Is it a safer bet to say 'Made with natural ingredients' than 'All-natural' on pack? Are consumers in the UK and the US looking for different cues on a label to determine if something is natural or wholesome? And did you know that...
Big interview: Brian Meadows, president, GLG Life Tech
Stevia supplier GLG Life Tech has resumed trading on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) and reassured investors that “the stevia market is growing worldwide, and we are positioned to take full advantage.”
A Fortune 500 manufacturer is looking for partners to help it find more consumer-friendly clean-label non-aqueous solvent technologies to sue in its ready-to-drink beverages.
While the zero-calorie natural sweetener stevia is now used in scores of high-profile brands from Sprite Select to Vitamin Water Zero, the only top-tier cola brand to try it to date has been the Australian formulation of Pepsi Next, which has 30% less...
Big interview: Ted Nixon, chairman and CEO, DDWilliamson
Founded in 1865 - the year Lincoln was assassinated - DDW has been in the food colors business for an astonishing 148 years. But there’s no room for complacency, CEO Ted Nixon tells Elaine Watson during a visit to the firm’s HQ in Louisville, KY.
Special edition: All-natural: How clean is your label?
The term ‘natural’ has been used to mean so many things that it means less all the time, except as a starting point for class action lawsuits. But tell consumers you’re getting rid of artificial preservatives and you’ve telling them something meaningful,...
USDA certified organic on a food label means something concrete. ‘Natural’ or ‘clean label’ mean something rather more fluid. But while the stream of lawsuits over ‘natural’ claims suggests more clarity is needed - particularly on GMOs - some general...
Special edition: All-natural: How clean is your label?
Consumer preference for natural flavors - seen in market research data – does not always translate into product purchasing, but the future still looks very rosy for natural flavors, say industry experts.
60-second interview: Rohit Tibrewala, CEO, Roha, North America
As part of FoodNavigator-USA’s probe into clean labels ahead of our June 26 Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013 online event, Elaine Watson caught up with Rohit Tibrewala CEO, Roha, North America, to talk natural colors…
60-second interview: Carol Locey and Gary Augustine, Kalsec
As part of FoodNavigator-USA’s probe into clean labels ahead of our June 26 Natural & Clean Label Trends 2013 online event, Elaine Watson caught up with Carol Locey, colors product director, and Gary Augustine, market development director, at Kalsec,...
PL Thomas claims to be taking the wholefood concept to a completely new level with the launch of whole food powders made using a novel process that can turn “pretty much anything that is a food into a powder”, from salmon to pumpkin.
Market researchers tell us that consumers are seeking ‘natural’ products more than ever – and ingredient suppliers have responded by providing ways to ‘clean up’ product labels – but what do these terms really mean?
60-second interview: Kurt Seagrist and Byron Madkins, Chr. Hansen
Not so long ago the gap between the performance - and price - of natural vs synthetic colors was huge, but more efficient supply chains, advances in extraction technology and more sophisticated microencapsulation techniques have closed the gap considerably...
A federal judge handling a lawsuit filed in California over ‘all-natural’ claims on Mission tortilla chips has recommended that the case be put on hold for six months to give the FDA time to determine whether products containing GMOs should be labeled...
If you’re looking for a natural red food color, carmine can deliver. It’s vibrant, but stable, and prices have recently returned from the stratosphere after hikes in 2010/11. The only problem is that it’s made from crushed insects, and once they find...
Quinoa’s relatively high price compared to staple grains may restrict consumption to health-conscious consumers in high-income countries for now – but it could play an important role in food security in the long term, according to the FAO.
The campaign for mandatory GMO labeling gained a further boost this week as the Maine House of Representatives voted 141-4 in favor of LD 718, a bill that would require foods made with ingredients from biotech crops to carry the label ‘Produced with Genetic...
If it sounds like a ‘chemical’, or isn’t in the kitchen cupboard, shoppers may regard it with suspicion. But which ingredients are 'acceptable' to today's consumers, which are to be avoided, and who decides?
While polls suggest most Americans are in favor of labeling genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the percentage that spontaneously mention GMOs when asked an unaided question about what additional information they would like to see on food labels is...
A US court says a class action alleging that Associated British Foods (ABF) brand Twinings broke the law by labeling green, black and white teas as a ‘natural source of antioxidants’ may proceed.
Recent data from Symphony Consulting (click here), shows that while US retail sales of products making ‘natural’ claims still grew in 2012, the pace of that growth slowed noticeably compared with the 2009-11 period.
In an order that will be read carefully by those following ‘natural’ labeling lawsuits, a California judge has rejected an argument routinely made by defendants - that the FDA has primary jurisdiction when it comes to judging whether ‘natural’ claims...
The Vermont House of Representatives has passed H.112, a bill requiring the labeling of all genetically engineered (GE) food sold in Vermont. However, there are plenty of hurdles ahead.
