It’s barely more than a year old, but Hippeas is already generating monthly revenues just shy of a million dollars, says founder Livio Bisterzo, who reckons the chickpea-fueled brand could generate two or three times that amount next year.
When you start out, it’s tempting to say yes to everything, observes Banza co-founder Brian Rudolph (who admits ‘shiny object syndrome’ can also kick in once your brand gains traction and you start wondering where it could extend). But one of the reasons...
Innovation in the baby food aisle has come in waves. First came jars, then shelf stable pouches, and most recently a new generation of HPP (high pressure processed) refrigerated brands carving out a premium niche in the category. But could freeze-drying...
In another signal that traditional meat companies see cultured meat as an opportunity, rather than a threat, Cargill and other unnamed "food industry giants" have participated in a $17m funding round in clean meat firm Memphis Meats.
At a time when many grocery retailers and food and beverage brands are increasing their ecommerce presence, snack maker NatureBox, which began as an online service, is expanding its distribution in brick and mortar stores, which the company CEO says favors...
When Nourish Snacks decided earlier this year to ditch its old white packaging in favor of bold patterns and bright colors it did so not only to standout better, but also to help consumers feel happy about choosing a better-for-you option and not like...
As any entrepreneur that has conducted instore demos will tell you, says TrySome founder Rune Knudsen, asking someone face to face what they think of your product may not be the best way to elicit an honest response, even though direct interactions with...
From turmeric paste and green banana flour to sprouted mung bean snacks and cauliflower wraps and pizza bases, the entries to our 2017 trailblazers challenge are at the cutting edge of food & beverage innovation. But we could only pick three winners...
Banana-fueled snack Barnana is rolling out to 8,000 Starbucks stores nationwide in chocolate, and chocolate and peanut butter flavors in single serve bags with customized brown and gold packaging.
As more studies on human nutrition suggest 'one-size-fits-all' isn't the way of the future, more companies are springing up peddling personalized nutrition solutions. We collected 13 personalized nutrition services and products that are...
A minority equity investment from Encore Consumer Capital could help fast-growing Veggie Noodle Co. spring to new levels by funding the startup's expansion into a larger facility in East Austin that will allow it to produce more than five times its...
Canada Enterprises LLC - the company behind spicy ginger beverage Jin + Ja - is on course to more than double revenues in 2017 to approach $4.5m as it explores new territory with the launch of Super Greens powder and ramps up its direct to consumer business.
It’s hard to think of a company where mission and brand are more intertwined than RUNA, which was forged around an ingredient - guayusa - that created a powerful point of difference for an emerging beverage brand, but also generated income for small farmers...
Hampton Creek has confirmed the Silicon Valley start-up is in talks to license its lab-grown meat technology to some of the world’s biggest meat companies.
Consumers who begrudgingly endure the medicinal taste and multisyllabic, chemical-sounding ingredients in some energy drinks in exchange for the boost the beverages provide no longer need to make that trade off thanks to the launch of Zola’s purely plant-based...
Despite the sustained popularity of the paleo diet that has spawned an entire industry of packaged products from soup to snacks to decadent desserts, parents who want their children to follow the trend have had to make their own baby food – until now.
For time-strapped entrepreneurs who are brave enough to take the stage, competing in pitch-slams is a good way to secure funding, meet potential business partners and weave a network of supporters who can help shine a spotlight on them without investing...
When it comes to edible insects, there is still something of a disconnect between the rhetoric (insects can help us feed the world) and the reality, in the US., at least (they’re still niche and expensive). But that’s about to change, predicts the company...
For US-based Indian street snack maker The Chaat Co, $1 million in seed funding including investment from India’s Jain Farm Fresh Foods is about more than just the money -- it is also about securing a supply line for authentic ingredients to make its...
New parents who remember enjoying classic fruit snacks growing up but who struggle to justify giving them to their children in the current era of clean eating and better-for-you foods now have a new option from Veggie Go’s that the company says they can...
Much of the punditry immediately following the Amazon/Whole Foods announcement focused on how the tie up might impact Whole Foods stores. Will they become test beds for Amazon Go-style technology and fulfilment centers for Amazon's broader grocery...
As an early mover in the edible insect space, Exo initially downplayed the presence of crickets in its snack bars to help drive trial, but as the idea of eating bugs becomes more familiar to Americans the brand is more heavily featuring crickets in its...
With another infusion of investor funds, Country Archer Jerky Co. is set to make the leap from the natural channel where it is thriving into the conventional and convenience channels, which the CEO says are wide-open for better-for-you snacks such as...
To make it in the crowded plant-based beverage category, new products need to be more than just a passable alternative to dairy – they also need to be nutritious, delicious and environmentally sustainable, according to an established category player overseas...
The mail order oyster company Real Oyster Cult launched last May out of equal parts desire to deliver to consumers the freshest tasting oyster experience and a need to address food safety risks that threaten public health and commercial viability of shellfish...
