers to ‘advanced Asian’ cuisine, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) looks at the top 10 culinary trends it predicts will inspire the packaged food and foodservice industry in 2015.
I am one of many scientists around the world whose work involves studying an ecosystem of diverse species. Some are already known to us, others have never been catalogued before.
US hummus category could break $1bn barrier in a few years
US sales of hummus have almost doubled since 2009 to top $600m, but could easily break through the $1bn mark in the next few years, predicts Eat Well Embrace Life, which is carving out a leading role in the ‘other bean hummus’ category and aims to be...
FoodNavigator-USA brings you part two of our gallery of highlights from the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Atlanta, GA, which addressed everything from nutrigenomics, plant-based diets and Millennials’ eating habits to whether...
A&B Ingredients has introduced a new pea protein isolate to the US market to meet the demands for vegetarian forms with greater functionality, the company said. The new variety, called Pisane B9, is optimized for baked goods applications.
Consumers – and specific groups of consumers – are changing how, when and where they shop, with the influence of Millenials and Hispanics set to grow over the next decade, says a new report from IRI.
Supplementing the diets of overweight and obese people with prebiotics and synbiotics may improve some metabolic measures, including cholesterol and triglyceride levels, says a new systematic review and meta-analysis of 13 randomized clinical trials.
Not so long ago, beans were something you’d more likely find in a dip than a chip. Today, in no small part because of the explosive growth of Beanitos, they are all over the snacks aisle as formulators look to boost fiber and protein, and marketers tap...
Consumers want to see what you are putting into the product as well as what isn’t in there
With revenues going from zero to “north of $20m” in three years, the growth of Way Better Snacks has been nothing short of meteoric. But while great branding, its focus on ‘sprouted’ seeds and the CPG experience of its founder & CEO Jim Breen have...
We’ve never had access to more information about how to get healthy. So why are two thirds of Americans still overweight or obese, and what can we do about it? To find out, FoodNavigator-USA headed to Atlanta, GA, for the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference...
University of California researchers have warned that regular sugar-sweetened soda drinking could increase the risk of disease development and accelerate cellular aging.
Small companies can carve a niche - even in a mature category like pasta sauce - if they have a genuine point of difference, a novel pack size that stands out on shelf (and enables them to meet a price point), and a striking label, says Nello’s Sauce...
From kombucha to craft beer, US consumers are demanding more sophisticated beverages, and they don’t get much more sophisticated than Jin+Ja, a spicy ginger concoction that looks like it belongs in a swanky cocktail bar, but has also proved it can sell...
Consumers are looking for individual and integrated strategies to optimize their health and wellness, but no company has yet put all the pieces together, says BrandHive’s Jeff Hilton.
'Many kombucha makers are thumbing their nose at the regulators'
In 2010, KeVita sparkling organic probiotic beverages were available in a handful of Whole Foods stores in Southern California. Today they have 90%+ ACV in the natural channel, and a growing presence in the conventional channel, and CEO Bill Moses sits...
Food industry ‘tinkering’ with sugar content while foods and drinks remain relatively high in sugar may detract from more basic sugar reduction strategies, warns a public health expert.
As Halloween approaches, pumpkin spice mania has gripped the nation, but there’s plenty of other interesting stuff hitting shelves this fall, from Pepsi’s Caleb's Kola to chia vitality bars from Mamma Chia, and new coconut water & juice blends...
Authorities have closed the upcoming three-month anchovy fishing season in Peru because insufficient numbers of fish were found in a recent acoustic survey. Fishing quotas have been sharply reduced during other low fish seasons, but this is the first...
Not so long ago, the only yogurt that US consumers - and retail buyers - appeared to be interested in was the thick, protein-packed Greek variety. Today, as brands such as Noosa have proved, there is more room in the market for other options, says the...
The use of natural sweeteners is growing rapidly – they were used in one in five new non-caloric drinks launched last year – but it is still dwarfed by other sweeteners, according to a new report from Canadean.
Is it harder to start a beverage business today than it was 25 years ago when he started distributing ‘ginger brew’ from his Volkswagen Bug in a tie-dyed tee-shirt? Probably, says Reed’s Inc founder & CEO Chris Reed. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t...
