Anyone who has shopped with children knows they heavily influence grocery purchases, but with advertising directly to kids frowned upon by many adults, children’s food and beverage manufacturers must embrace less direct strategies that balance what parents...
Portion sizes on the front of pack don't correlate with Nutrition labels on the back, says study
A picture speaks a thousand words, so it stands to reason that we’re more likely to rely on the image on the front of a food label than the hard data on the back when we serve ourselves what we think is an appropriate portion, says new research*. But...
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...
The current shift away from dieting and calorie-counting towards eating more whole, nutrient dense foods is a double-edged sword when it comes to fighting the obesity epidemic in America, according to an internationally recognized nutritionist.
Carefully balancing consumers’ age-specific nutritional needs with how and when they eat different foods helped Nestle successfully reduce sodium, sugar and fat significantly in some of its most frequently consumed foods without sacrificing taste.
Taste, price, and convenience aren’t the only deciding factors for buying food. A study by Deloitte and the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) found a slew of other influences increasingly becoming common.
Modeled after the coveted architectural LEED certification, being REAL certified tells buyers that manufacturers have gone “above and beyond” to produce a responsible, healthy product.
A graphical display of select nutrients has resulted in consumers purchasing healthier, lower-calorie menu items as a meal when ordering in a café setting, a study has shown.
Convenience stores, often considered a destination for indulgent, unhealthy snacks, could offer a new growth opportunity for better-for-you brands as the channel’s core audience begins shifting slightly towards more health-conscious shoppers, according...
In a dramatic rebranding, Lean Cuisine ditches the “antiquated” idea of dieting to become an advocate for overall healthy lifestyles, and in doing so, is empowering women to change the conversation about weight and value perceptions, according to brand’s...
Sales of meat and poultry in the US are shifting, but still growing as consumers’ changing views of health and wellness color their opinions of the category and their purchase decisions, according to new research from Packaged Facts.
Adding warning labels about weight gain, disease and tooth decay to sugar-sweetened beverages, as proposed by several state bills, could deter parents from buying them for their children, a new study reveals.
The percentage of vocal consumers who passionately care about, are dissatisfied with and distrustful of how food is made, packaged and sold is growing from a small niche group into a mainstream segment that manufacturers cannot ignore, according to new...
'The huge disparity between what the guidelines advocate and what Americans actually eat is beyond alarming'
What do registered dietitians and nutritionists think of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and how much do they ultimately matter, since the gulf between what Americans are told to eat – and what they actually eat - remains huge?
Nutrient-dense and protein-packed seeds will steal the show in 2016, predict 450 registered dietitian nutritionists surveyed by Pollock Communications and Today’s Dietitian.
Back to Nature Foods Co.’s revitalization of the recently acquired iconic SnackWell’s brand is an example of how established companies can refresh aging brands that are struggling to better compete with new products from disruptive startups.
Ensuring children have healthy options in their lunches and for snacks is one way to help them fight obesity, but for the times when they select their own food at restaurants and friends’ houses, a new app and coaching program from Kurbo Health Inc. can...
Social media often is a dominant – and sometimes the only – component of most food and beverage companies' marketing strategies, but as platforms continue to proliferate, advertisers must understand to whom each application appeals to maximize their...
Pasta is a low fat, low-sodium, low glycemic, complex carbohydrate, and a good source of thiamin, folic acid, iron, riboflavin, and niacin. So why do many consumers – and some health professionals – still see it as a source of ‘empty carbs’ to be avoided,...
Health-Ade Kombucha has defended its wares after being targeted in a false advertising lawsuit alleging it significantly understated the sugar content in its products.
Protein is hot, sugar is public enemy #1, and fat is back (so the trend-watchers say). But when it comes to good, bad and ugly fats, does everyone agree on which are which? Check out our gallery of insights from consumers, industry stakeholders, and the...
In an effort to maintain the current Dietary Guideline recommendation to restrict cholesterol intake, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Nutrition has launched an aggressive public health campaign against eggs, which it says are the primary source...
Building more supermarkets is not the only way to reduce food deserts, suggests new research that found corner stores are stocking more healthy foods and beverages now than almost 10 years ago.
KIND LLC will significantly reduce added sugar in some of its snack bars in spring 2016, which will make its label more appealing to health conscious shoppers, especially if FDA’s proposal to include added sugar in the Nutrition Facts box becomes a reality.
If you didn't make it to Chicago last week for the inaugural Food Vision USA event, you missed a truly awesome ensemble of industry experts covering everything from our nutritional needs on a manned mission to Mars to the challenges facing small...
