Around 3,800 Walmart stores now carry at least 30 Wild Oats organic products, while 2,200 stores carry more than 70 items, says the retailer, which says customers are saving up to 25% compared with national brand organic products.
While Trader Joe’s gets plenty of plaudits, its German parent company ALDI – which operates nearly 1,400 stores in 32 US states - is probably “the most underestimated grocery retailer” in the nation, according to a new report from market researcher Hartman...
From the purveyors of banana flour to chickpea pasta, barrel-aged tea, chilled nutrition bars, gourmet oatmeal and upmarket cottage cheese, here's FoodNavigator-USA's latest pick of entrepreneurs to watch in the US food and beverage market.
US sales of specialty foods blasted through the $100bn barrier in 2014, with retail ($85.5bn) and foodservice sales ($24bn) combined hitting $109.5bn, up 10.3% on 2013 sales of $99.3bn, according to a new report from the Specialty Food Association using...
Subscription snack box company Love With Food helps natural snack manufacturers drive brand awareness and sales by sampling their products directly to consumers’ doors for a fraction of the cost and labor of in-store demonstrations, according to the company’s...
Choice in the modern food system is something of a two edged sword. More options are available now than ever, but this abundance can also create more stress for consumers or manufacturers seeking a particular type of product. A new data service called...
Long before “gluten-free,” “sustainable” and “organic” held the marketing sway they do now, Liz Ward wanted to channel her passion for organic agriculture and social justice into a naturally nutritionally dense food product by creating BumbleBar, an all...
Demand for organic in the U.S. is soaring with more than 80% of families buying some organic products, pushing sales up to an expected $40 billion last year, according to the Organic Trade Association.
Ginger, turmeric and sprouted grains are hot, while kale and Greek yogurt are cooling off, according to trend watchers at Rabobank International who walked the floor at the 2015 Natural Products Expo West show in Anaheim earlier this month.
Consumer confusion about organic verses non-GMO claims abounds, and the Natural Product Association wants to set the record straight with a new lobbying effort.
While retail sales of packaged bread have been pretty sluggish in recent years, one company that’s bucking the trend is Oregon-based Dave’s Killer Bread.
From watermelon juice with a dash of lemon; to artichoke water with ginger; maple water; coconut smoothies; caffeine water; protein-packed dairy and non-dairy beverages; and a new wave of turmeric-laced drinks, there was a wealth of beverage innovation...
While ‘legacy’ food and beverage brands are laser focused on price, promotion and placement, no amount of financial clout or merchandising wizardry can mask the fact that smaller, sexier, more disruptive, brands are outpacing them. But are CPG’s biggest...
Vegan, paleo, grass-fed, pasture-raised, ancient grains, and allergen friendly claims are gaining
According to Chicago-based market research firm SPINS, US retail (dollar) sales of foods & beverages rose 1.7% in 2014, while unit sales declined by 0.4%. By contrast, sales of natural and organic brands grew nearly 12%. But where are the opportunities...
'We lack a clear positioning; the shopping experience hasn’t matched what our guests expect'
Some details about Target's food 'reinvention' plan emerged during its Q4 earnings call last week, but more flesh was put on the bones this week as bosses outlined plans to completely "redesign" their food strategy.
Sprouts Farmers Market is exploring online delivery options, but hasn’t found a model that works, yet, chief financial officer Amin Maredia said this week.
The founder of Tessemae’s All Natural, the maker of the No. 1 refrigerated salad dressing at Whole Foods and Safeway, originally took the road most traveled, but when that did not work out, he back-tracked and took the one least traveled, and that, he...
As more consumers avoid genetically modified organisms, manufacturers that fail to label whether their products contain GMOs are at an increased risk of losing consumer trust and relevance, according to The Hartman Group.
You can make money out of online grocery shopping if you have a scalable business model, a targeted range of high quality fresh foods, and the tools to help you build meaningful relationships with consumers, says Door to Door Organics, which has proved...
Field Roast Grain Meat Co. expands its portfolio into the retail vegan cheese category with the Jan. 1 launch of Chao Slices, which it claims are “revolutionary” because they do not try to mimic dairy cheese like other players in the segment.
New consumers continue to enter the organic category for the first time, but the health halo cast by the US Department of Agriculture’s certification is dimming as it becomes more mainstream and as shoppers’ interpretation of the standard evolves.
The significantly longer amount of time necessary to prepare whole grains compared to refined grains is a substantial hurdle that stops many people from eating more whole grains, even though they are more nutritious.
