Over the last two weeks of September, members of the Organic Trade Association met virtually with 30 legislators on both sides of the aisle from 19 states to advocate for policies that they say will help all farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change,...
At six months into the pandemic, we are well-past the frantic pantry stocking days that left many store shelves bare, and yet, the broad product selection available in stores before the coronavirus outbreak has not returned – prompting questions about...
Last Friday marked six months since the coronavirus pandemic was declared, which for many Americans means six months of either risking exposure to go to work as essential employees or six months of working remotely from a repurposed kitchen table or other...
As many schools negotiate how to teach children safely during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, they also must navigate how to feed them – a challenge that will require creativity and cooperation from regulators, legislators, and school nutrition professionals...
After years of declining sales, dairy milk is on the rise again thanks in part to the coronavirus driving a resurgence of baking, cooking and eating at home, but to keep the momentum going during and after the pandemic, industry stakeholders are reviving...
An unexpected partnership between one of the largest dairy cooperatives in America and a technology powerhouse that is more often associated with cubical farms than actual farms is taking on some of the biggest threats to the US food system to help farmers...
The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s recent recommendations that children under 2 years avoid all added sugar to ensure they consume the nutrients they need without excessive caloric intake may not go far enough to drive a significant change in...
As Americans continue to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, they increasingly are living vicariously through social media influencers, many of whom have yet to raise their advertising rates to reflect their higher engagement – making them a...
As consumers settle into living with the threat of the coronavirus and better understand their grocery needs while staying at home, their priorities inevitably will shift from panic purchasing any and all products to stocking their pantries more selectively...
While the coronavirus has hit hard the food and beverage industry over the past four months, players across the supply chain have worked closely with federal agencies and the government to improve manufacturing processes and temporarily ease what the...
While the ongoing coronavirus pandemic has exposed many vulnerabilities and inequities in the current food system, ranging from supply chain fragility to worker safety, it also is opening minds – and doors – to promising sustainability solutions brought...
The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has reshaped virtually every aspect of American’s lives, including what, when and how we eat, according to research from the flavor, ingredient and color company Flavorchem, which found our emotions are influencing our...
Even though Andrew Abraham has helped millions of people live healthier, more vibrant lives first as a medical doctor and then for the past 12 years as the founder of the organic protein shake and bar brand Orgain, he wanted to help more consumers learn...
Supply chain snags, consumer stockpiling and retailers reprioritizing what to stock during the initial phases of the coronavirus pandemic meant many consumers had to go without their favorite brands and switch to available alternatives, but according...
Even before the threat of the “quarantine 15” – or the idea that some Americans are at risk of packing on 15 pounds during the pandemic due to stress-baking, mindless snacking and reduced physical activity – the rate of obesity in America has been stubbornly...
While consumer interest in where food comes from and how it is produced has been growing in recent years, an organic industry leader says the coronavirus pandemic has turbocharged shoppers’ interest in local, organic and sustainably produced products...
Once relegated to the dusty back corners of kitchen cupboards or quickly swigged by only the most devote health-conscious consumers, apple cider vinegar has been thrust into the limelight by the coronavirus pandemic for its claimed immunity, beauty-enhancing...
By Soup-To-Nuts Podcast: Navigating coronavirus’ uneven impact to chart a path forward for groceries
While some food and beverage brands have enjoyed tremendous growth following the coronavirus outbreak, others have been completely "pummeled" by government and consumer response to the virus – revealing a division that could provide a road map...
As the infection rate and death toll of the novel coronavirus continue to climb, more Americans are re-thinking their diet to help ward off infection, as illustrated by the dramatic increase in sales of immunity products and people buying them in the...
Even as packaged food and beverage companies scramble to meet increased consumer demand while also compensating for setbacks during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many are shifting already limited resources to employees, customers in need and the broader...
Americans are drinking more coffee than ever before – and not just because fears of coronavirus are keeping them up at night or because they suddenly need an energy boost as they navigate new demands that strain work-life balance.
Given the perils of visiting brick and mortar grocery stores amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, many shoppers have turned to online shopping en mass – revealing gaping holes in many retailers’ approached to e-commerce that threaten profitability and...
Before the threat of COVID-19 prompted Washington, DC, and other US cities to ban large gatherings, nearly 900 school nutritional professionals from across the country converged on the Nation’s capital to brainstorm how vulnerable children can continue...
Confronted almost daily with images of marine debris filling the bellies of dead whales, headlines about climate change and emerging stories about America’s broken recycling system, consumers increasingly are worried about single-use plastic and packaging...
According to the NPD Group’s Future of Snacking report, Americans ate more than 386 billion snacks last year, and IRI reports the category brought in a whopping $89 billion dollars by the end of 2017 with an addition $16 billion in sales predicted over...
