A poll* of more than 4,200 US consumers conducted in April 2015 by CivicScience shows Americans believe that ‘preservatives / chemicals’ are significantly more harmful to their heath than added sugar, saturated fat and sodium.
California startup Veestro is bringing to consumers’ doors healthy, plant-based frozen meals and with them the next evolution in the burgeoning direct-to-consumer meal kit and grocery delivery movement.
Vitasoy USA Inc., the maker of Nasoya products, hopes its new vacuum-packed and ready-to-eat baked tofu products will bring new consumers into the category by making tofu easier to prepare and showcasing its versatility.
Dollar sales of Chobani’s Simply 100 Greek yogurts have grown 25% in the first five months of 2015 vs the same period last year, while unit sales are up 28%, says the firm, which is re-launching the range with ‘blended’ formulations (rather than fruit-on-the-bottom)...
From veggie powders to sprinkle on your food to artisan dairy-free ‘cheeses’ made from nuts, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) selects nine natural food trends it predicts will inspire packaged foods and foodservice menus in 2015.
Tens of thousands of kombucha bottles were pulled from US shelves in 2010 after it emerged they exceeded the 0.5% legal alcohol limit, so you’d assume products on shelf today are all fully compliant, right? Wrong, claims KeVita, which is proposing an...
Heinz is urging a Pennsylvania court to reverse a decision by the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) allowing Boulder Brands to register ‘Smart Balance’ as a trademark for frozen foods and snacks – a name Heinz claims is “confusingly similar” to...
Consumer demand for high protein, on-the-go food is helping drive sales of jerky, which climbed 12.8% last year, and other dried meat snacks, which increased 14.3% last year, according to data analysis by IRI Worldwide. Meat snack manufacturers hoping...
The latest outbreak of avian flu has, predictably, prompted a surge in demand for egg replacers. But some industrial egg users are now considering making permanent changes to recipes and menus rather than just making tactical substitutions whenever egg...
Potato chips, tortilla chips and cheese snacks are performing strongly in the US retail market, despite growing demand for healthier snacking options. However, the big winners in the snacks aisle this year have been ready-to-eat popcorn, meat snacks,...
Walmart is asking meat and poultry suppliers to stop using antibiotics and antimicrobials for non-therapeutic purposes (eg. to promote growth and boost feed efficiency rather than exclusively for treating sick animals) amid concerns the practice may be...
Sales of snacks account for a whopping 40% of the $370 billion U.S. packaged food market and are set to grow 2% annually through 2019, thanks in large part to millennials who eat more snacks than any other group, according to analysis by Euromonitor.
Compared to previous generations Millennials are far more likely to make spur-of-the-moment food decisions and have less well-stocked pantries, say market researchers. But many food retailers are not geared up to meet their changing needs.
Plant waters such as aloe, birch, artichoke, maple, cactus, and almond water are starting to challenge coconut water’s pedestal, with NPD in this emerging category booming, according to Innova Market Insights.
Consumer feedback on Solazyme’s new high-oleic algae oil reveals high acceptance levels, with 98% of healthy oil purchasers sent samples for at-home testing reporting it had a ‘pleasant or no aftertaste’, 87% agreeing it had a ‘cleaner taste than other...
Meet execs from Sparkling ICE, Chobani, Tio Gazpacho, NASA
Imagine a place where you can meet the entrepreneurs behind new food & beverage categories and retail channels; pioneers in the field of nutrigenomics, edible insects, and 3D printing; food law attorneys; investment bankers; and number crunchers who...
Concern about “chemicals” in the food supply is growing among Americans, many of whom are changing how they buy food as a result, according to a recent survey.
30 years ago, nuts were perceived as the nutritional equivalent of candy. Today, they are widely recognized as a nutrient powerhouse. But why are peanuts – which have unique health and sustainability credentials – still perceived by some consumers as...
Swiss fermentation specialist Evolva and sweeteners expert Cargill have agreed to start engineering work so they can produce next-generation stevia sweeteners via fermentation at a Cargill biofuel and corn milling facility in Blair, Nebraska, ready for...
Zevia – a zero-calorie carbonated beverage line sweetened with stevia, monk-fruit and erythritol – has removed colors from its entire product range, including colas, and put every SKU through the non-GMO Project verification process.
Trans fat ban / Nutrition Facts Panel overhaul / FSMA implementation
Bakers must be prioritize and collaborate in the face of policy upheaval on nutrition, ingredients and food safety this year, warns the American Bakers Association (ABA).
Recent acquisitions to diversify Post Holdings’ portfolio are paying off more quickly than anticipated, prompting the cereal giant to raise its full year guidance despite a larger than expected negative impact from a supplier that tested positive for...
Sprouts Farmers Market is accelerating expansion of its deli and prepared food offerings to help drive traffic and mitigate the impact of a tightening supply of high quality produce, which currently drives the majority of store visits.
