Bonumose – a Virginia-based startup with patented technology it claims could enable the mass market adoption of rare sugars such as allulose and tagatose – is investing $27.7m in production and R&D facilities in a 36,000 sq ft facility in Pantops,...
Boston-based startup Slate Milk – maker of ultra-filtered, high-protein, lactose-free chocolate milk in shelf-stable cans - has raised an additional $3.3m in a seed round backed by the founders of RXBAR, Halo Top, Drizly, Yasso, and consumer-focused investment...
Two-thirds of US adults say the pandemic has caused them to re-evaluate their life priorities and has had the most profound impact on where and how they eat, according to Mintel research.
Sweegen will expand its high-intensity sweeteners portfolio early next year with the addition of brazzein, an ultra-sweet tasting protein found in small quantities in the fruit of a West African plant called oubli, that can be produced on a commercial...
From surging ocean freight costs to sky high corn prices and general supply chain disruptions, the last 12-18 months have been a roller coaster ride, says Nate Yates, VP Global Sugar Reduction Platform at Ingredion. But one thing has remained remarkably...
While consumers are becoming increasingly aware of what they eat and drink and opting for 'better-for-you' products, they will never completely abandon their love for sugar and sweetness accelerating the need for low-calorie sweeteners such...
Marking its first acquisition for its new fund, Charlotte, North Carolina-based private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners has acquired raw and unfiltered honey brand, Local Hive Honey. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
For a company with an over 90-year history, Ocean Spray is still in its early days of tapping into the kids beverage category with its Growing Goodness line, a functional line of kids juice products with no added sugar.
While Quest Nutrition may not have achieved its founders’ somewhat lofty goal of ‘ending metabolic disease’ just yet, the high-protein, low-carb, low-sugar positioning of the company – one of the runaway CPG success stories of the past decade – is continuing...
Koia, which launched with plant-based protein shakes in 2016 sold at Whole Foods stores, has unlocked exponential growth in the mass channel with its low-sugar smoothie line that founder and CEO Chris Hunter says is the company's "best performing...
Sugar reduction has become a macro health trend among consumers who believe the dietary shift leads to general wellness and health, according to Euromonitor research.
UK-based startup The Supplant Company is targeting the US market with an intriguing new addition to the sugar-reduction toolbox in the form of ‘sugars from fiber,’ a new low-glycemic blend of sugars extracted from upcycled feedstocks that performs like...
Leading CPG companies including Unilever, Hershey, and General Mills have urged the FDA to look again at the way some sugars such as tagatose and isomaltulose are labeled on the Nutrition Facts panel in the wake of recent changes to the way allulose is...
From San Diego-based Debut Biotech, which is developing a range of high-value ingredients via a novel ‘cell-free’ biomanufacturing platform, to Virginia-based Bonumose, which has patented technology it claims could enable the “mass market adoption” of...
Shares in stevia-sweetened zero-calorie beverage brand Zevia – which first hit the market in 2007 – started trading on the New York Stock Exchange this morning (ticker symbol ZVIA).
Sensient Technologies has acquired the assets of New Jersey-based Flavor Solutions, a custom product and flavor development company serving the food, beverage, and nutraceutical industries. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Comet Bio – a startup developing functional fibers and sweeteners from upcycled ingredients – has closed a $22m Series C round led by private equity firm Open Prairie, with support from Louis Dreyfus Company, BDC Capital, and existing investor Sofinnova...
Tate & Lyle has struck a $1.3bn deal to sell a controlling stake in its 'Primary Products' industrial sweeteners and starches business in the Americas to private equity firm KPS Capital Partners, as it focuses on specialty sweeteners, fibers,...
With a recent $8m cash infusion raised in a seed investment round led by several Israeli investors, Better Juice is scaling up the production capacity of its sugar reduction technology and focusing on deploying the technology in the US market, says Eran...
Now a few years on the mainstream diet scene, the keto market continues to grow with an uptick in new product launches in the past year, according to Mintel data.
A combination of supply chain disruptions and surging demand for sugar alternatives has created a very tight market for selected specialty sweeteners - notably erythritol and crystalline allulose – with some firms reporting shortages, longer lead times,...
Stevia-sweetened zero-calorie beverage brand Zevia – which first hit the market in 2007 – enjoyed a stellar year in 2020, increasing net sales by 29% YoY to $110m, while increasing gross margins from 43% to 45%, according to a prospectus released ahead...
Cactus water brand Pricklee is carving out a spot in the plant water category largely dominated by coconut water with a product it says delivers a more approachable taste profile, with half the sugar and calories than leading coconut water brands.
French investment firm Roquette Ventures (part of ingredients company Roquette Group), which supports start-ups in the food, nutrition, and health markets, is looking to scale up production of plant protein sweeteners made using precision fermentation.
