US retail sales of organic products grew 11.5% to $35.1bn in 2013, the strongest growth the industry has seen in five years, according to new data from the Organic Trade Association (OTA), which is predicting even higher growth of 12% this year.
If biotech’s big guns want to seize the initiative in the GMO debate, they should ditch their defensive strategy (telling consumers why they don’t need GMO labels) and go on the offensive, launching a positive campaign about the merits of GM crops, according...
Rising levels of carbon dioxide will mean that some grains and legumes will become significantly less nutritious than they are today, according to new international research.
Microwave popcorn was a childhood favorite snack of Kristy Lewis; though her nostalgia turned to disillusionment when as an adult she learned that the chemical-, hydrogenated oil-laden formula hadn’t evolved alongside her growing awareness.
As anti-GMO activists celebrated their first major victory in Vermont this week with the passage of GMO labeling bill H112, the GMA said it would mount a legal challenge within weeks. But while big food companies may well win the courtroom battle ahead,...
Big interview: Noha Waibsnaider, founder & CEO, Peeled Snacks
Armed with an MBA from Columbia University, a great contacts book, and a keen understanding of the CPG market after a two-year stint working at Unilever, Noha Waibsnaider was probably better equipped than most to face the challenges ahead when she launched...
It’s becoming harder to avoid the looming UN statistic that the world population will reach 9.6 billion by 2050, and harder still to evade the question: How will we feed them all in an environment of dwindling resources?
Interview with Dan Belliveau, creator of coffee flour and co-founder of CF Global
A longtime executive at the likes of Starbucks, Frito-Lay and General Motors used his experience in improving supply chain efficiency to create a groundbreaking food ingredient traditionally left to rot as a byproduct of the roughly 17 billion pounds...
In its third year of tracking greenhouse gas emissions, global stevia supplier PureCircle has lowered its carbon emissions by 15% compared to 2012, resulting in carbon savings of nearly 40,000 MT of GHG, according to the company's most recent carbon...
Exclusive interview: Pat Crowley, director and founder of Chapul
As one of the forerunners of the commercialization of edible insects in the US, Chapul, makes its first big push into the national market with its cricket protein bars, founder Pat Crowley caught up with FoodNavigator-USA on the enviable efficiency of...
Last year Professor Mark Post sparked international interest with the unveiling, and tasting, of the world's first lab-grown meat. Since then he's been working to iron out technical issues so that commercially available lab-grown meat can become...
What is the future of food? Simple communication of complex advances will be crucial, as well as picking up the pace amid a global population boom to feed the world nutritiously and sustainably, according to FoodNavigator and NutraIngredients senior editors.
Big interview: Ethan Brown and Brent Taylor, co-founders, Beyond Meat
“We’re a meat company that make products from plants”, say the entrepreneurs behind Beyond Meat, which makes "near-perfect replicas of meat" from plants. And they’re thinking big. After all, why settle for a slice of the $600m US meat-alternatives...
While die-hard opponents of GM crops probably won’t undergo a damascene conversion after checking out the latest updates on ag-biotech-funded website GMO Answers, they are not the target audience, say its backers.
The makers of Third Street Chai have leveraged their partnership with Whole Foods Markets into a new line of ready-to-drink teas that will launch nationwide with the natural foods retailer this spring.
Snack makers should consider sourcing quinoa from India where the exotica strain is sweeter, higher in protein and sells at a stable, lower price, says the managing director of Ashtral Biotech.
Sambazon - the firm that made açai a household name in the US - has donated $50,000 to Whole Planet Foundation to help fund microcredit for poverty alleviation worldwide.
Mars has committed to ending deforestation associated with its palm oil supply by the end of 2015, becoming the latest multinational to do so, alongside Unilever and Nestlé, among others.
The natural products market continues to grow and achieve scale, reaching $150 billion last year and projected to hit $226 billion by 2018—with 68% of that coming from food and beverage products, according to the Nutrition Business Journal.
By Winnie Byanyima, executive director, Oxfam International
Food and drink companies can have a big influence over sustainability and ethical issues in their supply chains - and have the power to change them rapidly. One year on from Oxfam's first Behind the Brands sustainability scorecard, nine of the ten...
While the debate about deforestation due to palm oil rumbles on, new research has suggested that the release of methane from palm oil processing wastewater may also be a significant concern.
Sustainable sourcing is a big buzzword these days, and companies have different methods for achieving that goal. One way to boost a company’s sustainability profile is to tap into a hidden pool of talent, namely the people who actually buy the stuff:...
