The FDA’s warning letter to the maker of melatonin-laced Slowtivate Relaxation Drink has reignited the debate over the legal line between liquid dietary supplements and conventional beverages - and should make some firms very nervous - say lawyers.
The firm behind ‘breathable’ caffeine shot AeroShot Energy has promised to amend its marketing to make it clear that it should be ingested – and not inhaled – following a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Some of the biggest names in US food manufacturing – including Nestle, Kellogg and Unilever - have been accused of infringing patents covering fats that alter the ratio of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cholesterol in the blood.
General Mills has filed a motion to dismiss a class action lawsuit accusing it of presenting products that were “little better than candy” as “healthful and nutritious”.
A petition calling for food manufacturers to state on labels whether their products contain genetically engineered ingredients has attracted more than 850,000 comments, claim organizers of the Just Label It campaign.
The US market for dairy“remains largely untapped”, according to PepsiCo, which is pumping $206m into a new US facility to make yogurts and other dairy products as part of a joint venture with Müller.
Consumers, the marketers all tell us, want foods that are ‘wholesome’, ‘authentic’, and above all ‘natural’, although few of them can articulate what this means.
Attempts to link ‘all-natural’ clean-labeling policies with the healthy eating agenda have been so successful that research now shows shoppers equate ‘healthy’ with ‘natural’ or ‘minimally processed’ foods.
The inventor of 'breathable' caffeine shot AeroShot Energy says he has barely scratched the surface when it comes to potential applications for the novel delivery format.
The FDA wrote to the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) in December in support of the trade groups’ front-of-pack labeling program, saying it would exercise enforcement discretion for certain aspects of the...
Consumers increasingly are choosing whole and unprocessed foods – so is it the end of the line for processed food manufacturers? Not if they move with the times, say ingredient suppliers.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aiming to publish a proposed rule to reform the Nutrition Facts panel and related rules by the end of this year, somewhat later than originally expected.
Food safety experts need to do a better job of communicating the consumer’s role in keeping food safe, by using personalized messages and the example of kitchen role models, says a consumer food marketing specialist.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is to investigate the safety of an inhalable caffeine shot called AeroShot, which only hit US shelves last month.
“Post-holiday pressure” is to blame for lackluster sales figures across most packaged food categories in January according to Campbell Soup boss Denise Morrison.
POM Wonderful has come under fire again for allegedly misleading and deceiving consumers about the health benefits of its antioxidant-packed wares in a new class action lawsuit.
Branded snacks giant Frito-Lay and store-brand specialist Ralcorp have become embroiled in a legal battle over corn chips designed to scoop up salsa and dips.
Shoppers increasingly are looking to the internet for better deals on foods and beverages, according to a new survey from the Integer group and M/A/R/C Research.
Walmart’s new front-of-pack label might have stricter nutrition criteria than many others currently in use, but how does it fit in with other logos in the grocery store?
Attorneys for the Sugar Association have accused individual member companies of the Corn Refiners Association (CRA) of running away from charges of false advertising, in papers filed in a federal court.
Non-GMO Project Verified has become the fastest growing food eco-label in North America, as sales of certified products hit $1bn in 2011, according to findings unveiled at Organic Monitor’s Sustainable Foods Summit in San Francisco last month.
Walmart has unveiled its new on-shelf and front-of-pack logo to highlight healthy choices among its own-brand products, including fresh and packaged fruits and vegetables.
General Mills is the latest company to experiment with QR (quick response) codes and plans to add them to its cereal boxes, but one well-known technology commentator is sceptical about their benefits.
Hispanic influence on overall American eating habits is growing – and marketers should pay attention to US Hispanics’ dining traditions to stay ahead of the curve, according to market research organization The NPD Group.
The United States and Canada have taken another step toward organic equivalency, with US organic standards for dairy, beef, sheep, goat and bison now considered equivalent to Canadian requirements.
Reducing sodium is expensive and difficult, and many bakers are beginning to wonder whether it is worth investing millions into reformulating products that consumers do not want to buy, according to the Association of Bakers (ABA).
Coupon use continued to increase in 2011 as money-saving habits adopted during the recession have become a way of life for many Americans, according to media and marketing services company Valassis.
"At least 12 major players in the food industry" are testing canola protein from BioExx, while a tie up with Century Foods to develop canola-protein-based sports products is also progressing well, claims the veggie protein specialist.
Nestlé and Mead Johnson - two of the biggest guns in infant nutrition - have become embroiled in a row over the design of bottles used by both firms to package their nutritional drinks.
Economic uncertainty is changing the way America eats, creating a series of “virtually untapped” opportunities for food marketers, according to a new report.
Color-coded labeling and rearranging products in-store could lead consumers to make healthier choices, according to a new study from Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers.
Food marketers have an opportunity to help consumers seeking healthy foods by providing easy-to-understand nutrition information on-pack, according to a new report from Nielsen.
Processed foods are likely to get a health kick this year, with more whole grains, lean poultry and seafood, vegetables, and mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
More than two-thirds of consumers avoid buying products if they dislike the parent company, according to the results of a new survey from Weber Shandwick and KRC Research.
Almond milk was the fastest growing non-dairy milk alternative in 2011 in sales and popularity, as consumer awareness of plant-based milk health benefits has grown, according to a new report from Packaged Facts.
Industry-backed ad watchdog the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (NAD) has taken issue with Gerber over its use of the terms ‘natural’ and ‘immune support’ on products for toddlers.
Fair Trade USA has revised its policy for labeling products with multiple ingredients, introducing a new ‘Fair Trade Certified Ingredients’ label alongside an updated logo.
Ethical production claims such as ‘fair trade’ may influence how consumers perceive calorie content, according to new research published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
African Mango, probiotics, chia, fermented drinks, organic supplements and cognitive health will be top of the health food pops this year, according to TrendWatch 2012, a new report from natural products specialist SPINS.
Food manufacturers have nothing to gain and everything to lose from moves to expand the number of top-level domain (TLD) names allowed on the internet, according to one legal expert.
Food choices are influenced by presentation for children as well as adults – but what appeals to kids may be quite different from what appeals to their parents, suggests new research published in the journal Acta Pædiatrica.
The global food preservative market is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.5% in the next five years, according to a new report from Markets and Markets.
Wonder bread and Twinkies maker Hostess Brands has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to allow it to restructure, but does not expect to stop producing or delivering any of its products during the process, the company said on Wednesday.
Tropicana Products Inc. is the latest company to be sued over use of the term ‘natural’ – this time to describe its not-from-concentrate ‘100% pure and natural’ orange juice.
Forget goji berries and noni juice. Tart cherries, blueberries and other more familiar fruits are likely to trump their exotic cousins in 2012 as shoppers tire of Orac-tastic superfruits, according to trend watcher Hartman Group.
Food manufacturers are upping their game on allergen management, but many still take information from ingredients suppliers about allergens “at face value without further verification”, according to a survey by Deloitte & Touche.
Health- and eco-conscious consumers are just as interested in the ingredients their foods do not contain as those that make it onto the ingredient list – but price remains a top priority, according to a new survey.
Sales of soft drinks to adolescents in Baltimore City nose-dived when study participants were exposed to ‘easily understandable’ information about calorie content, according to a new US study.
