Consumer desire to effectively manage their weight and improve their health through food will continue to influence new product development and sales in 2015, according to New Nutrition Business, a food- and nutrition-focused market research firm.
Midnight cereal chomping, energy-dense sports snacks and on-the-go breakfast replacements are just some of the trends set to shape the snacking market next year, according to Datamonitor Consumer.
To make it in the crowded energy and nutrition bar category, a company needs a great tasting product, top-notch packaging, persistence, fortitude and differentiation, says Mark Brooks, founder of Mudd+Wyeth, a lifestyle company for dogs and their owners.
Researchers investigating the types of microbes found in foods from different dietary patterns have questioned whether the bacteria in our foods plays a role in the structure and function of our gut microbiota.
Antioxidant-rich cereals, protein-packed snack bars and bread tailored to women’s nutritional needs were just some of the product innovations identified by Datamonitor Consumer during 2014.
Eating all your vegetables might be easier in 2015 than in recent years as they increasingly show up in unexpected places, including desserts and drinks, according to the International Food Network.
Mediterra Nutrition’s recently launched savory bars seek to tap into one of the increasingly rare white spaces remaining in the crowded nutritional bar category, which is laden with sweets.
An organization supporting “family-scale” farming accuses the makers of Dannon, Yoplait and other yogurt manufacturers of misleading parents to believe their yogurts are healthy, even though some products include sugar and “myriad questionably safe artificial...
Enjoying a special occasion, opportunistic eating and social pressures are just some of the drivers behind unhealthy snacking – factors that could be used to drive change, researchers claim.
The nutrition bar category is becoming saturated, but there are still untapped pockets of opportunity, says Ohio-based Good Greens, which claims to blow rivals out of the water when it comes to packing a nutritional punch.
The higher cost and lack of familiarity with whole grains are complicating some schools’ efforts to comply with requirements to serve 100% whole grains that went into effect last July, according to school dietitians.
The increasing number of U.S. adults reducing or eliminating gluten from their diet who are not diagnosed with celiac disease likely is an unsustainable fad, clinical researchers argued at the Whole Grains Council Oldways Whole Grains: Breaking Barriers...
While kale chips have a lot of growth potential in conventional food stores, Rhythm Superfoods CEO Scott Jensen said he worries whether the pervasive leafy green soon will jump the shark as a trendy snack ingredient in health and natural product stores.
Unprecedented access to information about foods through smart phones and social media is a driving factor in consumers’ increasing interest in healthy eating, according to a leading food culture researcher.
Mainstream retailers that have been slow to take up the natural and organic product mantle now are realizing the trend is not a flash-in-the-pan and are scrambling to stock more healthy options, which is good news for Hain Celestial, company executives...
Consumers want to eat healthier, but when it comes to snacking a desire for decadent and indulgent usually wins out over virtuous, which is why Berkeley, Calif.-based The Good Bean wants to “reclaim fun for the better-for-you-chip space” with the launch...
Consumer interest in meat alternatives as a source for protein is growing – especially among younger consumers with less money and time to spend buying and preparing meat – but lingering confusion about whether sufficient protein can be obtained from...
Protein fortification continues to be a hot topic, with high protein forms of shakes and other beverages, nutrition bars, cereals and other foods crowding the market. Now startup company Rap Protein LLC has expanded the idea into a new area with the...
The rising tide of food intolerances and allergic reactions bodes well for Pascha Chocolate, a brand that is founded on an allergen-free positioning. But co-founder Courtenay Vuchnich said the real message is purity, with allergen-free coming along for...
CEO Henry Miller had a vision for his company, Henry’s Humdingers, when he founded it. He wanted to give consumers a new take on honey and at the same time help bring light to the plight of honey bees, beset by threats. That was when he was 12.
While Beanitos probably has a higher profile, fellow Texan chip maker Simply7 snacks has quietly carved out an equally impressive niche in the better-for-you snacks aisle over the past four years with hummus, lentil, quinoa and pink pomegranate chips...
60-second interview, Megan DeStefano, DuPont Nutrition & Health
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.
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...
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...
Despite any progress that might have been made in the health of offerings in US food retail outlets, the food displayed in the checkout queue is as unhealthy as ever, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The quick availability...
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...
Stevia chocolate is beginning to gain momentum in the US but could take at least a decade to achieve widespread acceptance among mainstream retail, according to stevia chocolate firm Coco Polo
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...
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...
Buoyed by the surging popularity of hummus in the US, Sabra Dipping Co has unveiled plans to expand its hummus manufacturing facility in Chesterfield County, Virginia, doubling its production capacity and creating 70 new jobs.
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...
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,...
While the jaw-dropping amount that General Mills paid for Annie’s ($820m) raised some eyebrows, it was “worth it”, says one corporate finance expert who says big CPG firms are increasingly eyeing up acquisition targets in the natural and organic foods...
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...
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...
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.
In a sign of how much American palates have changed, Ocean’s Halo Seaweed Chip is building on the success of its original seaweed chip line with a reformulated organic version that will launch at this week’s Expo East trade show in Baltimore.
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...
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...
While 28% (66 million) of American adults are trying to lose weight, and a further 14% (32 million) are trying to maintain their weight, they are losing interest in strict diet plans, calorie-counting and ‘diet’ foods, says a new report from Packaged...
A look at first year of implementing the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act
From crowded hallways to pop quizzes, cliques and assemblies, the 2014-2015 school year will likely look a lot like previous years—except when it comes to the food served to students.
While entrepreneurial start-ups touting healthier snacks have been entering - and leaving - the category with startling speed in the past couple of years, the 20-something entrepreneurs behind Brooklyn-based ProFormance Foods are quietly confident that...