Chobani has launched an industry first – a nationally-distributed line of dairy yogurts with zero grams of sugar – to meet growing demand from consumers that want to reduce sugar without feeling like they’re eating ‘diet’ products or compromising on taste...
GoodPop Frozen Pops, a better-for-you frozen treat brand, has appointed former Unilever exec, Rahul Shah, as president and chief operating officer to help lead the company's next chapter of "unprecedented growth."
The US ice cream and frozen novelties category experienced a significant rise in sales in 2020 (+16.3% vs. 2019) as consumers sought out comfort eating while confined to their homes. However, in 2021 and into 2022, the category will be challenged as consumers...
Spencer Sheehan – a plaintiff’s attorney best-known for filing a tsunami of lawsuits over vanilla labeling – has targeted Chobani for the second time in six months, this time taking issue with claims on the yogurt maker’s high protein, no added sugar...
Hershey - which recently outlined a strategy to expand its reduced sugar offerings via in-house R&D, acquisitions, and licensing or partnership deals - has struck a deal to acquire fast-growing ‘no sugar added’ chocolate brand Lily's Sweets for...
SnackFutures, Mondelēz International's innovation and venture hub, has selected nine well-being snack brands to participate in its inaugural CoLab startup engagement program.
With demand for rare sugar allulose currently exceeding supply, Tate & Lyle has informed some partners that it is withholding supplies of the sweetener until further notice, FoodNavigator-USA understands.
Ingredion – already a key player in the stevia sweeteners market through its 2020 deal to acquire PureCircle – has teamed up with synthetic biology specialist Amyris to expand into a new segment of the market: steviol glycosides produced via fermentation.
Taste and smell are fundamental to how consumers experience food and beverages, but most tools for understanding and measuring these senses – including a highly trained human nose – are subjective, imprecise, and expensive making it difficult to cost-effectively...
Public health advocates are calling on FDA to require all children’s beverages to clearly label on the front of pack the amount of added sugar, non-nutritive sweeteners and juice in each product after research published today in Pediatric Obesity revealed...
Plant-based energy bar brand Quantum Energy Squares has closed $2.5m in funding to ramp up brand awareness, and has brought on Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star, US Soccer Male Athlete of the Year, and MLS Cup MVP, Jozy Altidore as an investor.
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Shifting shopping habits and channel preferences due to the pandemic hit the non-alcoholic beverage industry hard last year, leading to an overall decline in volume and value, but rising consumer interest in functional options could be a key driver in...
SweeGen Bestevia Reb B steviol glycoside (stevia sweetener) has received a GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) Letter of No Objection from the FDA for use in food and beverage formulations.
Many consumers are aware of the nutritional value so-called superfoods have, but few can commit to a daily diet packed with turmeric, ashwagandha, and elderberry (and even fewer enjoy the taste). This hangup was the impetus for Grummies, a brand of gummies...
Wild Tonic Jun Kombucha (fermented from honey and green tea instead of traditional cane sugar and black tea) is banking on several growth trends in the kombucha category this year including its refreshed slim cans and expanding line of hard kombucha.
The functional beverage consumer and their purchase motivations are just as diverse as the functional beverage category itself, which encompasses everything from sports drinks and energy drinks to ionized/alkaline water and nutrient-infused coffee, says...
Rule Breaker Snacks, an allergy-friendly snack brand featuring chickpeas as its star ingredient, has secured a minority investment from Bimbo Ventures, the venture capital arm of global baking company Grupo Bimbo.
Ingredion and Grupo Arcor -- a leading confectionery exporter in South America -- have signed a joint venture agreement to broaden food and beverage ingredient offerings in Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay.
While there are plenty of beverages targeting young children, with recent launches from Kraft Heinz (Creative Roots) and Nestlé (Fruity Water) offering low or no-sugar options, there is a gap in the market for teens, claims PepsiCo, which says new launch...
Mondelēz SnackFutures – the company's innovation and venture hub – has launched CoLab, a "startup engagement" program, targeting snack brands in the wellness space as the global snacking giant digs deeper into the startup community.
A limited-supply Palate Training Kits released today from Icelandic skyr brand siggi’s takes an innovative approach to sugar reduction, which has gained prominence among consumers during the pandemic, but which continues to be stymied by taste and convenience...
Roquette, a producer of plant-based ingredients for food, nutrition and health markets, biotech company BRAIN AG, and BRAIN Group company AnalytiCon Discovery have completed the R&D phase for the development of protein sweetener brazzein.
New research findings from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that the artificial sweetener saccharin did not alter the gut microbiota or induce glucose intolerance (an indicator of the development of diabetes) in healthy adults as...
GoodSam Foods, a new brand of no-sugar-added, direct-trade chocolate launched by BeyondBrands, has entered the sugar-free chocolate confectionery category with products sweetened with emerging sweetener allulose.
Stevia specialist SweeGen has commercialized Reb N, a lesser-known steviol glycoside “with a unique sensory profile… that makes it especially attractive for beverage applications.”
