Guilt-free but indulgent frozen dessert brand Arctic Zero grew sales by more than 25% in 2014 versus 2013 and is “poised for significant growth” in 2015, says the San Diego-based firm, which has just unveiled a new logo and pack design.
Ready-to-eat grain-based dessert manufacturers in the US must do more to reformulate cakes, donuts, pastries, pies and cookies because there has been little change between 2005 and 2012, researchers warn.
As voted for by you the readers - effectively - and checked by us on Google Analytics, here are our Top 10 most read news stories of 2014 – from Constellation Brands attracting the ire of craft brewers to Dr Pepper’s stevia trials.
Diet soda is in a funk, while 'real sugar' is back in vogue. Energy is hot, but caffeine is still controversial. Maple water is bang-on-trend, but will it really become the next coconut water?
GLG Life Tech Corporation has announced another milestone in its effort to breed new cultivars of the stevia plant. The company has developed a variety that expresses higher levels of Rebaudioside A, or Reb A, the most commercially important stevia fraction...
It’s time to get out our crystal balls and predict the hottest trends in the European food and drink sector for the year ahead. What’s in store for 2015?
Consumer desire to effectively manage their weight and improve their health through food will continue to influence new product development and sales in 2015, according to New Nutrition Business, a food- and nutrition-focused market research firm.
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.
Vancouver-based GLG Life Tech has developed a new variety of stevia containing “remarkably high” levels of Reb C glycosides, which it claims could “revolutionize the global food and beverage industry’s ability to utilize naturally-sourced Reb C”.
Mintel says the presence of nutritionally beneficial compounds could see stevia-based sweeteners of the future that combine functional benefits as well as calorie-free sweetness.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
PureCircle has launched a new stevia blend called Sigma-D to target non-fermented, sweetened dairy drinks and other dairy products in what it says is a breakthrough category specific launch.
SPECIAL EDITION 2014, BEVERAGE SWEETENER INNOVATION
David Thorrold, CEO of the world’s largest monk fruit extract supplier BioVittoria insists the sweetener can complement rival stevia to achieve a better-tasting product – as the experience of successful zero-calorie US soft drinks brand Zevia shows.
Mediterra Nutrition’s recently launched savory bars seek to tap into one of the increasingly rare white spaces remaining in the crowded nutritional bar category, which is laden with sweets.
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.
American children were exposed to significantly fewer TV ads for sugary drinks in 2013 compared with 2011. But not every soda giant got the memo, says a new report, which claims that children aged 2-11 saw 29% more TV ads for PepsiCo sugary drinks in...
Up until relatively recently, sucralose was a key profit driver at Tate & Lyle. But as the Chinese have added production capacity, CEO Javed Ahmed told analysts this week that he was struggling to see “how we or frankly anyone else can make any money”...
Stevia-and-sugar-sweetened Coca-Cola Life is rolling out nationwide this month following trials in The Fresh Market stores in four US states. But Coca-Cola has declined to comment on a new report claiming that it has already proved to be an “undeniable...
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...
As one analyst suggests that Dr Pepper Snapple Group has hit a ‘home run’ with Mexican mineral water brand Penafiel, the company says it hopes to increase distribution in the US.
From hop-free ales with lavender or elderflowers to ‘advanced Asian’ cuisine, Sterling-Rice Group (SRG) looks at the top 10 culinary trends it predicts will inspire the packaged food and foodservice industry in 2015.
Despite any progress that might have been made in the health of offerings in US food retail outlets, the food displayed in the checkout queue is as unhealthy as ever, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest. The quick availability...
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...
After 18 months of rapid growth and a summer of reflection, True Drinks is ready to accelerate growth for its AquaBall product with an expansion to new international markets, and an advertising campaign calling out its ‘sugar-saturated’ competitors.
Press coverage of Ingredion’s $340m acquisition of starch & gums maker Penford made much of reducing its reliance on high fructose corn syrup in the light of lackluster soda sales. But HFCS now accounts for just 15% of sales at Ingredion, which has...