When it comes to eating meat in the US, chicken, without a doubt, is the main attraction with Americans consuming an average of 91 pounds last year – that is nearly double the roughly 50 pounds of pork and 55 pounds of beef consumed in the same period,...
The Andean herbal infused beverage Wanku combines the functional health benefits of kombucha with the refreshing flavor of the increasingly popular plant-based waters and none of the downsides of the two categories, claim the young brand’s co-founders.
With the acquisition of three competitors, healthy snack subscription box company UrthBox hopes to better shine a light on organic and natural brands that otherwise may be caught in the shadow of more broadly recognized but less nutritious conventional...
In an about-face, Blue Apron’s stock is surging on the strength of positive investor ratings published earlier this week, but the meal kit company’s initial rocky start in public trading still could have a negative long-term impact on competitors’ ability...
From why Facebook is a great way to garner consumer insights on a budget, to why inviting chefs to your focus group could help invigorate and speed up your innovation process, FoodNavigator-USA’s Food Innovation Forum covered a lot of ground. Here are...
Protein2o – a rapidly-growing brand of flavored waters infused with electrolytes and 15g of whey protein – has completed a $4m capital raise and attracted two high-profile ex-Gatorade executives as its president and chairwoman after a year of “explosive”...
Tumbling soda sales have opened the door to the mainstream market for a variety of functional beverages that were previously relegated to the natural channel, including kombuncha sales of which, according to one entrepreneur, grew 41% to $534 million...
Koia, a refrigerated RTD plant-based protein beverage company, has secured a $7.5m funding round led by private investment firm KarpReilly and existing investor AccelFoods.
The ready meal category in the US is set to explode in part as a natural evolution of the meal kit craze that taught consumers how to cook healthy, fresh food at home, but which still ultimately takes more time than many people have daily, according to...
As recently as two years ago, bone broth was virtually unheard of by the masses, but now it is seemingly everywhere with newcomers crowding the category and pushing early players such as Bonafide Provisions to innovate to stay ahead of the competition.
The thought of fermenting coffee beans by feeding them to small cat-like civits or large elephants only to collect them again at the other end of the digestive process sounded unappetizing and cruel to Edgar Salgado – even if it produces a less bitter...
As the summer days heat up, so is the market for frozen desserts, including dairy- and nut-free options, high-protein ice creams, ice cream sandwiches, ice pops and indulgent flavors specially designed for adults – all of which showcased at the Summer...
Entrepreneurs whose families immigrated to the US increasingly are bottling the flavors of their culture in marinades, sauces and spreads to satisfy not only their cravings for foods from their heritage, but to make international cooking at home more...
Nutrition-packed, environmentally sustainable and already notoriously well-known – although partly for the wrong reasons – hemp is well positioned to become one of the next big superfood superstars in the US.
Snack bar company Kind has hired investment banks to advise on the sale of a minority stake, Reuters reported last week, citing people familiar with the matter but who wished to remain anonymous.
Food is fun. But not everyone has the time or energy to prepare three nutritionally-balanced meals every day, and brands that do all the hard work for you have big growth potential, claims UK-based Huel, which is making its US debut this summer with “perfectly...
Despite recent innovations and strong sales in the plant-based milk category, many products are low in desirable nutrients and high in unwanted “superfluous ingredients,” such as gums and starches, which leave the category vulnerable to an exodus but...
Competition in the roasted chickpea snack segment is heating up as more players enter the field, including newcomer Lebby Snacks, which stands apart from the others by offering a soft and chewy – but still roasted – version of the legume rather than the...
The Amazon/Whole Foods deal has “absolutely rattled food retailing and CPG markets in a way I have never seen in my life,” says the founder of organic meal-kit company Green Chef, who says he has been approached by multiple ‘strategic’ suitors as the...
Growing demand for products that support gut health is fueling rapid growth in sales of fermented beverages, but for kombucha to hold on to its pole position in the category and reach its full market potential, manufacturers must improve labeling compliance...
Canadian bug powder supplier Entomo Farms is still doing most of its business with snack food companies, but VP Darren Goldin – chatting with FoodNavigator-USA at the IFT show - envisions a future where frozen raw insects (as well as the roasted and milled...
As the nascent drinkable soup category starts to take shape, newcomer ZÜPA NOMA is looking to carve out its own niche with refreshed packaging that will help its bottles pop on store shelves and better showcase on-trend call-outs such as organic and Whole30...
As the new CEO of Beanfields Snacks, industry veteran Mark Rampolla hopes to do for the better-for-you snack company what he did for the better-for-you beverage industry when he founded Zico Coconut Water and in doing so also help Los Angeles-based non-profit...
What new tools are brands using to get products to market more quickly, and build consumer insights into the process at every stage? Are traditional focus groups becoming passé?