Food manufacturers remain sharply divided over FDA proposals to crack down on added sugar, with General Mills and other big names such as Kellogg and Unilever strongly opposed; and Nestlé, Mars, and KIND LLC in favor, according to the latest wave of comments...
When it comes to evaluating the naturalness of food products, very few consumers consider on pack ingredient information, finds Unilever commissioned research.
Food is fun, says the self-described ‘serial optimist’ and ‘crowdfunding Jedi’ behind 500-calorie vegan ‘drinkable supermeal’ Ambronite. But not every eating occasion can be an epic, Mediterranean-style gathering fueled by wine and great conversation,...
Industrial trans fats, which the Grocery Manufacturers Association recently asked FDA to allow in small amounts in certain packaged foods, are associated with greater risk of death and coronary heart disease, according to a meta-analysis published Aug....
Limiting consumption of certain carbs may not be the panacea once thought for bloating and abdominal pain caused by irritable bowel syndrome, and actually could cause more harm if not overseen by a healthcare provider, a new data review suggests.
Modern ‘Western diets’ can lead to poor immune functioning and increased risk of inflammatory conditions, allergy, and auto-immunity, researchers warn.
The inclusion of dried fruit in Mars Chocolate North America’s goodnessknows snack squares helps deliver the sweetness consumers seek from confections, while also helping the candy-giant deliver on its commitment to offer options with limited added sugar.
Sales of snacks account for a whopping 40% of the $370 billion U.S. packaged food market and are set to grow 2% annually through 2019, thanks in large part to millennials who eat more snacks than any other group, according to analysis by Euromonitor.
Do you know how much General Mills paid for Annie's? Or which high potency sweetener Diet Pepsi will be using this summer instead of aspartame? And just how fast are organic food and beverage sales growing in the US these days?
As widely predicted, multiple class action lawsuits were filed against KIND on Friday following the publication of a Food & Drug Administration (FDA) warning letter citing a long list of concerns over label claims on its bars and its website.
The proliferation of snacks along with the growing number of ways to get them has created too many options for consumers who, above all else, like a limited variety to suit their needs, says David Calabrese, founder of San Francisco-based HealthyCheats,...
A new study revealing that a significant portion of dark chocolate products sold in the U.S. may contain undeclared milk could shake some consumers’ confidence in the industry in the week leading up to Valentine’s Day – one of the category’s most significant...
Two-year time frame 'would almost certainly drive an increase in food prices'
The two-year time frame in which the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expects the food industry to switch to new-look Nutrition Facts labels is unrealistic, and “would almost certainly drive an increase in prices of food products”, claims Kroger.
Eating all your vegetables might be easier in 2015 than in recent years as they increasingly show up in unexpected places, including desserts and drinks, according to the International Food Network.
Students who bring their lunch from home and their parents apparently missed the memo from Congress mandating the mid-day meal meet the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The American Heart Association says its recently launched consumer education campaign encouraging Americans to “break up with excess salt” seeks to “build an army of passionate and willing supporters” to pressure food manufacturers to reduce sodium in...
Most Americans believe knowing how much added sugar is in a food would be helpful, according to a recent study that contradicts food manufacturers’ concerns that a proposal to differentiate added and naturally occurring sugar on the Nutrition Facts label...
Given that the Dietary Guidelines urge Americans to reduce calorie intakes from added sugar, helping them identify foods that actually contain it by listing it on the Nutrition Facts panel seems like a no-brainer, says nutritional ranking system Guiding...
One of the fastest growing ingredients right now, coconut often is touted as a superfood, but that does not mean products containing its oil, flesh or milk are “healthy,” a recent FDA warning letter reminds the food and beverage industries.
We’ve never had access to more information about how to get healthy. So why are two thirds of Americans still overweight or obese, and what can we do about it? To find out, FoodNavigator-USA headed to Atlanta, GA, for the 2014 Food & Nutrition Conference...
A new group called the Global Nutrition & Health Alliance has formed with the mission to clarify the role of food fortification and nutritional supplementation. The issue of the role of these nutrients in the diet is still a matter of some confusion,...
A weekly text message reminder of recommended daily caloric intake may help consumers make healthier food choices, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Kidney disease patients unable to discern phosphorus levels in foods, AND claims
The FDA’s proposed revamp of the Nutrition Facts panel misses a public health opportunity to mandate disclosure of phosphorus content on nutrition labels, despite the micronutrient’s association with adverse outcomes among kidney patients and growing...
Almost a quarter of primary grocery shoppers are unable to correctly identify the total amount of sugar in products featuring the FDA’s ‘new-look’ Nutrition Facts labels, which require manufacturers to list ‘sugar’ and ‘added sugar’ separately, according...