Canadian brand SEVA has weighed into the debate over maple water standards ahead of a meeting in New York on Friday (May 15) where key stakeholders from across the industry will gather to discuss labeling conventions in the rapidly-growing industry.
Confectionery giant Mars says it is in favor of FDA proposals to list added sugar on the Nutrition Facts panel, a move described as ‘refreshing’ by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
Unable to shake its reputation for being notoriously expensive, Whole Foods Market is changing tack to appeal to less affluent millennials with the launch of a new value-focused chain.
'Millennials are increasingly health conscious...'
As widely predicted, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) is appealing a federal court ruling denying its bid to halt implementation of Vermont’s GMO labeling law (Act 120) until a lawsuit over the Act is resolved.
A multi-million dollar investment in the online snack delivery start-up NatureBox Inc. suggests the firm’s direct-to-consumer subscription model has long-term viability, according to market research analysts and investors.
Manufacturers of high-end juices, nutritional shakes and smoothies likely will get more bang from their advertising buck in marketing associated with music, sports, technology and politics, according to consumer research conducted by CivicScience.
Attacking biotech companies and spurning ‘artificial’ ingredients will usually generate some positive PR for your business, even if food scientists wearily point out that there are greater threats to our health - and the planet - than GMOs and dough conditioners...
Price is arguably the biggest barrier the organic market faces, says Mintel – but retailers are coming up with ways to make organic foods accessible to a wider audience.
The vast majority of food and beverage launches fail to survive beyond the initial “experimental phase” in part because they expand their distribution too quickly, warns Alan Murray, the CEO of Next Foods.
Attorney: This case could end up in the Supreme Court
While opponents of Vermont’s GMO labeling Act 120 suffered a major setback this week after a federal judge rejected many of their arguments, some attorneys predict the case could ultimately end up in the Supreme Court to settle a long-running debate over...
VitaminFIZZ – a new zero-calorie enhanced sparkling water backed by former Red Bull executives and other beverage industry veterans – is now available in 1,400+ stores in the US nine months after launch, and is about to enter the UK market.
A federal court has rejected an attempt by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and other trade associations to prevent the state of Vermont from implementing its controversial GMO labeling law until litigation over the legislation has been resolved.
Chipotle Mexican Grill has “achieved its goal of moving to only non-GMO ingredients to make all of the food in its US restaurants”, and is now embarking on a quest to eliminate additives such as dough conditioners from its foods.
'We’re confident that with this change, consumers will come back into the Diet Pepsi franchise'
To those arguing that replacing one artificial sweetener (aspartame) with another (sucralose) won’t arrest flagging sales of Diet Pepsi, PepsiCo SVP Seth Kaufman told FoodNavigator-USA that consumer research had singled out aspartame – rather that artificial...
‘This is one step up the ladder of desperation to remain relevant’
While cynics might paraphrase PepsiCo’s move to axe aspartame from Diet Pepsi as ‘Pepsi replaces one very unpopular artificial sweetener with another slightly less unpopular artificial sweetener’, it highlights the challenge facing big soda marketers,...
The organic industry must overcome substantial hurdles to sustain its double digit sales growth, including the threat posed by genetically modified organisms, limited technological advancements and a dwindling farming population, said organic farmer and...
'70% of the products labeled as extra virgin olive oil are not extra virgin at all'
Claims that much of the extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) sold in US supermarkets is not ‘extra virgin’ at all are hardly new. But the fact that many retail buyers are effectively turning a blind eye to such widespread fraud is immensely frustrating for companies...
Congress needs to strengthen FDA’s oversight of genetically modified organisms before foreign countries, with potentially lower safety standards, begin genetically engineering crops used in finished products that are imported to the U.S., argues an executive...
Another competitor has arrived in the specialized sphere of insurance for dietary supplement companies in the United States with a new program offered by Beazley Group, a worldwide insurance provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom.
From a standing start in late 2013 – when it hit shelves in Whole Foods - Hampton Creek’s egg-free spread Just Mayo is now in 21,000 retail locations. But its progress in foodservice has been even more meteoric, says CEO Josh Tetrick, who says a deal...
FDA is considering adding pre- and post-market enforcement “enhancements” to the final rule for the process of determining food substances are GRAS – or generally recognized as safe, according to a top agency official.
As widely predicted, multiple class action lawsuits were filed against KIND on Friday following the publication of a Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter citing a long list of concerns over label claims on its bars and its website.
Kraft has unveiled plans to remove artificial preservatives and synthetic colors from its iconic Original Kraft Macaroni & Cheese in the U.S. starting January 2016. Meanwhile, Kraft Dinner Original in Canada will be free from synthetic colors by the...
FDA: KIND bars do not meet the requirements for use of the nutrient content claim ‘healthy'
KIND LLC says it is working closely with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to address a long list of concerns raised by the agency in a warning letter over label claims on its bars and its website.
Investing in 3D printing could open new markets and generate huge cost savings for food manufacturers and retailers, but first companies must overcome potential regulatory and legal hurdles, many of which are not yet identified, warn food and drug lawyers...
