Berkeley-based Perfect Day – which is creating ‘vegan’ dairy proteins without cows – is in talks with food industry partners about scaling up production in order to introduce dairy ingredients that vegans, vegetarians and dairy lovers alike can enjoy...
Beyond Sausage - the latest innovation from plant-based brand Beyond Meat – is made with pea protein isolate, fava bean protein, rice protein, potato starch, coconut oil and beet juice “to deliver on the juicy, satisfying taste and texture of pork sausage,...
Most ‘banana’ ice cream or frozen dessert brands start with a dairy/coconut/nutmilk base, and then add sugar, and banana, or banana flavor. Hakuna Banana reverses this dynamic and starts with mashed bananas as the #1 ingredient.
Chickpea-fueled pasta brand Banza is now in 8,000+ locations after striking deals with Kroger and Ahold that have added 2,000+ stores to its footprint, but remains laser focused on velocity as part of its bid to be the “most productive pasta in the set”...
Check out FoodNavigator-USA’s latest gallery of new products hitting US shelves, spanning everything from cold brew tea to mung-bean based scrambled egg alternatives, algae bars, kombucha bars, tahini bars, bone broth/coffee combinations, and veggie-packed...
A legal dispute that threatened to derail Campbell Soup’s acquisition of Pacific Foods has been “amicably resolved,” enabling the $700m deal to go through.
The reinvention and rising popularity of cauliflower over the past year illustrates how consumer grocery shopping styles are evolving along with their focus on specific ingredients, and the opportunities this change creates for manufacturers and retailers...
Beyond Meat raises $55m in round led by Cleveland Avenue LLC
Beyond Meat – the plant-based company behind the Beyond Burger (the first meat-free burger to be merchandised in the meat counter) – has raised $55m in a financing round led by VC firm Cleveland Avenue, LLC, and supported by meat giant Tyson Foods.
The NadaMoo! coconut milk fueled dairy-free brand – which has been growing at an explosive, triple-digit pace over the past three years – is exploring moves beyond the frozen case into new plant-based categories, says its CEO.
NadaMoo! – which is carving out a niche at the premium end of the dairy-free frozen dessert market with its organic coconut milk based wares – has raised $4m in a Series A financing round led by InvestEco Capital and supported by District Ventures Capital,...
Consumer desire for new flavor experiences is leading them on a global adventure with stops in 2018 in Hawaii, France and US South, according to Packaged Facts’ 2018 trends forecast released earlier this month. Brightly colored foods, pepper, figs and...
The plant-based movement is easier to understand when considering it alongside another trend that proved to be a financial boon for brands: gluten-free.
Held at the W hotel in Chicago Nov 13-15, FOOD VISION USA brought together a glittering array of speakers from big and small food brands, spanning topics from food e-commerce and meal kits to clean-label trends, clean meat, hydroponics and whether the...
US per capita consumption of dairy milk beverages decreased by 22% from 197 pounds to 154 pounds between 2000 and 2016, according to data* from USDA’s economic research service, with the biggest drop in fat-free and skim milk (whole milk in contrast is...
Field Roast Grain Meat Co makes vegan roasts, sausages, burgers and cheese. But it’s not in the meat or dairy ‘analog’ business, stresses co-founder, and CEO David Lee. “I’m not making fake beef or Monterey Jack. I’m not trying to mimic or imitate specific...
The outlook for the C-Store channel is “encouraging” with many manufacturers innovating around protein, flavors, clean labels, and functional benefits, says Wells Fargo Securities senior analyst Bonnie Herzog.
Bold new packaging, streamlined branding and even cleaner ingredient decks will boost the appeal of Enjoy Life’s snacks and baking mixes to its core allergy-suffering consumer-base as well as more mainstream shoppers, a company spokeswoman predicts.
From chickpea tofu to spiced coffee, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) highlights six culinary trends it predicts will inspire packaged foods and foodservice menus in 2018.
The arrival of 2017 may have marked the end of the year of the pulse, but new products featuring lentils and legumes continue to flood the market and gain traction with consumers thanks to the many benefits they offer, including weight management, heart...
Campbell Soup – which is leaving the Grocery Manufacturers Association after finding itself “at odds with some of its positions” - is joining the Plant Based Foods Association (PBFA), a new trade association dedicated to boosting consumption of plant-based...
‘The worst thing you can do is lose your focus when your brand is taking off like a rocket ship’
Adaptogens are still a novel concept for most US consumers, but the success of REBBL – an organic coconut milk-based beverage brand packed with ashwaganda, turmeric, and other staples of Ayurvedic medicine – suggests the ‘super herb’ concept has legs,...
Building a new food and beverage brand – even with a packed contacts book and years of industry experience under your belt - is not for the faint-hearted, says Forager Project founder Stephen Williamson, who spent a decade as CEO of Odwalla before Coca-Cola...
For all the hub-bub around bold and exotic flavors, the success of Jolly Time’s Blast O Butter microwave popcorn for the past 20 years is a good reminder of the power nostalgia and familiarity can play in driving ongoing sales.