What will we be eating in 2050? Insect bars, 3D printed food, lab meat and personalized nutrition bars? No one knows for sure. But with a growing population and a changing climate, food systems - and diets - will have to adapt to survive, say 11 thought-leaders...
Until relatively recently, probiotics - gut-friendly live bacteria - were largely limited to the supplement aisle or the dairy case. Today, thanks to the development of more resilient strains, they are creeping into every category in the store. But we’re...
Leading probiotic juice brand GoodBelly is ‘confident’ its partnership with the Microwarriors documentary will help advance public knowledge about the benefits of probiotics.
Conversations about maple water typically start with what it isn't, says Vertical Water co-founder Valentina Cugnasca. It's not ‘watered-down’ maple syrup (quite the opposite in fact - maple syrup is made by boiling up maple water); it’s not...
Just weeks after the US launch of Coca-Cola Life, PepsiCo has unveiled plans to launch its own mid-calorie soda sweetened with a combination of sugar and stevia under the Pepsi True brand.
While chia seeds are now appearing in everything from breakfast cereal to yogurt, it’s easy to forget that until surprisingly recently, the only place you could find them was in a health food store or on the web in “ziploc bags with the label written...
Science should look beyond LDL cholesterol and saturated fat, which have dominated cardiovascular research until now, towards other contributing factors and a food-group approach to guidelines, according to one researcher.
Diamond Foods is "competing with products addressing the trends in convenient protein, natural, organic, gluten-free, and non-GMO", CEO Brian Driscoll told analysts Thursday. And while its nuts and chips tap into some of these trends, he said,...
Sales of packaged bakery products have been sluggish for years as shoppers have shifted their focus from the center of the store to the perimeter, but there are pockets of opportunity in industrially-produced 'artisanal' goods; ancient grains;...
2014 SPECIAL EDITION: HEALTHY AND FUNCTIONAL DAIRY
You’d be surprised with what you can achieve with a limited budget, a giant inflatable banana, a gorilla suit, and a product that no one else is selling, says the 20-something co-founder of a recent - and very colorful - entrant to the healthy snacking...
The birthplace of Allen Ginsberg, Frank Sinatra and Bruce Springsteen, New Jersey is also home to food industry giants from Campbell Soup and Goya Foods to Unilever USA. But is the Garden State doing what it takes to attract the next generation of food...
Increased blood levels of the sunshine vitamin are associated with significantly lower risks of cardiovascular disease, respiratory disease, and fractures, according to data collected in the UK over 13 years.
General Mills will help newly acquired natural & organic brand Annie’s expand into new categories, channels and markets; and will use its clout to drive procurement and operational/logistical efficiencies, CEO Ken Powell told analysts this week. But...
UPDATED: WhiteWave Foods has struck a deal to buy SO Delicious Dairy Free for $195m in cash in a bid to expand its presence in the fast-growing plant-based foods category.
Bai Brands founder Ben Weiss says he believes carbonated soft drinks are ‘dying on the vine and need true variety’ as his firm aims to disrupt the category with sparkling line Bai Bubbles.
Are consumers weary of 'all-natural' claims? And if so, what other cues do they look for on pack to see if a brand fits in with their values? We quizzed the bosses of some innovative food brands, ingredients suppliers and branding experts to...
Here’s a look at the latest and greatest in new product launches—from General Mills making the old new to kombucha for all, bean-based chips, eggless eggs, and protein-packed chips and even gummies.
Despite that people in the West typically get more than enough protein in their daily diets, new research may further validate our collective protein obsession.
The rising aging population in the US presents an underexploited opportunity for food and beverage marketers—particularly in the already massive protein market, as older consumers are just as desperate for sustained energy as their younger counterparts.
From how to keep control of your trade spending to presenting the perfect pitch to investors (spoiler alert: ‘Let me get back to you on those numbers’ will not inspire confidence), food & beverage industry veterans and financiers took to the podium...
A weekly text message reminder of recommended daily caloric intake may help consumers make healthier food choices, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
As it ramps up flaked and shredded coconut production in anticipation of another holiday season, private label and branded grocery products manufacturer Trailblazer Foods says the growing popularity of coconut has resulted in a 12% increase in the amount...
More than 90% of children aged six to 18 consume on average 3,279 mg of sodium a day—well above the government’s recommendation of 2,300 mg or less per day, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