University of California researchers have warned that regular sugar-sweetened soda drinking could increase the risk of disease development and accelerate cellular aging.
Stevia chocolate is beginning to gain momentum in the US but could take at least a decade to achieve widespread acceptance among mainstream retail, according to stevia chocolate firm Coco Polo
Food industry ‘tinkering’ with sugar content while foods and drinks remain relatively high in sugar may detract from more basic sugar reduction strategies, warns a public health expert.
GOLDEN STATE ROW ESCALATES AS NOVEMBER 4 BALLOTS APPROACH
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi has attacked November ballots in San Francisco and Berkeley that will ask city residents to approve increased taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages and sweeteners used to sweeten such drinks.
Is it harder to start a beverage business today than it was 25 years ago when he started distributing ‘ginger brew’ from his Volkswagen Bug in a tie-dyed tee-shirt? Probably, says Reed’s Inc founder & CEO Chris Reed. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t...
'The feedback we received appears to be merely satisfactory or mixed'
Initial feedback suggests the US debut of Coca-Cola Life has been “lackluster”, with staff in some of the first stores to feature the product reporting “satisfactory” sales, but nothing to set the world on fire, says Ali Dibadj, senior analyst at Sanford...
Just weeks after the US launch of Coca-Cola Life, PepsiCo has unveiled plans to launch its own mid-calorie soda sweetened with a combination of sugar and stevia under the Pepsi True brand.
The optimal ‘naturally based’ sweetener combination to replace sugar for granola bars may be a mixture of coconut sugar, agave, and stevia, report researchers from Washington State University.
As the dental benefits of erythritol become more widely known, gum and confectionery products positioned for oral health are set to increase, says Cargill, but they have a long way to go to compete with beverages as the main use.
While 28% (66 million) of American adults are trying to lose weight, and a further 14% (32 million) are trying to maintain their weight, they are losing interest in strict diet plans, calorie-counting and ‘diet’ foods, says a new report from Packaged...
While Diet Pepsi sales remain pretty dire, strong growth from Mountain Dew Kickstart, Wild Cherry Pepsi and retro-style ‘real-sugar’ Pepsi prove that Americans haven’t lost their enthusiasm for carbonated soft drinks (CSDs), says PepsiCo.
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...
US version of Coca-Cola Life has 60 calories per 8-oz glass bottle
Stevia-and-sugar-sweetened Coca-Cola Life is making its US debut this week following successful launches in Latin America and the UK. But will it bring a surge of new - or lapsed - consumers to the cola category and help to reverse the flagging fortunes...
100% juice from concentrate may have to declare its sugar as 'added'
One bizarre consequence of FDA proposals to include ‘added sugars’ on the Nutrition Facts panel would be that not-from-concentrate 100% fruit juice could boast 0g ‘added sugar’ on the new-look labels, whereas 100% juice made from concentrate (containing...
Pure Via labels will be amended, but 'natural' claim will stay
10 months after Cargill agreed to settle a class action lawsuit alleging it was misleading shoppers by marketing consumer products under the Truvia brand as ‘natural’, the firms behind rival stevia brand Pure Via have agreed to settle a similar lawsuit.
Nearly twice as many Americans say they are actively trying to avoid fat in their diet (56%) as those who say they’re actively avoiding carbohydrates (29%), according to a Gallup Consumption survey of 1,013 adults conducted last month. Still, fewer Americans...
Senoymx says it expects either PepsiCo or flavor house Firmenich to commercialize proprietary sweet taste modifier Sweetmyx S617 in 2014 but is tight-lipped over who will be first to market.
As Kraft’s CEO recently observed, smaller, more agile players seem to be better at coming up with exciting new products than many CPG giants, for whom innovation is often more about trade management than addressing genuine consumer needs. But if this...
This does not prove that stevia isn't ready for prime time, say experts
There are lessons to be learned from Coca-Cola’s abortive attempt to introduce a new ‘natural’ sweetening system to selected Vitaminwater products, say formulation experts. But they are not necessarily about stevia.
