Butter might be winning the PR war in the spreads category owing to its all-natural credentials and short ingredients list; but from a nutritional standpoint, the healthier choice is margarine, says the National Association of Margarine Manufacturers...
It’s been gracing food labels for years, but more recently, it’s also prompted a tsunami of civil litigation against firms from Chobani to Trader Joe’s. So what exactly is ‘evaporated cane juice’ (ECJ), and does the name accurately reflect what it actually...
Chobani will make its first foray into the organic market later this year with the introduction of 32oz grass-fed multi-serve packs of its Greek yogurt.
Nutrition labeling will expose snacks for what they are, but we’re committed to being transparent and confident US consumers will remain a snacking nation, says the CEO of the Snack Food Association (SFA).
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...
While manufacturers faced renewed pressure to clean up labels following recent media attacks on the dough conditioner azodicarbonamide and artificial preservatives, far less attention has been paid to what these ingredients are actually being replaced...
The food industry doesn’t need years to phase out partially hydrogenated oils (which create harmful artificial trans fats), according to the American Heart Association (AHA) and the American College of Cardiology (ACC), which argue that 12-18 months gives...
In the proposal by the Food and Drug Administration to update labels for foods and dietary supplements, the agency declined to set a value for omega-3 fatty acids. This does not mean the agency discounts their health benefits, said Adam Ismail, executive...
Governments, NGOs and consumers are driving change in the bakery sector, but how can industry keep up? What’s the next direction for healthy bakery? And will this future need to be regulated?
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has again urged the FDA to come up with its own mandatory front-of-pack nutrition labeling system and “ignore” the industry-backed, voluntary ‘Facts up Front’ scheme.
Smart Balance has become the latest high-profile brand to make a commitment to sourcing non-GMO ingredients in its products, starting with its buttery spreads.
On the heels of the US Food and Drug Administration’s proposed updates to the Nutrition Facts label—which received largely positive marks from the food and beverage industry—new research from the NPD Group is questioning how many US consumers even routinely...
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.
The Food and Drug Administration is proposing several changes to the nutrition labels on packaged foods and beverages. If approved, the new labels would place a bigger emphasis on total calories and update serving sizes, while also drawing attention to...
A high-profile class action lawsuit accusing Chobani of deceiving consumers with the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ on labels has finally been dismissed with prejudice (ie. the plaintiff can’t re-file and the case is officially closed).
Snack maker PopChips looks set to become the latest firm to stop using the term ‘all-natural’ to describe its products after agreeing to settle a lawsuit alleging it misled consumers by using the controversial term.
Ganeden Biotech - the Ohio-based company behind ultra-resilient probiotic BC30 (Bacillus coagulans GBI-30, 6086) - has scored another industry first after teaming up with coffee firm Copper Moon to launch the first K-Cups with probiotics.
The Food and Drug Administration has agreed to new deadlines for final rules detailing the implementaiton of the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The agreement comes as part of a settlement in a lawsuit brought by advocacy groups claiming that FDA...
When PepsiCo replaced the word ‘Simply Natural’ with ‘Simply’ on some Frito-Lay lines recently, some commentators wondered if this signaled the beginning of the end of the industry’s love affair with all-natural claims. However, new data suggests otherwise.
While the number of lawsuits filed against food and beverage manufacturers over ‘all-natural’ claims appeared to peak in 2012 and drop off again in 2013, it’s too early for the industry to start cracking open the champagne just yet, say legal experts.
While most start-ups struggle to raise the funds to turn their dreams into reality, Hampton Creek Foods CEO Josh Tetrick has convinced some of the world’s wealthiest people that his plant-based egg replacers are worth a serious punt.
California is considering a controversial law change that would mean soda cans carry labels warning that added sugar contributes to obesity, diabetes and tooth decay.
New non-cola products sweetened with stevia and sugar will hit the US market this year, while cola products combining stevia and sugar will be tested in other markets, says PepsiCo.
The Flax Council of Canada has received approval for a health claim linking ground whole flaxseed to lower cholesterol from Health Canada’s Food Directorate, paving the way for more development and potential demand for food and beverage products incorporating...