How can you get more bang for your R&D buck? How does Unilever gain deeper consumer insights online? Why don’t manufacturers share more information with key suppliers?
Founded in the same year that Edison created the first functioning light bulb, Thompson Brands is one of America’s oldest chocolate companies. But it hasn’t stayed in business this long by resting on its laurels, CEO Gene Dunkin tells Elaine Watson.
Growth rates of several individual label claims under the health & wellness umbrella have started to level off, according to new research from Symphony Consulting.
New York-based start-up LifeIce is aiming to create a completely new category in the healthy snacking market with new bite-sized all-natural frozen fruit snacks that are sold as a shelf-stable product in a freeze-at-home tray.
Unilever should put its spreads business ‘on notice’ if things don’t improve, says one analyst after Unilever posted another set of quarterly results where strong growth in personal and home care was offset by a weak performance in food, notably spreads.
The phrase 'all-natural' is still emblazoned on scores of new food and beverage launches, but not quite as many as it used to be, according to Mintel research.
We have heard from attorneys representing food and beverage manufacturers about what Judge Richard Seeborg’s decision to throw out a lawsuit vs AriZona Iced Tea could mean for other ‘all-natural’ cases. But what do lawyers representing consumers in such...
Clover-Stornetta Farms has joined the ranks of firms targeted with class action lawsuits that allege added sugar is being concealed by listing it on pack as ‘evaporated cane juice’.
In the absence of a clear legal definition of ‘natural’, food marketers seeking to avoid legal challenges over it refer to a variety of sources for guidance.
Lawyers for David Green - a California man who has accused Dr Pepper Snapple Group of making false and misleading claims about 7UP's (now defunct) ‘antioxidant’ drinks - argue it is attempting to “hide behind the law of federal preemption” in its...
Just how much comfort can manufacturers facing legal challenges over their use of 'all-natural' claims take from Judge Richard Seeborg’s March 28 decision to throw out a case about AriZona Iced Teas?
A decision by a judge to throw out a class action lawsuit alleging that AriZona Iced Teas are not ‘natural’ because they contain high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and citric acid, should give hope to scores of firms facing similar legal challenges, say...
Kraft officials spent an hour yesterday with blogger Vani Hari (aka the Food Babe) discussing a petition urging the company to stop using artificial colors Yellow #5 and #6 in its Mac & Cheese, but says it is satisfied that they are both safe and...
Trader Joe’s has become the latest firm to be hit with a class action lawsuit alleging it 'conceals' added sugar by listing it on pack as ‘evaporated cane juice’.
Glanbia Nutritionals has launched a new ingredient to replace whole eggs in bakery applications as firms seek alternatives in the face of steep price increases in the egg market.
COKE: MINUTE MAID AND SIMPLY ORANGE LABELING COMPLIES WITH FDA RULES
The Coca-Cola Company has failed in its attempt to strike out 13 consolidated lawsuits alleging that Simply Orange Juice and Minute Maid products were falsely advertised as natural, but says it will fight what it claims is a 'meritless case'.
Private label expert Treehouse Foods says the premium segment of the US grocery retail market “has been our fastest growing over the last two quarters at least”, echoing a recent report from Hartman Strategy claiming that firms most attuned to the tastes...
Expect more products containing beans and lentils, new quinoa-packed soups and entrees, high-protein nut and seed-based spreads, and more popped whole grains in US grocery stores this year, predicts market researcher Packaged Facts.
PepsiCo brand Mountain Dew will launch a new fruit juice and coffee-based drink across the US from February 25 to provide a morning ‘pick me up’, and tap a key 2013 ‘natural energy’ trend.
Steviva Brands has launched a new stevia-based syrup blend designed to replace high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in beverages, and claims it is a no added sugar ‘magic bullet’ for sweetening drinks.
From food ingredients that reduce the blood glucose response to food intake, to natural high-potency sweeteners, digestive health and weight management ingredients, and plant-based ingredients that can mask bitter flavors…
Sales of natural products featuring third party certifications surged in 2012, according to new data from SPINS, with non-GMO project verified products leading the charge (+18%), followed by Fair Trade USA (+17%), Certified Gluten Free (+17%), and Certified...
Special edition: Protein-rich foods… the next generation
Protein has never been hotter - at least that’s what the market researchers tell us - and vegetarian proteins in particular are top of the pops right now.
Big interview: Scott Lerner, founder and CEO Solixir
If you’ve trudged around any industry trade shows recently, you’ve probably seen your fair share of prototype product concepts targeting the key ‘need states’ created by ‘modern life’: Wake up! (in energizing oranges and reds), Focus! (in royal purple),...
Food and beverage companies need to ‘redefine’ the concept of age in 2013 to seize specific growth opportunities presented by older consumers, according to Leatherhead Food Research.