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.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage reported strong revenue growth for the fourth quarter of its 2014 fiscal year. Net sales grew by 17.8% over the same period in 2014 and were up by 20.9% for the fiscal year. The company notched $520.7 million in net...
Mainstream retailers that have been slow to take up the natural and organic product mantle now are realizing the trend is not a flash-in-the-pan and are scrambling to stock more healthy options, which is good news for Hain Celestial, company executives...
Chobani is working with Green America (formerly Co-op America) to “discuss realistic and viable” ways to secure more milk from cows fed non-GMO animal feed.
Leavening agent sodium acid pyrophosphate (SAPP) doesn’t belong in products making ‘all-natural’ claims, even if they are USDA certified organic, the FDA has told a Massachusetts-based baker.
The notion that defining ‘natural’ is just too hard - either for the FDA or for the food industry - and that we therefore shouldn’t even bother to attempt it, is defeatist and “disingenuous”, says the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI).
In part one of our coverage of FoodNavigator-USA’s natural & clean label panel debate we looked at whether the FDA - or industry stakeholders - should define ‘natural’. In part two, we look at all-natural lawsuits, and whether consumers understand...
After a years long pilot process, the new label Food Justice Certified is ready for market. The new designation aims to do what the USDA Organic Certification does not, and that is to verify that in every link of the food chain there is fair treatment...
Opponents of genetic modification say there is a new, potentially more powerful technology to contend with: synthetic biology. Purveyors of natural products who are concerned about this technique have coined the term for the way in which scientists have...
You’d be surprised with what you can achieve with a limited budget, a giant inflatable banana, a gorilla suit, and a product that no one else is selling, says the 20-something co-founder of a recent - and very colorful - entrant to the healthy snacking...
Desires to align product portfolios with messages of corporate social responsibility are driving some of the M&A activity regarding organic and natural companies, says Euromonitor International.
Subsidies have led to high rates of organic certification in Europe – while costs and confusion often prevent US organic producers from certifying their products, according to a new study.
General Mills will help newly acquired natural & organic brand Annie’s expand into new categories, channels and markets; and will use its clout to drive procurement and operational/logistical efficiencies, CEO Ken Powell told analysts this week. But...
General Mills has defended the future of Annie’s natural and organic snacks under its ownership, but two experts say the company will have to work hard to beat the critics.
In a sign of how much American palates have changed, Ocean’s Halo Seaweed Chip is building on the success of its original seaweed chip line with a reformulated organic version that will launch at this week’s Expo East trade show in Baltimore.
How clean is your label, and who decides - plaintiff's attorneys or Whole Foods Market? Are ‘all-natural’ claims still resonating with consumers or are other on-pack cues more important? And do shoppers understand the difference between natural and...
A new trade organization has formed with the mission to define what 'natural' means. The nascent Organic and Natural Health Alliance (ONHA) plans to go about defining that attribute in a way that is unique in the natural products business in...
In the latest installment of our ongoing What do you do interview series, we talked with the regulatory head of organic standards at industry trade group the Organic Trade Association about her lifetime love of soil, how often organic farmers and processors...
Big Interview: Chris Licata, CEO of Blake's All Natural Foods
The success of the frozen section hinges on the continued trend toward prepared meals with cleaner ingredient decks and accessible price points, says Chris Licata, CEO of natural and organic frozen meals line Blake’s All Natural Foods.
The terms “local” and “organic” have become increasingly coveted characteristics for packaged foods and beverage in the North American market, as evidenced by a growing number of marketing campaigns touting local and organic foods—not to mention the impressive...
FoodNavigator-USA takes you through the latest and greatest in new product launches, from affordable healthy snacks and chia energy drinks to all-purpose stevia and dairy-free desserts.
The US food and beverage industry anticipates continued sales growth in 2014 on the heels of strong performances the past two years, according to the second annual "US Food & Beverage Industry Study" from accounting, tax and advisory services...
At $88.3bn in 2013, the size of the US specialty food prize is already mouthwatering, and if current trends continue (sales grew 9.6% in 2012 and 8% in 2013), it will blast through the $100bn barrier in 2015. But which categories are growing most rapidly?
Health-related buzzwords such as “heart healthy”, “organic” and “all natural” can lead consumers to rate unhealthy foods as healthy, according to a study of college students at the University of Houston (UH).
When shopping for food, two-thirds of US consumers look for “locally grown” on labels, while 59% check to see if the products they’re buying are natural, according to a survey from Consumer Reports National Research Center.