New technology developed by a team of Cornell University graduates could revolutionize food storage by dramatically extending the shelf life of produce without refrigeration – which means it also could cut overhead energy costs and emissions.
Consumers want more protein and more snacks, yet according to recent data from Nielsen only 20% currently eat protein snacks – revealing a substantial marketing opportunity for innovative companies. Here are a few up-and-comers looking to fill the void.
Can PepsiCo or Kraft Heinz build another brand like Pepsi or Heinz from scratch, in-house, or will they increasingly serve as scale up platforms for brands they didn’t create?
After building a successful restaurant in Mexico based in part on the popularity and health benefits of coconut, entrepreneur Daniella Hunter is expanding her mission of promoting digestive well-being and sustainability to the US and Belize with a new...
After 10 successful years focused on making unique wafer-thin savory and sweet crackers, snack company 34 Degrees is ready to try something new and thanks to a $3.4 million investment from its long-time supply chain manager Fresca Foods it has the means...
Mexico is eager to follow America’s growing demand for more protein, probiotics and fiber, but lower income levels could hold back consumers and create challenges for manufacturers, according to one industry insider.
Plant-based proteins are creeping into a dizzying array of foods and beverages, from dairy-free ‘milks,’ ‘cheeses’ and ‘yogurts’ to protein bars, chips, powders and meat analogs. But what are they like to work with? FoodNavigator-USA caught up with experts...
Albertsons’ deal to acquire meal kit company plated was a smart move for both parties, and will likely be the first of many strategic partnerships in the food ecommerce space as “brands are seeking out their dance partner before the music stops"...
Plant-based meats account for less than a quarter of 1% of meat sales in the US, while plant-based milks have gobbled up almost 10% of the fluid milk market, says the Good Food Institute (GFI). But why is this? Are they simply not cutting it, or is it...
Elmhurst Milked is hoping to make a splash in the burgeoning plant-based dairy arena with ‘milked peanut’ beverages that offer more protein, less sugar, a creamier mouthfeel and a noticeably shorter, cleaner, label than other nut milks, with products...
Check out FoodNavigator-USA’s latest gallery of new products hitting US shelves, spanning everything from chocolate peanut butter Cheerios to ‘milked peanuts’ and pea- and cashew-fueled protein fueled beverages, to meat snacks, ‘fig salami,' HPP...
Meat-free brand Quorn – which has a big presence in the UK chilled food market, but has historically focused on the frozen segment in the US – has developed a new line of meat- and soy-free refrigerated sausages and chicken strips that will roll out across...
What began as a hobby for a 15-year-old girl, now is blooming into a bustling family business as Abby’s Better Nut Butter rapidly gains sales and distribution thanks in part to its clean labels, better-for-you angle and unique flavor combinations that...
Consumers are notoriously fickle, but their ongoing demand for beverages that are healthy and natural is paving the way for several sustained sub-trends that not only show immediate growth potential but also long-term payout, according to Google trends...
Plant-based Greek-style yogurts from Ripple Foods – slated to hit the market by the end of this year – will have a higher protein content (12g/serving) and superior texture to brands currently on shelf, which have improved, but can still look “gelatinous”...
When it comes to meeting consumers’ growing demand for protein, animal-based products continue to reign supreme in the US and Canada for now – but plant-based options are gaining traction and hold significant sales potential, according to the market research...
Natural ingredients giant Naturex has struck a global distribution deal with MycoTechnology, the fungi-fueled start-up behind Pure Taste fermented shiitake vegetable protein: a high-profile new entrant to the ‘alternative’ protein market.
A new coalition of US and Canadian produce companies hopes to protect the North American Free Trade Agreement from potentially “traumatic” revisions based on “protectionism and a very narrow view of trade,” according to one co-founder.
FDA is pushing back the compliance dates for most agricultural water testing standards outlined in the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule to “simplify our approach to make compliance less burdensome and less costly, while still being...
US retail sales of plant-based foods and beverages rose 8.1% to $3.1bn in the 52 weeks to August 12, according to Nielsen data compiled for the Plant Based Foods Association and The Good Food Institute.
Whether it is trying to raise money, build brand awareness or convince a buyer to stock your product on store shelves, knowing how to successfully pitch your company, and yourself, to potential business partners and consumers is essential.
Does selling up mean selling out? Quite the opposite, says the co-founder of plant-based brand Sweet Earth, who says teaming up with the world’s biggest food company is one of the most effective ways of accelerating the kind of change many activists want...
Nestlé has gained an “immediate entry” into the plant-based foods category via the acquisition of fast-growing California-based brand Sweet Earth for an undisclosed sum.
Much of the focus for growth of plant-based proteins in the US to date has been on alternatives to meat and cow’s milk, but new research from Euromonitor International suggests significant potential lies in the frozen desserts and emerging protein snacks...
Recognizing most Americas have a love-hate relationship with vegetables, Garden Lites is introducing a series of new products that either celebrate or hide vegetables to help ensure all consumers can hit their recommended five a day.
US beverage startup, Canvas, has developed a way to convert unused grain leftover from the beer brewing process into a line of sustainable plant-based beverages.
