FDA proposals to revoke the GRAS status of partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) in order to crack down on trans fats will lead to increased saturated fat intakes, greater reliance on imported palm and canola oil and the “diminished ability for food manufacturers...
The exponential growth and availability of “Big Data” offers food and beverage marketers unprecedented access to consumer information, but it also raises some ethical questions when it comes to how companies use it—particularly when it comes to children....
A bill requiring foods produced with genetic engineering be labeled in Vermont has made further progress after passing in the Senate Judiciary committee in a 5-0 vote.
The American Herbal Products Association has set a new policy for how member companies ought to calculate the amount of protein in their products to deal with a situation in which the amount of protein has potentially been overreported in some products...
With more and more class-action lawsuits against the food and beverage industry making headlines, FoodNavigator-USA caught up with an attorney specializing in complex corporate litigation to discuss the proper role of the courts, the shorter window for...
Suntava - the Minnesota-based firm promoting anthocyanin-packed purple-corn ingredients - has gone through the Non-GMO Project verification process to reassure customers and consumers that the corn from which they are derived is not genetically engineered.
A class action lawsuit accusing Coca-Cola subsidiary Odwalla of misleading consumers and misbranding its products by using the term ‘evaporated cane juice’ (ECJ) on labels has been put on ice by a California judge following the FDA's decision to...
Two practical alternatives to a blanket ban on partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs) would help the FDA achieve its objective (cracking down on trans-fats) without causing formulation nightmares, claim leading food manufacturers.
The recent Let’s Move! nutrition related announcements by the White House mark ongoing efforts by this Administration to make good on a number of nutrition commitments from the first term. Following on the heels of the effective ban on transfats by the...
While die-hard opponents of GM crops probably won’t undergo a damascene conversion after checking out the latest updates on ag-biotech-funded website GMO Answers, they are not the target audience, say its backers.
While General Mills’ decision to rid Original Cheerios of GMOs has generated an enormous amount of publicity, it has not, apparently, translated to the top line.
The fees claimed by the plaintiff in a high-profile - but ultimately unsuccessful - class action lawsuit against JM Smucker over trans fats are “grossly excessive”, according to the judge handling the case.
Heinz has vowed to vigorously defend itself after becoming the latest food giant to be targeted in a false advertising lawsuit alleging it is misleading consumers by describing products made from GM crops as ‘all-natural’.
How many products with ‘0g trans-fat’ on the label still contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, a key source of harmful artificial trans-fats? Not as many as you might think, according to a new study.
If it’s in the natural channel today, it could be in food, drug and mass merchandise stores tomorrow, so food and beverage trend-spotters were out in force at the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim on March 6-9.
Sabra Dipping Co has submitted a citizen’s petition to the FDA asking it to establish a standard of identity (SOI) for hummus based on the traditional ingredients of chickpeas and tahini (sesame paste).
If big food brands start to lose the GMO argument at the checkout and in the court of public opinion, they will feel compelled to respond, whether they are in favor of GM crops or not, predicted trend-watchers at Expo West.
Network marketing giant Herbalife has confirmed that is the subject of an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. Trading in shares of the company were briefly halted on the New York Stock Exchange after the price plunged 12% in the minutes after...
Markets, whether for dietary supplements, functional foods or other consumer products, are divided between “market makers” and “market followers.” You don’t want to be in the latter group if you can help it, said market research expert Peter Leighton.
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...