The consumer packaged goods industry may be composed of diverse companies offering disparate products ranging from toothpaste to pet food to canned soup, but a recent survey conducted by the Consumer Brands Association reveals 86% of CPG leaders place...
When demand for “clean label” first burst on the scene several years ago, it was all about removing “chemical-sounding,” “unnatural” and unnecessary ingredients from products, but as shoppers learn more about food, how it is made and its impact on their...
The long-held consumer perception of convenience stores as a last resort for a fast in-and-out trip to grab a six-pack of beer and, if they weren’t too picky, a few staple ingredients, is quickly being replaced by a new class of elevated – and digitally-integrated...
As consumer interest in health, wellness and sustainability has lifted better-for-you brands out of the dark corners of stores to become a mainstream phenomenon in every category, marketers have gravitated to founders’ stories and social missions to attract...
The consumer-packaged goods industry is undergoing a “cataclysmic transformation,” according to one branding expert, who explained that a new crop of entrepreneurs who are unfettered by outdated taboos and not intimidated by industry giants are challenging...
As we enter the next decade, consumers will continue to wield the power they took from food and beverage brands during the last ten years to drive increased transparency, sustainability and social responsibility, predicts one leading market analyst and...
The consumer awakening and subsequent loss of faith in big business over the past 10 years caught many established food and beverage companies on their backfoot, but a leading market analyst and communications expert predicts the tide will shift again...
The buzz around fresh, healthy and sustainable eating is so intense it is easy to think that everyone now eats this way – but the reality is the premium prices and extra time often needed to prepare these on-trend items place them out of reach of millions...
The National School Lunch Program serves approximately 4.9 billion meals a year to children nationwide, and for many recipients it is their only source of nutrition, and yet, according to a new book by Jennifer Gaddis, the program is chronically underfunded...
With emerging research showing that the diet of pregnant women and children under the age of 2 years can have a powerful impact on children’s brain development and future health, the upcoming recommendations for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines will, for the...
As an influential early-adopter of the incubator model that has spread throughout the CPG food and beverage industry in recent years, Chobani continues to push the boundaries of the entrepreneurial ecosystem by fine-tuning its program and recruitment...
Earlier this week, more than 10,000 registered dietitians, nutritionists, nutrition science researchers, policy makers, healthcare providers and industry leaders descended on Philadelphia to learn about and discuss key health issues facing Americans at...
Even as food and beverage brands are starting to look more closely at Gen Z shoppers to determine what they want and what makes them tick, many are still struggling to pinpoint how best to engage with millennials who Goldman Sachs has dubbed “the most...
Hemp and CBD continued to reign as one of the top food and beverage trends at Natural Products Expo East in Baltimore last week, just as they did at the event’s counterpart Expo West last March – but also just like at West they were far from the only...
Ready or not, Gen Z, is upon us with the oldest members of this cohort about to turn 21 and move out on their own and the younger ones holding increasingly more sway over what ends up in their families’ grocery carts.
As consumers become more comfortable buying groceries online they are becoming less tolerant of imperfections in e-commerce platforms and of insufficient product information – effectively raising the bar for retailers and brands to offer a seamless ordering...
As the dog days of summer drag on, people nationwide are reaching for frozen desserts to help stay cool, but unlike in the past when the promise of providing a moment’s respite from the heat in the form of a sweet treat was enough to land a product in...
To beat of the competition or determine whether a new product idea will succeed, food and beverage companies need to stay ahead of consumers quickly changing whims – a task that has never been easy, but which is becoming more difficult as shoppers take...
The US Dietary Guidelines, which are updated every five years, were created more than 40 years ago as a way to help all Americans eat healthier based on current scientific data, but since its inception a large and vulnerable group has been left out –...
Given that only 2% of food and beverage sales currently are generated online and that shipping perishable, fragile and heavy CPGs can take a substantial bite out of already tight margins, it may be tempting to skip ecommerce.
Venture capital funding flooding the food and beverage industries in recent years has helped grease the wheels for many startups, but according to one investor a significant funding gap between pre-seed and subsequent early growth-stage rounds is holding...
Starting or running a business is undeniably hard – for everyone. Even if someone appears to be strolling down easy street, chances are they still wake up panicked in the middle of the night, check their work email on their phones in the bathroom and...
At IFT earlier this month, banana fosters flavor was everywhere – on popcorn, in cookies, even in coffee – but according to the ingredient company Virginia Dare its star power status at the show wasn’t just because it is a traditional dish of the conference’s...
When large food companies began cutting back on in-house R&D in favor of investing in startups’ with promising ideas, some either didn’t factor in or miscalculated the resources and time needed to scale-up their acquisitions before seeing returns...
As the line begins to blur between food and beverage, consumers are looking for more than just hydration from their drinks – they also want function, but according to market research firm Mintel figuring out which benefits resonate with which consumers...