Could coffee fruit be the next pomegranate? One firm on a mission to turn the one part of the coffee plant most growers aren’t interested in into the next big thing in beverages, has just struck a series of deals it hopes will turn it into a household...
Kraft Foods is removing the artificial preservative sorbic acid from some of its individually wrapped Singles slices in the latest of a series of moves by major food producers to clean up their labels.
A federal judge has granted preliminary approval to a $3.4m settlement of a class action lawsuit accusing Trader Joe’s of falsely advertising certain products as ‘all natural’.
High pressure processing (HPP) has breathed fresh life into the US juice market. But if beverage firms are excited about the technology, so, it appears, are plaintiffs' attorneys, who are starting to take issue with the way some HPP-treated products...
Bread product launches have continued to rise globally in recent years, though amid tightening health claim regulations in the EU and North America, growth in the functional bread sector has slowed somewhat, according to Innova Market Insights.
Californian natural flavors firm Blue Pacific has joined a growing number of ingredients suppliers to go through the Non-GMO Project Verified certification process.
First there was the leaked GMA discussion document; now the industry’s biggest players have put their cards on the table via the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, which is seeking federal legislation to create an FDA-administered voluntary program to...
First the report, now the class action lawsuits: PepsiCo and Goya Foods - who were both cited in a recent report from product testing firm Consumer Reports about allegedly “concerning” 4-MEI levels in soft drinks - have been targeted in lawsuits filed...
Citing increased consumer and retailer demand for transparency, Cargill rolled out labels on all consumer and bulk ground beef products containing finely textured beef (FTB) starting Jan. 20, 2014. The label “Contains Finely Textured Beef” is printed...
What do genetically engineered soybeans, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and chickens raised with the use of antibiotics all have in common? They are all in products that come with ‘all-natural’ labels.
Sensient Colors has expanded its vegetable juice-derived natural brown colors platform to give customers more options in the wake of a recent report that has reignited the debate over 4-MeI levels in some caramel colors.
Civil litigation over whether GMOs belong in ‘all-natural’ products will continue to clog up US courts owing to the FDA’s refusal to weigh in on this issue, says Mission tortilla chips maker Gruma Corp.
Vegetarians aren’t necessarily looking for alternative proteins or meat analogues, and makers of meat-free meals are embracing a range of trendy flavours and ingredients, says Classic Cuisine’s new product development manager Paul Hunt.
'Marketing can and should be science-driven and scientists are great marketers': VIRUN CEO
BeverageDaily.com Personality of the Year 2013, VIRUN CEO Philip Bromley, reveals his lust for life and how soft drinks can combine ‘want with need’ to kick start the category, in the first part of an exclusive interview.
The US Food and Drug Administration has unofficially announced that it will revise the nutrition facts label for the first time in 20 years. Unsurprisingly, the nutritional community and food industry offered a few suggestions—from serving size vagaries...
A paradigm shift is needed in the study of polyphenols to better understand the bioavailability, bio-activity, and the role of the gut microbiota in polyphenol metabolism and health benefits, say experts from academia and industry.
Health and wellness packaged food and beverages continue to chart strong growth in South America, driven largely by Brazil’s fast-growing middle class.
The FDA says it has “no reason to believe” that 4-MeI - an impurity generated during the manufacture of caramel colors III and IV - poses a health risk at current dosage levels, but says it is reviewing new data to determine whether it needs to revise...
We all know that too much alcohol can make you drunk, but it can also make you fat, say consumer groups who argue that bottles of beer, wine and spirits should come with a Nutrition Facts panel that clearly states how many calories they contain per serving.
Many big brands are “playing a waiting game” right now to see whether moves by General Mills and Post Foods to axe GMOs from iconic brands (Cheerios and Grape Nuts) will have a domino effect, say analysts at Euromonitor International.
American adults are eating out less, using nutrition labels more, and are eating better at home, according to a new report from the US Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service.
Cereals giant Post Foods has unveiled non-GMO verified Original Grape Nuts, just days after General Mills announced it had reformulated Original Cheerios to remove GMOs.
THE FOODNAVIGATOR-USA BUSINESS LEADERS ROUND TABLE DEBATE