A group* of palm oil growers, millers and environmental organizations has called on all members of the Round Table on Sustainable Palm oil (RSPO) to support the GreenPalm certificate trading scheme until they can use 100% physical, sustainable palm.
The “communication messages” around Air Delight - the aerated chocolate range launched by Hershey last summer - still need some work, bosses have admitted.
The dispute over whether Californian GMO labeling initiative Prop 37 will prevent manufacturers from using the term ‘natural’ on foods that contain no GMOs at all continues to rage, with Yes and No campaigns offering diametrically opposed interpretations...
More than 100 chefs have voiced their support for California GMO labeling initiative Proposition 37 via a ‘chef’s petition’ set up by Alice Waters, chef, author, and proprietor of Berkeley-based restaurant Chez Panisse.
While “there is no doubt” that revamping school lunches will benefit children’s health, the speed with which schools are having to implement the new rules has made compliance extremely difficult in the short-term, according to one child nutrition director.
Dispatches from the Whole Grains on Every Plate conference
One of the liveliest sessions at last week’s Whole Grains on Every Plate conference in San Antonio was a myth-busting presentation from Pamela Cureton, clinical research dietitian at the Center for Celiac Research.
Dispatches from the Whole Grains on Every Plate conference
Whole grain foods might be on the up, but they are most often found in declining ‘beige’ food categories in the center of the store that are not performing well, says ConAgra Mills.
Mythbusting was a key theme at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) in Philadelphia, with a parade of experts wheeled out to tackle misconceptions about everything from low calorie sweeteners and obesity, to kids' soda consumption,...
Californian plaintiff Katie Kane has filed her second amended complaint against Greek yogurt giant Chobani accusing it of violating federal law by claiming its yogurts have “no sugar added” despite the fact they contain evaporated cane juice (dried sugar...
The official voter information guide on California’s Proposition 37 GMO labeling initiative inaccurately states that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics “has concluded that biotech foods are safe”.
Prop 37 is likely to surpass Prop 65 as a source of consumer litigation in California if the controversial GMO labeling initiative gets the green light next month, predicts one San Francisco-based lawyer.
Civil litigation against Greek yogurt giant Chobani over its use of the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ to describe sugar (dried cane syrup) is about to move into a new phase with a second amended complaint in the Kane v Chobani case due today.
Dispatches from the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) 2012
PepsiCo is developing a novel protein-based product designed to appeal to women that “won’t show up on a shelf the way you envision it”, revealed bosses at its Nutrition Ventures arm at the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) this week.
Dispatches from the Food & Nutrition Conference & Expo (FNCE) 2012
Do consumers really want to buy the healthier products consumer advocacy groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) tell us food and beverage manufacturers ought to be making?
Walmart says it is confident it will reach its goal of using sustainably sourced palm oil for all of its private label products by the end of 2015, although it won’t give any details about how much progress it has made to date in North America.
Spices and seasonings giant McCormick is looking for new ways to engage with consumers via an expanded presence on photo sharing website Pinterest - the third-largest social media site after Facebook and Twitter - says its boss.
While many companies targeted with Prop 65 notices end up settling because they cannot afford to mount a defense, a significant proportion of cases filed by one key plaintiff have been dropped when companies have chosen to defend themselves, says the...
Big interview: Russ Moroz, VP Research Development & Quality, Kraft Foods
Kraft Foods has made significant cuts in sodium across its portfolio - and is currently working on “proprietary approaches to take this work to the next level” - but there is “not yet a silver bullet in the toolbox”, admit R&D chiefs at the firm.
A judge has dismissed a proposed class action lawsuit vs Johnson & Johnson and McNeil Nutritionals over the labeling and marketing of cholesterol-busting spread Benecol.
We’ve heard from the branding experts and the market researchers. But what do ingredients firms working with some of the biggest names in food, beverages and supplements think about how to target Millennials?
Do consumers in their early 20s care as much about brands as their parents and grandparents? And if not, can retailers do more with private label ranges to attract young people?
There will be a “significant uptick” in US product launches containing Purefruit in the next six months, while the monk fruit-based sweetener is also moving towards price parity with stevia on a cost-in-use basis for many applications, claims Tate &...
The true extent of the financial and human catastrophe that engulfed lean finely textured beef (LFTB) maker Beef Products Inc (BPI) as a result of the 'pink slime' media storm is spelled out in detail in the 263-page defamation lawsuit filed...
