California-based SweeGen has received a GRAS no objections letter from the FDA for the use of its Bestevia branded Reb-M - manufactured from stevia leaf extracts converted to Reb M using enzymes – for use as a general purpose sweetener for food and beverage...
California-based B’BOX Group claims to have developed a proprietary technique for producing clean-tasting, high-purity stevia extracts that is so fast and cost-efficient that it says leading CPG manufacturers are considering buying the technology and...
As the technology around producing steviol glycosides continues to evolve, transparency in labeling will be critical if consumer trust in ‘natural’ sweeteners is to be retained, says PureCircle, which claims to be the “clear market leader in terms of...
'siratose has demonstrated potency and overall taste quality superior to existing monk fruit sweeteners'
Senomyx has identified a new zero-calorie, high-potency sweetening compound found in trace levels in monk fruit, which it plans to produce on a commercial scale via fermentation.
If high purity Reb A used to be the only game in town when it comes to stevia, the game has become a lot more sophisticated in the past couple of years as suppliers compete to provide the best-tasting combinations of steviol glycosides, and products become...
For years, carbonated soft drinks were the go-to choice for Americans to quench their thirst and boost their energy, but in recent years the category has begun to falter – creating an opening for a bevy of innovative beverage brands to emerge, according...
Two California state senate bills would mandate controversial warnings on some foods and beverages, and if enacted could start a domino effect among other like-minded states, potentially creating a patchwork of laws and compliance headache for national...
Yogurt manufacturers continue to expand and evolve their portfolios with healthier and more convenient options that meet consumers’ growing demand for products that are lower in sugar, high in flavor and easy to eat.
CAUGHT ON CAMERA AT THE 2017 WINTER FANCY FOOD SHOW
A “striking” increase in the consumption of no- and low-calorie sweeteners over 13 years combined with conflicting data on their connection to obesity, diabetes and other health issues escalates the need for more research on their chronic health effects,...
US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has released shipments of refined stevia from PureCircle coming in from China that had been held at the border based on allegations that they contained stevia produced using forced labor.
Cacao is best known for its antioxidant-rich nut that is used to make chocolate, but the fruit has more to offer -- including a sweet white pulp that helps set Suavva Cacao Smoothies apart from other RTD juices and shakes.
Consumer research leads Cargill to believe that it has finally rounded the stevia taste bend, just in time for the revamp of nutrition labeling phases in over the next several years.
With the launch of a new line of cocktail mixers, Zevia continues its transformation from a leader specializing in only diet, all-natural soda to a multi-service platform that offers beverages for a variety of needs throughout the day and into the evening.
The coconut water category in the US may be crowded, but it still has room to grow with sales projected to reach $1.97 billion in 2019 -- up from $778 million in 2015, according to Statista. Much of this growth likely will come from innovative twists...
Chaska, MN-based Dynamic Food Ingredients (DFI) Corporation has struck a deal with the world's fourth largest sugar producer, Thailand-based Mitr Phol Group, to commercialize technology it claims could slash production costs for erythritol and xylitol,...
Ironically, perhaps, just as open innovation is fostering a more open and collaborative culture in the notoriously secretive world of food R&D, consumers are becoming increasingly suspicious of scientists ‘meddling’ with their food, says Cargill’s...
A review article published in a dentistry journal makes the case that erythritol is superior to xylitol or sorbitol in preventing adhesion of harmful bacteria to teeth.
Finding solutions to reduce sodium, sugar and calories in finished products is essential as regulators and consumers demand healthier products – but the increasing desire for “clean labels” adds a complicating twist to the process of sourcing suitable...
By bucking the emerging trend toward smaller, thinner, portion-controlled snacking chocolate and embracing a distinctively large square format, Durci – a new artisanal line of chocolate from the makers of Crio Bru – quickly secured shelf space in high-end...
Aspartame-sweetened Diet Pepsi to return as 'classic' sub-brand
Aspartame, said PepsiCo in April 2015, “is the #1 reason why US consumers say they are drinking less diet cola, so we’re confident that with this change [to sucralose], consumers will come back into the Diet Pepsi franchise.” Today, with sales continuing...
The added sugars portion of the newly revamped nutrition facts labels for food products will provide a significant opportunity for purveyors of alternative sweeteners, an industry expert says.
As The Dannon Company nears the finish line for fulfilling its promise to improve the nutrition of its products that it made three years ago to the Partnership for a Healthier America, the company also is demonstrating that what is good for Americans’...
Product packaging today often is cluttered with so many certifications that consumers’ can’t absorb everything in the brief time they look at labels in stores, and as a result the icons’ impact is diminished and manufacturers likely aren’t getting their...