Gearing up for this week’s launch of coconut water concentrate acidified with acerola, ingredient supplier iTi Tropicals’ president Gert van Manen caught up with FoodNavigator-USA to talk about the market potential for coconut water, the ongoing attack...
Vancouver-based stevia supplier GLG Life Tech is moving into the monk fruit (luo han guo) sweeteners market and expects to have commercial quantities of high-purity extracts available later this year.
Ingredients giant Roquette has struck a deal with Iowa-based non-GMO corn and soybean specialist World Food Processing (WFP) under which WFP will manufacture Roquette’s pea protein in the US.
While most start-ups struggle to raise the funds to turn their dreams into reality, Hampton Creek Foods CEO Josh Tetrick has convinced some of the world’s wealthiest people that his plant-based egg replacers are worth a serious punt.
The Kellogg Company has pledged to source fully traceable palm oil by the end of next year, a move that has been welcomed by NGOs that have been fighting for the cereal giant to change its policies for months.
Big interview: David Janow, co-founder and CEO, Axiom Foods
Protein is undergoing a renaissance in food marketing, with high-protein claims appearing on everything from snack foods and sports beverages to soups and frozen yogurt. And plant proteins - particularly pea and rice - are gaining momentum.
Canadian oil supplier Biodroga is hoping to make a splash in the omega oils market with the launch of an oil derived from camelina sativa that is rich in omegas 3, 6 and 9, the company says.
Hurdles in food safety, taste and consumer acceptance await on the London South Bank University’s quest to join two big food innovations: 3D printing and insect-based ingredients.
Brazzein - a protein from the berry of the West African plant Oubli claimed to be 2,500+ times sweeter than sucrose - could play a key role in the natural sweeteners market in future as formulators look beyond stevia, says one entrepreneur intent on commercializing...
First there was the leaked GMA discussion document; now the industry’s biggest players have put their cards on the table via the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, which is seeking federal legislation to create an FDA-administered voluntary program to...
Two-thirds of all fish harvested for food is likely to come from fish farms by 2030, according to a report from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Locusts, lentils, seaweed or “hybrid” meat? Researchers have found that consumers prefer the thought of non-specified meat substitute snacks over those containing insects or seaweed.
Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage has reported a 26% net sales increase year-over-year in its first quarter of fiscal 2014. The company also recorded 10.6% comparable store sales growth, maintaining momentum in this key metric.
An internal report on the World Bank’s multimillion dollar loan to a palm oil company embroiled in human rights allegations has concluded that the investment bank should have been more diligent in its assessments.
“This isn't meat,” said Phil Lapp’s nine-year-old daughter Morgan after wolfing down some home-made meat-free tacos one evening in 2011. “This is neat”.
US retail sales of meat alternatives - worth $553m in 2012 according to Mintel - could easily break through the $1bn barrier, predicts Garden Protein (Gardein) CEO Yves Potvin.
Meat reduction – or ‘flexitarian’ eating – is on the rise. In this special edition article, FoodNavigator asks why are consumers reducing meat, and how prevalent is the trend?
Many big brands are “playing a waiting game” right now to see whether moves by General Mills and Post Foods to axe GMOs from iconic brands (Cheerios and Grape Nuts) will have a domino effect, say analysts at Euromonitor International.
In order to feed a growing global population that’s on track to reach 9 billion people by 2050, some scientists argue that people will have to adopt a predominantly plant-based diet to sustain both the environment and humans’ well-being. As part of FoodNavigator-USA's...
If its ‘sprouted’ form, non-GMO, non-allergenic and vegan credentials give consumers a warm and fuzzy feeling; its low price, amino acid profile and smooth texture are also winning over formulators, claims one firm promoting the latest plant protein on...
Mondelez International reached its 2015 goal of sourcing 100% RSPO-certified palm oil for all its purchases last year – two years ahead of schedule, the company has said.
Stabilized rice bran ingredients specialist RiceBran Technologies has struck a multi-year distribution and supply agreement with Hela Spice Canada Inc. to sell its products in Canada.
The struggle over GMO labeling will push the growth of certified organic products in the US in 2014, according to market research firm Organic Monitor. And at least one major discount grocery retailer is looking to cash in with the launch of a new organic...
A looming water crisis in California has led more than 50 California lawmakers to request the declaration of a state drought emergency. The dire water situation for the upcoming crop year could send ripples through US agricultural supply says the California...