Some customers have expressed an interest in re-introducing finely textured beef (FTB) to their ground beef products after a media storm over ‘pink slime’ prompted many to drop it earlier this year, says Cargill.
Lean finely textured beef maker (LFTB) Beef Products Inc. has filed a defamation lawsuit against ABC News alleging its “false and disparaging" news reports about ‘pink slime’ defamed its products and proved “catastrophic” to its business.
A California judge has granted in part a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit filed against Jamba Juice over ‘all-natural’ claims, but has given the plaintiff the right to amend his complaint.
It doesn’t matter whether you support Prop 37 or oppose it; whatever happens in November when Californians vote on whether or not to label GMOs, everyone loses.
There is no direct translation of ‘snacking’ as Americans know it in Brazilian food culture, but snack foods form a significant part of the Brazilian diet, according to a new report from the Hartman Group.
Global consumers’ intent to buy foods and beverages online has grown 44% in two years, with over a quarter (26%) planning to buy online in the next three to six months, according to a new survey from market research organization Nielsen.
As reports surface that New York attorney general, Eric Schneiderman, has subpoenaed Monster and PepsiCo in relation to their energy drinks, we ask whether the segment can keep its leather-jacketed cool...
Natural retailers have seen double-digit sales growth in every four-week period during 2012 as consumers continue to demand natural and organic foods, according to specialist market research organization SPINS.
Investment in emerging channels, the Hispanic market, and employee development are among the strategies that set the most profitable consumer packaged goods firms apart from their peers, finds a new report.
First Lady Michelle Obama is due to appear on the Dr. Oz show to discuss two issues that are part of her Let’s Move initiative – improvements to the school lunch program that go into effect this year, and updates to the Presidential Youth Fitness Program.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has said it intends to examine consumer understanding of fortified foods, to work out whether people consider generally unhealthy snack foods to be healthier if they contain added nutrients.
Snacks now account for one in five eating occasions in the United States, while main meals tend to consist of fewer items, according to a new report from market research organization The NPD Group.
Kraft Foods has agreed to divest a controlling stake in its Back to Nature brand food business for an undisclosed sum ahead of the company’s split in October.
General Mills claims it has improved the nutritional profile of 68% of its product line by sales volume since 2005, reformulating to include more fiber, calcium and whole grains, and less sodium, saturated fat, trans fat and added sugar.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has challenged Welch Foods over its marketing of fruit snacks, fruit cocktails, spreads and juices as ‘heart healthy’ – and Welch’s has rebuffed the accusations, calling them misguided.
Most Canadians try to buy locally produced food – and many are willing to pay a significant premium for it, according to the results of a new Bank of Montreal (BMO) survey.
Marketers traditionally have focused their attention on the under-50s – but over-50s in the United States still have enormous spending power, and food marketers shouldn’t ignore them, says a new report from the Nielsen Company.
The more we move, the slimmer we will become, right? However, with ballooning obesity rates over the past 30 years, research suggests that this is not the case. US adults are moving more than ever – but eating more than ever too.
Age is the single most important factor determining when and where Americans eat, according to a new report from market research organization Packaged Facts, which suggests ways that food companies can respond to shifting demographics and eating habits.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has taken aim at McNeil Nutritionals’ Splenda Essentials sweetener in a lawsuit filed in a California district court, alleging that the fortified sweetener’s marketing violates consumer protection laws.
Nestlé has encountered a “consistent deterioration in growth” in 2011-2012 in the US, its biggest market, according to analyst Andrew Wood at Sanford C Bernstein.
Digital marketing firm and couponing giant Valassis has introduced a new Facebook app for consumers to access coupons and savings directly on Facebook, combining the company’s digital coupon distribution expertise with Facebook’s sharing and graph functions.
Lack of physical activity is not likely to be a key factor in Western obesity rates, according to a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE, which suggests that over-consumption of calories is the biggest culprit.
A US district court judge has ruled that individual corn refining companies will need to defend false advertising charges in an ongoing dispute over the industry’s right to describe high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as ‘corn sugar’.
Heart-friendly spreads expert Smart Balance has been hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that it does not include enough plant sterols in its spreadable butters to warrant the cholesterol-lowering effects claimed on pack.