Under cover of darkness, deep in Northern and Central India and the Himalayans, harvesters for Heavenly Organics gently brush away sleeping bees from wild hives to collect the velvety, organic raw white honey that fills the firm’s award-winning confections...
As the number of health-conscious consumers increase, so do the number of brands touting a healthier alternative to what’s out there. Here’s an update from brands in this category that we’ve covered before.
Retailers and manufacturers that want to meet consumers’ growing demand for food free from preservatives need to rethink their strategies for packing, shipping and stocking products, suggest the husband and wife team behind Grain-Free JK Gourmet.
True Foods Inc. wants to make everyday foods “healthier, more delicious and better for our world” by packing them with more vegetables and less added sugar – an ambitious mission to which consumers are responding enthusiastically judging by the startup’s...
Normally about this time of year the airwaves and social media begin to buzz with messages about getting ready for bikini season or offers to help consumers shed the last few stubborn holiday pounds with special diet foods – but increasingly these types...
Fresh ingredients may be the must-have foods of the moment, but they also often require time-consuming prep and can lead to food waste when they come in amounts far exceeding those called for in recipes.Thirty-year food industry veteran Jon Startz has...
More than half a dozen countries hope to follow Mexico’s successful lead in reducing sugary soda consumption by severely restricting advertising and leveraging heavy excise taxes on the beverages by the end of the year, according to public health advocates.
As reports of lackluster sales of mid-calorie soda Coca-Cola Life have surfaced in the UK, it appears that the stevia-and-cane sugar-sweetened beverage has not set the world on fire in the US either, with sales peaking in March 2015 and steadily falling...
A cold-pressed dairy-free beverage made from raw cacao beans, RAU looks like chocolate milk (it’s not); tastes super-indulgent (but has just 90-120 cals per 12oz bottle); and can claim the ‘superfood’ moniker because its use of high-pressure-processing...
Chobani’s provocative new ad campaign for Simply 100 – which directly attacks the ingredient choices of two rival brands – has landed it in legal hot water, with Dannon’s lawyers demanding an immediate halt to the campaign and Chobani responding with...
Chobani has launched a multi-media campaign homing in on the ‘all-natural’ credentials of its Simply 100 Greek yogurt range and drawing shoppers’ attention to ‘artificial’ ingredients in rival products.
Not so long ago, pundits were predicting that the high-purity stevia extracts market would be worth a billion dollars as manufacturers ditched artificial sweeteners and embraced ‘all-natural’ alternatives.
Cargill’s new positioning of its erythritol as a flavor opens up new avenues for the ingredient which up to now has mostly been pigeonholed as a bulk sweetener, the company says.
True Drinks Holdings has struck a deal with Niagara Bottling under which the latter will produce a preservative-free formulation of True Drinks’ flagship sugar- and calorie-free kids’ beverage AquaBall.
A judge has tossed most of the claims in a class action lawsuit alleging Whole Foods is trying to disguise the use of added sugar in its 365 store brand products by using the term ‘evaporated cane juice’.
In recent years, sugar has replaced fat and sodium as public enemy No. 1 in the nation’s fight against obesity and diabetes – prompting consumers to shun the ingredient and manufacturers to seek alternative sweeteners.
Cargill conquered the technical challenges of bringing a fermented Reb D/Reb M stevia ingredient to market. Clearing the consumer acceptance hurdle was best handled by being as transparent as possible about the ingredient, a company executive said.
As demand for natural colors and flavors increases, so too does the sales opportunity for the relatively unknown and underdeveloped organic candy segment, according to a leading executive in the category.
Cargill: 'This opens up a new space and helps us address a market we can’t get to today from the leaf'
Cargill and Evolva will introduce their hotly-anticipated ‘next-generation’ Reb D and Reb M sweetener – produced via fermentation rather than from the stevia leaf – at the Supply Side West show next week under the EverSweet brand as they prepare for a...
Hoping to build on the momentum driving up sales of tea in the US, manufacturers are offering new flavors and delivery platforms that keep consumers engaged. At Expo East, companies showcased innovated tea bags, ready-to-drink options and even a tea consumers...
If Indigogo investors’ overwhelming interest in the upcoming launch of NeuroGum is any indication, the self-proclaimed focus-boosting gum could be a formidable competitor in the cognitive and energy food and beverage categories.
Lifeway Foods, a manufacturer of kefir beverages, is tapping into an increasing trend toward flavor periodicity to extend its market leading position, said CEO Julie Smolyansky.
Tasty Brand co-founders Liane Weintraub and Shannan Swanson originally had their sights set on an organic frozen baby food line, but the 2008 economic crash saw the market for premium baby food drying up. So they shifted gears to more seriously pursue...
